‘She’s not a viro, Vinnie.’
Vinnie smiled.
‘No she’s not, Jake.’
‘Hush … little … baby … don’t … say a word …’
Ellis and Amber ran over to her. Eleanor stopped walking. She screamed. Ellis grabbed her. Eleanor fell into her arms. Ellis looked at us.
‘Quick, we’ve got to get her inside.’
Vinnie quickly ran over to us. He picked Eleanor up. He carried her into the house. We followed. Maggie was in the kitchen. She was crying. She saw Eleanor. She didn’t speak. She pointed at the sofa. Vinnie nodded. He put Eleanor down on the sofa. Ellis put a cushion under head. Maggie found a blanket. Ellis put it over the kid. Eleanor closed her eyes.
Grace came downstairs. She could not look at us. She hugged her sister. They cried loud. There was a gun shot. It was from upstairs. The sisters screamed. I knew what it was. We all did. There was nothing to do. I sat down. We all did.
Susie came downstairs. Maggie and Grace went over to her. The three sisters hugged. Susie nodded at them. They knew about Murphy. Susie said words. They were hard to hear.
‘He told me to. He said I had to help him.’
The sisters didn’t speak again. They just hugged in the kitchen. I looked at my friends. No one wanted to speak. We all felt the same.
There were no words left in the world now.
Not one.
Forever
Me and Abe and Vinnie helped dig the hole. Everyone stood near us. Murphy was wrapped in a duvet. Susie pushed him in a wheelbarrow. She helped Grace and Maggie put him in the hole. We all stood still. It felt like ages. The sisters dropped flowers in the hole. Then Susie nodded. We put the earth back in the hole. I was very careful. I didn’t want to hurt Murphy. I wanted him to get gentle sleep. We worked together. The hole got filled.
Susie wanted to speak. We all listened.
‘I have no words. I am struck dumb by the hatred of the world. I feel poisoned by the sheer horror of it all.’
Susie’s voice was crackly.
‘First Mum, and now Dad. Buried in the very fields that they both spent their lives tending.’
Susie nearly stopped. She struggled to say things. We waited. Susie sniffed.
‘The only good thing in all of this is that they are both safely underground now. Nothing can ever touch them again.’
Susie looked at her sisters.
‘And we can be sure that neither of them will ever become one of those things.’
Susie sniffed again.
‘And that’s a good thing. It would be unbearable to think that they were wandering around like those other things.’
Susie looked at her sisters. She looked at us.
‘Dad’s dying wish was that we all stayed together. He said we should dedicate the rest of our lives to looking out for each other.’
Susie’s eyes were heavy with wet.
‘He also made me promise that when the time comes, because it most surely will, we should make sure that none of us ever become one of those things.’
Susie stopped. Words were too hard for her.
Her sisters hugged her.
We hugged each other.
There was nothing else to do.
All of us in this lonely field.
On this empty planet.
I knew there was nothing now. No law and order. All families smashed apart. Everyone lost. Some people waiting, like Florence said. Other people looking. Everyone alone together. All we could do was live each day. We had to fight to stay human. There was no future. No hope. It was only always like this forever.
I looked at my friends.
They were everything.
I had no choice.
I could not leave them.
I could not run away.
I had to devote my life to them.
Forever.
Cough
Eleanor woke later. She was really ill. Her cough was so loud. Florence helped her drink water. Susie was so worried. She said she shouldn’t be moved. She was too weak. Eleanor’s voice was croaky. It was like a horror film.
‘Am I a monster?’
Florence shook her head.
‘You’re safe, Eleanor. You’re safe here with us.’
Eleanor didn’t hear. She was so frightened.
‘The monsters will get us. They bit everyone else. Damian screamed. They pulled skin off his face with their teeth. He stopped screaming then.’
Eleanor cried.
‘The others got bit as well. My best friend Laura got eaten. She had no hair left. And Paul. Emily. Richard.’
Florence held her hand.
‘You’re safe here now, Eleanor.’
Ellis kneeled down as well. Her voice was kind.
‘What about David and Daphne?’
Eleanor’s eyes went big.
‘David fell down the ladder. He tried to jump back up. The monsters hurt his legs. David screamed. We couldn’t see him anymore. But we heard them eating him.’
This was so nasty. Ellis asked about Daphne.
‘The old lady shot her gun all over. It didn’t help. The monsters kept attacking. She told us to hide. The old lady went outside. She shouted at the monsters. She fired her gun. Then it stopped.’
Eleanor cried so loud. Her tears splashed everywhere. Her eyes were still giant. She shivered.
‘I hid under all the dead bodies. I pulled them over me. It was stinky. The monsters ate all my friends but they couldn’t find me.’
I saw in my head how horrible that was for her. Eleanor kept saying her story.
‘I pretended I was dead. I held my breath. It was forever. Then there was the big bang. It made smoke everywhere. I was choking. I crawled out and started walking. I saw monsters all over. They were burning. It made them scream. I watched one melt all over the grass. They didn’t see me anymore. They were busy with the fires. I kept walking until I fell over.’
Eleanor looked at Ellis. She coughed very loud.
‘Am I safe here, Ellis? Am I safe?’
Doctors
Eleanor went back to sleep. Susie said we should meet in the kitchen. She was sad. I sat at the table. Vinnie and Abe stood by the sink. Susie closed the door. Her sisters sat by Florence and Ellis and Amber. Susie checked the door was shut. We all heard Eleanor coughing. Susie started to whisper.
‘That poor kid is dying. She’s inhaled too much smoke. Her lungs are destroyed. She’ll not likely last the night.’
My eyes hurt. They were all tears.
‘Can’t we help her, Susie?’
Susie shook her head.
‘I’m sorry, Jake. All we can do is keep her comfortable.’
‘Are there any doctors around?’
Susie said not.
‘There’s no one around anywhere any more. Dr Temple used to live not far from here. No one knows what happened to him and his family.’
I knew. I didn’t say. I knew it might be trouble to speak like I did before. Abe said instead.
‘We found him and his family under a bridge. He killed them and then himself.’
Grace sobbed.
‘Poor Butler. I remember when his kids were really small. They came here once for a day trip. We fed the baby goats together.’
Grace looked at Maggie.
‘Do you remember, Maggie?’
Maggie said she did. Abe kept speaking.
‘The doctor left a note. He said he couldn’t bear to see his family suffering any longer. He thought that death was better than living in this world.’
Maggie started to cry.
‘He was probably right, wasn’t he? There’s nothing left for us now. First Mum, then Dad. It’s all over for us. It’s just the end and that’s it.’
Susie held her sister. She hugged her tight.
‘We’ve got each other, Maggie. That’s better than nothing.’
Maggie looked at Susie.
‘I wish I could agree, Susie. I can’t help thinking that we’d all be
better off dead.’
Susie shushed her sister.
‘Then it’s best we don’t think for a while, Maggie.’
Susie looked at us.
‘I’m sure we could all eat something, couldn’t we?’
I nodded. So did everyone else. I was starving. Maggie hugged her sister tighter. She kept crying.
‘You’re right, Susie.’
Heaven
Ellis was next to Eleanor. The little girl was having a nightmare.
‘My mummy has been eaten. And my daddy. Now they want to eat me.’
Ellis put a wet cloth on Eleanor’s forehead.
‘Shush, Eleanor. Try not to worry. It’s all okay.’
‘Is that you, Ellis? Are you my mummy now?’
Ellis spoke soft words.
‘I’m here, Eleanor. I’m here for you.’
The little girl coughed. It was so rough. We could hear all the dirt inside her body rattle like stones.
‘Am I dying, Ellis?’
‘You’re resting, Eleanor.’
‘I think I’m dying, Ellis.’
Ellis didn’t speak. Eleanor’s voice was all raspy.
‘Will I go to Heaven, Ellis?’
Ellis stroked Eleanor’s forehead.
‘Try and rest, Eleanor. Try and get some sleep.’
‘But will I, Ellis? Will I?’
‘You need to rest, Eleanor. Try not to talk too much. Try and go back to sleep.’
Eleanor was not going to do that. She was scared.
‘Will I see my mummy in Heaven? Will she be there with my daddy?’
Ellis looked at the rest of us. She didn’t know what to say. Susie sat next to her. She took Eleanor’s hand. Eleanor opened her eyes for a second.’
‘Are you my mummy now?’
Susie didn’t say. She stroked Eleanor’s hand.
‘Ellis is right, Eleanor. You need to try and rest. We can answer all your questions when you feel better. But for now I want you to go back to sleep.’
Eleanor thought something.
‘But what if I don’t feel better? What happens then? Will you still answer my questions?’
Susie stroked her hand.
‘Try and relax, Eleanor. We’re all here for you.’
Eleanor coughed again. She was all choky. I hated to hear that sound. She was going to die. There was nothing we could do. There were no doctors. There was no hospital. There was nothing we could do but hold her hand. It was useless.
Eleanor stopped coughing. Her body shook.
‘What happens if they are monsters, Ellis? If my mummy and daddy are monsters. Does that mean I won’t find them in Heaven when I get there?’
Ellis didn’t say. Susie didn’t either. Eleanor nodded. She sounded happy for a second.
‘Maybe my granny will help me look for them?’
Eleanor looked at Ellis.
‘That’s a good idea, isn’t it, Ellis?’
Ellis couldn’t say.
Suffering
Me and Vinnie and Abe dug the hole. Susie laid Eleanor gently inside. She was wrapped in a duvet. We carefully put the mud back on top of her. I was careful not to drop it hard on her head. No one spoke while we worked. It took a while but we finished eventually. I put down my spade.
We stood around the grave. It had no cross. Susie looked at us all. She tried to sound sensible. I could hear she wasn’t inside.
‘At least the poor child won’t be suffering now. It’s all we can ask for.’
I was sad and confused. My head hurt again.
‘Will she meet her mummy and daddy?’
Susie smiled at me.
‘I don’t know, Jake. I have no idea.’
Susie tried to make me feel better.
‘I hope she does.’
I nodded. Susie’s words made me think about my mum. I was giving up hope. It was just too long without her. Ellis saw me thinking these things. She hugged me.
‘We’ll keep looking, Jake. We have to keep looking until we know for sure.’
Ellis was kind. Her hug helped me feel warmer inside. I didn’t tell her my thinking. It wasn’t the time right now. I looked around. We were all together but Florence was on her own. She was crying. I saw her point at the lane.
‘I’m guessing my parents got burned down there.’
Vinnie went over to her. We followed. He put his arm around Florence’s shoulders.
‘I hope you’re right, Florence.’
This sounded weird. Vinnie had to explain.
‘It means that they won’t be suffering any longer.’
He hugged Florence.
‘If we can’t be with the ones we love any more then at least we can hope they don’t become one of those things. But if they do, then all we can do is hope they don’t stay like that for long.’
Florence didn’t speak. Her shoulders moved up and down. She put her head in Vinnie’s shoulder. We stood still. No one spoke. We all waited.
I waited as well.
Survivors
It was quiet for a while. We were exhausted. We needed to rest. Susie said we should wait before going anywhere.
‘We’re safe here for a while. The fences should hold any curious monsters at bay. In any case, that horde was so big that I’m hoping we burned as many of those things as we could from around here.’
I wanted to go and find Mum. But I felt tired. It would be easier once I felt stronger. Vinnie and Abe said the same. We were sitting on a log outside. The countryside was everywhere around us. Vinnie was poking a stick in the earth.
‘We haven’t forgotten, Jake. I know we need to get to the asylum and we still will but we do need to get ourselves together first. The last few days have been so crazy.’
Abe laughed.
‘Crazy? Crazy? That’s the best understatement I’ve heard in years.’
Abe stood up. He was excited.
‘Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe what we have seen and done since we all met. If this was the story of a film you wouldn’t believe half of it!’
I agreed.
‘We have had mad times. Real mad times.’
Vinnie agreed.
‘But the main thing is we have survived everything this stupid world has thrown at us!’
Abe punched his fists in the air. Like a dance.
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
I joined in. It was fun to have fun.
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
Me and Abe jumped up and down. It was like we were on pogo sticks. I punched my arms up and down. Vinnie laughed as he watched us. So did me and Abe. It was great to be silly.
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
‘Survivors! Survivors! Survivors!’
We were dancing to have fun.
We were dancing to stop feeling scared.
We were dancing to feel normal.
It felt good.
Chicken
Later we had roast chicken. We were all sitting at the big table. There was potatoes and gravy. Carrots and swede. It was the best food I had ever eaten in my whole life. Grace and Maggie came in a bit later. They smiled at Susie. Grace sat down next to me. Maggie stood by the oven.
‘We checked the fence, Susie. There were parts we had to repair but it should be fine now. The current should keep small groups of those things at bay.’
Maggie took a plate over to the table. She put chicken and vegetables on her plate. She sat down.
‘I’m starving.’
Maggie poured gravy all over her plate. She started eating really quickly. Susie laughed.
‘Careful, Maggie, with everything going on, we don’t want to lose you because you choked to death on a roast potato.’
Maggie mumbled something. Her mouth was full.
It was nice sitting here. It felt like we were
visiting friends. Not hiding from viros. Mum would like the sisters. She would like the way they were nice to me. The way they accepted me for me. That they didn’t question or fuss.
I used to hate fuss. People thinking I couldn’t do things because of how I looked. And talked. It made me mad. And Mum too. I heard her voice in my head.
‘Ignore them, Jake. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are and what you can or can’t do. Only you can make those decisions, no one else.’
I knew she was right. It was her words that kept me strong. They made me keep going. I was not going to give up again. That was a mistake last time. I wasn’t going to do that again. Mum needed me.
So did my friends.
And the world.
Abandon
Susie spoke when we finished eating. She was good at being in charge. Everyone listened.
‘I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that was almost the last of our food. The crops have not worked this year. The rest of the chickens have escaped. We have some stuff from last year but sadly not enough to keep us all going indefinitely.’
Vinnie was worried.
‘We’re really sorry, Susie. I guess if we hadn’t turned up unannounced then you and your family would probably still be going about your daily lives.’
Susie shook her head.
‘Don’t apologise, Vinnie. None of this is your fault. Losing Mum had made us start to think about what to do next. Dad was reluctant to abandon the farm but even he realised that things were going downhill.’
Susie looked at her sisters.
‘Now he’s gone, there’s even less reason for us to stick around.’
Grace and Maggie agreed. Grace went to the kitchen window. She looked outside.
‘There’s just too much farm for us to properly defend ourselves. At least when Harry was alive he was able to patrol the land and make sure everything was in place.’
Grace turned back to us.
‘I don’t know about you two but my heart’s not really in this anymore. I would be perfectly happy to find somewhere safer, somewhere like an army camp.’
I spoke next.
‘We were in an army camp. The viros still got in.’
Viro (Book 4): Viro Page 5
