Alone

by Prunty, Mercedes

  “Stacie? You’re here”, I heard Callum’s surprised voice.

  I turned to him and nodded but I tried to not look pleased to see him, “Yeah, where’s Monique and the others?”

  He looked hurt that I didn’t ask about him but why would I? Too much blood had been spilt between us mainly me killing his sister. “They’re two floors down with some other children, Monique didn’t want to share with me so they sent her with Ollie”.

  “Oh right, so you both got here ok?” I asked concerned for my friend.

  “We went looking for you after I told you to go but we couldn’t find you. So I made her come here without you and now she hates me for it, she thinks you’re gone, dead maybe”, he replied.

  “Right well I’ll go find her”, I spun on my heel to leave him but he grabbed my arm to try and stop me.

  I went to pull it back but he held on tight, “What?” I snapped.

  “Please I need to talk to you”, he said.

  “Look I’m not really in the mood for you right now, all I want to do is see the others and make sure they are ok”.

  “They’re all fine, please this won’t take long”, he begged.

  I sighed and he took it that I agreed, pulling on my arm he pulled me into his living quarters. His place was similar to mine it had just been decorated slightly differently, he pulled out a small folding chair from a cupboard and sat me down, he then vanished into his small kitchenette area and brought out two cups of coffee! Coffee oh my god I thought the days of ever seeing coffee again were long gone.

  He passed me a cup and I took it almost scalding my mouth as I tried to take a sip. The aroma filled my nose and penetrated my brain. My mum had been a coffee lover back before the war, she could have drunk jug loads of the stuff. The taste and smell instantly made me feel at home, like I was living in my old memories.

  “Good isn’t it?” he smiled sheepishly at me.

  I nodded, “Yeah forgot how hot coffee was”.

  “Look Stacie I’m sorry I had a go at you but I was a little weirded out that you got those things to kill my sister. I know she could be a force to be reckoned with but I loved her she was my flesh and blood and you just snapped your fingers and now she’s gone”, he looked haunted in his eyes.

  “I really am sorry Callum, I didn’t know that I could tell those…things what to do it just sort of happened. I didn’t necessarily want her dead but I wanted her gone and they read too much into my thoughts and killed her. Yes I know they are not completely to blame, I am but if she hadn’t left me for dead at that hospital I wouldn’t have been infected and that wouldn’t have happened. I’m not blaming her Callum I’m not but she did play a part in this”, I tried to speak softly but I was a little on edge.

  He just looked down at his coffee cup, “I know she played a part and if she hadn’t done that to you she would still be here, I was just angry. You can understand right?”

  I nodded, “Sure, I mean if I knew who let those creatures in at the big guns camp I would want to tear their head off for what happened to Tanya but I know I can’t because all the big guns are already dead so…” His face made me stop talking, it had paled a few shades, “Callum what did you want to talk to me about, it wasn’t about Amanda was it?”

  He shook his head, “No it’s just...”

  The door to his apartment flew open and in came Monique with baby Cain and little Ollie trailing behind, they all looked so happy to see me, “Stacie you made it thank god!” Monique cried half wrapping herself round me with the little man looking up at me.

  “How did you know I was here?” I asked her.

  “I just saw Toni and she told me you were looking for us”, she said, she handed Cain over to me to hold, how could she still trust me with my nephew now that I was a monster?

  “Hi little one”, I said putting my cup down and taking a cuddle from him, Ollie scooted down next to me and I ruffed up his hair like I had done so many times, it was like our little sort of brother, sister thing, “And you ok Ollie?”

  He nodded, “I was a little upset that you didn’t come with Callum and Monique but they said you had something to do but you’ve done it now right? You’re staying with me, with us?”

  I nodded, “I’m all yours now”.

  His smile could have melted my heart if it wasn’t hammering so hard, what had Callum wanted to say to me? I took a peek over at him and his eyes told me I didn’t want to know so I looked away and gossiped with the others until Cain became tired and hungry.

  “Stacie come down with me I’ll show you where we are staying”, Monique said taking Cain and heading for the door, “I need to get him back to Chantelle she’s gone to talk to the boss about starting up a crèche for all the youngsters so more people here can work but she should be back now”.

  “Don’t you think it’s wrong how everyone has to work and earn their keep and pay their way?” I asked, “Did you see all the poor people with children out in the cold and dirt?”

  She nodded, “Yeah I did but what can we do? I just wanna make sure we don’t all end up out there”.

  “Has Toni not spoken to you?” I asked her.

  “About what?” she asked me.

  I wasn’t sure whether to tell her or not if she hadn’t already told Monique herself but then again she was like the closest thing I had to a best friend. I turned to look at Callum to ask him to leave but he spoke, “She’s spoken to me and I know of her plan”.

  “What plan?” Monique pressed.

  “She wants me and Stacie to get into the security here and try and find a way to bring down the boss and her Mutley crew”, he replied.

  “Bring them down? Like kill them off?” she asked.

  He shrugged, “All I know is she’s thinking of a plan to make sure we end up in charge here. The way they run everything here is wrong, if you have no money to pay your rent you’re out on your ear whether you have children depending on you or not. But Toni told me that the Prime minister has been known to just kill people for not doing as she wishes, she even infected Toni’s boyfriend to try and make her find a cure faster”.

  So that was where the other cure went but why didn’t she just tell me? Why tell Callum and not me? “Why would she tell you all that but not me? She wants me involved she said so but when I asked her about how many cures she had left she didn’t want to tell me where the other one had gone”.

  “I don’t know why she is only telling each of us snippets but I think the doctor has her own agenda, I think maybe we should be a little weary of her”, Callum stated.

  I agreed, “Maybe she’s covering her own back, if something goes wrong it will look like we planned it not her because she hasn’t told us everything so we won’t know all what goes on here but enough to make it look like we were revolting against this boss”.

  “Have you met her yet? The Prime minister?” he asked me.

  I shook my head, “No Toni said I should see her soon and show her what a good shot I am to get into the security here. Even though I know I look really silly to be in security”.

  “I don’t get what Toni’s playing at?” Monique said, “Why didn’t she tell me?”

  “I don’t know but I think we should ask her and find out”, Callum suggested, “Why don’t you go find the Prime Minister and sort out you getting into security, I’ll go speak to doctor Toni see if I can find out more and Monique you go take the kids back and we’ll all regroup later at yours”.

  We all agreed and set off on our own little tasks, Callum took the lift up to the lab whilst Monique took the stairs down to her level with Ollie. I also took the stairs and walked up to the ‘penthouse’ suit as it had been labelled on the map to where the Prime minister lived and worked.

  Walking up I felt a little relieved the tension between me and Callum had sort of subsided but I could tell he knew something that might blow it all apart. I was still really angry at him and myself. Reaching the top I was greeted by two guards the first one I recognised as the
bloke that had been with Toni when she met us, Damien I’m sure that was his name. The other man was tall, skinny with pointed features and greying dark hair almost the colour of milk chocolate that had gone funny in the heat, he grinned as I approached and I knew instantly I didn’t like him, there was something horrible and nasty looking in his crazed eyes.

  “And what is a lovely young lady like you doing all the way up here?” Pointy faced asked me.

  Damien just nodded his head at me.

  “I’m here to see the Boss about joining the security here”, I said knowing I looked just plain stupid, I was a scrawny little girl to these guys and I was going to get laughed at.

  “Yeah I don’t think you’re what we want for the job but thanks anyway”, he said dismissing me, “I hear there are some lovely tin huts outside that suit people like you that can’t work”.

  “Excuse me?” I spat, “I’ll have you know that just because I am small and a girl does not mean that I won’t be good at your job! And I am a brilliant shot with my rifle”.

  “Great so you can shoot a gun who can’t now a days? Off you go before I snap you in half”, he hissed.

  Then without thinking my body jerked and moved in a way I didn’t understand, I was flying at him in quick fluid motions, my feet were running towards him before angling themselves to run up the wall behind him. I then jumped onto his neck, flicking my hand swiftly into his chest pocket then twisting with my small athletic frame I wrapped my arm around his neck with the penknife I had just stolen from him already out and aimed at his neck, ready to slice his throat and leave him bleeding on the floor. I leant forward and whispered into his ear, “Maybe it will be me that snaps you in half”.

  He stood up straight and didn’t know what to do, “How the fuck did you move so fast?”

  Damien turned to look at me, “Those were some moves?” he gave me a questioning look but I just smiled and I knew that the little part of the creature in me was shining out at him, his eyes looked at me in concern but he didn’t say anything, he just opened the door. The next second I saw a middle aged woman walk out into the corridor, she didn’t look too surprised at me holding a knife to the spikey man’s neck but she did look a little weary that I was a girl who could stop a fully grown man from attacking me with the threat of a close shave.

  Her red lips moved well to do as she spoke to me, “Well what’s all this commotion out here?”

  “Ma’am she wants to join the security team”, Damien said, “She’s good and fast, she could take me down if she wanted. We didn’t even see her move and she claims to be good with guns too”.

  She waved her hand at me, “Get down off my guard child”.

  I didn’t like being called child but I let it go, what could I do kill her now and be done with her? I would be immediately outcast and sent packing from here and this place seemed safe and that’s what the others needed. I wasn’t going to muck it up yet, not without knowing Toni’s plan.

  “So why do you want to join my security team? I’ve already had a new recruit join from your group”, she said.

  “I want to make sure that my friends and that your people are kept safe, the more eyes and ears we have to take down any threats the better. I’m fast and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, plus outsiders wouldn’t expect little old me to be in security so if anyone was to think I was just an innocent little girl I could give them a can of whoop ass better than these two goons”, I said making sure I kept my voice strong.

  “Goons?” Spikey face snarled.

  “Quiet”, The boss said but her eyes had warmed up to me, “Very well I will give you a trial on my security team but if I think you can’t handle it I will fire you and send you to live in the Shanti town”.

  I nodded, “Thank you I won’t let you down”.

  “No you won’t”, she smiled “Security pay is £15 a week. Enough to pay your rent and to feed yourself”.

  “Sounds great”, I said.

  “You will start now, Damien see if there is a uniform this young lady can wear”, and with that she vanished into her quarters and left me with the two Goons.

  Damien headed off to the right to a nearby cupboard, I just stood and stared at Spikey who was snarling curses at me under his breath but he didn’t try to come near me or threaten me.

  “Here this is the smallest we have”, Damien said passing me a bundle of clothes, I took them from him. “There are some toilets just down there”, he said pointing near the lift, “You’d better go get changed and make it snappy us Goons don’t like to be left waiting”.

  I laughed, he had found my little quirk funny but as I looked in his eyes he turned away, like something he didn’t like was hiding in mine. I left and quickly changed, the uniform was fairly basic and handmade probably by the woman who runs the clothes shop on the lower levels. A plain dark grey T-shirt with a small hand sewn logo of an ‘S’ on the left side, a dark grey jacket with the same logo went over the top. It was a little baggy on me but it would do, I could always see if the woman down stairs could take it in for me if it became too much of a problem or too annoying. Then there were the trousers which luckily just fit my waist with the tightest button done up, these were black and looked standard issue from another security outfit that maybe they had looted from another building. Lastly were some shoes but they didn’t fit my feet at all so I just stuck with my leather boots, if she didn’t like it I would explain they didn’t fit and if she still didn’t like it then I would find a way to shut her up. I didn’t like the way that she was already threatening me with being moved to the Shanti town when I had only been here five minutes and I certainly didn’t like the fact that she was living up here all nice and cosy probably in the lap of luxury whilst people were suffering outside.

  I exited the room and took my own clothes with me, I went to the guys who stood chatting until I turned up, “Ready?” Damien asked me.

  I nodded, “Yup”.

  “Good because the Boss wants me to see how good you really are with that rifle of yours, come with me”, he said and began to walk towards the lift.

  I followed like a lost sheep. He let me quickly run my clothes back to mine before we took the lift all the way down to the ground floor, from there we went back out into the Shanti town and right through to the main entrance that led to the main gate. There he ordered the other guards to let us out on a run, they opened the gate with no arguing and he led me out into the broken city. After ten or so minutes of walking he spotted a creature rambling around a crumbled street, howling out in hunger and confusion as it could smell the scent of all the humans back at the hospital but it couldn’t see any of them or work out where it was coming from.

  “Take it out”, Damien said leaning against an old dumpster truck and lit up a cigarette.

  I took aim with my rifle and downed the monster in one quick and easy shot, I then turned to look behind Damien who hadn’t noticed another creature had snuck up behind us and I shot that one too. It was strange because I hadn’t seen it but I had sensed it was there. He looked pale as my bullet whipped past his face and imploded into the creatures.

  “Er thanks, guess you are a good shot”, he said taking a final puff and throwing a cigarette he had lit up away.

  “So is that it, am I definitely in now?” I asked him.

  “Yeah you’re in”, then he changed the subject, “Look I know what happened to you being infected and Toni has reassured me that you’re all ok now but I saw something in your eyes that has made me think you might still be infected. I know that’s why you were so fast and that you could take on Psycho. I can’t have someone on my team who might endanger people more than protect them”, he said.

  “It’s fine Toni said I’m not infected as such but I have managed to adapt and keep a few of the good traits like speed and agility that’s all”, I lied. I hoped he bought it as I was all alone out here with him and it wouldn’t take him two seconds to shoot me or kill me, or me to do the same to him but then would t
he boss believe me if I said the creatures had got him and would the others know any different if he went back and said the creatures got me?

  He thought for a moment before nodding, “Fine I’ll accept that but if I think at any time that you are a problem for the boss and her people then I will have to kill you, ok?”

  “Ok”, I said motioning with my hands to say that’s cool but what’s cool about being told that you might be killed just for being you? Even if being you was a slight offence to others and by offence I meant discrimination against me for being just a little creature with the human mixed in.

  “Come with me, I want to show you something”, Damien said before turning and walking down the street opposite to the way we had come.

  I felt a little confused, his tone sounded friendly enough but he was leading me further away from the safety of the hospital and the people in side that I trusted. But like a lamb to the slaughter I followed him and just tried to keep my wits about me, watching his every step like it could be his or my last. He took me down a few broken streets, the walls from the neighbouring buildings had crumbled from the bombs and the weather. Even as we scuttled down another alley I could feel a wicked chill rush through me as the wind tunnelled where we stood. We reached a building it was shorter than the others around it but it looked to be in the best condition, he opened the main door which was blue and peeling, the damn thing nearly fell of the hinges as it moved and this was the better conditioned one. I lifted my rifle as we entered keeping look out as he shut the rusted broken thing behind us, as he did he grabbed a large metal pole and jammed it through the handle of the door.

  “What’s that for?” I asked him.