by John Riley
‘So?’ She opened her good eye and saw that the light in the room had changed. The kids weren’t asleep anymore either, or they weren’t in the store room at least.
Miles sighed and sat down. His big hands behind him, legs splayed out in front.
‘Dan believes us now.’ He stated, she turned her eye to him and saw him looking at her, ‘He watched himself heal and now he believes us.’
‘He says he does…’ Sarah muttered,
‘I believe him.’ Miles interrupted,
‘You want to believe him.’ Sarah pointed out, resigning herself to being awake she pushed herself into a sitting position, ‘if he’s still him then your family are still them.’
‘You’re not wrong,’ Miles said smiling, ‘which begs the question, why don’t you?’
Sarah didn’t answer, didn’t have an answer.
‘I heard some of the things he said before…’ He didn’t finish the sentence, leaving it hanging in the air before speaking again, ‘seems to me that you’ve been having some trouble.’
‘Stop.’ Sarah warned, ‘Just stop. You have no idea what we’ve been through or who we are. You’ve known me all of five minutes, don’t pretend to know me.’
‘Ok.’ He held up a hand placatingly, ‘You’re right, I don’t know you. But you’ve made presumptions about me too.’
‘It isn’t presumptuous for me to think you want to go back to your perfect family.’
Miles’ belly laugh shocked her, she actually jumped a little,
‘What?’ She asked, venom dripping from her tones.
‘This is what I’m talking about!’ He said around the laughing, ‘nobody who knew my wife and I, would ever say that we were perfect!’
‘Why?’ Intrigued despite herself, Sarah leant towards him.
‘Well…’ He stopped laughing and his face turned serious, ‘You know she was paralysed.’
Sarah nodded, she had seen her in the wheelchair even.
‘When I met Debbie, she was a dancer.’ He said with a smile, ‘Not professional, she just loved to dance. I spent months wearing her down and eventually she agreed to go out with me.’
Miles crossed his legs and took his glasses off, cleaning them on his shirt,
‘She was hard work.’ He mused, ‘We used to go out, but only if she liked the place and then only if she wasn’t off with her friends or working. I spent about a year feeling like I was the only one who really cared.’
He put his glasses back on and frowned,
‘Then she started talking about moving in together, just out of the blue.’ He glanced at Sarah, ‘she was pregnant.’
Sarah didn’t know how to respond but he smiled,
‘After that she turned into the perfect girl.’ He sighed, ‘she moved in, we spent more time together, I really got to know her. As soon as she told me she was pregnant I asked her to marry me.’
Sarah tried to smile, it hurt.
‘We got three wonderful years together with our new baby before the accident.’ The smile dropped from his face, ‘We’d been out all day.’ He paused, his eyes going out of focus.
“I was driving, I can’t remember why, she hated being a passenger.’ His face creased with confusion then cleared, ‘Melissa was in the back, asleep. It was late.’
‘We were all tired and cold, so I was rushing to get home.’ He stopped again and Sarah thought she knew what he was going to say.
‘We got to a junction, there were bushes to the left so I slowed right down to make sure it was safe to go…’ His eyes locked on Sarah, ‘I didn’t see the car that was coming from behind the bushes ‘til it hit us.’
Sarah frowned,
‘From behind them?’ she said confused, he nodded.
‘A group of teenagers had stolen a car.’ He growled, ‘They figured that if they stayed off the road then they wouldn’t get into trouble. Idiots.’
Sarah put a hand on Miles’ arm despite herself,
‘They lost control, barrelled down a verge and smashed a hole through the brush.’ He punched his fist into his palm as he spoke, ‘They hit us at an angle, apparently that was important because it meant the difference between several deaths and…’
‘Nobody else was hurt?’ Sarah asked,
‘Some bruises, nothing lasting.’ He waved a hand, ‘I didn’t check what happened to the idiots after finding out they would survive, didn’t really matter.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Sarah said, he waved that off too.
‘After the accident, we got a lot of money from the insurance company. There was even a fundraising thing in the neighbourhood. Deb didn’t have to go back to work, not that she could.’ He sighed, ‘I quit my job too, I decided to be her carer. Worst idea I ever had.’
‘Why?’ Sarah asked,
‘She was a powerful, independent woman.’ He shrugged, ‘She hated being stuck in that chair. She hated not being able to run with her daughter. She hated not being able to dance. She started to hate me.’
Sarah had never really met Debbie, but she felt a kindredness anyway. Had she lost the use of her legs she would have died of boredom in a week.
‘I ended up employing a proper carer.’ He said quietly, ‘I told her I wasn’t trained to do everything she needed and she didn’t even argue. I told her I was going to rent the shop and she didn’t care. Even when I pointed out it meant spending less time with her.’
‘It must have been hard for her to lose so much of what she loved.’ Sarah mused,
‘Yes.’ He muttered, ‘So hard that she had to push me away too.’
‘I’m sure she would have come ‘round eventually,’ She tried weakly,
‘The accident was over ten years ago.’
‘Oh.’
They sat in silence for a few moments.
‘So why do you want to go back so much?’ Sarah asked, ‘If it has been so bad for years surely this is your chance to get away?’
‘You don’t have any kids,’ He said after a moment, ‘but it’s more than just Melissa. I love my wife. I want to fix our marriage, not run from it.’
‘But it might not be her…’ She pleaded, desperate for somebody to affirm her fears.
‘If it isn’t her anymore, then I don’t want to be me anymore.’ He said with a tone of finality.
Sarah couldn’t match his stare and looked away.
‘What do you want me to do?’ She asked, giving in.
‘Thank you.’ He said smiling,
‘I haven’t said yes yet, what do you want me to do?’ She repeated, arching an eyebrow.
‘Ok, we’ve been talking to Daniel.’ He started, ‘As far as we can tell he has no memory of being attacked last night. He remembers dancing with you and then he woke up.’
‘That’s what he told me this morning.’ She said, ‘He seemed confused about the bits between then and getting to the house too.’
‘Yes,’ Miles nodded, ‘He says he feels like he got home twice. It’s almost like the amnesia is there to stop the person from realising they’re changed.’
‘A disease that deletes memories to help itself spread?’ Sarah asked incredulously,
‘It could just be a coincidence,’ Miles grimaced, ‘but I agree it seems strange.’
Sarah sighed with annoyance but nodded,
‘Ok, let’s accept that they’re not body swapped and that the disease or whatever is making them forget so they don’t know they’re infected.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘how does that help us?’
‘It doesn’t.’ Miles replied simply, ‘this does.’
He pulled a small glass bottle from his pocket and held it up for her to see. It was filled to about half way with a red liquid.
‘Is that blood?’ She asked, then realisation dawned and she looked horrified, ‘is that Daniel’s blood!?’
‘Mary has some needles with her…’
‘Are you insane!?’ Sarah yelled, her sore throat protesting, ‘You’re going to inject his blood into yourself!?’
Mil
es flinched at her tone but nodded,
‘That’s exactly what I’m going to do.’
Silence reigned for a few moments,
‘We don’t know what this is, we have literally no idea whether this is even something catchable and you’re going to inject some of whatever it is into you!?’ Sarah lifted a hand to stop him replying, ‘What if it’s not transferable by blood, what if it’s lethal in that dosage, what if it doesn’t change you it just turns you into a vegetable. What is wrong with you!?’
‘The alternative is slowly starving to death.’ He answered after her tirade, ‘or getting caught out in the open and killed or changed anyway.’
Sarah knew he was right, but it didn’t change the fact that his idea was insane.
‘So, what do you want me to do?’ She asked scathingly, ‘shoot you up and toss you into the vat with Daniel?’
‘No, I just want you to…’
‘Hey, why not just throw you in and let you get turned that way,’ She interrupted hysterically, ‘we can record it and make a fortune! “Man ripped apart by fucking monster”, we’d make millions!’
He took her yelling stoically, waiting for her to calm down.
‘What about the kids Miles?’ She tried, gesturing to the door, ‘if you get turned what then?’
‘Then you’ll know that it’s a disease or a virus or whatever and you can all get infected too.’
‘It makes you lose your mind when you see normal people!’ She screamed, her throat raw, ‘who gives a crap if you keep your body when your mind is turned to mush!’
Sarah started coughing, her throat too taxed to carry on shouting. Miles took his chance to pounce,
‘All I want you to do is tie me down and watch me.’ He stood up and held out a hand, ‘whatever happens after that I trust you to make the right decision, but Sarah?’
She looked up at him, the coughing subsiding,
‘I don’t want to spend my life like a mouse in a hole,’ His brow furrowed, ‘I’m not afraid to die, not that I want it either… But my point is; without my family, I’m already dead.’
She didn’t understand. She felt almost like she couldn’t understand. Miles was willing to give up everything for his family. Until today she had thought she was the same, that she would give everything she had to Daniel and more. But she’d been wrong. Her line in the sand was drawn ridiculously close to her it seemed, she wouldn’t even forgive the man she loved a little thing like attempted murder. Multiple attempted murders. Probably some actual murders too.
Miles’ hand hadn’t moved, still stuck out waiting for her to grasp it.
‘You are absolutely insane.’ She muttered darkly,
‘Noted.’ He looked at his hand and she sighed, grabbing it.
19
They walked onto the factory floor in silence. Sarah was more than a little uneasy about the whole thing. If it went wrong the best they could hope for would be nothing happening, the worst… well they didn’t know what was going on, so Miles could be about to inject himself with demon blood, or alien blood, or microscopic worms. She shuddered involuntarily. If it did work then Miles would become a monster and they would have to ask themselves the question; did they want to be next?
They reached the vat and Sarah saw Mary sitting on a chair just off from it.
‘You found a chair?’ She asked, a little surprised,
‘We figured we needed something to tie him to.’ Mary said quietly, ‘we don’t know how long it will take to work and there’s no need for him to be too uncomfortable.’
‘Sarah?’ Daniel’s voice called out from the vat, ‘are you ok?’
Sarah nearly laughed, or at least she nearly found it funny.
‘I hit you with a hammer and you ask if I’m ok?’ she muttered,
‘Yeah well it turns out I’m a bit more durable than I used to be.’ He replied, bitterness very apparent in his tone.
Miles snorted but didn’t say anything. Sarah supposed he thought she was a bitch. Her fiancé had become a superhero and all she saw was the downsides. Boo fucking hoo.
‘How are we going to do this?’ She asked Mary, not bothering to respond.
‘We tie him down,’ Mary stood, held up a needle and mimed pumping it, ‘then I inject him.’
‘Fair enough.’ Sarah looked around the room, noting an important lack of kids, ‘where are…’
‘They’re in the canteen.’ Miles nodded up to the catwalk and Sarah saw a door at the top of the stairs, ‘no food up there but we figured it’d be safer for if I…’
‘Turn into a psychopath and try to murder us all.’ Sarah finished for him. She saw Mary roll her eyes,
‘He’ll be tied down.’ She muttered, pointing to what looked like strips of sleeping bag material.
‘They’re strong.’ Sarah spat back, ‘Dan damn near ripped my head off and he wasn’t the size of Miles before he was changed.’
‘It’ll be fine.’ Miles assured her, sitting into the now vacated chair. Sarah sighed and began picking up strips of cloth.
Resigned to the madness she tied him as well as she could, attaching his ankles to the chair legs and tying his hands behind the back. Next, she started wrapping it around his thighs and elbows. It took a few minutes but eventually he was strapped securely.
‘Tense against it.’ Sarah demanded. He did as he was told and she noticed he could move the cords out about an inch. Mary had the idea to tether his arms to his ankles to use his strength against him. Sarah did it and it worked, Miles would pull up and it would force him down.
‘Right.’ Sarah said, a little winded from the effort, ‘you ready?’ She directed this at Mary and the other woman nodded.
‘Wait,’ Miles said suddenly, ‘cut my left sleeve.’
Sarah was past questioning and took the knife Mary handed to her. When she cut away the sleeve she saw a fading tattoo, two names and a stylised bird of prey.
‘I got it when Melissa was born,’ He said unasked, ‘I wanted to be there for them both, watch over them like a hawk.’ Sarah snorted loudly at this, ‘I know.’ He said sheepishly, ‘I was young.’
‘So, why are you showing us?’ Sarah asked,
‘It’ll disappear.’ Mary said suddenly, ‘if he changes, it’ll heal over because it’s just a coloured scar.’
Miles nodded and Sarah shrugged, cutting away the fabric to reveal the tattoo more.
‘Sarah,’ Daniel called again,
‘What?’ She asked through gritted teeth,
‘Maybe you shouldn’t do this…’
‘Let’s go.’ She interrupted, waving to Mary to get started. The other woman stepped up and Sarah looked away.
‘Sorry…’ Mary muttered when Miles grunted in pain as the needle went in. Sarah looked back to see the plunger being pressed.
‘That’s it.’ Mary said breathily, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen but whatever does happen should happen fast.’
‘Why?’ Sarah asked, her brow furrowed,
‘Because of how fast the things heal.’ Mary shrugged, ‘and you said those neighbours of yours were walking within minutes.’
‘Really need a name.’ Miles grunted quietly, his eyes screwed shut.
‘Are you ok?’ Sarah asked,
‘Fine, it just burns a little.’ He replied. The two women shared a glance and took a step back.
‘Phoenixes?’ Mary blurted suddenly,
‘They don’t look like birds.’ Sarah said, making a face.
‘No but they heal.’
‘Phoenixes die and hatch again from the ashes.’ Miles said through clenched teeth, ‘They don’t heal.’
Sarah blinked,
‘O...K.’ She glanced at the hole in the vat, dried blood still covered it, ‘I don’t see why they need a name.’
‘Lizards can regrow bits of themselves.’ Mary said thoughtfully,
‘They don’t look like lizards either.’ Sarah sighed exasperatedly.
‘What do they look like then?’ Mary
replied, throwing her hands up in annoyance.
‘Monsters.’ Sarah stated unhelpfully, ‘things.’
‘There you go Miles,’ Mary said sarcastically, ‘Monster things. Glad we’ve got that sorted.’
Miles grunted again and the women looked down at him. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow and he was straining against the fabric binding him,
‘Shit, Miles!?’ Sarah took a step forward,
‘I’m good.’ He spat, ‘just feels like my arm is being chewed off.’
Sarah bent to look at his tattoo, it was still there but she thought it might look a little fainter.
‘Maybe it’s working?’ Mary wondered aloud.
‘Yay.’ Sarah muttered darkly, ‘Have you heard from your ex yet?’
Mary pulled her phone from her pocket and shook her head,
‘I swear to God,’ She growled, ‘He’s a manipulative bastard, I wouldn’t put it past him to know what’s going on and use it to keep the kids for longer because he knows I can’t do anything about it.’
‘You think he’s using the apocalypse against you?’ Sarah said with a raised eyebrow. Mary shot her a withering glare,
‘I just mean he’s an arsehole.’ She put the phone into her pocket, ‘You’re not a very nice person you know.’
Sarah shrugged.
‘They kind of go feral when they attack…’ She mused,
‘What?’
‘The monsters,’ Sarah pointed to the vat, ‘they go feral when they attack.’
‘So, what, Ferals?’ Mary made a face, ‘seems a little… angsty.’
‘It’s… stopping.’ Miles gasped, the women both looked down at him.
‘He looks the same.’ Mary said to herself,
‘Didn’t work then?’ Sarah asked, ducking again to check the tattoo, ‘tattoo’s still there.’
Mary chewed her lip before sighing,