When I opened my eyes I was utterly confused. I tried to sit up but my arms were like jelly. A hand landed on my shoulder. It was Earl. 

"stay laid down for a few minutes." 

My mouth was dry and my head had a heart beat like a base. So I let myself stay down. Earl passed me a glass of water and some pills. 

"take thease your going to feel like shit for a bit." 

"what happened." 

"I'm not sure you went into the shop and I was keeping an eye out outside. When I heard a load of noise. So I came in and saw you out cold and the other guy had a till sticking out of his head. So I picked you up on my shoulder and brought you back here."

"thanks I can't remember everything properly." 

"it will come back to you." 

He lit a cig and put it in my mouth. It was dark outside. My house looked clean as well. 

"I have a couple of questions what time is it, and what happened to my house." 

"it's one ish in the morning. I was stressed and when I get stressed I have to get busy. So I cleaned up a bit." 

"thanks" 

After about ten minutes I was starting to feel better. Not great but better. I managed to get sat up. The room was spinning. My memory came back. I relayed my story to Earl. We both agreed that it was weird but we had heard of a new drug that made people act like zombies. So we put it down to that and went to bed. In the morning we sat down to breakfast. 

"I think that you will need your things after we have eaten I will come with you." 

"OK thanks how much stuff should I get." 

"all food and medicine. I think is a must then clothes and personal hygiene products. Then we will make it up as we go." 

After breakfast we got ourselves ready. I'm a bit paronoyed about being robed so I have a bat in every room of my house. I took the one from the kitchen and gave it to Earl. 

" you better take this. You never know what might happen. I'm never going out unarmed again."

"thanks but I don't know if I could. You know. A person."

"its up to you the option is there if you have it. Better to have and not need than to need and not have."

I gave him a little wink and a smile. 

"come on let's see where you live." 

We got in Earl's van. We were in a fairly relaxed mood for the best part of the journey. It was as if we were just going about an everyday task. 

The roads were freakishly empty. We didn't see a single car move, or a single person. After about fifteen minutes I saw a dog stood in the road up ahead. Not moving at first just stood. Earl stopped. 

"what do we do" 

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 

"what do we do seriously." 

"yes what do we do" 

"fuck me seriously. You put your foot down, and if the dog doesn't move you run it down" 

"I don't know its a bit harsh in it." 

"DO IT!." 

He put his foot down we set off fast with the wheels screeching. At the same time the dog ran straight at us. Earl started to turn the wheel to the right. I grabbed the wheel and aimed at the the dog. Earl took his foot off the accelerater and started breaking. The dog was only twenty to thirty meters in font of us now and it was not slowing down. 

"come on mate what's up with you." 

"I can't hurt anything."

"fuck."

The van was doing around fifteen miles an hour, when we met the dog. I thought for a brief millisecond that we might still hurt it or maybe it might be a good dog. I was wrong on both counts. The dog jumped at the van and ran over the roof. We could hear its claws skid on the roof. The van was still sowing we both looked in the mirror and saw it land on the road, and turn back at us. 

"go go go" 

Earl stamped on the accelorater again. I carried on looking in the mirror. The dog was chasing is now. I could hear its barks. They were raspy but loud. Looking around I saw other dogs jumping up at windows of other houses as we sped on. The one that was chasing us was getting left behind. We went past a house with a dog that was so big it looked like a bear. It jumped at the window. The window didn't break but cracked. We were just past it when I heard glasses shatter. I checked the mirror again and the freak was chasing us making even more noise. I was getting a sense that the noise was attracting them. 

"stop." 

"no way man." 

"stop now or we will be over run by these things." 

He slammed on the breaks and we came to a screeching stop. I shot forward in my seat and hit my head on the dash. I wished I had been wearing my seat belt. I rubbed my head. 

"OK one of us will stay in the van and distract it the other gets out and kills it OK." 

"can I do the distracting." 

"it depends on wich side of the van it goes to." 

"I don't know if I can kill it." 

"if you don't they will get us." 

"OK I will try." 

The dog came bounding up to Earl's door. Barking and snarling in its wearied way. He started banging and shouting at the glass back. I grabbed my bat and quietly as I could got out just pushing the door shut, and keeping low. I crept around the van this thing was huge as I got to the front of the van it turned to me. Its head was as big as a watermelon. A horn sounded next to my ear. Earl had one hand on the staring wheel and the other slapping the glass. The beast paid no attention and went back on its haunches. As it lept at me I swung my bat as hard as I could. I didn't connect with its head but its  back. Earl had swung his door open twisting the dog in the air. I guess I broke its back as it landed only the front end worked. I must have been a bit dazzed because I froze. The dog didn't it kept coming for me. Using its front legs to drag its self at me. Then a bat hit the dog in the head,and it dropped limp. Then I got slapped. It was Earl. I snapped back into reality. My cheek stung. Earl had tears in his eyes. 

"you OK". " he asked. I nodded and saw the first dog coming fast. I walked forward and took up the stance of a baseball player. The dog still running at me it almost looked like it was smiling. It jumped at me and I swung and connected with its head with such force it flipped over. We didn't hang around and got going again. We drove in silence until we got to an apartment block. 

"you live here." 

"yes third floor." 

"OK lead the way quite and careful." 

We got out of the van walking side by side i took in the surrounding area. It was noisy with  birds from a small wood at the side of the car park. There were a few cars but not many. 

"do you know who they belong to." 

"some they are mostly peoples second cars. The white transit van is the maintenance guys."

"OK so you think that it's mostly empty." 

"yes." 

We got to the entrance to the building two huge glass automatic doors. We stood in front and they opened and we walked I  there was a reseption area with know one around Earl went to the lift and typed in a code. We stood there waiting for what seemed like an hour I was starting to sweat. Earl was not looking too healthy. 

"you OK man." 

"yeah just sitting bricks." 

The doors opened and we got in he pressed the button we got out on his floor and went to his apartment. On the way down the corridor I heard a banging and scratching come from two doors. With the growling sounds like John. Earl looked at me. 

" what's that noise." 

"I think it's the sick. Trying to get out." 

"is that what the guy in the shop sounded like." 

I nodded and we kept on moving. There didn't seem to be any need for more explanation. When we got to his door. I asked. 

"do you live with anyone." 

"no single life for me." 

He opened up and we went in it was a relief. I don't think it was just for me but both of us. It was a nice clean and modern place. There was no clutter anywhere. I checked the time it was two twenty, and I was getting hungry. 

"I don't want to be rude but I'm hank Marvin. A drink would be nice too do you mind rustling up some grub before we start."

"great minds think alike. Make yourself at home me casa tu casa." 

By the time we had eaten and got packed up it was five thirty. Earl was turning out to be a very good cook. He made jurk chicken wraps for dinner with salad. They had a kick but not too much. We had ginger beer to drink so I was looking forward to tea. He told me to sit down and he would sort out tea. After a few minutes I was getting bored so went to his kitchen to talk while he cooked. As it turned out he didn't cook he mixrowaved very well. I saw him with plastic boxes of pre made food. He had his back to me. 

"what's this." he jumped

"ah errr OK you caught me my mum cooks for me and I just reheat it." 

"mummy's boy." 

We both laughed we ate curryed goat with rice. It was getting close to seven now. We talked it over and decided to stay the night before going back to mine in the morning. Me drank rum and played cards it was as if we had been friends for years. We talked till late swapping stories and planning what to do.