by John Riley
She looked down before she could stop herself and then away before looking at him,
'Who?' She asked, then looked up sharply when she heard what he had. The café they had fought almost directly outside of was filled with screaming angry creatures, all banging against the glass of the window and causing small spider-web cracks to spread across the surface.
'Run?' He suggested,
'Hell,' She glanced down at the three monsters at their feet and wished she hadn't, 'yes.'
9
Sarah hadn't hurt this much in years. Now that the adrenaline had gone she found her ankles were so stiff she could barely move them; her calves were burning just from standing up and her knees ached with a deep-set throbbing pain that only dulled if she kept them moving. Not to mention her back was in pieces her hands were scratched and white-hot lances of pain shot through her neck if she turned her head too far to the right. So, her new “friend” was walking too quickly.
Sarah knew how he must be feeling, not only was his entire world gone, the entire world might be gone, gone into the madness of people tearing their loved ones apart. If he hadn’t shown some sign of being affected she would have been worried. But still, he was walking too quickly,
‘M...Erm… Hey?’ She couldn’t remember what he had said his name was, ‘I can’t keep up, could we slow down a little?’
He turned his head back and saw her limping along as fast as she could and stopped,
‘Sorry,’ He ran a hand under his glasses and pushed them up, rubbing his eyes, ‘I… Just needed to get away from, that.’ His hand came down and gestured limply back down the path towards the trees still barely in view.
They had run as far as Sarah had been able to, a measly distance that had them half-way down the path beside the field. She had managed a punishing jog until the Cafe was safely out of view, punishing for her anyway. Miles hadn’t said anything to her but had taken the lead and not stopped until they were out of view. Then he had slowed to a quick march.
‘Thanks,’ Sarah managed a weak smile, bending over and holding her knees to get her breath back, ‘Are you… Ok?’
It was a stupid question, of course he wasn’t. But what was she supposed to say? “Oh, don’t worry I had to run from my Fiancé, I know how you feel”? She straightened, feeling like an idiot. He looked down at her and didn’t answer, no more than she expected or deserved.
‘So, these kids.’ He prodded, turning his back on the cafe.
‘Laura and Steven.’ She said, managing to push herself into a slow walk that didn’t hurt too much, ‘They’re brother and sister.’
‘Yours?’ He kept pace easily,
‘No, we ran into each other earlier.’ Sarah looked across to him, ‘They were being chased by their mother and I… dealt with her. We stuck together.’
‘Dealt with her like you dealt with my daughter?’ Miles asked, his tone flat.
Sarah stopped walking, Miles stopped with her and they turned to look at each other,
‘I...’ Sarah faltered,
‘I get a cryptic phone call from my wife to meet her outside, I leave my shop, see my wife and daughter and they… try to do whatever it is they want to do. Suddenly you’re there.’ He gestured back with a hand, pushing his glasses up his nose with the other, ‘Pushing me away, telling me to run and I do because… Well hell, I could see something was wrong. I break into my neighbour’s store, break out again and rob my own shop.’
Sarah could see he was getting angry, she didn’t think it was at her though.
‘My wife attacks me, my daughter attacks me and I break Harold’s neck.’ He clenched his fists at the last, ‘I like Harold.’
‘I’m, sorry.’ Sarah didn’t know what else to say. Surely, he knew she felt just as bad, she had lost a loved one to this thing too after all.
‘What the hell is going on!?’
Sarah felt stupid then. He was right, she had appeared out of nowhere and told him to run. She didn’t know what was going on, but she sure as hell knew more than him.
‘I went out last night with my Fiancé.’
‘I know, you told me.’ He interrupted, ‘they attacked you and you got separated.’
‘I ran.’ She muttered, ‘I realised he wasn’t with me once I had got out of the club.’
He didn’t say anything, just waiting for her to continue,
‘We were dancing… We heard the screaming and everybody started pushing further into the club, then I guess one of the monsters got in.’ Sarah shuddered at the memory, ‘Suddenly the crowd was pushing forwards, heading towards the entrance and Daniel was there, pushing me ahead. When we got outside I was so pressed in I couldn’t do anything, I got pushed over and fell out of the group. The monsters were outside too, they started killing people before I hit the ground. I managed to run, forgetting about Dan until I was almost safely away. When I turned around to look for him I saw the things climbing over a literal pile of bodies. Some were… twitching.’
‘How did they keep it quiet?’ Miles asked, his anger forgotten.
‘It wasn’t, there was screaming and shouting and people were coming out of other places to look and the things were seeing them and attacking them. Adding to the piles.’
‘I mean, why wasn’t it on the news?’ he amended with exasperation,
‘Oh… I don’t think anybody found out.’ She answered, ‘I think the bodies were swapped with the monsters or something. I got a phone call from the owner of the club, he had found Daniel’s phone and he didn’t know what I was talking about. I’ll be honest I thought I had gone mad until I met the kids.’
Miles’ eyebrows raised and she realised she must have sounded a little crazy just then,
‘I watched Dan kill our neighbours when he got home, that’s how I know it wasn’t him. But when he told me to look again they were fine, walking and talking and fine.’
‘They’d healed?’
Sarah’s expression blanked. What if they had healed? She had been running on the assumption that the bodies were swapped or something. If she was honest with herself she had hoped more than anything because the thought that Daniel could still be Daniel when he wasn’t with her made her die a little inside. But if the bodies had been swapped she guessed somebody would have seen where they had gone; unless they’d been… eaten. She shuddered visibly and returned Miles’ questioning stare,
‘So, you think those monsters are really still people?’ She raised an eyebrow, ‘You weren’t at the club last night, you’ve only seen them for a second, they’re different.’
‘I know.’ He stated. Sarah felt a little off-balance,
‘What do you mean, you know?’
‘Just, I know.’ He replied cryptically, ‘But what if whatever changed them and made them different to what they were, isn’t bad?’
‘You could go back and say hi to your family again if you like but I’m not.’ She said scornfully, she immediately regretted it when she saw it had hurt him, ‘I’m sorry, but you know I’m right.’
‘I don’t know anything.’ Miles huffed, ‘Except that my family is back there, whole and healthy.’
Sarah didn’t respond to that.
‘Maybe my neighbours did heal.’ She said instead, ‘But maybe that was because they were already swapped, maybe it was all a ruse to get me to open the door, make me feel crazy?’
Miles stared at her for a second in silence,
‘What do you do?’ He asked, ‘for work I mean.’
‘I’m… a fitness instructor.’ She frowned, ‘why?’
‘Not the Pope or Prime Minister or Queen or anything?’ He asked deadpan, ‘and I’m just a shop keeper?’
‘What’s your point?’
‘Why,’ He sighed, ‘would anybody go to the trouble of setting up a conspiracy to trick us into joining?’
Sarah formed an “oh” with her mouth.
‘My guess, from what you’ve said and what I’ve… seen.’ He glanced back down the path, ‘Is that they’ve
got some sort of disease, like rabies or something.’
‘No, there is no way this isn’t aliens or demons or something crazy like that, you haven’t seen them heal. It’s like something out of a film!’ Sarah needed to get her point across, he was making sense but the world had gone to hell and common sense had gone with it, ‘I know I sound crazy, I know it seems like I’m picking the absolute worst zombie movie storylines to explain everything but you haven’t seen it!’
Miles was staring at her in silence again,
‘Besides, what disease heals people?’
‘Oh for God’s sake, I don’t know!’ He threw his hands up, ‘but aliens!?’
‘Actually, I’m leaning towards demonic possession,’ She smiled thinly, ‘my grandparents were catholic.’
He didn’t smile back,
‘You said “when he told you to look the neighbours were healed” or something, so you didn’t see it happen?’
‘The kids, Laura and Steven?’ She started, ‘I threw their mother into a concrete trim. It nearly cut her face in half, there was blood everywhere, I thought I had killed her… Until she stood up.’
Miles had winced at the description and tried not to look surprised at the last,
‘You only hurt her.’ He stated,
‘Didn’t even do that.’ She shrugged, ‘When she stood up her face was perfect, no wound, no blood, not a hair out of place. Despite the fact she had left some behind on the floor, matted and stuck to the lumps of flesh on the concrete.’
‘Well… I don’t know then, but it still looks like rabies.’ He looked down at Sarah’s feet, ‘You ok to start going again?’
Her legs were feeling no better at all, but they had to get back and maybe this way they wouldn’t get stiff at least,
‘Yeah let’s go.’ She started into a shuffling walk, ‘there would be one reason to hope that it is a disease I guess.’
Miles was watching her walk but seemed satisfied and looked away,
‘It might be curable.’ He stated, she glanced to him and away,
‘Yup.’
10
They were making their way down the path before the kiddie park, Sarah’s legs had loosened up considerably and the pain had lessened. They had spent the last few minutes in complete silence however and Sarah couldn’t figure out a way to start talking. She felt as though she had done something wrong in saving Miles’ life, he certainly didn’t seem happy about it. At a loss as to why he might be annoyed and with no way she could figure of broaching the subject she decided to text Laura that she was ok and explain about Miles so that she didn't freak out when she arrived with him.
‘What are you doing?’ Miles was looking down at her as they walked, watching her cradle the phone as she texted awkwardly on the move,
‘I’m telling Laura not to worry,’ She mumbled in response, finishing the text she clicked send and looked up at him, ‘telling her about you.’
He grunted a response whilst staring at her phone, he had stopped walking so she stopped too.
‘Are… Do you want to use my phone?’ She could guess what was on his mind, guessed at his intentions and understood them. She had wanted to call Daniel all morning, even though she was terrified of what she would find out; of what she knew she would find out. If he talked to her for long enough she had no doubt she would have to go back to him, would miss him too much to not and so had managed to not call.
Miles was his own man though, she wouldn’t make that decision for him and so when he nodded she passed the phone over without hesitating.
‘Hello?’ Sarah heard the tiny voice of the man’s wife come through and she turned away. She realised suddenly that this might not be the best of ideas; if he decided to go back to them she was screwed, there was no way she would be able to carry all of the bags back. That’s if he let her take them even.
‘Darlin’ stop a minute.’ Sarah heard what she had thought had been a steady stream of static stop,
‘I know what you wanted to show me, I saw you walking.’ Miles said clearly, he wasn’t looking down at Sarah but she could hear that he had a good hold on his emotions. She assumed that before becoming infected, Miles’ wife couldn’t walk. That explained the thing with the wheelchair at least. But was it to be a grand reveal for joy… or a sadistic way to draw Miles in for the kill.
‘I saw you when I came out of the shop.’ The chatter on the other end started up again, ‘I saw you and you jumped up out of your chair and attacked me.’ He said through the tirade his wife was making. Silence reigned for a couple of seconds before she replied, softly this time.
‘No, I’m not joking.’ Sarah couldn’t figure out what was going on, Daniel had insinuated she was crazy, had told her she was being stupid and should come home. Miles’ wife obviously wasn’t doing the same; she was listening.
‘I think whatever healed you may have made some other changes.’ He sighed loudly, looking down at Sarah now, ‘I can’t really be sure you’re who you think you are or who you say you think you are or… Damn I don’t know.’
Sarah heard the word miracle on the other end of the line clearly, she had obviously shouted.
‘And when has that ever been the way life has worked out for us sweetheart?’ He held the phone to his ear in a white-knuckled grip now, his voice was clear and steady but he was quite obviously hurting.
‘No, no listen. Listen!’ His voice had a growl in it now, Sarah looked away. She started on down the path a little way to give him a semblance of privacy but couldn’t help but to listen to what he said next.
‘We’ve been through hell and back, we’ve fought for everything we have and we’ll find a way through this.’ The growl was gone, ‘I need to keep away for a little while.’ silence, horrible numb silence on the other end of the line.
‘I love you.’ He pulled the phone from his ear and tapped to end the call.
‘Are you… ok?’ Sarah felt like a moron for asking, but she couldn’t think of what else to say or do.
He still held the phone, was still looking down at it as though it would hold any answers.
‘No.’ He answered simply, snapping out of his thoughts, ‘here.’
Sarah managed to snatch the phone out of the air as he under-armed it to her. She tucked it back into her pocket and crossed her arms, holding herself close. Miles pulled his pack back up onto his shoulder and stared at her,
‘We should probably…’ He started, gesturing down the path, she nodded and started off.
They walked for a few minutes in silence again, the path passing between the houses. Sarah could see that once again nobody was outside, despite the slow warming up of the morning.
‘Hey, Sarah, was it?’ Miles’ voice cut through the silence, shocking her,
‘Yeah, M…’ She faltered,
‘Miles.’ He took a breath, slowing his pace, ‘I’m sorry for being a little... off, before.’
Sarah kept quiet, holding herself again. Miles looked over to her and sighed,
‘From what you’ve told me, you’ve had an equally shitty time with all of this.’ He waved his arms vaguely, ‘I feel like I’ve stepped into a horror movie, but I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.’
Sarah continued to walk in silence. She wasn’t angry, she understood completely.
‘When I finally come to terms with all of this.’ She started, ‘When I finally find out what the hell any of this is. That’s when I’ll start feeling things. I guess what I’m saying is, don’t worry about it.’
He smiled at that,
‘I know what you mean. Thanks for understanding.’ With that he rolled his shoulders, swapping the bag to his other hand.
‘This is the park.’ Sarah gestured unnecessarily, the garish colours obvious.
Miles hurried to pull the park gate open and held it open for Sarah to pass through, he repeated the gesture at the other gate and Sarah couldn’t help but think he was trying a little hard to make up for before. She had meant what she had said; she w
as numb. Her eyes flashed to a smear of red on the ground, the place the mother had fallen.
What was she feeling now she wondered, probing her mind carefully. But either she was too exhausted to feel anything or simply too much had happened for her brain to absorb it all because all the scene did was make her feel slightly sick.
‘Sarah?’ Miles touched her arm, concern on his face as his eyes followed hers, ‘This where it happened, with the Mother?’
She nodded silently and looked away from the blood. She pulled her phone from her pocket, just for something for her hands to do. The screen showed a message from Laura;
‘Ok.’
Sarah stuffed the phone back into her pocket with a bemused look on her face. What the hell was the point in just texting back ok? How was she supposed to figure out whether the girl was going to stay put or run? Perhaps that was the point… At this point Sarah was starting to empathise with the girl’s Mother. Teenagers.
‘Is it much farther?’ Miles asked,
‘Not really, that way for a few minutes and we’ll be there.’ Sarah pointed up the path and they set off.
Sarah was fiddling with her phone in her pocket. Rubbing her finger against the corner and playing with the idea of taking it out and calling Daniel. Miles had made it seem so easy. If she could control the conversation, force Daniel to see that she was ok, but that she needed some time away from him to… Why did it sound so much like a messed up cowardly way to dump him? “Sorry Daniel, I can’t be with you anymore because you’re a zombie wannabe.” She glanced at Miles, stoically trudging along next to her deep in thought. Obviously, Miles and his wife had been together for a lot longer and through much worse things than she and Daniel had. Was her relationship just doomed to fail from the start, if Daniel had never been turned or swapped or whatever. Would it not have mattered, would they still have never lasted, were they just incompatible, wrong for each other. Miles’ wife had physically assaulted him, the first thing that he had checked was that she had been OK. Sarah couldn't remember her exact reaction with Daniel but she was sure it had involved shouting, not calm care and love.