The noise of the herd is near deafening now as they swarm the farm, stumbling through fences and scrabbling at the house. Their nails screech against the brickwork and laboured rasping breathing and groaning fills the air. 

Occasionally a sound or movement seems to catch their attention and they stumble towards it in unison. Noises rising to snarls as they move through the space. Their movements are almost mindless and then one of them will do something that seems totally ordinary, like open a gate and they all seem so surprised. Disorientated and confused by their own behaviour. It makes me wonder if they still retain some of the knowledge they had before they became this? Or is it muscle memory perhaps? Are the people we've lost still inside them. 

My fingers twist in the frayed edge of my shirt and I wish I had grabbed something to put over this. It's already getting far too cold and my coat is unhelpfully hooked over the back of my chair in the office, instead of somewhere useful, like on my back.

"You cold?" Dec asks.

"Not really, just a little." I whisper back.

Ever the gentleman, he is shrugging off his jacket before I can protest. It's still warm when he slips it onto me and I snuggle into the softness of it. The arms are so long it takes a minute before I can get my hands out of the sleeves. 

"Thank you." I murmured, "For everything. The jacket, helping everyone, coming to save me." 

"I would do anything for you." He promises.

I just smile and turn my attention back to the grounds and the people who are no longer people outside. Most of them fill the space around the house now. I can't see any movement inside of the treehouse, a fact I'm thankful for, because if I can't see them, neither can the monsters below. I hope they can keep the children quiet. It's not exactly like they come with an off switch afterall.

My eyes drift back to the house and I spot a glint of something silver shining from the propped open attic window. It's the barrel of a gun, I realise. A thin, olive skinned arm is visible against it and I follow it's aim to see it's trained on the base of the tree. 

Paul. Ready to defend his family at a moments notice. 

I wonder if he can see them from where he is? The house is much closer to the treehouse and his angle will allow him to look down into it as long as there aren't branches blocking it.

"What are you thinking?" Dec asks softly. 

I glance sideways at him and see he is staring at me with this weird little smile on his face. "Nothing. What? Is there something on my face?" I ask self-consciously touching it.

He grins, "You mean aside from radiant beauty."

I roll my eyes at his teasing tone and pull the sleeves of his jacket down over my hands to keep them warm. Busying myself so he doesn't see how much his words have affected me, "Weirdo."

"I just have a new appreciation for how much I like looking at you since I nearly lost you." His voice loses all the teasing now, and draws my eyes back to his face.

How, with all that is going on around us, can we be having what is perhaps one of the most intensely romantic moments of my life?

"I'm sorry I scared you." I reply, reaching out and linking hands with him.

His fingers dip into the sleeve to grab mine and I smile down at them. "I love you Brianna Parker," He whispers, "More than I think I ever even realised." 

I open my mouth to respond. To tell him that I love him more than life. That there's no one I would rather have at my side at the end of the world. Then a zombie slams violently into the side of the barn and I let out a little gasp.

Dec's arms come round me, "Shhh love. They'll move on. We just need to stay quiet."

Another one decides at the moment to prove him wrong and slams into the timber framed building with enough force to rattle the window in it's frame. I bring my hand up to my mouth to hold in the scream that is bubbling up in my throat.

Below us I can hear the animals shifting nervously in their stalls, but somehow they sense the danger and stay silent. I don't know whether it is instinct or something else, but I hope it continues. The guilt if something happening to them would be almost too much to bear.

My hand finds Dec's and I fight to keep my breathing quiet and even. I can hear the beat of my heart in my ears and it is thudding so hard in my chest I am surprised he can't hear it. Neither of us dare look out of the window and try to see what is happening below, but he rubs soothing circular movements on the back of my hand in an effort to calm me.

Another smacks against the side of the building and I choke back a whimper, "I love you." I whisper fiercely, "More than I've ever loved anyone."

"Shhh love," He tries to soothe me, but there's no stopping my heart pouring out to him now.

"There's no one else I'd rather have at my side." I whisper back before burying my face in his chest.

The musky smell of him is oddly soothing and I feel safe for the first time today. I know without a doubt that he will always come for me. We will always find each other. A noise outside makes us both jump and we dive for the window at the same time.

Our heads hit together and it jars my teeth as I shoot him an annoyed look. The romance of the last minute or two together already forgotten. My eyes scan the area for what maybe the noises and I see two zombies at the base of the tree. 

They're both looking down at something small, purple and shimmering on the floor. My heart in my throat I realise it's a sweet wrapper. My eyes move up to the treehouse and Polly is stood there, her face screwed up as though she is on the verge of tears. Her little hand reaching out for the lost treat.

Someone yanks her back as the two infected look up slowly. It's too late for that though. The snarls ring out and they start to claw at the tree. Their interest catches the attention of those around them and within thirty seconds there are about twenty scrambling over each other to try to get up the tree.

It's a miracle none of them are crying out with all the noise they are making around them. I reach for a gun, but Dec pushes it gently down. "You're not that good of a shot sweetness. You risk hitting the treehouse. Maybe hurting one of them."

I want to protest, but I know he's right. "You do it then? We have to do something?" I plead.

Dec's forehead is screwed up in a frown. "I think we need to give it a minute and hope they lose interest. Otherwise we are just drawing their attention to us and that's not going to help anyone."

I let out a helpless noise, unable to tear my attention away from the tree they are now shaking slightly with their attack. A tree that's been here hundreds of years. I beg it to hold up just a little longer and mentally pray they will lose interest soon.

A loud whistle splits the air and my jaw drops as I spot Paul emerging from the side of the house. One of the guns hangs loosely in his grip. As though he took it for show, but doesn't really expect the chance to use it. His expression is one of grim determination but there's resignation there too. He looks up into the treehouse and blows a kiss before waving his arms aggressively and whistling again. 

This time the infected lunge for him, tripping over themselves in their eagerness to get to him as he turns and starts to run. I will his feet to be faster than theirs, but they seem to be faster than the few I have encountered so far. Like they're settling into their own bodies and finally understanding how to control them. 

I wonder about the science of it all. How is the virus, whatever it really is, changing them. How is it turning them into these monsters incapable of clear thought or reason, but able to move at speed after their prey albeit it with a total lack of grace.

I swallow the bile rising in my throat as the herd follow him, pretty wrapper forgotten in favour of the live distraction before them. Their animalistic snarls are like nothing I've ever experienced. It's like raw fury and hunger and pain.

Do they even really feel pain anymore?

There's a few minutes where the noises can still be heard and then it goes quiet. In the silence left behind there's an emptiness. A pit in my stomach that tells me how wrong this is that a father had to sacrifice himself like that. 

I turn so my back is to the wall and slide down it into a sitting position, "He gave his life for them." I whisper hoarsely. 

"We don't know that. He...I...he might be ok. I just...I should have done something." Dec mutters, there's a sadness in his voice, but frustration too and I understand both.

Sadness for the stranger we hardly knew and the family he is now going to leave behind. Frustration that there was nothing we could do. No act that would have prevented what he did. 

His family were in danger and he wanted to help them. There's is nothing more pure or precious than the love for your family.

I reach up to slip my hand into Dec's and pull him down to the ground with me. Our foreheads press together the same way we did after our kiss. This time the feelings aren't romantic though. It's just a need to be close to another living, breathing human who understand the pain the other is feeling.

"Poor Sarah." I whisper and tears begin to slip down my cheeks and drop onto the ruined silk blouse. 

"Poor all of us. This is the world we are stuck in now." Dec says with a hollow laugh, rocking back and pulling me into his arms.

I fit perfectly underneath his chin. Enveloped in his scent and safety I can almost forget the horrors out there.

I don't know how long we sit like that, but Bella the cat eventually comes to join us. Apparently having forgiven us for our manhandling of her as she curls up on my lap and looks up with big green eyes. 

"Who is my good kitty girl." I croon as I scratch behind her ears and she lets out a purr of contentment. 

It's starting to get darker outside as night falls. Despite a few distant screams a little while ago, there's no sound now and I wonder if it's safe for us to emerge. My limbs are stiff with cold and from the pain of being sat in the same position for so long.

"Do you think-" I start, but then trail off. 

Am I even ready to go outside? What if Paul's body is there, or worse? What if he's one of them now?

I don't even know if I can face Sarah after we did nothing to try to step in and protect them and she was forced to watch her husband give his life for her family.

"I think I should check if it's clear." Dec says roughly, clearing his throat and making his way towards the hatch.

I scramble after him. "Oh hell no. You're not going without me."

"What if it's not safe?" He says, trying to hold me back.

"I don't care, what are those song lyrics? If we go down, then we go down together." I sing out.

"They'll say you could do anything, they'll say that I was clever." He continues, then presses a kiss to my forehead.

I love it when he sings. He always says he has a terrible voice, but the gravelly texture of it sends shivers through me.

"Ok." He sighs, "But stay behind me."

"Ok," I smile back, just relieved he didn't fight me on this and make me sneak after him.

Perhaps he knew I'd do that? Perhaps I'm getting predictable?

As soon as the hatch door is unlocked he ducks his head down through it, gun at the ready.

I resist the urge to smack his bum, even though it is sticking up ever so temptingly. I like to think that's a sign of my maturity and smile.

I try to bite it back the smile as he pops back up, "It looks clear. You follow me down, but if I say run, you run and get your pretty little arse back up here. Are we clear?"

I nod obediently, even though I have no intention of voluntarily leaving his side any time soon.

He goes first and the ladder creaks ominously. I watch until he is clear before clambering down far more quickly in my haste to make sure he doesn't leave without me.

"How elegant." He teases, as he grins at me.

I give him a snooty look and act as though I'm about to push passed him so he hurries to join me. He nods for me to unlock the barn door as he braces with the gun to deal with any danger that might appear.

When nothing bursts through the gap and there is no sound, but distant crickets we inch forwards cautiously. The empty courtyard and the wrapper as a reminder of what just happened lie just ahead of us.

I let Dec do his careful sweep of the area before we reach the treehouse again. "Hello?" I call out and a few faces appear.

Karina's eyes are heavy with exhaustion and arms around her neck tell me that Roza is still clinging onto her. "We think it's safe to come down. Can you guys see anything from up there? I know it's dark?" Dec calls up.

We watch the faces swivel as they search for anything around us further out than we can see.

Then Polly's face lights up with joy and she reaches out a chubby fist, staring at something just beyond us. "Daddy, it's my Daddy." She squeals.