by Colley, Ryan
“Well, you got a little red on you,” she said looking at me with a nod. I looked down at my lovely summer clothes. I did have red on me. Dark and chunky flecks of red covered me. I tried to wipe them away, but just smeared them instead.
“It’s nothing,” I said with a shrug. Gore was the norm. Kirsty got out of the driver’s side to let me in. She’d been listening to the radio – whatever broadcasts she could find anyway.
Kirsty saw my line of sight and commented on it, “Have you heard this crap?”
With that, Kirsty turned up the volume. It was a man discussing something. I’d heard the voice before … the weird radio preacher. Back when I was with Gary and Tracey. Morningstar or … Midnight Sun? Then I realised where I’d heard of that church the other group had said about. It was the same one as on the radio!
“What’s he on about?” I asked Kirsty, turning to her. For some reason, I had a bitter taste in my mouth.
“He’s been going on about the coming apocalypse,” Kirsty said with something close to disbelief in her voice.
“Unlike the one which has already happened?” I said, shaking my head.
“There’s more to come apparently,” Kirsty replied. “He also … you know what, just listen.”
‘… as I have stated, our doors are open to anyone who has not been tainted by the evils of the world. This world has much more in store for us before the truly dark times are here. The first of which we are witness to – the unrested dead. There are many more plagues to come. The only way you can stay safe is by truly giving in to The Church of the Midnight Sun.’
“That’s enough of that,” I said, turning it off. I felt a little sick. It wasn’t even a disdain of religion – it was a disdain of religious dictators. I laughed and said, “Plagues?”
“I know,” Kirsty said, shaking her head. “The world has gone mad.”
“Have you ever considered the idea of this being the result of a divine plague?” Keith said, finally speaking up.
“No, have you?” I said to him, almost defensively.
“Of course I have,” Keith said nonchalantly. “Why haven't you?”
“Because it's insane,” I said, shaking my head – I was feeling chalant as hell about it.
“Why though?” he asked me simply. He didn’t seem to be argumentative, just curious.
“Because it’s mad,” Kirsty said, answering for me.
“But why is it mad?” Keith said coolly. “The dead are walking. Life as we know it has ended. Isn’t that madness?”
“But a divine plague?” I said in disbelief.
“Isn’t it even worth considering?” Keith pursued.
“Yeah … but,” I replied, confusion setting in slightly. Keith had made sense on a subject that made no sense to me – being sane in insane places and all that. Perhaps it was God’s wrath, and not some science experiment gone wrong. Perhaps there was no stopping it.
“Do you believe it’s a divine plague?” Kirsty asked Keith after a few moments of thoughtful silence.
“No, of course not,” Keith said shaking his head. He smiled and added, “and that guy on the radio is probably deluded.”
“Then why keep pushing it?!” I said, exasperated and annoyed at his perseverance on the subject.
“Because I enjoy opening minds,” he said with a wink.
“What do believe caused the undead?” Kirsty asked, equally exasperated.
“I don’t know. A bioweapon? An ancient disease? Tampered flu vaccines?” Keith said shrugging. “I have no idea. It’s fun to imagine though.”
Fun? Keith had a unique way of looking at things. He wasn’t a very open man, but I was slowly learning more about him. Kirsty was the same too – hard to understand, but amazing once you got past the tough exterior.
“Are you a religious man?” I asked Keith after we’d been driving for a while, and long after the divine plague conversation.
“Religious?” he repeated. He seemed to me, mulling the word over thoughtfully. He finally answered, “No. I don’t think so.”
“But, all that talk about God. Wide knowledge of the subject. What’s with that?” I asked, looking at him in the rearview mirror.
“I believe in a higher being, yes. Whether it’s a God … I don’t know. I never liked the word religious,” he replied, as thoughtfully as ever. “I’d prefer spiritual. For me, especially where I’ve fought, religion brings to many negative connotations to mind. I’ve seen people kill for religion. Never saw people kill for spirituality.”
It kind of made sense …
Keith saw my confusion and continued, “I’m not saying this is the same for everyone’s experience. I know religion provides some good around the world, so I’m not knocking that. It’s when religion becomes detrimental to people’s lives that I don’t agree. When it starts taking away from your overall happiness … that’s when I see a problem. Your religion should be in addition to what you already have. It should enhance your life, not have it as a trade-off for something else. You can be religious, and still be a bad person, but if you are truly spiritual … then the world is a better place.”
“Sounds like hippy nonsense to me,” Kirsty said bitterly and looked away. Her distaste for religion was greater than my own and becoming ever more apparent.
“If that is what you think, so be it,” Keith said with a shrug. “I don’t need a holy book to tell me right from wrong. I can live with the guidance of my moral compass. That’s where my faith is. My faith is to whatever is inside me that guides me as a good person. That is my higher being.”
“Keith,” I said, turning to look at him.
“What?” he said, with a smile.
“It’s coming up for the evening, and it’s still too early for this level of philosophy. This conversation should be reserved for the early hours while you’re drunk with your buddies,” I said laughing.
“You’re the one who asked,” he laughed in return. He laid back in the back of the van and went quiet. Thinking about his higher being I suppose. A part of me wanted to laugh at him for, what I assumed was, naivety. Part of me was jealous that he could be so content and at peace with the world. I wanted that.
Interlude Nine – Keith
Keith told us how he was forced into early retirement from active duty. He’d been injured while fighting for Queen and Country. Injured barely covered what had happened to him. He showed me the scars on his chest – three large bullethole scars dotted across him. The skin was puckered and pink, even after all the time that had passed. He said how his breathing had never been the same since, and he still suffered when it was cold. He showed me another scar on his leg, which was about seven inches long. He’d gained that one when shrapnel had been blown into his leg. He fixed it himself while in the middle of a warzone. He had tried to prove he was still able to be in active duty. He pushed himself continuously. He just wanted to be who he’d been before, but no amount of rehabilitation allowed him to hit the same high standards and expectations needed for that role. So, early retirement was the only way.
He hated it. He spent the first year in retirement miserable, and the second year as bored as he was miserable. It was only the third year that he started to appreciate his free time. He still kept up his rigorous fitness routine, but that had been burned deep into his very being – Keith doubted he could have stopped even if he wanted to. His morning run was as natural to him as anyone else’s morning coffee.
Time went on, but he never left the military entirely. He kept his military contacts – he wanted to be in those inner circles as long as possible. The position he’d held offered those benefits. He was able to keep up to date on everything. Even a few things he probably shouldn’t have known. Assassination attempts. Military coups of other countries. Even outside his normal contacts, he knew what to look for in news stories. He could pick out the truth from the propaganda from a mile away. However, one day, something changed. Information became very on a need-to-know basis. Even the most basic things became hard to acc
ess. Old friends kept away from him. Conversations with those he knew became short, nothing more than pleasantries. That told him a lot, maybe more so than if they’d carried on as normal. A total information blackout only occurred when something big was happening.
That was when the dead started to walk. He’d been excited, as crazy as it sounded, to finally have an excuse to fight again. He’d always been a fighter and, for so long, had been a fighter without a cause. Now, he had exactly that. He began travelling in an attempt to meet up with military forces so that he could offer his services. He never made it that far, because he found a group who needed him. Another group he could offer his services. A group who offered him friendship and brotherhood. He helped them plan and fight. The only problem was the leader turned out to be a psychopath and everything he’d helped build was ripped to pieces. Then he met up with Sam and he was able to start again.
CHAPTER 36
We were on track for Teek. We were finally accomplishing something. Things actually seemed to be going our way! I’d felt that same feeling so many times before and experienced nothing but disappointment on each of those occasions. Everything always seemed so close yet so far. Our journey … my journey was almost at an end. Alice. I could almost see her. My heartstrings tugged with longing. My companions were noticeably more animated too. I didn’t know if my excitement was encouraging theirs, or whether they were genuinely excited. I didn’t even know what their plan was after we got there – we’d been so focused on the destination, we’d never discussed beyond it.
“So, what are you both doing once we find the convoy?” I finally asked after several false starts. It was a tender subject, at least in my mind. I didn’t want to leave them behind – they were my friends after all. We’d grown close, especially Kirsty and me. My eyes lingered on her as I asked the question, and I had to pull them away. I didn’t want to leave her behind. Yet, I had to question how we’d function after the common destination was no longer a bond for all of us? How would Kirsty and I cope when I was back with Alice? Not that we had anything, but … I didn’t know. Fear gripped my stomach. I didn’t want to lose anyone, but the unknown cast everything with a shadow of doubt.
“I don’t have anywhere else to be. The only place for me is here, with you. We’re family now. I go where you go,” Kirsty said after some thought – a sentiment that left me glowing inside. We locked eyes and said nothing – we didn’t need to. That one look said more than words ever could. Regardless of what happened, we would always be by each other’s side in one capacity or another.
I turned to Keith and asked, “And you?”
“I’m going to give whatever I can back to our government. If they need a soldier, then I’ll do that. If they need a chef, then so be it. Whatever gets the world back on its feet. If they don’t need me, then I might even try to get back in contact with old squadmates – would be able to make a real go at long-term survival,” Keith said without a moment of hesitation. I felt a little dejected – I guess I expected him to stay with me. He saw my look and laughed. “Sam, that includes you too. I may disappear to find them, but I’ll return. They’ll be a great addition to our team – meaning you, Kirsty and me. We’re in this together.”
All I could do was grin like a goofy idiot. Thoughts of building a safe life for ourselves came to mind – a safe life that Stephanie and so many others would never be part of.
For so long, my target had just been finding Alice. I knew she was with the convoy. She had to be! But, for the first time, I could see a life beyond just finding her. I could have a future. I had a lot of experience with the undead, I could help those in charge. I’d be a valuable asset! I could get into a decent position and call in a favour to retrieve my family! We could build a life behind the safety of whatever the military offered! We could … I was getting ahead of myself. Calm. Deep breaths. Find Alice. Go from there. Yet that didn’t wipe the grin off my face.
We carried on driving, for a long time. Once we went through Teek, then the checkpoint, then Alice. Not far. We’d fallen into a deep and thoughtful silence in the van. I’m sure the others were thinking about their own futures and what it would entail. I, on the other hand, had to distract myself from getting overly excited – instead, I thought about The Whistler. And the more I thought, the more it played on my mind. Every zombie or humanoid figure I saw as we sped by made me think of the mysterious entity on the prowl. Almost sent a shiver down my spine – or it would have if I believed in it. And that was when the engine turned off.
“What the hell?” I said as the vehicle slowed and rolled to a stop. I pounded the steering wheel, giving a quick blast of the horn.
“What happened?” Kirsty asked, looking at me.
“It just … cut out,” I responded, looking between her and Keith.
“That’s so weird,” Kirsty replied. “Out of fuel?”
“No, still have half a tank,” I said shaking my head. I turned to Keith slowly and said, “Are we near any of the roads that trio marked?”
“Yeah. Why?” he asked, consulting the map.
“You don’t think it could be …” I started but trailed off thoughtfully.
“The Whistler!” Kirsty gasped.
“Don’t be silly, it’s just a story,” I laughed. Nervousness made it sound more like a croak. We all exchanged an uncertain look. I sighed and said, “Let me get out and have a look.”
“Don’t do it!” Kirsty said, fear crossing her face.
“I’ll be fine, besides, name me one entity that’s bulletproof?” I said with a grin. I took the Benelli and the SA80. “Twice the firepower, just in case. Don’t worry, I got this.”
I took a deep breath and climbed out of the van.
****
Keith
“He’s been out there a long time,” Kirsty said, looking at Keith.
“He’s fine,” Keith said, but he didn’t sound certain.
“There’s not been a peep since he got out,” Kirsty whispered. “It’s The Whistler.”
“It’s a stupid story,” Keith said, but even then he’d started to doubt it. Was there any truth to that story? Keith just wished that Sam hadn’t taken both guns – they might need them. “Another two minutes.”
Another two minutes passed, although it felt like hours watching the clock tick by inside the van.
“I’m going out there,” Kirsty said and opened the door, taking the last gun with her.
“No, don’t!” Keith said, but it was too late. She was gone. Keith wound down the window and listened. When he couldn’t hear anything, he tried to check the mirrors, but couldn’t see anything either. Nothing.
Then another minute passed by and Keith hadn’t moved. He sat completely unmoving trying to hear any sound outside. And that’s when he heard a noise which chilled him to the bone. The same sound Sam had told him while laughing. The four whistle tone of The Whistler.
“No,” Keith said firmly, in complete disbelief. He couldn’t believe it. It was just a story. And, for the first time in decades, Keith felt genuine and primal fear. His hands trembled. He grabbed the machete to defend himself. Terror was building inside him, until his training took over and a wave of calmness and serenity hit him. He was a goddamn member of the Special Forces! He wasn’t scared of a rumour.
“Bring it!” Keith shouted and kicked the van door open as he threw himself out. What he saw made him falter and lower his machete. Something so unexpected that his heart leapt into his throat. Standing behind the van were Kirsty and Sam grinning wildly. A look of puzzlement crossed his face, and they just burst out laughing.
****
Sam
I whistled again, using the telltale four-tones whilst winking at Keith.
CHAPTER 37
“Your dumb goddamn faces!” I continued to howl, continuing exactly what I’d been doing for ten minutes. Deep, body shaking laughs rocked me. I couldn’t drive – I just kept swerving off the road. At one point, we had to pull over for Kirsty to takeover.
I just couldn't stop. I’d get to the point where I was certain I was done before starting again. My chest and abs hurt more than if I’d been working out all day. I moaned like a ghost, “The Whistler!”
I roared with laughter anew. Kirsty and Keith were equally red.
“Well, we were worried,” Keith said trying to justify his reaction.
“It’s a goddamn ghost story!” I said in disbelief, finding it ridiculous that sane and levelheaded people had fallen for it. What was wrong was them? Every time I thought over what had happened, more laughter came.
It wasn’t hard to turn the engine off and remove the keys, only to feign twisting the keys while I pretended to struggle with the engine. The hardest part was trying not to grin while I did it. I would have played it up even more had a smile not been tugging at the corners of my mouth. That was when I climbed out, taking what guns I could with me to avoid getting shot. Then, I waited. I waited just out of sight of the mirrors. I’d expected both of them to come out at the same time, but Kirsty came alone.
Kirsty had come round the corner and I stood there, grinning. She began to curse but I pressed my finger to my lips to request her silence. She squinted at me angrily and then broke out with a smile of understanding. She came over and joined me while we waited. Kirsty and I snickered like naughty kids, shushing each other. Eventually, Keith burst from the van in an act of sheer ferocity, showing his warrior spirit. He stopped in an instant, seeing us grinning. How could I not laugh? It was so ridiculous.
“I think I need to sleep,” I said, wiping a tear away as a yawn escaped.
“Yeah, whatever,” Kirsty said with annoyance. "Don't be surprised if you wake up on the side of the road.”
I leaned against the window and stared out, a small smile on my lips as I slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. Then, I saw something weird. I didn’t know if it was my brain creating images on the precipice of sleep, but I wasn’t entirely sure if what I saw was reality. It was a Land Rover. The one we’d seen previously with the father and daughter. It was run off the road, over the embankment, and onto the grass. The doors were left open with the hazard lights flashing. There was no one else around. Then it disappeared behind a hedge as we passed and I drifted off.