The storm that had been threatening all night finally broke. Rain poured down in sheets, drumming on the roof of the vehicle with a dull roar. The lights of the mini-bus were poor, barely lighting the way ahead.
To Cat, it felt as if they traveled through a tunnel with no exit, the end uncertain and feared. Outwardly, she appeared calm, her face smooth and her cheeks dry. Yet, inside she was terrified. What do I do? Where do I go?
She glanced at the sleeping forms of Theresa and Juan. Exhausted by the nightmarish day behind them, both had nodded off within minutes. Juan lay curled up on the seat, his head in his sister’s lap. Her head had slumped forward, chin hanging onto her chest. It looked uncomfortable.
Cat glanced at the fuel gauge again, her eyes drawn to it against her will. They had plenty of petrol, but it wouldn’t last. She knew that only too well. I don’t even know where to go. How far this has spread.
An hour passed. Then another. A time during which she did nothing but drive at a speed slower than a snail’s pace because of the downpour.
Along the way, she encountered other towns, but stuck to the outskirts and kept moving, never stopping once. What was the point? Nowhere was safe.
She turned the knob on the radio and searched for a working channel. Static filled the air, and despair threatened to set in. There has to be someone out there. The police, the army. Someone!
Refusing to give up, she continued looking. Just when she thought they were all alone, a voice sounded, faint and grainy. She fiddled a bit more until it became clear. It was a woman, a DJ from a local radio station who had the graveyard shift. Her voice, low and husky, was filled with repressed fear.
“I don’t have much time. Infected people have surrounded the station, and they’re beating on the doors. My colleagues are…they’re gone., but if you’re listening, know this. You’re on your own. There’s no help coming.”
Cat’s breath hitched at these words. They confirmed her worst fears and made her directly responsible for the young lives now under her care.
“The army tried and failed to contain the infection. The government, well…no one knows what happened to them. If I had to guess I’d say they’re either dead, or they ran for it. In a few places, the police are putting up a fight, but they’re losing. It’s just a matter of time before it’s everywhere, and if you’re thinking other countries are coming to the rescue, you’re dead wrong. This is happening all over the world.”
Cat shook her head from side to side, trying to deny the woman’s statement. It was inconceivable. There had to be someone. All her young life, she’d been able to depend on the authorities. Her mom, her teachers, the police, the government. They all served to keep order. Even when she rebelled, even when she complained about the restrictions, she still knew they were there.
“This is the end of the world as we know it. Even if humanity survives, it will never be the same. If you want to live, if you want your loved ones to live, you will have to fight.”
There was a long silence after this. A period during which Cat’s thoughts churned with the implications before coming to rest on that single important fact. I will have to fight. For myself, for Juan, for Theresa.
“They’re almost inside, they…” The woman’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears. Loud banging noises and the tinkling of glass punctuated each sentence. “Whoever you are, if you’re listening. Find somewhere safe, somewhere away from the cities. Get food, get water, and live. Live for me. Live for all of us who are dead or became one of them.”
A crash. Inhumane growls and screeches. A cry of fear. The connection was severed. Static once more filled the cab of the mini-bus. Tears streamed down Cat’s cheeks. For the second time that day, she’d had to listen to someone die on the other side of a line. A stranger, yet not.
Is that what happened to Mom? Did she hide? Waiting until they found her and ripped her apart? Or was she hurt and then became a monster?
The thought was too much to bear. Exhaustion crashed over Cat’s shoulders and leeched into her pores like poison gas. Her eyelids drooped, and the car wavered on the road. “I need to rest.”
Forcing herself to stay awake a little longer, Cat searched the roadside for a place to stop. She had no idea where they were or how far they’d come. All she knew was that they’d been driving for far too long.
A sign appeared. It welcomed her to Bloemhof, a place she knew little about. Some farmer’s community, I think?
Buildings loomed in her headlights, and shuffling figures passed her windows. Cat kept going, too afraid to stop, but the fuel gauge hovered on empty, and she knew it wouldn’t be long.
Not certain where to go, she took a few turns and ended up in on the edge of the tiny town. The road grew worse, and she crossed a bridge. A little further on, a gap in the brush drew her attention. She slowed and squinted into the rain. A dirt road, narrow and rutted, led off into the veldt. Cat turned onto it, praying it lead somewhere safe.
The tires slipped on the mud, and the yellow headlights illuminated a board, faded by sun and rain. She made out the words ‘Riverbend Fishing Resort’.
Fishing Resort?
Her mind cast around for favorite fishing spots within this radius from her home but came up empty. There were, of course, but she knew none of them. Neither she nor her mother had ever been interested in fishing or camping.
Still, a place like that meant water, shelter, and possibly food. Her stomach growled at the thought, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a while.
Maybe there are people there.
Zombies.
For a moment, her resolve wavered, and she considered turning around. Then she remembered the lady on the radio’s words. “…you will have to fight.”
Cat’s chin lifted, and she glanced at the hockey stick lying next to her on the seat. The woman was right. What was the point in turning back? Who was to say anywhere else would be safer? At least out here, they were far from any big towns or cities.
“Thank you, lady.” Her voice sounded strange to her ears, dry and croaky.
The going was slow on the poor road, and she had to crawl along. The rain cut deep ruts into the track, worsened by tussocks of grass growing along the center. After an eternity of bouncing and jostling, the lane opened up and became smooth gravel.
Cat unclenched her hands from the steering wheel and heaved a sigh of relief. The children were still asleep, a fact that somewhat amazed her. “They must be exhausted, the poor things.”
Her headlights fell on an old gate. It was closed and latched. Beyond that, she could just make out a clearing of sorts and what might be the outline of a building. She switched off the ignition and chewed on her lip in indecision.
Exploring a strange place in the middle of the night was out of the question. She could neither see nor guess what awaited her in the dark. Neither did she relish the idea of sitting in the parked bus until morning. It felt exposed. Dangerous.
In the end, it was her body that decided for her. While still debating her next move, her eyes drifted shut, and she fell asleep.
Cat’s Eye - Chapter 5
She awoke the next morning to the sounds of an argument. Her eyes snapped open. She shot upright in her seat, gasping when her bruised shoulder protested violently at the abuse.
“But I need to go pee-pee, Tessa.”
“You can’t go out, Juan. We have to ask Cat first, and she’s sleeping.”
“But I have to go now!”
“Wait for her to wake up first.”
“Oh, thank God. It’s just you two.” Cat slumped in relief. “What’s wrong?”
Theresa looked at her with those big baby blue eyes of hers. In the early morning sunlight, her hair shone like spun gold, the ringlets mussed from slumber. She really was a pretty child. “Juan needs to go to the bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me?”
“You were asleep.”
“You don’t have to be scared of me,” Cat replied. “Next
time wake me up, okay?”
“Okay.” Theresa nodded.
“Can I go pee-pee now?” Juan asked, jumping up and down with his legs crossed.
“Sure, sweetie. Just let me make sure it’s safe first.”
By the light of the new dawn, Cat surveyed the area surrounding their bus. Trees loomed on either side, flanked by low brush. The rain had stopped during the night. Droplets clung to the leaves and glinted in the morning sun. It was hard to see more than a short distance through the shrubs, a fact that made her nervous. One look at little Juan’s red cheeks decided the matter, however.
Cat opened the door. Fresh air flooded the cab, bringing with it the scent of grass and wet earth. It was refreshing, and she took a deep breath to clear the remnants of sleep from her brain. “Wait here you two. I’ll be right back.”
She slipped out of the seat and closed the door behind her. The soft click sounded loud in the silence. A shiver ran down her spine as her eyes roved for danger. Gripping her hockey stick in both hands, she walked around the car with slow steps.
It was quiet but not silent. In the trees, doves cooed their morning greetings, and the leaves rustled in the breeze. Her shoes crunched on the gravel beneath her feet as she ventured further away. She narrowed her eyes, peering through the bushes while her ears perked for any telltale sounds of zombies.
There was nothing. Allowing herself to relax, Cat turned to go back to the bus where an anxious Juan waited with his face pressed against the glass. He looked ready to pop any moment. “Okay, you two. Come on out.”
She turned back to the brush. A bird exploded from the foliage above her head and startled her. She jumped, swinging her stick at the empty air while her heart bounced inside her chest. “Crap!”
After doing a final one-eighty, Cat slumped against the side of the mini-bus with one hand pressed to her breast. The familiar tightening of her lungs forewarned of yet another asthma attack. Her mouth flapped like a fish’s as she sucked in oxygen and tried to calm herself. But the past few hours had been too much, and her body refused to co-operate.
She fumbled in her pocket for her inhaler. It wasn’t there. With black spots dancing in front of her eyes, Cat stumbled to the open door. Theresa stared at her with wide eyes, but Juan ignored them both, running to the nearest bushes instead.
“What’s wrong?” Theresa asked.
Cat didn’t try to answer. She grabbed her backpack and fumbled for her spare inhaler. Her fingers closed over the tube, and she nearly cried with relief. Two puffs and the boa constrictor that was crushing her ribs eased.
A few deep breaths cleared her head, and she straightened, managing a tentative smile for the worried Theresa. “I’m okay. It was just an asthma attack.”
“Asthma?”
“Yeah, sometimes when I’m scared or nervous or exercise too much, I struggle to breathe.” Cat flashed the inhaler. “That’s when I need my medicine.”
“So you’re sick?”
“Kind of, but it’s not so bad. Most days it doesn’t bother me. I don’t have it as bad as some people do.”
“Are you sure?” Theresa asked, her face scrunched up with worry.
Cat smiled, placing a reassuring hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Yes, I promise I’m all right, Tessa. Can I call you Tessa?”
“That’s what Juan calls me. I don’t mind.”
Juan had finished his business by this point and came running up. He tugged on his sister’s arm. “I’m hungry.”
Theresa raised questioning eyes to Cat.
Cat looked around, aware of their vulnerability out in the open. “Let’s get back inside, and I’ll see if I’ve got anything left in my pack.”
They clambered back into the bus. The only food she had left was a bottle of water, a packet of sliced cheese, two apples, and a banana. It wasn’t much. She doled it out, taking only an apple and a few sips of water for herself.
Munching on the fruit, Cat stared at the clearing beyond the latched gate. It was an open stretch of ground covered in thick grass. Beyond that, she could make out the outline of a large building surrounded by trees. A house? Or maybe a barn?
The road they sat on ran through the gates and up to the building, curving around to its back. She was relieved to note that the fence looked both high and sturdy. If this was to be a possible new home for them, it had to be safe. There were no signs of life. No cars, or people. Not even a dog.
The only way to be sure though was to go in. Her mouth dried up at the thought. What if there are zombies?
There was no real choice. She had to find a safe place for the kids to stay. They couldn’t drive around forever. We need food too. Water. Clothes. Medicine.
Determined, Cat geared up. The material of her jeans and leather jacket might provide protection, and her boots were sturdy. Armed with her hockey stick, she turned to the kids. “I’m going to check out the house. When I’m sure it’s safe, I’ll come get you.”
“What if there are sick people?” Tessa asked.
“I’m sure there’s not.”
“But what if there are?” Tessa insisted. “What if you get sick or you don’t come back? What then?”
Cat had no answers for the girl. If anything happened to her, the kids were doomed. It was unlikely they’d be able to survive on their own. If she didn’t go, they might never find anywhere safe. Either way, we’re screwed.
“I’ll do my best, Tessa. I promise.” It was the only comfort Cat could offer.
After a moment, Tessa nodded, reaching out to gather Juan into her arms. The boy had sensed something was amiss, and his lips trembled. His sister shushed him and smoothed a hand over his hair.
The sight made Cat’s heart clench. With difficulty, she exited the bus. Before closing the door, she hesitated. “Be careful, Tessa. Look after your brother, okay?”
Tessa nodded, and Cat slid the door shut. As she walked away, she wondered if she wasn’t abandoning them to a terrible fate, but it had to be done. She could only hope she wasn’t making a mistake.
Cat’s Eye - Chapter 6
Cat scaled the gate with ease, her limbs lean and athletic after years of playing sports. Even though she had asthma, she had always been determined to live a healthy life.
With time, the condition had eased, becoming manageable. After they relocated to the Free State, it became even better. The hot, dry climate suited her lungs. Now only moments of acute stress triggered an attack. She snorted. Zombies definitely count as acute stress.
Cat crossed the stretch of open ground with long strides. Now that she was committed, she wanted the ordeal over with.
The building became clearer, details revealing themselves. It was actually two structures. The one to the right looked like a garage of some sort with a large carport attached to the side. Parked underneath was a battered old truck and a silver car, small and compact. That means people. Either living or not.
The other structure was a house. One of those old farm types with a porch running all the way around. A window was open, and a curtain fluttered between the burglar bars.
Cat tightened her hold on her hockey stick, the knuckles turning white as the tension within her rose. She angled to the side and skirted the house to get a glimpse of the yard beyond. Her eyes scanned the grounds, searching for movement. There was none.
She paused, and indecision filled her mind. Where should she look first? What would be the smartest option? After a full minute of agonizing, Cat turned toward the garage. Here goes.
The entrance was big, and she stopped outside the opening to allow her eyes to adjust to the murk. There were no windows, the only light coming from the open doors. They cast a square of light on the ground, broken only by her silhouette. The darkness stretched ahead, and Cat’s mouth dried up at the thought of what might hide inside.
“Hello,” she said, her voice tentative. If there was anything in there, it might as well come to her. No reply but for deathly silence.
“Hello,” she calle
d, louder this time. Her cry echoed through the interior, the sound coming back to her in a hollow tone. A rustle. The faint stirring of something.
Cat stood rooted to the spot. Her eyes swiveled, searching for some sign of what had made the noise. Her mind conjured up all sorts of horrific images, each worse than the last. She longed to turn around and flee, but her feet would not obey her panicked brain.
A small kernel of courage took hold, stiffening her spine. Cat squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. With the hockey stick raised menacingly, she said, “Come on. I’m ready. Whatever you are.”
A clink, like a stone hitting metal. Another stir. A furry shape materialized in front of Cat with a suddenness that caused her to shriek and scurry back. The small animal ran past her with a plaintive meow. She gasped and lay a trembling hand across her breast. “A cat. It’s just a cat.”
By slow degrees, her heartbeat returned to normal, until at last, she felt ready to face the mysterious darkness inside the garage again. Inching inside, she explored the area immediately in front of the doors.
The ample space turned out to be mostly for storage. Besides the tractor, there was a quad bike, an industrially sized lawn mower, gardening and mechanical tools, and bags of compost. A stack of old tires sat against one wall while wooden pallets lined another.
Bit by bit, Cat moved deeper inside. Her pupils expanded, and her eyesight adjusted to the low light. She dropped to her knees, checking underneath the tractor. Dust tickled her nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose as she felt the urge to sneeze. Satisfied it was clear, she did a slow circuit of the building until she stood by the doors again. She sighed with relief. “One down.”
The grounds around the garage and house were likewise clear of danger, the vehicles empty. The only living thing she saw was the cat. The feline, a dark gray with white socks and face, watched her from a distance with its tail twitching.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 94