on the door, he wrapped the towel round himself and cracked open the door.
“Got these for you buddy,” his dad said and handed Brandon a small pile of clothes, “They are too big for you but they will do till your clothes dry.” Brandon had washed their clothes in the sink while his dad had taken his turn to bathe first. This was more of a way of keeping them apart from Frank than a desire to get into the tepid water first. His dad didn’t like Brandon to be alone with Frank, and Brandon silently thanked him for it.
Once dressed in the oversized clothes he joined the others huddled around a small gas stove. They all sat in silence watching a pan of water slowly come to the boil in the dim light. All the windows in the hall and the back rooms had been boarded over; it seemed as if Frank was prepared to make the place his home, by the mess he had made it looked like he had been there some time.
“Tomato and basil soup ok for everyone?” Frank said as he emptied two sachets of pink powder into the water.
“Sounds great,” said Brandon and his dad in almost practiced synchronicity.
“No prob’s lads, all courtesy of her majesty armed forces. I grabbed a good load of these ration packs before I high tailed it out of the T.A. base in Carlisle when it got over run.”
“How bad is it in Carlisle?” His dad asked.
“Carlisle...?” Frank puffed out his cheeks, “Bad don’t even begin to describe it mate. We was in a castle and that didn’t even manage to keep them out.” He lifted a dirty spoon from the counter next to him and started stirring the pot of soup
“A castle...? Fuck!” His dad replied, sending Franks eyes flicking to the ceiling again. “We have to get out of this bloody country....”
“How do you propose to do that mate, where do you plan to go?” Frank asked as he poured the watery soup into three cups.
“I dunno, find a boat or something, there must be some islands the Infected haven’t got to yet somewhere.” His dad said as he took the cup from frank and lifted it to his lips, blowing over the top or it, adding “Cheers.” before trying a sip.
“I don’t think you will have much luck with boats mate,” Frank said as he handed a cup of steaming soup to Brandon.
“Thanks” Brandon whispered not wanting to interrupt Frank; he held the cup tightly in both hands, feeling the warmth flood through his fingers.
“Last I heard the navy were blowing boats out of the water that were trying to leave the country and scuppering any of those left in dock, trying to stop the spread of the disease or something, more like tryin’ to stop any of them biters getting on board any of their ships if you ask me. Either way it’s pretty smart, them navy boys are all set up for the long haul at sea, their stocks wont last forever mind and I doubt any of them brought a fishing rod with them either, ma right?” Frank gave a chuckle to his own joke and barely raised a smile from Brandon’s dad who looked deep in thought. They all sat quietly sipping their soups as Frank snipped the tops off of two silver packets and squeezed the contents into the soup pot. Brandon wasn’t sure the two packets contained the same flavour of rations but at this stage he didn’t care.
As the mystery concoction in the pot started to splutter and pop Brandon’s dad finally spoke “Do you have a map handy Frank?”
“Course I do mate,” He said reaching into his backpack, “It’s a bit creased and there is a bit of blood on it but it’s otherwise its ok; as long as you don’t intend going anywhere near Newcastle that is.” He handed the map over to Brandons’ dad, and went back to stirring the pot.
Brandon shuffled his chair closer to his father to get a better look at the map. Right enough there was a large blood stain covering the entirety of where Newcastle should have been. His dad was concentrating on the other side of the map though, and had his finger resting just below a small circle drawn on
“Got these for you buddy,” his dad said and handed Brandon a small pile of clothes, “They are too big for you but they will do till your clothes dry.” Brandon had washed their clothes in the sink while his dad had taken his turn to bathe first. This was more of a way of keeping them apart from Frank than a desire to get into the tepid water first. His dad didn’t like Brandon to be alone with Frank, and Brandon silently thanked him for it.
Once dressed in the oversized clothes he joined the others huddled around a small gas stove. They all sat in silence watching a pan of water slowly come to the boil in the dim light. All the windows in the hall and the back rooms had been boarded over; it seemed as if Frank was prepared to make the place his home, by the mess he had made it looked like he had been there some time.
“Tomato and basil soup ok for everyone?” Frank said as he emptied two sachets of pink powder into the water.
“Sounds great,” said Brandon and his dad in almost practiced synchronicity.
“No prob’s lads, all courtesy of her majesty armed forces. I grabbed a good load of these ration packs before I high tailed it out of the T.A. base in Carlisle when it got over run.”
“How bad is it in Carlisle?” His dad asked.
“Carlisle...?” Frank puffed out his cheeks, “Bad don’t even begin to describe it mate. We was in a castle and that didn’t even manage to keep them out.” He lifted a dirty spoon from the counter next to him and started stirring the pot of soup
“A castle...? Fuck!” His dad replied, sending Franks eyes flicking to the ceiling again. “We have to get out of this bloody country....”
“How do you propose to do that mate, where do you plan to go?” Frank asked as he poured the watery soup into three cups.
“I dunno, find a boat or something, there must be some islands the Infected haven’t got to yet somewhere.” His dad said as he took the cup from frank and lifted it to his lips, blowing over the top or it, adding “Cheers.” before trying a sip.
“I don’t think you will have much luck with boats mate,” Frank said as he handed a cup of steaming soup to Brandon.
“Thanks” Brandon whispered not wanting to interrupt Frank; he held the cup tightly in both hands, feeling the warmth flood through his fingers.
“Last I heard the navy were blowing boats out of the water that were trying to leave the country and scuppering any of those left in dock, trying to stop the spread of the disease or something, more like tryin’ to stop any of them biters getting on board any of their ships if you ask me. Either way it’s pretty smart, them navy boys are all set up for the long haul at sea, their stocks wont last forever mind and I doubt any of them brought a fishing rod with them either, ma right?” Frank gave a chuckle to his own joke and barely raised a smile from Brandon’s dad who looked deep in thought. They all sat quietly sipping their soups as Frank snipped the tops off of two silver packets and squeezed the contents into the soup pot. Brandon wasn’t sure the two packets contained the same flavour of rations but at this stage he didn’t care.
As the mystery concoction in the pot started to splutter and pop Brandon’s dad finally spoke “Do you have a map handy Frank?”
“Course I do mate,” He said reaching into his backpack, “It’s a bit creased and there is a bit of blood on it but it’s otherwise its ok; as long as you don’t intend going anywhere near Newcastle that is.” He handed the map over to Brandons’ dad, and went back to stirring the pot.
Brandon shuffled his chair closer to his father to get a better look at the map. Right enough there was a large blood stain covering the entirety of where Newcastle should have been. His dad was concentrating on the other side of the map though, and had his finger resting just below a small circle drawn on
Similar Books
