Desolation (Book 1): Aftermath

by Butler, Simon L.

  Her crying slowed after a while before she rolled over to face me, putting her arms around me breathing in deeply. “What’s the plan now?” she asked.

  I thought it over in my mind for a moment, before speaking whatever came to mind. “I had not planned to bring anyone back with me, and honestly, my trip out to New Alice was more about finding something to do than any kind of necessity. I know how to survive on my own, but there was a high degree of boredom that comes with it. So, honestly, I don’t really know yet,” I answered, “I want to head a bit further to the south-east from here towards the most south-east regions of the continent. I’ve never been this far south, at least not since I was a kid, and I have always wanted to go and see it again.”

  “Why there?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a long story,” I sighed, “but it ultimately boils down to the fact that family is from there before the outbreak hit, and I want to see it again just once before I die. I remember the hills and the seemingly endless greenery - lots of food and farmland, forests and open areas.”

  She smiled and leant up unexpectedly and kissed me on the lips. “It sounds beautiful!”

  I blinked, a little confused by the gesture. I understood the theory that it was a sign of affection. Only Amy had kissed me as a child, but no other, and I wondered if it was a sign of trust. The implications were confusing and something to reflect on. She continued to caress my cheek and beard with her hand, with an unfamiliar look in her eyes. Like Amy, but different… very, very different. “From what I remember, it was very beautiful. But there were also lots of zombies in those days, so who knows how much it has changed since then.”

  “Were you born before the outbreak?” she asked curiously, her hand still touching my face gently.

  “No,” I explained, “I was born about a year after. My parents were young, and they managed to have me and raise me for a few years, doing the best that they could under the circumstances. They were good people from what I remember, but it was very difficult in those days.” I paused, then corrected myself, “Well, my mother was a good person, I don’t really remember my father all that well. Amy used to tell me stories about him, and he sounded like a good man. Or at least a man who knew what mattered to him the most.”

  “It’s still hard for parents,” she added.

  “That’s true, but in those days, the people left alive were still learning to deal with zombies. Along with an emerging class of raiders and slavers,” I explained. “But yes, you are correct, it is still not a great world to raise a child.”

  She just listened and gently rubbed my back as I drivelled on telling her all about life on the road, the cabin I lived in for several years in the mountains south of the ruins of Canberra. I stopped after a while and looked at her in the eyes. She was still hanging off my every word.

  “Thank you for letting me stay,” she said yawning. “I had honestly resigned myself to slavery and probably die at some point relatively soon, so this is something entirely unexpected.”

  I instinctively put my arms around her to reassure her. “So, it’s just the zombies you’re worried about then?”

  She shrugged. “I worry about a lot of things, including zombies of course. But I also don’t know where this is going, I worry I’ll piss you off, or you’ll get bored at some point. I worry that my body is now fucking bleeding again, and while that’s a fucking relief that I’m not carrying some assholes rape child, it is still bad timing.”

  I squeezed her again, then brought my hand up to her cheek as she had done to me. “I doubt that I will get bored of you any time soon.” I smiled warmly. “You truly are a fascinating distraction.”

  She laughed, then teased, “So that means you’re no longer travelling solo then?”

  “I suppose not,” I replied, laughing with her. In truth, the thought terrified me, caring was dangerous, that’s the one lesson I had held onto for so long, and now Ashe had found a way beneath my defences. It was something I found comforting yet incomprehensible at the same time. There was little survival logic to wanting her around, as useful as she could be. What I felt for her was not rational in any sense that I knew. I just knew that I wanted her with me, and I wanted her safe.

  Ashe fell asleep a short time later while I remained awake through the night, my mind unable to stop thinking about what this young woman was doing to me. Nevertheless, it was soothing to know she was able to get to sleep. Her body curled up around mind as I sat up in the bed, allowing my mind to work through my fears. I could not help the urge to gently rub her back while keeping my arms around her through most of the night. All the while, my eyes, ears, and nose remaining on alert.

  Chapter 4 – (Don’t Look Back)

  I managed to stay awake the whole night despite my exhaustion, my mind was working overtime trying to understand this young woman that had somehow become a priority in my life. Perhaps for the first time in my life - I worried and planned, and worst of all, I allowed myself to hope. For the first time in my life, I feared the loneliness and the sense of loss that would inevitably come should I fail this girl. Growing attached was dangerous thinking in the first place, and it took a great deal of effort to redirect my thoughts towards more practical plans and ideas surrounding long term survival – for both of us.

  I was up and outside taking a piss well before dawn just a few meters away from the room we were staying when I noted a monster storm heading north off the southern coast. It was making its way upriver, bringing with it a torrent of rain and lightning. It was going to be a nasty one, that was clear from the endless flashes of light outlining the thick dark clouds that were approaching fast.

  I enjoyed a good storm honestly, provided I had shelter from which to view the lightning. But in my experience, zombies felt the same way. They seemed to hold onto the same instinct, they almost always sought shelter in bad weather, which itself indicated that perhaps they had not completely lost the capacity to reason. But the fact that they would soon be looking for shelter meant danger if we stayed put. Storm’s also presented an opportunity for travel, not only did zombies tend to seek shelter, the rain messed with their sense of smell and hearing was heavily distorted by rain. I finished my business before heading back inside and shook Ashe awake. “Come on, we have to get moving soon,” I said gently, trying not to scare her.

  She didn’t hesitate, sitting up almost as quickly as I had stirred her awake. She was still in a daze from her sleep, as she climbed out of bed, asking, “What’s wrong?”

  I held my hand up to calm her down. “There is a pretty nasty looking storm coming, and I don’t want to be trapped indoors.”

  She just stared at me then said bluntly, “That made absolutely no sense, Jack! Why would we want to be out in a storm?”

  I smiled, realising that my words probably sounded a little confused to someone less familiar with the habits of zombies. I explained to her the logic of zombies in a storm, adding, “We may need to pass through the ruins of the town to cross the river depending on the condition of the old train line, and this is great opportunity to do so without getting ourselves caught up in a herd of zombies.”

  She shivered at the thought, replying, “I figured there was logic in there somewhere, even if I don’t like where it leads somethings.” She sighed. “Remember, Jack, treat me like I know nothing about zombies.” She shrugged, adding, “Because honestly, I don’t know much beyond what other people have said, and most people out there are just full of shit when it comes to their ‘survival stories’.”

  I laughed. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to verbally justifying my logic. I have spent far too much time alone over the years, so stop me up if I say something needs clarification or that doesn’t make sense.”

  “Damn straight, I will!” she teased as she climbed out of bed, getting rid of the towel she had slept in before taking a small bath towel and wrapping it around herself and pulling her pants back on. I made a point of looking away to give her privacy, but she seemed to be getting
more comfortable with my presence. She gathered her rifle before throwing the backpack over her shoulders. “Fuck, I really need to piss before we go anywhere though.” She stopped by the door, adding, “Can you grab some extra clean towels as well!”

  “Why?”

  She just rolled her eyes. “Figured you wouldn’t understand,” she teased, adding with a smirk, “somehow I think women are as alien to you as zombies are to me!”

  I laughed at her joke, holding a hand up. “Okay, Okay!”

  “The bath towels aren’t great, but they will do, unfortunately.”

  “Okay, I’ll grab a few of them, we can get them cleaned off in the rain. Worst case scenario, there is a river a few kilometres down the highway, and I have some leftover whiskey that should help.”

  She glared. “You will not put booze anywhere near there, Jack!”

  I shrugged, “And of it’s a choice between that or a nasty infection?”

  “I’ll take the infection, thank you.” The smirk still on her face while I went back to the bathroom, finding several small towels folded under the sink, so I took a handful throwing them over my shoulder and moved back over to Ashe.

  “Let’s go,” I said as Ashe moved out ahead of me heading around behind the building while I waited, rifle at the ready as I watched for movement, returning a moment later with a concerned look on her face. “What is it?” I asked.

  “Company, a few hundred meters back. It looks like the same truck from the lake!”

  “Fuck!” I hissed.

  “There didn’t seem to be anyone in it either,” she added.

  I looked around us once more with a greater sense of urgency. “They probably have an ambushed set up nearby. Get back inside, we can use the zombies for cover when they move in,” I said as I backed towards the door.

  Ashe followed close behind. Quickly checking her rifle, pulling out the magazine and making sure the rounds were set properly before putting it back into the weapon and setting up by the front window waiting for any sign of movement.

  Moments later, a crack of lightning struck close by with the flash and the sound just seconds apart as a few drops of rain begun to fall. “This can’t be good,” she whispered as another flash and crack of lightning lit up the sky outside.

  I kept an eye focused out of the window, “The storm could work in our favour, depending on the number of zombies around here they could act as cover for us.” It didn’t take long for the first signs of movement to emerge from the bushland that spread far beyond the rear of the motel. Zombies began filtering into the covered areas, taking shelter as the rain gradually got heavier. More than a dozen of the creatures soon filtered from the surrounding bushland and settled under the sheltered areas of the motel. Some just meters from the room. I held a finger to my lips and whispered, “Stay calm and stay quiet!”

  She nodded once in acknowledgement as we waited. Then the sound of a gunshot rang out, followed by several more nearby, giving away the position of our pursuers. They had likely been planning an ambush around the truck, but now, they had another problem to deal with. The sound drawing the gathering crowd of zombies towards them.

  The zombies that had taken up residence outside shuffled quickly towards the sound as more gunshots rang out. They clearly had very little experience with zombies. The second the Zombies were clear of the door, I signalled Ashe to follow me, moving quickly and quietly out of the room and into the courtyard. One straggler spotted us and redirected its motion towards us, causing Ashe to shriek slightly as she moved behind me. “Keep your shooting in check, do not fire unless you absolutely have to,” I said firmly as I unsheathed the hunting knife as I slid past the zombie slipping the blade up under the base of its skull causing its body to instantly go limp. “Come on,” I whispered as we moved quickly towards the cover of the trees. Making a break for the overgrown grass of the bushland and crouching down once we were out of sight. Several more cracks of lightning and another dozen or more gunshots rang out with panicked automatic fire followed quickly by an agonising scream as at least one of the slavers recruited into the zombie herd. They had set up somewhere near the truck, anticipating that we would not simply abandon a working vehicle, and it seemed to have cost them dearly. They obviously lacked experience dealing with zombies, giving us every opportunity to outmanoeuvre them and get away easily. I also hoped that the rain would help mask the scent of Ashe, the slightly metallic smell hitting my nose mildly when nearby meant the zombies would pick it up from at least several meters away. I did not have a visual on our pursuers, but disabling their truck would likely be enough to give us plenty of time to escape, so I lined up a single shot and firing through the engine block.

  If nothing else, it would slow them down. “Let’s go,” I whispered to Ashe, guiding us parallel the eastern side of the highway, following it south-east for several kilometres. It seemed a few days off her feet had helped – she easily kept up, though her eyes were still skittish, jumping at the sight of every zombie. It was something to work on, especially if she was going to stay with me for any length of time. When we reached the outskirts of the ruined port city that clung to the mouth of the river, we stopped to have a drink, but Ashe seemed far less comfortable on foot with the very real threat of zombies.

  We were still several hundred kilometres from the ruins of Adelaide, so I doubted we would find many large herds around here, but zombies still seemed to be quite active in the city’s surroundings. After another hour or so of walking and avoiding detection from zombies, we reached a set of train tracks that hand not been used in decades. The metal was rusted, and beginning to bow from years of neglect, but the tracks meant we were close to the bridge and we had to make it across the river here if it was possible.

  “Why are we stopping?” Ashe whispered as she held the rifle up, watching our surroundings.

  “These tracks,” I explained under my breath. “There should be a bridge nearby. Come on!” We made away along the tracks, my eyes on alert as I manoeuvred us to make sure Ashe was as far away from the noise of the nearest Zombie as possible. Heading towards the edge of a large river that was almost bursting its banks from the sudden rapid rainfall that had just passed overhead. “We can avoid the city this way! Assuming the bridge is still there,” I added.

  We travelled on for another hour or so as the storm died back, clearing almost completely by the time we made our final approach to the bridge. As the edge of a large river came into view, its banks were on the verge of bursting from the sudden rapid rainfall that had just passed overhead. We were in luck though, the steel beams had become heavily rusted over the years without maintenance, but the bridge still seemed to be intact. The river below was quite salty, which only exacerbated the risk of collapse under oxidation. The Lakes that fed it to the north and the ocean to the south meant that the water was probably useless to us for drinking as well, though the downfall of rain had certainly refreshed us both as we walked. We both hesitated instinctively as we neared the edge of the bridge. The river had become a raging torrent from the heavy rain. “Jack?” Ashe said anxiously, implicitly questioning the decision I had made.

  “It’s this or hundreds of Zombies,” I said honestly, trying desperately to push my own fears down.

  She nodded, understanding my logic, “I get it, I just don’t like it,” she explained, before taking in a deep breath and adding, “Okay, let’s do it!”

  We made our way across the bridge relatively easily though I had to reinforce the idea of not looking down to Ashe, who had almost frozen in place several times over the raging torrent. But once we reached the other side, the relief was immediate though short-lived as we spotted several Zombies crawling up along the riverbank. No doubt they had been swept upstream by the storm. Ashe moved to edge of the bridge as if preparing to line up a shot. “Don’t shoot,” I whispered, explaining, “We have no cover here, and there is no telling how many will hear the shot.”

  She nodded, standing back up and staying close to m
e as we continued along the tracks for several more kilometres paralleling the river just a few hundred meters from the shore until the tracks expanded. Several move rail lines opened into what was once a coal distribution centre.

  The storm had dissipated, and clouds disappeared as rapidly as the storm had approached, and the sun burned blighting in the mid-morning sky. The humidity spiked dramatically in a very short period as steam began rising from the land. The almost tropical heat was an alien feeling to Ashe who had grown up in the dry heat of the desert. She didn’t seem to be coping well with the humidity, her body was simply not used to this kind of heat. Her skin perspiring heavily as moisture oozed through her shirt. It was very different from the dry heat of the desert that she was used to, her body would need time to acclimate which we did not have. If we did not stop soon, she would dehydrate quickly, and once again I would be back to carrying additional baggage. I led us away from the tracks towards an old industrial area hoping to find somewhere to stop until late afternoon when the heat dissipated. The only viable option that came into view was a small reception building on the south side of a smelting factory. “Let’s take a break here for a while and rest,” I insisted.

  Ashe did not reply in words, she simply followed close behind struggling through the sapping humidity.

  Most of the old factory had long decayed into ruins, the building had collapsed crushing anything that might be useful under the tremendous weight of the concrete walls that had fallen inward. But the small office building near the front of the complex was mostly intact. The brickwork seemed to be cracking from years of neglect and certainly was not helped by the increased intensity and frequency of the summer storms passing through this region regularly. The windows that had once allowed a receptionist or office worker a good view of the river was long gone, and the humid air kept the temperature in the building very warm, though significantly better than standing in the sun. Ashe sat down on the exposed concrete floor as she gulped a little more water desperate to conserve the last of our reserves. I watched for any signs of movement in the surrounding area while she rested. From my bag and pulled out a small jar full of vegetables preserved in brine, consuming a few small pieces of carrot before handing some to her.