enough” Candice said thoughtfully.
“Perhaps. Stay low though, if we are seen crossing that, then we could very well have problems.”
The bridge had only a low wall on either side of the tracks and it was several hundred metres long. My back ached just thinking about crossing it while crouched over. I looked at Emma and felt more than a little resentment that she wouldn’t have to crouch so low.
With a sigh I led the way across. Emma still refused to let go of my hand and as irritating as that was, it wasn’t worth the screaming upset that I envisaged if I forced her to let go.
It was tough going and I felt a burning pain in my back before I was even a third of the way across. I added some stretching exercises to my mental list of things to do when I finally arrived at a safe place.
I paused at the half way point and risked a look over the side of the wall. I could see the river Colne in the distance as it wound its way through an industrial section of town. The streets were lined with zombies, most of them surrounding what looked to be an old mill. Its chimney stacks rising high into the sky.
Someone had painted “Help Us” on a banner and suspended it from the roof of the mill. I guessed it still contained people if the zombies were still trying to get in. I was grateful for the distraction they were providing as I certainly didn’t want those hundreds of zombies wandering around where they could notice me.
At a hiss from Candice I crouched back down and continued across the tracks. We were soon across and hidden from view by thick stands of trees and a tangled underbrush. We followed the tracks as they curved around towards the centre of the town.
“Great fucking idea” Candice snarled as we caught site of the train station.
It had a train with three carriages attached, pulled up alongside its platform and a great many undead standing on the platform. A few had fallen onto the tracks and were standing beside the train, staring off into the distance.
Beyond the train I could see what could only ever be called the end of the line. A barrier sat across the end of the tracks and after that was nothing but grass covered open space.
“Yeah great idea” I agreed with a sigh.
Chapter 8
“Well it could be worse” I said, more to myself than anyone else. If I were totally honest I would admit that I was at something of a loss as to how to proceed. We were fairly well sheltered by trees on either side of the tracks where we currently crouched.
Through the trees and down the banking to the right was a small parking area and the front entrance to the train station, also swarming with undead. To the left side across a grass and tree covered area was a housing estate. Ahead of us was out of the question. We would have no chance of making it past the train station platform.
I had no desire to head back the way we had come, so it was towards the housing estate and just beyond that was a large building that I very much wanted to see inside. I lifted Emma over the timber fence that was in place to stop people wandering straight onto the tracks and then climbed over myself.
“What’re you doing?” demanded Candice.
“This direction is our best option, keep quiet and try to stay close to the trees” I said as l lifted Emma into my arms and set off across the grass.
Emma had her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as I moved from tree to tree, tense and alert for any sign we had been noticed. Brown and red leaves crunched underfoot with every step and I was very much aware of the noise I was making.
Candice was noisily following, still holding tight to her bag and seemingly unaware of how conspicuous she was being. I tried to ignore her as I was fairly confident that if she attracted attention, I could outrun her.
A row of terraced houses faced the road. They had no gardens and their doors would open directly onto the street. Their doors had the only colour amongst the dirty stone and grey roof
“Perhaps. Stay low though, if we are seen crossing that, then we could very well have problems.”
The bridge had only a low wall on either side of the tracks and it was several hundred metres long. My back ached just thinking about crossing it while crouched over. I looked at Emma and felt more than a little resentment that she wouldn’t have to crouch so low.
With a sigh I led the way across. Emma still refused to let go of my hand and as irritating as that was, it wasn’t worth the screaming upset that I envisaged if I forced her to let go.
It was tough going and I felt a burning pain in my back before I was even a third of the way across. I added some stretching exercises to my mental list of things to do when I finally arrived at a safe place.
I paused at the half way point and risked a look over the side of the wall. I could see the river Colne in the distance as it wound its way through an industrial section of town. The streets were lined with zombies, most of them surrounding what looked to be an old mill. Its chimney stacks rising high into the sky.
Someone had painted “Help Us” on a banner and suspended it from the roof of the mill. I guessed it still contained people if the zombies were still trying to get in. I was grateful for the distraction they were providing as I certainly didn’t want those hundreds of zombies wandering around where they could notice me.
At a hiss from Candice I crouched back down and continued across the tracks. We were soon across and hidden from view by thick stands of trees and a tangled underbrush. We followed the tracks as they curved around towards the centre of the town.
“Great fucking idea” Candice snarled as we caught site of the train station.
It had a train with three carriages attached, pulled up alongside its platform and a great many undead standing on the platform. A few had fallen onto the tracks and were standing beside the train, staring off into the distance.
Beyond the train I could see what could only ever be called the end of the line. A barrier sat across the end of the tracks and after that was nothing but grass covered open space.
“Yeah great idea” I agreed with a sigh.
Chapter 8
“Well it could be worse” I said, more to myself than anyone else. If I were totally honest I would admit that I was at something of a loss as to how to proceed. We were fairly well sheltered by trees on either side of the tracks where we currently crouched.
Through the trees and down the banking to the right was a small parking area and the front entrance to the train station, also swarming with undead. To the left side across a grass and tree covered area was a housing estate. Ahead of us was out of the question. We would have no chance of making it past the train station platform.
I had no desire to head back the way we had come, so it was towards the housing estate and just beyond that was a large building that I very much wanted to see inside. I lifted Emma over the timber fence that was in place to stop people wandering straight onto the tracks and then climbed over myself.
“What’re you doing?” demanded Candice.
“This direction is our best option, keep quiet and try to stay close to the trees” I said as l lifted Emma into my arms and set off across the grass.
Emma had her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as I moved from tree to tree, tense and alert for any sign we had been noticed. Brown and red leaves crunched underfoot with every step and I was very much aware of the noise I was making.
Candice was noisily following, still holding tight to her bag and seemingly unaware of how conspicuous she was being. I tried to ignore her as I was fairly confident that if she attracted attention, I could outrun her.
A row of terraced houses faced the road. They had no gardens and their doors would open directly onto the street. Their doors had the only colour amongst the dirty stone and grey roof
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