“Ah’ll help ye, hen” Geri had risen to her feet, Jiyaa joining the Scots woman, and together, the trio had left the room, chatting as they went.
“Thank you for this, Mr Naughton” Doctor Green had nodded at the farmer from where he was standing just inside the door, and the man had waved a hand, dismissing his thanks with a smile.
“If me and Val can’t help out our fellow man, we don’t deserve saving ourselves. And that’s a fact”
“You are a good man” Lauren had told him, and he had shrugged, his head shaking once more.
“No, I’m just a man, its how everyone should act”
Now sat in the kitchen of the man’s home, Lauren couldn’t shake those words, her mind conjuring up images of the brave sacrifice of Mary in the elevator earlier to save Brandon, compared to the foul, cowardice of the men Nick and Peter.
It seemed while some people had become the best that they could be, others had devolved.
Now, with darkness having fallen completely, and their small party having all been fed a meal of hot soup and bread, cooked by Valerie and handed out by Geri and Jiyaa, they had spread about the farmhouse with the owners blessing.
Eric and Emily were both upstairs in a small bedroom, a recent check by Alice confirming that both had fallen asleep, and Lauren had managed to get Brandon asleep in the small room beside it, the young man hugging tight to the book that Alice had finally returned to him earlier. Shortly after eating, Valerie and Robert had made their excuses and retired to their own bedroom at the back of the farmhouse on the ground floor, leaving a pile of blankets for the others. As they had left, the porter, Marcus, had snatched a blanket in a hand and stormed off upstairs alone.
During all of this, Dog had stayed asleep upon the living room floor, a pillow beneath his head, and those still remaining had watched as Doctor Green and Bella had carefully removed his upper garments, and Lauren had winced as she had seen the bruising upon the left side of his ribcage, and then the shiny burns that covered his shoulders, and extended down onto his broad back. Shaking her head, wondering what had happened to the bearded man in his past, she had glanced up, watching the face of the woman, Bella, as she stared down at the naked chest of the man, a strange expression upon her face, then they had both turned to listen to the doctor as he had stated that he believed Dog had broken his nose and at least one of his ribs on his left side.
Carefully, the doctor had wrapped the man’s torso in bandages that he had taken from the ambulance earlier, and strapped a cold pack against the bruising, then sat back on a chair.
For a long while, they had all sat in the living room, lost in their thoughts, and then Jiyaa had fallen asleep in an armchair, her soft moans and sobs drawing the gaze of everyone as she began to call out in her own language, muttering the name Opinder, and Alice had explained in detail what had happened to her brother in the chapel.
As the Indian woman had sobbed aloud, Geri had nodded at the others, telling them to go and have a brew in the kitchen and that she would stay and watch over Dog and Jiyaa while they slept.
“I am going to try and get back to Newcastle tomorrow” the voice of Alice dragged Lauren from her thoughts, and she winced, turning to glance at the woman that was seated beside her.
“Are you sure its going to be safe?”
“No” Alice shook her head, “But I cant stay here”
Across the table, Doctor Green cleared his throat as he spoke, “I am sure Robert and Valerie are in no rush for any of us to leave…we don’t know how wide this is spread…there’s safety together!”
“I know” Alice winced, turning to glance at Bella beside her, “What do you think?”
“I wouldn’t risk it” she shook her head, then gave a shrug, “But I can’t tell you what to do”
“Maybe give it another day” Lauren suggested, nodding as she spoke as if that would convince the woman, suddenly, inexplicably afraid to lose this new friend, “Let’s just make sure its safe”
“How?” Alice sighed, smiling sadly, “We tried watching the news earlier but its not on…there is nothing on the radio…no-one is answering a phone, how are we supposed to find out how bad this is?”
“I think you have answered your question” Bella gave a shrug, “I think this is everywhere”
Alice winced, “I can’t think that…I can’t…I have a business…I have things to get back too…”
Her words trailed off as she stared at Bella, recalling that the woman had told them she had lost her grandparents, “Oh Bella, I’m sorry”
“Its cool” the silver-haired woman gave a sad smile, “Right, I am going to go and make sure Dog is OK, I’ll see you all when you come in”
As one, Alice, Lauren and Doctor Green had bid her goodnight, the physician rising politely as she had left the table before seating himself once more, and Lauren had nodded towards the living room, “I think she likes him”
“Who?” Alice had glanced at her, “Bella and Dog?”
The nurse nodded, and beside her Alice gave a soft chuckle, “They do seem quite close”
“They saved me” Doctor Green announced from the other side of the table, a haunted look in his eyes, “I was being chased but they saved me”
“And then you all saved us” Lauren nodded, chuckling softly as she raised her half empty cup of coffee in the air, “A toast…to new friends”
Smiling, Alice and the doctor did the same.
“To new friends”
Chapter Thirty Two
“Are you still awake?” the soft voice of Eric asked from across the other side of the bedroom, his voice a hushed whisper, and sighing heavily, Emily closed her eyes tight, trying not to bite.
“No, I’m asleep”
“Oh” her brother muttered, a heavy silence filling the darkness before his voice returned, thick with confusion, “You can’t be…you answered!”
“What do you want, you little turd” she groaned, staring up at the lighter shade of darkness that was the ceiling above her, “Go to sleep”
“I can’t” his reply came, “Can I get in with you?”
“What?” she cringed, raising her head off the pillow to stare through the dark room towards where he lay, “No way, you wet the bed”
“I do not” his reply was angry, “Not anymore”
“Whatever” she muttered, head shaking though she knew he couldn’t see her, “You’re not getting in here with me…that’s just weird”
“I don’t want to be on my own” he insisted, and she pictured his face screwing up, “Emily!”
“Ugh” the teenage girl gave a grunt, “Why don’t you go and find your new friend and talk to him”
Across the room, her brother gave a soft grunt of surprise, and she heard the bed creak as if he had sat up, “Brandon? Do you think he’ll be awake!”
She groaned, “I was joking you idiot”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“No?” she gave a bitter chuckle, “Go to sleep”
There was a moment silence and then his voice came once more, “Emily, I’m scared”
For a moment, she lay in the darkness of the bedroom, wanting more than anything to ignore the pleas of her younger brother but then the realisation hit her that he was all she had left.
The death of their granddad during the madness upon the road that morning had seen to that.
Had it really been that day?
It seemed so long ago now.
Closing her eyes, she pictured the man that she and Eric had lived with since their parent’s fatal car crash two years before when she had been eleven and Eric had just turned four years old, trying to feel some emotion other than shock at their granddads death but there was nothing.
In truth they had barely seen him since he had taken them in, spending the vast majority of his time slaving away in the small restaurant that he owned in Darlington, while she had become mother to Eric, feeding, cleaning and caring for him, while her friends had done teenage things.
“Emily” the voice of Eric sounded once more, thick with the promise of tears, and sighing, she flipped back the duvet atop her and groaned aloud, “For God sake, come and get in”
As she heard the soft chuckle and the pad of bare feet rushing across the bedroom floor she realised that she had been played but she went with it, cursing as he crawled across her, a knee catching her in the side and then he was laying upon his side next to her, “Thanks Emily”
“Move over” she moaned, pushing at him as she rolled onto her side away from him, “You stink”
“I don’t stink” he argued, and she cringed as she heard him suddenly sniffing as he lay beside her.
“What are you doing now?”
“Seeing if I do stink, my armpits do…you’re right”
“Ugh” she grimaced, sliding further away from him, her head shaking, “You are disgusting”
Her brother chuckled, and she sighed, “Sleep”
For what felt like an eternity, he began to twist and move behind her, patting at his pillow, and talking to himself and Emily groaned inwardly, knowing from her daily experiences of putting him to bed that this was going to take hours.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the house about them, blocking out the voice of her brother as she listened to the creaks of the floor downstairs as people walked about, and the ticking of a clock somewhere off in the distance, then raised her eyes to glance at the folded-up blanket beside the bed where the border collie, Lexie lay sleeping.
Emily winced as she recalled the moment the poor dog had received the injury, her stomach twisting in dread as she pictured Bella’s bigger dog, Castiel, as it had fought to stop Moonshine.
Moonshine.
She and Eric had only known him for a couple of hours, maybe less, but in that time, he had seemed like a nice man, and had helped Dog save them from what they were now calling ghouls.
Then he had become one and tried to kill her.
Her left hand rose to touch her throat as she cast her mind back to the ghoul crawling atop her, choking the life from her body but then Dog and Bella had been there, saving her once more.
Where were they now? Downstairs?
The last she had seen of Dog, he had been lying unconscious upon the floor of the farmhouse living room covered in blankets, Bella at his side and she frowned, realising with surprise that she was more concerned with the well-being of the bearded man than she had been her grandad.
“Emily” the soft voice of Eric whispered behind her and she sighed, opening her eyes as she rolled onto her back, her brother doing the same beside her. For a moment, he was silent and then he sighed, “Do you remember what mum and dad looked like?”
She winced, not having expected the question, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears, “Yes”
“Tell me”
She winced, “Mum was beautiful, she had long black hair, and the most amazing smile”
“What about dad?”
“He was the most handsome man ever”
“Like me?” Eric asked, and she laughed aloud.
“Yeah, totally like you”
“Good” his voice was soft, “I miss them”
She frowned, “Do you remember them?”
She saw him shake his head in her peripheral vision, his voice sad, “Not their faces, but I can remember their hugs…I liked their hugs
“Me too” Emily’s throat was suddenly tight with emotion and for several minutes they lay side by side in the darkness before Eric spoke again.
“Did they love me?”
“Yeah” Emily had to fight to keep her voice from shaking, a hand rising to wipe a tear from her left eye, “Stop asking stupid questions”
He gave a grunt, “Do you think they like me?”
“I just told you, mum and dad loved you”
“Eh?” he sounded confused, “No, Dog and Bella”
She rolled her eyes, smiling, “Yeah, I guess”
“Do we like them?”
The teenage girl gave a chuckle as she rolled on to her side, staring into her brothers face as he did the same, realising just how young and scared he looked, “I don’t know, do you?”
The boy frowned, “You are in charge of me”
She nodded, “But I can’t tell you who to like”
“Oh” he frowned, his features thoughtful for a moment before he nodded, “Then yeah, I do”
“Good” she rolled onto her back once more.
“Do you?”
“Like you?” she sent him a look of amusement, “I have to like you, you are all I have left”
Eric grinned at her words, “No, Dog and Bella”
She nodded in understanding, “I think so, they have kept us safe haven’t they”
“Yeah” he smiled, “They have…do you like the others yet…I think Brandon is my best friend”
Emily smiled, “You’ve just met him”
“Yeah, I know”
Turning to look at her brother once more, she shook her head and leaned quickly over, kissing him upon the forehead before rolling away, “Now go to sleep before I smother you”
“OK” he sounded happy, “Night Emily, I love you”
“Night” she smiled as she closed her eyes, her throat tightening once more as she realised for what felt like the first time how much she meant the words she was about to say, “I love you too”
Chapter Thirty Three
It was early when Alice awoke the next morning, stretching as she sat up in the armchair where she had fallen asleep, then blinked, momentarily confused as to where she was as she stared about the large living room, and those asleep around her, eyes straining in the darkness.
Then the reality of her situation, and the events of the previous day returned in a rush and she closed her eyes and lay back, her breathing shallow as she considered what had happened.
Sarah was dead. Society was in utter turmoil.
Feeling suddenly nauseous, she sat up quickly, pushing the blanket from her body, and then rose to her feet. Beside her on another armchair, Geri was asleep under a blanket, legs curled up, and on the sofa on the other side of the room, Lauren and Jiyaa lay at separate ends, sharing a duvet.
As she took a step towards the kitchen, she spied the empty armchair near the door, and frowned, realising that Doctor Green was not in the room, then turned to stare down at the pile of blankets that lay in the centre of the floor where Dog had been, though the figure of Bella still lay beside it on a rough bed made of blankets and pillows.
Frowning, Alice turned her head, listening for any sound from upstairs, but there was none, and had it not been for the absence of the men she might have thought she was the only one awake.
But they were gone from where they should be.
Panic surged through her like wildfire as she considered the possibility that ghouls had somehow managed to get into the farmhouse, only to dismiss it at once, her head shaking.
If ghouls had gained entry while they had been sleeping the chances were they’d all be dead.
So where were Dog and Doctor Green?
Stepping out of the living room into the dark corridor beyond, Alice began to creep along it in the direction of the kitchen where she had been sat with Lauren, Bella and the doctor the night before, hands rising to rub at her arms below her tee shirt, shuddering at the early morning chill.
She paused as she saw the flickering light of a candle upon the walls ahead and picking up her pace, turning as she reached the kitchen door only to gasp in terror as strong arms grasped her and held her still, a hand covering her mouth. For a moment, she began to resist then stopped as she heard the familiar voice of Dog whisper in her ear, “Don’t…fucking…move”
Eyes wide, she started to nod then froze, staring over his hand into the large kitchen beyond at Doctor Green, and Valerie and Robert Naughton. The kindly physician and the red-faced farmer were both seated at the table, their faces grim as they tried
to keep still, a small candle upon a plate in its centre casting strange patterns upon the walls as it danced and flickered, while the farmer’s wife stood halfway across the room as if frozen in place, a porcelain cup held in each of her hands, steam rising from their rims.
For a moment, Alice let her gaze stay upon the woman, studying her features intently, her eyes clamped shut and her lips pressed tight together.
Then the embalmer let her eyes drift a fraction to the right to stare past the farmer’s wife at the kitchen window, the blackout curtains drawn back less than a foot, but enough to reveal the calloused and cracked white-skinned features of a ghoul as it stared in at them, the thick mucus of its eyes appearing more like off milk than the chicken soup coloured orbs of those that they had seen yesterday. Heart hammering in her chest like a pneumatic drill, Alice watched in grim fascination as the ghoul suddenly moved its face closer to the window, its breath fogging up the glass as it peered inside, perhaps attracted to the farmhouse by the faint light from the candle.
Then it was gone, shambling off to their left, and releasing Alice, Dog moved quickly inside the kitchen, past Valerie and shut the curtains tight.
As the men at the table visibly relaxed, Alice leaned heavily against the door frame and shook her head, a hand rising to clasp at her chest while in the centre of the room, Valerie slowly opened her eyes, “Oh God, is it gone?”
“It is” Dog muttered, stepping away from the window to sit down at the table, a hand rising to clasp at his side over the bandages that the doctor had applied to him the night before, a frown creasing his features as he met the gaze of the physician, “I take it you fixed me up?”
“I did” Doctor Green nodded, smiling at the bearded man, “Or I did my best, you have a broken rib and a broken nose, you need rest”
Dog nodded at his words, smiling softly, and as Valerie placed the two cups that she was holding down upon the table in front of her husband and the doctor, she turned to Dog, “Cup of tea?”
Ghoul: The Beginning Page 19