The Black Tide I: Remnants (Tides of Blood)

by Baileigh Higgins

  “And Brian?” I asked. “Have you heard from him?”

  Lloyd shook his head. “I'm sorry but no. All communications from the border have ceased.”

  His words swirled around me and I bit my lip, refusing to cry in front of Lloyd. I knew what he was trying to say.

  Brian wasn't coming back.

  27

  Chapter 26

  I was forced to stay in bed for two more days before Lloyd deemed I was well enough to get up. By then, I was raring to get out of the dated little room in the guest house Lloyd had chosen as our new home.

  Though I wasn't about to say it out loud, I needed to get up and clear my head. Day after day, the longing for Brian got worse, the last memory I had of us, torturing me with its beauty. A beauty now lost to me. Perhaps forever.

  The effort of keeping my spirits up for the benefit of Lexi and Sarah was tearing me apart. I longed for action. Anything to take my mind off it.

  That morning, Lloyd carted a bucket of hot water up the stairs for me to use. After our talk the other day, he'd informed me we no longer had either electricity or running water. Those services had died along with most of humanity. We now had to rely on fire for our cooking and hot baths.

  Food wasn't a problem. Not yet. With every house wide open and unguarded, it was just a matter of walking in and helping yourself. While most people had subsisted on army rations and had little, Lloyd knew where to look and had stockpiled a fair amount of supplies.

  According to him, we had a full pantry, water, medicine, clothes, and toiletries. Enough to last awhile. When I'd asked how he'd known which houses to raid, he'd become surly, brushing off my question and storming out. It was Sarah who then told me it used to be the homes of family friends.

  I could imagine how he'd felt going back there, seeing the bodies of people whom he'd known and going through their closets. Sarah also told me he'd buried his parents and younger brother, all of whom fell victim to the Black Tide. That knowledge awakened a twinge of sympathy for him within me.

  “This should do it,” Lloyd said. He placed the bucket of steaming water down on the carpet, sloshing half over the side. Sarah and Lexi followed with a bundle of clothes and toiletries each, placing the stuff on the bed.

  “Lexi picked these out for you from what Lloyd gathered,” Sarah said, indicating the pile of clothing. “I hope they fit.”

  “They will,” Lexi replied. She plonked down on the side of the bed, intent on staying while I washed, it seemed. Ever since falling ill she'd been reluctant to leave my side. While I couldn't blame her, I longed for a little privacy.

  “Lexi, can you wait downstairs, please? I'll be down in a moment.”

  She frowned.

  “Please?”

  With a sigh, she relented, trooping out with the other two and I shut the door with a sigh of relief. Finally.

  I stripped off my clothes and dunked a washcloth into the water, sponging my skin with the fragrant soap. For a moment, it felt like I was back in the past. My hair presented a problem, and I ended up dunking my head into the bucket, massaging the soapy water through the strands. Shivering, I toweled off then combed my hair before twisting it into a tight knot and brushing my teeth.

  Lexi had chosen well, so I ended up dressed in dark blue skinny jeans and a navy button-up shirt with hiking boots and a short black jacket that zipped to my chin. It was a practical outfit, one I felt comfortable in.

  Nobody had thought to get me a bra, though, and while the cotton panties were a good fit, I made a mental note to get my hands on a sports bra as soon as possible.

  Afterward, I felt like a new person—like I'd gotten rid of the emotional debris of the past few months. I made my way downstairs, my dad's gun, nestled against my hip in its holster.

  Lexi waited for me, sitting on the lowest step. She looked up when she saw me, and I smiled when she slipped her hand into mine. Lexi was growing up, but she would always be my little sister.

  She led me through a large foyer into a dining room meant for dozens with four and six seater tables scattered around the floor. The decor throughout the guest house was as dated as my room had been, the furniture and materials scuffed and faded. A thick layer of dust covered it all.

  Lloyd and Sarah sat in a corner waiting for us and we headed over, my stomach rumbling. After three weeks of being spoon fed gruel and porridge while drifting in and out of consciousness, my appetite had returned with a vengeance.

  I sat down and stared at the selection of cereals in the middle of the table. Coco Pops, Corn Flakes—all my old childhood favorites. A box of long-life milk sat next to Sarah, and I poured myself a bowl, crunching through half before coming up for air. I looked around the table at the others before settling my gaze on Lloyd. “Any idea what's next?”

  Lloyd shrugged, mumbling around a mouthful of Corn Flakes. “You tell me.”

  “Fill me in on our situation here,” I prompted, waving a hand around. “If I had to guess I'd say we're in one of the less affluent neighborhoods in town?”

  He nodded. “We're somewhere in Reitz park. It's safer here.”

  “How so?”

  “We're on the edge of town, away from the center. Far as I can tell, no people. Lots of dogs, though.”

  “Oh, man. The sick ones?”

  “Yup. They're everywhere.”

  “You said no people. What about the rest of town?”

  His eyes shifted from me to Lexi and Sarah then back again before he shook his head. “Maybe we should talk about this later.”

  I shook my head. The time for treating Lexi like a child was over. I'd been underestimating her for too long. “No. If this is the new world we've got to live in there's no point in sheltering either Lexi or Sarah anymore. If something happens to us, they need to know how to survive.”

  Lloyd considered my words. After a long time, he nodded, wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair. “Fair enough. You girls ready for this?” Sarah and Lexi nodded, their eyes huge. “Since the Black Tide went airborne, killing off most everybody, I've encountered a few other immunes while out foraging for supplies. Most of them aren't friendly. In fact, the only one I came across who didn't try to kill or rob me was a batty old woman digging in the dumpsters.”

  “Kill you?” Sarah cried.

  “Yup. A group of them have banded together and taken over the abandoned army base in town. They burned all the corpses, appropriated the stores and weapons for themselves, and now they're sitting pretty.”

  “How many of them are there?” I asked.

  Lloyd shrugged. “No idea. I can't set foot anywhere near them and have had two close calls already. Most I've seen together are eight.”

  “Eight?” I echoed. “That's far too many for us to take on and if there's more of them we're in serious trouble.”

  “They'd grind me to mince meat. As for you girls...” Lloyd trailed off, but I caught his meaning, and it chilled me to the bone. I was reminded once again of my unpleasant encounter with the would-be rapist.

  “If what you're saying is true, we need to leave. Now.” I looked at Lexi and Sarah, both so young and innocent, horrified at the thought of something like that happening to them.

  “We can't.”

  “Why not?”

  “We need fuel. That shit isn't so easy to get. Plus, we'd need a place to go. A safe place.”

  “Don't worry about that. I know someplace we can go.”

  “Really?” Lloyd sounded doubtful. “Where?”

  “Brian's family vacation home.”

  “What's so special about it?”

  “It's isolated, has good security and sits on a river bank. That means water.”

  Lloyd's eyes narrowed as he considered it. “Sounds good, I guess. Better than here. How far is it?”

  “Not that far. This side of Vanderbijlpark near Millionaires Bend. A tank of petrol will get us there with plenty to spare.” I pushed back my chair and stood up. “I'm not waiting around for those guys to find us.
Let's find that fuel. Now.”

  Lloyd looked up at me, startled. “You're still weak and it's dangerous out there.”

  “I'm fighting fit, trust me.”

  Lloyd raised an eyebrow at my confident statement. “Really?”

  Folding my arms, I stared at him. “Really.”

  “If you say so, ma'am,” Lloyd replied, a dry note in his voice.

  ***

  Lloyd had used his time scavenging not only to get supplies but also to prepare himself for the outside world. After breakfast, he disappeared, only to show up again wearing a motocross outfit sans the helmet.

  I took in the neon green stripes and luminescent yellow gloves with a snort. “Well, the bad guys won't miss us, that's for sure.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. But it keeps the dogs off.”

  “Remind me to shove you in the way if we get attacked.”

  “You're going to beg me to tell you where to get your own before the day's over.”

  “As long as it comes in pink.”

  Sarah handed each of us a backpack, flashlight, and cricket bat. The new fashion accessories of the age. I hefted the bat, reassured by the comforting weight and checked that my gun was loaded.

  “Do you have a gun?” I asked Lloyd.

  “I've got a pistol strapped inside my boot and a shotgun.”

  “Where's the shotgun?”

  “I'm leaving it with Sarah. We can't leave the girls alone with nothing to defend themselves.”

  “Does she know how to use it?” I asked, concerned.

  “I taught her. She's real careful, don't worry. And with two loads of buckshot, she's not going to miss.”

  “Okay,” I replied, comforted by the knowledge the girls wouldn't be defenseless while we were gone.

  Lexi clung to me, reluctant to let me go, and I hugged her tightly. “See you soon, sweet pea.”

  “Promise you'll come back.”

  “I promise. Now, remember to stay inside, keep away from the windows and not to make any noise.”

  “I know.”

  “Ready to go?” Lloyd asked.

  “As ready as I'll ever be.”

  We stepped outside, and I paused, taking a moment to breathe in the crisp air and allow my eyes to adjust. A tall stone fence and steel gate blocked my view of the street, scraggly trees and overgrown ferns dotting the yard.

  A double cab truck stood in the driveway and I walked over, taking a look. It was a Toyota Hilux. “Is this yours?”

  “Yup. I found it myself.” Lloyd ran his hand over the shiny exterior with a proud look on his face. “I always wanted one of these so when the opportunity presented itself...well.”

  “You stole it?”

  “Stole, took, whatever you want to call it. It's not as if the owner's going to miss it.”

  My eyes traveled over the large bull bar and fat tires. “It's a monster and it's going to guzzle petrol. Couldn't you have gone for something more practical? Like an Eco Sport or something?”

  Lloyd looked offended at my suggestion. “An Eco Sport? You must be joking.” He waved a hand at the enclosed back. “Besides, we need the space to cart all our shit in.”

  “What shit?”

  He sighed. “When we get to this magical place of yours, what do you think we're going to live on? We'll need solar panels, gardening supplies, livestock. How are you going to transport all that stuff? In an Eco Sport? If we get a trailer, this baby will be perfect.”

  I huffed but had to admit Lloyd had a point. “Fine. Let's get fuel for the damn thing then. Are we walking?” I asked, not thrilled by the prospect.

  “We're using that,” he replied, pointing to a small car parked beside the truck that I hadn't noticed. “The battery works and it's got a little petrol in it. Enough to get us where we need to go and back.”

  Lloyd walked to the gate, removing the chain and padlock securing it. After checking the area, he opened it and I stepped outside, curious. The first thing I saw was a body. It lay on the sidewalk opposite us, laid out as if for a funeral and wrapped in a sheet. Next to it was another.

  My eyes traveled up and down the street, pausing each time I spotted a corpse. Some were wrapped up in sheets or blankets like the ones across the street, while others were bare. Clouds of flies buzzed around the bodies, and for the first time, I noticed the low hum they emitted followed soon after by a whiff of decay as the wind shifted. My stomach roiled, and I swallowed as bile pushed up my throat.

  One body lay with its head twisted towards me, the mouth open and the missing lips granting the illusion of a grim smile. As I watched, a long dark worm curled out between the teeth and I clapped a hand over my lips. The head shook as if alive before the worm disappeared to make way for the head of a small animal.

  “Oh, God.”

  A rat squeezed its fat body out through the gap and scampered across the corpse, disturbing the flies. The 'worm' had been its tail.

  “Lloyd?”

  Lloyd looked first at the rat then at my pale face and shrugged. “I told you it was bad, Ava.”

  “Yeah, I know but...” Somehow my worst imaginings had fallen short. “Why are they all lying on the sidewalk?”

  “When people started dying, the army told them to put the bodies on the sidewalk for collection by burial trucks. At first, the trucks operated daily, picking up corpses and taking them away to be burned. After a week that stopped. Nobody to man the trucks.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you want to go back? I can get the petrol on my own if I must.”

  “No. I'm...I'm coming.”

  “Let's get moving then. We don't have all day.”

  Lloyd's tone was brisk, impatient. I got the hint. Either suck it up or go back inside with the two kids. I took a firmer grip on the cricket bat and nodded. “I'm ready.”

  “Good.” He walked to the car, pulling the keys out of his pocket. “Close the gates when I'm out, would you?”

  “Sure.”

  Lloyd climbed into the little car and reversed, while I waited outside, feeling vulnerable and exposed. Once the gates were shut, I slid into the passenger seat with a sigh of relief. Much better.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The garage.”

  “But the pumps won't work now that the electricity is off.”

  “Jerry cans. How else are we going to carry the petrol? Our hands?”

  I bristled at the sarcastic remark, grinding my teeth in anger. It was going to take a lot getting used to Lloyd. “Are you always like this?”

  “Like what?”

  “A pain in the ass? A dickhead? A...”

  “I get the idea and yes, I'm always like this. Get used to it.”

  Resisting the childish impulse to stick my tongue out at him, I stared out the window. The drive was eerie. Neither of us spoke, our attention fixated on the empty yet threatening surroundings. Abandoned cars, abandoned corpses, strewn rubbish, the smell of decay ever-present in our nostrils. The flies buzzed angrily whenever we drove by, rising up in black clouds before settling down again as we passed. I averted my gaze each time, not wanting to know what lay beneath the shifting blanket of insects.

  I kept searching for signs of life, either human or animal, my eyes roving in an automated fashion. Then I spotted a cluster of dogs feeding on a corpse. My eyes focussed on one in particular. A husky. Its tail stood up straight as it jerked at the torso, working to tear off a chunk of bloated flesh. Maggots rained down. With gruesome fascination, I watched as it gulped down a mouthful before raising its head to stare at us. Quivering lips pulled back to reveal blackened gums. The animal's eyes remained fixed on us until we passed. “Is it like this everywhere?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Staring at the dashboard, I fingered the cricket bat's handle, wondering what lay in store for me. All of a sudden, Lloyd's outfit didn't look quite so ridiculous.

  When we reached the petrol station, Lloyd pulled in next to the twenty-four-hour shop and opened his door. “Wai
t here.”

  “Are you sure? I can help.”

  “Just wait.”

  He jumped out and opened the boot, disappearing inside the shop and returning a few minutes later with jerry cans. He went back for more, and I used the time to study the lot, noting the signs of disuse and abandonment. Already weeds were growing through the cracks in the pavement.

  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, depressed by everything I had seen. The world as I had known it, was gone. Everybody I ever knew—gone. A slow minute ticked by then another. The quiet lulled me into a stupor.

  Something crashed into the side of my door and I shrieked, jumping upright. A cacophony of growls and barks filled the air, and I threw myself back from the half-open window.

  The dog, a boxer by the looks of it, slammed itself into the door again, thrusting its whole head inside the gap. Its paws scrabbled on the panel and my vision was filled with vicious teeth trying to rip my face off. I raised my foot and kicked it in the nose. It yelped but refused to back down, snarling. Spittle flew from its open mouth as it attacked with renewed vigor. I kicked again and again, my right hand fumbling for the gun at my side.

  A thunderclap sounded, and the dog fell away, leaving me shocked and panting for breath. My eyes rose to fix on Lloyd's figure, standing outside the shop's door with his gun in his right hand, still pointed at the dog. He walked over and nudged it with his foot. “It's dead.”

  “Thank fuck.”

  “Next time, shoot the damn thing. And don't fall asleep. You can't let your guard down,” was his calm reply. He turned his back on me and picked up the cans he'd dropped, throwing them onto the back seat before climbing back into the car. “We're lucky it wasn't a pack.”

  My insides were shaking as I processed the encounter. Lloyd was right. I'd have to be more alert if I wanted to survive. Licking my dry lips, I asked, “Where to now?”

  “Now I'm going to teach you how to siphon gas.” With those words, he pulled up next to an abandoned car and leaned over to remove a length of hose from the cubbyhole. “Don't worry. It's fun.”

  28