Read Only The Living (Lost Survival Series Book 1) for Free Online

never even occurred to me, during my frantic our escape. The longer I dwelled on that option, the more redundant it sounded. The military were beyond their capacity as it was, dialing 999 wouldn't have solved anything.
    I was sure that there were countless people, family and friends that I would've contacted on that train ride, had I not been distracted by the rush of undead passengers. Pressing the phone to my ear as I attempted to call my mum, the service was obviously not available through my provider.
    I didn't feel shocked, or even upset... it was exactly as I expected. It was never going to be that easy, dealing with mass riots and nation-wide panic at the same time. If I wanted to make sure that she was safe, I’d have to make my way home as swiftly as possible.
    Brushing the harsh truth aside for the time being, I reopened my phone's menu only to see a curious flashing icon on top of my dashboard app. Clicking it open revealed a note that was named “FROM IAN – WAKEY WAKEY” with a frowny face.
    I'd caught the message just in time too, as my weak battery was minutes away from dying. Upon reading the following lines, I was relieved to see that he must be okay somewhere.
    “couldnt wake u. they were coming soz, locked door so ur safe 4 now. me & beth r gonna head up 2 the shop 4 help. follow the tracks if u want. hang in there dude.”
    I guessed by 'Beth' he meant Leo's little girl, which only gave me concern about what he meant by 'help'. Was he planning on coming back, or did something else happen?
    I wasted no time jumping out of the window, landing on both feet more flexibly than I would've without the adrenaline rush. Should've taken note of the exterior first, in hindsight — the rhythmic buzzing of my phone had accumulated a rather large number of music fans. Die-hard ones, by the looks of it.
    Checking my pockets, I was relieved to see that Ian had left me one of the flares to defend myself with. I thought it was wise to use the item there and then, while there was still enough sunlight left to avoid attracting any more of them.
    I un-cupped it and tossed the red stick in a perfect arch towards the other train wreckage. The surrounding dead seemed to fall in love with the intense light, as they immediately pushed into its radius with shallow murmurs. They really are mindless, I thought with a hint of melancholy as a clear path became visible overhead.
    The orange sun was dropping further and further down into the skyline, casting a blood-infused shadow across the clouds. If anything, it only served to remind me that the darkness of night was fast approaching. Faster and more frantically than ever, I threw myself into the impending horde, having absolutely no clue where I was supposed to be heading next.
    Various grunts and moans encapsulated my maddening sprint, from the low rustling of bushes all the way to the high fence gate that was being shaken from its very foundations. I was in awe of how many human bodies stood for no reason, even out here in the middle of nowhere, miles from the big city.
    After pondering it for a while, I decided it was best not to worry about the scale. I couldn’t accept that it was all over, that this mess was unsalvageable. I wanted safety, security and hope for a better tomorrow... I wanted my home, flaws and all compared to this hellscape.
    I managed to keep a steady pace in front of the ghoulish monstrosities, all of which were completely aware of my presence. I had no idea how much further I could go on for, my will outlasting those who persisted after death itself.
    The faint outline of rural buildings came into view alongside the tracks, and that was when I noticed the sign for a local newsagents. I was pressed up against its brown-rusted shutters in record time, banging and screaming for help with as little dignity as possible.
    Almost as though she'd been waiting on my arrival, two tiny hands lifted the shutters instantly by a couple of feet. I stopped, dropped and