Everything Dies | Season 3

by Malpass, T. W.

  ‘Someone who has been blessed with the most unique gift to see into the memories of a person and you still don’t believe?’ Edwards asked. ‘I didn’t leave the facility immediately. It took me a long time after I was bitten and I injected myself with the serum to realise the dead no longer saw me as food. I wandered around, returned to Grant’s lab to see if I could set free any of the tortured souls that he’d been experimenting on. I found his notes on you. I read his analysis on your abilities and how he thought they would evolve once you had been infected.

  ‘A few months after I arrived here, the Lord visited me again one night and told me you were the key to our plight, that you would give us the power to vanquish our enemies who stand in the way of completing his plan.’

  ‘What is this plan?’ Ethan asked.

  ‘To cleanse the Earth of the damned until only the faithful remain. It is only then that God and his angels will obtain the seal to open the gates of Hell and banish evil forever. This is the final war, Ethan, and you are so important in deciding which way it’s going to end.’

  Ethan placed his head in his hands. He knew it was futile trying to persuade Edwards that he’d been misguided by his own delusional mind.

  ‘The connection I have with the dead, it doesn’t work the way you think. The more I do it, the more it brings me closer to them. Eventually I’ll lose all sense of myself and will become one of them.’

  ‘No, you’ll become one with them. You’re his instrument now. It’s something you’re just going to have to accept,’ Edwards said.

  Ethan raised his head and looked at him.

  ‘If I’m all you need and I agree to help you, you could let the others go and they’ll be on their way.’

  ‘You expect me to believe they would leave you behind? I’ve seen first-hand the strong bond between you. How that woman behaves when one of you is threatened. Besides, they have their own purpose to serve in all of this.’

  ‘Please, Edwards, let them go,’ Ethan said.

  ‘Crane,’ Edwards called to his henchman standing outside.

  ‘Edwards!’ Before Ethan could say another word, the tall disciple came striding in, ready for his next command.

  ‘Take him to his quarters. The Shepherd needs to rest,’ Edwards said.

  Crane placed his hands on Ethan’s shoulders and pretty much lifted him off the couch to his feet.

  ‘If you don’t let them loose, I won’t do it,’ Ethan said as Crane pushed him to the vestry’s entrance.

  ‘We’ll see about that,’ Edwards said with a smile.

  Crane forced him through the doorway and into the empty church.

  Edwards closed the door behind them and returned to the hammock where Owen fought the cold grip of his fever. His lips had started to turn blue. His bloodshot eyes darted back and forth as if he were dreaming in a waking state.

  Edwards lifted the damp cloth from his forehead and pressed his palm against the boy’s cold skin.

  ‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.’

  Edwards replaced the cloth and walked back to the centre of the room, stopping just short of a woven-patterned rug. The image upon it depicted a dove opening its wings surrounded by an arc of fire. The bird symbolised the Holy Spirit.

  He dropped to his knees like he was about to greet a dignitary of the church. He whipped the rug away to expose the floorboards beneath and reached into the pocket of his robes for his penknife. Extending the blade, he wedged it into the join between two of the boards and levered it upwards until one of the boards popped and came loose.

  He lifted the board clear and did the same with the one next to it. Plunging his hand below ground, he caught hold of something in the darkness and pulled it up by its handle.

  Edwards caressed the scorched, dented surface of the case. Cradling it carefully, he got to his feet, carried the precious item to the hammock, and set it down next to Owen.

  ‘Just as he damns the faithless, he will reward those who obey.’

  Episode Six

  The Lord’s Supper

  1

  ‘Is this a joke? I mean, what the fuck are they doing out there?’ Teddy Jackson asked, squinting through the eyepiece of the binoculars.

  ‘Beats the hell outta me. All I know is I’ve seen it before. They’re set in this trance, and it can last for hours,’ Salty said. ‘Stop hoggin’ those.’ He reached over and snatched the binoculars back, catching Teddy on the side of his head in the process.

  The man in his late thirties yelped and resisted the temptation to touch the tender bruise on his cheek again for fear of making the pain worse.

  ‘Take it easy. My face is one punch away from falling apart thanks to those lunatic hillbillies we left behind.’

  ‘If you wanna stop your face from hurtin’, you might wanna start by givin’ your jaw a rest. It hasn’t stopped flappin’ since I took that gag outta your mouth,’ Salty said.

  ‘Excuse me. Just wanna know who it is I’m travelling with,’ Teddy said.

  ‘I need the kid for directions. Nobody asked you to tag along. The only contribution you’re makin’ right now is standin’ out like a turd in a punch bowl wearing that loud-ass shirt.’

  ‘What are you talking about, man?’ Teddy glanced down to his electric pink shirt, partially stained by his own blood from the beating he took.

  ‘Quit the chatter, cupcake. I’m tryin’ to concentrate.’

  Salty settled the eyepieces of the binoculars into his sockets and lined up the railway crossing in his sights again.

  The antiquated structure of plate steel girders and lattice-shaped supports spanned across a section of the North Thompson River they needed to traverse. There was just one problem. Actually, two problems.

  Salty followed the bridge’s concrete foundation post right down into the water, and the creatures standing waist high in the river filled the binoculars’ viewing frame. By his count, at least thirty of them, all facing in the same direction, all perfectly still—rotting mannequins, entranced by the silver moon of early evening.

  It was a similar situation on this stretch of river in both directions: little pockets of the dead, mini herds submerged in the water being directed by an unseen force of nature.

  ‘Can’t we just pick one end of the river and keep following it? There’s got to be a clear stretch someplace,’ Kaos said. The boy stood behind the two men, peering over their shoulders to the crossing.

  ‘We don’t have time for that,’ Salty said.

  ‘The gaps between the groups of rotters seem sizable enough for us to wade right through in the shallows,’ Teddy said.

  ‘Didn’t you hear me right before? I said I don’t know what this is. They could reactivate when we’re halfway to the other side. You fancy dodgin’ those things when they come floatin’ downriver?’ Salty said. ‘Any case, the current in there could take you whether you’re dead or not. No way. We cross the bridge.’ He wasn’t taking no for an answer, but his travelling companions were less than convinced about the idea.

  They’d all seen the damage to the railway bridge when they viewed it through the binoculars. Months prior, a train had clearly struck some form of obstruction on the tracks. It had caused the train to derail and smash into one of the steel supports.

  ‘We can’t even see how bad it is from here. There could be more deads on the bridge,’ Teddy said.

  ‘Try takin’ a closer look. That was a cargo train. There would have been no passengers except for the driver,’ Salty said.

  ‘All right then. As long as you know I’m gonna remind you it was a bad idea when it turns out to be a bad idea,’ Teddy said.

  ‘Any excuse you got to start flappin’ again,’ Salty said. ‘Let’s move before we lose the light.’ He rose from behind the mound of earth where they’d been conducting their reconnaissance and started
to skirt the edge of the river towards the beginning of the crossing.

  Anna was soon in tow, and Kaos and Teddy reluctantly brought up the rear.

  At the first section of the crossing, the last carriages of the cargo train were still sitting straight on the rails.

  Salty led them down the left-hand side of the tracks. He could already see the way the middle carriages up ahead had flipped and twisted as a result of the accident.

  What they had been unable to see from their previous position was that this was a moving bridge, and the impact from the front of the train on the side barriers had shifted the middle section of the crossing by its pivot point. It now sat slightly askew of the two sections either side of it, creating gaps that descended to the river below and the hypnotised dead.

  ‘Watch your step here. Use the coupling to cross,’ Salty said. He was the first to carefully plant his feet on the link and pin mechanism which connected the two carriages between the gap in the bridge.

  He was forced to move backwards as he had to guide Anna over with him, grasping a handful of loose flesh around her neck.

  The dog knew they needed to traverse it and planted her paws with caution, looking to Salty for extra direction until they reached the other side and onto the middle pivot section of the structure.

  Only having to worry about themselves made it easy for Kaos and Teddy to get across safely.

  As they got closer to the scene of the crash, they encountered large pieces of broken concrete and sections of steel twisted into hands, pointing their angry jagged fingers at them as if they were somehow being held responsible for what had unfolded.

  The actual offending article that had caused the train to derail was a truck, possibly stalling on the tracks. In one place where the sections of the crossing were still joined, a girder had fallen and shredded steel forked out at them, creating a treacherous razor-sharp maze of metal.

  It would take a miracle for them to climb through it without slicing themselves open in the process.

  Teddy surveyed the wreckage and cleared his throat.

  ‘I know it’s never the perfect time to say what no one wants to hear, but—’

  ‘Unless you wanna become part of the bridge, I suggest you shut your pie hole,’ Salty said. He then pointed towards the driver’s cabin. ‘We climb up onto the roof and down to the front. From there, we can make the jump across.’

  Scarcely able to believe his ears, Teddy walked as far as he could to the shredded metal blockade and leaned over to view the distance to the other side from the overhanging train.

  ‘You’re actually crazy, right? I’m beginning to think I would have fared better with those skanks back at the junction,’ he said.

  ‘If you wanna retrace your steps back to the river and take a swim, be my guest. I never wanted you taggin’ along anyhow,’ Salty said.

  Teddy looked back across the section of the bridge they had already traversed. A cold shiver ran through him when he remembered peering into the chalet and seeing the mutilated body of his last travelling partner.

  ‘All right, guy. You made your point,’ he said, scratching the back of his head. ‘Who the hell are these people you’re trying to rescue anyway?’

  ‘For better or worse, they’re all I’ve got,’ Salty said. ‘Me and Anna are up first. Stay off the car until we’re over the other side. It looks like it’s stuck in a pretty solid position. I just don’t wanna take any chances.’

  Salty clambered up the side of the driver’s car and onto the roof.

  Teddy and Kaos lifted Anna together so Salty could grab a hold of her to haul her to his elevated position.

  Kaos brushed the dog’s loose fur from his hands and reached into the inside pocket of his duster jacket to retrieve a can of red spray paint. The rattle of the pea inside as he shook it caught Teddy’s attention. He said nothing and watched the boy tag the side of the car with his name, arranged as interlocking letters to form a symbol.

  Kaos finished his signature with a final curl of an S and stepped back to admire his work.

  ‘Looks cool, but what’s the point?’ Teddy asked.

  ‘I just like to know where I’ve been,’ Kaos said.

  Salty turned his ankles inwards as the roof started to slope halfway towards the gap in the crossing, all the time keeping a firm grip on the back of Anna’s collar to hold her steady.

  The rubber treads of his boots began to squeal against the metal, and Anna let out a low whimper, her natural instincts urging her to flee in the opposite direction where her footing was surer.

  The momentum due to the change in angle was going to force them to the edge whether they wanted to go there or not.

  Salty held in a breath and dared to glance over the end of the driver’s cabin. The rigid pylons of necrotic flesh still held in the flowing river below, waiting for their next activation event.

  ‘I need you to stay here, girl. Stay, understand?’ He held his palm up in front of Anna’s snout to make absolutely sure she wasn’t about to follow him.

  She made eye contact, providing him with some reassurance that she had taken heed of his command.

  He tried not to judge the distance between the two sections of the crossing, but at his current height, it would be easy enough to jump across. The only thing that concerned him was the height he’d have to fall to hit the concrete on the other side.

  He steeled himself, made sure his rifle and pack weren’t going to slip out of position while he was in the air, and leapt from a standing start.

  The jump was executed as clearly as it could have been based on the sloping surface he’d launched from. He flailed over the gap and struck the ground hard on his feet. The weight of the pack shifted up around his neck, forcing him to topple forwards. He used his hands to brace himself and slid across the concrete.

  Anna let out a single sharp yap of concern from the top of the train car. She quickly wagged her tail as she saw her friend get to his feet again with a tired groan.

  His palms stung so badly he was frightened to look at how cut up they were, and the bottom of his feet felt like they’d been stomped on by an elephant.

  Salty held up his bloodied hands and beckoned Anna forwards.

  ‘Come on, girl. You gotta trust me now. Jump to me and I’ll catch you.’

  Anna shuffled farther to the edge and looked down nervously at the gap, then back to him.

  ‘Anna, when have I ever let you down?’ Salty rolled his eyes. ‘Apart from that one time when I tipped you out of the sled, but you know that was an accident.’

  She became even more agitated and pattered up and down with her front paws to prevent her from sliding too far.

  Salty could see that if she didn’t make the decision to jump soon, it would be too late to get the purchase she needed to make it.

  ‘Come on. Just jump, damnit,’ he whispered through gritted teeth.

  One of her paws slid farther and she lost her grip altogether. She let out something between a yelp and a whimper and toppled over, pushing out with her back legs at the last moment.

  She came in low across the bridge. Salty watched her all the way, catching her with the technique of a pro football player, cushioning her to protect her from the impact.

  Once he had her in his arms, he dropped to a sitting position, and the dog instantly began to lap at his face in gratitude and relief.

  ‘That’s my good girl. I told you it would be OK. Didn’t I tell you?’

  Anna dampened his whole face and hairline with kisses.

  ‘Erm, I know you two probably want to discuss the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses, but can you please clear the way so we can get this done?’ Teddy shouted over.

  Salty looked over to the other side. Teddy stood with the second pack on his back, waiting for them to move.

  Salty’s smile faded. It was hard for him to get used to the idea of it not being just him and Anna anymore, and he realised their problem ha
dn’t been completely resolved yet.

  ‘The kid first, you last,’ Salty said.

  Teddy nodded and interlocked his fingers next to the side of the car so he could boost Kaos to the ledge skirting the roof.

  It was enough to help him climb onto the top of the driver’s cabin, and he then helped pull Teddy up by the pack on his back.

  ‘OK, kid, ease your way down,’ Salty said. ‘Be careful, it’s slippery.’

  Kaos opened his stance to obtain as much stability as possible and edged his way down the sloping roof to the front of the car.

  Salty stood ready at the other side, arms out waiting to catch him.

  ‘Jump to me and I’ll break your fall.’

  Kaos took one look at the distance between them, the fast-flowing river below, and felt light-headed. Almost losing his balance on the slick surface, he was forced to scramble to readjust.

  Teddy tried to grab a hold of him from behind, but he was scared to get too close in case he slipped and knocked the boy over the edge.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Salty asked, dropping his arms.

  ‘There’s a little ledge at the bottom of the car. M-Maybe if I climb down to it, I can jump from there instead,’ Kaos said.

  Salty knew what he was talking about, a slim section of bridge just below the front of the train, no wider than a couple of feet.

  ‘No way. You’ll never get enough air from there to make it across. You’ve gotta jump from where you are.’

  ‘I’ll just get down and take a look.’ Kaos shuffled on the spot to turn his back so he could climb down the face of the driver’s cabin.

  ‘Kid, don’t do it! It won’t work,’ Salty said.

  It was too late. Kaos had already made up his mind. He inched down the face of the cabin to the narrow ledge below, and all Salty and Teddy could do was watch.

  Halfway down, Kaos looked to his destination and realised Salty had been right to try to stop him. His anxiety had deceived him into making a snap decision—a bad decision.

  ‘Guys, I think I’m gonna climb back up,’ he said.