by Tim O'Rourke
“What about him?”
“Why didn’t you save him, too?”
“I didn’t have time,” he said, licking the last of the tiger from his whiskers. “Besides you made so much goddamn noise escaping, the whole zoo came running.” Fixing me with his yellow stare, he added, “If I were you, Kiera Hudson, I’d forget any ideas you might have about going back for your friend, Luke.” Then he was gone, bounding away between the cars and out of sight.
“I can’t forget about Luke!” I called after him. “I won’t forget about him – he’s my friend!”
Chapter Twenty-One
“What happened?” Isidor asked, as he came shuffling towards me, his arm around Kayla. And just for a glimpsing moment, I could see that they did look like brother and sister.
“There was a tiger,” I told him, pointing to the remains of the giant cat.
“Did you do that?” Isidor asked, eyeing me.
“It was Nik.”
“Nik?” Isidor said.
“The werewolf that helped us escape from the zoo,” I explained.
“Where is he now?”
“Gone,” I told him. I could see he was struggling to support Kayla, so I went to him and tucked my arm around her waist and her head flopped against my shoulder.
“Gone where?” Isidor asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said, then added, “look we should really try to make it into the town. There might be people – somebody that can help us.”
“Why has this happened?” Isidor said, as we made our way up the road.
Remembering my earlier vision, I said, “The town came under attack by the Vampyrus and Lycanthrope. They took the children and killed the adults.”
“But, why?” Isidor asked me from behind his hands which he’d placed over his nose and mouth again.
“Like Murphy warned us, they want to take over and rule the Earth. This looks like the start of it,” I told him.
“But how have they gotten away with it? Why aren’t the humans fighting back?”
With my heart sinking in my chest, I looked at him and said, “Perhaps there aren’t any humans left.”
“I can’t believe we’re the only humans left alive on Earth,” Isidor said.
“We’re not strictly human, remember?”
We walked on in silence, Kayla lent against me, her feet seeming to drag behind.
Just when I thought Isidor was lost to his private thoughts, he said, “Maybe they had their time – humans I mean. Perhaps it’s the end of humanity.”
“I can’t accept that,” I breathed, as I struggled to support Kayla.
“Maybe you’re gonna have to!” Isidor said, and shuffled ahead.
I followed close behind him and we walked the rest of the way in silence.
Although Kayla was small, the weight of supporting her as we stumbled our way into the town made my arm go numb and I knew that once I had finally put her down, I would have the worst case of pins-and-needles ever.
I didn’t have to wait long, as the road finally led us into the town of Wasp Water. The streets were narrow and the buildings that rose up on either side of us looked ancient. The roads were cobbled and we were met with the sight of cars full of the dead. Most of the shops lining the streets had the shutters pulled down, the shopkeepers and staff never making it into work on the morning of the attack. An odd piece of litter fluttered along the kerb, and apart from the sound that it made, the only other noise I could hear were the crows screeching in the distance. The stench of rotting meat wafted on the cold wind that whipped around the eaves of the buildings. Then I heard another sound; it was faint – but it was definitely there. I began to walk slowly to the right, my head tilted to one side as I homed in on the noise.
“What’s wrong?” Isidor asked me.
“Shhh,” I replied.
Isidor hobbled over and stood beside me. I could see that his bare feet, like mine, were raw and cold-looking.
“What is it?” he whispered, as he waved his crossbow before him.
“I can hear something,” I said, as I continued to move towards the sound with Kayla. Then I had it, and I started to move as fast as I could towards it.
“What can you hear?” he called after me.
“The sound of running water!” I whooped.
I made my way towards a tall stone building, and as I drew close I could see that it had once been a church, but the steeple and the crucifix that had once adorned it now lay in a pile of rubble on the ground. The church door was wedged open, and I had to look away at the sight of decaying bodies that were piled high in the doorway. I feared that if I looked at it for too long, then I would see them clambering over one another, desperate for the sanctuary that the church would offer against the vampires. Dragging Kayla past the front of the church, I followed a narrow path leading to the town square. There were tables and benches for people to relax on as they basked in the sun of long warm, summer evenings. But it was what was in the centre of the town square that I was interested in –a fountain. Water tumbled from it in thick, frothy streams.
I gently rested Kayla on one of the benches, then taking off my coat, I climbed into the fountain and plunged myself beneath the water. It was ice-cold and my whole body tingled as if it were being shaken awake. I threw handfuls of water over my head and scrubbed away the dirt that covered me. Throwing his Crossbow aside, Isidor jumped in beside me and also began to throw water over himself. Isidor splashed with his hands like an overly-excited kid and showered me with it. I began to laugh as I stood under the fountain letting it wash the filth and the smell of that zoo from me.
Isidor flopped and danced around in the water and it was like it had breathed new life into him – into both of us. I watched as he shook his wings from side to side, sending forth a spray of water that glistened in the winter sunlight like a rainbow. Just like Isidor, I leapt from the fountain and shook the water from me. I ran my fingers through my hair and untangled it. My hospital gown was soaked through and it clung to me like an extra layer of skin. Once I put my coat on, I placed my hands back beneath the frothing fountain, and once they were covered with the freezing water, I went over to Kayla who sat slumped on the bench. Gently, I covered her cracked lips with my wet fingers. Instinctively, Kayla popped her tongue from her mouth and licked at the tiny droplets of water.
Seeing what I was trying to do, Isidor cupped his hands, filled them with water from the fountain and came over to the bench. Holding them out, I lent Kayla forward and said, “Kayla, drink some water. It will make you feel better.” I didn’t know if it would or not, it hadn’t taken the cramps away in my stomach, but it had cooled my skin and made me feel more alert and awake.
Kayla lent forward with her eyes closed and sipped some of the water that Isidor had cupped in his hands. Some of it dripped from the corners of her mouth, but she swallowed some. Leaning back on the bench, Kayla slowly opened her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Kiera, about what happened,” she said. “I didn’t really want to hurt you.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered and smoothed the hair away from her brow. “Come over to the fountain and have a wash, you’ll feel so much better.”
Closing her eyes on me, she shook her head. “I just want to sleep,” she murmured.
Knowing that if I didn’t get her fever down quick, she would be in serious trouble, I looked at Isidor and said, “You stay here with Kayla, I won’t be long.”
“Where are you going?” Isidor asked, and I could see that he was already burning-up again, as sweat ran from his temples.
“I’m gonna go and see if I can find some medicine,” I said, “If Kayla doesn’t get some help soon…” I trailed off.
As if he knew what I meant to say, he slumped down on the bench next to Kayla and said, “Don’t be gone long. We shouldn’t separate like this.”
Heading back across the square, I looked back at him and with the best smile that I could muster, I said, “See you in a while, crocodile.” I k
new that Isidor was right, we should stay together, but Kayla was suffering more than we were, and if I didn’t get her some medicine quick, she would only slow our escape.
I hurried as fast as I could through the uninhabited town, and at times, the silence seemed deafening. My whole body ached, and any benefits I had felt after showering in the fountain had now passed. The skin on my arms and legs itched and prickled with heat, and the scar on my leg throbbed. After some time, I came upon a street full of shops. I looked up at one of the buildings, and hidden amongst the grime and dirt, I could just make out a sign that read ‘High Street’. Like all of the other buildings in town, they looked as if they had been built hundreds of years ago. Each of them had been constructed out of stone and beams of wood, but some of them looked as if they had been modernised, as the old lattice windows had been removed and replaced with big, glass windows and modern-looking name signs. There was a small boutique, a shoe shop, several classy-looking restaurants, and one small electronics outlet. I made my way along the deserted street until I came upon a department store. It wasn’t as grand as anything I might have seen in a shopping mall, but in the front windows stood dummies dressed in the latest fashions.
Knowing that all of us would need some new and warm clothes, I pushed on the large glass doors and they swung silently open. The store stank and the smell was similar to the stench I had come across on the road. Next to the door there was a display of scarves, so I pulled one free and wrapped it around my nose and mouth.
I took a deep breath and crept through the store.
“Shit, this is creepy!” I whispered, trying to stay calm. But with every little noise I heard, I would freeze on the spot, my heart pounding. “Get a grip, Kiera!” I said aloud, “It’s just a store with dead people in it!” I shuddered, but hearing the sound of my own voice kind of made me feel more at ease, as if I were having a conversation with someone; that I wasn’t alone.
Further into the store, I came across cashiers slumped unceremoniously across the counters. A security guard lay slouched in the doorway of an elevator, and I had to step over a beautician from the perfume counter who lay face-down on the floor. I walked over to the clothing section, just wanting to get out of the store as soon as possible. I plucked myself a pair of jeans from a rack and pulled myself a sweatshirt from a hanger. Taking myself a pair of knickers, a bra, and some socks, I pulled off the filthy hospital gown and got dressed into my new clothes and they felt soft and fresh against my skin.
I took a pair of trainers from a display and held them against the sole of my foot.
“I think they’ll fit,” I said to myself, prising them on over my feet. I hurriedly tied the laces then grabbed a coat from the display. I put it on, and before ditching my old one, I removed my iPod, Murphy’s crucifix, and the computer disc from the pockets. Then, snatching a rucksack from a display, I threw in some clothes and shoes for Kayla and Isidor. I had to guess their sizes and what they might like, but I figured anything was better than Kayla’s dirt-ridden gown and Isidor’s striped pyjama bottoms. Glad to be leaving the store, I made my way out.
I pulled the scarf from my face and dragged my hair into a ponytail. I tied the scarf around my hair, and apart from the ever-increasing stabbing pains in my gut, I felt human – half-human – again.
I was conscious of the fact that the sun was beginning to fade behind the mountains in the distance and if there were vampires lurking in the town, they would soon come awake and start searching for food. A wind had picked up and I looked up at the clouds, which were turning gunmetal grey as they hung over the mountaintops.
Across the street I saw a supermarket. Without wasting another moment, I darted over to it. The automatic doors hissed open and I stepped inside. Just like the department store, the supermarket was littered with the deceased.
The freezers and fridges were still working but the non-frozen meat was rotting in pools of its own blood. This immediately gave me some idea as to how long I’d been held captive in the zoo. I had been taken hostage in October and the food looked at least six to eight weeks out of date. So that made it early to mid-December. I knew I had only been in the zoo a few days – so had I been in the facility prior to that? But where was it?
I picked up some of the meat and the sight and smell of it reminded me of the red stuff that the white paw would shove through the hatch and into my cell. Just thinking of that made my stomach leap and my throat burn with thirst. Gooseflesh covered my skin as those cravings that had been lurking just beneath the surface revealed themselves again. Dropping the meat with disgust, the sight of all those decaying bodies in their cars came flooding back into my mind.
Perhaps I’ll become a vegetarian! I thought to myself and turned away from the stinking lumps of meat.
I hurried as fast as I could about the supermarket until I came across the canned tins of fruit. I opened up my rucksack and threw several cans inside. Then I went to the isle that housed the biscuits and crisps – sweet stuff would be good – a short burst of energy. I added these to my shopping but kept enough room for some bottles of water. Then to the medicine isle where I took several packs of Aspirin and hoped that these would help control Kayla’s, Isidor’s, and my own fever.
Once I had everything I thought we might need, I took a can of tinned fruit from my bag and pulled back the ring. Plunging my finger inside, I hooked out a bright orange slice of peach and popped it into my mouth. I then ate another and another until the syrup was running off my chin and onto the floor. When I was full, I gathered up my rucksack and swiping a can of Coke from the fridge on my way out, I swallowed two of the Aspirin and then left the supermarket. It was almost dark outside, and I could hear barking and howling in the distance. The sound of it made my heart race and I knew that I had to get back to the town square and find somewhere for Kayla, Isidor, and me to stay for the night. But where? Then, glancing across the street, I saw the perfect place. It would be secure and was bound to have somewhere inside that we could lock ourselves away and be safe. But before I brought Kayla and Isidor all the way back across town, I would check it out first – just to make sure that it was as safe as I hoped it would be.
So, throwing the rucksack over my shoulder, I crossed the street and stepped into the police station.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I hoisted myself over the front counter as the door leading to the rest of the station was locked. I walked as quietly as I could through a maze of corridors, pushing doors open as I went. In several of them, I found dead police officers curled on the floor. All of them, like the dead in the cars, were locked rigid in grotesque poses, as they silently grabbed at their throats and faces. Some of the police officers were dressed like the vampire-cops, in black boiler suits and thick, heavy boots. These must have been the real T.S.U. officers, not the ones I’d seen rip the throat out of the police sergeant while I had been hiding in the park with Potter, Luke, and my other friends. Some of them had guns clutched in their dead hands and I could see bullet holes sprayed across some of the walls.
“What’s happened here?” I asked aloud, my voice echoing back at me off the walls. Deep down I knew what had happened, but I could see that these officers had fought to save the police station. It had become a fortress against the Vampyrus and Lycanthrope who had tried to storm it from outside. But the Vampyrus and Lycanthrope had been let in, they hadn’t forced their way in. There had been a traitor amongst these police officers. Hunkering down, I could see that the officers’ flesh wasn’t as decomposed as much as those cocooned in their cars. They showed all the signs of only being dead a few days. The police station door had been left open, it hadn’t been smashed down, which meant somebody had opened it from the inside. These police officers had retreated back into this room, where they had fired upon the Vampyrus and Lycanthrope that came for them.
I had seen enough. I closed the door and made my way deeper into the deserted police station. The florescent lights overhead flickered and buzzed, and I guessed t
hat the station was now running on its emergency energy source. How long it would last before I was plunged into total darkness, I didn’t know. My stomach was beginning to feel like I’d swallowed broken glass, and I wished that I hadn’t eaten those peach slices. Sweat dripped from my forehead and stung my eyes.
At the end of the corridor, I found a set of stairs. Slowly, I climbed them and at the top, I came across a small landing with a door set into the far wall. Written across it were the words:
Control Room
Authorised Personnel Only
I doubted if the warning still held any relevance, and technically I had never been dismissed from the Force, so I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was circular in shape and in the middle, there was a series of control panels and computer screens. Radio headsets and microphones lay littered across the desks, entangled around the arms of the dead staff that had once worked in there.
Again the room smelled ripe of decomposing flesh, but I tried to block it from my mind. I walked around the central control panel, mindful not to step on any of the bodies that lay sprawled at my feet.
I looked at one of the computer screens and a message flashed on and off in green letters. It read:
…all mobile phone lines down. No formal lines of communication open. Internet has gone off line…
The next screen read:
...the clouds seem to be alive. They are coming out of the clouds…
And the last screen flashed:
…they’re animals. It’s the wolves…and they are talking…
I felt something brush up against my leg and I looked down to see Nik standing beside me.
“What are you doing here?” I gasped with surprise.