by Line, Al K.
On the Jeanneau, an offshore cruiser Edsel had pretty much picked at random as he knew nothing at all about boats, the accommodation was quite luxurious, and even though it was Edsel that had used the boat the most, Lash and Aiden made themselves at home and familiarized themselves with the space again quickly in the days leading up to the trip. So once they boarded, and Edsel checked over everything, it was time to go within less than half an hour.
As Edsel pulled away from the shore of their private island he looked across to Lash and smiled reassuringly.
She's thinking the same thing as me: will we ever come home? Will life ever be as peaceful and stress-free again? Will we remain a family?
"You okay? It'll be all right, just a bit of fun, like going back in time."
"I'm okay. I miss it already though. It's been a great few years Edsel, just us, nothing to worry about apart from what generation Martha we are up to and if the beetroot will grow this year. I can't help but feel like it's all over now."
"We can always just stay, you know?"
"Haha, try telling that to Aiden. Look at him." Lash stared out of the cabin window at Aiden standing at the bow clutching the rail, staring out to sea practically willing the boat to move faster and get them to the mainland.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. But what else can we do? We may be happy but it's not fair on Aiden to keep him locked away from the world is it? He has to get out and do things, have adventures now he's old enough. And I don't know about you but I can't imagine just staying at home and letting him go off on his own. Can you?"
"What? No way. I'd be a nervous wreck in less than a day. I have to admit, I do kind of feel like a proper mum, you know? Even though he'd already lost his family I really feel like we are his family. I'm his mum, which I could be, just."
"Just about, yeah. I'm not old enough to be his real dad but I still feel like I am, sort of. I guess I think of him as my best friend, just like you, but with the added parental responsibility. So we have to let him spread his wings. Anyway, he honestly might hate it. I can't see what there is that will make him want to stay in towns really. Five years is a long time, I very much doubt anything will have got better."
"Well, you never know. And don't tell Aiden but I am quite looking forward to doing something different for a while. As long as we come home," added Lash hurriedly.
Let's pray that we do.
LAND
The sea was like glass: still and bright as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Edsel found it hard to make his mood match the perfect day. Just knowing he was approaching the mainland brought buried emotions and memories bubbling to the surface — everything revolved around The Ink.
A heaviness settled over Edsel, like he'd sunk to the bottom of the ocean and the weight of the world was bearing down on him, threatening to crush the happiness he'd finally accepted as the reality he now enjoyed.
He thought back to Kathy, the dog that had kept him sane for so long. His only companion; all he thought that he'd needed. He had been wrong though, he needed human company, conversation, talks late at night, somebody to hold and to hold him. Kathy had been a beautiful creature though, so gentle and kind, and she certainly didn't deserve what had happened to her — death by the hand of a man that had accepted a religion where they stated they wanted humans gone from the planet so the animals could inherit the earth. Well, he had a funny way of showing it.
He got what he deserved though. Ugh, I haven't thought about this for a long time now.
Edsel shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts, memories he had gone over so many times over the years, then put behind him like a bad fever that had run its course, finally able to live in the moment and enjoy the place he found himself in.
The sea could do funny things to your head — with nothing but water all around you it was easy to get lost in your thoughts, and as the journey continued so Edsel's mind wandered further from his current situation, thinking back to all that had happened in the past, and what had led him to the life he'd been leading, the family he loved so much.
Well, guess I'm just going to have to face what happened, and make the most of it while we are back in the middle of what we used to call home.
As he spotted land, and Aiden began shouting and pointing, Edsel felt it all coming back, trying to drag him down into a dark place, a heaviness on his mind that had always been hard to surface from.
Don't let it win Edsel. Think happy thoughts, remember the good times; be thankful for what you have.
Edsel put his arm around Lash's shoulder and smiled at her. It was clear that she was struggling with the same demons — they'd run away from a lot of bad stuff, and even seeing the coastline brought it back for the both of them.
"Don't worry, it'll be fun."
Lash turned to him and smiled, then kissed him on the cheek. "Look at him, he can't wait. So, what's first then? Where are we going to actually stop?"
"I think maybe we better let Aiden pick, don't you?"
"Good idea. I'll go get him."
~~~
Good god, what on earth happened here?
Edsel took an age to actually get the boat into position — the water was a mess of litter and vessels that had lost their moorings, bobbing about randomly, many capsized, seen just below the surface of the water as they approached the marina.
The harbor wall, that acted as a barrier to the worst the sea could offer, meant that the shallow water was full of debris, the usual maintenance long abandoned. Finally he managed to weave his way through to the mooring spots and there were plenty of free spaces — so many tethers had rotted through, or people had taken boats then returned them without mooring them properly, that it was like playing dodge the boat; they had a number of gentle knocks until he eventually got them to a safe spot.
Aiden jumped off and carefully tethered the boat; Edsel didn't need to tell him how important a job it was. With a final check that he'd shut everything down, Edsel stood on the mainland of the United Kingdom for the first time in five years. They had lightweight bags packed with food and water, weapons of choice and basic supplies that would come in handy if they found themselves having to stay away from the boat for a while — Edsel really hoped they wouldn't, and that there were to be no nasty surprises.
Feels weird, like I've come to a different country, not home. Good to be on solid ground again though.
Aiden was already walking along the large open space surrounding the marina. It had been part of a huge rejuvenation project before The Lethargy, totally renovated with huge expanses laid with fishbone paving, nautically themed restaurants and cafes where boat owners and visitors could enjoy the sight of vessels of all sizes coming and going. The small parks now overgrown and claiming back the once tamed land, spilling out of their tidy confines, breaking the paving, now almost invisible under the onslaught of vigorous native grass.
And everywhere the signs of man's downfall.
Lash and Edsel caught up with Aiden and it was clear immediately that the feeling of abandon was seeping into his head just as it was theirs. The lights had dimmed somewhat, already the expectation not living up to the reality.
"You okay buddy?"
"Huh? Yeah, I guess I just got a little too excited, forgetting what it would actually be like. It's so messy, such a waste."
"I know, but don't think of it like that. Think of it as a chance to explore, see new things. We can go wherever we want, do what we want."
Just a shame the restaurants are closed now.
Edsel found it hard to imagine that once the marina would have been buzzing with people excited to be going out to sea for the day, hundreds of them sitting down, drinking coffee and beer, being served by smartly dressed men waiting on them, taking their orders and their money. It was a lifetime ago; a different world.
How could it have all been taken away so quickly? One minute you were going out with your mates, thinking about girls and nightclubs and being able to drink legally, thoughts and
conversations dominated by TV and games, music and more talk of girls, the next it was all gone and you were watching your family fall apart, sink into nothingness as everything in the whole world came to a grinding halt. Just like that — everything gone, changed forever.
It had been five years since he'd seen what the world had become, and in minutes he knew that he could never live anywhere near the constant reminders of all that was lost. It was just too damn depressing.
Edsel looked about him, taking it all in with fresh eyes — no longer accustomed to the sights that had been so familiar.
And this is probably as good as it gets. What was it like in Manchester? It must have been apocalyptic. Look at this place.
The plants were dominating, taking over anywhere they could get a foothold. Buildings were covered in moss, buddleia growing in gutters, on roofs, poking out of windows and crumbling away the brick. Roads and sidewalks blurred into a lush green carpet, and everywhere there was trash. Piles of it, blown into corners, building ever higher, plastic and metal, rags and children's dolls.
This is nothing. It's clean in comparison to the city; I must have been living with my eyes closed.
People; dead people. Some deceased years ago, little more than skeletons, many in pieces where their flesh had been fought over by the ever-growing number of creatures that crept out of the shadows and found the way clear of humans. Other people had been dead only a short time, making a final trip to a familiar landmark, sitting and letting memories of better days wash over them before they succumbed to The Lethargy for the final time, or took their own lives as they couldn't stand the loneliness or the constant fight for survival.
This is depressing as hell. It's just going to take more time for people to adjust, that's all. It was too sudden, no time to come to terms with how different things were. It hasn't been long, not really, it will get better. It just has to.
Edsel let Lash and Aiden get ahead, and he took the opportunity to look closely at the strange place he found himself in, but he also couldn't help but admire Lash and how good, great actually, she was with Aiden. She had an arm around his shoulder, pointing out various things, smiling and chatting away, obviously trying to lift his spirits, to not let the air of neglect and total craziness get to him. She really was a great woman. She was still as slim as ever, still wearing black most of the time, her trademark vest still showing off her firm limbs, the intricate tattoos as bright and clear as ever, full sleeves that truly were beautiful.
Unlike mine.
Edsel noted the way that the area had become so overgrown so quickly, and assumed a lot of the rest of the country would be similar. Once the plants got a foothold there was no stopping them. As drainage backed up and more and more areas flooded so the ground gradually became covered in a layer of silt that was perfect for grasses and seeds of all description to really take hold. Year on year it would be better for them, and already he could see that large parts of the open marina would be a true forest before too long.
Everything is going back to how it once was, before we intervened and made it our own.
Edsel peered into the distance at the town, and could see a series of high rise apartment blocks that somehow seemed more out of place than ever before. They were like alien oblongs that had no right to sit amongst the trees and the plants that slowly crept over everything, swamping man-made structures, now little more than breeding grounds for the life that had been held back by construction and more construction.
Just try to enjoy it. It isn't all bad.
Edsel walked fast and caught up with his family. "Let's go over there," he said, pointing to the apartment blocks. "If we go to the top we should have one hell of a view. It will be interesting to see what things look like, and that's about the highest spot around these parts."
"Good idea," said Aiden, smiling, pleased to have a plan.
HIGH
Edsel hated it, he knew he would, just not quite how much. He found it incredible that he had lived in cities for so long after The Lethargy, only leaving after it all fell apart in Manchester. It just didn't compare, not even slightly.
The cleanliness and naturalness of the countryside compared to the dead and dirt of towns and cities made his head spin. He couldn't imagine what it had been like with a constant flow of traffic, people everywhere, all that noise.
You just get used to it. You like the ease of everything; all the luxuries you take for granted.
As they walked toward the high rise buildings it all came flooding back to him; he tried his best to ignore the bad. It wasn't easy. Yet there was a beauty to it as well — the level of achievement was staggering when you thought about it. Thought about what went into buildings, roads and bridges, infrastructure on such a scale, and that it all really did used to work. Traffic lights, buildings, mains water, electricity, gas, sewage, and all the rest, it was quite hard to understand just how such complex systems functioned so well.
People. It was all down to people. Now it's broken.
They grew silent the more the buildings hemmed them in on either side, conscious of the lack of movement apart from the odd dog that eyed them warily, or fat pigeons fluttering away at the echoing footsteps. Seagulls were everywhere, a background noise that was a constant. It was as if the place was taking away their carefree attitude, making them huddle up inside themselves, withdrawing into a protective shell.
They saw nobody, yet Edsel had the uneasy feeling that they were being watched from behind dark and dirty windows.
The entrance to one of the apartment buildings was open, the once state-of-the-art electronic door system with retina detection technology now nothing but a bare metal frame, the thick glass swept aside into a neat pile by one meticulous resident.
Maybe they still live here; the world isn't empty yet.
The large foyer was a bit of a mess, but Edsel had seen a lot worse. There was even still a fake potted plant over by the old reception desk, used by security guards for their shifts to monitor the cameras and to help out the residents when needed — this was an expensive place to live and yet there had been a long waiting list because of the marina.
There were piles of debris, but they were tidy piles, and the floor was rather clean. No rats, no bad smells, meaning either there was nobody left to mess things up or somebody had been doing their best to maintain the area.
Stay positive, they are probably long gone.
Nobody even bothered to check the elevators, it would just be a waste of time so they took to the stairs, all marveling at just how impressive it was, fake marble walls and even modern, or once modern at least, art still on the walls.
"Hey, we should've had paintings at home. The walls are pretty bare." Aiden stopped to look at an abstract piece, turning his head from side to side. "Nothing like any of these though," he muttered.
"Phew, you had me worried there for a little bit," joked Lash. "But you're right, we don't have much of anything at all on the walls. Some pictures would be nice. Right Edsel? Edsel?"
"Eh? Oh, absolutely. We should go to a museum though. I bet we can get originals."
Assuming they weren't all looted by people thinking they would actually be worth money.
They climbed from floor to floor, seeing nothing, hearing or smelling nothing either. The whole building was silent, but it had clearly been maintained well after The Lethargy. At the top of the last flight they found themselves in a wide corridor with a single door to the left and an exit sign above a door that led onto the roof at the far end.
"This could be a pretty good base for exploring, as long as the penthouse isn't occupied," said Aiden. "It seems quiet so far. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me. Let's check out the view first, then the penthouse. Lash?"
"Absolutely. It'll be nice to be up high, and to sleep somewhere that doesn't wobble about. I'd feel safer here than on the boat, that's for sure. Let's take a look at this view then."
The door was unlocked, as Edsel suspected it wou
ld be. Why would anyone have bothered to lock it back up? By the way the place was maintained there was no doubt that somebody would have gone through the rooms and taken what they needed, and he guessed that the roof would be one of the best places to take stock of the surrounding area.
They left the door open so they could see, then went up the short flight of stairs to another door that led out to the roof.
"Okay, let me go first, just in case."
"In case of what?" said Lash, putting a hand to the door to stop Edsel from opening it.
"I don't know. Rabid pigeons, killer rats, men with sharp sticks — anything. Just wait a second, okay?"
"Okay, sorry. You just made me nervous."
"Good. And that goes for you too Aiden, you should be nervous. You remember our lives before we left all this behind? It's dangerous out here; some people are not to be trusted."
"And some people are," said Lash, a reminder to them all of what they had done.
"I know, I remember." Edsel opened the door and light flooded into the corridor. They were facing out to sea and the clear sky reflected a perfect blue on the still water. Seagulls could be heard, their cries the only sound.
Edsel stepped out onto the flat roof and began to walk around, turning five seconds later at the sound of footsteps, his heart beating at double time, adrenaline ramping up instantly.
They're gonna give me a heart attack. What happened to staying put?
Lash held up a hand in apology. "Sorry, we couldn't wait."
"What if there had been someone out here? It could have been dangerous."