The Afflicted: A Zombie Novel

by Watts, Russ

  He began trudging up the stairs, pausing on the final step to catch breath. Evan reluctantly followed. The house seemed secure but he wasn’t comfortable knowing there were so many of the dead out there, so close. At the top of the stairs, he counted at least six doors and deliberated how big the house must be. As they walked, Evan noticed the crosses on the walls: large and small, all depicting Jesus spread-eagled in pain and torment. Through the end door, Father Thomas led him into a bedroom.

  “Careful son, it’s a little messy in here.”

  The room was clearly not used. The bed was covered in old magazines and the room was strewn with clothes and boxes. There was hardly any free space to walk on and Evan trampled over old suits and shirts on the floor.

  “See? Down there.” The Father pointed out through a small window, criss-crossed by elaborate ironwork.

  Evan looked through it. To the left he saw the edge of the shopping centre they had passed through earlier. However, the window mostly looked out over the road and he could see their van that had ploughed into the truck. There were a couple of zombies wallowing around, but no activity of note. He wondered if the Father had seen what had happened to Karyn. Surely if he had, he would have said something? Was she still in the van? It was dark and there was no way of seeing inside now. The doors were shut and he could see nothing useful that would indicate if she had left the van or not. For all the trouble she’d caused, he had to admit he felt a little remorseful now. She was out there alone, inside the van or not, probably scared witless, not even knowing where her son was. Evan vowed that tomorrow they would fetch her. He hoped she’d stayed in the van. If not, there was a good chance George would never see his mother again.

  “When we heard the crash we raced up here to see what was happening. We hadn’t seen anyone alive for at least twenty four hours before you. Nathaniel’s a good, stout man. I knew he would find you.”

  “I’m grateful, Father. We were in trouble, I know.” They continued their conversation in the dark. Father Thomas turned the torch off to avoid it shining through the window and attracting any unwanted attention.

  “So, Father, is it okay if we stay here tonight? We’ll be on our way in the morning.”

  “Oh goodness yes, of course. Take your time. There are plenty of bedrooms up here, plenty of space for all of you. But tell me, where do you intend to go tomorrow?”

  “Well, my family is on Tasmania. We were heading to the harbour to get a boat before we crashed.” Evan paused, unsure of whether he should say anymore. Perhaps he should offer to take these men with them? His question was answered without the need to ask it.

  “Tasmania!” Father Thomas sat down on the bed, springs creaking under the weight.

  “Madness. Oh, of course you must do what you need to but...Evan I have a mission to complete here and I need all the help I can get. I am but a lamb in His service, and I am only one. With more followers, comes more power, and...Nathaniel is a devout believer; he’ll stand by me, but...

  “Evan you have seen what has become of our world? We are haunted by demons and unclean spirits. It is clear the Armageddon is coming. It is all written in the scriptures. This day has been foretold for generations. I’ll show you down stairs in the library!” He was getting worked up again, enthusiastic to bring Evan into his world.

  Evan interrupted before he was subjected to any more unwanted lectures. “Father, I’m sorry, but my mission is to find my family. That is all. I don’t want to interfere with your plan, your calling, or whatever it is. You must do what you need to. I’m sorry, I appreciate your help, we all do, but our paths are only going to cross tonight. We’ll be on our way tomorrow.”

  Father Thomas sat silently on the bed. Evan could hear his wheezing breath and was glad it was dark so he didn’t have to look at him. It was a full minute before Evan get a reply.

  “And you’re not a believer, Evan. None of you?” The Father stood up. Evan could not see the flaring nostrils, or the anger burning the Father’s cheeks.

  “No.”

  It occurred to Evan that maybe before all this, he had believed in God. He couldn’t remember that life anymore. But he knew he didn’t believe now.

  “Very well,” said the Father despondently, yet firmly. The torch flashed back into life and Evan followed him back down to the library. They did not speak on the way back.

  As they entered the warm library, Evan saw Joe had fallen asleep and kicked his chair. Joe stirred and shifted his weight before going straight back to sleep. Amane was chatting to Lily and George had found a book to read.

  “The Father has kindly offered us a room for the night. Upstairs, take your pick, plenty of room. Be quiet when you go about the house though. And avoid the front door, okay? I’m serious. You stick to here and the rooms upstairs.” Evan felt uncomfortable. He knew he had offended the Father, but just because he had offered them sojourn in this house, didn’t mean they had to convert.

  “Bathroom’s upstairs too,” Father Thomas said, walking over to the dying fire and extinguishing it with a jug of water. The hiss of steam broke the awkward silence and the room was plunged into a darkness illuminated only by the torch he carried.

  Amane realised that this was their cue to move, and picked up the flashlights on the table. She blinked one on and handed the other to Evan. “I’ll take Lily with me. See you in the morning, yeah?”

  “Yeah. I’ll take George up. May as well leave Joe to sleep it off, I think he’ll be out for the night. Take care, okay?”

  She could tell something wasn’t right, but knew now was not the time to ask. George rubbed his tired eyes and took Evan’s hand. They left Joe sleeping, whilst the Father busied himself tidying away the leftovers, crockery, and cutlery.

  Evan led the way up the stairs and found an uncluttered room. There was a single bed in the centre of the room but little else by way of furnishings. It was cold and Evan tucked George in, still fully clothed.

  “Evan? When is mum coming back?” he asked as he got beneath the covers.

  “Tomorrow. She’ll be back tomorrow, okay buddy?”

  “Why didn’t she come with us?”

  Evan’s cheeks flushed red in the dark room.

  “You get to sleep now. She wasn’t well so she had to stay behind, but we’ll get her in the morning mate. If you need anything tonight, I’ll be right next door.”

  George didn’t answer. He seemed so tired now that Evan was convinced he’d fallen asleep almost immediately. He tiptoed out and shut the door gently behind him. He found the bathroom opposite and then headed to the room next to George. He got into the single bed waiting for him. He took his shoes off but it was so cold, he decided to keep his clothes on too. It was a relief to be lying down in a bed. It was old and lumpy but it was a bed nonetheless. The conversation earlier with the Father had worried him, but he put it out of his mind. The Father could be forgiven for wanting to save people. He had a kind heart though; he had taken them in, complete strangers, and given them food and shelter.

  He thought again about Charlie and Anna. What must they be going through now? Did they have a bed to sleep in? He was too tired to think like this. Why ask questions that couldn’t be answered? He forced himself to clear his mind. They would be fine. He would get a boat tomorrow and see them soon and they would be reunited. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He dreamt more of his children, playing and laughing on the boat that he would surely be seeing soon.

  * * * *

  Amane and Lily clambered beneath the covers, thankful for finding a room with a large, king-size bed.

  “Thanks for staying with me, Amane. I don’t want to be alone. This house is weird. Those men are weird too.”

  “Yeah, they’re a little odd, I agree. We’ll get out of here tomorrow, all right? We’ll find a way,” Amane bristled against the cold and pulled the duvet up to her chin.

  “I wish my dad was here. He’d know what to do. I want to come with you but...I wonder if I should go to Canber
ra. Dad works at parliament. He’s not a cleaner or anything, he’s a proper politician, he’s quite important. He always said if any terrorists attacked them, they’d be safe. I told you about that bunker they built underneath the parliament building? He might be okay.”

  Amane yawned and thought about Lily. It could be true she supposed. But there was no way she’d get to Canberra on her own, not with only one good leg and not in this world. Without a car, she had no idea how they would even get to the harbour tomorrow.

  “Look, if you come with us to Tassie, we’ll get Evan’s kids and then maybe we’ll check out Canberra okay? We can regroup, get a plan properly sorted. Look how difficult it is just trying to get through the city.”

  “Okay, thanks, Amane, you’re right. If dad’s safe, then he’ll still be there in a couple more days’ time. I wish I could text him and tell him I’m okay. It’s weird not seeing him.” Lily yawned. “Thank God you’re here.” She gave Amane a quick peck on the cheek and turned over onto her side.

  “Good night.”

  “Good night, Lily.” Amane lay staring up at the ceiling listening to Lily’s faint breathing. How on earth was she going to sleep? So many thoughts were jumping around her head. She lay on her side and hugged the pillow beside her. She had seen what had happened to Karyn but said nothing. Soon they would have to explain to George where his mother was and that would not be easy. There was a good chance Karyn wouldn’t be there in the morning, Amane thought. She’d probably take off and leave George behind.

  She thought about her parents, picturing them back at home in Japan. She thought about her friends and if any of them were still alive. She wondered if Evan had ever been to Japan. And as she lay dreaming of home, sleep crept up on her. In the middle of the night, she didn’t even stir when the bedroom door squeaked open. Nor did she wake as a dark figure stealthily crept up on her and Lily unawares.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Evan woke and couldn’t recall where he was. The room was strange and unrecognisable, the air cold and harsh. He waited a moment and then it all came back to him: the crash, the mortuary, the priest. It was still dark and quiet outside. The early rays of sunlight were pinching through tight-knit clouds, peaking over the horizon, casting just enough light to see by. What had woken him? He listened intently and heard a faint crying. It sounded like it was coming from next door. He padded across the frigid floorboards into the hallway and tried the door to George’s room, but it wouldn’t open.

  “George, you awake?” Evan rapped lightly on the door. “It’s me, Evan.” He heard soft footsteps approach the door.

  “I can’t get out. I want mum. I want to go see mum now,” came the feeble reply.

  “Did you lock this door, George? Have you got the key?” said Evan, worried, pulling on the doorknob.

  “No, I think that old man with the beard locked it. I heard him messing about with the keys. He’s stupid. I just want my mum!” Evan heard him run back to the bed. George buried his head in the pillows and began crying louder.

  Evan rattled the door but it wouldn’t budge. He was annoyed. They had no right to do this. What reason could they have for locking George away?

  “Sit tight, George. I’ll go find the key and then we’ll go find your mum, okay?” There was no reply, just muffled sobbing.

  Evan looked around the dim landing at the closed doors and pondered where Nathaniel or the Father might be sleeping. There was no way of knowing, he would just have to try them all.

  The first door was just a linen cupboard and the next a large bedroom, empty and undisturbed. He skipped the bathroom door, and as he put his hand on the next door knob, he heard more muffled crying. This wasn’t George though, this was different. It sounded more like a cry of pain than sorrow. He went to the far door where it seemed to be coming from and listened. The crying was joined by banging noises. Tentatively, he opened the door to what appeared to be a disused nursery. Black, dead eyes stared back at him from stuffed dolls and dog-eared teddy bears. The muted sounds were coming from above and he spied a doorway in the darkest corner of the room. He navigated past an old wooden cot, ignoring the mocking laughing clowns on the wall, and opened the door leading to a staircase. His bare feet were quiet as he climbed up, the noises increasing louder with each step. He grew concerned the further he got; it sounded like someone in a lot of trouble. At the top, he pushed open the door.

  Evan couldn’t believe what he saw. His chest felt tight, like he was having a heart-attack. Lily was lying on a bed, hands tied to the headboard with a dirty cloth jammed in her mouth. Her feet were tied to the bedposts and her swollen ankle was painfully twisted, causing her obvious agony. Her eyes were screwed shut and tears were pouring down her pale face. Father Thomas’ trousers were around his ankles, his disgusting fat thighs jiggling as he thrust himself into poor Lily over and over. Before Evan could shout out or act, there was a click from behind the door and a voice.

  “Don’t move.” Nathaniel appeared with a gun in his hand pointed right at Evan.

  “What the fuck are you doing? Leave her alone!” Evan wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off Nathaniel’s face, grab the gun, and beat the two of them to within an inch of their lives. He felt responsible for Lily and a complete failure that he hadn’t been able to protect her. Evan’s fists were clenched, ready to strike. Nathaniel guided Evan over to a rocking chair and made him sit with his hands on his head. Evan refused to watch the terrible abuse going on and stared at the floor in silent fury.

  A moment later, Father Thomas grunted and slid off the bed. His fat belly hung low over his trousers as he slowly pulled them back up. Zipping himself up, he walked over to Evan.

  “Delicious,” he said, smiling maliciously.

  “You fucking bastard. She’s just a kid!” Evan’s stomach churned as he looked over and saw Lily on the bed, whimpering like an injured dog.

  “This little whore?” Father Thomas walked around to the side of the bed and took the rag from her mouth. He punched her face, breaking her nose, and she cried out as blood poured down her face. He cupped her chin, bringing her around to face him again. He punched her again, harder, this time knocking her out cold. The seeping blood from her nose curdled into the bedspread. Evan curled his hands into tight fists. He was infuriated yet helpless. Nathaniel just continued to stare at him, the gun pointed at Evan’s head.

  “I’m going to fucking kill you. Where’s Amane? And Joe?” said Evan.

  “Oh please, Evan. You’ve brought this on yourselves. Your avarice is your downfall, young man,” said Father Thomas. “Your lack of humility and compassion is your downfall. My goodness, the sheer arrogance of you and your kind is breath taking. Do you not think that we didn’t see you strike and abandon that boy’s mother yesterday? You and your friends are culpable for your sins, Evan. It was evident last night that you are Godless: you, Joe, Amane, even this little bitch. She was desperate for me to fuck her, all that make up and flashing her legs at me. I could see the way she was looking at me last night. She practically begged me.

  “As for George, well he’s just about young enough to be saved. His soul has not had time to be corrupted by you, yet. We have plans for him.” The Father spoke confidently and clearly.

  “So why not lock me in?”

  “Unfortunately, because you picked a room without a lock.” snorted Father Thomas. “I was quite sure that you would find us though. Would you like to join your friends now?”

  Nathaniel handed the gun to Father Thomas and picked up some rope from the floor. He bound Evan’s hands together tightly.

  “Move.”

  Nathaniel led the way back through the house, down the stairs, followed by Evan. Father Thomas kept the gun shoved into Evan’s back at all times. They left Lily unconscious, and tied to the bed.

  Back down in the lounge, where the roaring fire had been the night before, Evan saw Amane and Joe tied up. Nathaniel shoved Evan onto a chair and strapped him in, binding his feet like he had done the
others. The Father shook his head as he looked at them, keeping the gun pointed at Evan.

  “I know you cannot be saved. Quite frankly, I don’t think I would waste my time on any of you. But you can be useful.”

  Father Thomas followed Nathaniel out, closing the door behind him. Evan looked over at his friends. Their hands and feet were bound behind the dining chairs and Amane had clearly been crying. Her face was puffed and Joe was sporting a black eye.

  “Sorry, Evan,” said Joe, “they jumped me when I was asleep. So fucking stupid.” He twisted his wrists but couldn’t escape the thick rope.

  “Where’s Lily?” Amane looked at Evan, her voice close to breaking. Evan couldn’t bring himself to look at her and stared into the cold fireplace.

  “Upstairs. They tied her to a bed.” He gritted his teeth.

  “Did they..?” Amane trailed off, horrified, eyes filling up. Evan merely nodded and hung his head. He had promised to look after her and failed. He had broken his promise. Amane began crying and they sat in silence. Not one of them actually thought about what may be in store for them. They felt only remorse for George, for Lily. Even for Karyn.

  * * * *

  They sat in the dark for an hour or more whilst the sun slowly rose higher, not speaking, and unable to move. With no clock, they couldn’t tell how much time was actually passing. It was agonising. Their thoughts perpetually about what might be happening upstairs. Finally, they heard movement and the Father entered the room. Ignoring them, he drew the curtains back letting the light in. The windows overlooked an enclosed private courtyard, separate from the rest of the garden, clear of zombies.

  “Where do you preach, Father? Where is your flock? I think you’re a fraud. How can you call yourself a man of the cloth?” Joe spat the words out and only stopped when a hand slapped his cheek.

  “Shut up,” said Father Thomas. “My flock is everywhere. The church did not want me, they were too stupid to realise the truth. We had a parting of the ways. Look where they are now, scrambling around in the dirt with the rest of them. Me? I’m alive. One’s soul cannot be compromised. We must bathe in his virtue and shine. They sit in their offices, counting their money, doing nothing. I pursue knowledge. That is why I know the way. What do you know, Joe? I’ll tell you what, fuck all. So why don’t you just shut the fuck up before I shut you up for good.” The Father walked over to Evan and began untying the knot binding his hands together.