by Lee Wade
They’d had to huddle together to keep warm that first night, they hadn’t been provided with anything and all they had were the clothes on their backs.
The following morning they’d been led back to Togston and lined up in the main street again. Adele had called everyone out of their homes to witness the trials. Phil says that he had counted roughly twenty or so women whilst he had been lined up, all of various ages from late teens upwards. There had also been several children as well as the six men that had held them that first night.
There had only been the five men left living in Togston that had been lined up in the cresent that day. Bill, Stu, Fred, Phil and Derek. Adele had started by saying that no one had any reason to execute anyone that day and that they had all been good little boys. However in the interests of the sisterhood’s strength, they couldn’t afford to keep dead weight and Fred was to be exiled with immediate effect and his home taken for the use of the sisterhood along with the other empty properties.
The six men had been ordered to take him from the cresent immediately and that he was never to return or would be executed.
She had went on to say that the sisterhood could only survive with men who could provide for the community and not just take from it, there was no place for men like Fred who could not contribute anything.
Stu had shouted in his defence, saying, no, he’s an examiner with engineering skills, he helped to plan and build this place, he has knowledge of old technologies that we need in today’s world.
Adele had shouted, who gave this MAN permission to talk. How dare he question the decision made by the trial here today, you are in breach of this trial and by questioning my actions are a traitor to the sisterhood, Diane, execute him now!
BANG! One of the women who we were later to find out was Adele’s right hand ‘woman’ had coolly stepped forward and shot him in the back of the head.
Carol had cried out and ran towards him, but had been grasped by Diane who had clicked her fingers and a group of other women had come and took her away kicking and screaming.
You will learn child, Adele had said, man made this world how it is today. We have the opportunity to take it back and teach our children how to live in a civilised world without men’s wars, but first we need to cleanse it of the scum and reprogram those that can, to serve us in this new world.
Chapter Twenty One
Since that day the remaining three men had been forced to live with the other six men, they hadn’t been allowed access to weapons at first, but slowly in time they had been allowed weapons. Once that they had been reprogrammed to realise that this was their life to serve the sisterhood. The way Phil saw it, his wife and family were safe and protected, he was fed and allowed relative freedom outside of Togston or the cresent as the sisterhood referred to it. He saw his family when in public areas in the cresent, but wasn’t allowed to communicate with any of the women unless they spoke to him first. His family knew this and also knew that it would be him that would be punished for any breaking of the rules. Hence, no one spoke whilst the men were there.
Men lived in the tower, they were no longer locked up. They had to take it in turns to man it as a lookout tower for the cresent. They also had to carry out supply runs and patrols around the perimeter. They never disobeyed their orders for fear as to what might happen to them and their families inside the cresent.
Some of the sisterhood remained permanently at the cresent to teach their new members the ways of the sisterhood and to keep control of the men. Adele returned from time to time with different women sometimes, but Diane always stayed at the cresent. Sometimes other women remained too, but most of the time they remained with Adele. Some of the men were sometimes taken too and up to now had always returned.
Apparently the sisterhood had other communities similar to the cresent throughout Northumberland and would visit them, stay a while, take supplies for other communities and basically keep an eye on their emerging empire.
If you were a woman, life was great I guessed.
I asked Phil about Derek and he was alive and well and on look out on the top of the tower. There were eleven of them living at the tower now, apparently the sisterhood took men of use on their travels and executed others as they saw fit. The men said that they tried to warn others when they were out and about on any supply runs. They’d heard that another had been captured in Amble that morning and was due for trial the following day. Shit, it had to be David I thought, he still wasn’t answering his radio and should have been back to Coquet by now.
Phil said that he’d let Derek know that he’d seen me and that I was okay, but advised me to turn back and get the hell out of there while we still had the chance. I chose not to tell him about David and the guys back at Coquet, we needed to get back and see what the rest of our group wanted to do.
I thanked Phil for the warning and we headed back down the bridle way towards Amble.
Chapter Twenty Two
I decided not to tell Phil about Babs and Luke, it’s not the sort of thing you want to hear about second hand, I felt it was the least I could do to tell Derek and Linda in person. All sorts of things were racing through my mind. Had it been David that they had taken, it must have been, he was old, but also useful. He was certainly useful to us, but would he be deemed useful to the sisterhood? Would he be held in the tower, if so he would know Derek and tell him about Babs, shit, I hadn’t thought of that, at least Derek knew what he was capable of and could advise David? Shit, what if the Hope had been taken, or worse still, destroyed. Then I thought about Emily, should I bring her here, she would have a good safe life with Linda. I wasn’t that old. I hoped I would be deemed of use to them, I could see her and protect her. I’d happily live out the rest of my life serving the sisterhood if it meant that Emily was safe. I had a lot to talk about when we got back to Coquet.
Chapter Twenty Three
We made our way back to the boat club without any problems, Amy had took out the odd rotter on the way, but they were fairly sparse along the tracks and paths we used, I guessed if you used the main roads and went into town there would be more, you could tell that from the amount that lined up along the harbour.
David was nowhere to be seen and the Hope was now anchored to a buoy in the middle of the river. There was no sign of David on the Hope either from what we could see from the small jetty and there was still no answer on the radio. STOP! Amy said if they’ve got David, they’ve got his radio too and they now know that we are here as well, maybe the Hope is just put out there as bait. I agreed we’d been careless. Thankfully we hadn’t radioed back to the Coquet as they would now know about them as well. Let’s get out of here now Amy said, she didn’t need to say it twice; we took off as fast as we could back towards Amble.
Chapter Twenty Four
There was only one place and one person I knew that could help us now and that was the old rabbit catcher, wor Billy.
I had no doubt he’d be holed up back in Hauxley, living his life like nothing had changed. He’d always been self-sufficient if he needed to be, with his coal fired central heating and hot water. He also had an array of greenhouses and gardens for growing food and of course he had his famous hunting skills, hence his nick name ‘The Rabbit Catcher’.
I figured our safest way would be to stay off the main road and head back towards the coast and follow the beach all the way from Amble to Hauxley, however I wanted to put some distance between ourselves and the boat club first. So we headed back towards the coast, but making sure we avoided the roads by using all the back tracks and lanes I knew so well. We eventually got back to the river, but a few hundred yards further along from the boat club. From here we could head along the footpath and towards the main harbour. We then headed back inland a little way as there was no way we were going to take on the hordes of rotters that we’d seen on our journey in. We followed the river until we got to the harbour chippy and then from there we headed along the road for a bit, passing the Chinese restaurant, Har
bour Inn and Schooner on the right. Dam good pubs, I just wished we could pop in for a nice cold bottle of Newcastle Broon. We moved as fast and quietly as we could, but the rotters were soon on us, we couldn’t risk firing our guns and attracting more or worse we could alert the sisterhood to our location. So I had to rely on the boat hook and Amy on a hammer she’d picked up earlier in the day.
CRUNCH, I hooked one straight through the eye socket, I had to almost cave it’s skull in with my foot though to get the bloody thing back out again. As we had seen before, they were in a bad state of decomposition now and so we found it easier just to out run them when we could, only tackling them if there was no way around them. We were more frightened of being found by the sisterhood than of any rotters.
Chapter Twenty Five
We eventually made it to the children’s park which was overlooked by a large house. The house sat on the cliffs edge with only one way in which was through some very heavy duty iron gates. Not a bad place to hole up in if the going got too tough I thought. We headed down the path through the sand dunes and onto the beach below the cliffs. God, how many times had I walked down here with Babs and the children? We’d spent many an hour playing in the park before heading down to the beach with either a picnic or fish and chips from the chippy. I had to put these thoughts out of my mind. We could see Coquet Island from the beach and I just had to concentrate on getting to Billie’s and then back to Coquet Island and my little girl.
Chapter Twenty Six
The beach was littered with debris that must have washed up over the past few years. We threaded our way through it best we could, maybe it wasn’t going to be as quick as we had thought, but hopefully safer.
Fuck! What was that! Something touched my leg, I nearly shit a brick. There was the arm of a rotter coming up out of the sand. SMASH, SMASH, I pounded it was a rock from the beach until it fell away. Then Amy Screamed just ahead of me, we must have disturbed them, they were everywhere, decomposing just below the surface of the sand, probably washed in and out by the tide for months, but still enough left to react to and be a danger to us. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, Amy was stamping on their heads whilst smashing them with her hammer at the same time. The scream had been more from fright than fear. Some of them were still able to move by dragging themselves along. We could clearly out run them, but there were just too many and we couldn’t see the beneath the sand ahead of us It was like a mine field waiting for us to cross. Did we take our chance on the beach with the rotters or risk the road where we might get picked up by the sisterhood. We opted for the beach, staying as close to the incoming tide as we could as the sand was firmer there. We moved quickly so as not to give the rotters as much time to react to our presence. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, we made our way along the beach to Hauxley, crushing rotting skulls with our feet as we went. The stench was horrendous, worse than ever before. Sea gulls were feeding on the lifeless rotters after we’d crushed them with our feet.
Chapter Twenty Seven
We eventually made it to Low Hauxley beach and from there made our way over the sand dunes and past the small holiday cottages until we were on the Hauxley road. The only noise that could be heard was the squawking of the seagulls on the beach behind us. The road was clear and we were able to make our way quickly and quietly towards Hauxley.
We passed the entrance to the caravan park and nature reserve before heading into Hauxley itself. I could see smoke rising above the chimneys in the distance. Christ, I hoped that was coming from Billy’s house. It was late afternoon by now and we’d been walking all day. I was choking for a drink and was ready for something to eat and I was sure Amy would be the same.
As we neared Billy’s street it was clear that the smoke was coming from his house. Does he not care who saw him I thought, he was certainly advertising that there was someone home.
His house was all boarded up downstairs at the front. There were a few rotters milling around, no doubt attracted by the smoke and heat and noise of what sounded like a T.V. inside.
CRUNCH, I took one out with the boat hook, straight through the eye socket, I was getting good at that. I had to stand on its head to prise the hook back out. But it was stuck. Shit, Amy had to react as there were others almost on us. She blasted two of them through the head with the shot gun and smashed the others head in with her hammer.
An upstairs window opened and a shot gun popped out, followed by Billy shouting, what the fuck’s that entire bloody racket. Some of us are trying to have a nap in here!
Aye, he was alive and well! It’s me I shouted out, put the bloody kettle on and let us in, my stomach thinks my throats been cut. I’ll do better than that he shouted, I’ve got just the stuff for you, and I’ll be down in a minute.
We heard a door open and close, then an engine started up and one of the cars blocking our way moved a few feet, just enough for us to squeeze our way through before being blocked up again.
Billy hugged me and I introduced him to Amy. Come on inside he said, before you’ve got every dead fucker in Amble at my door step with all this bloody racket you’re making out here he said.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Now it was customary in Billy’s house to try every concoction he’d been brewing for the last year before you even got the chance to sit down.
Billy was what you might call a bit of a hoarder. He collected and kept anything and everything that could ever have a use and if there was anything he was not able to fix, he knew someone that could!
As we entered his living room we were welcomed by a roaring coal fire.
Fuckers stopped delivering my concession he said, been having to use hers up the road that died last year, don’t think she’s gonna need it where she is now.
We shifted a few things of the sofa to make room to sit down.
Here, try this one Billy said. He proudly produced a two litre plastic pop bottle which he proceeded to shake vigorously before handing us the bottle.
There were no glasses offered, so I took it we were supposed to drink it out the bottle, so I cracked it open.
I knew what the game was; we had to guess what it was before he would tell us. Jesus, whatever it was, it may have been what woke the dead. I handed the bottle to Amy, who unaccustomed to Billy’s beverages took a canny gulp before almost choking to death. I almost wet myself laughing at her reaction.
Howay then he said, what is it? Some sort of sloe gin I reckoned. Nah, sloe shine, but close, got myself a still set up out the back, no customs and excise to worry about these days, so why worry about making a bit of shine to help pass the days.
I remembered now how one of his favourite programmes was moonshiners; no doubt he had learnt everything he needs to know about distilling moonshine from the discovery channel!
There was a familiar aroma drifting through from the kitchen. Rabbit stew if I’d guessed correctly. Any chance of some of that famous stew Billy I asked, been on the go all day.
Aye, no bother bonny lad he said, before going through to get us some. He emerged a few minutes later with too muckle big bowls of piping hot stew and a couple of lumps of homemade bread.
I take it you’ve got the old shot gun out of retirement and the rabbit catcher is back in town?
Aye he laughed, again, there’s no police so rabbits, pheasants, deer, all fair game now bonny lad. Now get stuck into that lassie he said to Amy, it’ll put hairs on your chest that will!
Chapter Twenty Nine
We ate our stew and drank the tea Billy had made us. I told him about Babs and Luke and all about the journey we’d all been on since the outbreak. He had been holed up at home like I thought he would have. He knew all about Togston and about Derek and Linda. He knew that I’d been through there a few months ago, which was why it had come as such a shock to learn about Babs and Luke. He had been so pleased to hear that we’d been safe and well.
The guys working for the sisterhood knew he was here and would call in to see him from time to time. He’d supply them with rabbits
and other game and in return they’d leave him be. It made them look like they were helping to provide for the sisterhood, so it was a good arrangement for both parties.
I told him about Emily and the rest of our group trapped on Coquet Island.
What’s your plan then? Billy asked. If there’s anything I can do to help I’m all yours. I’m just an old man, but I still have my uses.
We need to get back to Coquet Island or at least get a message to them Amy said. We need them to know we haven’t abandoned them, the last thing we need is for them to come looking for us and get themselves into trouble. Then we need to go and try and speak with Derek I said. I need to tell him about Babs and Luke and I need to find out if it was David that was captured earlier today and if so have they taken him to the Tower at Togston.
We told Billy about how the Hope was moored in the middle of the coquet at the boat club. He agreed that it was too risky trying and boarding her. They’ll be watching and waiting he said, I’m surprised they didn’t capture you the last time you were there, all I can think is that your friend hasn’t told them about you or they haven’t interrogated him yet. Sometimes they deal with the Navy too he said, so they might have already traded your boat for supplies or information. They have a kind of uneasy truce. The Navy and the sisterhood are the two major powers around here and it’s only a matter of time before that one kicks off. After all, the Navy represents everything about the old world that the sisterhood is trying to rid the world of, men and their war machines. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were plotting something, they’ve sure to have some of their people aboard their vessels.
I wondered if my brother had been through this way and if he was still with the Navy, maybe one day we’d meet up again.
What about the old Sea Warrior I asked Billy. Does she still run? Unfortunately he hadn’t used her since before the outbreak as it would have drawn too much attention to him and besides it was in the same boat yard as the Hope anyway, so would be a pointless to try and use it if we could still get to the Hope anyway, which we knew was working fine last time we were on board. Come with me he said and I’ll show you what we’re going to do.
