Flesh-Eater (Book 1): Fear the Fever

by Stacey Broadbent

  “What’s wrong, Mommy? Is Daddy okay?” she whispered, wishing she could make everything better. She didn’t like to see her upset. It made her feel sad.

  “I need you to run up to your room, okay? I want you to sit in your closet until I get back.”

  “Why?”

  “I just need you to do it, okay?” her voice was louder now, bordering on hysterical.

  “Okay, Mommy. I love you,” she said softly. “Everything will be okay.” She turned and ran up the stairs to her room. She flung open the door to her closet, climbed in and sat down. She tucked her favourite Barbie in her lap, and peered through the slats of the door.

  She heard the garage door open and the car screech out the drive, the door banging closed behind her.

  After a while, she heard the front door open and close. She waited patiently, hoping her mother would come and tell her she could come out now.

  She didn’t come. The house was silent, and Caitlyn was beginning to wonder if Greta was still there. She really needed to use the bathroom too, but she had promised that she would stay in the closet.

  She shifted her position, hoping that would help. It didn’t. She really didn’t want to pee in the closet. She eased the door open, and peered out. Not knowing what she was meant to be hiding from made it tricky to know what to look out for. Deciding that she couldn’t possibly wait any longer, she darted out and across the hall to the bathroom.

  She snuck down the stairs, searching for the housekeeper, to see if it was safe for her to come out. Greta didn’t appear to be anywhere.

  She heard a noise from next door. Something that sent chills down her spine. Someone was sobbing, and begging. Someone else was screaming.

  Her little heart racing, Caitlyn ran back up the stairs and into her closet again. She pushed her back up against the wall, and dragged the clothes down the rail to surround herself. She couldn’t get away from the horrible sounds though. They penetrated the walls, and into her skull.

  She began to cry, praying that her mother would come and take her away.

  ZEKE

  When they finally came downstairs, they had another person in tow. She was small, not more than six years old, and she looked scared, her eyes darting frantically between them all.

  “It’s okay,” he heard Chad say to her. “They’re our friends.”

  Stepping forward, plastering a smile on his face, he held his hand out to her. “I’m Zeke, what’s your name?” he asked.

  “Caitlyn,” she whispered, clinging to Tammy’s side. She tentatively reached out, shaking his hand.

  “This big lug is Zuckerman, but you can call him Z,” he winked at her, pointing back at him.

  “Hey.” Zuckerman waved awkwardly.

  “You coming with us?” Zeke asked her. She bobbed her head up and down, her wide eyes staring at him. “Great! You don’t happen to like muffins do you? We have too much back home, and I’d hate for them to be wasted.” The corners of her mouth lifted into a grin as she nodded again. “You sure? Cos we can make up a big bowl of veggies instead, if you want.”

  “No! I like muffins,” she said, stepping out from Tammy’s leg.

  “Oh good. What a relief,” he sighed, smiling at her.

  “Thanks,” Chad mouthed over her shoulder. Zeke waved it off. They could all do with the distraction.

  “We all set?” he asked, jingling the keys in his hand. They had been gone for quite some time now, and he wanted to get back and check on Harper. He hoped she hadn’t run into any trouble while they had been away.

  Chad picked up the bag he had packed, and the one Tammy had put together for Caitlyn and continued down the stairs. They all made their way out the door, pulling it closed behind them. Out of habit, Chad pulled his key out to lock it.

  They clambered into the car, making sure that Caitlyn was strapped in. She was tucked in between Tammy and Chad, while Zuckerman took the front seat next to Zeke.

  Putting the car in reverse, he backed out of the long driveway, and made his way back home.

  HARPER

  Grabbing another stick from her pile, Harper proceeded to pull the bark off. She used her knife to slowly whittle away chunks of the wood, as she fashioned it into yet another spear.

  She had spent the best part of the day doing this; making sure they had enough weapons to keep them safe, without anyone having to get too close to another flesh-eater.

  She couldn’t lose anyone else. Having watched her mother join in the eating frenzy as her beloved family dog was devoured, and accidentally shooting her sister, she didn’t think she could handle it if she had to bury anyone else.

  These people she was with, they were good people. They were her new family now, and she would protect them as best she could.

  The sound of an approaching car, made her pause. She dropped what she was doing and crept to the edge of the porch, trying to get a look at the car. Through the dust, she could just make out the faded blue of Zeke’s Land Cruiser. She let out a breath of relief.

  Pulling herself up to stand, she walked out to meet them.

  “Anything?” she asked, as he stepped out of the car.

  Zeke shook his head. “Both their families are…” he looked over at Zuckerman, “gone already,” he finished. “We do, however, have a guest.”

  Harper craned her neck to see around him. Stepping out of the car, was a little girl with long blonde hair, and the biggest hazel eyes she had ever seen.

  “She was hiding at Chad’s,” he said. “She said her parents left her,” he whispered behind his hand.

  How could anyone leave someone so sweet and innocent?

  She moved towards her, slowly so as not to scare her. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Harper.”

  “Hi.” Caitlyn smiled up at her. “I’m Caitlyn.”

  “What a beautiful name,” she said.

  “Caitlyn here,” Zeke said, placing his hands on her shoulders, “would like to try some muffins. You think you could get her some while we check out the shed?”

  “Of course. What kind would you like? We have banana chocolate chip, cinnamon and apple, or blueberry.” Harper wrapped her arm around her shoulders, leading her inside. Tammy followed, while the boys unloaded the car and headed for the shed.

  “Mmmm, I like all of them!” Caitlyn said with delight. “I think I’ll try the banana chocolate chip first.”

  “Good choice. That’s my favourite too,” Tammy agreed. “In fact, I think I’ll join you in one.”

  Harper pulled the muffins out of the cupboard, selecting three big ones and placing them on plates. She grabbed some lemonade from the fridge and poured them each a glass as well.

  They sat in the lounge, warmed by the fire that she had kept stoked.

  “I have an idea,” Harper said, setting her plate down on the table beside her. “Why don’t we do your hair? I’m pretty good at braids, and you have lovely long hair.”

  Caitlyn grinned, chocolate icing smeared on her front teeth and around her mouth. She nodded enthusiastically.

  Harper stood up. “Let me see if I can find some hair ties.” She wandered off down the hall, to Zeke’s parents’ room. She found a brush, some pins and a hair tie on his mother’s dresser. Snatching them up, she padded back to the lounge. She settled herself behind Caitlyn, her legs folded underneath her. Pulling the brush through her hair, she was reminded of the times she had helped Millie with her locks. A tear escaped down her cheek at the memory.

  “You okay?” Tammy asked gently.

  “Mmhmm,” she replied. Tammy nodded in understanding.

  “You’re good at this,” Caitlyn said. “Mom always tugs on the knots,” she grumbled.

  Harper smiled. “I’ve had a lot of practice.” She split her hair into sections, and with nimble fingers, she began to thread them together into a thick braid. She secured it with the hair tie, pinning back any stray hairs. “All done,” she said proudly.

  “You’ve had a pretty big few days, huh?” Tammy asked, watch
ing Caitlyn stifle a yawn. “Why don’t you have a rest? You can lie in front of the fire to keep warm, if you like.” She ushered her over to the mattress closest to the fire, draping a blanket over her.

  “Thank you,” Caitlyn murmured, nestling deep inside the blanket. “I’m glad you found me.” She smiled sleepily.

  “I’m glad we found you too,” Tammy said, smoothing her hair behind her ear. “Close your eyes, get some rest. You’re safe with us.” She kissed her forehead, before slipping away. She motioned for Harper to join her.

  “They’ve been out there a while now, you think they found something?” she asked, her voice full of concern.

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  ZEKE

  Beams of light shone from their torches, as they checked each of the traps they had set. Not one mouse had been caught. In fact, there didn’t appear to be any signs of mice at all. No food in the pantry had been touched, no droppings. It was surprising, considering his father had thought there was a nest.

  “I was sure we’d have caught something,” he said, disappointed. “Sorry guys.”

  “Hey, it’s not your fault. It was worth a shot. Who knows? Maybe we’ll catch something overnight,” Chad said encouragingly. “It’s only been one day.”

  “Let’s just have another look around.”

  Zeke went back to the pantry, while the others walked around the shed itself. He grabbed a stool to look on the top shelf, where the flour was kept. There was a small pile of flour from the bag his father had found, but the rest of the bags looked fine.

  He scanned the shelves below, moving aside jars of relish and ketchup, marmalade and jam. He caught a whiff of something rotting, and began pulling things off the shelf, to find the source of the smell.

  Tucked in behind a large jar of pickled onions, he found it. At first glance, it looked like a pile of fur, all clumped together. He moved a little closer, focusing his torch’s beam on the mess in the corner of the shelf.

  Two beady eyes shone back at him through the mess of fur and what he could now see was blood. What was left of its body, had been torn to shreds, leaving only the tail, and head, attached by the smallest piece of skin. Even the insides were gone.

  He took a step back, his mind on overload. He noticed a smear of blood under his foot. Shifting his leg, he saw what looked to be the remains of a baby mouse. How he hadn’t noticed it earlier, was beyond him. He bent down, to get a closer look. It was tiny, maybe only a day or two old. It hadn’t even grown any fur yet. Its back end was flattened, but the head was still intact. What didn’t make sense though, was the eyes. Normally they don’t open until they’re a few weeks old. These eyes were open and bulging. They were red. And moving. It was still alive! It opened its little mouth and a tiny hiss escaped.

  He sat back, thinking this through. The first mouse was definitely fully grown; that had to be the mother, and this had to be one of her litter. Is it possible that this baby… ate its mother? What was he thinking? Of course it was possible! People were out there eating each other! And this creature before him was definitely no ordinary mouse.

  If that was the case though, where were the others? They rarely had only one baby in a litter.

  “Guys?” he called. “I found something.” He pulled himself up off the ground, going back to the shelf. He held his torch up to show them. “Look.” He watched their faces. “I think this is the mother. And that,” he flashed his light over to the mound on the floor, “is one of her babies. It’s still alive. Check out the eyes.”

  “Dude, that’s fuckin’ creepy,” Zuckerman said, “It doesn’t even look like a mouse.”

  “They don’t have fur when they’re born. They’re normally blind until they’re a few weeks old. Its eyes shouldn’t even be open yet,” Zeke said.

  “Hey, look at this.” Chad held up a bloodied tag. “It was sticking out from under her.” He motioned to the mother mouse. He wiped the tag down his pants, trying to clear off the blood. “Farrelly Pharmaceuticals,” he read, flipping it over, “The other side just has the letter ‘L’. You think this was a test mouse?”

  “That could explain a few things,” Zeke said.

  “So this was some sort of fuckin’ experiment?!” Zuckerman demanded.

  “We don’t know that for sure. But it does look that way,” Zeke sighed. “We should find this pharmaceuticals place. See what they have to say.”

  “Good idea.”

  “We should take these… remains, with us. The mother wasn’t like her babies. Her eyes still look normal,” Zeke said. “See if you can find a plastic container in the shed. I’ll find something to scoop them up with.”

  He walked out to where the tools were kept, finding a small shovel. Returning to the pantry, he scraped up what he could of both rodents, careful not to get too close to the fangs of the baby mouse that were chomping at the air. He slopped them into the container that Chad held out to him. The smell was even stronger now that they had been moved.

  “Put the lid on, that smell is rank,” Zuckerman said, holding his sleeve over his nose.

  “Tell me about it,” Zeke said, standing up, his head doing a double-take when he looked at Zuckerman. “Don’t move,” he whispered, staring at the shelf behind his head.

  “What? What is it?” Zuckerman demanded.

  “It’s one of the babies.” Zeke edged over, adjusting his grip on the shovel so that he could swing it down on top of the mouse.

  “Hurry up!” Zuckerman hissed.

  “Shh!”

  The mouse was eyeing Zeke, tracking his every move. The shovel came down, slamming hard into the shelf, but not before the mouse had darted away, leaping towards Zeke. He dropped the shovel, falling backwards as he tried to swipe it off. The mouse clawed its way up his shirt to his neck, sinking its tiny teeth in before he had a chance to swat it away. He clamped his hands down on top of it, holding it to his chest.

  “Quick! Get me something to put it in!” he screamed, feeling the mouse claw at his fingers, in an attempt to get out. “Hurry!”

  “Here!” Chad scrambled over, holding out an empty jar. Zeke lifted his hands, dropping the rodent into the jar. Chad quickly screwed the lid on tight. “You okay?” he asked, even though he could see the blood dripping from both his hands and neck.

  “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” He wiped his hands down his jeans, inspecting the wounds. “We’re going to Farrelly,” he said. “All of us. Even if I have to be in the back of the trunk. It’s in my blood now, they may be able to use it to find a cure.” He set his jaw, staring intently at Chad. “Don’t let me hurt anyone. Kill me before that happens. Promise me,” he demanded. “Promise me!”

  “Okay. We promise,” Chad said, pity in his eyes.

  “Good,” Zeke sighed, slipping to his knees. “Don’t tell Harper, okay?”

  “Don’t tell Harper what?” she asked, walking through the door. “What’s all the commotion? You guys find something?” She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at each one in turn. Zeke shoved his hands in his pocket, avoiding her gaze.

  “Ah, yeah,” Chad said, holding up the jar and giving it a shake. “We know where to go next.”

  “And where might that be?”

  “Farrelly Pharmaceuticals.”

  CHAD

  “Feisty little beggar, isn’t he?” Chad said, holding the jar up for them to see. The mouse scampered around his enclosure, hissing and baring his tiny fangs. “If this is how it all started, it’s easy to see how it spread so quickly.”

  “How many babies do mice have at a time?” Tammy asked, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

  “I think, like, ten?” Chad said, unsure. “By the looks of this fella, I’d say they can get pretty far, pretty fast too,” he continued, turning to Zeke. “How many neighbouring farms are there?”

  “Well, there’s the Malone’s,” he motioned to Harper, “and to the West are the Franks, they have a few live-in workers. Then there’s a small
cattle ranch to the North, I forget their names. Across these paddocks and over the road, belongs to the Masons.” He pointed out past the fields.

  “So they weren’t short of targets then.”

  “No, I guess not,” Harper agreed. “Back home there were so many of those...” she trailed off, having no word to describe them. “They had to have been some of the first to be infected. We had workers in the field, so I guess they were probably easy prey,” she said, her eyes glossing over as she thought back to the previous day.

  “It makes sense,” Zeke said, “their farm is closest to ours.”

  “So, now what?” Tammy asked. “We have this mouse, but what do we do with it?”

  Chad held up the tag he’d found in the shed. “We found this with the mother,” he said. “We think it was some sort of experimental mouse or something. Maybe these guys will know what to do.”

  Tammy grabbed the tag out of his hands, inspecting it. “Farrelly Pharmaceuticals,” she said. “Where are they?” She handed it back to Chad, who sat it with the specimens they had collected.

  “Montana Ave, Cincinnati,” Zeke read from the directory. “That’s actually not that far away.” He pulled out a road map, pointing. “We’re here,” he said, trailing his finger across the map. “And this is Montana Ave. It backs on to Mt Airy Forest.”

  “It’s a pretty straight drive. If we leave first thing, we should get there before lunch,” Zuckerman said.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Chad agreed. “We should probably get some sleep. It’s been a big day.” He eyed Zeke cautiously, watching for any signs of the fever. “I’ll take first watch tonight.”

  Zeke looked as though he was about to protest, but thought better of it. He settled in on one of the recliners, away from the others, a gun propped up against it. He glanced at the gun, then at Chad and back again. Chad understood. He nodded sombrely.

  The girls huddled up next to Caitlyn, and Zuckerman took the other recliner. Chad grabbed a blanket, and draped it across his lap as he sat in the window, staring out at the dark sky.