Blog of the Dead (Book 3): Lost by Lisa Richardson Read Free Book Online Page B

than listen to any explanations from Elaine, we all turned away and burst into action, making moves to get going.
    Not easily deterred, Elaine cleared her throat. ‘I used to be a pole dancer,’ she began, stopping us, ‘before the outbreak. It was the only way I could support myself after my husband… left. But, you know what? It taught me discipline. It gave me strength, core strength. Focus. It prepared me for life in the apocalypse in ways you wouldn’t even guess. I’m not suggesting you all start pole dancing, but I can – will – turn you into more efficient killers.’
    ‘Efficient killers?’ said Kay, stepping forwards. ‘I’ll show you what an efficient killer is…’
    ‘Like Sophie said…’ It was Misfit who spoke and he put an arm out to halt Kay. ‘… we’re good.’
    ‘If we all concentrate on at least thirty zombies a day, every day, that’s at least one-hundred and eighty zombies each day. We could probably push that up to at least two-hundred. That–’
    ‘Would still leave a good – what – sixty million or so zombies to get through in the UK alone,’ said Clay.
    ‘Don’t you realise defeatist thinking inhibits change?’ said Elaine. ‘If you as a group change your attitude and sharpen your skills, you can make a real difference. All I can say is you’re lucky you met me. And not a moment too soon.’
    ‘Talking about timing,’ said Kay. ‘You caught us at a bad moment – we’re leaving.’
    Elaine didn’t shift from her position beside the Mazda, hand on the roof as though she owned it and was trying to decide if we were worthy of standing so close to it. ‘Then I’ll go with you,’ she said, slipping into the open passenger seat. My seat. ‘I’ll be honest with you. I’m tired of being alone. I’ve been alone for so long and… and… And I’ll sit here until you agree,’ she said out the open door.
    ‘Sweetie, I know you’re trying to do a good thing but…’
    ‘But we’re not interested,’ I said, taking the liberty of finishing Charlotte’s sentence. ‘Get out of our car.’
    ‘No. Not until you see sense.’
    ‘I don’t think it’s us that needs to be on the lookout for sense,’ I said as I stood by the passenger side door looking down at Elaine. She sat with her arms crossed and staring straight ahead.
    ‘Not moving.’
    ‘Oh this is ridiculous,’ I said and I turned on my heel and stomped off to the house.
    I came up to the master bedroom to write this entry. While I was logging the morning’s events, Charlotte popped up to tell me Elaine is still in the car and that the others have given up trying to move her and are sitting downstairs in the kitchen. Nobody knows quite what to do.
    11pm
    We’re still in Bethersden. Elaine is no longer in the Mazda but only on the condition that we go into Ashford town centre tomorrow and meet our quota. Then, if we’re still not interested, we can go our separate ways. Initially we all answered with a resounding, ‘Fuck off!’ but she snatched the keys out of the ignition and stuffed them down the front of her leathers, smiling at us in a ‘What’re you going to do now?’ sort of way. No one was going in there to get them out so, instead, we argued for a while until we ran out of steam and gave in.
    She’s now downstairs, on a bed she made up on the sofa.
    The only reason we have agreed to Elaine’s demands and not knocked her out, fished the keys out and driven off – like Kay voted we do – is because Charlotte begged us not too.
    ‘She’s just lonely,’ she said.
    ‘And mental,’ added Kay. ‘Don’t forget mental.’
    ‘She just needs to feel a part of something,’ said Charlotte. ‘Part of what we have.’
    Charlotte is asleep beside me. I wonder if Misfit is missing me. I also wonder if anyone else realises it’s New Year’s Eve. If they did then, like me, they obviously couldn’t be bothered to mention it. Can’t imagine why really, I mean, I for one can’t wait for