Seasons of Z (Book 4): Dead Fall

by Riva, Aline

  Mickey looked at her in surprise.

  “You seriously think people would be that stupid?”

  “Trust me, Mickey - I uses to be a copper. I know how stupid some people can be, especially on nights like Halloween, and that was before the outbreak!”

  “I'll have to mention that,” he told her, “No zombie costumes allowed, for obvious reasons.”

  “And there's another matter,” Joy added, “Lord Featherstone is still playing his war games up at the manor house. Someone needs to go up there and make him aware of the Evolved. The zombies are still dangerous - they will be as long as they can move - but they're dying off. We don't want the Evolved dying off with them. He has to stop opening that gate.”

  “I don't think anyone has approached him since Brett went over there in the Summer,” Mickey told her.

  Joy laughed.

  “A visit from Brett is enough to make anyone want to lock their door!” she exclaimed, “I'll go over there and talk to him, I'll do it today.”

  “From what I've heard, he's a nice guy,” Mickey told her, “Friendly, generous and very keen to contribute to the community - apparently there was a fire here a few years back, it partly wrecked the pier, he helped to fund the rebuild. He cares about his town's heritage.”

  “I don't doubt that,” Joy replied, “He just doesn't care for the likes of Brett knocking on his door telling him what to do on his own land.”

  “Brett said he heard Bradley Featherstone doesn't have such a big army now,” Mickey added, “Quite a few of his men returned to the town at the end of Summer, I guess they had enough of war games. But there's still a few up there because we hear the explosions and the gun fire three times a week. His ammo will run out eventually. But he needs to stop this now, before the Evolved get hurt.”

  “I'll explain,” Joy replied, “And don't worry, I'm used to handling community policing, I'll get it across to him without causing offence.”

  Just then, there was a soft thump as Truffle leapt on to the table. He padded over to Mickey, sniffing at his weak hand, then he made a low sound between a purr and a growl that came from deep in his chest as his big eyes regarded him thoughtfully.

  Mickey drew his hand away from the creature.

  “No!” he said firmly, “And get off the table, shoo!” he waved his hand as Truffle leapt down, clicking his teeth as he looked up at Mickey.

  “No!” Mickey said again firmly, and Truffle ran to the corner of the room, found his bowl of chopped raw vegetables and started to crunch them patiently, enjoying his meal.

  “You should let him bite you,” Joy said, looking intently at Mickey, “The other one bit you to save your life. But Truffle sees you every day and knows you struggle sometimes - he saw you drop a cup the other day, he knows you've got weakness down one side of your body, and maybe to him, that's a threat to you, because he thinks you could fall and hurt yourself.”

  Mickey shook his head as he gave a weary sigh.

  “You can make him sound as kind and caring as you like - my answer is still no!”

  “Why not? You've struggled all your life, Mickey! He's offering to -”

  “To fix me?” Mickey said, “To make me normal? Joy, I've had to struggle for many reasons – disability, discrimination, people thinking they can walk all over me because they saw me as weak. And I overcame all that to be proud of who I am and stronger for it. I don't need perfection. I'm fine as I am!”

  Mickey had got defensive now. Joy nodded.

  “Okay, I see your point, but he's just trying to help you.”

  “I don't need help,” he assured her, “I'm happy as I am - with no need for improvement!”

  “Fair enough,” Joy agreed, then she kissed him softly and got up and started to clear the table.

  Down by the seafront in the flat that overlooked the sea wall, Poppy was also getting ready to leave for school, but she would be walking with Sage and Bess.

  “I won't be back till late,” Bess reminded Sage, “I have to check the stock - we're running low on antibiotics.”

  They reached the door, Poppy opened it and went out first wrapped in a warm coat and hat as the breeze blew in chilly off the sea.

  “How much of a worry is that exactly, now we have the Evolved?” Sage asked as Bess closed the door and locked it.

  “It's still a concern,” she replied, “Things have to get serious for one of those creatures to offer a bite. And we can't risk an epidemic sweeping the town. Winter's coming. Viruses are on the way.”

  They walked down the steps that led to the path and made their way towards the promenade. Over the road up by the sea wall, armed men were making their way over to double up the security on watch. Sage carried on walking, heading for the end of the promenade and the road that led towards town as Bess thought on the question she had asked.

  “When they took this town, two thirds were completely stripped - so we should have enough meds locked up in the supply depot to replace used stock...”

  They carried on talking about supplies, something that didn't really interest Poppy as she walked on a short distance ahead. They were passing a road where trees lined one side, and she heard chattering and turned her head and smiled at the sight of the small fluffy creatures that darted about within.

  “Can we catch an Evolved for Archie? He wants one as a pet.”

  Bess and Sage exchanged a smile.

  “I think maybe Sage can catch one on the way back, I have to get to work,” Bess replied.

  She gave Sage a brief kiss and said she would see her later, and cut through the path close to the trees, where beyond, the grass on the lawn had been cut and was littered with falling leaves. Hedges were neatly trimmed here too. It seemed to committee was dedicated to keeping this place looking tidy, just as it had in the old days. Bess walked on, heading for the medical centre, as Sage and Poppy carried on walking towards the middle of the long road where a field was one side and on the other, more trees rustled as chatters could be heard.

  “How do the Evolved get in if we don't get many zombies wash up on the beach?” Poppy asked as they headed towards the school, “All the other zombies are outside, they can't get past the barrier, can they?”

  “The Evolved can climb,” Sage reminded her, “Some of them get curious and climb over. That's why we have them in the trees now.”

  Poppy smiled.

  “I'm glad they're here. And I'm even more glad the zombies can't get in!”

  They had reached the school. Sage said goodbye to Poppy and watched as she ran down the long path past the front playground, then waited by the doors set in the middle of the wide, red brick building. A bell rang and the doors opened, today Mrs Karen Hughes was on the door. She was tall and slim with short dark hair, in her forties and had been a teacher at the school before the outbreak. Smaller, fair haired Zoey Wright was in her twenties and had previously worked as a teaching assistant at another nearby school. Chris wasn't on the door, he was in his classroom, getting ready to start the day. The classes lined up to go in, standing in three neat rows as at the back of the smaller row where the younger children stood, Archie had taken off his scarf and stood back from the other kids, laughing as he spun in a circle as the wind whipped about the playground.

  “Archie!” Joy heard Karen say, “Stop that, you'll get dizzy!”

  Then as Archie stopped spinning there were a few giggles from the other kids as he dizzily staggered back to the line, then Angel reached out a hand, closing it over his tapered flipper, and as the class went in, she led him inside.

  The few parents that still stood around turned to leave and as Sage made her way out of the gate she paused, watching as it auto locked behind her. She looked up and down the length of the strong metal railings that kept the place secure, then she smiled. Those kids couldn't be safer... Then she turned away and started to walk towards the end of the road, where in the far distance, the trees chattered and maybe, she decided, she might just try her luck at catching an Evolv
ed for Archie and his family...

  Chris had the classroom door open ready for the kids, and as they came in, he waited until little Archie had toddled through the door last, led by Angel, then he shut the door.

  “Good morning everyone.”

  “Good morning Mr Page!” they said brightly.

  “I want you to keep your coats on,” Chris told them as he stood at the front of the class and the kids took their seats, “Today I'm going to talk to you about something important, and then we are going outside to the field at the back, and after you've finished the lesson, you can play until the bell rings.”

  He paused for a second, looking about the class. There was some chatter at the back. Then a sound cut through the air as Archie shifted on his seat and the class erupted into laughter.

  “Archie farted!” said one of the boys.

  “He farted yesterday in assembly too!” laughed another.

  “Everyone be quiet!” Chris said, “Because I'm going to talk to you now. Settle down.”

  As he watched the kids fall silent, the thought crossed his mind that they would never understand the joy he felt at seeing his students as he took a class. He had come to appreciate so much since the bite had given back his vision, every day he found something new to be thankful for, and he was sure he would always feel that way.

  “You know I used to teach Braille,” he said, “So blind children could read. But I can also teach something else, do you know what that is?”

  “I know!” said Angel.

  He smiled.

  “That's because we live in the same house, Angel. Let someone else have a guess. What subject do you think I used to teach?”

  “English?” asked one of the girls.

  “No, I used to be a history teacher,” Chris replied, looking around at the class, “History is important, because we need to know what happened in the past, because it helps us to understand how we used to live and what was nice about it and what wasn't nice, and it helps us to learn lessons from the past, too. What we are currently going through with the monsters and the barriers, is going to be known as...” he paused, picking up a marker pen and writing on the white board, “The Zombie Apocalypse – or, it could be known by a similar name, like the outbreak event or something like that. But it's what we call a defining moment in history, because it has changed our lives. Can anyone give me examples, what's different about this year that wasn't happening last year?”

  The kids started to put their hands up, giving replies one by one:

  We used to play on the beach. Now it's too dangerous.

  No one carried guns, now security always carry guns...

  “And so do teachers,” Chris added, “Just in case a zombie ever got in.”

  The kids carried on giving their answers as Archie sat at his desk touching the tips of his tapered hands together, listening quietly.

  Then Chris spoke up again.

  “Now tell me what hasn't changed. What is the same as it was last year?”

  The kids went silent, pausing for thought.

  “We still go to school!” Angel offered.

  “And what about the world around us?”

  “We can still get ice cream on the pier in Summer!” said one of the boys.

  “I was thinking about the weather,” Chris explained, “We still have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, the world is still behaving as it did before in the natural sense - you all have a note pad and a pencil in front of you. I want you to go outside and walk around the field, look at the sky, look at the trees over by the fences, think about how the wind feels and how the trees sound, and write down all the things you notice about Autumn. When you've finished, you can play until the mid morning bell rings.”

  They got up from their seats and he opened up the door that led out to the back field. There was a small stretch of concrete that ran along the back of the building, long enough for classes to line up, and beyond it, the field was green and partly scattered with fallen leaves. The kids went outside excitedly as Archie lingered back alone, looking up at Chris.

  “Archie can't write.”

  “That's okay,” Chris said kindly, “Why don't you go outside and look around, and when we come back in, you can tell us what you noticed about the Autumn, can you do that?”

  He smiled broadly as he dropped the pad and pencil.

  “Yes! Archie can do that!” he said joyfully, and toddled quickly outside to join the others.

  The door that led outside was wide open, and he could hear the children chattering and laughing as they had fun talking about the changing season. Chris went over to his desk, pausing to sip his mug of tea before it went cold and then he put it down again, slowly turning his head towards the open door: That was odd. The kids had gone silent... All he could hear was the scattering of dry leaves. No children's voices... He closed his eyes, wondering if blocking out his sight would kick start his heightened senses once more – but he heard nothing but the wind and the leaves as they tripped off the field, dancing on the Autumn air as they hit the path outside. He opened his eyes, looked to the doorway and saw no one. The field was empty, too... Chris ran to the door and looked out, his eyes going wide as he took in the sight of the kids, all silent with their backs turned, standing in a wide circle around... something...

  Chapter 2

  Sage had stepped off the path and made her way into a small area near the medical centre where trees were close together and their branches were tall. Here, leaves had partly shed, and more fluttered downward to a ground covered in shades of Autumn as three small fluffy creatures darted about the trees. One stopped, regarding her thoughtfully with wide eyes.

  ”Hello,” she said softly, and it chattered its teeth and ran up a branch, leaping to the next tree as it scurried on its way. More leaves fell as the others followed, they were heading to the other end of the wooded area, where the trees thinned out and the hedgerows began. And they were in a hurry. They were... fleeing something? Sage heard a footfall heavy in the quiet space as a boot crushed dry leaves and snapped old twigs. She turned around and saw two young men in their late teens laughing at an overturned shopping trolley. Inside it, a captured Evolved sat with wide, terrified eyes as it gave a low whine and the taller of the two teens poked a stick through the makeshift cage and it darted to the other side, pressing up tight against the trolley as it shivered.

  “Look at it!” said the other guy, “Fucking weird thing, came out a of a zombie!! Let's kill it.”

  “Let's not.”

  They both turned to see Sage standing there, armed with a thick, fallen tree branch that had splintered to a deadly point.

  “I could tell the committee about this, or one of the guys on patrol... or I could spear the pair of you fuckers and walk away and no one would ever know I did it...” she said darkly.

  The taller of the two guys had paled as the other started to back away.

  “It came from a zombie's guts!” he said in disgust.

  “And they are here to help us not harm us,” Sage stated as she took another step closer, “This thing can save lives. I'll kill you if you hurt it...” she held the branch firmly in both hands as she shoved the splintered tip towards them, “Now fuck off!”

  They turned and ran. Sage watched as they left the wooded area, cutting through to the field, and they kept on running. Finally, she dropped the branch then went over to the trolley, turning it over slowly. The small creature was in a tight, fluffy white ball, its eyes wide as its teeth chattered and not in the usual way - the poor little thing was terrified.

  “I'm not going to hurt you,” she said as she reached for it, and it felt surprisingly light as she lifted it into her arms and it curled up tighter, face pressed against her jacket as it shivered again.

  “It's okay,” Sage said softly as she headed back for the road, pausing to partly unzip her coat and place the little creature inside to keep it warm, “You're safe now,” she added, “And I know a little boy who will be very glad to gi
ve you a home...”

  At the school, the play area at the back of the building was in eerie silence. Chris walked towards the kids, who stood in a wide circle around something that had hushed them all speechless. Then he heard a voice speak up. It was Angel.

  “I remember when my real Mummy and Daddy turned zombie,” she said, “And Mummy pulled out Daddy's guts and ate them. And this is guts, it's proper guts, see?”

  Chris stepped closer as his face paled. The other kids were not silent now, some went Ugh, and others turned away as someone else said, Angel no, don't do it! Chris had stepped into the circle now as it began to break up and the kids stood about, bewildered and upset. Little Archie toddled closer and looked down at Angel.

  “Angel got sandwiches today?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Wash your hands,” Archie said solemnly, “Always wash your hands, Angel.”

  Chris stared down at Angel, who was crouched beside the remains of a dead fox. Its guts were spilled out and her hands were wet and shiny as she unravelled a length of intestine. She looked up at him.

  “This is what Mummy did to Daddy,” she told him, “Then she ate his guts!”

  Chris took in a deep breath, remembering this kid had seen horror. She had seen more horror than most of the kids around here, who had been shut away behind the barrier... It wasn't her fault. He looked away, taking in a deep breath to fight off nausea, then he found his voice as he looked down at her again.

  “Don't do that, Angel! It's disgusting. Go inside and wash your hands with warm water and lots of soap!”

  She still had a length of intestine sliding through her tiny hands.

  “Now, please!” Chris said firmly, and she got up and gave her hands a shake as blood flew about and some of the kids darted back to avoid being splashed, then she ran back inside.

  Chris looked about the group of children.

  “Unfortunately, there's a dead animal here, maybe it was hit by a car and crawled here to die and it is sad, but these things happen. I'm going to make a request for someone on patrol to come up here and dispose of it, until then, the playground is closed. And don't worry about anything Angel said. She saw her parents die in a very sad way, and this is her way of explaining what happened.”