As the Light Dies (30 page)

Entire aisles in the supermarket had been cleaned out, there was
n’
t a thing left down the fresh produce aisle and no tins of any kind down the tinned goods aisle. The bottled water and fizzy drinks isle had been wiped clean and bizarrel
y‘
to Andy any wa
y’
so had the sweets and biscuit aisle.

The entire supermarket was practically empty, only the electrical appliances remained pretty much untouched
.
No surprise there
,
he thought.

Stacks of empty pallets and plastic bins filled with flattened cardboard boxes lined the walls waiting to be tidied away in to the store. Collin had never seen the shop floor so barren, and by candlelight it looked almost haunted. Mad Maggie got them to move all the electrical goods and all non food items that were left back in to the stores and out of sight in an attempt to put off any looters that might fancy their chances.

Maggie said
,“
If they ca
n’
t see it, then they ca
n’
t want it
.
”

Having the petrol station turned over and poor Lara chased out was bad enough she said, without having the supermarket ransacked as well.

When Maggie finally gave the word for them to go home Collin made his way through the supermarket heading for the changing rooms utterly exhausted.

Place looks derelict
,
he thought.

He heard shouting and looked up and saw Mad Maggie and Jimmy trying to explain to people that the supermarket was closed and tha
t
N
o
the phones did
n’
t work!

It looked like they were having a hard time he thought as he pushed through the swing door in to the staff area hearing one of the people shout out
,“
Let us in you stupid bitch
!
”

In the changing rooms Collin leaned against his locker and slid down until he sat on the floor. He sat there exhausted, and closed his eyes for a second. The thought of having to walk home, a long way in these conditions, did
n’
t fill him with joy, so he took the time to relax a little. The soft waving glow from the candle on top of the lockers made him want to just curl up where he was and go to sleep. It was strange sitting in the changing room with only soft flickering candle light to see by.

A few minutes passed, he did
n’
t know how many and he said to himself
,“
Right! This wo
n’
t do, I wo
n’
t get home sitting here, better get going
.
”

He threw his bright coloured lookalike ski jacket on and wrapped his scarf knitted only days ago by his Gran around his neck, he pulled two fresh dust masks over his head resting them under his chin ready for heading outside, he checked he had everything, locked his locker, pocketed the key and picked up his duffel bag ready to go.

Standing up he arched backwards and felt a satisfying crack in his back, he let out a long sigh. H
e’
d needed that all day, then he left. As he pushed open the changing room door ready to leave he heard what almost sounded like a shelf unit being dragged across the floor!

Oh great
,
he thought as the noise tailed off. He thought it sounded like Maggie and Jimmy were dragging one of the shelving units across the floor. Attempting to mock up some kind of barricade or something.

I’m not getting caught up in anything else. I’ve been here long enough already
,
he thought and he walked down the staff corridor towards the swing door and out on to the supermarket floor and instantly he felt uneasy!

He was
n’
t sure if it was just seeing the shop floor the way it was or something else.

But there is nothing else
,
he thought. And that was it, tha
t’
s what was wrong. The front doors were closed and Maggie and Jimmy were nowhere to be seen.

“
Too busy moving shelves, tha
t’
s where the
y’
ll be
,”
he whispered to himself but wondered why he could
n’
t hear anything. The shop floor was silent. It was so quiet Collin thought he could even hear the candles crackle as they flicked their soft uneven glow around the place.

Shaking off his childish fear of nothing he started walking briskly towards the front doors thinking that if Maggie and Jimmy were moving shelves now was the time to make a break for it before he got roped in to staying back any longer. As he passed through the haunted looking supermarket, a chill ran down his spine putting a spring in his step when suddenly that noise started again!

Collin flinched and looked up straight ahead towards the front doors where he thought the sound had come from, this sound was different though, it did
n’
t sound like shelf units being dragged. It sounded organic! If that was even possible!

No-one was there.

Strange
,
he thought slowing slightly as he glanced around looking for Maggie or Jimmy or anyone for that matter, but he could
n’
t see anyone, not a soul. The place was empty, the place was deserted. He could feel his shoulders tensing up.

I’m being stupid
,
he thought and he pushed on angry at himself for getting spooked.

I’ll find out what’s going on in a second
,
he thought
,
and probably get roped in to something as usual
.

The sound got slightly louder as he approached and it changed in tone, deeper almost, becoming like some kind of grumble!

What the hell are they doing
?
He wondered, growing more and more reluctant to find out.

Then the noise faded out and stopped leaving nothing but silence and the sound of his heartbeat. He hoped h
e’
d be able to slip out without being noticed as he passed through the security barrier that had been wedged open with one of the little metal cages that usually stood at the end of the aisles filled with items that were on special offer.

He was close enough to see his reflection in the front doors walking back to meet him. His other self was surrounded by pure blackness that waited for the real him!

As he watched himself the blackness on the other side of the doors seemed to move!

His heart missed a beat!

God, it’s only the ash and snow wafting around
,
he thought
.
C’mon get a grip, I’ve gotta walk three miles out in that
,
he told himself relishing the task even less. He knew that his grandparents would be worrying about him, and in that instant he hoped that neither of them had attempted to come for him with him working so late, both of them were far too frail to be out walking in these conditions he thought but he knew it would
n’
t stop them. He adjusted his scarf tugging it tight and pulled his dust masks up over his mouth and nose and pinched the little alloy strip to hold them in place tight against the bridge of his nose....then he stopped dead in his tracks!

One of his boots squealed scuffing the floor as he stopped abruptly. His heart froze and he could
n’
t breathe! He could
n’
t move! To his left down between the childre
n’
s ride on Noddy car and the photo booth in the darkness a pale white face peered up at him shaking frantically!

Steve and Katie sat in the corner of the lounge talking quietly under the light from the glow sticks that hung from the walls. Both were becoming increasingly worried at how quickly relations between crew members were deteriorating on the rig, everything had been shut down and closed off just in time as the rigs power started to tail off just like they had been warned it would, the diesel generators still worked but they could
n’
t produce any electricity. Or maybe they were, but the electrical charge would
n’
t power anything. Steve and Katie worked their way around the rig hanging glow sticks to ensure a level of visibility for when the lights went out while the men out on deck worked as fast as they could to bring up the drill and seal off the well. It was a crazy few hours.

Steve and Katie were amongst the handful that stayed under cover preparing for the shutdown in other ways. In those furious few hours many tempers flared, two fights even broke out on the drill floor, two men even swung at each other wit
h
wrenche
s
, and one nose was broken.

Now that the job was finished and the power was out, the men had all descended to the canteen for dinner leaving the rest of the rig pretty much deserted. Steve and Katie had eaten while the deck crew finished off and then cleaned up, then they retreated to the lounge before the canteen was overrun, they shared the lounge with one other guy who sat around the corner of the L shaped lounge keeping himself to himself.

“
You know
,”
said Steve
,“I’
m gonna head off to my bunk soon and get an early night, i
t’
s been a long day
.
”

“
Yea
,”
Katie sighed
,“
I suppose
I’
d better think about it as well,
I’
m pretty tired
.
”

Steve peered out of the window beside them and shook his head. It was like looking out from the bottom of the ocean
.“
You know
,”
he said
,“
I have a bad feeling about this
.
”

Katie looked at him with a smirk
.“
Did old Bil
l’
s outburst and his rant about people catching mad cow disease from the ash scare you
?
”

“
I
t’
s not that
.
Wel
l
, some of it might be. Like the ash unsettling people you know, but just look at it
.”
He pointed out of the window
.“
That is
n’
t right! Somethin
g’
s gone wrong somewhere
.
”

“
Yea, a volcano erupted in Norway
,”
said Katie.

“
Yea
,”
said Steve with a yawn
,“
I suppose so, but now the ri
g’
s lost all communications it feels bad, you know. I would
n’
t mind so much if I could even just email the wife and kids you know, or even find out some fresh news about wha
t’
s going on
.
”

“
Yea I know what you mean it feels properly cut off from civilisation now do
n’
t it, completely isolated. You need to try coming out in to the mountains with me and the cadets
.
”

“
Yea something like that
,”
said Steve rubbing his chin
,“
I can see this being a rough ride with the crew relations the way they are already
.
”

“
Nah w
e’
ll be fine
,”
said Katie
,“
once i
t’
s had time to sink in you know. Once everyone comes around to the idea of being stuck out here for a few extra days and learn to accept it
,
Christma
s
or not, the
y’
ll be ok
.
”

“
Yea, yo
u’
re probably right
,”
said Steve lifting his plastic cup to finish his drink.

Putting the plastic cup back down, he said
,“
Right,
I’
ll see you in the morning Rambo
.
”

Katie chuckled
,“
Yea ok, see you at o six hundred soldier
.
”

Steve saluted smiling
.“
Do
n’
t be late
,”
she added.

“Me, late
!
Oh tha
t’
s rich
.
”

Katie laughed as Steve made his way across the deserted lounge. She watched him walk so far before she turned and looked out the window and marvelled at the strange view.

She heard the lounge door open behind her as Steve left.

Ah well, I suppose I’ll head as wel
l
, she thought swilling the last dribble of coffee around in the bottom of her cup when she heard a commotion at the door.

She turned to see Steve standing to one side and Sandy the radio operator in his green dungarees stood in the doorway waving and flapping his arms. He looked in a bit of a state. Katie thought he actually looked like h
e’
d been running. He was panting out of breath and pale and sweating!

“
Oh thank God I found someone, thank God
,”
he said grabbing both of Stev
e’
s arms tightly.

“
Hey Sandy, wha
t’
s wrong
?”
asked Steve, but Sandy could barely breathe, never mind talk.

“
Here
,”
said Steve
,“
take a seat
,”
and he guided Sandy over to the closest table and waved Katie over having not realised she was already on her way, and so was the other guy, who neither Steve nor Katie knew but vaguely recognised from passing around the rig.

Sandy sat down heavily and Katie handed him a plastic cup of water from the fountain which spilled over the top when he gripped it too hard.

“
Ok Sandy
,”
said Steve
,“
slow down buddy, take your time, breathe, and then tell us wha
t’
s happened
.
”

Steve struggled to hold eye contact with Sandy. He repeatedly looked in all directions like he was in shock.

“
I
t’
s all gone to shit down there
!”
he managed between breaths.

“
What do you mean
?”
said Steve.

“
Everyon
e’
s full of hate and rage, the
y’
re infected or something
!
”

“
Infected
!”
said Katie.

“YEA!”
Sandy blurted
.“
I do
n’
t know why, or what started it but the
y’
re killing each other down there! I fucking swear it! The
y’
re trying to kill each other
!
”

Steve looked at Katie
.“
I knew something bad was stirring
,”
he said shaking his head.

Sandy jolted forwards out of his seat and blurted almost shouting
,
“They’re all trying to fucking kill each other down there, it’s the ash, the fucking ash, I’m telling you, IT’S THE FUCKING ASH!