Autumn

senses.’
    ‘But why? Why now?’
    ‘I don't know. Remember how they suddenly got up and started moving around?’
    ‘Yes...’
    ‘So this must be the same thing.’
    ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Carl interrupted, turning from events outside to face the others and join their conversation.
    ‘Don’t know really,’ she admitted. ‘Perhaps they weren’t as badly damaged as we first thought.’
    ‘Jesus,’ he laughed, unable to believe what he was hearing. ‘They couldn’t have been much more badly damaged, could they? They we’re dead for Christ’s sake!’
    ‘I know that,’ she sighed. ‘So maybe it’s just a small part of them that’s survived. The only reactions we’ve seen have been basic and instinctive. I was taught that there’s a lump of jelly right in the middle of the brain that might be responsible for instinct. Maybe that’s the part of them that’s still alive?’
    ‘But they didn’t attack me last night, did they?’ Michael reminded her. ‘I walked right past those bastards and...’
    ‘Perhaps they were only just starting to respond last night? This is a gradual thing. From what you’ve told me it seems possible that they’ve only been like this for a few hours.’
    ‘This sounds like bullshit,’ Carl snapped angrily.
    ‘I know it does,’ Emma admitted, ‘but you come up with a better explanation and I’ll listen. One morning everyone drops down dead. A few days later, half of them get up and start walking around again. A few days after that and they start responding to the outside world and their eyes and ears start working again. You’re completely right, Carl, it stinks. It does sounds like bullshit...’
    ‘But it’s happening,’ Michael reminded him. ‘Doesn’t matter how ridiculous or far-fetched any of it sounds, it’s happening out there.’
    ‘I know, but...’ Carl began.
    ‘But nothing,’ he interrupted. ‘These are the facts and we’ve got to deal with them. Simple as that.’
    The conversation ended abruptly and the house became deathly silent. The lack of noise unnerved Carl.
    ‘So why did that thing attack you?’ he asked, looking directly towards Michael for answer he knew the other man could not give.
    ‘Don’t know,’ he admitted.
    ‘I’m sure it’s sound they respond to first,’ Emma said. ‘They hear something and turn towards it. Once they see what it is they try and get closer.’
    ‘That makes sense...’ Michael began.
    ‘Nothing makes sense,’ Carl muttered. Ignoring him, Michael continued.
    ‘The noise from the generator last night, the gunshot this morning...’
    ‘So we’ve just got to stay quiet and stay out of sight,’ she sighed.
    ‘And how the hell are we going to do that?’ Carl demanded, suddenly and unexpectedly furious. ‘Where are you going to get a fucking silent car from? What are we going to do, go out to get our food on fucking push-bikes? Wearing fucking camouflage jackets?’
    ‘Shut up,’ Michael said, calmly but firmly. ‘You’ve got to try and deal with this, Carl.’
    ‘Don’t patronise me you bastard,’ Carl hissed.
    ‘Look,’ Emma snapped, standing up and positioning herself directly between the two men, ‘will both of you please shut up? It’s like Michael says, Carl, we’ve got no option but to try and deal with this as best we can...’
    ‘So what are we going to do then?’ he asked, a little calmer but with his voice still shaking with an equal mixture of frustrated anger and fear.
    ‘We need to get more supplies,’ Michael said quietly. ‘If they are becoming more aware and more dangerous all the time then I think we should go out right now and get as much stuff as we can carry. Then we should get ourselves back here as quickly as we can and lie low for a while.’
    ‘And how long is that likely to be?’ Carl asked, clearly beginning to wind himself up again. ‘A week, two weeks? A month? Ten fucking years?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ the other man replied, equally agitated. ‘How the hell should I know that?’
    ‘Shut up!’ Emma yelled, immediately silencing the other two. ‘For Christ’s sake, if neither of you can say anything without arguing then don’t bother saying anything at all.’
    ‘Sorry,’ Michael mumbled, running his fingers through his matted hair.
    ‘So what are we going to do?’ she asked.
    Rather than answer or take any further part in the increasingly difficult conversation, Carl walked away.
    ‘Where are you going? Carl,