The End of Everything | Book 8 | The End of Everything

by Artinian, Christopher

  Fear wasn’t a big enough word to encapsulate what Wren was feeling as she saw the massive throng of creatures tear towards her. When she had hatched the plan – plan might be a stretch – but when the idea had come to her, she had been convinced that she could outrun the beasts. As they headed towards her now, though, she was not so sure. The feebler-looking creatures who had been clamouring at the back of the horde to get to the lorry were pushed and jostled out of the way as the fitter, stronger, faster specimens barged to the front of the massive arrowhead that was shooting straight towards her.

  Even from her elevated position on top of the trolleys, she could not see right to the back of the growling, foul-smelling mass of bodies as it charged in her direction. She jumped down, feeling the trolleys give a little beneath her, hoping she wouldn’t land awkwardly—one sprain was all it would take for this chase to be over before it even began. Firm landing – bended knees – take a breath – start running, and don’t look back.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Robyn continued watching like a bewildered child as her sister disappeared down the street to her left with a legion of hellish monsters in pursuit of her. It was only as the last trailing few vanished out of sight that she turned her attention back to the lorry. What had she been thinking? No way was any of this going to end well. The fairy tale thoughts of Wren, Mila and her living some idyllic existence in their own place on the coast were a million miles away now as the stark reality of the situation made Robyn’s blood run cold.

  Just half a dozen creatures remained convinced that the bounty within the confines of the cargo compartment was still ascertainable. Was this what Wren had planned all along? A mad suicide mission into the heart of Inverness so that Robyn could swoop in like some building-leaping superheroine and save the day.

  What she wouldn’t give to turn back time. She felt sick to her stomach as she raised her bow and pulled an arrow from one of her quivers. Even with tears in her eyes, picking these creatures off one by one was like shooting fish in a barrel. The last one fell and she retrieved two of the ropes from her rucksack. She walked across to the doorway and tied the ends of each to the sturdy brackets on the inside of the door that had once held a fire extinguisher firmly in place but now held nothing but a sliver of hope for the people inside that lorry.

  Robyn walked back to the edge of the building and threw both ropes down. They hit the pavement below, and she gave each one a firm tug, looking towards the doorway one final time before beginning her descent. I really hope all this wasn’t for nothing.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The network of rooftop hideaways and getaways Wren had constructed since she had first set foot in the city so many months ago was something she had been proud of … if only there had been someone around to crow to. It had been her brain as much as her speed that had got her out of so many tricky situations in these streets and now, as hundreds of flesh-hungry beasts chased her down as if she was the last living girl on the planet, it would be her smarts and planning once again that would save her.

  She took a hard left and dared to throw a quick glance over her shoulder. She had a good twenty-five metres on the horde for the time being as they continued to jostle and vie for position. Each corner, each bend slowed them a little due to their sheer number. She saw the odd trip and stumble, but with this many, any real victory would only be won when she pulled one of her aces from her sleeve.

  The ground vibrated beneath her feet, and the chorus of growls pushed at her back like a wave forcing her to move faster and faster. I wonder how long it will take for Bobbi to get them all out of there. Maybe another couple of hundred metres, and I can start thinking about my exit strategy.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Robyn’s feet hit the ground, and she immediately removed the bow from her back once more and nocked an arrow just in case. Her head swung left then right and she held her breath as she walked across to the overturned lorry. The throng of hammering beasts had managed to cause substantial damage to the bodywork, and as Robyn placed her hand around the sliding bolt to release the door, part of her dreaded what she might see. The vehicle must have been travelling at some speed when it went over. The black tyre marks had weaved from side to side ever since the corner and the people inside must have been battered black and blue at best. What if…

  Only one way to find out. The bolt shrieked as she dragged it across and Robyn jumped back expecting the door beneath it to fall forward. She heard movement inside and stepped back even further, raising her bow once more, a little scared at what she might see. She heard the internal bolt squeak out of its housing; then there was a loud metallic clatter as the bottom door fell forward and Robyn’s muscles tensed. She backed further away and bent a little to see if she could see what was going on in the overturned compartment.

  A middle-aged man crawled out and threw his hands up as he saw the bow aiming straight towards him. “Err… There are a few of us in here. We don’t mean any harm. We’ve been trapped. We thought those things were going to get in; then we heard some shots and we—”

  “I’m looking for my friend.”

  The man stared at her, still shell-shocked. “I...”

  Suddenly, another figure crawled out to join him. Robyn’s mouth fell open and she lowered her bow. The second figure remained on all fours for a moment staring towards the archer in disbelief, and all Robyn could do was stare back. She couldn’t help it, she started to cry again, but she was not alone. The woman scrambled to her feet and with streams of tears running down her face too she ran across to where Robyn was standing.

  Robyn dropped her bow to the ground, and the pair embraced. “You came to find me,” Mila rasped as Robyn’s hair wisped against her face. Robyn did not reply; she just squeezed harder as more prisoners emerged from the upturned lorry.

  “I’m guessing this is your friend?” the middle-aged man asked, walking across to join them.

  The two women did not speak for several more seconds, they just held each other, but, eventually, Mila broke the embrace and took a step backwards. “Rod, I would like you to meet Robyn.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Sweat seemed to coat Wren’s entire body as she took a right turn this time. The creatures had not lost any ground, but, more importantly, they hadn’t gained any. A hundred metres ahead, there was an alley on the left-hand side. It led to the back of the chemist shop where she had met Mike for the first time. Somehow it was fitting that the same place would now be her salvation. She cast another look back over her shoulder. Yes, now was a good time, she was starting to tire, but when she got to the alley, the real work would begin. The only access to the roof was by rope. It was one she had always left dangling, just in case, but the climb was exhausting at the best of times. She would have to put all she had into it to make sure she got away from these things.

  She took the sharp left turn and nearly collided with a green recycling bin; she halted for a second, placed the Glock in the back of her jeans, and heaved the bin over before continuing to sprint down the narrow backstreet as fast as she could. The sound of clattering thuds chased her up the alley, and she looked back and smiled to see her plan had worked. The lead creatures had not had enough time to register the obstacle and try to negotiate their way around it. Instead, they had tripped and stumbled, causing those behind them to do the same and buying Wren valuable seconds. She turned back to her direction of travel, finally emerging into the small loading bay.

  She ran across to the blue climbing rope and took hold of it in both hands. Wren tugged hard and placed one then the other foot against the brick surface of the wall. She was already six feet off the ground—I’ve done it, I’ve done it. There was a loud clang above her, and suddenly she felt herself plummeting to the ground. “Aaaggghhh!” the contents of her rucksack stabbed her in the back as she landed heavily and awkwardly.

  She lay there for just a second, wondering what the hell had happened, but then, as she saw the vent duct the rope was secured to falling towards
her, she understood perfectly. She rolled once, twice, three times as it smashed down onto the concrete beside her. She moved her hand up to the back of her head. It was wet again. The fall had reopened the wound from earlier on. She was winded, in pain and now had no earthly idea of how she was going to get out of this mess.

  Still a little dazed, she looked up the alleyway as the first creatures gathered themselves and began to storm towards her once more. Oh no!

  chapter 21

  The joy she felt at seeing Mila alive was short-lived as the cost suddenly hit her like a runaway train. “Wren was the one who led them away,” she said, looking down the street towards the two trolleys.

  “Wren? Your Wren? You found her?” Robyn nodded. “So where is she? Where are Candice, Aiden and the others? Come, I want to meet the girl who just saved our lives.”

  Robyn swallowed hard again. “The kids are safe, a long way from here, but Wren … that’s the thing, she led them away. They all went after her, Mila. She—”

  “We will find her.” At first, Mila had not fully understood when Robyn had told her that her sister had led them away. She assumed that Wren had a plan to return. But as she looked into her friend’s eyes and saw the pain and sadness there, she understood perfectly.

  Robyn laughed hopelessly. “You sound just like her. That’s what she said about you.”

  “Ja, see, and she was right. I like her already, we have much in common.”

  “Mila, one minute she was there, the next she was gone; she didn’t even say goodbye.”

  “So, it is not goodbye. She just didn’t want doubts putting into her head.”

  “Mila—”

  “What was the plan to get us out of here?”

  Robyn pointed across to the ropes. “Wren had this whole rooftop getaway thing figured out.”

  “I see you still have your swords,” Mila said, looking at the crisscrossed handles protruding from behind Robyn’s shoulders. “I will borrow them, yes?”

  “You’re not listening to me. She—”

  “Stop. For months all I heard was Wren this, Wren that. ‘My sister is a genius, she is a super athlete.’ For most, heading into the city would be a death sentence. Not so for someone like her … like us.” Mila turned around to look at Rod, who was standing with the others, feeling incredibly lucky to be out in the open once again. “Get everyone onto the roof.”

  He looked at her blankly for a moment. “Err … I don’t understand.”

  “What is confusing about that sentence?” She pointed across to the ropes hanging down from above. Get everybody onto the roof. We will be back shortly.”

  “What are you talking about, back shortly? Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “Robyn’s sister led those things away. We are going to find her.”

  “Don’t you think if she led them away, she had some kind of idea about how to get back?”

  “Tell me, did you plan to get caught in—”

  “Wait a minute. Rod? Your name’s Rod?” Robyn said, coming to her senses.

  “Yeah, why? I’ve already heard most of the jokes if that’s what you’re—”

  “Izzy’s waiting for you,” Robyn blurted.

  Rod looked dumbstruck for a moment. “Izzy? My Izzy? How do you know her? Waiting where?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Look. This is madness; you can’t just head off into the city.” The sound of the creatures could be heard somewhere in the distance, but where they were and what they were doing would hopefully forever remain a mystery to him. “You can’t go. If you know where my sister is, you need to take me to her.”

  Robyn let out a sigh. “Look, if we don’t come back, you’ll be able to figure out the way back across the rooftops. Head out of the city, over the bridge. You’ll see a white van. There’s a farm just a little way past it to the right. You can’t see it from the road, but it’s there. That’s where your sister is. That’s where there are a bunch of people waiting for you—” she glanced towards the others “—for all of you.”

  Rod continued to look gobsmacked. A few minutes before they had been preparing to say their goodbyes to each other as well as the world, but now … now he was going to see his sister again. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Ha! This is a first time, yes?” Mila said with half a smile.

  “Listen, Rod,” Robyn said. “If we don’t come back, my sister’s dog, Wolf, is at the house. Make sure you look after him.”

  Rod regarded Robyn for a few seconds. “No way should you two be going out there alone. Look, let me get one of the rifles from the cab and I’ll come with you.”

  “Ah yes, an old man with a loud gun. Just what we need in a city full of zombies,” Mila said.

  “I’m forty-two, you cheeky little—”

  “Yes, almost double my age. We won’t get around the corner before you need carrying.”

  “Wow! It’s a real mystery how you’re still single,” Rod replied, smiling.

  Mila smiled too before throwing her arms around him. “We will be careful. These people need you. We will be back.”

  “Thank you,” Rod said, looking towards Robyn.

  “I didn’t do anything. It’s my sister you need to thank.”

  “You did plenty, but I’ll make sure I thank her when I see her too.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  It was one of those moments when everything switches to slow motion. Wren had them plenty of times before. Especially on the track. They were pivotal, they were the moments when either everything started going right or everything started going wrong. At this precise second, it felt like the clever money was on the latter, but one thing that Wren would never, ever do was give up. She quickly glanced around the small loading bay to see nothing but solid fire doors that would take an age to break open and two small, just above head height, frosted glass windows. A window it is then. All the creatures were after her; all the creatures knew where she was. No point in being subtle, I suppose. She withdrew the Glock and aimed it at one of the panels, squeezed the trigger, and the glass imploded.

  She shot a quick, terrified glance back to the alleyway to see the nearest creatures were no more than ten metres from her now. No time to shove a bin underneath the window. No time for anything but jumping and hoping.

  Eight metres was hardly a run-up, but it was all she had. The gap was narrow, too narrow for her and the rucksack, and there was no crash mat on the other side. This was going to hurt … really hurt, but it beat the alternative.

  Six metres—the rumble of the creatures’ feet and the growls had been ever-present, but as the first rampaging beasts raced into the small loading bay, a fresh dimension of realism and horror lent itself to the noise. She flicked her backpack off and tucked the pistol in the back of her jeans as she ran. This was bad, really, really bad. Without her rucksack, all she had was the knife and the gun.

  Four metres—a rat the size of a well-fed chihuahua scurried out from behind a bin sending another wave of panic through her. Its black eyes stared directly at Wren and even through all the other noise she heard the creature’s high-pitched, excited squeal as it leapt towards her, misinterpreting her advance for an attack.

  Two metres—she ducked slightly, feeling the massive rodent brush against her T-shirt at the exact same second she launched into the air.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Robyn and Mila were already running past the Co-operative store in the direction Robyn had seen the massive horde disappear when they heard the shot ring out. They only had a vague inkling of the general direction it had come from as the echoes gradually dissipated.

  Mila looked across to her friend and saw the worry and panic on her face. “This is good. If she is shooting, she is still alive.”

  “Why the hell is she shooting in the first place?”

  “Maybe she wanted to keep their attention. Maybe she was running too fast and losing them. Maybe…”

  “You were saying.”

 
“I don’t know. But we will find her soon, and then we will know exactly why she was shooting.”

  Robyn knew Mila was just trying to make her feel better, and part of her was grateful, but a bigger part just wanted her to stay quiet. She looked across and caught her reflection in the window of a long-abandoned bank. This was crazy, two young women, one with a bow, one with two swords strapped to her back, running into a city flooded with flesh-craving monsters wanting nothing more than to take a chunk out of them.

  She turned her head back to the empty street ahead and kept running for a moment. There were a number of left and right turns, but instinct told Robyn that Wren would have taken the widest of them to begin with to make sure that all the creatures stayed in pursuit while she rescued the occupants of the lorry.

  “Down here,” Robyn said, increasing her pace a little.

  “How do you know?”

  “Gut feeling.”

  They carried on sprinting, and as they reached the junction at the end, they picked up the familiar sound of the horde’s song.

  They looked left then right and both locked eyes on one of the infected as it dragged its broken body along using its right arm. Robyn and Mila ran towards it, stopping just before they reached it. It heard their approach and clumsily tried to swivel around to see them. It was a huge effort for the beast. Its legs were paralysed, its left arm was snapped at the elbow, and half of its back looked like a steam roller had driven over it.

  “At least we know we’re heading in the right direction,” Mila said, withdrawing one of her swords and putting the beast out of its misery. She wiped off the blade and looked at it for a moment before placing it back in its scabbard. “I did not think I would ever hold a sword again.”

  “And I didn’t think I’d ever have to go looking for my sister again, but here we are.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  High jump had always been one of Wren’s favourite events in the heptathlon, but this was hardly that high, and there would be no Fosbury flop or soft landing. She stretched her arms out in front of her as if she was diving into a pool. All it would need was for one single thing to go wrong and it would all be over. Can’t think like that. It’s got to work.