Page 1

Taken from the book:
WHEN THERE’S NO MORE ROOM IN HELL
Copyright©2011 Luke Duffy

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or copied
without the permission
of the registered Author and Owner.

ASIN: B005Q18MHQ

1

Sitting in his reclining arm chair, Andy Moorcroft slept fitfully. His girlfriend, Susan, lay on the couch beside him. She had struggled to stay awake for days, scared to close her eyes in case of what might happen while she slept, but eventually, exhaustion had overcome her.

Andy’s eyes shot open. Pulling the blanket away from him and letting it drop to the floor as he stood, he stared through the hallway and at the front door. The boards and cupboard still remained barricaded against the entrance, but he could hear the shuffling of the feet beyond the threshold with the occasional thump against the door.

He crept along the hallway and stood on his tip toes until he could see through the frosted glass at the top of the door. Blurred but unmistakable, he recognised the tops of heads moving about outside. The sight never failed to make his heart skip a beat. He felt dizzy and returned to the living room.

The television was still on, but rather than the usual news reporters, now all that could be seen was the crazy static signal like thousands of ants scurrying across the screen. Andy shrugged. Either it was really all over and even the news stations had abandoned their posts, or they weren’t receiving the signal for whatever reason. He tried flicking through more channels, but saw the same thing, nothing.

He looked down at Susan as she slumbered and decided that they needed to start thinking about the plan again. He shook her awake and they moved in to the hall. Susan was nervous, her eyes were blood shot and she looked ready to snap.

"Okay, you go first. I’ll catch you if you fall."

The day before, Andy had smashed out the stairs with a sledge hammer, leaving a chasm below the top step, in case the barricade at the front door was ever breeched. He was pretty sure that the infected couldn’t climb rope ladders and it was impossible to reach a hand to the upper floor without the aid of a step ladder or something similar to stand on. He had left a few bed sheets, tied together and anchored to the upstairs floor, hanging down in to the hallway as a way of getting up and down.

Susan climbed the rope, excruciatingly slow for Andy’s liking, but she made it without falling. He followed and pulled up the makeshift rope, securing it against the banister. Without a word, Susan hugged him and began to cry in his arms. Her shoulders bounced with each outburst of tears and she sobbed uncontrollably.

"It’s okay Susan, we’ll be alright."

He pushed her back, gripping her shoulders tightly and looking in her eyes. No longer was she the stunning trophy girlfriend, she was a wreck and close to breaking point. They had not washed properly or changed clothes for days; her features seemed raw, but still beautiful without her makeup.

Andy had always been a bit of a playboy. With owning his own modelling agency and his film star good looks, almost black wavy hair and sparkling blue eyes, he could have any girl he wanted.

And he did.

Rarely had he kept any of his conquests on the scene for longer than a few months though. He would enjoy their company, show them a good time then, move on. He never liked the idea of settling down and having kids, sitting in the garden reading the papers or washing the family car on a Sunday. To him, life was all about enjoying the moment and keeping everything fresh and new.

Though the girls had been many, he had always strived to be a gentleman and treated them correctly with respect and chivalry. He always made it clear that he wasn’t one to settle and he never filled them with false hope in the pretence that they could possibly tame him, but that never stopped them from queuing up to try.

[ Continue to page 2 ]