Episode 4

Alexander Johnstone:

'I stopped counting the days a long time ago, there didn't seem much point. Numbers only have a purpose when there's a final number, a total, an end. Just now I don't see there being one. . .'


For miles he walked, following the train tracks until finally, it branched into two parallel tracks indicating that he was approaching a station, which meant one thing. He was approaching a town. Finally he saw the station up ahead and he stopped just short and crouched low, scouting for danger. He had learned from past experience, towns were among the most dangerous sites. There were two platforms, one on either side of him. A ticket office stood on one platform and a small shelter on the other. The glass panels of the shelter had long since been smashed and he could see that it was empty, but he could not see inside the ticket office. He would have to check it out before he could continue.

He crouched there, still, letting the snow soak into his trousers. He didn't care, it was better than what he was about to do. The fear had him in it's hold but he knew he could escape it. The will to survive was strong in him.

He would have to tread very carefully here, the snow would not be his ally, any sound would give him away and he had no idea how many there were throughout the town. One alerting cry and he was done for.

Keeping low to the ground, he slowly made his way towards the side of the platform until he was in line with the glass door of the ticket office, where he took cover below the level of the platform.

"One. . ." He whispered, "two. . . three." On three he peered over the top of the platform and through the door of the building. There were two in there, devouring something. Chewing and growling so quietly that had he not been sitting still holding his breath he never would have heard them.

How he longed to keep following that track. How he wished he could leave. He was so tired and scared that he wished he could have some kind of escape. But escape was out of reach and he was low on supplies, he had no choice but to move into the town.

Again he peered over the edge, the creatures were completely ignorant to his presence. He was hunched there for what seemed like hours, just waiting for his opportunity.

There it was. Swiftly he pulled himself up onto the platform and made a dive for the ticket office. With his back to the wall he took a deep breath and began to slide down it. Slowly he leaned his head round and looked into the ticket office.

"Oh no," His breath caught in his throat and his heartbeat stopped. They were gone.

He leaned against the wall again and closed his eyes.

He looked to his right, away from the ticket office. Behind it, connected to the train station was a bus station.
But there was no sign of the creatures.

As he turned back here was a horrifying moment where all speck of hope left his being in a flood as he came face to face with death. Staring him in the eye was one of the creatures. Less than an inch separated his nose from the gruesome scar which was once its. If it had snapped at him he would be helpless. Neither he nor it moved for what felt like forever, but all of a sudden the beast slowly opened its jaws and gave a loud, throaty roar.

Followed by another from somewhere in the bus station, and another from down the train line. Followed by another, and another and another, until he was drowning in an endless sea of noise.