by Oliver Smith
“Sure kiddo, that sounds fun.” Jack said with a smile, his eyes still red from his tears. He felt that warmth in his stomach that often followed a bout of tears.
“What are you drawing?” Jack asked as he approached the table.
“It’s me, you and Lucy.” Chloe said holding up the piece of paper proudly.
“It’s brilliant, you’re very talented.” Jack said and he wasn’t lying. The drawing was good for a seven-year-old. She had drawn herself in-between Lucy and Jack holding hands with each other, they were all smiling in a sunny setting. It was beautiful to Jack.
“Thanks, I made it for you and Lucy. I’m glad you rescued me.” Chloe said looking seriously.
“We’re a family now aren’t we.” Jack said, not as a question, but more of a statement, giving the girl a little cuddle as he sat down next to her.
“I think so, I know you’re not, but you’re like my mummy and daddy now.” Chloe said, looking sad.
The statement of frankness from Chloe threw Jack a little and he had to pause to gather his thoughts, finally he spoke, hoping to say the right thing, “We are, and we’ll take care of you. Do you want to talk about your mummy and daddy? We’ve not really spoken about it and I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Me and Lucy speak about them. I miss them, and it makes me sad. I should have made them stay home with me; I could have stopped them going out.” Chloe said.
“You couldn’t have known; nobody knew what was happening. It’s not your fault and you shouldn’t blame yourself for anything.” Jack said holding her hand.
“They might come back, even if they’re monsters, they might get better and see the note you left and come looking for me.” She said hopefully.
“They might just do that. It’s good to hope. My mum and dad are out there somewhere making their way back here too.” Jack said smiling, “Shall we draw something together? What would you like to draw?” He moved the conversation on as he didn’t want to give the girl too much false hope.
“Can we draw some horses in a field on a farm? I like horses.” Chloe began to draw before she’d even finished talking, the choice of muse was chosen.
-
Lucy had been listening from the dining room and smiled to herself. She thought to herself that she didn’t need to pull Jack out of his mood, he’d done it himself, or Chloe had. She had listened to the two of them talk and her heart had melted a little and felt tears form in her eyes, through sad happiness. Maybe she was falling in love with Jack, she didn’t know, but she liked what she saw.
-
That evening Chloe slept in the room next to Jack and Lucy. Lucy and Jack made love slowly and wrapped themselves together once again. The closeness growing stronger with each intimate moment they shared. After they had exhausted themselves, they lay in bed in the darkness and talked.
Lucy asked, “What should we do now?”
“I’m tired so might go to sleep.” Jack joked, knowing Lucy wasn’t talking about this precise second.
“You know what I mean.” She said with humour in her voice.
“My friend lives in a village called Greyholt a few miles from here. He’s got a farm and the means to grow things on an industrial level, plus the knowhow which is a big bonus considering I’ve killed every house plant I’ve ever owned.
“I’d like to go over there tomorrow and see if he made it. I’m certain he will have, he’s tough.” Jack said thoughtfully.
“Okay, shall we come with you?”
“No, I don’t think so, it’s not far and I know this area like the back of my hand so if the car finally stops working I can leg it over the fields and come back here. It’ll be better on my own and I know you hate me doing this, but I’d feel better if you two stay here.”
“Leg it over the fields? You’re back in Yorkshire five minutes and you’re already talking like it.” Lucy was smirking although Jack could only sense it through her voice as he couldn’t see her in the darkness.
She continued, “You don’t have to look after me you know. I’m perfectly capable, although I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I’m here for you too and I want to protect you and Chloe.”
“I know and I’m sorry, but I just can’t help myself. Call me old fashioned or a chauvinist pig, I’m not really like that, I just, you know, I care about you and I selfishly lose my head when you’re in trouble. I can’t help it.”
“I know and I’m only partly teasing you. I think you’re quite wonderful, but we need to work together as a team if we’re going to survive. You and me need to take care of Chloe and that means we’ll both have to take occasional risks.”
“Okay, deal, but I still won’t like it. And, by the way, quite wonderful? I’m fully wonderful don’t you know.”
Lucy laughed, “I’ll give you that, but that’s only because I’ve just had my wicked way with you and I’m high on endorphins, we’ll see how I feel in the morning.”
Jack laughed this time, “I’ll just have to make sure we find a way to keep those endorphins topped up tomorrow then.”
They drifted off leaving the melancholy of the day behind them with thoughts locked firmly on the future.
Chapter 34 - The Farm
The following morning Chloe, Lucy and Jack ate tinned fruit for breakfast in the garden, it was warm, and the birds were singing. The air was fresh and the world seemed like a better place than it did the previous day. The three of them were more relaxed having had a night’s rest. There was little to concern them with the outside world as they sat locked away in the secure garden, the front of the house had all the curtains drawn so they were oblivious to any threat. Jack explained to Chloe that he was going to see a friend and that Lucy and she were going to spend the morning in the house together. Lucy had laid out flour and yeast on the table and told Chole she was going to teach her how to make bread.
At about 10:00am, Jack said his goodbyes and went around through the back garden, checked over the gate for any lurking danger and climbed over it rather than leaving it unlocked. He’d done that trick quite a few times as a teenager for no other reason than the joy of climbing the gate. He walked to the road and glanced left and right to see if there were any dead, there were none, so got in the car and drove off, worry rising in the pit of his stomach as he left the two girls alone.
Driving out of the village, Jack didn’t see any dead, he did notice curtains twitching, but no real signs of life. It struck him that his childhood home hadn’t managed to salvage the community spirit that they’d encountered in the hills, but this didn’t surprise him. When he was young, the village was full of colourful characters, aging characters who were brought up in the area and lived and worked all their lives in a short radius of their homes. As house prices went up and the older generation died off, the village turned into a commuter belt, younger generations couldn’t afford houses, so it became filled with affluent middle aged families who wanted an idyllic setting not too far away from the large cities and towns. The once thriving community spirit died with the generation before it.
To get to Greyholt, Jack needed to skirt around a little town called Strongborough, it was where he went to high school and held many memories for him, he passed his friends parents’ house along the way and wondered about their welfare. Upon reaching the outskirts of the town, the dead started to be visible again and he shuddered at the sight of them, once again reminded about the state of the world. The car wasn’t faring well either, its steering was becoming increasingly erratic and it pulled to the left considerably, so he tried to avoid collisions at all costs. He took the bypass which ran parallel with the A1 motorway, to dodge Strongborough town centre, and found it was quiet. Before he turned down the bypass he had to pass over the A1 and looked down at the carriageways and saw the familiar sight of cars strewn across both sides of the motorway with several hundred of the dead ambling around the vehicles, all heads looking up to the sound of Jack’s car.
Jack continued the jo
urney in silence, weaving around abandoned cars and the dead. Looking in the rear-view mirror he could see that quite a few of the dead had climbed the verge of the motorway and were stuck at the fence between the bypass and the A1, he was careful not to attract any more on the way towards Greyholt, the last thing he wanted to do was jeopardise his friend’s safety.
The roads leading to the small village were narrow and abandoned and as he entered the village, it looked pretty much the same as he remembered. A little further in, he saw mounds of mud at the sides of the road, they looked like they’d been dumped there to form a barrier. Further in still and he found that people were working on various projects, they stopped what they were doing and looked up to the car, all staring with suspicion towards Jack entering their space. He decided he’d continue on regardless and not speak to any of them. He came to his friend’s house and drove past it and parked a distance away out of habit; not wanting to alert any of the dead to his presence. He knew it was pointless as there obviously weren’t any lurking around with the men and women working a short distance up the road.
Walking into his friend’s farmyard he looked upon the expanse of fields and saw that everything looked how he remembered. It was a good sign and he was hopeful that his closest and oldest friend was safe and well. A diesel engine started noisily from the nearest barn and he walked over and saw a JCB idling and recognised the driver instantly.
“Hey, James!” Jack shouted, but James didn’t hear him as he shifted the JCB into gear and started to reverse.
Jack ran into James’s eye line and waved. James glanced back with a look of annoyance, but the recognition hit him, and he smiled. Stopping the JCB, he jumped out of the cab and said, “Fucking hell Jack. I thought you were a goner. I tried to call you, but your phone was dead!”
James grabbed Jack and pulled him close for a hug, “It’s fucking good to see you mate.” James rarely spoke without cursing.
“It’s a long story, but I’m still here and made it out of the west to come back home. How are you? How’s Beth?” Jack said, again wincing at himself, he hoped he hadn’t put his foot in it like he had with Danny.
“Beth is good, she’s getting big now, but she’s still as bossy as ever!” James said with a smile patting his friend on his back.
“Are you at your mum and dad’s house? Are they okay?” James asked.
“I am, but they’re not there. They’ve been up to Scotland in the campervan so I’m praying that they’re on the way back now.” Jack said attempting to sound positive.
“Come on, come inside and let’s have a drink. Let’s catch up. Fuck, I thought you were dead man. This shit is crazy.” James said as he bound over to the JCB leaning into the cab and turning it off.
-
Beth was tearful when she saw Jack, like James she’d assumed that he’d perished and hugged him tightly, she was five months pregnant and was big for how far gone she was. They sat at the table and Jack told them all what had happened and about Lucy and Chloe.
“She must be some woman. It’s the end of the world and I haven’t seen you smile as much as this for a long time. Crazy bastard.” James said, teasing Jack about Lucy.
“She’s amazing.” Jack said blushing.
Beth and James looked at each other and laughed.
“What’s going on here then? I saw those guys working outside, are they anything to do with you?” Jack asked.
“We’ve got big plans and I’m fucking amazed at how quickly we’ve grouped together. As you know I’ve always been an esteemed and important part of this ageing community.” James laughed at this thought and continued, “Well these old bastards called a meeting the first day that the situation looked really bleak and the whole of the village, or the ones that are still here, got together. We had a projector, all sorts of stuff, 21st century tech in this backwash of a village. Anyway, Roger, remember him? You and me did a waiting service for a big party of his when we were kids. Anyway, he did a whole presentation about how bad this shit was going to get and that we’d be fucked if we didn’t all pull together. He was compelling, and roped me in to lead this lot of old codgers. We’ve got a plan for survival here Jack and it all revolves around the farm. Who’d have thought that the farm would be the hub of the community once again? No more producing food for cattle for me, I’m going upmarket. Anyway, Roger made a lot of sense and I think he’s got a point, I saw the footage of the cities and how bad it was, I’m surprised your girl made it out of there. She must be something!”
Jack grinned, and James gave Beth’s hand a squeeze and continued his narrative, “We gotta plan for the future. Shit’s fucked, but we got a little one on the way and I want to build something for him or her. The way I see it, we can build something better for the next generation, shit was falling apart without all the dead roaming the street, if we get the chance, we can make things a damn sight better.”
“How bad have things been around here then?” Jack asked.
“Greyholt has been quiet. Because we all got together so quickly, that Roger is a wily old cat, we were prepared to take those fuckers down if we came across them. Anyway, Strongborough is pretty bad, they were caught out, so is Ripon, basically anywhere with a large population seems screwed.
“I assume you’ve seen the state of the A1? It’s full of those ugly bastards. That’s less than a mile from here, but if we stay under the radar and don’t make too much noise, they should waltz right past us. That’s the plan anyway, these things can’t go on forever without food, they’ll starve and as long as we can get by until that happens I figure we’ll be alright. Assuming the disease doesn’t mutate so that it becomes airborne, but then we’re all fucked so no point worrying about that.”
“When did you become a science buff? Mutating diseases, I remember you in set two for science.” Jack said enjoying being with his friend again.
“Remedial science, in-it.” James said laughing.
“Have you heard from Andy or Scott?” Jack asked about their two other close friends.
“Not from Andy, as you know he was in Manchester and I’m not hopeful, but no news is good news I guess. Scott is here though; he cycled over from Harrogate and managed the ten miles without getting his legs bitten! He’s working for the group and staying in the cottage over the road. He’s on lookout with a rifle in the far field. He’s good physically, but his Mum and Dad didn’t make it unfortunately. It’s a shit state of affairs. You know Scott though, doesn’t say much or open up, we’re keeping an eye on him.” James said gravely.
“Yeah.” Jack said, thinking about his friend Andrew who had a wife and three kids. He lived and worked in Manchester and wasn’t the best under stressful situations, Jack couldn’t help but think of the worst.
The three of them sat and talked for a while and Jack listened as James explained exactly what they’d done and what they were trying to do in Greyholt with their grand plans for survival. After a couple of hours James stood up and said he needed to get on or he’d be lynched by the community if he shirked his responsibilities. Standing, leaning against the back of the chair, James looked serious and said to Jack, “You, Lucy and Chloe should come here and be part of the project. I mean it. There’s a house a couple of doors down, John never came back from Leeds, it’s empty and would make a good home. We could do with some young blood around here, not that you’re young of course, but you’re a damn sight younger than the rest of these lot. Besides, you’re on your own in Eastloch, come on, you know you want to. Power in numbers my friend.”
“You’re right, I do want to, but I’ll need to convince the girls, I’m sure they’ll be okay with it.” Jack said thinking that this was what his new family needed.
-
Jack arrived back in Eastloch without incident. He jumped over the back gate and found Lucy and Chloe sitting in the garden chatting quietly. Upon seeing Jack, Chloe ran to him and gave him a hug around his waist, “I’m so glad you’re back.” She exclaimed with joy.
Lucy walked over to Jack and stroked his hand smiling at him, “Hi you.”
“Hello ladies, what a wonderful sight to see my two favourite girls.” Jack said enjoying the attention.
“How did you get on?” Lucy asked.
“Really good. I saw James and his wife Beth, I forgot to tell you that she’s pregnant. She’s looking really well. They’re building things there, come on inside and sit down, I want to discuss a few things with you.”
“Lead the way Jack, judging by your smile, I’m eager to learn more.” Lucy said smiling at him.
Sitting around the table Jack cut straight to the chase, “I think we should all go over to Greyholt to live. There’s a house there for us and they’re building a community.” He stopped and gauged their reaction.
Chloe was first to speak, “Okay, if we all go together.”
“If you think it’s for the best, then I’m in too.” Lucy said.
Jack was taken aback, he thought he’d have to do a hard sell, but realised he was the only one attached to the house they were sitting in, it was his childhood home, it was just another house to Lucy and Chloe. He said, “Oh, that was easy, I thought I was going to have to do more of a sales pitch, let me tell you a bit more about the place anyway, I think you’ll like it.”
“We’re all ears boss.” Lucy said with a wink.
“Well, where to begin, the start I guess would be good. As you know, they have a farm and they have a community. They’ve been organised from the start. They’re using the farm to grow food for everyone and they’re working every day to build a barrier around the place to keep the dead out. James has a JCB so they’re building a mud wall. They also raided the supermarket with a tractor and trailer and took most of the tinned goods they could find to keep them going in the short term and also the garden centre for fruit and veg seeds. By the sounds of it, they also have quite a few people with expertise in different areas, there’s even a doctor.” Jack said as he rushed through all the things that James had told him.