Life After Death (Book #1)

Chapter Seven

The van sped along back down the street away from the crash site, and Max sat perched on the passenger's seat like an excited dog, wondering where he was being taken.

"I have a little place just at the end of the next road," Joey explained, as if reading Max's mind.

"Great, I could use some...uninterrupted sleep," Max chuckled.

"You were asking for trouble sleeping out on those streets mate! You're lucky the noise woke me up or you'd be clicker fodder right now," Joey warned.

"Clicker...?" Max asked inquisitively.

"Yeah that's what I call them; zombie seems too much like a dodgy horror film ya know?" Joey explained.

"Hmm, yeah, Clickers...I like it," Max laughed as Joey pulled into the driveway of a large cottage.

"Home sweet home," Joey muttered.

It wasn't the kind of house Max had pictured when he thought of Joey, but anywhere safe and warm would do him fine right now. He winced as he followed Joey out of the van; every joint in his body ached. Sleeping in the car for nights on end had done him no good, and it was about time he slept in a decent bed. He threw his bag and rifle over his shoulder and hightailed it to the front door.

Joey pushed down on the handle and let himself in. Max was surprised at the lack of security or locks on the door; they were living in an apocalypse after all. Max made a note to ask Joey about it later, but scrapped that idea as soon as he stepped over the threshold.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Joey yelled, stretching his arms out in front of himself and spinning on the spot in a cocky fashion.

Behind the rickety cottage door, with a red and blue stained glass window, stood what looked like a homemade bulky metal door with an infinite amount of impressive locks, bolts and chains. The door was attached to an equally large metal post, planted deep into the floor to provide some kind of stability. The thing wouldn't have looked out of place in Fort Knox.

Max walked tentatively through the doorway, inspecting the rest of the house as he did so. From what he could see it was a normal cottage home, with low ceilings and a wobbly wooden staircase; but Max was certain that Joey would have other tricks up his sleeve.

"I have to say, it's impressive man!" Max said, struggling to find the words. "How long have you had that thing installed?" Max asked, nodding towards the door with a slight smile.

He wasn't sure what to make of his new companion.

"Installed? I made this baby myself a few weeks back," Joey proudly stated.

Max knew it looked a bit DIY, but he was still impressed. Joey was obviously a resourceful man, and Max had already seen first-hand that he could handle himself well against the clickers. It was definitely a good idea to stick around with this guy.

"Before I show you to your room, just enough time for the grand tour! This way please..." Joey said eccentrically, walking through an open doorway.

"This is the living room, fully equipped with comfy sofas and a DVD player for as long as the generator holds out," he explained.

The room looked like a typical cottage type lounge, completely contrasting the futuristic-looking steel door behind them. The three sofas were arranged to face both the TV and the fireplace which sat next to each other. Even looking at the glorious bricked fireplace, stacked with grand logs of wood, made Max feel warm.

"This place is beautiful," Max exclaimed.

"Thanks, man, used to be the family home when I grew up and I could never bear to leave the place," Joey said, letting the cocky façade slip for just a second.

"Anyway, if you follow me to your right, you'll find our excellent cooking facilities most impressive," Joey continued, once again playing the fool.

The kitchen was far from modern, but Max liked it. The paint was peeling from the aged wooden cupboards, and the dark tiled floor gave the whole room an old fashioned vibe. Beams ran across the ceiling and a huge stove sat in the corner of the room. Max had always dreamed of living somewhere like this; it was so peaceful and simple.

Joey continued to show Max around room by room, from the kitchen to the bathroom, to the dining room, finally stopping at a stone staircase which plunged into the darkness below.

"Now this is my favourite," Joey beamed, releasing no further information as he flicked a light switch and bounded down the stairs.

At the bottom of the staircase, two doorways stood opposite from each other to Max's left and right. He followed Joey through the right-hand door and was immediately both astounded and unimaginably impressed. The walls were lined with what Max assumed were homemade wooden racks, every single one of them filled with various weapons and equipment.

"Oh, f**k off!" Max laughed, unable to think of anything more appropriate to say.

Joey continued to beam.

Max circled around the room, studying each rack as he went. The first held a sumptuous supply of blunt instruments: clubs, bats, golf clubs, things like that. On the next wall hung more deadly weapons: a thin sword, a long sharp spear, and an empty slot where Max assumed Joey kept his machete.

The far wall was mainly filled with a hanging bow, the string looking fresh, maybe never even used. Beside it stood a case filled with different shapes and sizes of arrows; Max wondered if Joey could even adeptly use this weapon or if he was just showing off. He definitely seemed like the theatrical type. In the centre of the room stood a sturdy stone table, and on it a vast glass display case.

Max carefully unclicked the latch and lifted the case open, revealing the slightly disturbing collection of knives within. Max had never seen so many together, and he was sure Joey didn't have a use for every single one. However, he had to admit, Joey was prepared, and Max suddenly felt even happier with his new home. This would do nicely. Sat next to the display case on the stone table was a modern tennis racket.

"What do you use this for?" Max questioned, studying the unlikely weapon.

"I play tennis with it, you tit," Joey said with a screwed up face, snatching back the racket.

Max shrugged off the embarrassment and threw his arms in the air.

"I have to say, Joey, I'm impressed. This is insane! Where did you get all this s**t?" Max asked enthusiastically.

"Just stuff I've picked up over the last few weeks, other stuff I made myself," Joey said coolly, playing it off.

Max walked back out the doorway and pointed towards the room opposite. Joey barely looked up, still admiring his own weapons room.

"What's through there?" Max asked.

"Oh, that? It's just an old boiler room. Has an extra way out though if we ever need it," Joey clarified. "Anyway, let me show you to your room, my good man," Joey yelled, back in character.

Max sighed, following him up the stairs. He had to admit though, he was starting to like this guy.

The first floor was made up of only a few rooms; three bedrooms and a bathroom. Joey showed Max into the first door to the left. Max was taken aback immediately; the room was breathtaking.

The enormous window shone natural light across the entire expanse of the room, illuminating the grand four-post bed. Next to the bed stood an equally magnificent wardrobe, engraved with various patterns and swirls. Across the floor lay a soft, red rug, expensive-looking and soft to the touch.

"Wow, this is amazing, Joey," Max exclaimed, turning to thank his new friend.

"Pfft. This? Nah, this is my roommate, yours is down the hall," Joey chuckled, leading on towards the next room.

Max's bedroom was very similar, barring the single bed and smaller glass window, but he couldn't complain. Just seeing a pillow and duvet alone filled him with anticipation. A good night's sleep was definitely a long time coming. He plopped his bag and rifle down by the base of the bed and stepped back out the door to look around further.

He stuck his head around the third bedroom; extremely different from the previous two. The wallpaper was a baby blue, with a darker blue carpet covered in cuddly toys. In the middle sat a plain white cot.

"Whose is this room Joey?" Max asked.

Joey shiftily clapped his hands together, "Anyway, it's been a long day, time for a bit of shut-eye don't you think? See you in the morning mate," he blurted out.

Joey had entered his room and shut the door before Max could even think to reply. He felt bad for asking such an insensitive question, now wondering what had happened to the child who had clearly lived in this house.

Max thought about knocking to see if Joey was okay, but he couldn't pretend that the two men were anything near close... not yet anyway. They had just met after all. It was a question for a different time, Max thought. He entered his own room, shut the door quietly and threw himself back onto the soft sheets. Before he knew it he was fast asleep and dreaming.