right in her eyes. “I’m going to be honest with you. You aren’t supposed to trust me. Because it’s dangerous to trust anyone—”
“Well that’s that settled,” Martha said. She turned and started to walk back to Amy, who lingered a few metres away.
“But I’ve been bitten and I haven’t turned and the way I see it, there’s no reason for me to lie about that. And I need your help. I can’t make it on my own. But if I have to try, I’ll try. I’m not forcing any of you to come with me. I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m just trying to survive here. Survive and help.”
Sarah shook her head. “I dunno if—”
“I think Holly’s right,” Hayden said.
He wasn’t sure where the words came from exactly, but he totally believed them as he spoke them.
Martha stopped and glared at Hayden. “You what?”
“We can stay here and we can risk dying in here. We don’t know how this infection or this virus spreads now. What happened with Tim and his parents … that changed things. And now I’m starting to wonder if there’s more to … more to life than playing house here.”
Martha shook her head. “Keeping my daughter safe ain’t playing anything.”
“I don’t trust you, Holly. Like you said, it would be wrong to trust you. And I swear to God I’ll tear your guts out and put you through more pain and misery than you can even comprehend if you betray us. Just like I did to the last person who crossed me. And the one before that. So just bear that in mind. Bear it in mind at all times.”
Holly lifted her hands. Hayden saw a flicker of fear in her expression. “I don’t have any other motive than survival and maybe helping other people out. If I’ve been bit and not turned, maybe there’s more like me. Maybe they’re looking for people like me.”
“Humble girl, aren’t you?” Sarah asked.
Holly ignored that one.
Hayden and the group watched the last of the flames flicker across the charred remains of the three bodies. They didn’t speak, not for some time.
“I don’t feel safe here anymore,” Hayden said. “And I … I’ve had a glimpse of what might be on the other side. We all have. So we need to try something. We stay here and risk tearing each other apart or we go out there and—”
“Risk being torn apart,” Martha said.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means saving lives,” Hayden said. “So … so who’s with me?”
Hayden looked at Sarah, Gary and then at Martha and Amy. They were still. All of them were still. And Hayden began to feel foolish—like he’d made a massive mistake—like Holly was reeling him in with those powerful eyes and ...
“S’pose I’m with you.”
Gary stepped forward. He half-smiled at Hayden, then nodded at Holly.
Hayden felt a slight wave of relief. “That makes three of us. Does—”
“Oh what the hell?” Sarah said. She stepped forward and joined Hayden, Holly and Gary in this messed-up circle of trust. “We’re gonna fucking rot at some point anyway. Might as well rot trying to do something good.”
She stepped up to Holly. Squared right up to her.
“But Hayden’s wrong when he says he’ll put you through more pain than you can imagine if you step out of line, missy.” She edged even closer, leaned over Holly. “Just wait ’til I get started with you.”
She moved away, and Holly had a look on her face like a new kid in a playground desperate to make friends with a group of thugs.
Hayden looked beyond the smoke at Martha and Amy. They stood in the distance, watched the others, both of them completely still.
“Don’t make me beg you to come with us,” Hayden said. “Please.”
Martha shook her head and tightened her grip around Amy. “My duty as a mum’s to look out for my little girl in the way I see’s fit. And I don’t see this journey of yours as fit. So I’m sorry but you’re on your own.”
She nodded at Hayden, at the rest of the group, and then she turned around and walked
“Well that’s that settled,” Martha said. She turned and started to walk back to Amy, who lingered a few metres away.
“But I’ve been bitten and I haven’t turned and the way I see it, there’s no reason for me to lie about that. And I need your help. I can’t make it on my own. But if I have to try, I’ll try. I’m not forcing any of you to come with me. I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m just trying to survive here. Survive and help.”
Sarah shook her head. “I dunno if—”
“I think Holly’s right,” Hayden said.
He wasn’t sure where the words came from exactly, but he totally believed them as he spoke them.
Martha stopped and glared at Hayden. “You what?”
“We can stay here and we can risk dying in here. We don’t know how this infection or this virus spreads now. What happened with Tim and his parents … that changed things. And now I’m starting to wonder if there’s more to … more to life than playing house here.”
Martha shook her head. “Keeping my daughter safe ain’t playing anything.”
“I don’t trust you, Holly. Like you said, it would be wrong to trust you. And I swear to God I’ll tear your guts out and put you through more pain and misery than you can even comprehend if you betray us. Just like I did to the last person who crossed me. And the one before that. So just bear that in mind. Bear it in mind at all times.”
Holly lifted her hands. Hayden saw a flicker of fear in her expression. “I don’t have any other motive than survival and maybe helping other people out. If I’ve been bit and not turned, maybe there’s more like me. Maybe they’re looking for people like me.”
“Humble girl, aren’t you?” Sarah asked.
Holly ignored that one.
Hayden and the group watched the last of the flames flicker across the charred remains of the three bodies. They didn’t speak, not for some time.
“I don’t feel safe here anymore,” Hayden said. “And I … I’ve had a glimpse of what might be on the other side. We all have. So we need to try something. We stay here and risk tearing each other apart or we go out there and—”
“Risk being torn apart,” Martha said.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means saving lives,” Hayden said. “So … so who’s with me?”
Hayden looked at Sarah, Gary and then at Martha and Amy. They were still. All of them were still. And Hayden began to feel foolish—like he’d made a massive mistake—like Holly was reeling him in with those powerful eyes and ...
“S’pose I’m with you.”
Gary stepped forward. He half-smiled at Hayden, then nodded at Holly.
Hayden felt a slight wave of relief. “That makes three of us. Does—”
“Oh what the hell?” Sarah said. She stepped forward and joined Hayden, Holly and Gary in this messed-up circle of trust. “We’re gonna fucking rot at some point anyway. Might as well rot trying to do something good.”
She stepped up to Holly. Squared right up to her.
“But Hayden’s wrong when he says he’ll put you through more pain than you can imagine if you step out of line, missy.” She edged even closer, leaned over Holly. “Just wait ’til I get started with you.”
She moved away, and Holly had a look on her face like a new kid in a playground desperate to make friends with a group of thugs.
Hayden looked beyond the smoke at Martha and Amy. They stood in the distance, watched the others, both of them completely still.
“Don’t make me beg you to come with us,” Hayden said. “Please.”
Martha shook her head and tightened her grip around Amy. “My duty as a mum’s to look out for my little girl in the way I see’s fit. And I don’t see this journey of yours as fit. So I’m sorry but you’re on your own.”
She nodded at Hayden, at the rest of the group, and then she turned around and walked
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