by Sarah Gray
Chapter 9
EXIT SIGNS FLASH past as we speed along. Cars lie like skeletons, eroding on the side of the freeway. Kean fiddles with the radio for a while but all he gets is static. He puts in an unmarked CD and classical music flows from the speakers. No one complains. I bet in normal times we would’ve all gone mental over it, but not now… it’s just nice to hear something other than silence or screaming.
It’s still light outside but I just feel like finding a place to stay and bunkering in. I’m tired, Liss is wrecked, and I’d like a moment of peace without an infected person trying to claw me to death. I think that’s a reasonable request.
I lean forward, tap Trouble on the shoulder and point to the next exit. The road tilts down and away from the freeway and we stop at the blank set of traffic lights. Trouble looks around.
I point to the right. This route takes us up along Warrigal Road, past Chadstone Shopping Centre. For a moment I can’t believe we’ve made it this far. Our destination is so close. I just hope we’re heading for something. I don’t want to go straight there; we need to regroup and repair. Especially if it’s going to be a big let down.
Trouble drives slow through the abandoned traffic and mounds of rubbish. We pass under the freeway bridge and emerge from the dark shadow. This is the home I remember, this side of the city. This is where I was born, where I grew up. I lived here, went to school here, had friends and saw movies and walked along paths here. I remember swimming carnivals on sunny days and catching the bus to the shopping centre and raiding my pockets for coins at the charcoal chicken shop. Part of me will always belong here. Even if nothing else remains.
I get Trouble to stop at the Dandenong Road intersection and Kean turns down the music.
“I want to find somewhere to stay for the night.” I point to the corner. “That hotel there. What do you think?”
“It’ll probably have infected in it.” Kean stares at the building. “But maybe we could clear a whole floor and block it off.”
“I bet we’d find food and water,” I say.
“You mean we’ll have our own rooms?” Henry says. “And real beds?”
Liss looks at me and smiles.
“Sounds pretty good, huh?” I say.
Henry puts his hands behind his head and leans back. “I could use a relaxing break.”
“What are you talking about… a break?” Kean glances over his shoulder. “You don’t even walk… I push you everywhere!”
“Fine.” Henry rolls his eyes. “You could use a relaxing break then.”
Kean laughs and Henry laughs and what the hell, I might as well laugh too.
I point to the hotel and Trouble drives over extra slow. He parks right next to the glass front doors and we all peer out.
“Here we go again,” Henry says. “What’s the plan?”
Kean and Trouble are looking back at me, waiting.
“Well.” I look up at the building. “I think we should take the first floor. Block off the stairs to the upper levels and clear every room so we don’t have to worry. We can easily get off those balconies if the lobby entrance becomes unusable.”
“I’m happy with that,” Kean says.
Henry leans forward. “Sounds good to me.”
“Ok then.” I hop out and Liss follows. Kean sets Henry up in his wheelchair and Trouble waits by the glass doors with his baseball bat.
When we’ve all gathered I nod to Trouble and we follow him into the lobby. It’s nice and bright on account of the huge glass windows running down the sidewall. Grey suede couches sit on bright red carpet and a glass chandelier hovers above us, gathering dust.
Henry rolls over to the elevator and presses the button a few times. Nothing happens. “Well, I give this place a one star for wheelchair accessibility,” he says.
The reception counter is glossy wood with a glass top. Kean wanders over and starts going through drawers.
The door to the right leads to stairs and Trouble peers through its glass panel. Next to him, a large potted plant is toppled on the floor, spilling dirt everywhere.
“Looks like there are eight rooms on the first floor,” Kean says holding up a bunch of keys. “Room one and two keys aren’t here but the rest are.”
I nod to Henry. “How do we get him up the stairs?”
Henry rolls over to the stairwell door and Kean meets him there. I watch as Kean kneels down and Henry puts his arm around his brother’s neck. Kean stands, stooping forward so Henry doesn’t strangle him with his weight, and spins, folding the chair flat and hoisting it up in his arms. How he carries all that weight, I have no idea.
“Ok.” I nod to Trouble. “Let’s go.”
The stairwell carpet matches the stuff in the lobby. Blood red. Windows let in soft afternoon light and dust motes hover in the yellow glow.
Trouble leads the way, bat held out in front, stepping quietly. Kean heaves each step, carrying both his brother and the chair. Maybe I should offer to carry the chair but it seems like the opportunity has passed, so I just pad along behind with Liss and marvel at his strength.
At the first floor landing Trouble pauses, glancing up the stairwell. Kean unfolds the wheelchair and dumps Henry back into it. Liss grabs my hand as Trouble pushes through the door. We all follow, one by one.
The corridor is long and plain, just white walls and glossy grey doors. It’s dim and shadowy and the air is stale. The only source of light is a window at the far end.
I’m standing just past the elevator, between room one and two; the doors we don’t have keys to. That either means there are infected inside or dead bodies. My bet is on dead bodies.
“I can check the rooms,” I say. “If you guys want to check the stairwell.”
Kean narrows his eyes. “You don’t have a weapon.”
“I’ll just close the door again. I’ll be fine.”
Kean blinks a few times. “Ok.” He hands me all the keys and nods to Trouble. They move out into the stairwell and I shuffle through the room tags. I pace down, pressing my ear to each door. At number eight, I listen for twice as long. Liss and Henry are watching me from the other end of the hallway.
I hear nothing from within so I slip the key in and open it a crack.
Still quiet.
I push the door open just enough so I can see in. The walls that I can see are deep purple and the carpet is cream. The room banks away to the left and blocks my view.
I tighten my grip on the handle and clear my throat.
Nothing.
I do it again, louder.
Nothing.
“Hello,” I call.
I wait a few seconds before stepping in. The curtains are open, the king sized bed is made. The room is spotless and free of infected people.
I knock on the bathroom door, wait a few seconds and open it. This room is dark because there’s no natural light. Granite black tiles cover the floor and climb up the walls. It’s pretty standard: bath, shower, toilet, sink. Folded white towels sit on a shelf and on the sink are little toiletry bottles: shampoo and conditioner and all the other stuff that seems completely irrelevant now.
“Hey guys,” I call out, holding the door open. “Come and look at this.”
Liss and Henry appear in the hallway and their faces light up. Liss walks straight in. Henry rolls in behind her.
“There’s a bed!” he says. “A real bed!”
I leave Liss and Henry in the safety of room eight and continue checking the other rooms. They’re all empty, all made up and ready for guests they’ll never receive... well, except for us. I’m standing with my ear pressed against the door of room one when Kean and Trouble emerge from the stairwell.
“You survived,” Kean says.
“So did you.”
Kean smiles and looks over at Trouble. “Well the stairs and other corridors are clear so you can walk around safely if needed. We jammed a couch behind the lobby door too, so nothing can get in.”
I nod. “You guys want your rooms?”
I hold up the keys to room six and seven.
I take Trouble to his room and try to explain in some kind of crazy sign language that it’s his. He looks ecstatic, like his face is the sun shining on a freaking perfect day.
When I go back out into the hallway Kean has his ear against the door to room one.
“Anything?” I ask, wandering over.
Kean shakes his head. “Just another mystery to remain unsolved. I suppose they’re dead.”
“I supposed that too.”
“So ah…” Kean straightens. “Where are we heading after this stop?”
I pull a plastic smile. “Nice try.”
“Look I get it,” Kean says, lolling his eyes toward the door. “There’s only one thing worth trekking across an infected cesspool of death and destruction for. I know where you’re going… more or less”
I look at him for a while. “Don’t you trust me?”
“I only met you today but even when I didn’t trust you, you saved my life. Twice.” He sighs at the door. “You’re looking for salvation.”
“Aren’t you guys?”
Kean looks straight at me. “What if we’ve found it?”
My gaze lowers.
“Sorry,” he says quickly. “I shouldn’t hassle you about it. You don’t want to tell me.” He shrugs. “I don’t need to know.”
“Ok, then,” I say. But really I don’t know what else to say. There’s an electric tension in the air and I don’t know how to break it.
“Well, I’m hungry…” Kean says. “Time for dinner?”
I smile. “Lets see what they’ve got on offer.”
Me and Kean take a room each and compile all the food. There’s a snack basket on the counter with packets of chips, nuts, biscuits, processed and packaged muffins, even some of those nut health bars. At the very bottom is a menu with a price list and I chuckle to myself. It’s like five dollars for a small packet of chips… that’s insane!
The mini bar fridge has been powerless for some time but apart from the off milk nothing else is perishable. It’s all chocolate bars and fizzy drink cans and fancy spring water with a drop of flavour. There’s alcohol too; mini bottles of vodka, bourbon, gin, and wine, but I leave all of those.
I carry the basket against my hip and head out into the hallway. Kean is carrying his basket of food on his head, balancing it with one hand and banging on room eight’s door with the other. “Party in Trouble’s room!” he calls through the wood.
I head straight to room seven and knock on the door. It reminds me of normal times when we had privacy and little spaces for ourselves, and when we had to be polite and respectful and all that.
Trouble opens the door and welcomes me in. I dump the food basket on the floor and sit next to it. A few seconds later Liss, Kean and Henry come in. They sit around in a circle on the floor, and Trouble copies. Kean pushes his food basket next to mine. “Dig in, everyone.”
I split open a packet of roasted cashew nuts as everyone sifts through the goodies. Liss chews on a health bar while Henry and Kean argue over whether a Mars bar or a Snickers bar is more nutritionally appropriate for the apocalypse.
It’s not until everyone is finally eating something that Trouble looks over the basket. He picks up a bag of salted peanuts and shakes it next to his ear.
“So how far away from this place are we, Florence?” Kean asks.
“Not far.”
“Hey, how come you answer him?” Liss says. “You always growl at me when I ask.”
“That’s because you ask every five minutes.”
“Yeah and I only ask every ten minutes,” Kean says, grinning. “Gives Florence a bit of break.”
“Can’t we just stay here?” Liss pops open a can of Fanta.
“Not forever.” I stare at the cashews in my palm. “Maybe a night or two.”
Liss groans.
“It’s not far. Probably two hours walk? So a short car trip. Just down that road…” I point, but Kean is the only one paying attention. “And then up that way.”
Trouble is staring at the ceiling, Liss has one eye closed and is staring into her fizzy drink.
“Where are you guys from?” I ask Kean.
“Camberwell.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Rich boys?”
He smiles. “There may be traces of private grammar school training, but we’ve managed to shirk most of it. Especially Henry. You’re a complete savage now, aren’t you, Henry?”
Henry makes a thoughtful face. “If by savage you mean not savage in any way, shape or form then… yes.”
Liss giggles into her orange can.
“What were you doing in Albanvale?” I ask. “It’s pretty far from Camberwell.”
“We were staying with our Aunt… you know, running from the outbreak. It hit the inner city suburbs so fast.”
“Where’s the rest of your family?”
Kean frowns at the floor. “We had so many people staying in the same house that Henry and I were camping out in the garage. Creepies must have found a way into the house one morning. It was chaos. They’re either all infected or dead. We didn’t hang around to do a tally. What about yours?”
“I don’t know. I came home from school one day and couldn’t find mum so I went to find Liss. Dad never came home either… so I assume the same.”
“I wonder how many people are left,” Henry says.
I shrug. “I haven’t run into many.”
“We saw heaps,” Liss corrects me. “We just didn’t stop.”
“Actually yeah, we did see that big group, I guess. It was like twelve people.” I look at Kean and shake my head. “They didn’t last long. Next day they were the ones attacking us.”
“How’d you get away?”
I scratch my head, thinking. “We hid in wheely bins for that one.”
“Holy bleep,” Henry says.
“It was horrible.” Liss burps a tiny girly burp and smiles. “But that’s when we met Trouble.”
“We met a fair few…” Kean’s words trickle off.
“But,” Henry continues for him, “everyone’s afraid of the kid in a wheelchair.”
Kean laughs… like really laughs and he shakes his head. “You should see them run!”
“It’s like they think I’m infected or something,” Henry says with his hands in the air. “Like they’ll all catch the horrible wheelchair disease!” He drops his arms again. “Honestly. People are so stupid.”
“Cheers to that, brother.” Kean passes Henry a can of drink.
Henry opens it and lemonade sprays in a whitewash all over his face. Kean falls back laughing, tears streaming down his face. Henry sits with this pretend stern look on his face, but his amusement shows through.
“Thanks a lot,” he says to Kean. “Now you’ll have to give me a sponge bath.”
Kean cuts his laughter short and sits up straight. “Dammit.”
“You never think, do you?” Henry shakes his head and lemonade drops go flying out. “As I said before, I’m definitely the brains of this operation.”
“That makes me the brawn then.” Kean waggles his eyebrows.
Henry screws up his face in response and leans over. “That’s a bit hopeful, brother.” He pours the rest of the can over Kean’s head and Kean just sits there with a wide goofy smile, taking it. The liquid rolls off his head and slides in rivers down his cheeks.
“Argh!” He twists away and jumps up suddenly. “It’s going down my back!”
Liss is watching so intensely it’s like a kid sitting in front of a Wiggles DVD. Kean ducks into the bathroom and brings out a few towels. He chucks one at Henry and it smacks into his face, wrapping around his head.
“Sorry about the mess, mate,” Kean says, looking at Trouble. “We’ll clean it up, don’t worry.”
Trouble just nods and smiles his glittery smile.