Luke's Diary: An Unlucky Man In A Zombie Apocalypse. Entries 757 to 956

Entry 773: Thursday 8th November 2018

Entry 773
Thursday 8th November 2018

I caught up with Richard and Roz. It was nice (sort of) to initially see Richard – even though he sucked the life out of the room, and I felt like slashing my wrists after the first five minutes of being with him, but it was a rather different experience catching up with Roz.

I travelled to Newport, which is where Roz and Richard are living; arguably the busiest and once most populated part of the Isle of Wight. I heard someone saying it's the only place where there's a nightclub. I arrived at Roz and Richard's feeling a bit guilty that I'd left it this long to see them. They're both sharing a flat above a newsagent's right on the edge of Newport Town centre which, very much like Cowes Town centre, is still operational – to a point. Stood behind the boarded up and abandoned newsagent's, I pressed the intercom to be buzzed into Roz and Richard's flat. From the dull and unenthused voice that answered I guessed it was Richard. "Hellooooo..." he glumly said. "Richard," I said, with a hint of excitement in my voice, "It's Luke." "Luke, who?" asked Richard. F*cking charming I thought to myself. "Luke!" I exclaimed, "Luke Warm. Kyle's Dad. Caroline's ex-husband. "Oh, that Luke," said a dull sounding Richard, "Come on up."

I was buzzed into the building, the door opened, I entered the flat and made my way upstairs to see Richard waiting for me in the flat's doorway. "Hello stranger," I said, "It's good to see you. How have you been?" I wish I hadn't asked. "Not great, really," said a depressed sounding Richard, "My back's been giving me a bit of jip." "Oh," I said. "Have you seen the Doctor." "No... Don't really like Doctors" said Richard. "OK. Taken any pain killers?" I asked. "No... I struggle to swallow things whole," said Richard. "Right," I said, "Have you tried putting a cushion on your back?" "No... The cushions we've got irritate my skin," said Richard. "Right... Could you try and get some other cushions?" I asked. "It just seems like too much fuss," said Richard. "Anyway," I said, rapidly changing the subject, "Are you going to invite me in?" Richard shrugged and walked into the flat. "I'll take that as a yes." I sarcastically said to myself.

I walked into the flat and it was an open plan apartment; not too shabby but too not rough. "Well, this is nice," I said to Richard. "Air conditioning doesn't work," said a glum Richard. "Well as long as that's the only problem," I said, trying to be cheerful. "The hot tap sometimes goes a bit stiff," said Richard. "Yeah, but isn't it good to be safe?" I said to Richard in a joyful tone. He gave me a blank look and just shrugged. "I miss the zoo," said Richard. "Bl**dy Hell, Richard," I said, rolling my eyes, "Your glass is always half empty; never half full is it?" "Well, I do understand the metaphorical reference," said Richard in a glum tone, "But I don't really think my glass is ever half full. I'm not sure it's really ever half empty either but it's always seems to have a crack in it."

At that point Roz came out of what I assumed was her bedroom. She looked surprised to see me. I couldn't tell if she was pleasantly surprised or annoyingly surprised. I gave her a warm smile. "Hi Roz," I said. "Luke," she said, "I didn't think we'd ever see you again." "Why would you think that?" I asked. "Well, I thought you'd have the good sense and frankly the common decency, to stay away," said Roz, bluntly. I wasn't expecting that. There was a slight pause. "Sorry?" I said, sounding confused. "Have you forgotten everything that went on before we were frozen?" asked Roz, with an angry expression on her face. "No, of course I haven't," I said. "Right then, so why do you think turning up here like this is a good idea?" asked Roz. "Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, "I was frozen for five weeks. I only got out of the freezers a couple of weeks ago." "I know," said Roz. "I haven't been to see you because I've had a lot going on," I said, "I've been adjusting to this new set up." "I don't care," said Roz. "What do you mean you don't care?" I snapped, "I've been through the ringer since I got out of the freezer. I couldn't come and see because, like I said, I've had a lot going on." "I don't care," said Roz. "Mia, tried to kill me the other day!" I exclaimed. "I don't care!" Roz, loudly shouted, "I don't care about any of it. I'm not p*ssed off because it's taken you so long to come and see us, I'm p*ssed off because you decided that coming to see us was a good idea. I don't want to get involved in any drama, Luke. If you and your mates hadn't have turned up at the zoo me and Richard wouldn't be in this mess." "What mess!?" I exclaimed, "You're alive and living on a safe infected-free island. Are you saying you'd prefer to be back at the zoo than here on the Isle of Wight?" Yes," said Roz. "Why the Hell would you want that?" I exclaimed. "BECAUSE SHE'D STILL BE ALIVE!" Roz angrily yelled. There was a short pause. I wasn't sure what to say. Roz looked angry and upset at the same. "They'd all still be alive," Roz, quietly said, "Bill, Thomas, Alison, Kevin, Des, Imran... Caroline... Kyle. Me and Richard are the only ones from the zoo left." "It's not my fault they're dead," I firmly said. "Yes, it is!" Roz, loudly snapped, as she walked right up to me, "You're all to blame; You, TJ, Naomi, Trudy, Mia – You ACROBAT special bunch; every single one of you is to blame. If ACROBAT weren't so interested in you – if you'd have never come to the zoo, everyone would still be alive, Caroline would still be alive, Kyle – your own Son would still be alive." "That's not fair, Roz," I said, "We didn't know that we were part of the ACROBAT seven. You were there when we found out. We didn't kill any of you. We tried to help keep you safe." "Safe? laughed Roz, "Well let me tell you, you failed miserably. Everything was fine before you and your lot turned up. Now Caroline's dead and Kyle's probably dead. I had a family. Now they're gone and I'm left here with this miserable sod." "I prefer the word downtrodden," said Richard. "Oh, shut up, Richard," said Roz. "You could come and move to Cowes and be near the rest of us," I said. "I don't really like cows," said Richard. "I don't want to be anywhere near any of you," said a firm Roz, "Just go." "You're not the only one who's lost someone," I firmly said, feeling angry with Roz, "I just find out I've got a Son, and then I lose him." "You've known him two minutes. I've known him all my life!" Roz loudly snapped. "It's not a f*cking competition!" I loudly snapped back, "I am allowed to miss him you know!? I was going to go to the mainland to look for him but after spaking to Endo, it turns out he could be anywhere in the world." "You saw Harold?" said Roz, sounding less angry and more intrigued. "Yeah," I said, "Turns out that when Tara flew off in the helicopter she went back to The Base. She bumped into Kyle and kidnapped him." "What!?" exclaimed Roz. "Mike found them," I said, "There was a bit of a scuffle and Mike accidentally shot Kyle. Then Tara knocked him out." "Tara kidnaps him and then Mike shoots him!?" exclaimed Roz, "How the Hell do you know all this is true?" "Mike, told me," I said. "Mike!?" exclaimed Roz, "The guy that dangled him out of a window and then shot him! You believe him!?" "Yeah, well Endo corroborated things," I said, "Tara and Kyle turned up in his secret underground base. Kyle had a bullet wound, Tara made Harold give her the virus and then she ran off with Kyle. He told me that Tara could have sold the virus to anyone, anywhere in the world and that if Kyle isn't dead and he's still with Tara, they could be anywhere in the world." "Sorry," said Roz, sounding angry and confused, "Let me get this right. The only proof we have that any of this is true is the testimony from two men; one who is obsessed with you and has displayed, let's face it, some pretty weird behaviour, and one who is a proven liar and has created this virus that has destroyed the world." "Yeah, well I know it sounds bad when you put it like," I said, "But..." "Luke, just go," said Roz, interrupting me. There was a short pause. At this point Roz's responses didn't make me feel angry; it made me feel sad. "I know you tried to kill Harold," I said, "Trudy tried too." There was a short pause. "What did Endo do to her?" asked Roz. "She can't remember." There was another short pause. "Look, none of this matters anymore," said Roz, "Caroline's dead and whether Kyle's dead, or alive being flown around the world in a helicopter, none of us are ever going to see him again. Don't come here again." Roz then turned around, went back into her room. I was left in the open plan living room with Richard enduring an awkward silence. "I went in a helicopter once," Richard said in a gloomy tone, "I was sick." I gave a depressing sigh and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well not everyone can deal with heights," I said in an unenthusiastic tone. "This was before it left the ground," said Richard. "Right, that's it," I said, "I'm going."

I told Mum, Ash and Mia about Roz and her attitude. Mia was angry that she seemed to blame us for everyone from the zoo dying and Mum and Ash told me to just accept her decision and leave her to it. I don't know what to make of it all. We both cared about Kyle and I guess we both cared about Caroline. We should be there for each other, not living in separate Towns.

Blade came around earlier and told me that my first day starting out on the farm would be tomorrow. I have to be there for 8am and ask for either Tania or Aliyx. It's the sort of job I ever thought I'd be doing, but let's see what happens. I just hope it's not a complete disaster...