As the Light Dies
Page 64
Dean’s ears were ringing louder than anything he’d ever heard, he couldn’t hear Sam’s whines but he could feel them as he held him.
“It’s gonna be ok boy,”he whispered over and over as Sam wriggled in his arms frightened by the noise.
The raining clumps of burning body parts seemed to go on and on. But eventually it eased. It had to, and when it finally stopped Dean slowly climbed down from the truck and dared to look back towards the tanker. He knew he had to start moving as soon as he could. The fuel tanker was nothing but a mangled unrecognisable mess that still burned. Several cars close by had been turned over by the blast and were burning fiercely along with dozens of others up and down the dual carriageway that had caught fire either due to the sheer heat from the blast or burning shrapnel falling in to them. The crash barrier had been blown out of sight down the embankment with a big chunk of the road. Dean stared for a moment trying not to feel guilty for what he’d just done.
All those people, infected or nothe’d killed them.
What would happen if people started to recover once the ash disappeared he wondered?
What would that make him? What would happen to him if the government came up with a cure and he’d killed all these people?
He felt sick to his stomach and he thought he was about to vomit when he saw movement by the edge of the embankment.
He jumped and spun round. Flames! It was just flames, burning brighter on a gust of wind that was all. He breathed deeply trying to calm his nerves. Dizziness washed over him, he needed to bring his heart rate down and get his breathing under control before he thought about running after Gavin and Sarah. He rested his hands on his knees and leaned over trying to calm down....then he gasped and every single one of his muscles locked up. It was flames he’d seen but they hadn’t flared up in to his view on a gust of wind, the flames were climbing up towards him clinging on to the infected people as they gained on him.
He looked on astonished as what looked like the same number of infected figures as before climbing up the bank towards him fully ablaze!
He couldn’t believe his eyes, he didn’t want to!
The longer he looked the more he saw and not all of them were climbing up the embankment.
Some were already on the road with him wedged between burning cars and trapped by pieces of heavy shrapnel. They were still trying to move despite being on fire, still trying to come after him. Others crawled out from under burning wrecks where they’d been blown to by the blast. Over to his left a burning torso without legs dragged itself towards him at speed.
Sam growled and snapped at it.
“No, boy. No, c’mon,”said Dean, and he turned around and started to jog after Gavin and Sarah.
He jogged along the road heading north, heading home.
He stayed low to keep out of sight, the last thing he wanted to do was draw any more attention.
Sam darted along in front of him leading the way and took him straight to Gavin and Sarah.
After the explosion Andy and the others had to dodge a few pieces of flying debris that flew their way in the blast. They marvelled at the destruction caused and watched astonished as the rest of the infected horde continued to climb up on to the road fully ablaze.
Andy turned to the others and urged them onwards.
“We can’t stay here any longer,”he said,“there’ll be God knows how many more infected on the way following the noise. Dean did this for us, to give us time so let’s use it and hope to God that Dean’s ok and they all make it to their folks’place in one piece.”
“Oh God I hope Dean is ok,”said Ann with tears in her eyes,”God bless you boys, God bless all of you. Good luck and look after Sarah.”
Then they moved on trying to trace the buried foot path up through the charred looking shrubbery and trees heading for Ann’s house where she prayed her husband and children were safe and sound waiting for her.They’re probably spooked after that noise,she thought as they walked.
“Thanks Dean. You’ve got balls I’ll give you that,”said Andy,“and good luck.”
“I second that,”said Leann,“You saved us. Thank you.”
“Yea! Me too,”said Collin,“I can’t believe he just did that!”
Then they pushed on in silence wanting to make the most of the time Dean had bought them oblivious to weather he’d made it or not but hoping with all their hearts that he had.
When Dean caught up with Gavin and Sarah they were just climbing out from behind the big yellow plough.“Jesus Christ! What the fuck happened to you?”said Gavin seeing his brother.
“I’ll tell you later,”said Dean.“Now c’mon, we’ve gotta go. They’re still coming.”
“WHAT! STILL COMING!”said Gavin staring at Dean wide eyed.
Sarah started crying again. Sam nudged her with his snout and licked her as Dean put an arm around her shooting Gavin a look. Gavin nodded and dipped his head in shame.
“It’ll be ok Sarah they’re a long way back we’ll outrun them easily. Ok?”
She nodded and reached out for his hand. He gave it to her and they started walking while Gavin hung back for a second looking back down the road in astonishment at the destruction and at the walking and crawling fire balls.
He didn’t watch them for long, they only confirmed just how out of kilter things really were.
He turned and trotted along the road catching up with Dean and Sarah as they weaved between cars avoiding the ones that were burning and the others that still had bodies in them.
They kept low and let Sam lead them onwards, knowing that he wouldn’t lead them in to trouble. They reached the Kessock suspension bridge that carried the road north over the Moray Firth and away from Inverness city leading further up in to the Highlands of Scotland, they pushed on, and as they reached the midpoint of the bridge, the highest point, they relaxed a little.
The road ahead was void of any movement and nothing was close behind them....for now!
Standing tall again they looked back at the crowd of human torches.
They were far behind them now, slowing to a permanent stop as the fire consumed them. Infected or not, whatever they were, the bodies couldn’t work once the muscles and tendons that moved the arms and legs, opened and closed their mouths, and gave them movement burned to a crisp and snapped.
Lightning illuminated the city of Inverness behind them as they looked back and they saw it in all its gory new detail. It was bleak. It was black, and it was infected....everywhere was!
Dean hoped he’d bought the others enough time to get moving and make up some ground, he hoped they were going to be ok and that each and every one of them were going to make it home as unscathed as possible.
He wished them luck; he knew they’d need it, he knew that everyone trying to survive in this new world were going to need all the luck they could get.
He turned his back on the ruins of Inverness and faced north, home. And they started walking.
He was finally heading home with his little brother, his faithful dog Sam, and a little stowaway.
He hoped their parents were holding up ok, he hoped that they were safe and well.
If only they knew we were ok and on our way,he thought, knowing how worried the pair of them would be. But more than that, more thananything,above all else, he hoped with all his being that he would be able to keep his promise. A promise he’d made to look after and take care of Sarah, their little stowaway. To keep her safe and sound along with his little brother and of course Sam, in this new world of ash and snow and bitter cold....and monsters!
To be continued....................
Dear reader, thank you for taking the time to visit my universe.
I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
And while I busy myself writing the next instalment I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d be kind enough to find the time to leave me a review.
Thank You
M. D. Woodham
M.D. Woodham, As the Light Dies