by Line, Al K.
There can't be can there?
"Let's keep going, it doesn't look like it's much further now," said Aiden, clearly still keen on trying to gain the vantage point and look down on the country for miles in all directions.
They carried on walking, the wind picking up the higher they climbed, playing tricks on them, whispering of hidden dangers, carrying sounds across the open spaces that were alien and jolting awake something in Edsel's unconsciousness.
What is that? I know that sound.
~~~
They crested the brow of the hill and stood in stunned silence at the vista opened up before them — offering its beauty, the purity of a landscape that once extended from one end of the country to the other, slowly spreading to reclaim what was once taken by man.
The only thing that marred the beauty were more bones, stark against the dark loam of the exposed hillside. Edsel's long hair whipped about his face like a flag planted at the summit. He turned to Lash, jealous of the fact she'd thought to bring something to tie her much longer locks back with. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Stunning," she agreed. "You can see for miles."
"And you can see fields with crops, you were right," said Aiden, pointing off into the distance, a dark patch of earth against the lush green a clear sign of human activity.
Well, seems like I had a good idea for once.
Edsel paused, pulling his hair back. There was that sound again. What was it?
Oh shit, time to go.
Edsel grabbed hold of Lash's arm and pulled her toward Aiden, shock on her face at the abrupt change in mood. "We have to go. Now," he whispered. "We aren't alone."
Lash and Aiden scanned the area, seeing nothing, but Edsel knew. "Look in The Noise Aiden, what do you see? And I don't mean people."
"What's going on?" asked Lash, whispering just as Edsel had.
"Ssh, just a minute."
Aiden went still, eyes unfocused and moving up in their sockets. It felt like a lifetime of standing there on the exposed hillside, waiting for what Edsel knew, or thought he knew, was coming soon.
We can't wait any longer.
"Over there," said Aiden, pointing along the ridge where it dipped down out of sight. "There's something coming. Not fast, but there are at least three, if not more. What are they?"
"Never mind that, let's just go. And be quiet. Aiden, you first, then Lash, then me. Don't speak, just watch out for them."
So why aren't you speaking via The Noise? asked Aiden.
Damn, sorry guys. Okay, let's move.
They set off down the hill, moving as fast as they could, Edsel constantly looking behind, concern growing every time they walked past a large rock that could be a good hiding place.
Move faster, just don't run.
Okay.
Okay.
Edsel felt the wind change direction, pummeling him from behind, pushing him to go faster, almost making him stumble. In a second it had changed again, this time coming from the direction of his concern.
Just don't change to blow back toward them.
He knew that if their scent was easy to detect on the breeze then they were in serious trouble, if they weren't already. They kept walking, not quite running, not a leisurely stroll either. The descent was easy, the footpaths a godsend, and Edsel could see their car only fifteen terror-filled minutes later. The ground was already high where the vehicles were parked so it wasn't as if it had been a challenging walk anyway. But it wasn't over yet, not until they got into their vehicle and the doors were firmly locked.
Nearly made it, nearly made it.
They were on the flat now, heading toward the car, when Aiden turned suddenly, staring off to the right. From out behind a tourist coach came a panther, as black as night, body lithe and pure muscle. It was walking slowly, sniffing the air, turning and repeatedly looking back to where it had come from. The eyes were focused, vision acute, teeth needle sharp, but it didn't seem in any hurry to attack.
Then it became clear why. It's cubs had obviously tagged along for the adventure and the mother didn't want to leave them. Either that or it had no need for food at the moment — there was gore around her lips and that of her cubs, so they had clearly been in the middle of eating when they were interrupted by the presence of humans.
I knew it. Let's hope what they were feasting on was enough.
Edsel pointed to the car, and all three of them backed up toward it slowly, neither them or the panther taking their eyes off the other. He pulled the keys out and unlocked the car manually rather than using the button on the fob, trying to keep foreign noises to a minimum. He waited while Lash and then Aiden got inside before getting into his own seat. With a deep sigh he closed the door, put the key in the ignition and pressed the button to lock the doors.
He started the car and slipped into reverse gear surprisingly calmly, then quickly made his way back until he could spin around. Nobody said a word, not until they were out of the parking area and on solid asphalt.
"Well," said Lash, eyes glittering with excitement, "I have to say, I wasn't expecting that. Was that really a panther? Well, three panthers?"
"That was so cool. I thought it was going to be dogs or something, the way you were acting Edsel. How did you know? Or did you?"
Edsel stopped the car and turned to look at Lash, then at Aiden too. He shook his head then began driving again. "Wow! You two are crazy you know? You enjoyed that, didn't you? No," Edsel held a red and black hand up, "don't answer. I can see it in your eyes. Jeez, and you tell me I'm bad for enjoying excitement. I've got nothing on you pair."
"Oh come on, don't be such a spoilsport." Lash was flushed; her lips pouting, full and red.
She looks hot. Damn!
"I'm trying to look after you," said Edsel in a sulk.
"How did you know?" shouted Aiden loudly from the back seat, as Edsel had opened the windows to cool Lash down from her excitement.
Not that I wouldn't mind us being alone right now.
"Eh? Um, oh, yeah." Edsel pressed a button and the windows closed. "I thought I recognized the noise when the wind came in our direction. When I was younger my mum used to take me and my sister to the zoo quite a lot. There were panthers there, lots of other animals too. I always had a fascination with them. There was just something about them. Never expected to see any out in the wild like this though, but it explains all the bodies."
"I don't get it. That was too many bodies for it to have gone off and hunted. It wouldn't drag them all back up there would it?" said Lash.
"No. Um, hang on, let me just park up a minute." Edsel pulled over so he could talk without having to think about the annoying roads. "Aiden, you probably don't remember, but you will Lash. Just after we realized what was going on with The Lethargy you must have seen reports on the TV about people letting animals loose from zoos? About some escaping as they went wild because they weren't getting fed? There were countless stories like that. All those people up there? They were bloody sightseers. Didn't you notice the big tourist buses? I bet they flocked in their droves while they still could, to see if they could spot the animals. It probably went on for years. Who knows what generation that mother panther was? Maybe there were other animals too? There's a zoo close by, so maybe back years ago you could go for a walk and spot a giraffe, a panther, lions, tigers, who knows? They probably sorted it out between themselves, feeding off people, until now there are just a few left."
"I remember. I never think about things like that while we're off on our travels though. God, that's scary."
"I do, I think about it, and lots more."
"Like what?" asked Lash.
"Haha, you don't want to know."
"I know," said Aiden. "Bears, wolves, killer bees, dinosaurs."
"Very funny. You can joke, but there could be huge populations of wolves without a doubt, same goes for things like lions. Think what the packs of dogs are like in the cities. We live in a different world now, a scary one. A wild one. Everything is retur
ning to how it was before people had control."
Silence took over, the only sound was the engine quietly ticking over. Edsel may have exaggerated, but most of what he said was a distinct possibility, he was sure of it. There would certainly be small pockets of zoo animals still alive, or their offspring at least, and he really wouldn't be surprised if wolves had once again populated the United Kingdom as they had done long ago.
Finally he broke the silence. "Let's find somewhere safe to sleep, a house seems like a good idea to me tonight. No tents. Then tomorrow we can go and take a look at the fields you saw from up the hill Aiden. Sound good?"
"Sounds great to me. Thanks. As long as you're sure?"
"Absolutely not, but let's do it anyway."
Famous last words? I hope not.
FARM
They had to skirt around the range of hills that stretched for miles. There was no way that they would make it before they lost the light for the day, so Edsel just headed in the general direction they needed to go and told everyone to keep an eye out for a property that definitely, no questions asked, looked unoccupied.
He knew he couldn't face any more surprises, and if truth be told he wanted to find somewhere sooner rather than later, get to bed early, and hope that Lash was still feeling the excitement that had obviously aroused her after their encounter with the new wild animals claiming the country.
And then hopefully tomorrow will be a fun day. New people, no danger of death.
As they drove, scanning for a place to stay, Edsel couldn't help thinking about quite how much the danger element had clearly excited both Lash and Aiden; him too. He'd never really thought of himself as so drawn to the adrenaline rush that fear brought on, but there was no doubt it made you feel alive. But Lash? She was the one who insisted she wanted to go back to the peace and isolation they had been living in for years now. This was a different side of her entirely.
Did she really want that? Or was it simply that her love for her family overrode all else? That wasn't a bad thing though, was it? Making decisions that were best for everyone, not just yourself. That's what he had done, even though it was because he'd convinced himself that he didn't enjoy the risks associated with life where you could encounter people. Just look where it had ended for him; covered in a patchwork of Ink, nothing but a trail of death left behind him, all three of them — they'd all been responsible for the killing of men that wanted nothing but to help.
It seemed that Aiden was smarter than the pair of them, knowing that whatever the dangers were they thrived in such environments, and when it came down to it they enjoyed the risks and rewards of living amongst the remains of their civilization.
But is it worth it? Would I want to really stay where there is a chance we will all be killed? Isn't it better to be safe? Or is that a total coward's way of living your life? Shouldn't we be trying to give something back, make amends for the things we have done, rather than running away?
Edsel couldn't get it straight in his mind, there were too many conflicting emotions, too much to learn about himself he had never really given a moments consideration to. But what it all came down to was that much as he was enjoying being back — he had to admit that much — he would happily return to isolation if it meant keeping his family safe. The rest of the world could go to hell, he had to have priorities, and family came first.
But didn't that mean that he should try to ensure they were happy? And didn't Aiden want this? The adventure, the chance to explore, to find a person he could share intimate moments with, whisper to in the night with his head resting on her breast, talking and feeling the closeness of such a bond? He deserved that, didn't he? And what about the future for everyone? If all people did was hide then there would be no more children — in a generation the human population of the UK would be zero.
Ugh, how impossible is this? Just find somewhere to sleep, tomorrow is another day. And there is always tonight.
"What are you grinning at like a demented monkey?" asked Lash, looking suspiciously at Edsel.
"Oh, nothing. Just looking forward to an early night," said Edsel, with a definite gleam in his eye.
"Oh. Oh! Mm, me too, feeling so sleepy." Lash let out a huge fake yawn, stretching her arms over her head.
"Oh please, spare me," said Aiden from the rear.
Edsel and Lash smiled at each other; the hunt for a place to stay the night was taken up with renewed urgency.
~~~
The following morning they were back in the car early, ready for another day of adventure after spending the night in an old cottage — it was obvious it was unoccupied by the living as soon as they set eyes on it. The door was lost behind an overgrown ivy that had claimed the whole front of the building, the garden so wild it was like trekking through a jungle. The only thing visible from the road were a few tiles on the roof and the chimney — if not for that they would have missed it entirely.
Inside was dark, but there was enough light to check the rooms and discover the building was empty, not even a corpse left to deal with, which was always a blessing.
"So, did everyone sleep well?" asked Edsel, shutting the driver side door and putting his seatbelt on.
"I feel like a new woman," said Lash, her huge brown eyes full of energy.
"Me too," quipped Edsel.
"Cheeky." Lash punched him gently on the arm.
"Oi."
"Well you may have had a lovely night, but I certainly didn't," said Aiden grumpily from the back seat. "Those walls were paper-thin you know."
"Oops, sorry. Now shall we get going? Will everyone just promise me something?"
"What?"
"That we will stick together, and won't do anything daft. Okay buddy?" Edsel turned to Aiden.
"Okay."
"Lash?"
"Of course, we're a team. Let's go see what we can see."
~~~
It took the better part of the morning just to make what would have been a short drive — the closer they got the worse the roads became, with countless dead-ends and numerous wrong turns as a consequence.
This feels like some of these blocks are done on purpose, which is a pretty good idea.
Edsel turned in the road at yet another barrier — a tree across the moss covered road, a sight that was becoming all too familiar.
Someone is definitely doing this. How many trees can just happen to fall across the road like this?
Edsel followed the road back the way they had come and took another turn, hopefully in the right direction. After a few more minutes the way opened up to a wide road and he picked up speed. Ten minutes later they all had the same feeling at the same time.
"We've gone past it, I'm sure," said Aiden.
"Yeah, it's like the only way to go is away from where we actually want to be. I'll turn around. Keep your eyes open, someone's just being cautious and doesn't want anyone stumbling across them uninvited."
"So maybe we shouldn't just turn up unannounced?" said Lash.
"We don't have much choice if we actually want to go and say hello, do we? Not like we can give them a call or anything," said Edsel.
"There, there. Stop the car," shouted Aiden, pointing at the thick line of trees skirting the road.
"What? I don't see anything," said Edsel, scanning the area, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"There, look closely. You can see that there is a gap in the trees. I bet they've just hidden the entrance to their property; you wouldn't ever know it was there unless you were looking closely."
Aiden was right, there did seem to be a thinning of the trees if you knew where to look, and there did seem to be a difference to the ground — it was flatter, compacted.
Guess I better go do the adult thing and check it out.
"Okay, wait here, and be on your guard. I don't want any nasty surprises."
Edsel grabbed his machete and walked cautiously across the road, heading where the tree-line did look slightly different. Aiden was right, there was a gap i
n the trees just wide enough for a vehicle, and there was a lattice fence that had been covered with foliage to make it look as inconspicuous as possible. Looking about carefully, he then pushed it aside, rested it against a tree and saw a narrow rutted track that meandered off through the woods.
Well, no doubt about it, somebody is keeping themselves hidden. A good sign, or a really bad one? Will they be happy to see us, or shoot us before we even get to say hello?
Feeling nervous, Edsel walked back to the car, knowing without asking that they were definitely going to be paying whoever lived up the track a visit — they'd come this far, Aiden would want to see it through. Plus Edsel was curious, he found himself really wanting to know just who lived there. If nothing else it could be a good learning experience in terms of understanding how to stay hidden and out of harm's way.
"Can we please just be careful? Aiden, do you sense how many people are up there?" said Edsel, as he started the engine and turned toward the narrow entryway.
"No. I think maybe we are too far away yet. Maybe when we get closer?"
"Okay buddy, just stay alert. Let me know as soon as you can sense anything."
"Okey dokey, will do."
Am I the only one that's worried about this?
~~~
It was love at first sight, at least for Aiden anyway. Edsel had to admit that if he was a little bit younger then he would have fallen for the girl himself, but he couldn't think about such things, she was still a juvenile and although social convention had changed, and in many circles girls much younger than her were having children, it was still taboo as far as a man of his years was concerned.
Aiden had no such qualms however; he was smitten. Although it was only the first girl he'd met as anything but a young boy, he was blindsided by her beauty and couldn't keep from constantly staring at her with his mouth half open.
The girl's father had a different idea entirely.
Edsel could certainly see the attraction however. It was hard to think of her as a young girl when she appeared so womanly; Edsel wondered if it was something to do with The Lethargy, that it affected those born just before or just after it happened. He figured that as those left had such a struggle, and many would succumb to it in the end, then children reached maturity younger to afford them a better chance of having offspring before they got lost to mindlessness.