by Tim Flanagan
Looking at what lay ahead left them speechless - one thing was for certain: the road was most definitely blocked and their mood was deflating quicker than the melted tyres on the burnt out wrecks.
It was Steven who finally broke the silence.
'How far does it go on for?' he asked Tracker.
'Too far,' he replied, bringing the binoculars down from his eyes.
Georgia began walking between some of the cars and was having a look inside some of them.
'There are still people in some of these cars,' she shouted back to the others.
Steven and Tracker ran towards her and began checking in the cars, but all they found were dead bodies. Those that hadn’t been taken by the creatures had died of injuries caused by the pile up and now sat awkwardly across the steering wheel, cold and lifeless.
'What are we going to do?' Georgia asked.
'Will the shadows be coming back for us?' Annie added.
'If we turn around and try to find another route it will take us forever to get to London. The radio broadcast said that they would wait for seven days before moving on, we need to keep moving forward, especially as we will have to find shelter every night from the creatures.'
'The northbound side of the carriageway doesn’t look as blocked as this one,' added Tracker.
Although Steven had been listening to the others, he was also still looking inside the open doors and smashed windows of the abandoned cars.
'I have an idea,' he said after a few moments. 'The cars nearest to us haven't been affected as much as the others further on and, from the look of things, most of them still have their keys in the ignition. If we get in and move them out of the way we can progress far enough to be able to come off at the next junction. We can then rejoin the A1 on the opposite carriageway and keep moving south.'
Georgia looked at Tracker who nodded. 'It's worth a try.'
They drove the two Range Rovers to the side of the road nearest the embankment, then each car that wasn’t permanently twisted and attached to another car was checked. Those that had keys were reversed and left further back along the road nearest to the central barrier. Those cars whose engines had been running continuously through the night had their hand-break released and were pushed backwards. Occasionally, they had to sit on the bloody marks where someone had died, or move bodies out of the driver's seat before they could get in to reverse the car. None of them felt comfortable coming into such close contact with the dead; it felt like they were intruding and invading someone else's property, but unless they wanted to join them in the afterlife, it was a task that had to be done.
After forty-five minutes, they had cleared a path that would allow the Range Rovers to move forward so they could join the rising slip road that would take them to the overhead roundabout.
The last car pulled away from the tail-bar of a small lorry with a high pitched metallic screech. Tracker tucked it beside another car then casually ran back to the black Range Rover where Shirley lifted herself out of the driver's seat to allow Tracker to take his place again. The two Range Rovers moved forward, carefully trying to avoid driving over any sharp scraps of metal that lay scattered across the road surface. The narrow slip road was empty, but at the top, where it met the roundabout, two cars had continued forward and were now balanced dangerously with their back ends floating in mid air, whilst their front hung over the barrier facing the grassy embankment. As there were no other cars on the road, they drove the wrong way around the roundabout to get to the slip road that took them down onto the other side of the A1.
There was something strange about driving on the wrong side of the road with every car facing you, but it felt good to be getting on the move once again. To start with, progress was slow. They kept having to stop and start so that Steven and Tracker could move cars out of the way in the same manner as they had done on the other side. The two Range Rovers, now driven by Georgia and Shirley, crept along the road wherever a space was created. The further they progressed, the easier it became and soon they began to pick up speed once more.
Manoeuvring the cars in the wreckage had wasted a lot of time. After a further hour they were beginning to see signs for Doncaster. There was no way that they could possibly reach Peterborough or Cambridge by nightfall. Already the sky seemed to be taking on a slightly grey colour, with dirty pink clouds hanging weightlessly above them. Steven began looking at his road atlas once again for places to stay that were closer to their current location.
'The shadows,' said a weak voice from the back seat of the Range Rover. Annie had turned around and was sat on a pile of blankets, clothes and coats looking out of the back window. Her voice was drowned out by the gentle hum of the engine.
'The shadows!' she repeated slightly louder. At first the two words made no sense to Steven and Georgia, but then they realised what she was referring to. Steven threw the atlas down at his feet and climbed over the top of the passenger chair to join Annie. He bent his head down low so that he could get a better view of the sky. At first the northern sky seemed to be the same as normal, but then he noticed several small black dots circling far away from them. Like a flock of eagles searching for prey, the black specks waited then plummeted rapidly towards the ground to catch their victim.
Steven could feel his heart thumping inside his chest as fear crept over his body. He reached to the front of the car to pick up the walkie-talkie just as Georgia turned sharply, taking the car around more obstacles. Steven rolled against the side of the door, knocking the wind out of him.
'Tracker,' he said into the walkie-talkie. After speaking he released the button waiting to hear the other car respond, but all he could hear was the empty hissing sound of static.
'Tracker!' he shouted into the mouthpiece once again.
'They're here,' Georgia added in a quivering voice as she pointed to a dark bat-like shape that was perched on the railings of a bridge above the road ahead of them.
The walkie-talkie continued to hiss.
'The bridge above the road. Straight ahead of you!' Steven shouted into the mouthpiece.
This time it crackled to life as Shirley's voice come through.
'We see it.'
'Load as many weapons as you can,' shouted the voice of Tracker in the background.
'We need to get off the road to shelter as quickly as possible,' said Steven.
As the cars picked up speed and sped beneath the concrete bridge their progress was watched by a one-eyed killer from above. The alien creature stretched its skeletal arms out from its body to release a black sheet of skin that stretched tightly allowing it to catch a breeze in the air that created enough force for it to take to the sky. The enlarged bat-like shape glided on the thermals of air watching the cars from above like a police helicopter tracking a car thief.
Its one milky eye twitched as the two cars left the road and headed in a different direction, but it was in no hurry to attack on its own. Instead, the creature could wait for others and make the kill as a pack. It knew that the animals that lived on this planet were wounded and vulnerable. The creature's instincts told it to follow and wait, stalking its prey until it was at its weakest, before striking.
9. Conisbrough Castle
The two Range Rovers raced down the road, faster than it was safe to do, but the threat above them was far greater than any abandoned cars they were weaving around.
'Head for Conisbrough Castle!' Steven shouted into the handset of the walkie-talkie to Shirley in the other car.
The need to find a solid building that could defend them from the creatures was urgent and Steven had seen on his atlas that Conisbrough Castle was not that far away.
'Can you see any?' Georgia asked from behind the driver's wheel.
Steven strained his neck to look into the sky.
'Not yet,' he replied. 'But two moving cars will seem so out of place that it is bound to draw unwanted attention.'
The car took a bend at speed, they held on tightly, trying to stop thems
elves being thrown against the other side of the car. Georgia was trying desperately to keep up with Tracker, but she didn’t want to get too close in case he hit something or breaked sharply.
'Look,' Steven pointed to a brown tourist sign ahead of them. 'The castle is not far. If we can get ourselves inside, we should be safe for the night.'
'Steven,' Annie said with an edge of fear.
Steven turned around.
He could see the terror in Annie's face as she looked out of the back window. He followed the direction she was staring in and saw a sight that sent a shiver of horror down his spine. Above the car a flock of creatures had converged. There were too many of them to count, but Steven knew that the human occupants of the cars were outnumbered many, many times over. He watched as they kept up with them, turning in one direction then another in sync with the car. This group seemed to be more organised than the ones they had encountered in Rosery Wood. They flew in a V shape, like a flock of geese, cutting through the wind resistance together rather than individually. The lead creature at the apex of the V changed constantly, almost like they were taking it in turns. Steven wondered when they would make an attack, but none of them swept down, instead they stayed together like a pack of wolves, waiting and watching for the optimum time to attack, when success would be guaranteed.
'They're above us,' he told Georgia, not wanting to go into too much detail.
'They?' she shouted. 'You mean there's more than one?'
Steven nodded as he desperately scrabbled through the bags looking for all the shotguns and bullets he could find. He lined them up on the backseat and began loading every one of them.
Ahead, the black Range Rover took a sharp right turn off the main road and into the built up area of Conisbrough. On the horizon the tall Keep of Conisbrough Castle stood high above the town, silhouetted against the pink and grey clouds. Here the road was narrower and harder to navigate, but Tracker kept the pace up, taking a few knocks against his bumpers. A left turn led them up a road that ended with a one way sign. As the highway code didn’t seem to apply anymore, they continued into a small road that was bordered on the right by a small stone wall. Beyond that the grassy banks of the castle rose up to the ruined outer walls and the fortified Keep beyond.
The cars turned sharply into an entrance and sped past the visitors' centre. A gravel driveway took them up towards the remains of the outer wall then swung into an inner lawned area. The Keep now loomed over them. The driveway came to an end at a wooden staircase that twisted to connect to an entrance higher up on the side of the Keep.
'I hope they left the door unlocked!' shouted Steven noticing the door.
Both cars slid to a halt, kicking gravel into the air. Steven was the first to open the car door. He looked up into the sky, watching the black creatures circling above them. One of the creatures at the fringe of the group peeled off and dived down towards him, but Steven had been expecting it and released a shot into the creature from one of the guns. The creature twisted out of a direct hit, but was taken off course, forcing it to circle round before it could begin to dive down again. The gunfire had also caused the other creatures to disperse, but that meant that attacks were now coming from all sides. Georgia and Annie got out of the car, grabbing some bags from the back. The little girl tried desperately to stay up against Georgia's legs for safety as they raced up to the wooden walkway. Tracker and Shirley had done the same. Tracker had two hunting rifles over his shoulders, but the number of straps across his chest indicated that there were further weapons across his back. Shirley began to drag a large canvas bag up the steps with one hand. In the other she still held the road atlas that she had been studying inside the car.
Tracker raised a rifle against his cheek. He closed one eye and squinted down the cold metal barrel, watching one of the creatures in the sky above. Steven had taken to the steps and began lifting the other end of Shirley's bag so that she could move quickly towards the door. He turned at the crack of Tracker's rifle and saw a black shape plummet towards the ground, its lifeless skin flapping in the wind. With a thud, the creature landed on the lawn, quickly followed by several others who were happy to accept this easy feast.
'Come on,' said Tracker. 'That should keep them busy for a while.'
Together, they took the canvas bag off Shirley who then began moving up the steps to join Georgia and Annie. Georgia had now reached the door. A creature suddenly flew against the smooth stone wall of the Keep above their heads. Annie screamed as the creature began crawling down towards them. In a single agile movement the creature pushed itself off the wall and landed on the handrail beside Annie. It stretched its arms out wide and let out an ear-piercing screech before receiving Shirley's road atlas across its face, knocking it from the perch.
More creatures now began attaching themselves to the wall of the Keep. Georgia pushed on the door, hoping and praying that it would be unlocked. At first it didn’t move, but not because it was locked, but simply because of the excessive weight of the thick wood and metal fittings. She pushed harder, stumbling over a small lipped ledge, the weight of the bags she carried toppling her forward. Annie quickly followed together with Shirley.
Steven and Tracker moved towards the door. The black bat-like creatures were crawling down the walls against the laws of gravity. Steven backed in first, manoeuvring the canvas bag behind him. Tracker was the last, but as he entered below the frame of the door, he was unexpectedly pulled backwards. His legs no longer appeared to be attached to the ground, but his hands continued to hold onto the handle of the bag. The force of Tracker being pulled was so strong that it pulled Steven back towards the door. Georgia saw what was happening and launched herself onto the canvas bag, helping to weigh it down and prevent Tracker being pulled further outside. Shirley instantly understood what Georgia was doing and followed suit. Steven let go of his handle and slid the forearm pump of the shotgun back, flicking a used shell onto the floor. He then advanced towards the doorframe of the Keep. Tracker was only just managing to cling on to the handle of the bag, but his skin had turned white with fear. His entire body had been lifted into the air by a creature that was flapping its wings desperately trying to pull Tracker away from the others. Steven levelled his gun at the creature, then hesitated. He was worried that his shot would hit Tracker too, and from the look on Tracker's face, the same thought had run through his mind. But, there was nothing else he could do. Above the doorframe, looking down at Steven, was another single white eye. Several more of the creatures were beginning to crawl down the wall ready to attack.
One of Tracker's hands suddenly sprang from the handle he was holding.
The pull from the creature jerked him backwards even more. He was now struggling to hold on with one hand. Steven knew that he had to act quickly. He pulled the gun up so that it was level with his face and squeezed the trigger. He felt a small burst of heat against his skin as the blast propelled the shot from the barrel and into the space above Tracker. The creature seemed to get sucked backwards as the force of the blast impacted against its chest, instantly puncturing its black leathery skin, releasing a shower of yellow fluid over the metal bars of the handrail as well as Tracker's back. Tracker fell heavily against the wooden platform. Steven leapt forward and grabbed hold of Tracker's arm, pulling him into the doorway as another creature let go of the wall, twisted in the air and landed on its feet. Georgia helped pull Tracker inside whilst Steven pumped the forearm slide on his shotgun and squeezed the trigger once more. An empty click came from the barrel; he had used the two cartridges and would need to reload before he could use it again. They continued to move backwards, pulling Tracker into the Keep. His body was heavy and lifeless and Steven didn’t know whether he was alive or not. He grabbed hold of the other shotgun that was over his back and released a cartridge into the creature that was advancing towards them. Another creature peered down at them from above the doorframe. Steven immediately released the second cartridge, shearing the top off the creature's head,
causing it to fall lifelessly in a heap on the walkway outside the door. The remaining creatures flew away, but Steven knew it would only be for a short amount of time until they were back. Once Tracker's feet had cleared the entrance Shirley and Annie slammed the thick wooden door into the doorframe, cutting out any sound from outside.
At the top of the door was a thick metal bolt designed to keep modern day intruders out; however, these creatures were probably not what the administrators of Conisbrough Castle had intended them for. Steven quickly knocked the bolt into place with the butt of his gun then moved anything else he could find in front of it to prevent it from being opened. Panting heavily he turned round and looked at the lifeless figure of Tracker in the centre of the Keep.
10. Defending the Keep
The air inside the Keep was cold and damp. Georgia crouched over Tracker's body, her hand pressed gently against his neck as she felt for a pulse.
'He's fine. He's alive,' she whispered, turning to the others. No one else had moved from where they were stood. Every pair of ears strained to listen to the silence that surrounded the Keep. The creatures didn’t seem to be attacking the main door anymore. There was limited light inside the Keep, giving everything a grey colour. Above the chamber they were in was a narrow window, not big enough for anything to get in or out, but it threw a narrow beam of light against the opposite stone wall, lighting up a massive fireplace, some of which appeared to be broken and dismantled.
'I think he bumped his head when the creature let go,' said Georgia quietly.
Steven stayed next to the main door, hidden in a shadow cast by the thick stone outer wall. Since closing the door, there had been an uneasy silence. He had expected the creatures to keep attacking, but they hadn’t.
Suddenly, there was a dull echoing thud that came from somewhere high above them. They all instinctively looked up. Some way up the wall was what remained of the second floor, which had crumbled away leaving a jagged broken scar in the stonework of the circular wall. Above that was the ceiling of the top floor. They all waited in the semi-darkness.