Desolation (Book 1): Aftermath

by Butler, Simon L.

  I shook my head. “It’s fine.” There was a long silence between us, “Millie said John died recently?”

  She nodded, giving a warm smile. “He did.” She seemed lost in thought, adding, “He was a good man Jack, we had four kids between the three of us, including you. I have two more boys and a girl back home. Your brothers and sister, well technically your half brothers and sister.” She clarified, “Ashe mentioned you had been on the road for years, what did you do all that time?”

  “Yes, that was essentially my life up until recently.” Gesturing towards Ashe who was still outside talking with Millie. I explained my old patterns. “I used to just find somewhere quiet to rest and stock up for a few weeks, read a few books, then move on when I got bored.”

  She put her hand on mine, smiling warmly. “Come back with us, you and Ashe are more than welcome.”

  I nodded calmly, my emotions well in check. “I will think about it, but it’s not entirely up to me.”

  She smiled warmly. “That’s okay, I’m sure Ashe would enjoy it there too. It’s a pretty good place for her, you won’t need to worry about… well, you know!” She trailed off. I believed her, there were not many settlements I could take Ashe and not be on constant alert for her safety. I decided I would ask her and see what she thought.

  “Think it over, Jack,” Michael said as he poured another glass of wine for himself. “We’re well set up, but we could definitely use a few more people with good survival skills.”

  “You don’t teach your people to survive outside the settlement?” I asked, suddenly concerned.

  “Oh, we definitely do,” Natalie explained. “But there is a fair number that would much rather just work a job inside the walls and not worry about the zombies.” She shook her head as if shaking off the topic. She smiled warmly then changed the subject. “I can’t believe how much you look like him, Jack. And what you did for that girl out there, he would have been very proud.”

  There was another long silence as my mind turned over the afternoon’s events in the company of my other mother of a sort. I decided it was as good a time as any to try and get a lay of the land, specifically the movement of the herds and any other settlements in the area. “How are the zombies around here?”

  “Manageable. We set traps to catch and kill them, but there is always more around. When the world ended, there were nearly thirty million people in this country, and most of them turned in the first days of the outbreak, everyone else was basically left to fend for themselves. I doubt we will ever wipe them out, but if we can keep their numbers under control, I think we can at least function as a society.” She had some questions of her own it seemed. “What about the rest of the country?”

  I shrugged, then explained what I had seen and heard, “The coast is pretty clear of living people, mostly a few scavengers, smaller groups and even a few feral tribes in the ruined cities where the people there seemed to have grown up separate of any other human contact. They hardly speak at all, and when they communicate with each other, it's rudimentary. Most of them I think they are children that were abandoned during the early years of the outbreak. Somehow, they survived, I met a group when I was younger, but the fact that I could speak properly seemed to throw them, so they got angry with me a lot which eventually led me to leave them. There are settlements based in the mountains to the north, and a few more are dotted around on the edge of the desert. But the biggest communities are out in the desert, places like New Alice with maybe a few thousand people settled there and hundreds more trading with them regularly in the surrounding area.”

  “John always said we would survive as a species, that it would be a struggle and we may not recognise ourselves when we are done, but that we would go on living somehow,” she explained.

  I looked at her for a moment before explaining about the cannibals and slavery that were now standard practice. “How are they any different or better than the zombies if that is all that’s left of us?” I asked before finishing my drink.

  “Fair point,” Michael said as he finished his drink before laying down on the lounge and falling asleep.

  “You and Ashe can have the bedroom,” Natalie said, adding, “Millie and I will be fine out here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course,” Natalie said as she stood up and walked over to a lounge chair to sit down. “I am perfectly comfortable right here.”

  I went back outside where the two girls seemed to be bonding, the conversation continuing uninterrupted by my presence as I sat down with Ashe, who kissed me once before continuing. Their discussion covered a range of topics from men, zombies, survival, and all things that have made up their lives. I interceded in what seemed like a lull in the conversation to explain the sleeping arrangements, then added, “I’m off to bed, good night to both of you.”

  Ashe squeezed my hand. “Okay, I’ll be up soon,” she said as she pulled me down to kiss her on the lips.

  I would like to say I remember her coming in, but the second my head hit the pillow, I was completely unconscious, falling into a deep uneasy sleep as the nightmares built into a series of terrifying memories I did not want to relive.

  Chapter 10 – (Family Reunion)

  I can’t say exactly when Ashe had joined me, but it was sometime after I had completely lost consciousness, and when I opened my eyes the next morning, I found her sitting up next to me with her rifle next to her. She had an old-looking book and seemed to be trying to read it, though obviously struggling. No doubt she was not helped by the very dim lighting in the room, though I suspected it wasn’t the main reason for her struggle. Dawn had just broken, and I was feeling more comfortable with our company, an implicit trust that I had not felt for a very long time had settled over my mind. They are family, I reasoned with myself. Once again, I pushed my paranoia to the side and sat up whispering “Good morning!”

  Her warm smile was a welcome sight as she leant down to kiss me before cuddling next to me as she continued to try and read the book. It was a copy of an old copy of an H. G. Wells novel, well-worn from years of neglect, and likely quite old even before the outbreak. “I found it in the lounge area,” she explained, then pointed to a word asking me what it said.

  “Apocalyptic,” I answered before taking her through some of the reading techniques my mother had once passed on to me. We read together as the morning light slowly forced its way into the room. Eventually, Ashe put the book aside and crawling up into my lap, kissing me passionately on the lips, as my hands rested on her hips, holding her body close. For some reason this time I felt self-conscious and worried that I might not be good enough for her in some way, I confided in her, “Before you, I had never had a woman before, so if I do something wrong just tell me.”

  She just smiled warmly, replying, “I suppose these days that’s a bit of a shock, what are you twenty-five?” Her hands gently caressed my face, as if reassuring me of her affections.

  “Twenty-six,” I replied.

  She just shrugged. “Honestly, I have never been with a real man before you. So, I suppose in a way we are in the same boat.” I noticed that the ample supply of protein and regular meals she had enjoyed in the last few weeks seemed to have put some muscle on her bones. She had developed a certain tone to her body that seemed to strike all the right notes for me. I instinctively lifted her shirt as I leant up to kiss her soft skin. My hands gently exploring her body, moving slowly up over her ribs, finding her small breasts. They, too, seemed to be filling out nicely since we had last done this. I planted a soft kiss on each nipple, causing her to let out a soft groan before pushing me back onto the bed and working me out of my clothes in the act of warm, passionate lust.

  I felt a tinge of guilt after we had finished, remembering our company outside the room. But it was truly worth every second with this beautiful woman that now sat naked and panting in my lap, her body holding me inside her as she wrapped her arms around me tightly. It seemed to be a thing for her, holding me insider her bod
y. “What’s that look for?” She asked with a satisfied smile on her face.

  I kissed her then said shyly, “I just love the feeling of being this close to you.”

  Her face softened as her lips found mine, “Me too.” she sighed as if her mind touched on a painful subject.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  She wrapped her arms tightly around me, not moving. “I just realised how much I enjoy this with someone who really cares. This, with you – it’s totally different!”

  I could not help but feel a growing and deep affection towards her, but we desperately needed to get moving. I planted one last long and lingering kiss on her lips before sliding out of her. “We should get moving,” I whispered, my guilt getting the better of me as I held her close.

  “I would really much rather stay right here,” she said with a slight purr in her voice, pushing down against me one more time.

  “I assure you that my heart is definitely with you there,” I joked, “but we have company.”

  She pouted playfully then bit my ear. “Until next time then,” she whispered, before climbing off me, gathering her pants and shirt, then taking a moment to straighten her hair and clothes.

  Even the red seemed to be coming out brighter in colour as she tied it back in her usual ponytail. I quickly climbed out of bed before I could be tempted to stay in bed longer than we already had. I quickly pulled on my clothes leaving Ashe to get herself organised. Natalie and Millie were on the front porch drinking coffee when I walked out of the cabin. “Do you grow coffee?” I asked curiously, remembering Hank mentioning a settlement to the east of their farm that grew it.

  “There are several plantations around the area,” Natalie explained. “We have one up in the hills, and there are a few more with the settlement to the east, they use it for trade. It’s pretty highly sought after by Old-world travellers and traders.”

  “I can imagine,” I replied before making my way down to the gravel area where Michael was reloading their supplies into the truck.

  Natalie had followed me down, leaving Millie to keep an eye out, “If you want coffee help yourself?” she said, gesturing to the firepit and kettle which hung over the small smouldering flame.

  “Yes, please,” I answered, my excitement almost breaking my stoic expression. After a night of poor sleep and… exercise, I was desperate for coffee despite my relaxed mood. I found a series of mugs by the firepit and poured myself a cup.

  Ashe emerged a short time later with our backpacks, Millie took one before the two girls came down from the porch in mid-conversation. Ashe had packed the bags, so they were ready to go. Saving me a great deal of time which I definitely appreciated. “Did you leave some ammo for the food?” I asked her.

  “I sure did, seven of those hollow-point .44 rounds!” She smiled and wandered over. I pulled her close, cuddling her warmly, and thanked her with a kiss while Millie went over to Michael to help packing the truck with supplies.

  Millie returned to the firepit moments later pouring coffee into a mug for her and Ashe, before she started heating up a tin of beans, pouring them into a small pot and placing it above the fire. “Thanks, Mil,” Ashe said warmly, as she was handed the coffee. She handed the second cup to Natalie before returning to the pot and stirring the beans.

  “Thank you, dear,” Natalie said appreciatively before sipping the coffee. “These cups are old-world, so please take care of them. Like so many things from that time, they are growing old and fragile.”

  “Definitely not you, Aunt Natalie,” Millie teased. “The zombies have learned to run when they see you!”

  The older woman laughed, “It was your uncle that designed the traps, dear,” Natalie said as if all of us knew the background to the discussion.

  Millie thankfully was kind enough to fill us in. “Seriously guys, they get caught in the traps, and the second they see Aunt Natalie, the look on their face is nothing short of terrified.” Ashe laughed at the thought. The two girls seemed to be bonding which was a positive sign for staying with these guys for any length of time. “Then she pulls the trigger! And BOOM - Incinerated Zombie’s,” she added with a wicked and proud grin on her face. “They must communicate somehow because they know that when they see her, they are all fucked.”

  I offered only a small smile as I did not view killing zombies as sport or entertainment, but Ashe and Millie seemed to enjoy the story as both girls laughed together at the thought of a short older woman terrifying the very creatures that ended the Old-world. Natalie spoke before I could, rebuking the young girl’s exuberance. “Now, now dear! We do not kill them for any other reason than we have to.”

  I had to admit her response made me relax a little. “I know Aunt Natalie, I’m just joking,” Millie replied, her smile remaining on her face. It was both a good answer and a good response. Not so much in the words that were said but in the body language expressed. Millie did not fear Natalie as a leader, she loved and respected her, and that, to me, was enough to make a final decision.

  “What do you use to incinerate them?” I asked Natalie, genuinely curious about their methods.

  Natalie drank her coffee, then spoke frankly, “The most efficient way to kill them is still by hand. A good clean blow to the head, it is certainly the most recourse efficient. But it can also get time-consuming and potentially dangerous, especially where they are in large herds. So, John and Michael devised a way that would simply…” She searched for the right word, “Melt them!”

  “Melt them?” Ashe asked sceptically.

  “Yeah, I’m not so sure if that’s exactly what happens to them in Napalm, but that’s what it looks like when their blood boils, and the flesh drops away. It’s hard to describe really, there is something in their blood that energetically reacts to Napalm. The smell is awful and it's disgusting to watch,” Natalie explained.

  “That’s so gross,” Ashe said as if thinking over the image.

  “Sadly, we are running a little low on polystyrene these days though, so we have been looking for other ways.”

  “What about fuel?” I asked, knowing how expensive and rare it was in New Alice.

  Natalie shrugged. “It’s not cheap, but we have managed to make bio-deasil, so that helps offset the cost. But there is no way I would use it on zombies, it’s still far too inefficient in terms of resources. But there is a settlement a few hundred kilometres east on the coast that has managed to start refining shale a few years ago, so we might start to see a bit cheaper fuel in the next few years.”

  “Impressive,” I said calmly.

  Once I finished my coffee, I slung my rifle over my shoulder and took the mug out towards the front gate, where Michael had just finished packing the truck and was speaking into a short-wave radio. “Hey, Jack! How was your morning brother?” He teased, giving a knowing wink. “You two were a little on the loud side.” He laughed. “A word of advice - next time try gagging the girl, we might be used to it, but the zombies with still think it’s dinner time.”

  We shared a laugh though I had to say I was a little embarrassed. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He laughed. “Nah, I’m only teasing dude. Millie was on watch because of it though. I swear that kid of mine is paranoid, but if she’s keeping watch for you guys, she must think you guys are okay.”

  “Yeah, Ashe and Millie seem to have hit it off! Sorry if we disturbed anyone,” I said, my embarrassment growing. Had I really become so careless? It was something to think about, especially because that simply was not me – and with Ashe now seemingly with me for the long haul, I had to consider her safety as well.

  “Nah, don’t worry about it, Jack. Natalie and I have heard it all and much worse over the years. There were twelve of us sharing a four-bedroom farmhouse at one point, and all but three of those people were in relationships of various kinds. Trust me, it got loud, and I knew more about John than I even wanted from a guy who was basically my brother.”

  “Twelve of you? How didn’t that
ring the dinner bell for the zombies?”

  Michael laughed. “I have no idea. We were pretty lucky where we ended up during the early days of the outbreak. We managed to avoid most of the herds up in the hills, but we made a point of killing the zombies whenever we could up there to stop them from building up too close to home. I swear John was born for this fuckin’ world, some of the shit that dude came up with to deal with them was fuckin’ genius.”

  “Like Napalm?”

  Michael visibly cringed. “Yeah, like Napalm. I still remember John experimenting with that shit on them and holy fuck it stank out the whole fuckin’ area! It was fuckin’ putrid, but it beat wasting a few dozen rounds of ammunition.”

  “Fuck!” I said, shaking my head.

  I left Michael at the truck once we finished packing the supplies into the back, he was operating the radio while the rest of us relaxed for a little longer. He struck me as a good guy and very loyal to Natalie. She seemed like a smart woman, and I could see why people seemed to respect her.

  Since Ashe had only just seen the beach for the first time yesterday, so I decided to take her for a walk down to the shore. Offering her a chance to experience the waves and the beach firsthand. The soft sand and the smell of seawater were unmistakable and something I had truly missed over the last few years. We were both silent as we walked along the sand, watching the sunrise over the eastern cliffs. I was just enjoying the company and watching for zombies while my thoughts diverted to our future. I really liked Ashe a lot, but the whole getting attached and dealing with emotions thing was still new to me. It scared me to death, and honestly, I didn’t know exactly how to deal with it. “What is on your mind?” Ashe asked, breaking the silence.

  “Right now, I’m keeping one eye open, especially given where we are while trying to enjoy some good company.”