Apocalypse [Book 1]

by Matt J. Pike

  10.30pm: Had a pretty chilled-out evening with Fi (after she started talking to me again). We watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead (it’s true our street walkers look pretty similar to Walking Dead’s walkers – why don’t they call them zombies?). After that we started working on mission: give the HC a name. Surely something that’s going to be such an important part of our lives deserves a name. We came up with a list of about 60 ideas but the only ones I really like at this stage are…

  Ashram (it rams itself through the ash – but in a religious way),

  Adelaide (named after the city that is no more),

  Phoenix (because it was built from the ashes of the disaster)

  Wilbur (just because it’s cute according to Fi)

  We’ll need some more time to mull it over. They are all good options (except Wilbur). Maybe one name will just feel right when we take her for a spin on Saturday.

  ****

  Friday, June 6, 2014

  11am: Well, everything’s set for tomorrow food and present wise. I’m going to earn enough boyfriend brownie points to last through to Christmas! The last piece of the puzzle is sorting out the windscreen for the HC. The two boats I’m sure are stored in backyards in the area are only a short walk – unfortunately in different directions. I’m gonna scoff something downand go shopping

  6pm: So boat number one had a pretty good canopy. I was tempted just to save time checking out option number two and remove it on the spot, but something (probably my perfectionist side) made me check out the other boat. And I’m glad I did. Boat #2 was slightly bigger than the first but the canopy was infinitely more encompassing. The only downside was the hull beneath the windscreen angled upwards in the middle, which would require some tinkering on my HC to make it fit. But the upsides were so much more. For starters, it was a mix of a glass windscreen (about a foot high), see-through material siding and a kickass black roof. It was just made for the HC.

  It took about an hour to remove the screen from the boat. The solid windscreen was screwed into position so I removed the entire attachment panel from the hull. The see-through material was attached further down the hull with a series of click studs. I had to remove the stud panels from the hull too, which was fiddly and annoying work.

  It took a good half hour to haul the thing back to Mr Nichols garage. I was exhausted by the time I got there but just had to finish in readiness for tomorrow’s test run.

  In the end I didn’t quite get there but I reshaped the bow end of the HC so the windscreen sat snugly on top. I also attached the screen – it felt strong. What I failed to get to was the soft canopy section, which I’ll tackle in the morning (I’m gonna set the alarm for early). Oh, and the additional section of the bow hasn’t been painted black. Just cannot take the test drive without the mean black exterior all over.

  8pm: Just had a nice massage from Fi. Mmmmmmm... feels so much better. I was just a ball of ache since this afternoon’s exploits.

  I’ve also baked a loaf of bread this evening... figured toast for breakfast will be a good way to start Fi’s birthday.

  Anyways, now I’m off to help Fi celebrate her last few hours of non-adulthood with a few drinks, some stupid movie and some reminiscing.

  ****

  Saturday, June 7, 2014

  11am: I’ve been a busy boy this morning. I was up at six and headed straight out to the HC to tidy up loose ends. It took longer than expected, which I can predominantly put down to the hangover. Anyways, it’s all locked and loaded now and looks sa-weeeeet!

  I’m slightly jealous Fi’s still asleep, but her laziness has allowed me to get everything as close to perfect as it’s going to be. Time to wake her up with toast and presents.

  2pm: What a perfect couple of hours. Fi absolutely loved her presents, so much so she cried when I gave her the guitar. Said it was the best present anyone had ever given her. She gave me a hug so big it took my breath away. I couldn’t help it and may have shed a slight tear myself (although I would deny it if anyone asked). I have never felt so loved before.

  It took her a few minutes to tune the guitar, then she played me a song she’d written a few months before the rock. It was a cute little love song, and she sang it with an Aussie twang – far more noticeable than her speaking accent. It was beautiful and I told her as much before she led me to the bedroom.

  When we’d recovered from the bedroom workout, I blindfolded Fiona and took her to the back of Mr Nichols’ place where the HC was ready to go. She hadn’t seen the canopy, didn’t even know I was attaching one, so laughed when she saw the final result. She looked at me and shook her head, like, it was typical obsessive, perfectionist me to go into that much detail. I knew what the look meant but just replied with a defensive, ‘what?’

  The canopy did present some problems, the HC was now so tall it barely squeezed between the built-up ash in Mr Nichols’ backyard and the top of the garage, but with a bit of fiddling we got there. We pushed it with the base inflated and the fans on level 1 so it was actually very little effort to manoeuvring. Once we were out the front though, that’s when it became, well, magic.

  We hopped in and cranked up the fans. Slowly at first – level 3 – but it was enough to get us moving. I turned her on to the street and we travelled up the middle where the ash is most even. God it felt unbelievable! I let out a big, whoooo-hoooooo!, and Fi joined in. We looked at each other and laughed. This was the game-changer. We were moving – far faster than we could ever walk.

  I travelled up the street and around the corner to the oval. Pre-rock there was a metre high fence around it, but that was lost now under the ash so I could just drive straight from the middle of the street onto the oval. A big, wide open hovercraft play space. I turned the fans up – slowly through 4 and 5 speeds, eventually up to 7. We took turns steering and getting to know how she handles. I don’t think I can ever truly express how liberating that ride was. We just laughed the entire time. The weather was clearer again today with a slight hint of light and, between that and the lights on the front of the HC, I reckon we could see a good 50+ metres ahead of us.

  I had intended to stay out for about 20 minutes, but I think I got a bit carried away. I saw a couple of human silhouettes in the distance, then a couple more. Our joy ride had attracted some attention. I looked at my watch and realised it’d been over 40 minutes since we’d left – definitely time to call it a day.

  I certainly didn’t like the idea of a bunch of walkers seeing what we were doing. It was way too much attention for my liking and, although I was annoyed at myself for getting carried away, I was not going to let that feeling overwhelm how damn good I felt.

  We had the HC around the corner, up the street and out of sight before anyone knew what had hit them. I also turned the headlights off to avoid being followed.

  When I shut the garage door Fi gave me another big kiss and announced she thought we should call the HC Phoenix. Considering that was my favourite name from the list, I was hardly going to argue.

  Phoenix was born.

  6pm: Still on a high from this arvo’s successful road test. My mind is absolutely buzzing with the possibilities that present themselves now we have this new travelling capability, chiefly the potential to source food and other stuff from far and wide. Maybe we wouldn’t have to hit the road to Canberra as soon as I thought. I mean, why hastily leave a quality fortress for the unknown? Sure, there will always be randoms walking the street, and there’s the high probability the Norwood hubbers will be back some day but they’re known threats we have a plan to deal with. Am I being crazy to trade them in for the unknown?

  But I guess by even having Phoenix we are drawing attention to ourselves – as today’s test run shows. I’m sure there are people out there who would go to great lengths to get their hands on the sort of technology we were showing off. I’m sure there are those out there who would kill for it. As much fun as today was I don’t think I’ll be letting Phoenix strut about out in the open again unless the
re is good reason.

  Still, they’re all thoughts for another day. Today I’m just going to enjoy the accomplishment, celebrate Fi’s birthday and get my cooking on, because as far as days post-rock go, this is a high point.

  8pm: Wow! I’m on fire today. Dinner could definitely be described as above average – for a post-rock meal that translates as 5-star. I’m pretty sure Fi agreed as I had a second round of bedroom appreciation after we were done.

  I’m just popping the top off a second bottle of wine and Fi and I are going to watch a movie and maybe a few more eps of The Walking Dead. Then I might...

  ****

  Monday, June 9, 2014

  1pm: There are no words to describe how I feel right now. Fi is gone. Everything is lost,

  Fi and I were just settling down for her birthday evening. We had full tummies and a couple of drinks. I was also hitting the wall after burning the candle at both ends trying to get Phoenix ready. We were at a weak moment. It was the worst time for a knock at the door.

  God, I hate this world, we’d played everything so well and so carefully, but it couldn’t even let us enjoy one damn day.

  Fi was at the door before me and told those knocking there were people home and they should move on. That was when a voice came back and we knew we were in trouble. It was Fi’s ex, Josh, and his mate Duncan. I could see the blood drain from Fi’s face as Josh called out to her. She didn’t respond and I just yelled out and asked them to move on. There was a short pause as they talked out of earshot outside the door, then there was a thumping sound.

  They were attacking the door with something, trying to knock it down. We stood back, armed with the bow and crossbow, yelling at them to stop. At one point I opened the door to the latch so I could try to find what they wanted. I didn’t know what else to do but it was a bad, bad move. Josh started calling Fi all sorts of names and threatening to kill her. I told him to back off. He told me to shut up. Fi started screaming at Josh and the door kept getting pounded. It was pandemonium.

  I shoved the nose of the crossbow through the gap in the door and yelled out that if they didn’t stop I’d shoot. Before I knew it, there were three loud bangs and my hand exploded in pain. I looked down and my little finger on my left hand was mangled. I’d been shot. There was a scream outside and as I retracted the crossbow and shut the door, I noticed the bow was gone. I’d fired it in all the chaos and hit one of them. Josh swore so loudly I figured it was him.

  There was a lull for a few seconds then I heard footsteps out the front, I knew one of them was headed to the side door. Fi was saying ‘stop’ over and over again, I went over, grabbed her and said, ‘we need to go now!’

  The house was a mess. Everything we had set up was in chaos because we were packing for the Canberra trip. It slowed us down just enough. There was a moment of confusion as we realised the only thing we could afford to take with us was us – no time for bug-out bags, no time for anything. All I could do was reload the crossbow and think of the best way to get out of there.

  As I opened the sliding door by the courtyard I could hear one of them negotiating the side fence. I took a couple steps outside to see if I could get a gauge on whether we had time to make a run for next door. I heard another bang as a bullet fizzed past me. I turned and hauled ass inside. Maybe, thinking back on it now, we could’ve come back in and headed out again via the back patio while we had the chance. We definitely could’ve made a run for it in the confusion. But we didn’t. It was my fault, it was my call. I yelled out to Fi to head to the cellar.

  I locked the sliding door behind me, but we hadn’t even reached the cellar before I heard the shatter – I assume they put a bullet through it. They would’ve been entering the house as I lifted the rug and opened the cellar door. I kept the door open with my injured hand while Fi climbed in. My other hand was on the crossbow, ready to fire should anyone come into sight before we got in.

  Fi got down and I moved into position to follow her. I threw myself on my stomach under the door and stuck my bum up so it could take the door’s weight. I remember my feet searching for a rung on the ladder just as Duncan entered the room. I fired an arrow at his head but it hit him in the collarbone. I heard the arrow lodge and his shriek of pain before I tumbled backwards into the cellar.

  Maybe it was a dumb move. Maybe I could’ve slipped into the cellar before he noticed. Maybe if I did we could’ve hidden unnoticed. They could’ve taken what they wanted and left. But I didn’t and now they knew where we were.

  I reloaded the crossbow and we just sat at the back of the cellar, as quiet as we could. My heart was going crazy and my hand started to throb with pain. I looked at Fi she was a wreck, tears streamed down her face and she mouthed ‘I’m sorry’.

  Above us Duncan swore in pain and then thumped his feet across to the front door where he let Josh in. We sat and listened as the footsteps made their way to right over us. Duncan said ‘they’re down there’ before asking Josh what they should do.

  I’ll never forget Josh’s response. ‘They shot us, we’ll kill them’.

  They argued about it for some time. They were both clearly hurt, Duncan with his shoulder and Josh with his leg. Both wanted different outcomes. Duncan just wanted to get some food and get out of there, but for Josh, it was personal. I’m not sure if it was personal with me for shooting him, Fiona for leaving him, or the hour we spent together pre-rock, or all of it – and in the end it didn’t really matter.

  Fi and I moved as far back in the cellar as we could. I moved myself in front of her and positioned the torch between my legs so it was shining on the door to blind them when they opened it. Behind me, Fi leaned out and had her bow and arrow cocked and ready to go. I held her with my sore hand and aimed my crossbow with my good one.

  I whispered to Fi that we had the advantage. They didn’t know the layout of the cellar or where to fire and they would be blinded by the light. We, on the other hand, knew exactly where to aim. I wasn’t sure if I totally believed what I was saying I mean, they had guns and we had arrows, but I figured it was a thought worth hanging on to.

  We just waited. Listened and waited. Duncan was stalling; he clearly didn’t want to go after us, for whatever reason, and started trying to draw Josh’s attention to the food and supplies he’d seen at the rear of the house. He also complained about the pain in his shoulder. Josh was drawn away for a moment, but soon returned his focus to the cellar and us.

  We could hear every word as they planned how to attack us. They were going to open the door and shoot like crazy. Fi said ‘I’m sorry’ again. I told her I loved her and I kissed her. Then I moved the torch from my lap to a pile of cans to my left. I wedged it so it was aimed at the door... my thought was they would see the light and aim for it and I didn’t want them shooting at my groin. Then I lined up my spare arrows on the floor between my legs.

  I was shaking and I could feel Fi doing the same. She kept saying sorry over and over again. Then we heard them countdown above – three, two, one...

  The door creaked open about a third of the way and a pistol filled the gap and fired straight down. The sound was overwhelming, the shots echoed through my ears and they crushed under the weight of the noise, you could hear the bullets ricocheting around the cellar. The door slammed shut again. Neither Fi and I had fired.

  Above we could hear them arguing about whether they’d hit us or not. Duncan kept asking what happened and Josh was screaming out that he didn’t know. Duncan said he was going to leave before Josh told him they were going to finish us off now.

  Josh counted down again. This time he partly opened the door, fired a couple of shots then opened the door further to look in and aim. I fired the crossbow, Fi fired her bow, both arrows connected – mine with his face and Fi’s with his neck. Josh reeled back from the impact and screamed in pain. The door shut once more. Josh’s swearing echoed through the house. I could hear footsteps leading to the door – just one set, Duncan had left. Josh called him a pussy and scr
eamed again in frustration.

  We took our chance to reload. While I was at it I repositioned the torch to my right; I hoped it’d throw him when he opened the door again.

  I could hear him above, screaming and swearing. He stood up and paced around for a while. I could hear his mind ticking over. He hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t contemplated losing – getting injured. And now he was alone and in a world of hurt. The scream was sickening. It was the scream of someone in total meltdown. A dangerous scream – confused, angry, helpless, out of control.

  I heard him start to cry and breath in and out like a madman. Then I heard him release the clip on his pistol and load another one. I knew that was the moment. He didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care if he died as long as he hurt us.

  Fi kept saying ‘I’m sorry’ I told her to wait until you could see his face and shoot straight at it. Seconds later the door opened fractionally again, two or three bullets were pumped in. My ears screamed again. Worse still, the torch became dislodged and landed on the ground, facing us.

  I slid forward to try to kick it away just as the door opened further. I saw him and, for the first time, he saw me. He fired, I fired, Fi fired. I felt a pain in my shoulder – I’d been shot. Then I felt another pain as Josh’s body fell face first onto the cellar floor, and onto my legs. His gun dislodged from his hands and slid across the floor towards me. I picked it up, turned it on him and pulled the trigger until it wouldn’t fire anymore. I was in pain and deaf. It was only when I turned to Fi I realised she’d been hit.