As the Light Dies (71 page)

“Oh God!”
Ann muttered and then they heard him over the infected gurgles. He was panting heavily, badly out of breath and still coughing as he brought up more pool water. Suddenly his hand gripped around the edge of the hole and he started pulling himself out.

“
YES
!
C’MON KEITH!”
yelled Gavin punching at the air as Keith rose up.

But he only got so far!

He got as far as getting his head and one shoulder out through the hole but then he stopped! He shifted and jerked around like he was trying to free himself, and even though half of his face was hidden behind dust masks that sat awkwardly over his chin, the others on the ground could see the terror on his face. The looming shadow of infected people moved closer working its way up the flume like a snake!

“I’
M STUCK
!”
he yelled
,
“I’M FUCKING STUCK!”

“
LOOSE THE BAG
!”
yelled Gavin
,
“
LOOSE YOUR FUCKING BAG!”

Dean stood beside Gavin ready to catch Keith expecting him to literally fall out of the flume any second. Keith bobbed and ducked and kicked but it was no use he was still caught somehow.

“
KEITH! LET GO OF THE BAG
!”
yelled Dean
,“
JUST SLIP IT OF
F
. QUICKLY!”

The darkness in the flume pushed closer and from the ground the others could see arms reaching out from the infected shadowy snake towards Keith. The sound of the infected people squeezing up the flume was loud and sounded awkward. Ann hated it. The sound of their unnatural calls coupled with their fists and feet sliding, slapping and kicking against the fiberglass and each other unnerved her. They were trying to reach Keith no matter what. Nothing else mattered to them!

“
FOR FUCK SAKE KEITH
,
JUMP!”
yelled Gavin through gritted teeth looking up at him. Sam spun around in circles bouncing up and down on his rear legs looking up at the flume barking.

Then Ann screamed so loud that it hurt Dea
n’
s ears
.
“KEEEEEITH JUUUMP!”

Sam howled with her and both brothers looked at Ann thinking for a split second that sh
e’
d seen infected coming for them through the fog of black snow. Ann was
n’
t looking in to the ash though, she was looking straight up, straight passed Keith. Dean and Gavin glanced at each other then looked up. At first they could
n’
t see anything. Then they both gasped! A thick shadow moved down the flume towards Keith from the top. One or more of the infected had climbed in to the top of the flume and were coming down from the top.

The brothers looked at Keith as he struggled to get free and kicked reaching hands away at the same time. They both screamed together
,
“FUCKING JUUUMP!”

But he could
n’
t. He was caught somewhere!

Black fingertips some of them just fleshy stubs brushed over his stomach, pinching his jacket searching for something to grab on to. He could
n’
t take his eyes off them. He batted them away like he was batting a wasp with his bare hands and not wanting to touch them. He managed to wriggle his right arm free of the rucksac
k’
s sling and he reached all the way out.

Yes
,
he thought
,
I’ve done it, I’m going to do it, I’m gonna make i
t
. And then he realised that the others already safe on the ground were in a state of extreme panic. He knew by the way they were acting that he was running out of time. He grabbed the edge of the broken fiberglass flume and pulled hard about to throw himself out when suddenly something pinched him from behind just above his right hip. Excruciating pain shot through him. He reached around at his side in agony and his hand touched one of them! Horrified he yelled out pulling his hand away and struggled to look!

He saw a mottled bald head pulling away from him with a piece of him in its mouth!

It had bitten him and it had opened up his side pulling and tugging at him like a wild animal and now he was bleeding badly! Overcome by shock and consumed with pain Keith watched as another infected person pushed up between the others and reached out for him. There was nothing he could do. He was trapped! He felt inquisitive fingers prodding and searching him, then he screamed louder than he thought he ever could as the figure found what it wanted and thrust its greedy mauled hands deep inside him through the wound!

Within an instant he was surrounded as the infected figures slid up against him from above and below him and excitedly tore in to him smiling at him with their exposed jaws as they pulled him inside out! As the others screamed his name wanting him to jump Keit
h’
s nervous system took over once more and he kicked and punched and slapped and jerked, he even spat! From the ground it looked like he was having a seizure of some sort as he twitched out of control banging against the fiberglass like it was a drum. Ann looked away horrified that this was happening so close to her and yet so far away, she was guilt ridden that she could
n’
t help.

Keith disappeared below the jagged edge of fiberglass screaming over and over as his silhouette merged with the writhing shadow of the infected as he was consumed by them.

Tears streamed down An
n’
s face fogging up her goggles. Dean looked at her and clasped hold of her shoulder, looking at him she saw that he was crying as well. Tears were catching inside his goggles and pooling against his cheeks.

“C’
mon
,”
he said
,“
w
e’
ve gotta go. W
e’
ll grieve later
.
”

Then in silence they ran away from the screams of their friend as he occupied the rabid flesh hungry infected.

They ran as fast as they could across the Bught Park playing fields making sure to avoid the rugby posts on a pre determined route the
y’
d decided on in the night. They were heading straight for the Eastgate Shopping Centre. The
y’
d all agreed the previous night that if there was anywhere else in town that could have been commandeered as a rescue centre other than the leisure centre, then it would be there, and knowing the
y’
d be passing right by it on their way through town, they thought it an ideal midway point to aim for....

Leann opened her eyes slowly, and as they adjusted to her darkened surroundings they fixed on the twisted tube of dark green glass that was the dead neon Starbuck
s’
sign. She stared at it confused.

Everything was dark. Everywhere she looked was dull and grey and hidden in shadow. For a split second she could
n’
t figure out where she was. Sh
e’
d forgotten what had happened. She wondered why she was
n’
t at home, until she remembered and it all came rushing back, all at once, and it hit her hard. She remembered what had happened the night before, the hiding, the running, the fighting, more running, and Thom!

She felt ill and her thoughts turned to her mum and she sat up on her sofa thinking
,
I need to get home
.
She hoped that her mum was ok, that she was safely locked away in their little flat. Then Collin started to sit up on his sofa just along from hers. He looked at her and she forced a smile and said
,“
Morning
.
”

Collin nodded rubbing his eyes
.“
Morning
,”
he said sitting up fully, swinging his legs over the edge. Looking around he noticed that And
y’
s stately looking high backed wing-chair was empty.

He nodded towards it and said
,“
Do you know where Andy is
?
”

Leann shook her head
.“
Dunno
,”
she said
,“I’
ve literally just opened my eyes
.
”

Collin sighed and said
,“
H
e’
s probably patrolling eh
!”
Leann nodded, and then as if right on cue.

Andy appeared behind them from around the corner coming from the main aisle startling Collin slightly.

“
Hey guys
,”
he said
,“
yo
u’
re finally up
!
”

“
What time is it
?”
asked Leann.

“
Ten past ten
,”
replied Andy.

“What
!
Why did
n’
t you wake us
?”
said Leann
,“I’
ve got to get home to my mum
.
”

“
Yea, and
I’
ve gotta get back to my grandparents
.”
said Collin.

Andy raised both his palms in a friendly manner
.“
Whoa guys, hang on
,”
he said
,“
I only woke up five minutes ago myself with something or someone banging at the doors down stairs. Tha
t’
s where
I’
ve just been. I was gonna wake you both when I got back but now I do
n’
t need to
.
”

Leann frowned and said
,“
Hmm. What was the banging
?
”

“
I do
n’
t know! It stopped by the time I got there, but I did see a couple of figures through the ash. It was probably them
!
”

“
Them as i
n
THEM!”
said Collin.

Andy nodded.

“SHIT!”
said Leann
,“
the
y’
re still out there
?
”

“I’
m afraid so
,”
said Andy
,“
but at least ther
e’
s been no more action from the other end of the overpass. I
t’
s been quiet all night on that front
.
”

Andy did
n’
t tell them that the infected guy they thought h
e’
d killed was still crawling around in there. He reasoned that telling them would just make things uneasy for all of them. For now Andy was at peace just to leave him there. He was certain that the guy was
n’
t in pain.

“
Well, tha
t’
s something
,”
said Collin yawning.

Andy nodded and said
,“
Ther
e’
s still running water in this place. I
t’
s cold, but it still running. If you two go and freshen up, w
e’
ll go and rustle up some breakfast and discuss getting out of here ok
.
”

They both nodded wearily and headed off to the toilets. Watching them go Andy sat down in his chair to wait for them and thought about leaving. He played out some of the various scenarios in his head that h
e’
d thought about continuously throughout the night and he was doubtful.

He knew they both had family, and he understood that they wanted to be back at home with them, and know that everyone was safe. But he could
n’
t help wondering what was left out there
,
o
r
what waited for them.

He thought the
y’
d be safer staying put at least for the time being.

The others returned looking a little more awake and with their eyes fully adjusted they made their way down to the sandwich bar the
y’
d had the good fortune of finding open the night before. Andy looked over what was left and figured that they had enough for lunch and dinner, and maybe even breakfast tomorrow as well if they stretched it out and the food was still edible. After that they would have to source their food from somewhere else. He knew that would
n’
t be a problem as there were lots of food outlets in the shopping centre that would have pre packaged food and the likes that had a much longer shelf life. He just did
n’
t want to go around breaking in to them until he absolutely had to.

The three of them sat around a plastic table on the ground floor and ate sandwiches for breakfast.

Andy noted how hard the bread was becoming already, and thought making the sandwiches last until tomorrow might not be an option after all.

After a short while of sitting in silence as they ate Andy spoke up
,“
Listen guys, how well prepared were your families? I mean did they stock up on longer lasting foods and bottled water and all that like the news advised people to do
?
”

Leann swallowed her mouth full and said
,“
Me and my mum only live in a tiny two bedroom flat, so we do
n’
t have room for loads of stuff but we got in what we could. Mum was able to take home a giant tub of beans and some jumbo packs of macaroni from the school where she works in the canteen
,
oh yea
,
and a sack of some sort of flavoured rice that the kids do
n’
t really eat. The headmaster was letting the staff and any parents that wanted it, take it. I
t’
s going out of date anyway, and I used my staff discount to buy a couple of cases of bottled water from work and tha
t’
s all we really had room for. We both thought that the authorities or whatever would have it all under control pretty quickly seeing as they knew what was happening in Europe you know. We thought the
y’
d be ready for the ash and the power cuts you know. Besides we do
n’
t have much spare cash to be buying lots of food, our ren
t’
s really expensive and mum does
n’
t get paid that much, and nor do I and...
.
”

Andy nodded and raised his palm stopping her, he could hear she was getting defensive.

“
Tha
t’
s cool
,”
he said
,“
it sounds like you both did what you could with what you had, and it sounds like yo
u’
ve both done pretty decent job
.
”

Leann nodded
.“
Yea, we did
,”
she said.

Then Andy turned to Collin and asked
,“
What about your grandparents Coll
?
”

“
Yea
,”
he said looking up
,“
they stocked up a bit. Probably not as much as they coul
d’
ve, because they were
n’
t using the car to go shopping. The weathe
r’
s been pretty bad, and my Grandda
d’
s driving is
n’
t that good anymore you know. Andy nodded
.“
So they were using the bus to go shopping, so they had to carry everything from the shop to the bus stop, and then from the bus to the house, and the bus sto
p’
s quite a walk from the house, for them at least, especially trying to carry the shopping in the snow you know. So they could have had...
.
”

Andy cut in
,“
I
t’
s ok Collin, i
t’
s not a competition. I just want to know how well stocked up they are seeing as things are much worse than anyone thought
.
”

Collin nodded understanding
.“
Yea, ok, sorry
,”
he said and continued.

“
Well they stocked up ok I suppose. All the kitchen cupboards were full to bursting with tins of stuff. They always are, plus Gran had tins across the counter stacked three high or something like that, and there were a couple of crates of water in the garage. My Granddad loves cream soda so h
e’
s been cleaning the bottles and refilling them with water as well
.
”

Andy was nodding. He said
,“
Sounds like the
y’
re pretty well stocked up to me, the way you started I thought you were going to say that they had
n’
t stocked up at all
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s your point
?”
asked Leann.

Andy answered quickly and dropped his bombshell
,“
I think w
e’
re better off staying here for as long as we can
.”
Leann started shaking her head before h
e’
d even finished.

“
Wait a sec Leann, just let me finish
,”
he said wanting to get his reasons across before she started to protest.

“
It sounds like your mum, and Colli
n’
s grandparents have all got enough food and water to get by for a good few days on their own, probably a lot longer...
.
”

Leann butted in
,“
Uh uh no way
I’
m not leaving my mum alone with those infected people, or whatever they are out there running around
.
”

Andy sighed taking a deep breath then said
,“
I know how it must be for the both of you. Being stuck in here knowing that those people, infected o
r
whatever’
s
wrong with them, are out there in the ash, and your families are stuck at home. But
I
seriousl
y
think that w
e’
re safer staying in here for a few more days
.
”

“And eat what?”
blurted Leann.

“
Ther
e’
s other food outlets in here
,”
said Andy.

“Oh yea!”
said Leann.

“Ye
a
,”
said Andy
,“
w
e’
ll have to break in to them, but the
y’
re here. And I think that given the circumstances i
t’
s understandable. I can do it carefully causing as little damage as possible. Then we can fend for ourselves for a few more days and see how things turn out. If the ash starts to clear, tha
t’
ll change everything. Being able to see will make it so much safer to go outside again, and by then the military might have arrived, or at least help of some kind. The fire brigade maybe or the police, maybe even the coast guard for all I know. Then w
e’
ll all be able to go home safely
.
”