Viro Book One

by Barnaby Taylor

  The pancakes were delicious. I had five big ones, covered in butter and syrup. Abe got his chocolate spread. Ellis was feeling better. She had loads as well.

  Amber didn’t eat. She tried to get Rachel to ask her why. Rachel wanted to ask but didn’t. I worried this would go bad again. I caught Ellis’s eye and nodded at Amber. Ellis nodded.

  ‘Thank you for the pancakes, Rachel,’ said Ellis. ‘I was starving.’

  ‘That’s alright, Ellis,’ Rachel said. ‘I’m glad you’re feeling better.’

  ‘Much better, Rachel. Thank you very much.’

  I looked at Amber. She was ready to cause trouble. I was getting nervous.

  ‘Thanks for helping Ellis,’ I said. ‘I’m glad you fixed her ankle.’

  Rachel laughed. We were so polite. I didn’t want her to get angry again. She stood right next to me.

  ‘I don’t really know what you crazy guys were doing out there on your own but I’m pretty sure you’re all better off in here with me.’

  She pointed at the window.

  ‘It’s much safer here than it is out there.’

  Amber snorted. Abe kicked her under the table.

  ‘We were in lots of trouble when you found us,’ said Abe. ‘I thought we were going to die.’

  ‘You were,’ said Rachel, ignoring Amber. ‘If I hadn’t come along when I did none of you would be here now.’

  She shivered.

  ‘You would all be dead.’

  Rachel paused. She was thinking of the right words.

  ‘I hope we’re all feeling better now we’ve eaten?’

  I nodded. Ellis did too. Amber smiled at Rachel. She didn’t mean it. Abe kicked his sister again. Rachel took the empty plates. She looked very happy.

  ‘I have a good feeling about our new life together.’

  Rachel put the plates in the sink. I saw the knife in the back of her jeans.

  Photograph

  After breakfast, we sat on the sofas. No one said anything. It was very weird. Rachel washed the dishes. She was singing. She sounded happy.

  I wasn’t happy. I didn’t like all of this. I didn’t know what to do. A sad lady with a knife had taken us hostage.

  When things at home got weird I went to my room. Mum always understood. It was always good.

  Now was different. Everything was bad.

  Abe looked at me. He shrugged. I looked at Amber. She was still angry. I knew why she was. I didn’t want another fight with Rachel. I didn’t like it when Rachel was angry. Ellis felt the strangeness. She spoke.

  ‘Tell us about yourself, Rachel,’ Ellis said. ‘We’d love to know more about you.’

  Rachel stopped washing up. She dried her hands. She came into the lounge. She looked so friendly. I was still confused.

  ‘What would you like to know?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘Is that you in that picture?’ asked Ellis. She pointed at a photograph on the mantelpiece.

  I hadn’t noticed it before. Four girls were holding hockey sticks.

  ‘Yes,’ replied Rachel. ‘I was captain of the Under 14s hockey team at school.’

  Rachel closed her eyes.

  ‘I loved sports when I was at school.’

  She laughed.

  ‘I think I’ve still got all my hockey stuff somewhere in the flat.’

  ‘Where were you born?’ said Ellis.

  ‘Not far from here but I’ve worked in London since I left school. When my mum and dad retired I came back to take over the hotel.’

  ‘What did you do in London?’

  ‘I was an A and E nurse.’

  ‘A and E?’ asked Abe. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Accident and Emergency,’ replied Rachel, with a little laugh. ‘Very handy for now, I guess.’

  Rachel leaned on the sink.

  ‘The hotel is not open to the public and up until recently was full of rich, elderly guests who wanted to live the rest of their lives by the sea. However, three months ago, the roof was damaged by a storm and we had to move everyone out while the repairs took place.’

  Rachel shrugged.

  ‘But what with one thing and another, I am still waiting for the workmen to get back to me with a revised quote. Once the repairs are complete, we’ll be back in business.’

  ‘But …’ started Amber.

  Ellis put her hand on Amber’s arm. Amber stopped.

  Ellis looked at Rachel.

  ‘What was it like living and working in London?’

  ‘Fabulous,’ beamed Rachel. ‘It was the most wonderful time in my life. I learned so much and made so many great friends. That was also how I met my …’

  Rachel didn’t finish the sentence.

  Ellis carried on.

  ‘Your guests must have loved living in this hotel. I bet they were really happy here.’

  ‘You must have had some really interesting ones,’ said Abe.

  ‘You mean like old Mrs. Darley?’ said Rachel.

  ‘Old Mrs. who?’ I said.

  ‘Old Mrs. Darley was our longest staying guest. She lived in the two rooms at the front of the third floor for twenty-seven years.’

  Rachel laughed at the memory.

  ‘Dolores Darley came from Clonmel, County Tipperary and had taught English in Nigeria for many years. I have no idea how she ended up with us but she was a lovely white-haired old lady who sat in her chair all day looking out the window. Every meal time she kept everyone entertained with the adventures of her crazy family in Ireland.’

  Rachel looked at us.

  ‘Don’t you worry,’ she said. ‘Her family could never be as crazy as mine.’

  I knew that Rachel meant us.

  No one said anything.

  Insane

  The rest of the day was long. No one said anything. There was nothing to do. Rachel tried to get us to talk. It didn’t work.

  I felt trapped. I hated being in this flat. I hated being with a stranger who thought we were her kids. It was like waiting for a bomb to burst.

  After dinner, Rachel said we might not be well.

  ‘You could probably do with an early night,’ she said.

  Rachel locked us in the bedroom. I felt really glad. We waited for her to go away.

  ‘I can’t do much more of this,’ said Amber. ‘This is totally insane.’

  ‘You mean Rachel is insane?’ said Abe.

  ‘That as well,’ replied Amber.

  She looked at Ellis and me.

  ‘We’ve got to get the hell out of here.’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘but how? Rachel is always watching.’

  I was unhappy. I didn’t care if anyone knew.

  ‘Could we get Rachel to take us somewhere in her car?’ said Ellis. ‘Perhaps we could convince her to drive to Dungeness. We could say something about the soldiers knowing about the infection.’

  I nodded.

  ‘Let’s do it.’

  Amber didn’t know.

  ‘Rachel is probably mad enough to believe us about the army medics but she wouldn’t be mad enough to risk losing us to the authorities. It’ll never happen.’

  ‘We must try,’ I said.

  My voice was all upset.

  ‘I can’t stand another day like now. I can’t.’

  Abe put his arm round my shoulder.

  ‘Amber’s right, you know,’ he said. ‘Rachel is so convinced that we’re her family now that she’s not going to do anything to risk losing us.’

  Ellis sat the other side of me.

  ‘We all hate this, Jake,’ she said. ‘We’re going to get through this.’

  Ellis smiled at me.

  ‘Perhaps we should get some rest now. You never know when we’re going to get another chance.’

  I didn’t hear the door being unlocked. Rachel was suddenly in the room. Her voice was low and creepy.

  ‘They’re gone now, my darlings,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve got rid of them all. It’s only us now.’

  Rachel was covered in blood. The knife was as
well. Rachel leaned her head to one side.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about the world,’ she said, ‘and I’ve decided there’s no hope for any of us. The world is broken now and can never be repaired.’

  Rachel laughed.

  ‘Why would any responsible parent let their beautiful children live in such a terrible place? I love you all far too much to let you suffer any longer. I’m going to help you get to a safer place.’

  ‘Are you letting us go, Rachel?’ said Amber. ‘Are you really going to let us all leave?’

  ‘I’m going to make sure that none of you are ever frightened again,’ she replied. ‘You’ll never be lonely or hungry. No one will hurt you ever again.’

  Rachel was crying.

  ‘I'm your mother,’ she said through her tears, ‘and I will protect you from this wicked world. You are everything to me and I will always love you.’

  Rachel was not going to let us go.

  ‘Why?’ I said. ‘You’re not Mum. She’s still alive. I have to speak to her.’

  Rachel laughed.

  ‘She’s dead, Jake,’ she said, ‘and you’re about to join her.’

  Hit

  Rachel grabbed my hood.

  Ellis screamed.

  Amber stepped towards Rachel.

  ‘Get your crazy hands off him,’ she shouted. ‘Leave us alone.’

  Rachel pulled me tighter. I could smell the blood in my nose. I tried to get away. Rachel put the knife to my throat. I couldn’t breathe properly. Amber took another step.

  ‘Stay where you are, you evil little bitch,’ Rachel shrieked. ‘Once I’m done with Jake, you’re next.’

  ‘No way!’ shouted Amber.

  Amber’s arm came up to the side of Rachel’s head. I heard a loud crash. Rachel let go of my hood. She put her hand to her head. Amber stepped forward. She hit Rachel again with the hockey stick. Rachel fell to her knees. Amber hit her again. Rachel fell backwards. She banged her head.

  I was shocked. We all were. It felt like a mad dream. Amber spoke to us.

  ‘Quick,’ she said. ‘Get something to tie her up with. Hurry before she wakes up.’

  I looked at Rachel. She was sleeping. We all put her on the bed. Abe tied her up with rope. Amber put a pillowcase over her head. Abe took the keys from Rachel’s pocket. We locked her in the bedroom. Amber blocked a chair against the door.

  ‘You can never be too careful,’ she said.

  ‘We better hurry,’ said Ellis. ‘Let’s get out of here before Rachel wakes up. I know she’s tied up but she’s dangerous.’

  Ellis looked at me.

  ‘Jake, you’re covered in blood. You better get changed.’

  I ran to the bedroom. I found more clothes. The others were looking for food in the kitchen.

  ‘We need to be out of here in five minutes,’ Amber said.

  I put my high tops on. I found my hoodie. Rachel had washed it. It smelled lovely. It made me think of Mum.

  ‘I hope you’re still out there somewhere,’ I whispered into the fabric.

  ‘Jake,’ shouted Amber. ‘Hurry up, we’re leaving!’

  ‘Coming,’ I said. I put my Mum thoughts back in the special hole in my heart.

  Abe called the lift. Ellis looked at me.

  ‘That’s better, Jake,’ she said. ‘You look almost human again.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I grinned.

  I spoke to Amber.

  ‘Thanks, Amber. I owe you.’

  ‘No problem, Jake,’ she said.

  I didn’t know if she was angry with me.

  ‘I had just woken up. She was too quick.’

  The lift arrived. Amber stepped in. She didn’t answer me. We all followed. Abe pressed the button for the basement.

  ‘We don’t need to stop anywhere else,’ he said. ‘I would hate to think what we might find.’

  Amber looked at us.

  ‘We got lucky with Rachel.’

  She put her hand on my shoulder.

  ‘We might not get so lucky next time.’

  I nodded. My blush was spreading again. Ellis squeezed my hand. I felt better and worse together.

  Rucksack

  The lift stopped with a bump. The door opened. I thought we would be jumped by angry viros. The basement was empty. It was quiet. The overhead lights hurt my eyes. The big door was still closed. Rachel’s car was in front of us.

  Abe unlocked the car. He climbed inside. I got excited. I thought he knew how to drive. Amber smiled.

  ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said, ‘but we can’t risk trying to drive the Land Rover. Imagine if we tried to get away from a swarm of viros and the engine stalled. We’d be doomed.’

  She laughed.

  ‘In any case, Abe wouldn’t be able to reach the pedals, his legs are far too short.’

  ‘Oh no they’re not,’ said Abe as he climbed out the car holding something. ‘My legs are average for my height.

  ‘But your height is not average for your legs!’ replied Amber.

  We all laughed. It felt really good.

  Abe handed the dirty rucksack he was holding to Ellis.

  ‘I knew we had put it somewhere,’ he said.

  Ellis pulled out her slingshot.

  ‘That’s better,’ she said. ‘Thanks, Abe.’

  Ellis looked at all of us.

  ‘I realize that I’ve been a bit of a burden since we have been together but my ankle is much better now and …’

  ‘You have been nothing of the kind,’ Amber interrupted. ‘Me and Abe are glad to have met you, aren’t we, Abe?’

  ‘We are,’ said Abe.

  Amber looked at me. I thought she was going to be mean.

  ‘That goes for you too, Jake,’ she said. ‘I know I was angry with you earlier and I’m sorry. I was angry with myself and took it out on you.’

  ‘Okay, Amber,’ I said. ‘You should be angry with me.’

  ‘Not really,’ she replied. ‘You’re sweet and kind and loyal and the sort of friend that anyone would want.’

  The blush swallowed my face all over. I didn’t speak. All these things were too much for me. People happy with me. People angry with me. Mum told me growing up was hard. She was right.

  ‘You’ll work it out, Jake,’ she had said. ‘It will take you a while but you’ll get there.’

  It wasn’t easy any more. Now I had to do real work to understand people. I looked at my friends. Did they feel the same as me? Did we all have to do the same work?

  The Mum thought made my head hurt. I couldn’t breathe. Abe changed my mind.

  ‘I bet,’ he said, ‘that one of these keys opens that door over there.’

  He pointed to a metal door. I hadn’t seen it before.

  ‘I wonder what’s behind it?’

  Abe went over to the door. He chose a key from the ring. He put it in the lock.

  ‘You’d better stand back,’ he said. ‘Just in case.’

  I stepped back.

  ‘Open the door on the count of three,’ Amber said.

  ‘One.’

  ‘Two.’

  ‘Three.’

  Abe unlocked the door. He pulled it open. I was scared again. Nothing happened. It was a big cupboard. I saw some bicycles.

  ‘Yes!’ hissed Abe. ‘Now we’re talking!’

  He punched the air.

  ‘No way!’ I said. ‘I love bikes.’

  It was still dark. We got out the hotel and pedaled up the hill. There was a big field at the top where the circus stopped. No one was around. There was no noise. I knew we had to go a long way to get to the school.

  Abe had said that we should go find the army base.

  ‘Vinnie will probably be in the safe hands of the soldiers now,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we don’t need to go all the way to the school anymore.’

  Ellis didn’t want to.

  ‘Maybe, Abe, but what if he’s still there? What if he’s hurt and needs our help?’

  Amber agreed.

  ‘She’s rig
ht, Abe. We can’t assume anything anymore.’

  Amber looked at me.

  ‘The same goes for your mum, Jake. We’ve got to know for sure.’

  I nodded.

  Abe sighed.

  ‘I know, I know,’ he said. ‘Just sometimes I wish we didn’t always have to do things the hard way.’

  ‘But we’re good at doing things,’ I said. ‘Even when we get them wrong.’

  I thought Amber would interrupt. She stayed quiet. I spoke again.

  ‘We’re survivors,’ I said. ‘Other kids would be dead by now. We’re not. We stayed alive.’

  They all watched me speak. It felt really good. I felt taller when I spoke.

  ‘We’re a gang now. We won’t stop.’

  ‘We are,’ said Abe.

  He clapped. No one else did. Abe stopped. Amber nodded. Ellis smiled at me.

  ‘Like brother and sister,’ she said.

  I knew she was being nice to me but I didn’t like her saying I was her brother.

  Roundabout

  It was exciting being out on the streets like this. My bike was a big one. It had more gears than normal. I pedaled nicely. It made me feel really good about myself.

  We got to the top of the hill. We slowed down. There was the kids adventure centre near the road. There was a playground next to it. The playground had a fence around it. We cycled past. There were some viros in the playground.

  A small viro got wrapped in the swing. It tried to escape but got more wrapped. A big viro fell on the roundabout. The roundabout started moving. The viro started to howl.

  A thin viro was wearing a baseball cap. It tried to get on the roundabout. Another viro had a ripped tracksuit. It got on the roundabout as well. The roundabout went faster. The big viro stood up. It fell off. It got trapped underneath. The roundabout stopped. All the viros howled.

  They looked like an unhappy family.

  It was sad.

  I didn’t watch again.

  We cycled along a main road. It was getting lighter. The sun was trying to wake up. I felt really brave but I didn’t tell anyone. I pretended that I was a knight or a cowboy. My bike was my horse. I was on my way to kill a dragon. I would rescue a princess. I would catch the robbers. I needed a suit of armour. A sword. A gun.

  I was behind the others. They were cycling further up. I saw them stop. There was a big double decker bus. It was parked wrong. The front had hit a tree. The door was open. There was a dead man in the driving seat. I caught up with them.