by Eden Darry
“Me and John, we’re leaving,” the second woman said. “Soon. The water’s receded a fair bit already.”
The first woman looked panicked. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I don’t want any part of it.”
“You could come with us—”
A horn blared and both women flinched.
“Come on. It’s time. We shouldn’t be late.”
Ellery followed the women behind a row of tents to a strip of land where more people stood around, all holding rocks. Some looked excited and others like they might be sick.
Slowly, they turned to face the same direction. Ellery looked and saw a woman standing, head down, flanked by two men who each held one of her arms. They forced her to her knees and she knelt as if in prayer. The men moved away.
Suddenly Ellery knew what was about to happen with a sick certainty. They were going to stone her to death. People moved into a circle around her, and Ellery with them. Finally the woman looked up, straight at Ellery, and she saw it wasn’t a woman at all. It was a girl. Dani. This was Dani.
Ellery pushed through the crowd to get to her, but something held her back. She struggled but couldn’t get free. She turned to see who was holding her, but no one was there. No one was paying any attention to her. Except Dani, who still held her eyes.
Until the first rock hit her.
There was a crunch and she fell sideways.
More rocks rained down, and Ellery still struggled. She screamed at them to stop, but no one paid any attention. Dani was lost in a cloud of blood and dust.
A woman walked into view. Impossibly tall, she used her foot to prod Dani’s body onto its back.
Ellery saw her nod, smile, and look up to the sky, hands clasped together in prayer.
The woman turned back to the crowd. Her cold eyes scanned them, and Ellery watched people shrink back when her gaze fell on them. The name Rosemary Decker was whispered among the crowd. That must be her.
When she saw Ellery, she frowned.
“Who are you?” Her voice was loud, commanding in the quiet crowd. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
Ellery felt rage burn in her throat. “My name is Ellery Jackson. And I’m coming for you.” Her voice sounded stronger and more confident than she felt. Especially when Rosemary Decker recoiled.
“You aren’t supposed to be here. You won’t be. I’ve sent my people out to look, and they will find you.” Rosemary Decker smiled now, full of confidence.
“No, they won’t. I know your name now, and I’m coming for you.”
“I’ll see you soon, then,” she said.
Suddenly, Ellery was propelled backward. It was like she was on a bungee cord. And then she was falling through space, between the planets and the stars, and Earth was below her, coming closer. She rocketed forward, through the atmosphere, and saw the landscape she remembered—probably for the last time. She thought how beautiful the planet was.
She saw herself, lying on the ground with her head on Loveday’s jacket. Loveday sat off to the side, Rocky in her lap. Ellery thought she was beautiful too.
Loveday looked up, right at Ellery, and frowned. “What the fu—”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“—ck?” Loveday couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She rubbed her eyes as Rocky jumped off her lap and started barking madly. He ran to Ellery and licked her face.
What was that? It looked like something fell from the sky and into Ellery’s body. Something bright but solid. It must be her imagination. Brought on by stress or something.
Rocky continued to lick Ellery, and Loveday had to pull him off her. He’d slobbered all over Ellery’s face, and Loveday used her sleeve to wipe it away. She almost fell over backward when Ellery’s eyes snapped open.
“Shit.” Loveday was relieved to see Ellery’s eyes looked clear and alert. “Welcome back.” She shuffled away so Ellery could sit up.
“How long was I out?”
“About two hours—wait, what are you doing?”
Ellery wobbled to her feet and looked around. “We should go. Where’s our stuff?”
“Back at the superstore, and I think we should wait until tomorrow. It’s getting dark.”
“Why didn’t you go back for it?”
Loveday narrowed her eyes and her shoulders tensed. “You came out of there like a bat out of hell and screamed at me to run. Before I could ask you what happened, you were out cold. What was I supposed to do?”
Ellery touched the back of her head and winced. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“Does your head hurt? I checked when you were out, and you seemed okay apart from a bump.”
“I’m fine. Just sore. Something was in the superstore. It chased me out, and then knocked me down. The thing from before.” Ellery sat back down.
“I didn’t see it.”
“I’m not making it up.”
“I know, I know,” Loveday soothed. She looked at Ellery properly. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she looked exhausted. “I think we should stay in the back of the van tonight. We can pick up our stuff tomorrow.”
Ellery nodded. “You’re probably right. I can’t feel that thing around any more. Can you?”
Loveday shook her head. “No.”
They got in the van. Loveday held Ellery’s arm to help her. It took Ellery several tries to get her foot up. Loveday supported Ellery with a hand on her back as she climbed in.
Loveday didn’t want to think too much about how unsteady Ellery was. Or about the blow to her head, or how long she’d been unconscious. There was no doctor to take her to, and nothing she could do to help. Loveday pushed down the feeling of helplessness and settled Ellery in the van.
She arranged the blanket over her, tried to make her comfortable. Ellery gave her a weak smile.
“You don’t need to fuss. I’m okay.”
Loveday noticed she was wringing her hands. She quickly unclasped them and left them dangling uselessly by her sides. “I’m more Nurse Ratched than Florence Nightingale.”
Ellery laughed. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
Ellery’s calm voice soothed her. Shouldn’t they be doing this the other way around? Wasn’t Ellery supposed to be the awkward one?
“I found a torch. And a book.” Loveday rummaged in the corner of the van, relieved to have something to do.
“Loveday, I’m fine. Seriously, come and sit under the blanket with me. It’s cold.” Ellery lifted one corner in invitation.
Loveday thought about it. It was cold. But it would also mean snuggling up with Ellery. Under the blanket. Touching her. Loveday’s stomach lurched in a not unpleasant way.
“Please,” Ellery said softly.
Loveday bit her lip, nodded. She got in beside Ellery, who was warm and soft beside her.
Rocky and Claude cuddled up with them under the blankets. It was sort of nice. Probably too nice. Something was beginning to give way around her heart and it made her nervous. No—that was a lie. It terrified her.
“I’d kill for a cup of coffee,” Loveday said into the dark. They sat with their shoulders, hips, thighs pressed tightly against each other.
“I’d kill for some chocolate,” Ellery replied.
“What kind?”
“One with peanut butter in. What about you? What’s your favourite chocolate?” Ellery asked.
“Caramel. I can’t believe you like peanut butter in your chocolate.”
“Why not? It’s delicious.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s gross. If I’d known your chocolate preferences before, well, I’m not sure I would have come with you.”
“You hate it that much? I never would have guessed. When you used to bring Claude into the surgery, I thought to myself, now there’s a woman who doesn’t judge people on their chocolate choices. How wrong I was.”
“You remembered me?” Loveday tried to keep the pleasure out of her voice. Ellery shifted beside her.
“Well, yes. I mean, I knew of you from your
books.”
Loveday smiled into the dark. “Is that the reason?”
Ellery sighed. “And from around town?”
“Is that a question?” Loveday knew she should stop, but she was having fun. Teasing Ellery made her forget her nervousness. Her sense something was about to happen.
“I don’t think I should say any more,” Ellery whispered.
Loveday turned her head to Ellery’s ear and felt her shiver. “I remember you too.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Loveday felt Ellery’s head turn towards her and knew their lips were inches apart. The rational, logical part of her was shouting stop. No good could come of this. But she was tired and scared and cold, and she wanted to feel something else for a while. She hadn’t felt anything for a long time. Finally, here with Ellery, she thought she might be close to the old her. Before Grace, before the fire, before she’d hurt and been hurt in return. Ellery made her feel hopeful.
Loveday closed the distance. Brushed her lips gently over Ellery’s. Her lips were soft, hesitant. Loveday reached up and found the back of Ellery’s head, stroked her neck, her hair. She was surprised but pleased when Ellery’s mouth became more forceful, demanding.
Loveday gave over control of the kiss to Ellery. Ellery’s hands framed her face, and then her thumb brushed Loveday’s chin, down her throat, and her fingers came to rest at her collarbone.
Loveday pulled back, felt Ellery’s hands drop away. She continued to stroke the back of Ellery’s neck. She didn’t want to stop—didn’t want Ellery to think she was rejecting her—but she had to stop, for both their sakes. If their brief kiss was anything to go by, Loveday was already in much further than she’d ever intended to be, and it wouldn’t take much more to send her completely over. The kiss was everything she knew it would be. Gentle and loving and sweet—just like Ellery. Loveday could kiss her forever.
How did she let it get so far? How had it gone from attraction to this need inside that threatened to drown her? As she stared into Ellery’s beautiful eyes, she knew how. It was impossible not to care for Ellery. She would be so easy to fall in love with. That was why she had to stop things now.
Loveday stroked Ellery’s cheek and smiled.
“That was nice,” Ellery whispered.
Loveday rested her forehead against Ellery’s. “It was. Very nice.”
“We should stop before we do something you’ll regret.”
Loveday sighed, nodded. She didn’t miss the you’ll in Ellery’s sentence. It made her happy Ellery wouldn’t regret it, but sad she would never be able to give Ellery what she wanted. What she deserved. Loveday moved her head away from Ellery’s.
“We should get some sleep,” she said.
“Yeah.”
They burrowed down under the blankets still pressed against each other. Loveday closed her eyes and tried not to think about the kiss and how it had been more than nice, and what that meant.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Terry stood outside Dani’s tent. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, now crusted with dirt and his own blood. He was nervous, and Terry never got nervous. That nasty fucking devil in the petrol station had thrown him off. And Terry couldn’t get what it had told him out of his head. As long as she’s alive. That’s what it told him. Terry had to wonder, what did this woman plan to do with Dani if the only rule was she wasn’t dead?
Couldn’t be anything good. Not if what he read about her in the newspaper was true. Proper bloody nutter. Going on about the end of the world and new dawn in God’s light or some load of old bollocks like that. And what did that make him? At least the mad old bag believed what she was peddling. Terry, on the other hand, was standing outside a young girl’s tent because some fucking creature out of a nightmare told him she only had to be alive.
He sighed and pulled his hand, which had moved to the tent flap without him noticing, away.
“Mr. Pratt?”
Terry almost jumped out of his skin. He turned around. “Bloody hell, love.”
“Sorry. What are you doing by my tent?”
Terry almost squirmed under her knowing gaze. She didn’t say much, but he’d learned it was all going on under the surface with this one.
“Was going to see if you wanted a cup of tea. I didn’t realize you were already up.”
“I went for a wash.”
And now he saw her hair was damp. A towel slung over her shoulder. What he wouldn’t give for a bath.
“Is there a stream or something?” he asked.
“Yeah. Down there through the trees. It looked pretty clean.” She shrugged. “But how would I know?”
“I’ll pop down, then.”
Terry noticed she didn’t move from where she was. She did that all the time now. Stayed away from him. Their time on the road and him needing to ration his beer had improved his fitness, but he doubted he could catch her.
Not that he wanted to. As long as she played nice, there was no reason she couldn’t enjoy her last few days before they got where they were going. If, along the way, she wanted to take care of any needs they might share, well, that would be okay too.
Terry gathered up this things and headed in the direction she’d come. He pretended not to notice the wide berth she gave him. Or the shifty fucking look in her eye that told him something was up. He’d seen it a few times on Shirl after they’d fallen out. Like she was hiding something, mulling over something. Like she wanted to leave him.
A couple of years ago, he’d been in the shed. Usually he never went in there, but he needed something—he couldn’t remember what it was. He found a bag. A black nylon holdall. It looked new. Terry opened it. Inside were some of Shirl’s clothes and a leaflet for a women’s shelter.
At first he was angry. If she hadn’t been out shopping, he probably would have clumped her one. Apart from that first time, she’d never tried to leave him. Now it seemed like she was planning it again. After his rage burned out, Terry decided he had a better plan than laying into her when she got home.
He put all her clothes back in her wardrobe. Nice and neat, like she would have done. He put his work stuff in the holdall and threw out his old one and left it by the stairs where he usually did. Where she would see it. The leaflet he burned.
For weeks, he never said a word to her, but every time she went near that holdall she flinched, and he’d smile at her. A smile that said, I know, Shirl. I know all about it because you can’t hide anything from me. He watched as she waited for her punishment. For him to say something. Day by day she got a bit more confident, a bit more like her old self. Then, one day, wham. He let her have it.
Terry walked off a little ways into the trees where Dani wouldn’t see him. When he judged enough time had passed and she wouldn’t be looking out for him, he started to walk back.
* * *
Loveday woke up as middle spoon. Ellery was at her back and Rocky was tucked against her stomach. Both of them were giving off a nice amount of heat. Their night in the van hadn’t been as awful as she was expecting. And that kiss. It was a good kiss. It promised a lot. Loveday still wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out exactly what that was.
Telling Ellery about her past was cathartic. She hadn’t realized how much of a weight she’d carried over it. The guilt was eased but still there, at the edges of her conscience. Poking holes in any idea she might have of pursuing something more with Ellery.
Loveday slipped out from between the sleeping beauties and felt her way over to the doors. After a couple of fumbles, she managed to open them and let the light in. She squinted against it. Another bright and beautiful day. Cold, though. She shivered and pulled on her coat.
Loveday glanced back at the still sleeping Ellery and smiled when she saw Claude wrapped around her head. He’d taken to her too.
She decided to let them sleep. It wouldn’t take long to go back to the superstore and get their stuff. Hopefully, it would still be there. It was unlikely anyone would
take it. There wasn’t anyone around to take anything any more. She climbed out of the van.
“Where are you going?”
Loveday jumped. “Jesus, Ellery.” She turned to see Ellery sitting up in the van, bleary-eyed and with her hair sticking up at odd angles.
“Sorry. Where are you going?”
“Back to the superstore to get our stuff,” Loveday said.
“Hang on, I’ll come with you.”
“No, stay there. Try to get some more sleep. You took a nasty bang to the head yesterday.”
“I’m fine.”
Loveday blew out a breath and counted to five. “So am I. I’m not—”
“I know, I know. You aren’t a fragile doll or something.” Ellery rolled her eyes. “I’m still coming.”
“Why?”
“Safety in numbers.”
“You’re a pain in the arse. Stay there. I mean it.”
“No.”
“Ellery. I’m perfectly capable of getting our stuff by myself.”
“There’s something I didn’t tell you yesterday. I was going to but…well, I didn’t know how to.”
Loveday narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“Let me come with you, and I’ll explain afterwards.” Ellery untangled herself from the blankets and scrambled over.
“Explain now.”
“There are people out looking for us. I had a dream yesterday when I was unconscious and I saw it—most of it, anyway. Why we have to help the girl.”
Loveday fought against being pissed off Ellery hadn’t told her this before.
“Go on.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Carly Wilson was the most popular girl in Rosemary’s school. For her tenth birthday, her parents rented a hall, hired a bouncy castle and a magician. Rosemary really wanted to see the magician. Carly was given permission to hand out invites to the party just before playtime. Rosemary watched as she made her way between the desks, bestowing small pink glittery invitations on everyone. Listened to them shriek with delight as they were chosen.
