by Greg Dragon
“No, they caught me and forced me; I had no choice. I’d had a bad time a few years back, met what turned out to be one of the Bishops. He spotted me, or maybe had been keeping tabs on me, I don’t know. All I do know is that when I was actually happy they took it all away from me and killed Kathy. For that they have to pay.”
And they will, they’ll pay all right. I would have just run, left with Kathy, but not now.
It was warm in the tunnel, the huge vaulted ceiling, still just rough concrete shuttering, ensured it stayed a pretty constant temperature. Even the slight breeze was warm. Edsel would be glad to get his clothes off and let the gel work its magic.
“Okay, turn the other way if you like. I have to strip off. I’ll tell you when to look, so you can do my back. Sorry, be warned, it’s gonna be gross.”
This is gonna freak him out big time... me too. Ugh, here goes nothing.
Aiden turned away and began rearranging the items from his backpack he’d got from the pharmacy. He hummed to himself while he did it, probably to drown out the moans and gasps of Edsel as he stripped off.
Edsel took his boots off first, then began to peel a sock away. The first pair came off fine, then it was time for the ones that actually made contact with his damaged flesh. He felt like all he did was put clothes on then take them off lately — each time more painful than the last. The sock was sticky with blood and some kind of secretion, and as he peeled it down he could see scabs and raw flesh. Then the sock stuck. He pulled, wincing and gritting his teeth, trying not to cry out as it finally came free.
This is never going to heal, not running about like this. God, look at it. Those bastards.
He steeled himself and went to work on the other foot. This one was worse. As the sock came off over his toes he felt a serious rip, the skin between his large toe and the next dangled from the end of the inside-out sock, the newly exposed flesh pink and raw. If it carried on like this he was going to be a mess of blotches of dark red Ink and lighter pink where The Ink hadn’t had time to penetrate deep enough.
Doesn’t matter, my body’s ruined anyway. Right, c’mon let’s get this over with.
Trying not to look but knowing he had to, Edsel pulled the trousers off as carefully as he could. At least they were loose and didn’t catch. Then the makeshift underwear.
Well, don’t think I’ll be impressing the ladies with that! Ugh, this is me now, what I’m going to look like forever. What is wrong with those people?
Finally, he just had to pull the sweater off. Even lifting his arms sent spikes of pain shooting up his body, making the veins in his neck pound like his head was going to explode. He grabbed the sweater and pulled it over his head as fast as he could, just to get it over with as quickly as possible. Edsel felt himself almost white-out, he became dizzy and began to wobble, but focused and just let the wooziness pass. All it was replaced with was pain — the one constant now.
After what felt like a lifetime of undressing, it was time to soothe his skin as much as he could. Edsel began to slather himself with the aloe vera.
Oh boy, that is so good. Aah.
It was delicate work, but the coolness was heaven-sent. He knew it wasn’t good to allow the skin to become saturated, but he didn’t care. The thicker the gel the fresher his skin felt. All over his legs and the rest of him that he could see, he looked like a burn victim, which is what he was he supposed. Flesh had bubbled and cracked, tried to heal then split again from exertion, sweat and chafing. Drier areas of his body such as his belly and lower thighs were the worst — however much he put on it soaked right in and the skin was itching like mad again in seconds. Rubbing the gel in was like running his hands over rough bark — he didn’t even want to think what it would be like once the stubble began to grow back all over his shaved body.
Will the hairs push through the scabs or will the scabs be gone by then?
The raw line around his midsection where the trousers chafed was thick with crusty dead skin. As he applied the soothing ointment large pieces came off in his hand, and he cursed the men that did this to him over and over again.
Having finished what he could he redid the makeshift underwear, realized he needed to pee, felt his heart-rate double at the thought, but told Aiden to wait and went down the tunnel a little and relieved himself. He tried not to howl and scream but when he returned it was obvious the boy had turned and looked at his broken body.
I doubt I look better from behind than I do from the front. Poor kid, what a day he’s had.
“Sorry. For the screaming.” He quickly redid the underwear and began to pull on the trousers. Aiden turned and Edsel knew for sure the boy had looked. He looked petrified.
“That must hurt.”
“Yeah, you could say that. Look, don’t worry, they won’t do it to you.”
“No, they’ll just kill me, right?”
“Right. Sorry.” Edsel sat and pulled the socks on, keeping them inside out as they would be cleaner that way, and swapping them around so the outer pair were now the ones on first. He probably already had infections from the open wounds, he didn’t want to increase the risk more than he had to. He got the boots on and tied up the laces, then handed Aiden a tube of gel. He’d used three already, it would be all gone by the time his back was finished, maybe a half tube left if he was lucky.
The tube was taken rather worriedly, then the sound of the cap flipping open echoed down the empty tunnel into the dark. Aiden shifted from one foot to the other, then obviously steeled himself as he squeezed a dollop out into his palm.
“You up for this buddy? I don’t want to freak you out or anything.”
“Haha, I’m already freaked out, you look like you were in a fire. You look like chicken we cooked outside once.”
“Hey,” joked Edsel, “no talk of chicken or I might just pull an arm off and eat it. I’m that hungry.” Edsel turned around so Aiden could get to work. “Just be careful okay? Slow and gentle.”
I hope he doesn’t rip anything.
“Okay. Ready? Here goes. Mmf.”
“Aiden? You okay buddy?” Edsel turned and Aiden was off his feet, caught in the grip of the larger of the two tattooists, hand over his mouth.
“Shit.” Edsel acted without thinking and grabbed the fallen tube and squirted it right into the attacker’s face. He screamed and loosened his grip. Aiden wriggled like a cat in a bag and bit down hard on the arm around his chest. The man howled and Aiden landed in a heap.
Edsel grabbed him and pulled him up. “Bag. Let’s go.” They grabbed their bags and ran off down into the darkness of the tunnel.
Behind him Edsel could hear the shouting of the man, telling others where they’d gone.
Damn, how many of them are there now?
Edsel felt the wind pick up, then it was as if there was an absence of sound. Like it was sucked out of the air. He turned and saw the largest eagle he had ever seen in his life glide gracefully through the tunnel, legs hanging low with talons so huge one foot could easily cover a man’s head.
“Um, we better run faster Aiden, things are about to get serious.”
What the hell is that doing here?
Aiden looked at Edsel, then turned and saw the bird. He ran faster.
It was obvious in seconds that they couldn’t outrun such a creature, but it didn’t attack. It swooped low, almost brushing Edsel’s bald and very dirty head with the tip of a wing before it flew off into the tunnel, reappearing moments later, staring at them, clearly bored, before disappearing back where they had come from.
“It’s Awoken. The bird,” offered Aiden.
“You can tell?”
“Yes, it’s actually quite nice.”
“Well, let’s arrange a meeting, I’ll put it in my schedule. Sorry, didn’t mean that, but you can bet it’s a scout, they probably have help now.”
“It’s okay, it must hurt.” Aiden nodded at him as they ran, and it was only then that Edsel realized that he didn’t have his sweatshirt on.
It got worse.
“Can you see anything?” whispered Edsel. “I’m as blind as a bat here, I can’t see a thing.”
“A little, I’ve been working on my eyes. Not much though.”
“Working on your eyes? Oh, right, because you’re Awoken, right?”
“Yes. Well, partially Awoken, but I’m not that good with things yet.”
“Okay, well you’re in charge buddy, lead the way, but we gotta be quick. They can probably see just fine, or have torches. Let’s go.”
They headed deeper into the tunnel, all light extinguished.
Aiden dragged him along by the hand, while Edsel tried not to scream at the pain. Edsel was blind and just put his trust in the young boy.
He’s a good kid, can’t believe I got him mixed up in this mess.
They stopped. “In here, follow me. There’s a step but I think it’s the way out.”
The rise of the step could be felt with the toe of his boots so Edsel lifted a leg and followed Aiden, an arm resting on the boy’s shoulder. It began to lighten. They made it to the bottom of a service ladder, twenty feet or so up was light.
“First or second?”
“First.”
“Okay, up you go.”
Watching for a fall, Edsel kept a close eye on Aiden as the boy climbed smartly up the ladder then peered down once he was out.
“All clear.”
This is gonna hurt. Haha, so what’s new?
The steel was cold at least, so it numbed the pain, but it wasn’t easy going. The gel was making gripping hard and Edsel had to stop halfway up and wipe it away.
Now that hurt.
He made it, but the backpack he’d had to put on his bare skin felt like it was full of knives. He could feel more of the scabs torn away, his armpits felt like there were fires burning hot enough to melt metal. His shoulders? Well, they were probably worn away down to the bone by now, they must be, judging by the pain.
“You okay?” asked Edsel.
“Yeah, you?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
They ran down a narrow corridor, all kinds of maintenance equipment and doors leading who knew where at regular intervals.
Five minutes later they were in another large open space with yet another static elevator. They ran up and out into the cool fresh air of evening and kept on running.
Running. Always running.
TIME
Edsel caught sight of himself as they ran past dark tinted windows in a street full of once swanky businesses — he looked crazed. A dirty-faced bald head with thickening stubble, torso red and as lumpy as a limpet covered rock.
New rule. No more mirrors. Ugh, gross.
This couldn’t go on, he needed to find a safe place for him and the boy, but it was impossible to get away. They’d find them.
“Okay, stop.”
“What? We can’t, they’re coming. I can feel them. Two of them, in a car I guess. They’re moving fast.”
“Well, we’ll have to fight then, we can’t just run forever. Time to even the score a little.” Edsel scanned the mess of the street wildly, looking for something, anything, that would help. He was burning up again, the poison reaching its peak. “There, grab one.” Edsel hefted a scaffold pole that had been part erected outside a building that had burned to the ground back when there had thankfully been a fire service to deal with it. The street was scattered with them; they’d do the job.
Aiden picked up a short length.
This is no job for a kid, look at him — he’s petrified.
“I’m all right, honest.”
“Okay, look, I’m sorry. But we have to do something. So, now we run back the way they are coming. If they get this far they will have stopped as the road’s impassable. Let’s go.”
They ran back the way they had come. Edsel could hear a motor in the distance; they were obviously searching for them. He heard shouts from the other end of the street — who knew how many of them were now after him. After both of them.
Poor kid, this is going to ruin him for life.
Edsel grabbed Aiden’s arm and pulled him to a halt. “Okay, back against the wall. Right, now, when they get close I want you to use the pole like a spear and aim right at the windshield, got it?”
It wasn’t exactly an optimistic look, but Aiden hefted the short scaffold pole and got ready. “Okay.”
“Right, here they come.”
Some plan Edsel, you’re taking a huge risk here dude.
The car screeched around the corner, then slowed to navigate the littered street. They couldn’t have been going more than ten miles an hour.
“Now.”
Aiden threw his pole but it turned slightly and hit the windshield at an angle, cracking the glass but not going through. Edsel took aim and as the car slammed to a halt he thought back to his days in school and how they would throw javelin on gym days. He threw it as hard and as accurately as he could. He’d never been very good, but he used to enjoy it.
The passenger side window was down and the pole flew steady and crushed the skull of the man. He was obviously dead, the side of his head completely caved in from the thick hollow tube.
“Wait here.” Edsel ran out into the road and grabbed the shorter length that had clattered to the ground after rolling off the car. The driver side door was already open and a man was stepping out fast. He didn’t know these men, but their Ink told him exactly what he needed to know. Edsel swung hard and almost hit the driver but he backed away just in time — Edsel caught nothing but air.
The man crouched low, knife pulled from a sheath at his side.
Damn. He looks like he knows what he’s doing.
Edsel wasn’t a fighter, he’d never had a proper fight in his life before his nightmare began. It was the kind of thing you avoided if at all possible. Especially with people that actually prayed for the end to come and would right now be thinking they would be a martyr to the cause if they happened to lose — the man didn’t look like he thought he would.
Here goes nothing.
Edsel knew he would be useless in a knife fight. The man was chucking it from one hand to the other with a wicked smile on his face like he was having fun.
Normal people don’t act this way. This isn’t the movies where the hero always wins.
He was the hero, right? He couldn’t help but smile at that.
“What you smiling at?” growled the Eventual.
“Oh, nothing. Just realized I’m the hero.”
“Not for long.”
Shit!
The man lunged at him fast, aiming right for his stomach. Edsel did the only thing he could think of and rolled onto the floor, asphalt ripping at his skin, gravel bringing The Ink screaming back to life, flesh flaying yet again.
I’m gonna kill them all, rip the goddamn flesh from their bones. Ugh.
Edsel swung the pole low and caught the man’s shin and he staggered backward, banging into the car door and putting a hand out to steady himself.
Edsel tried to get to his feet as fast as he could but already the man was moving forward; he knew it was going to all be over. Pain screamed for release as Edsel scrambled about in the trash, almost up but the man was going to get him before he could right himself and try to defend himself properly.
Miss you Kathy. Love you...
He was still alive.
The man fell face down to the floor with a thump, splatting into the asphalt. He looked as surprised at the outcome as Edsel. Edsel looked up to see Aiden smiling down at him, bloody pole held in both hands.
“Good job mate, good job.” Edsel got up smiling and grimacing at the same time. “High five.”
Aiden high-fived and Edsel screamed out in pain. “Argh.”
Idiot!
“Sorry.”
“My fault, I forgot. Hey, good job there. Right, one second...” Edsel ran around to the passenger side and manhandled the dead Eventual ou
t, dumping him unceremoniously into the trash. “What you waiting for then? Hop in.”
“The plan?”
Edsel ran around to the driver side as Aiden crossed his path going the other way.
“Yeah, the plan. Sort of.”
***
“So that was the plan?”
Damn, this kid is too smart.
“Well, yeah. I’m kind of thinking on my feet here in case you hadn’t noticed. And my feet are very sore indeed. At least we got away, right?”
“Right.”
“What?”
“Well, we need to know where we’re going to, otherwise how will we get there?”
He ran it through in his mind, and looked at Aiden suspiciously. “You messin’ with me?”
“Me? As if.”
They both burst out laughing.
DAD
Edsel and Aiden were very similar in a lot of ways: both only had one parent around once The Lethargy came, and neither of them found it in the least bit surprising. When it was all you knew then what was strange about it? But Edsel had two parents before then, so maybe he was lucky? Aiden only ever had one parent it seemed — poor kid.
Maybe that was better. My dad was always a waste of space anyway.
Edsel found himself drawn into a conversation he didn’t think he would ever have with anyone else now Kathy was gone — especially a little boy.
It had started as Aiden called him Ed again and Edsel nearly exploded before containing himself, thinking maybe an explanation would be better.
“Look, sorry about that, it’s the tiredness, this damn Ink, and the stress. I didn’t mean to snap, okay?”
“Okay,” mumbled a scared looking Aiden.
Get it together Edsel, he doesn’t know. How could he?
“I’ve never told anyone this, but it’s probably best you know so I don’t snap at you again, and if I do then you know why. My dad used to call me Ed, used to always call me that. It was kind of our thing, you know?”
“Yes, my dad always called me Aidy.” He smiled sadly, clearly remembering.