by Wilde, J. M.
He didn’t say anything. I stepped in front of him, not letting him pass. “I saw the holes you cut in the fence.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Good for you.”
I tried to stop myself from crying, but I couldn’t. I let my tears fall onto my cheeks as I looked into the cold eyes of Wyatt’s brother, Wyatt’s killer. “Why are you like this, Elliot? What happened to you to make you so cruel?”
“Wake up, Eva,” he said as he moved his face inches away from mine. “I may be cruel, but I’m the one who’s still standing. The time for heroics and humanity is gone. Those things are weaknesses now. Only the ones who are willing to do whatever it takes to survive will rule this new world. When will you learn that?” He grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me down onto the driveway before storming towards the house.
As I sat on the ground, I realised that something about his words felt true, and I hated it. I thought back to everything we’d been through. All the people who had lied, cheated and stolen from us because we were trying to be good people, trying to help. Every time we tried to be good, to do the right thing, it almost got us killed.
Not anymore.
“Elliot!” I yelled. I jumped to my feet and ran after him, knowing I couldn’t let him in the house, but I was too far away to stop him. He opened the front door and turned to me, a chilling grin smeared on his face as he slowly closed it, locking it from the inside. I jumped up the steps and pounded my fists against the door, with Hunter by my side barking furiously.
I ran across the porch to the other side of the house, hoping the sliding door would be unlocked, but he had already turned the key before I reached it.
“Eva?” I heard Jo call from inside. I watched in horror as she appeared from the hallway to see Elliot in the kitchen, searching wildly for something in a drawer. He turned around, smiling menacingly as he held up a rope.
Before either of us could scream, he was on her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her onto a chair by the dining table. She struggled against him, but it was no use. She was tied to the chair within seconds, with Elliot standing over her.
“Leave her alone!” I ordered, smacking on the glass.
He turned and walked straight up to the other side of the door, staring deep into my eyes. “You’re acting like I’m the bad guy here, Eva. You’re the ones who came into my house, ate my food and took advantage of my hospitality. You’re the ones who tried to kick me out of my own home and dump me in the middle of zombieville. You’re the bad guys here, not me. I’ve got to protect myself.”
“You’re insane!” I screamed.
Furiously, he slammed his hands on the glass, making me jump back in fright. Seeing my fear, he started to laugh before walking back towards the kitchen.
“Boy, am I famished!” he called, looking right at me. “All that murdering made me quite hungry. I think I’ll make myself some breakfast. You girls want anything?” He laughed again, louder this time to make sure I could hear him. I looked at Jo, tears welling in her eyes as she shook in fear. I had to save her. We had to get out of here.
“Hunter, stay with Jo,” I said before running down the porch to Elliot’s bedroom window. I remembered the dozens of weapons he had lying in his wardrobe, if I could just get in there, I could fight him. I tried to pry his window open, with no luck. I jumped over the porch railing, scanning the ground for a rock big enough to smash the glass. He would hear it, but if I made it to his wardrobe in time to grab hold of a gun before he came running, I might be able to take him down. I saw a large rock under the bushes behind the water tank, so I squeezed my way between it and the house to reach it. As I moved the bushes aside with my arms, I realised it wasn’t a bush at all; it was a pile of broken tree branches—and they were hiding something.
A door.
“The bunker!” I whispered to myself. All the weapons I needed would be inside. I threw the branches out of the way and tried to open the door, but it was locked. I noticed a keypad on the wall next to it. It required a security code to open: a word.
I thought back to everything I knew about Elliot, trying to figure out what his code could be. Nervously, I pressed the buttons on the keypad.
Z-O-M-B-I-E.
The light flashed red; it was the wrong code.
I tried again.
P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E.
The light flashed red again, and I knew I had only one more chance to get it right before an alarm went off.
I stood still, trying to think of what the code could be.
After a moment, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Apocalypse. “Of course!”
A-P-O-C-A-L-Y-P-S-E.
After I punched Elliot’s favourite word into the keypad, I held my breath as I waited. Relief washed over me as the light on the keypad turned green.
“Yes!” I said as the door clicked open.
I stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind me. Darkness enveloped me, and I began tracing my hands along the walls to find a light switch. I jumped when I heard a man’s voice coming from inside the bunker.
I froze in fear, terrified that I just locked myself in a dark, concrete bunker with Elliot.
Chapter Twenty-Two
My breath caught in my throat as I listened to what the voice was saying, and I let out a relieved exhale when I realised the man had a British accent. It couldn’t have been Elliot. Finally, my fingers found a light switch and flicked it on. My jaw dropped as light flooded the area and I saw just how large the bunker was.
Spanning the entire length of the house, it was huge and completely open, the bare concrete walls making it look like an empty parking lot. A mattress sat on the floor to my right, it looked like someone had slept on it recently. A white kitchenette traced along the right wall, with a shower and toilet just beyond it. The side walls of the other end of the bunker were lined with shelving and cupboards.
As I ventured further into the bunker, I could see the shelving on the right contained canned food, water jugs, and a large refrigerator and freezer in the centre. The shelving on the left side of the bunker was full of weapons, first aid kits and survival supplies. A couch sat in the centre, with an old coffee table in front of it.
Three flat screen televisions were propped up on the far wall, with radios and computers sitting on the long desk that spanned the width of the room. The man’s voice was coming from one of the radios.
“If the radio works, then maybe ...” I muttered to myself as I turned on the television, making sure to mute it so Elliot wouldn’t hear it from upstairs. All the channels worked perfectly. Elliot lied about the satellite dish losing connection in the storm. A swirling mix of fury and relief filled me when I realised that wasn’t all he lied about.
“It’s not the apocalypse.” I sped through the channels, each one proving that the world was still very much alive. Reality shows, breakfast television programs, movies ... everything was as though nothing had happened at all. I continued flicking through the channels as I listened carefully to the radio. It was a pre-recorded message on loop.
“This message is for any uninfected survivors in Australia. This is Commander Eric Renner of the HMS Saviour. We, the British Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy, are on our way. Our rescue ships will be docking at ports on the following dates to rescue survivors.”
I fell onto the couch in shock, the increasing volume of my pounding heart almost drowning out the radio. Commander Renner listed the rescue dates, most of which had already passed.
“Our final rescue mission will begin in Darwin on the seventeenth, followed by Cairns on the twentieth, Brisbane on the twenty-first, Sydney on the twenty-fourth, Melbourne on the twenty-seventh, Adelaide on the twenty-ninth, and finally, Perth on the third. Due to the danger and increasing risk levels, no more rescues will take place after these dates. We will have a ship at every major dock in those cities. Only the uninfected will be accepted on board. I repeat, if you are infected, you will be left behind.”
Fear coursed through my veins as I heard those words. Today was the twentieth, we had already missed our chance to get to Cairns or Brisbane. Our only hope was to get to Sydney.
I landed on a news channel on the television and un-muted it when I saw footage of the outbreak. I hadn’t seen any news since before we left Melbourne when the virus broke, but I had seen firsthand just how devastated this once-beautiful country had become. Helicopter footage showed the eerily deserted streets of Melbourne, half-eaten bodies strewn all over the road. Zombies owned this country now. The vision switched to footage of a press conference, dozens of cameras flashed as politicians and army officials took the stage.
“British Prime Minister Grant met with Australia’s Prime Minister Saunders, President Chandler and other world leaders yesterday to discuss the outbreak in Australia and arrange refuge for those not infected. So far, over five thousand survivors have been rescued.”
Prime Minister Saunders appeared on the screen, exhaustion and concern in his eyes as he spoke to the camera. “I owe immense gratitude to Prime Minister Grant, President Chandler and the entire world for all of the support, help and compassion you have offered myself and the Australian people. To my fellow Australians, I say this: we may have lost our loved ones, our homes and our country, but we have not lost our Australian spirit. We will recover from this. We will move forward. We will forever be united, not by the pain of this unimaginable tragedy, but by our strength, by our hope, and by our sheer determination to not just survive, but to thrive—no matter where we now find ourselves in the world.”
Tears welled in my eyes. The world had not ended. Rescuers were coming for us. There was still hope. But it was too late for Wyatt and Ben.
I stood up, forcing any thoughts of them out of my mind. If I was going to save Jo and get us to Sydney, I couldn’t let anything bring me down. I would have plenty of time to cry and hurt later. I switched off the television and walked over to the weapons on the wall, noticing a ladder next to it that led up to the ceiling. I looked around the bunker and saw four more ladders placed randomly around the room. As I stepped closer to it, I saw something written on one of the rungs: Bedroom One. A sick feeling grew in my stomach as I realised where it led to, but I had to see it for myself. I climbed up the ladder and slowly opened the hatch, bile rising in my throat as I peeked through and saw my bedroom, with a perfect view of my bed. That explained all the weird noises I heard at night. I shuddered at the thought of Elliot watching me while I slept.
Closing the hatch, I realised all the ladders led into the bedrooms, and one into the living area. Elliot had been spying on all of us the entire time.
“You found my secret,” a voice said from behind me. Chills ran down my spine. It was Elliot. I threw the hatch up, frantically trying to pull myself through it, but Elliot had already grabbed hold of my legs and started pulling me down. In an instant, I was lying on the concrete floor of the bunker, my body screaming in pain from the hard fall.
He sighed dramatically as he grabbed me by the wrists and began dragging me towards the open door of the bunker. “Why do you continue to defy me, girl? After everything I’ve done for you?”
“Everything you’ve done?” I growled, anger raging inside me as I struggled to break free from his grip. “You lied to us! You made us think the entire world was gone! You killed Wyatt and Ben! You’re worse than the zombies.”
Elliot stopped, lifting me up by my wrists to face him. “The zombies gave us freedom. I gave you paradise. And this is the thanks I get?” he sneered. “I lied to you because I knew if you found out the virus hadn’t spread, you would all leave. You’re still brainwashed by the old way of life, stuck in the way things used to be. I knew once you tasted what it is to truly live, you would see the truth.”
I shivered as I looked into his eyes, they were as black and soulless as all the other monsters’ I had come face-to-face with since the outbreak began. But Elliot was much more dangerous than any of them.
“Before the zombies saved us, we were animals in a cage,” he said. “Ruled by money and greed. Trapped by society. Our minds occupied by petty things and useless thoughts. Not anymore. We’ve been liberated. Everything else falls away when all you have to do is survive. We can do whatever we want. We’re free.”
“Free?” I spat back. “Being terrified to leave your own home is not freedom! Sleeping with one eye open because a monster could tear you and the people you love to shreds at any moment is not a liberated way to live. You see this as a game, running around the rainforest like some warrior on a mission. I’ve been out there! I’ve seen what it’s really like. You’re the one who’s trapped, Elliot. You’re trapped in your own mind.”
Elliot threw me against the wall, clutching his hands around my throat and lifting me up by my neck. I tried to pull myself free from his grip, but I could already feel myself losing strength.
“This is the end for you, Eva,” he whispered into my ear. “After I’m done with you, I’m going to slaughter that mutt of yours, and Jo and I are going to live happily ever after, right here in paradise.”
Tears fell down my cheeks as I struggled for air, knowing the next breath I took would be my last.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I awoke to the sound of Elliot’s painful screams, confused to find myself lying on the concrete floor of the bunker once again.
I sat up, my head still spinning and my neck aching from Elliot’s deadly grip. My jaw dropped as I saw through blurred vision that Elliot was on the ground, too, with something growling and gnawing at his leg.
A zombie.
I scrambled to my feet just as Elliot kicked it off of him and started running towards the weapons on the shelf. The zombie was right behind him, moaning hungrily. I ran as fast as I could out the door, screaming when I heard a gunshot from inside the bunker. Elliot had killed the zombie, and I was next.
I skidded into the trees, taking cover behind the lush greenery. I had escaped death yet again, but only by sheer luck. If that zombie hadn’t have wandered into the bunker and attacked Elliot, I would be dead. The pressure of everything I faced weighed down on me. Somehow, I had to save Jo and get us to safety. We had to make it to Sydney, or there was no hope left for us at all.
Still lightheaded from passing out, I slumped onto the rainforest floor, a surge of emotions suddenly overwhelming me. I sat in the dirt, alone and terrified, trying desperately to hold myself together.
In the distance, I heard Hunter bark. I leaned forward, peering through the leaves to see him scratching at the window of the house, guarding Jo as best he could. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Elliot had emerged from the bunker, blood staining his clothes. He was hunched over in pain, holding one hand over his gnarled leg and his gun in the other as he limped angrily towards the house, towards Hunter.
“Hunter!” I yelled, trying to get his attention. Elliot’s head snapped towards the trees, but he couldn’t see me. Hunter leapt off of the porch and started running towards the sound of my voice.
“I haven’t forgotten about you, Eva!” Elliot called. “But if I don’t find you, the zombies will!”
I climbed to my feet as I watched him hobble into the house, knowing time was running out to save Jo now that he had been bitten. He could start turning at any minute. Hunter ran through the trees, jumping up and licking my hand when he reached me.
“Hey, boy,” I smiled weakly. “Let’s get out of here.”
He dropped his front paws back down onto the ground, his ears twitching as though he could hear something. In a flash, he was gone, running through the forest.
“Hunter! We have to save Jo first! Come back!” I whispered, but he wouldn’t stop. I chased after him, jumping over fallen trees and rocks as I tried to catch up to him. Once he reached the fence, he stopped and sat in front of one the holes Elliot had cut, as though he was waiting for something. The sound of rustling trees on the other side of the fence made me stop in my tracks. Something was com
ing towards us. And I didn’t have any weapons.
As it came closer, I could hear two sets of footsteps. I knew the gunshot would have attracted more zombies, but I hoped they wouldn’t find us so quickly. I scanned the ground for a branch big enough to smash their heads in, but I couldn’t find anything.
My only hope was to run.
“Hunter, run!” I said as I turned on my heels and started to flee.
“Eva?” a voice said from behind me.
I skidded to a stop, spinning around to see who had called my name. My heart recognised the voice instantly, but my mind knew it was impossible. They were gone, Elliot had made sure of it. Hadn’t he?
My heart felt as though it was going to burst through my chest as the figure emerged from the trees.
It was Wyatt.
And Ben was right behind him.
I wanted to run right up to Wyatt, throw my arms around him and never let him go. But I was frozen, too shocked to even speak.
“Eva!” he smiled when he saw me, picking up speed as he ducked through the hole in the fence and walked towards me. “Are you alright?” He dropped his machete to the ground and lifted me off my feet, kissing me as though he hadn’t seen me in years.
“Where’s Jo?” Ben asked as Wyatt gently placed me back on my feet.
Finally, I found my voice. “In the house. Elliot has her.” I paused for a moment, pinching the bridge of my nose in confusion. “He ... he said he killed you.”
Ben scoffed. “He wishes.”
“He knew we were planning to leave him behind,” Wyatt began to explain. “We drove down the mountain into town. We heard screams, a woman was trapped in one of the buildings. The three of us went in to save her, but it was too late, they had already started eating her. Elliot locked us in the building and left.”
“But not before telling us that he had heard everything we said in the house,” Ben continued. “About our plan to leave him behind. He said it was justice, that we were getting what we deserved as ‘traitors of paradise’. Freaking nutcase.”
