Rise of the Dead

Chapter 15: The Beach

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." ~Jacques Cousteau

- - -

Hitting the water is like hitting concrete, the pressure shattering my breathing and punching me square in the jaw. It's so freezing cold that I finally understand the phrase takes your breath away, I plunge feet first into the murky grey waves and sink until my feet touch the bottom of the ocean. I stay submerged a while, my hair floating around my face in wispy strands of chocolate brown. I smile in a peaceful manner, nothing matters down here.

Nothing exists.

A glimmer of blonde hair catches my attention and I spin around, the empty water lays outstretched in front of me and I just shake my head- deciding my lungs rapidly need oxygen. I swim upwards hurriedly, my movements free and graceful as I glide towards the crashing waves that loom above me. I surface spluttering and wiping the salty water from my eyes, the laughter of the group dancing around my disorientated frame. 

We all swim over to the sand where I lie down tiredly- panting on the warm beach whilst trying to catch my breath. As my heart rate subsides a small smile creeps to my face, the sun warming my fingertips which trace swirling patterns into the sand and for a moment, all the fear and pain goes away. I hear Jaz yapping behind me, her tail wagging as she runs up and down the beach- sniffing the piles of seaweed and discarded food wrappers.

The infected seem long gone here, I suppose the small coastal population soon dried up as a food source and they had to move elsewhere. Still, the lack of bodies, human or otherwise, is still slightly unsettling. 

I stare along the seafront shops, their flags rippling in the light summers breeze and their once brightly painted exteriors now bleak and blood splattered. My eyes fall on a café halfway down the street and I rise to my feet slowly, the exterior appears to bear fewer signs of destruction than the other buildings but I know too well as to assume the interior will be pristine. I brush the sand off of my jeans absentmindedly before walking the short distance to the sea wall where the others sit cheerfully, soaking up the warm summer sun in a grateful exchange for the harsh winter. 

 "Is anyone hungry?" I ask gently as not break the tranquillity, "there's a small café down the road which doesn't look to damaged," I add.

"I am," Toby exclaims but I just roll my eyes, Toby always is. 

The rest of the group nod or murmur in agreement and all rise to their feet, the wind picking up to whip my hair around my face irritatingly. I jog up the steps taking us away from the beach and towards the town, scanning the streets for any signs of infected or trouble. I glace to either side of me before I cross the road and smirk to myself, there are some habits I don't think even an apocalypse would change. As we make it over to the small café I notice the window sports a huge spiralling crack and the door is scratched deeply, I slow my jog to a cautious walk and draw a knife from the band on my thigh. I slowly open the door with my foot, the group close behind me expecting a fight, but the whole place is deserted, cutlery and smashed china littering the floor.

Once I've scanned the tiny kitchen at the back of the building, I put my knife away and shrug my backpack off onto an empty table. As the group lean against the tables and the crunch of china fades away, the dull hum of a generator sparks my attention. Amelia and I stride into the small kitchen and open the white cupboards in search of a freezer, the hope of some substantial food making my stomach rumble. I find the fridge first, and though cold with the generator's power, the contents sit green with mold and the stench of rotten meat churns my stomach. I slam the door in disgust and cover my nose and mouth, fighting the urge not to gag. 

"Madeline, over here," Amelia pipes up, standing back from the open freezer in front of her. I turn around and peer into it, the iciness swirling around us. I notice a bag of chips sitting in the bottom corner and I reach in excitedly, a large smile spreading across my face as I pull them from the freezer.  We walk back to the others excitedly and I hold the bag of chips in the air in triumph, watching as a grin erupts across their faces. 

"Josh; Toby, do you think you could catch some fish?" I ask, hoping that one of them have done so before the apocalypse. 

"Yeah sure," Josh replies, "I used to love fishing with my dad before all this," he adds sadly and I send an apologetic smile his way, his eyes glistening slightly in the low light of the café. Toby pats Josh's shoulder gently and motions for him to follow him out of the shop, the crunching of china underfoot resuming once again. Amelia and Sophie watch them leave before turning back to face me at the table, their expressions blank and tired.   

"So where are all the infected?" I wonder out loud, water still dripping from my hair and onto the stone floor and creating a shallow puddle beside me.

"Maybe the whole town got out before it reached them, I mean this is quite a small and secluded town after all," Amelia suggests and Soph nods her head in agreement.

"I just wonder how this all started," I say and a frown creases my forehead, my mind swaying slightly.

"Yeah, I mean someone invented it, right? It can't be natural?" Amelia adds, her hands motioning alongside her words.

"I guess so," I say- the frown slowly lifting, "the rate of infection definitely didn't seem natural," I muse. "Are you ok Sophie?" I ask, her turquoise eyes staring out of the window blankly.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," she replies uncertainly and I narrow my eyes at her, her mood sending prickles of cynicism up my arms.

"Oh look! There are the boys," Amelia exclaims, breaking the silence and pointing out of the window. I watch the boys grin through the glass and shake my head at their childishness, the fish which hang limply from their hands swaying as they walk.

"Hey guys, we are back!" Josh says slamming the fish on the table with a grin and punctuating the last three words with a heavy emphasis, I roll my eyes in response and walk off to start on the fish and chips. The small kitchen reminds me of the part-time jobs I had when I was younger, the familiarity comforting in these days of unprecedented terror. About an hour passes before we're all tucking into to our lunch and staring out the café window distantly, the sound of cutlery against china plates filling the dead air. I remember times here as a kid, playing on the beach and eating ice cream- they were the good times. The times I would give anything to revisit.

"Shall we go find a hotel?" Josh asks quietly, snapping me out of my thoughts and I nod my head slightly, suddenly realising how tired I am from the constant travelling and broken sleep in the car.

We all walk out of the café and along the coastal path with the sun setting beside us, being here is almost like the apocalypse isn't real. The comforting sound of the waves and the seagulls' shrieks in the late evening are just so beautiful it makes me want to cry. I don't know why I'm so emotional but it all just seems so unreal right now, maybe I miss my old life. Times when death wasn't normal and towns were thriving with life, the thought brings tears to my eyes which I hastily wipe. I have to hold it together, if I break down the group will think I'm weak.

"What about that one?" I suggest, pointing to a modern hotel across the road, my voice slightly croaky. Josh looks at me empathetically and I just nod slightly, he's the only one that seems to notice, luckily.

"Yeah, that looks nice," Sophie says simply and we cross over the empty tarmac, the setting sun hot on our shoulders and neck.

"How are we going to get in?" I ask, whoever owned this place obviously boarded it up so no damage would be caused when they fled and our crowbar sits idly in the car parked a good half-mile away.

"I'll kick the door down!" Toby says excitedly backing up and letting out a low breath, we all shuffle backwards nervously and wait as he runs forward, kicking the door causing it to swing open with a loud crack. We walk in self-assured, certain it'll be safe with no infected able to get inside, not with boarding as heavy-duty as this. As I walk around the corner of the bar I have a fleeting thought: if this place is boarded up and protected so well then why didn't the owners stay?

My thoughts, however, are interrupted by the sound of a gun clicking into place and a deep voice filling the air.

"Freeze."