by Birch, S. C.
“In the meantime, you must do everything possible to stay indoors and hidden. I understand that many of you will be very hungry by now but please do not venture outdoors. Someone will rescue you soon -”
“Bit late for that!” interrupted the other Brooker.
“They have also told me to urge you all to stay away from videos created by actor Owen Parker -”
“What?” Owen bolted forwards and caused Mortimer to walk away in search of a more stable resting spot.
“He and a group of his associates have been encouraging all who watch his videos to leave their houses and safety in order to kill the infected. This is highly dangerous and you must not copy him. The Prime Minister himself has asked for the videos to be removed as they promote recklessness in a time when we need to keep safe and sensible -”
“Bullshit.” Cameron said.
“That’s just slander!” Jack said.
The slick man in the television stopped talking and pressed in at his ear. All colour left his face and he trembled before sprinting away and disappearing from view. Then there was a lot of shouting offscreen. He was replaced by an exhausted looking woman wearing jeans and a shirt carrying a tablet pc.
“Sorry for that, eh, from what I understand if you drink it then you will be infected in three days or so?” she looked offscreen and nodded, “Sorry. The cause of this is a new energy drink called Moonshine. Don’t drink it at all. It will kill you. They are saying th-”
Jack screamed and ran to the television. He grabbed it and threw it to the ground, smashing it. Shrapnel shot across the floor. Jack’s screaming and the electrical cracking grew louder with each second. Emily ran to Jack and pulled him away.
“Jack!” she shouted.
Jack slammed her to the ground, “Fuck off!” he snarled. His whole body was shaking. Each breath scraped his lungs as it escaped him.
Cameron and Owen charged at Jack, but Jack snatched Owen’s bat and tore himself from the room.
Emily was collapsed on the floor, unmoving.
Jack threw open the front door and brought up the bat as he marched outside. He swung his body and slammed the bat into his car. Yelling out with the loudest roar he had in him, he lashed out and destroyed his little heap of rust. Unloading the fury of his soon-death onto it. He felt the pain of each swing as it travelled up the bat and through his arms. The noise muted his own thoughts. Each blow dented the car. The windows were smashed. Jack screamed over and over, again and again as his countdown started.
But Jack felt two hands thump on his shoulders and he was spun round and pushed into the wreck.
“Jack! Just calm down! We will sort this!” Owen yelled.
“Get the fuck off me!” Jack shouted and pushed Owen away with the bat.
“Jack, please stop this!” Lucy cried as she and Cameron ran up to him.
“Get away from me! Stay the fuck away!”
Jack brought the bat up and pointed it at them. Every muscle in his body pulsed with pain. Every bone ached. It was like there was a venom searing through him; travelling through his blood. Jack was struggling to see anything. His sight was hazy. His brain was clogged with a rage unlike anything he had ever felt before. He ground down his teeth and closed his eyes, pushing out all the air in him. After a few moments of silence, Jack yelled out and landed the bat into the car one last time. He could feel himself trembling. His hands failed him, and the bat fell.
“I’m…I’m gonna die?”
“No.” Grace whimpered, bringing her hands and shawl to her face.
“Fucking move!” Emily barked and barged through everyone. She marched to Jack with her arms wrapped around bottles and dumped them on the dented hood of the car. She picked up a bottle, unscrewed the lid and threw it away.
“Drink this right now!” Emily yelled, shoving Owen away and ramming the bottle up into her brother’s chest.
Jack grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, “What the fuck’re you doing?”
“Just drink this!” Emily ordered.
“Why? What in the fuck is getting drunk gonna do? Numb the pain of fucking dying?” Jack yelled, but he never let her go. He held her. Digging his fingers into her shoulders.
“I need you to vomit up the shit in your stomach!” Emily screamed. “Please…”
Jack continued to hold Emily, gripping her tight. He looked down at his sister. “Em?”
Emily collapsed to the ground, crying into her free hand. “Please.” she said, holding the bottle to her brother, “Please!”
Jack leaned into the car and slid down it. Sitting amongst the flakes of glass on the ground. He stared at Emily for a long while. He coughed a sob and covered his eyes with his hands. So this was it. This was how he was going to die.
“Fuck.” Jack whispered. He pulled his hands down and let his vision focus. “Give it.” Jack leaned forwards and snatched the bottle from Emily.
He forced himself to drink it. His throat stung and his stomach churned. And he kept drinking, through his splutters and coughs, until the bottle was empty. His stomach seared with pain, but it wasn’t enough.
The sprinklers spat out onto the garden and little drops landed on Emily. It was all Jack could hear other than her. Then he could hear Mortimer panting between his knees. Jack rested his hand on the fat dog and looked at his friends. Grace was gone. She had vanished, but no one else had. Jack looked back at his sister. Emily was doubled over the ground, sobbing into both her hands.
“Come here.” Jack said and jerked his head.
Emily slid along the paved driveway, pushed her back against the car, and cuddled into Jack.
“Owen mate?” said Jack as he held onto Emily, “Pass us the shots?”
Owen darted forwards and picked up the bright orange bottle. He handed it to Jack and sat down on the other side of him.
The three sat against the car in silence while Jack necked the bottle and finished it. Without being asked, Owen reached up and collected the vodka, which again, Jack downed. He coughed, jerked, winced, and shuddered. But still, Jack continued to drink.
Then Cameron walked over and sat down beside Emily. Jack watched as Cameron held his sister’s hand. They sat like that, for a long time, before Lucy joined them and dropped all the bottles at Jack’s feet. Her eyes were red, but the rest of her was so pale.
Every part of Jack felt numb and heavy. Every move he made felt like he was pushing through mud. Every thought was strained and delayed. And Jack drank. He drank until the acid brewed in his stomach and he felt it scorch his insides.
Jack ripped himself free of Emily and sprinted towards the house. He ran past Daniel, straight into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.
Emily ran after him and sat by the door. She banged her head on the wall behind her over and again, each time harder than the last.
Cameron and Owen sprinted straight into the Fort Room and started researching; looking for potential cures. The internet was ablaze with Moonshine news. It dominated the world. Lucy followed them, but there was nothing she could do, so she hid away in the fort, wrapped her arms around her shins, and rocked herself. Daniel wandered the house trying to think of something, anything he could do to help. Grace was hiding in Owen’s bedroom, collapsed on the floor and crying, though no noise ever escaped her. And Mortimer fell asleep in his bed beside the pool.
After a long, loud while, Jack opened up the door and sat on the floor beside his sister. He wrapped an arm around Emily and kissed her head.
“Thank you.”
Emily nodded into his chest.
“And I’m sorry about earlier. I never meant to hurt you.”
Emily nodded again.
“Love you.”
“Love you more.” Emily whispered.
Jack kissed Emily again. “Please don’t leave me.”
Emily sniffed in hard, “I won’t.” she said.
“Err, sorry, can I talk to you, Emily?” Cameron asked. He was holding his phone and standing in the hall. How lon
g had he been there, neither knew, and neither really cared.
Emily stayed silent.
“Mate, I know it’s not good. What you found?” Jack asked.
Cameron went to speak, but nothing came out. Instead he stared at the twins.
Jack smiled and rolled his head towards Cameron. “Just tell me.”
“Eh,” said Cameron as he found his voice, “everything we found says that after fifteen minutes there’s no chance of getting it out your system, but -”
Jack’s grip on his sister tightened, “Think I was over the time limit then.”
Cameron walked to them both and handed Jack his phone, “But they’re saying not everyone turns. And you got most of it out of you. You might be alright.”
Emily sobbed; it was loud enough for them both to hear. She brought her knees into her chest and clutched at Jack’s t-shirt.
Jack let out a breathed laugh. “That’s one hell of a might.”
***
The sprinklers whizzed around outside as the moon started to pull up and away from the earth. Some undead wandered past the wrought iron gates and continued their journey for food. The whole house went dark and quiet. Except the kitchen. Daniel and Owen were in there, hiding from Jack.
Then the realisation really hit Owen in an awful way. He gripped his kitchen counter and doubled up over it, trying to control his breaths as they, and he, quivered and shook.
“Owen? Are you okay?” asked Daniel.
Owen shook his head, “No. I’m really not.”
Daniel stayed silent.
“Goddamn it! Why the fuck!” Owen yelled.
He ran his hands along the empty bottles and smashed them to the ground. He roared until his voice broke, then said, “We’re going to have to kill him! I can’t!” Owen slammed his elbows onto the counter and rammed his face into his hands. And it was there, for the first time in as long as he could remember, that he cried. It wasn’t loud or violent. But quiet and pitiful.
But as the house was so silent, his voice carried through it and crept along its walls. Jack laughed when he heard, knowing that it was true. But Emily became consumed. She marched straight to Owen and grabbed his shirt, hauling him in to face her.
“You even dare and I will fucking murder you!” Emily screamed up at him.
Owen stood over her and couldn’t do anything. He looked at Emily and it wrecked him. Her face emulated everything he was feeling. Owen wanted to cry for her. For both of them. Share in the complete misery. “Emily? I can’t…”
Emily’s face screwed up, then she jerked forwards. Owen felt himself fall as Emily threw herself into him. He landed hard on his floor and glass scraped into his back. Owen looked up, he saw Emily standing over him, with a shard of glass in her hand. As the glass came towards his face with Emily behind it, Owen pulled up his arms. But Emily was pulled back and away.
“Emily!” Cameron barked from behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started dragging her away.
Emily screamed and kicked, fighting against Cameron. “I’m gonna kill him! I’m gonna fucking kill him!”
Owen whimpered as he pulled himself up the counter and held onto it. He heard Emily scream in a way he had never heard from her. Filled with pain.
“Please just stop this!” Lucy pleaded.
Owen couldn’t handle this. He pressed his hands on his ears. Emily’s wails never quietened as she was dragged away. Owen could still hear her.
Emily convulsed her whole body. She thrashed around while Cameron dragged her into the dining room. He dropped her and slammed the door behind himself.
And Jack, who was now totally alone in the dark hall, just laughed.
“Get out of my way!” Emily barked.
“No.” said Cameron.
Emily tightened her hand around the glass. Blood dripped out the slice and to the floor, “Move right now.”
“No.” said Cameron again, keeping the door blocked.
Cameron kept staring at her. He wasn’t saying anything, and he wasn’t moving. Emily wanted to grab him by his throat, throw him out of the way, and get back to Jack. But she couldn’t. She felt her eyes singe as tears burned out from her. She dropped the glass and fell down, crying. Those cries from Emily filled the house. Her arms lay limp beside her and her back hunched forwards.
Cameron grabbed the first aid kit and sat down beside Emily. He took her hand, poured some disinfectant on it, and wrapped a bandage around her cut.
Emily let him. She couldn’t do anything else. And as soon as her hand was free, she wrapped herself around Cameron and cried into his neck.
The house was so quiet, but sobs filled it. Jack needed to get away from the noise. From them. He pulled himself up. Clinging to the walls Jack slid through the house until he found himself in the Fort Room. Clumsily, he held up his phone to his face and started recording.
“Hi, everyone. Sorry if I slur a little. I’ve had a lot to drink. So, yeah, I’m gonna die. Had a can of that Moonshine stuff today. Like, about four minutes before the news told us that’s what kills you. Guess I have…what is it? Three days?” Jack gripped the back of his neck, “Well, two and a half now till I turn. But before I go, I want to say something. The news said that these videos have got some of you hurt and my God, I am so sorry for that. I never wanted any of you to get hurt ‘cos of what we said. I am so fucking sorry. You guys have been so amazing. You really have. And I’m going to miss you all. Till next time – I mean, I guess, not till next time, huh? Well then…” Jack smiled at his phone, then the recording stopped.
Day Nine
“Yep, we’re all fine, mum. Yes, we have a lot to eat. No, it’s not all junk food. Yes, mum. Yep. Yep, we seen it too. Yeah. Yes, I know you do. Yes, Emily’s fine. No, mum, we weren’t asking people to leave their homes. No! That was taken out of context. Okay, yes, we did, but – well weren’t telling anyone else to do it! What? No! Tell dad no! I’m serious! Wha? Yeah. Yes, mum, we have toothbrushes. Look, I’m sorry. I know I should have called more. Okay, so is there anything you need? Mum, milk is not a necessity. No, it’s not! It can go out of date! Then Martha’s wrong, milk does go bad. Really, really bad. Okay, so just teabags. Really? That’s all you need? Teabags? Okay, fine. Be round soon. Love you, too.” Jack pressed his thumb on the glass screen and slid his phone back into his pocket.
“You’re leaving?” asked Cameron as he reached Jack in the driveway.
Jack spun around and looked at his intruder. He thought that being outside this early was a sure bet for secrecy. Jack shrugged it off and accepted his defeat. “Yeah, mate. If I’m gonna die, I at least want to see my parents first.”
Cameron walked forwards and crammed his hands into his pockets, “Then what?”
“Not sure.” Jack shrugged again. “Maybe just drive around.”
“How you going to get home? It’s near enough a two-hour drive.”
Jack looked at his car, it was ruined. It could still drive, but he wasn’t sure how long for before dying. “Dunno. Probably just wander around till I find a car that looks like it can go forwards.”
“You taking Em?”
“Nah, best to leave her here. Where it’s safe. You gonna look after her for me?”
“I will when I get back.” Cameron replied.
“How? Where you going?”
Cameron rolled his eyes, ripped a hand from his pocket, and jolted it at Jack, “With you! Where the hell else would I go?”
“Yeah, okay then.” Jack replied, shaking his head.
“You aren’t going into Zombie Country on your own. You might get bit.” Cameron said with a grin.
Jack burst out laughing. “Yeah, ‘cos that’s like, the worst possible thing that could happen to me at this stage.”
“Just about. I’ll drive you. Daniel’s car’s still fine. Wait here and I’ll get the gate.” Cameron said. He turned on the heels of his trainers and walked towards the house. During Day Two, Cameron had swiped Daniel’s keys, just in case.
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“Fair enough, mate.” Jack said to himself.
Cameron pressed the button on the box beside the front door. The gates dragged open, so he started walking back to them.
“Cameron? What are you doing?” Grace asked. She had been heading to the kitchen when the loud gates caught her attention.
“Oh. Err, we were…just going to go out and scout?” Cameron said and felt his cheeks going nuclear. He hated lying to Grace.
“We?” Grace asked.
“We? Sorry, meant just me.”
Grace looked past Cameron and saw Jack standing in the driveway. “Where are you going?”
Cameron sighed. “Don’t tell anyone. Please.”
Grace pushed past Cameron and marched to Jack, “Where are you going?”
Jack smiled at her and felt like scum. “Hi. Um, just out for a bit?”
“Stop!” Grace shouted. She gripped her shawl and looked at the ground, “Stop lying to me. Both of you.”
Jack walked up to Grace and draped his arm around her shoulders, “I’m sorry, Grace. I’m gonna go see my parents. Cam’s helping me escape.”
“I’m coming.” Grace whispered as she wrapped her arms around Jack’s chest.
Jack laughed, “Are you?”
Grace nodded.
“Okay then. Guess it’s the three of us.” Jack kissed Grace’s head. He paused there, for a moment, then ripped himself away and headed towards Daniel’s car.
“Where in the fuck d’you think you’re going?” asked Owen, who like Grace had heard the electric gates open.
Jack spun round again, “Seriously? Can I actually not escape in peace?”
Owen marched up to Jack and stood so close their toes nearly touched, “What do you mean escape?”
“I’m going to see my parents before I die.”
Owen felt a fury boil inside of him. He grabbed Jack by the collar and hauled him in, “Without Emily? You’re a fucking bastard!”
Jack pushed Owen away, “Mate, do you think she needs this? Any of this? This is going to be harder for her than it will for me. At least I won’t be around to deal with the fallout. She will. And seeing out parents is going to be so fucking hard for her! I’m not putting her through that! You know -” Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then out, “I’m going. She’s staying. End of.”