Beth found he narrow hallway was more comforting than claustrophobic, anything attempting to rush her would be forced to face her one on one. Weeks of what was jokingly referred to as home invasions had given her a confidence, one she hoped wasn't just a false sense of security. No matter how many homes she visited, nothing ever seemed to dull the stench of decay, there were dead in this house, the only question was, how dead?

The first rooms were bedrooms which Beth quickly checked. There were only soiled sheets and moldering mattresses here, nothing of use. It was always the same, signs of the sickness were everywhere. Half filled cups of soup beside sweaty tangled sheets, left to go stiff and stale where they fell. Sometimes it was worse, blood and shit smeared about, the room looking like the most inconsiderate thieves had tossed the place. This time it was only mild, whoever had suffered here had recovered and moved on, one way or another.

The dirty smell old meat made Beth pause in the archway leading to the living room. What the bedrooms had lacked, was made up for here ten fold. A child's body lay discarded beside the sofa, stripped of flesh, the carcass resembled a skeleton more than a corpse. The youth, probably not yet ten years old, was crumpled in more of a heap than naturally posed, parts of their body were missing entirely while others were simply pushed aside for better morsels. Something had eaten it down to the joints, discarding it only when they couldn't chew the flesh any further. Beth tried not to look at the child's face, but found she couldn't look away, somehow the skull had been fractured and the insides removed, she couldn't help wondering if it had happened before something with teeth had stripped the flesh from its face.

The scene was not an unfamiliar one, but nothing ever took the edge of it. Worse still, Beth knew that it increased the chance of a more mobile creature. The weaker were the first to succumb to a true death, either through starvation or more often a stronger more violent sort. Leaving the hall, she ventured towards the corpse, not letting superstition get the better of her, there was food here and where there was food there was life and the lifeless.

A small noise drew her attention as Beth made her way around the lounge and into the kitchen. Nature had been making a comeback since the demise of humans, none more so than rodents. Telling herself that she edged closer to the island eyes searching and spade held forth ready to chop at anything be it living or undead.

The body took her breath and caused her to freeze in apprehension. Unlike the stripped carcass behind her this one had flesh, atrophied as it was, this was still probably the creature responsible for the carnage. It lay now pathetically withered, looking more like petrified wood than the person it had been. Letting out a deep breath and holding her garden spade out, not really expecting anything, but the new world in which she now lived, had made her cautious, especially of the dead.

The movement shouldn't have surprised her, bit it did, again she froze, but this time it was like a snake about to strike. The stiff, dried up corpse creaked as it lifted its head shakily, its bright blue eyes boring into her own as though there was something on the other side of them. And then the hands started slowly at first, but as the eyes recognized the living being before them, they scrabbled weakly on the floor with a refreshed vigor.

"Are you going to give it the chop?" The voice from behind Beth made her start a third time in as many minutes. "Or would you rather I do it?"

"Fuck..." Beth clutched at her chest breathing deep. "You scared the shit out of me... You fucking asshole. Aren't you watching the back door?"

"The backyard is enclosed and secure." Jace smiled reassuringly. "The rest are in the back rooms. Looks like he is the lucky winner."

Jace's humor disturbed Beth a little, everyone had their own coping mechanism, she understood that, but it didn't help to settle her any better. There was something about the guy that creeped her out, not always and certainly not lots, but just enough to make her feel awkward. She pictured him as the office jerk, one of those people who somehow managed to alienate himself in every social circle, given enough time.

"He is done, just leave him." Beth didn't see the need to waste energy, destroying something that didn't have the capabilities to harm her.

"Guess it's me then." Jace raised his own spade in preparation.

Beth gave him a disapproving look before moving past the skin and bone creature to check the pantry cupboard, ignoring his grunts as he labored to remove the thing's head. The way Jace had ignored her opinion as though it didn't count for nothing riled her, so she busied herself picking through the torn packets of pasta and out of date tins.

Most of everything that could be opened had been, jars had been broken, red tomato paste stains left about the place and even most the tins had been dented, labels removed as desperate creatures tried to get at the contents. The small space may as well have been hit by a tornado for the mess it was in.

"Anything good?" Jace stood in the door blocking the light.

"I can't see with you standing there." Beth tried not to let the annoyance come through in her voice.

"Sorry." Jace moved back, letting the natural light in.

"The usual beans, chopped tomato and tuna." Beth relayed picking the few tins still having labels and stuffing them into a satchel slung over her shoulder.

The front door opened and closed suddenly, followed by footsteps down the hall, causing Beth to pick up her spade in anticipation. Not really expecting anything other than their other companion, she held it by her side, Jace who was closer to the approaching body, however chose to hold his out in front, both hands firmly on the shaft.

"Shouldn't you be guarding the back?" Carl's deep voice was reassuring, as he stared at Jace, doing little to release the built up tension.

"Enclosed courtyard." Jace explained in short.

"Well I hope it's secure, because we have visitors." Carl spoke softly but the large man was anything but. He was compassionate and gentle where he could, but the times were fast running out when compassion was a virtue.

"Did they spot you?" Beth instantly felt a need to know everything about the situation.

"I don't know. I came in as soon as I spotted them."

"How many?" All the humor had left Jace now and he looked concerned.

Beth didn't wait for the reply, it was a pointless question, any more than a few and they were in some serious danger. All that mattered now was that they hadn't been seen, the house was not exactly a fort and going by experience, the smaller the space the worse the outcome.  Moving swiftly to the front bedroom window, she crouched low being careful not to make too much movement as she peered out into the lane.

The street looked empty which wasn't at all reassuring. Just when Beth was considering puling more curtain back to get a wider view, the decaying corpse of something once human passed by the glass mere inches away. Dropping to the floor, she regretted taking a deep breath as she sucked up dust from the dirty carpet and had to fight not to cough. The creature was followed by several more shadows, all precariously close to the dwelling. Something had caused them to zero in and she wouldn't mind betting it was a fleeting glimpse of Carl as he'd ducked inside. Whatever it was didn't matter now, all that mattered was that it was almost dusk and they would probably have to stay the night.