Survivors of the Z’s- Graham Jackson, 30/07/2016, Nottingham, UK

The Screams were deafening.
Oh the screams
They were everywhere
Gun fire was everywhere
Blasts from the guns picking off every infected person that sprinted toward them
The army was of many men and women and the infected seemed to be falling. They were winning the fight. It seemed to be coming to an end
We hoped
   We were out of the way now, “Keep going,” I said
We kept going and going until we were far away. We stopped and rested against the walls.
I panted
Put my hands on my knees and let my heart rate slow down. I looked to the side whilst I tried to steady my breathing. Looked back to the place where we just were. Where we were running for our lives. Where we were witnessing death in every direction our eyes swept. I walked toward the kids.
   “Come here girls,” I said
Eveyln came and we all hugged. I felt all their emotions wash over me like a waterfall. Our tears drenched our feet and the ground we stood on. We were all drained. Our heads full of the madness. The girls minds were now lost in a forest of horror and it was now mine and Evelyn’s job to put the puzzle of the blue sky and the sun with the smiley face back together.
   “I don’t want to die mummy,” Katelyn sobbed
   “We aren’t going to die honey, mummy and grandad are here, we will protect you, I promise”
Screams of desperation were heard and more gunfire came after. It was happening again. After a short period where things tended to be calming down. Things were picking up again.
   “Lets go,” I said, “come on, let’s get to the car”
The car wasn’t far away. It was in a car park, but we had to go back in the direction where we just ran from.
   “This way, come on,” I said
   “No wait, there’s another way, we can’t go back there, follow me”
We went forward and cut through a walkway. We hurried through it. Passing many eateries, cafes and bars. A large circular space that looked like it would’ve been packed with the young and the old on this hot day was in the middle of it all
A few bodies laid there
Some yelling in pain
Some not making any noise at all
Some jittering
And some…
Unmoved
I kept my eyes on them until we were a safe distance
   I stayed behind them and my angel led the way, “wait wait,” she said
We stayed close to the wall. I peeped around and saw a few of the diseased sprinting after a man. He cried out for somebody to help him.
They caught up with him
And the end result was devastating
   “We can’t go that way, they will see us”
A sudden bellow then made me rethink. I looked around and saw where it was coming from. The same bodies that were flat faced on the ground earlier were now up and they were coming straight for us
   “Shit, move!” I told
   “Mummy!” Michelle cried
I grabbed Michelle and Evelyn grabbed Katelyn. We ran with them passed the ones that were busy eating their pray.
   “Don’t look back, keep moving!”
I could see the carpark
It was close
But not close enough to touch
My legs and mind were exhausted and I was running on reserves. It had felt like I had been running for days with a backpack filled with my families heavy hearts.
We got to the carpark. We rushed through to the lower levels hearing every hasty heavy steps echo off the walls.
Then
It was there turn for their footsteps to be heard
To bombard our ears
With the screams chasing us
Left
Right
Where was the car again?
   “Where is it?” Eveyln said
We carried on going down
Left
Right
Left
Right
Still looking for our car.
   “There!” I told, “come on!”
We sprinted toward it. She quickly unlocked the door and we rushed in. Gasping for air. Their screams were heard and then they were there. The girls screamed.
The car started
Closer
And closer
And closer
She moved the car forward and we rushed away and as the car moved they banged into the car. I watched them tearing at the back of it.
The girls screamed in fright
They tried to grab hold of the car with their grotesque hands.
One of them
Which was a woman that looked my age
She was in tatters
She made eye contact with me.
And the fear I felt was undescribable
We zoomed up the narrow corners and I watched them sprinting after us.
   “Where’re they?”
   “You’re doing fine, just keep doing what you’re doing”
The engine revved crazily as we went up each floor.
Just one more floor to go and we were out onto the road and home free.
   “Just one more floor, keep going, they’re far behind us now”
I kept calm and guided her. Inside of me was in the middle of an earthquake, but I could’nt show that to her or that wouldve meant game over. My body shivered and I could’nt let that take control of me. She needed my voice calm and collected.
We were finally out. I felt the fear and pain wash out of me. The narrow corners that we had to turn to get out were behind us now and we had finally hit the large city roads.
Home free
We hoped