The Collapse Omnibus

by V. A. Brandon

  “Where is my wife?”

  “She’s in the basement with Walter. We have to go down there right now. Patrick’s also with her.” Swallowing hard, she added, “He’s . . . he’s no longer human.”

  Horror filled the men’s faces as understanding dawned on them. Without wasting another second, Daniel ran toward the basement stairs, his knuckles white as he gripped the fire poker in his hand. Justin followed closely behind.

  Amy paused, undecided, and then picked up a couple of the stray flashlights lying on the floor. The basement would be pitch-black; there were no windows inside.

  She couldn’t imagine the mind-numbing terror Marie was probably feeling at that very moment.

  The stairs creaked loudly under her thudding steps. Halfway down, darkness enveloped her, and she fumbled to switch on one of the flashlights. She could hear screams and incessant barking, along with Daniel’s shouts, reverberating through the basement. Metallic banging at sporadic intervals further added to the commotion.

  She leaped off the remaining few steps and entered through the wide corridor, flicking her flashlight here and there. This was the first time she had been in the basement. Dark mold dotted the expanse of the old walls like some kind of infectious disease. To the left, barred rooms sat adjacent to one another, reminding Amy of prison cells. She briefly recalled an image that had plagued her thoughts their first night at the clinic: past mental patients, screaming and scratching at the walls below while saner patients drank refreshing lemonade and enjoyed the luxurious comforts of the clinic’s estate above.

  By the looks of things, some of the patients had probably lived out their remaining days in the basement. One of the cells still contained personal items – an old coat, newspaper clippings, books with their hard covers torn off, and the head of a porcelain doll, its body nowhere to be seen. One eye was still open, its faint smile hiding terrible secrets.

  Shivering in fear, Amy pushed herself along, flashing the beam of light forward so Justin and Daniel could see.

  The two men were standing at the end of the corridor. Amy saw them struggling with the Runner, who was snarling and pulling at the bars.

  It appeared Marie and Walter had gotten inside one of the unlocked rooms, but the Korean woman seemed to be caught in a vicious tug-of-war with the Runner; every time she would yank the bars in, he would yank them back. The metallic clanging filled the corridor, its vibrations seeping into the walls and through Amy’s bones.

  She stared at the fire poker lying at Daniel’s feet and wondered why they hadn’t killed the Runner yet.

  Because it’s Patrick. How do you kill someone you once knew?

  She approached them and bent down to pick up the fire poker. After a split second of hesitation, she held the weapon out to Daniel.

  “End it now,” she said quietly. “End his torment. Don’t let him live out his days like this.”

  The Korean man said nothing. There was nothing he could say. As Justin struggled to pull the Runner back, Daniel reached over, grabbed the fire poker, and rammed it through Patrick’s left temple. His eyes shone with an array of raw emotions.

  The Runner slumped to the side and crumpled at their feet.

  The clanging noise immediately faded to a dull echo, and in the midst of it, a soft, keening cry rose as Marie fell to her knees and hugged Walter protectively to her chest.

  Chapter 2

  They buried Patrick in the woods. No one said a word as they slowly made their way back to the mansion. From the corner of her eye, Amy noticed Marie nursing her left hand and opened her mouth to say something about it, but quickly changed her mind. Whatever it was, it could wait.

  Walter greeted them at the foyer, his posture wary and uncertain as he followed them into the living room. He must have sensed the unease brewing in the air. With a heavy sigh, Justin plopped down on the floor and rubbed his face with his dirt-stained hands.

  “What do we do now?” he asked no one in particular.

  “We should probably leave right away,” Amy said, glancing at Marie. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if her friend was sinking into depression. She appeared to be folding into herself. “The longer we stay out here, our chance of reaching the farm grows slim.”

  One time, the thought of going to the farm had seemed so easy and straightforward. Now, the reality of their situation hit home.

  Not all of us will make it.

  Ms. Wentworth was gone. Patrick was gone.

  Who will be next?

  Amy startled at the morbid question. It was madness to follow along this line of thought. She picked at the dirt under her fingernails, trying to distract herself from thinking too much.

  “We will leave in the evening,” Daniel said quietly. “After the next horde passes.”

  “Agreed.” Justin fidgeted, looking uncomfortably at Amy. “We still have a few things to pack. Want to help me?”

  It was plainly obvious that he wanted to give the Korean couple some privacy. Amy noticed Daniel staring at his wife, a strange expression on his pale face. She wondered what was going through his mind.

  “Sure, I’ll help.” She quickly rose up and joined Justin at the foyer. “We should probably get rid of the dead Runners as well,” she added, lowering her voice. “The stink might attract all sorts of predators.”

  Justin closed the door behind them and headed toward the station wagon. Leaning against the car, he stared at the woods below the mansion, letting silence descend upon them. With hesitance, Amy approached Justin and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not,” he replied slowly, shaking his head. “None of us are. It’s like we’re on this crazy roller coaster ride that won’t stop to let us catch our breaths. I haven’t even had time to think about Nanna since leaving the apartment.” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “She’s probably dead by now.”

  Amy linked her arm through his. “Once we get to the farm and settle down, we can mount some kind of search-and-rescue mission. We’ll go find Nanna and my mom, see if they’re still alive.”

  “Drive halfway across the country, with Runners everywhere?” A ghost of a sad smile lingered on his lips. “That sounds mighty ambitious.”

  Amy nodded in agreement. “It’s wishful thinking, I suppose. But later . . . maybe we can try.”

  “Maybe,” Justin echoed, his mind already elsewhere. His gaze had returned to the woods once again.

  There were only two food boxes left beside the door. After dithering around, Amy went to open one of them. She felt nervous and on edge. Stuffing her face would help calm her nerves, at least temporarily. What she wouldn’t give for a carton of rocky road ice cream! With a wistful sigh, she reached down and settled for a packet of rice crackers instead.

  The rustling noise of the plastic packet was soon joined by an impatient snuffling, and Amy grinned to herself as Walter whined through the narrow crack beneath the door. She held up the snack, giving it a tantalizing shake.

  “Walter, are you a good boy? You want a snack?”

  The excited pooch let out a hopeful bark.

  Laughing, Amy reached up to grab hold of the doorknob, but paused when Justin suddenly swore and jerked to a standing position.

  “Get inside. Right now.”

  “What is it?”

  “I said get inside, Amy!”

  Annoyed, she scrambled to her feet, walking around the car. “What is it?” she persisted. “Why are you being all mysterious and –”

  The rest of the question soon died on her lips. Her eyes scanned the woods below, her skin prickling as the distant sounds of hisses and snarls drew nearer.

  Runners were spilling out of the woods. It wasn’t the size of a highway horde, but there were sixty, maybe eighty of them. And they were heading straight toward the mansion.

  “Where did they come from?” she managed to breathe out, just as Justin spun her around and pushed her forward.

  “Get down,” he whis
pered. “We don’t want them to see us.”

  Crouching, they hurried over and opened the door, blocking Walter’s path before he could slip past them. Amy lingered on the threshold, undecided, then reached down to drag the opened food box into the foyer. There was no telling how long the Runners would be on the clinic grounds. They could leave in a matter of minutes, or shuffle around here and there for hours.

  Amy prayed it was the former; they had to leave tonight. No exceptions.

  “Is something wrong?” Daniel asked immediately when Justin slammed the door shut and locked it.

  “Yeah, you can definitely say that.” Amy briskly headed toward the kitchen to lock the kitchen door, but stopped in her tracks when she realized how pointless it was.

  The windows in the living room were broken, smeared with dried blood. In the morning, someone had untied the tattered curtains to cover up the gaping, jagged hole. But it was a futile act – the Runners would soon smash through the remaining shards of glass and fill the mansion in minutes.

  Groaning under her breath, she returned to the living room just in time to see Justin carrying the food box down the basement stairs, with Walter right at his heels. Daniel and Marie were a little slower to follow.

  “We’re going into the basement?” she asked, horrified. “Not upstairs?”

  Daniel shook his head. “It is safer down there. The basement door is thicker and stronger.”

  Amy darted a wary glance at Marie. The Korean woman was staring at her feet, yanking on her left sleeve.

  “Are you okay with this?”

  It took a long time for Marie to answer. “We do not have a choice,” she finally whispered, turning away.

  Armed with their flashlights and meager weapons, Amy and the Korean couple trudged down the stairs and locked the basement door behind them.

  ***

  Luckily for them, one of the barred rooms had a working lock. It was rusty, but at least the previous tenants had stuffed its key inside the keyhole. Justin tested it a couple of times before locking the group behind the bars.

  “How long do we have to stay in here?” Amy asked softly, drawing her knees to her chest. The dank atmosphere of the basement gave her the creeps.

  “An hour? Maybe even less than that. Don’t worry, Amy. I doubt the Runners will linger around. They’re probably heading toward the highway.” Justin momentarily fell silent as muffled snarls sounded above them. “Or maybe not,” he mumbled to himself, sighing.

  Walter sat up and began to growl, baring his canines.

  “Stay quiet, boy,” Amy commanded, pointing a warning finger at him. She cast a worried glance in Marie’s direction, who was sitting in the far corner by herself. Normally, the Korean woman would be hugging Walter, trying to suppress his growls. But she seemed oblivious to his presence now. Amy couldn’t help but wonder why.

  What happened when they were in the basement with Patrick?

  A low bark startled her out of her thoughts. The incorrigible pooch was growing more excited by the minute. Frowning, she grabbed Walter and stuffed him under her arm.

  “If you stay quiet, I’ll give you a bone biscuit.” With her other hand, she rummaged through the food box and pulled out his doggy treats. “You want a biscuit, boy?”

  Walter whined softly in response. A minute later, he lay there munching on his biscuits as Amy impatiently turned her attention to the group.

  “I think they’re gone. I can’t hear anything above us.”

  Daniel stirred beside Justin. “Be patient. We must wait, just to be sure.”

  “But –” Amy broke off, hesitant. She was being paranoid; she was certain of it. And yet she couldn’t shake off that feeling of suspicion growing in her. Grimly, she raised her flashlight so she could see their faces. “There’s something I need to get. It’s in the car.”

  “Not now, Amy.” Justin’s stern gaze settled on her.

  She waited for a beat, then blurted out, “I need to get the first aid kit.”

  “What for?” He quickly sat up, his brows knotting. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m all right. It’s not for me.”

  “Then who?”

  She paused to glance at Marie, who stared back with a frightened expression plastered across her face. Ever since Patrick’s crude burial in the woods, she’d noticed the normally calm woman acting strangely – pulling at her shirt, her sleeves . . . as if trying to hide something. I’m sorry, she thought, biting her lip. But I need to know if you’re okay or not. We all do.

  Daniel stiffened as he caught their silent exchange. “What is it?” he asked quietly. Before either woman had time to answer, he scrambled over to his wife and grabbed her shoulders. “Are you hurt? Where?” When she didn’t answer, he began to yank at her shirt to check her abdomen.

  Marie placed a hand on her husband’s chest, stilling him. “When you calm down, I will show you,” she finally said, a slight tremor in her voice.

  Fear bloomed in Amy’s chest; suspicion was one thing, but to hear her friend actually confirm it was terrifying. A big part of her had hoped – even prayed – that she’d raised the alarm for nothing.

  Why is this happening to us?

  The small group gathered around Marie, their expressions ranging from wary unease to outright dread. The Korean woman bowed her head, drawing in a shaky breath, and then slowly rolled up her left sleeve.

  Her bare wrist revealed a deep bite mark caked with dried blood.

  A human bite mark.

  The others gawked at the wound in stunned disbelief.

  Chapter 3

  “Patrick bit her. She’s . . . she’s infected,” Justin said, shocked.

  Daniel’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing. “No, she is not!” Swiftly, he rose to his feet and held his hand out. “Give me the key. I am going to the car to get the first aid kit.”

  “It’s a bad idea,” Justin countered. “The Runners are still –”

  “I do not care about them!” Daniel answered fiercely.

  Justin stared at him, his eyes searching his friend’s face. He must have seen something that convinced him. With a curt nod, he handed over the key.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “No.” Daniel immediately went to unlock the barred door.

  “Don’t be a fool. There could be a few stray Runners left in the house.”

  “I will be quick. They will not see me.”

  Amy saw the vexation on Justin’s face and decided to step in. “I’ll go with Daniel,” she said hastily, standing up to join the Korean man. “Just give me the bat, and we’ll be back before you know it.”

  That offer didn’t seem to comfort him one bit. “You need to stay with Marie –”

  “I was the one who wanted to get the first aid kit, remember?” Without waiting for a response, she plucked Justin’s bat off the cold, hard ground and hurried to the other side of the door. She peered at him as Daniel tossed the key through the bars. “Lock the door when we leave. But if you hear us shouting and running down the basement, that means we’re being chased. You have to be right here, waiting for us. Okay?”

  Justin’s jaw tightened, but he acknowledged her request by approaching her. He reached through the bars and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm.

  “Don’t do anything stupid. Get to the car, get the first aid kit, and get back here. Don’t stop for anything else.”

  Amy frowned at him. “We know what to do, Justin. Now, lock this door.” And she shook him loose and followed after Daniel.

  As they walked toward the basement door, Daniel tossed her a sideways glance. “He cares for you.”

  “Hardly,” she said, snorting under her breath. “He treats me like I’m his annoying little sister.”

  “No. He cares for you. Very deeply, I think.”

  They stood before the door, and Daniel leaned forward, listening.

  “Why didn’t you want Justin to go with you?”

  The Korean man paused briefly. “I w
as angry with him. He was being calm and logical, caring for my safety, while I was crazy with worry for my wife. I saw him as an obstacle between me and that first aid kit.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “My reaction was childish and irrational. When we return, I will apologize to my friend.”

  They stood there for a bit longer, listening intently. After a while, Amy impatiently nudged his arm.

  “Well? Are we going out or what?”

  Daniel glanced over his shoulder. “You should go back, Amy.”

  “Why?” she asked, pressing her ear against the door. “How many do you think are up there?”

  “I heard two. Maybe three.”

  She quietly pulled the door open and peeked up the stairs. “Are you sure?” she whispered. “I don’t hear anything.” Tiptoeing past the door, she turned off her flashlight and gestured at Daniel to follow her.

  The steps creaked beneath their feet, but they kept going. When they reached the top of the stairs, they hunkered down, warily eyeing their surroundings.

  Nothing. No Runners anywhere.

  “Go and get the first aid kit,” Amy said, gently pushing Daniel forward. “I’ll stay here and check around, make sure the first floor’s empty.”

  He paused, uncertainty filling his eyes. “We should stay together.”

  She entered the living room and made a quick inspection of the area before turning to face Daniel. “We need to make sure this place is free of Runners. If I see anything, I’ll shout, okay?”

  The Korean man stared at her for a beat, then nodded. “Very well. Be careful, Amy.” After hurrying into the foyer, he unlocked the door and disappeared before her eyes in a matter of seconds. It was like watching a magician’s act.

  Amy raised her brows, awed by the Korean man’s swiftness, before turning to survey the damage in the living room. Twilight would soon be upon them. Which meant the next horde of Runners would be passing through the highway if they hadn’t already.

  She cocked her head to the side, listening intently. The second floor seemed quiet – there were no groans, hisses, or creaking wood as far as she could tell. Feeling optimistic, she ventured closer to the windows to check out the remaining pieces of glass littering the floor. Noticing small droplets of blood here and there, she crouched down to see if they formed a discernible trail. Maybe they would give her an idea of where the Runners had gone.