chapter 19
The door closed behind Robyn and Wren as they left the room in search of anything that might help them in their quest to escape the town.
“I don’t like these people, Mum. They’re dangerous,” Matthew said.
Elizabeth continued to cuddle Ruth in an effort to comfort her. “They’ve been through a lot, and Wren is trying really hard. She saved your sister, Matthew.”
Matthew looked at Ruth, but then looked back towards his mother. “She saved her from the water, but if we stay with these people, they’re going to get us killed. You’ve heard that ‘Robyn.’ She doesn’t listen to anybody. Something will happen, and it will be either one of us or one of them at stake, and I can tell you right now, it will be one of us.”
I agree with Matthew. I think the longer we stay with them, the more danger we’ll be in,” Melissa added.
“I think they’re good people who’ve had a rough time,” Susan replied. “Wren didn’t hesitate to dive in after Ruth. The rest of us froze; we just watched it all unfold.”
“I was about to,” Matthew said, “but then when she went in. I thought the best option was for me to stay and protect the rest of you.” Susan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
“Stop this,” Elizabeth said. “They could have left us at the monastery, but they didn’t. We’re sticking with them. That’s the end of the matter.”
✽ ✽ ✽
“Matthew and Melissa are really starting to chafe my nips,” Robyn said as she and Wren opened the door to the cleaning cupboard. “And that bloody kid never stops crying.”
“They’re all just scared. Think about what’s happened to them in the last day. Their whole world has fallen apart around them.”
“Yeah! Welcome to the club.”
“They’ll get better; it’ll just take them time to adjust,” Wren said, picking up a bottle of white spirit, and placing it in her rucksack.
“What are you taking that for?”
“You never know, might be useful.”
“What, you planning on doing some decorating?”
“It’s highly flammable. You never know when we might need it.”
“I’m starting to worry about you. Everywhere you go, fires start.”
“That’s ‘cos I’m so hot.”
Robyn laughed. “That’s the kind of joke I’d make. I’m glad to see my sense of humour is rubbing off on you.”
“Oh, god. This really is the apocalypse. Hell has frozen over, and I’m one more bad day away from watching The Only Way is Essex, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“Screw you bookworm. Guys like girls who stay up to date with all the latest looks, and programmes like that are gold for that kind of stuff.”
“Oh yeah, your knowledge of eyebrow tattoos and breast augmentation will pay dividends in the new world order.”
“You’re only jealous ‘cos I had a life.”
“I’ve got two words for you, Carl Donovan.”
“That’s not funny. That’s below the belt, even for you.”
“You started this,” Wren replied.
“Okay, I’m finishing it now. Never bring his name up again.”
Wren pulled a sweeping brush out of the cupboard, leaned it against the wall then brought her foot down hard and fast in an attempt at a karate kick. The whole thing just bounced off the wall, and Wren fell backwards onto her buttocks.
Robyn doubled over, laughing. “Well? Help me up,” Wren said.
When Robyn’s hoots of laughter finally finished, she extended her hand and dragged Wren to her feet. She leaned the brush back against the wall. “Let me try,” she said, unleashing a hard, fast kick. The brush head and eight inches of wood splintered leaving a homemade spear with a dangerously sharp point. Robyn handed it to Wren with a self-satisfied look on her face. “There you go.”
“Thanks, but let’s face it, with your weight, you could have broken an oak tree in two,” Wren said with a smirk.
“What can I tell you? It’s a long time since I’ve had to wear a training bra, and these puppies are heavy,” she said, pointing to her breasts. “But don’t worry sis, yours will grow some day. And if they don’t, I can always lend you one of my bras, and we can stuff it with cotton wool.” They both started laughing.
“I’d forgotten how awesome you were at being a total bitch,” Wren said.
“I am the Yoda of bitches. Just remember that, padawan.”
“Duly noted. Okay, so, we’ve got the crowbar for Matthew, this spear for Elizabeth. We need two more weapons.”
“Why? Why not give the javelin to one of them and you can use the crossbows?”
“I’m still not as confident with them as you are with your bow, and they take longer to load. I’m happier with the javelin for the time being.”
“Okay, fair enough. I wouldn’t worry too much. A weapon is just for decoration with Melissa. She’s useless.”
“You really don’t like her, do you?”
“She’s pretty uppity for someone we caught bumping uglies in a barn.”
“True…still, you’re pretty judgemental, y’know that.”
“Sue me. I don’t like her, or him.”
“At least you hide it well,” Wren said, continuing to look around the room. “There at the back, there’s a mop.”
“I’ll get it,” Robyn said, climbing over the floor polishing machine and grabbing hold of the mop handle before delivering another kick, instantly creating a second wooden spear. She passed it out to Wren then looked down at a cylinder vacuum. At the end of the hose was a metal pipe that came in two sections, making it easier to clear if there was a blockage. Robyn twisted the top end of the pipe free from the hose, then the bottom end of the pipe free from the top, leaving a hollow, but sturdy stainless-steel bludgeon. She tossed it to her sister, who whipped it out of the air with a one-handed catch. “That’s for the princess,” she said, beginning to climb back out.
“I doubt if she’s going to be happy about having a vacuum cleaner pipe for a weapon. There’s a sticker on the vac that says it comes with a retractable hose. If Melissa doesn’t like it, I’ll tell her exactly where she can retract it.”
“C’mon, we need to get going; we’ve got a lot to do.”
“Any ideas which way we should head?”
“Well, I’m guessing west.”
“And where is west?”
“Opposite to east.”
“Funny cow, aren’t you?”
Wren pulled the compass out of her pocket. “I didn’t know if this is still working, but I suppose they make them pretty tough for hikers. That way,” she said, pointing.
“At least that’s something. A vague direction to move in.”
“Trust me. It will all work out. I’ve got a feeling.”
✽ ✽ ✽
When they were all suitably rested, fed and watered, they made their way down to the ground floor. The front entrance faced exactly the same direction as the bank’s front entrance, so they would be emerging onto the same street if they took that. Instead, they entered one of the north-facing offices. Cream coloured vertical blinds hung in the large window, and Wren carefully opened them, almost convinced there would be a horde of hungry creatures staring back at her. Thankfully, all she saw was an empty street and the building opposite. She moved in closer to the glass and looked left and right, but saw nothing.
“Hopefully, anything that’s in earshot is at the bank. The street’s clear for the time being, but once we’re out there, we’ll need to move fast,” she said, turning around to address the concerned faces.
She turned the handle, and the window opened outwards. “I’ll go first,” Robyn said, climbing onto the sill then jumping down on the other side.
Out in the open, the sounds were much more noticeable once again. The noise of the burglar alarm was still echoing up and down the streets, and below its shrill and relentless warning, Robyn could make out the growling chant of an indeterminate number of creatures. She pulled a
n arrow from her quiver, nocked it, pulled back the bowstring, and brought the sight window up to her eye. “Okay,” she called back into the room as she turned one way, then another, making sure there were no beasts heading towards them.
Wren climbed out next, and the rest followed. “Where now?” Elizabeth asked.
“The bank’s just around the corner that way, and the hotel is that way, so we need to see if we can put some distance between us and them before we cut across. I suggest we make our way down one of the side streets,” Wren said.
They had emerged onto a street made up of offices and shops. There was a narrow alleyway opposite them, and Robyn walked across to it with her bow still raised. “Looks clear,” she said, calling back, and the rest followed her.
In the narrow confines of the alley, the intruder alarm still echoed, ricocheting off the walls and engraving looks of concern and panic on some of the faces as they began to realise they were one wrong turn away from becoming zombie food. They came to a stop just before the end of the ginnel and Wren moved up to join her sister. They pressed their backs flat against opposite walls and looked out to see a small, open-air market. All the stalls were empty, waiting for a market day that would never come. The green and white striped canvas tops and brightly painted frames suggested it had recently had a facelift, and in happier times, market day was probably when hundreds of old familiar faces gathered to exchange greetings and the very latest small-town news. But now, the overhanging flaps of canvas waved gently in the breeze like green and white flags of surrender.
Wren brought her hand up to get Robyn’s attention and placed a single finger into the air. Robyn frowned and switched sides, nestling in next to her sister to see what she was seeing.
There was a single zombie shambling up and down the empty stalls as if looking for a bargain. In life, it had been a decrepit old man, and from its ear hung what remained of a hearing aid. At one time, the pale beige coloured plastic may have blended with the colour of the old man’s skin, but now, it stood out against the grey pallor. Robyn stepped out from the alley and brought the bow up, immediately releasing the arrow. It disappeared into the back of the creature’s head, and the undead pensioner collapsed forward. She withdrew another arrow and readied it while beckoning the rest of the group from the confines of the alley.
“Okay, this looks like our best bet,” Wren said. “We’ll head over to the far end and stay low. It’ll allow us to make our way to the other side of the street without much chance of being seen.”
Wren led the way, gripping the javelin in her right hand as she went. She stayed low and moved quickly, glancing back occasionally to make sure the others were behind her. They mimicked her actions, all staying low, all wearing the same frightened looks on their faces. Ruth looked like she would burst out crying at any second, and she held tight hold of Elizabeth’s hand. Elizabeth clutched the homemade spear in her other hand, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on Wren. She knew she and Robyn were the only ones who could navigate them out of this nightmare.
They reached the end row of market stalls and crouched even further as they ran across. The noise of the alarm increased as they passed the section of the marketplace that intersected with the danger street. Wren turned for the briefest of seconds to glance down it. It was hard to see; the frames and canvas covered much of the street from view, but in between it all, she could still make out a throng of movement as an untold number of beasts continued to search for prey.
Robyn did the same as she brought up the rear, but none of the others did. They just kept their heads low and prayed that those things would not see them. As they reached the other side of the marketplace, Wren rose from her crouch, and the others followed suit. They headed down a cobbled street lined with small shops selling everything from vinyl records to hand-crafted furniture. The street waned a little, and as they followed it round, they were relieved at the sound of the alarm beginning to diminish behind them.
Robyn tapped Matthew on the shoulder, “I’m going up front. Keep checking behind us,” she said, not waiting for a response. As much as she did not like him, she knew he would be as keen to avoid those creatures as she was.
Wren sensed her sister by her side as they came to a stop once again. They each took a side and looked out. Across the road was a large Royal Mail sorting office. To the right was a low harbour wall, and to the left more offices. “We should go left, but we’re still a bit too close to those things for comfort, so it makes sense to carry straight on for a bit.”
“Okay,” Robyn said, not even pausing. She brought the bow up again and stepped out into the open, confirming both sides were clear before moving across the road and down the street to the side of the sorting office. She turned and nodded. The rest of them followed, but now they were in the open, their heads turned continuously, taking everything in.
They carried on down the side street that took them through a modest industrial estate. “Oh goody,” Robyn said. “I love industrial estates. So many happy memories.”
“Yeah, hopefully, we can break the tradition,” Wren said. The long street curved round, and soon the chain-link fences and small business units gave way to a roundabout.
“Where now?” Elizabeth asked as the group came to another stop.
“I think we’re far enough out now to head west. Hopefully, those things are going to be preoccupied for a while,” Wren replied.
“Okay, which way is west?” Elizabeth asked.
Wren pointed. “Listen,” she said, turning around to the rest of the group, “don’t let your guard down. These things move like lightning, and if they see us before we see them, they’ll be onto us in a flash.”
Ruth began to cry again, and Elizabeth crouched down to give her a hug. “Don’t worry, baby, it’s all going to be okay.”
“I want my daddy,” she whined.
“Oh yeah, he’d be a lot of use right now,” Robyn said under her breath, but Matthew heard, and so did Melissa. They gave each other a look that bordered on telepathy. These were not good people, and the second they had the chance to get away from them, they needed to take it.
“Come on then,” Matthew said with a false smile. “Let’s get going.”
chapter 20
The sound of the burglar alarm had died down to nothing, and as they continued out of town, the buildings gave way to stretches of green. It was far too open for Robyn and Wren’s liking; they were used to cover, but for the time being they had little choice. A school playing field lay up ahead and beyond it was a housing estate.
“There’ll be cars there, I bet,” Melissa said with half a smile.
“I was hoping for something a little less built up,” Wren replied.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Robyn said. “If we stay quiet and stay on the outskirts, it might not be too bad. If we stay on this road, we’d probably be spotted at some point anyway.”
They carried on past the sports field, keeping a watchful eye for any movement. Matthew held the crowbar up, ready for action, finding a new sense of bravery now that there were no creatures in sight. The edge of the small housing estate loomed closer, and as they arrived at the corner of the main road leading into it, Wren and Robyn slowed and signalled everybody to crouch down. Wren peeked around the side of a picket fence that bordered a small nursery school to check that the way was clear. It was, but she knew better than most how quickly that could change.
“Okay, c’mon,” she said, getting up once more and sprinting across the road. The first house had a waist-high panelled fence. The back curtains were closed, so as she leapfrogged the creosoted barrier, she had no idea if it was occupied or not. The others followed her across the road. Elizabeth passed Ruth to her before climbing over herself, then one by one, Matthew, Melissa, Susan and Robyn vaulted the fence and ducked down. None of them could be seen from the road now. They all looked towards the curtained windows.
“So…do we draw straws for this?” Robyn asked.
“You guys
stay here,” Wren said to the others. “Bobbi and I will make sure it’s safe.”
The sisters headed towards the back door, and Robyn picked up a large stone, ready to smash the window. Wren tried the handle to find it was unlocked and slowly creaked it open. Robyn dropped the stone on the grass and drew an arrow, immediately lining it up to fire, should anything come towards them.
Wren tapped gently against the door. “Nothing’s going to hear that,” Robyn said and kicked the door hard three times.
“Jesus, Bobbi! You want to let the whole estate know we’re here?”
There was the sound of thundering feet, and both sisters took a few paces back. They could see a shadowy hallway beyond the tiny kitchen, and two silhouettes appeared from nowhere. In a blur of movement, they charged towards the two intruders.
Robyn could not get a clear shot due to the darkness of the interior and began to back up, knowing the only way she’d be able to take one down was as it entered the relative brightness of the kitchen. Wren readied herself, grasping the javelin like she was holding on to her very life. The feet thundered louder as they left carpet and hit the linoleum covered floorboards of the kitchen.
A shriek came from behind Robyn, causing her to falter. The arrow flew into the kitchen but missed its intended target by several inches. Realising she was on her own, for the moment at least, Wren ducked in against the wall and brought the javelin down low, tripping the creatures who went sprawling onto the overgrown lawn.
“Help her for Christ’s sake!” Robyn said, trying to load another arrow but fumbling. She cast a quick glance round to see fearful looks on five stunned faces. The creatures began to climb to their feet, and Robyn snatched the crowbar from Matthew’s hand as he stood there with his mouth open like a frightened little child.
Wren jumped to her feet and pushed her foot down hard on the back of the beast closest to her. It flopped face down into the unkempt grass once more. Not wasting a second, she thrust the javelin up through the base of its skull as Robyn brought the crowbar down with the force of a juggernaut on the skull of the other beast.
The End of Everything Box Set, Vol. 1 [Books 1-3] Page 52
