Surrounded : The Escape (Horror/Zombie) Part One

After a fouled experiment, zombies reap the UK. In one town in particular, Bicester, three young men must escape the hordes to the last flight to Africa, or stay surrounded and die.

Tony and Tommy ran as fast as they could down the tarmac path. The very world arround them, the grass, the trees, the sky, the water...everything had a deadly purple tint. It had a certain eerieness to it - everywhere seemd to have a purpelish look because of the chemicals that had been spilled into the atmosphere. The scientists could not, and did not percieve the disastrous consequences it would have on Europe.

In Bicester - the area Tony and Tommy were running - there seemed to be a much larger concentration of zombies. As the tests took place primarily in the North of Oxford City, Bicester was the nearest 'eco' town, which may have had something to do with it. Nevertheless, Tony carried a rucksack full of fresh food and four litres of water. Tommy, lagging slightly behind carried a rucksack of ammunition, two pistols and a litre of petrol. Behind them, a group of three flesh hungry zombies, blood scarred across their faces, hair ruffled and clothes torn angrily chased after them, an odd limp to their steps. Making undecipherable slurring and growling noises, they were rather frightful. Since a scientific experiment had gone wrong on a special life-saving chemical, the subtance had leaked out into the air and the infection had spread to Europe. Africa was one of the last remaining surviving places, the heat of the mediterranean stopping the gas from spreading any further - but for zombies to land there, would mean total death.

The pair finally reached a gap in the overgrown hedges they were running along, adjacent to the tarmac path. Tony turned and stepped onto the grass verge towards the clearing, allowing Tommy to run past. From the other direction of the path, two more vengeful zombies came. Tommy skidded down a muddy enbankment, just about managing to keep his balance as he neared a concrete slope, which accomdated a foot deep brook, now filled with blood. He glanced back at Tony's position before hopping across to the other side. His hand fell into some soft mud, but he managed to keep his grip and climb up, grabbing a tree branch for support. Tony was now advancing slowly down the muddy bank, the zombies now approaching the clearing.

'Come on Tony!' shouted Tommy from across the brook, now stood waiting for him. Tony's left foot lost its grip and slipped, causing him to fall back. He wasn't hurt, but on his back and all fours, he crawled down to the brook in a very awkward position. Tommy took a rock and launched it at a zombie, scoring a hit on the shoulder and the zombie subsequently pausing for a few seconds. Tony finally made it to Tomm'y side of the bank, climbing up the mud. Tommy began to jog onward, now on a concrete path at the back fences of people's gardens. He came to a turning and peered down an empty alleyway, now glad that they had less than eighty or so metres to go. Tony finally caught up with him as they turned a corner, though tripped due to his bad foot on a crack in the concrete grounding. Tommy turned to help him up, as zombies began to stagger round the corner they had just come from.

'Leave me!' Tony cried, desperately trying to commando crawl towards Tommy, but it was too late. A zombie pulled on his foot, causing Tommy to hesitate in a moment of decision. 'GO!' Tony said again, using his strength to beckon Tommy away. He took the instruction and ran down the alleyway. He came to the end of the alley, in between two houses front gardens, in front of him, a street. To his left was Alex's house, their safe residence for the time being. To the right, another group of zombies limped towards him. He exhaled before sprinting off again.

Number Seven, Lancaster close now came into view up the road. Behind him, just under ten undead zombies trailing him, including the ones that had just caught Tony. Tommy knew that a few hours passed before a person was re-awakened with no mind and just the will to eat flesh. He had finally come to the front garden of number seven Lancaster close, of which he cut across rather quickly. He vigorously rang the doorbell.

'Let me in! Let me in!' He shouted, sweat pouring down his forehead as he heard the moans and groans of the approaching zombies. A few seconds passed - an eternity to Tommy in that moment - before the friendly face of Alex opened up, oblivious to anything. Tommy rushed past him, almost knocking him to the floor. It suddenly clicked in Alex's mind and he slammed the door shut, just as a zombies hand impacted with the glass pane - though it caused no damage. There was a few seconds of rapping and groaning, before the zombies wandered off, to linger nearby. Tommy felt sick after what had just happened. He panted for breath.

Alex guided him over to one of the red cotton chairs that sat in his living room. In one corner, a large flat screen television stood, and next to that, a large window with net curtains to peek out of. The floor was a creamy colour, the walls a neutral orange.

'Need a drink?' asked Alex. Tommy nodded, and Alex paced into the kitchen, where Nicholas was sat at a black table top and stool. He grabbed a glass out of one of the raised cupboards before filling it up with tap water, and walking back out into the living room. Upon the first few sips, Tommy managed to gasp a sentence together. 

'Tony's...dead...' 

Alex nodded. He understood. 

'Did you get anything?' he then asked. 

Tommy nodded and gestured towards the bag that lay strewn by the porch door. Alex went over to retrieve it, feeling the weight of guns inside it. 

'Just take it easy for a minute, yeah?' He said to Tommy, walking back into the kitchen. Tommy nodded in response, avidly drinking his glass of water and taking deep breaths. Alex emptied the weapons out onto the same surface that Nicholas was sat at, reading the newspaper. Two pistols fell out with plenty of ammunition, as well as a first aid kit. 

Nicholas smiled. 'We should be sorted for a while then'. Alex nodded and put the bag down under the table. 'Put the radio on. yesterday we only caught the end of that message' Alex said. Nicholas spun himself off the stool and walked over to the radio, mounted on a woodern surface next to the conservatory door. He pushed the dial round to get to the national radio station frequency, which was at the moment, playing background elevator music. With a purpose to be relaxing in the current horrific climate, it was actually quite eerie. 

Nicholas nodded to Tommy as he appeared in the doorway, empty glass in hand and somewhat in control of himself again. The trio were completely silent, as Alex checked the time and they waited to hear the message that they had missed yesterday on the radio. After a long wait, some crackling began, and a woman's voice echoed through the speakers. 

'Redirecting to Radio Bicester', she repeated at least three times. Alex, Nicholas and Tommy listened with great intent, as a pre-recorded message began. 

'If anyone can hear this, then please listen for a moment to what I have to say. As you know, zombies are everywhere. They are ending the lives of innocent people, all over the place. This is Jake Spinks, presenting the Sunday 11am show, right here on Radio Bicester. I have an important message. There will be a hercules military plane taking off in Arncott, tomorrow afternoon. Anyone who can get there - within reason - is advised to leave and take this opportunity. It will not be long before the zombies grow stronger and can start to get inside your homes. Some of you, in the north of Bicester are already completely surrounded. But those in the south, those villagers of Ambrosden, Merton, Piddington - if you can hear me, then you can leave. Africa is now the last remaining safe area with stable food stores growing. The US Military are already planning an attack on the UK in order to destroy the zombies. British scientists continue to find a cure to the purple chemical that has been leaked into the air, and moreover, a way of converting a zombie back to a human being. The depot is where the plane will take off, just behind the MoD base. Good luck to all of you. Jake Spinks for Radio Bicester, out for the last time. It has been a pleasure.' 

The three young men looked at each other in grimness. 'Do you think we can make it?' asked Nicholas. 

'I don't care,' said Tommy, 'I think we're going to die anyway, so we may as well try.' Alex nodded at that remark, as did Nick. 'We should leave now. Remember, when Ross always used to walk from Arncott, it took him just over an hour. In the current conditions, it will take us at least three times that.' Another round of nodding went out. 

'We've got the gear. We may as well move out.' The three all snapped to attention and began loading their rucksacks with food. The radio was now playing a Queen song. Who wants to live forever. How appropriate, thought Alex, as he grabbed a loaf of bread out of the tall fridge-freezer. 

Moments later, they seemed to be done. Alex switched out the lights and the three crammed into the porch, a strange, nervous feeling pouring around their stomachs. 

'Ready?' asked Alex. 

Freddie Mercury answered for him, with who wants to live forever. 'He just answered for me,' said Tommy. The other two smiled slightly, before the door was opened and they stepped out. 

A couple of zombies passing by became alerted to their presence, as the door shut behind them. It was the type of door that once it was shut, without a key, it could not open. Alex aimed his pistol and shot the nearest zombie between the eyes. They jogged up the front lawn, zombies scattered down the street drawing towards the incident. More zombies came, and from different sides. Tommy managed to shoot a couple to the floor, but Nicholas soon had his pistol knocked out of his hand, as a zombie appeared from a medium sized evergreen tree. Alex turned to try and get a shot in, but it was again, too late. Nicholas was then hit round the head with the zombies flailing arms. He tried to make some sort of resistance, but another two zombies came to engulf him. 

Tommy could hardly bare to watch, as Alex shouted 'Nick!' desperately. More zombies approached them, Alex and Tommy now backing off from Nick, where he now lay in pain on the floor. Tommy beckoned to Alex, firing a few shots back towards the house. Soon, they ended up running down the same alley Tommy and Tony had earlier rushed down. 

Tommy paused as they approached Tony, laying helplessly on the floor, blood spattered down his back. Impulsively, and to Alex's surprise, Tommy picked up Tony and draped him over his shoulder. 

'What the hell are you doing?!' Alex shouted to him, running on ahead. 

'The scientists will need something tangible to analyse!' He shouted after him, now getting back into a good running rythm, Tony unconscious on his shoulder. The sun seemed to shine oddly bright as they reached the end of the alleyway. 

They were going somewhere safe. 

Author's Note

Look out for grammar problems,
Please address the story structure, does it draw you into a potential part two?