Sweat poured down my face as I pushed and pulled at the cold flesh, the body not budging while I tried to listen to Toni’s calls barely breaking through the low moans vibrating through my chest. I struggled on, cursing my weak frame, but with one last yank against the limp arm, I looked up and watched the first dead soldier trip over the doorstep. With defeat resting heavy, I turned and ran, climbing the stairs two at a time, chancing a glance over my shoulder just as I turned back to the bedroom. The first of the horde had already fallen, tripping over the unmovable body, but another crossed behind, stamping along its former colleague’s spine, their milky white eyes fixed in my direction.

Slamming the door at my back, Toni looked on, her eyes almost as wide as the kid’s tear streamed face, her arms across his chest. My head shook as I swatted my brow on the back of my hand, dabbing my eyes along the sleeve.

“I couldn’t move him, couldn’t shut them out,” I said, trying to hold back the exhaustion. It was Mary who was first to react, sitting on the silk sheets next to her husband, swapping wide eyed looks between each of us as if in a daze.

“Andy,” she said with surprise. “What are you doing here?” she added, lowering her brow. The boy looked at me and then up to Toni. “Come here,” she said opening her eyes wide. I saw the recognition as he pulled away from Toni’s grasp and ran into Mary’s wide arms while I leant heavy with my back to the door, my hand straining to keep the handle upright.

“What are we going to do?” I said looking only at Toni. She shook her head, turning back to the window.

“We need to get out, we’ve got to get back before nightfall,” she said twisting back the concern obvious in her eyes. I avoided her stare, looking over her shoulder at the sun hovering over the horizon.

“We might need to think again,” I said raising my eyebrows. “In a minute those things,” I said exaggerating the last word. “Will be here and this door won’t hold for long,” I said, raising my eyebrows, not able to stop myself glancing to the child still buried in Mary’s arms. Before Toni could speak, I lifted my hand, raising my index finger to my mouth and turned my ear to the door. “The window?” I said, pointing my eyes outside when I was satisfied.

Toni turned as I finished, peering over the cill, shaking her head.

“There must be over a hundred of them out there, even if we survived the fall, there’s no way we could win a fight.”

“Toni,” I said, my voice sharp and she turned, watching with a lowered brow as I gestured to the kid. She dismissed my concern with a shake of her head, pulling the clip from the gun. I watched the couple’s wide eyes, staring on as Toni turned the clip lengthwise and counted the bullets.

“Fifteen rounds. It’s not enough,” she said shaking her head. She still had a lot to learn about being around others.

I looked towards the ground, straining my ears to noises somewhere beyond the door, when the squeak of the little boy’s voice cut through the air as he shuffled out of Mary’s embrace.

“Can they climb stairs?” he said and we both turned in his direction, the couple looking on with bemused expressions. I swapped glances with Toni, but I was the first to speak.

“What do you know about these,” I said slowing to a pause. “Things?” I added, not able to find a better word.

“Zombies, right?” he said without a change in expression. I looked at Toni, holding her gaze for a long moment before shrugging and turning back to the boy, nodding. “I’ve read a lot of comics, my dad has one of those survival guides and he lets me read it.”

I couldn’t help but look back at Toni for a second time, watching as she took a pace towards me, pulling up the gun and aiming towards the door as I rested my fingers on the handle. I felt a gurgle in my stomach, the sound radiating out into the air. Toni’s expression hardened as she gave turned away from my belly and back to the door before giving a shallow nod, watching as I pushed down the handle.

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Reading out of sequence, here’s the rest of Season Two.

Not read Season One? Here it is.