Desolation Boulevard
Page 8
Chapter 8
Signs of Life
Matt regained consciousness to find his face being chewed. He screamed. It took a few seconds for him to realise that Elvis was licking the side of his face where it had been grazed by the fall.
“Bloody hell, boy! That’s twice today you’ve given me a heart attack.”
He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had moved towards the west, but the streets were just as quiet as they had been before he passed out. 'Not a nightmare then,' he thought to himself, cynically. Now he had decision to make. Either get back in the car and drive to the next town, or go home and wait for the authorities to resolve this crazy situation. If he drove to Carswell, he would arrive at around sunset, and that was not an appealing idea, especially if he found the place in the same state as Millfield. And there were his parents to consider. If he stayed home, and this catastrophe fixed itself, he would be closer to them when they recovered. He decided to head home.
The sun was pushing towards the western hills when Matt pulled the ute into his driveway. Constant checking of his mobile phone had not yielded a signal, and when he went inside, he found that he was still without mains power. He went out to the shed and checked the generator, and made sure the chickens were locked up for the night, before heading back into the house. Elvis stayed by his side the whole time. He wasn't sure if the dog was providing protection or in need of it. Maybe both. By now the sun was below the hills and it was getting dark inside the house. Usually at this time of the evening Matt’s mum would be getting something ready for dinner while dad sat at the kitchen table with a beer and the newspaper. Tonight though, Matt knew his parents were lying somewhere unconscious and at the mercy of the night, like everyone else in town. He hoped that they would be safe until he could search for them at first light.
Despite not feeling hungry Matt forced himself to make a sandwich and have something to drink. He took them out onto the front porch and ate while Elvis finished off last night’s leftovers. He looked across the fields towards town as the night grew darker. Somewhere in the distance a dog howled. Matt was about to get up and go inside when he heard another noise. His joy was indescribable! A low whining hum coming from sky. The unmistakable drone of a jet airliner! Matt scanned until he found the source - a blinking light traversing from west to east, heading towards the city! He screamed in delight and hugged Elvis. There would be people on that plane, and a pilot was flying it. The whole world hadn't been affected by the disaster! In that short moment Matt had hope that his parents would be okay. Surely by tomorrow authorities would have things under control and some information would be forthcoming. He went inside feeling happier than he had since he had found the Thompsons’ hiding under their bed earlier that morning.