This new life is for you

As Melanie looked at the ceiling, she took a deep breath in. She was going to the nearest village today and this was the only thing she was looking forward to. Mel was the designated first aider of the camp. Although she was only a nursing student when the apocalypse started, she had the most medical experience in their camp. Mel’s dad was the leader. He tried to give her one day of respite a week now the majority of the zombies had died off due to the winter that had hit. This was a relief to survivors but the threat was still real. The camp was simple yet effective. The sleeping quarters had canvas sides and wooden roofs with camp beds in and solar lamps hanging from sticks. Each house had trinkets from the residents previous lives which added a strange homely effect to the dull rooms. Most families stayed together but some teenagers had outgrown their family living arrangements. Mel, although 27, chose to stay with her dad, Keith. Her mother was killed in the beginning of the catastrophe as she was terminally ill and bed ridden. Kim was a caring woman and dedicated nurse, which is where Melanie found her own passion for nursing. Kim, whose life was withering away in front of her family's eyes, lit up the room and was the love of her father’s life. In a twisted way, Melanie liked thinking that she was no longer in pain. Hugo, or Hugs, had died protecting her. This was Hugs all over, selfless. He was barricading the doors and windows when he lost the battle and the house became overrun. He was a strapping 18-year-old who was an avid rugby player. Melanie often thought that his wild sense of humour would have been an amazing attribute in their new life. Melanie woke up from her day dream. She was sitting on her camp bed when Keith opened the entrance curtain.

“Ready for the day, kiddo?” He asked. “Yes dad” she replied falsely cheerily and followed him out of the tent. The day was cold but the sky was clear. She was wearing her trusty brown army boots that she tucked the laces into the sides even though they could lace up at the front. “You’ll trip over those bloody laces one day” Keith laughed as Melanie tucked them into her woolen socks that protruded over her boots. She looked up at her dad. She had his dark brown hair and bright green eyes. Her brother had their mum's blue eyes and blonde hair. They always joked that they were two teams perfectly created. Keith had deep frown lines in his forehead but from laughing not frowning. His stubble suited him even though he was adamant on shaving daily before the world changed.

Melanie filled her water bottle from the well and packed some tins of beans in her bag. Whilst doing up the clips, Keith kicked a stone at his feet. “Going for a long one today then?”, he said as he hovered over her. “Are you sure you want to go alone? I could join you and ask Joey to handle today?”. She smiled up at him, standing straight and pulling her backpack over her shoulders. “Dad” she laughed. “This is the millionth time I’ve been out. I know the best routes; I know the secured houses and I know where to hide if shit goes down.” He smiled at her. “I know, but I worry!”. “Well don’t!” she laughed. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I need time away from that medical tent. You know it smells in there”. She went through a checklist in her mind. Water bottle, food, knife, first aid kit. She felt her pockets. “My notebook!” she gasped. She ran back to their tent and grabbed her small black notebook. This was her life line and it contained every thought she had. She ducked out of the tent, held up her notebook and shouted “I love you dad! Good luck with the newbies!” She trotted away, her backpack bouncing as Keith raised a hand in the air.

The road was narrow. She followed its centre whilst looking up at the trees and thinking how bare they were, it was about March she thought. There wasn't much snow this year but the frost had been the worst she had ever remembered. After a 15-minute walk, she could see her destination, a small village called Middlefield. It was quaint and the cottages were lined up along the country track. Her favourite was the 13th house along with a bright blue door. She liked to imagine this would have been the type of place she would have wanted to live if the world hadn't gone awry. As she got to her favoured house, she looked further up the road. She noticed a red door that she hadn't seen before due to the bush that stood in the front garden. She had her hand on the door knob and pondered her decision. She stepped back and started up the hill.

She tried the door handle and to her surprise it was unlocked. That was normally the first security measure people took when the wave hit. She stood at the door, pulled her knife out and banged loudly on the letterbox, three times. She listened for movement but the air was not disturbed. She put her knife back in its holster and walked through the door, looking around. In front of her was a small spiral staircase. To her right was a small country kitchen with a white Aga and a wooden table with a flowery runner on it. The jug that stood proudly on the table was full of dead daffodils. She stared at them for a minute, they were her mum's favourite. She remembered when her and Hugs walked to the local garden centre, to get Kim daffodils for her birthday. She had remembered this so vividly because they argued the whole way home about who would walk in first with their measly gift as they were both students and spent most of their money on beer and cheeseburgers. She pulled the daffodils out of the cow print jug and slammed them in the bin. She walked into the living room and couldn't see the garden through the glass doors due to the wild garden. Melanie thought it looked beautiful with the wild flowers and brightly coloured bushes. She cautiously walked up the tight wooden staircase and was presented with three options. She listened again. There was no noise. The door to the left was the bathroom so she picked the door straight ahead. It was a large square room which was painted pale green. The double bed was decorated with white bed sheets that were covered with clothes and dust. The house was quiet. The decreased level of zombies had lessened the anxiety around camp and allowed them to live more normally. Things they did previously such as having campfires had become the norm again. She moved a few items on the dressing table but nothing took her fancy. She pushed the door open to the second room which was a lot darker than the first. It was a simpler room and was cold. She sat on the bed and as she put her feet back, her foot hit something hard. At first, she started as the zombies were led by noise. Her heart rate increased and she started to breathe heavily. It was a few seconds before she realised her need to panic was not fully necessary and she clutched her chest. She excitedly sat on the floor, pulling out a black suitcase. She admired the leather and its condition was perfect. She lay it flat and popped open the lid. Her breath was taken away for the second time in a minute. Money. Piles and piles of money. She smiled and laughed out loud. “Oh my goodness!” she gasped. She put her hand to her mouth and started laughing uncontrollably. Her mind was racing. Who’s was this? Why had they left it? How much was here? She looked around her almost checking that no one would stop her from holding it. She was very clever and maths was her fortey. She took one minute to roughly count the stacks and estimated $20,000. She laughed again. “Holy shit”. She just stared at it. What should she do with it? Her dad would be so happy. They weren't poor by a long shot but they never had luxuries, not that her and Hugs would have known as kids. “I have to show dad” she whispered. She packed the money back in the dusty suitcase and grasped the handle. She stood up and ran to the stairs. She hopped down each one and arrived at the front door. She held the handle but stopped. Her heart sank. What was she doing? What was she going to say when she showed her dad? “Look dad, money we can’t use”. She slowly released the door handle and took a deep breath. She slumped into the front room and collapsed into the dark green, wooden embellished sofa and spluttered. The dust surrounded her and she waved her hand around. Of course they had left it, she thought. What good would it have been in this world? She thought about what she would have done with it before. Paid for mum to have private cancer treatment? Bought that designer black dress she had always wanted? Buy Hugs those new fluorescent rugby boots he had wanted so he could match his team? Or even buy dad that Vespa he had idolised over in the shop window?

“As if that’s what we wanted back then” she muttered, almost cross with herself. How shallow that previous life was. This $20,000 would have been life changing seven years ago but now, it was completely worthless. She opened up the case again, took in the view one more time and threw the case off her knees. It hit the coffee table and made a sharp bang. She was angry now. The money was strewn across the floor. She stared at it. “I’d give anything to go back to that life” she thought. As if she was thinking this about $20,000. She couldn't help but be disappointed with this life that she had fought for but in unconventional ways that no one could have prepared her for. She closed her eyes and rested her head back. This life was a whole new definition of hard. She heard a rustle and her eyes snapped open. She stood so quickly and quietly. She could see the bushes moving outside and slowly backed out of the room. She moved her hand to her knife and grasped the leather-bound handle, a gift from Sam, the only eligible bachelor in the camp. She stood against the door frame and watched the glass door. A grey hand with only two fingers banged on the door and Mel jumped. The rest of the ragged body emerged from the bushes and Melanie's eyes widened. It had been four weeks since she had seen a zombie. She turned the handle and sprinted out the door. The zombie must have been awakened when she threw the suitcase. She shook her head as she jogged along. “Stupid!” she thought to herself. “This is my new life and I must embrace it, mum would have taken the bull by the horns” She smiled when she thought of her mum’s face. She jogged at a steady pace and could hear her tins clunking together. She pictured her dad’s face and smiled again. “This man is my whole life now and I will be damned if I don’t make him proud.” She leaped in the air with a sudden burst of energy and screamed “This life is for you mum and Hugs!”