The End of Everything | Book 9 | The End of Everything

by Artinian, Christopher

  Eventually, they all got served and returned to their respective seats. Robyn was the first to finish, and she looked longingly towards the half-full bowls of the others. “I swear, Bobbi, when there’s food about, your eyes are even bigger than Wolf’s.”

  “I can’t help it. I just love food. It’s not my fault, that’s just how I was made.”

  “Go get some more,” Emmy said. “There’s plenty in the pan.”

  “What, seriously?”

  “Sure. A lot of people usually have seconds.”

  The words were still hanging in the air as Robyn bounded back to the stove. She was back in her seat again in seconds. She shoved in a giant spoonful and quickly dropped the spoon into the bowl. “Hot! Hot!” she said, opening her mouth and flapping her hand wildly up and down in front of it desperately trying to cool it down.

  “Oh my God. You never change. You never ever change.”

  “Hot!” she said once more, and the others all began to laugh. Robyn breathed in and out of her mouth like she was a pregnant woman about to give birth, but finally she managed to swallow.

  “What is wrong with you?” Wren asked.

  “I’m hungry.”

  “When are you not?”

  “When I’m sleeping.”

  “I’m sure you’ve got worms or something.”

  Robyn stuck her middle finger up as she scooped another spoonful of stew from the bowl. “It’s probably comfort eating. I mean who knows what kind of mental damage having you as my sister has done to me.”

  “Trust me; having lived with you all my life I can say with some certainty that there’s not a lot to damage up there.”

  Mila placed the spoon in her bowl and clapped her hands while laughing loudly. “Very good. Very good. That was funny.”

  “You’re meant to be on my side,” Robyn said.

  “No sides. I am just happy to hear that this is the way you have always been. When I saw you eat after I found you in the river, I was worried that you had some kind of neurological problem from such a long period in the cold water, yes? I just accepted it but did not bring attention to the fact as I thought this would be impolite. To know that you have always eaten like a swine at breakfast does my heart good. There was no lasting damage, you are simply … grob … err … help me, Wren, err … uncouth? Is this a word, yes?”

  Wren and the others were all laughing as Robyn’s mouth dropped open a little. “Yes. Uncouth, that’s a word, Mila.”

  “Ah, good, yes? You are merely uncouth.”

  “You are such a cheeky cow,” Robyn said as she scooped another spoonful of stew from the bowl.

  “Ja, ja, ja. I am a cow, what’s new?” Mila replied, picking her own spoon back up and starting to eat again.

  The laughter died down, and for a few minutes, people just ate, but now it was in a comfortable silence. They had begun the day as strangers, and in the matter of an afternoon they had become friends. Emmy finished her food and placed her bowl down on the ground. “I’m just going to see if Ruby and Tommy are okay. She said he gets a little uncomfortable in big groups, so I set them up in a tent that we use for keeping the firewood dry. I’m going to get you sorted out with proper places to sleep tonight, but I just needed somewhere quick,” she said before disappearing.

  “Tomorrow morning, Chuck’s going with you,” said Larry.

  Wren, Robyn, Mila and Josh had all hoped they could enjoy the evening a little longer before having to start thinking about what lay ahead of them. “About that—”

  “Look, I know that you have reservations—”

  “Too bloody right they’ll have reservations,” Chuck said in a broad Yorkshire accent as he plonked himself down where Emmy had been sitting a few moments earlier. “If I was going into a dangerous situation and thought I was having to rely on a bunch of bloody poncing actors to save my skin I’d be settlin’ my estate right now. You don’t have to worry about me, alright? I’ve been around. I’ve had my own share of scrapes.”

  “Err … okay, I—”

  “I’m going with you tomorrow, and that’s the bloody end of it. Alright?”

  “Err … yeah … course,” Wren said nervously.

  “Right then,” he said, climbing to his feet once more and walking back to his seat as Emmy returned.

  “Judging by the look on your face, you’ve spoken to Chuck,” Emmy said with a smile.

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t have to worry. He’s a big softie underneath.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “He’s the one who’s done most of the unpleasant stuff … protected us.”

  “I can see why,” Robyn said, leaning forward. My waist’s narrower than his arm.”

  “Ha! Yeah. There’s nothing about Chuck that’s diminutive.”

  Emmy and Larry chatted with the new arrivals for most of the evening. At bedtime, two tents were freed up. Ruby and Tommy took one while Mila, Robyn, Wren and Wolf took the other. Josh was invited to share with Chuck, and although he was literally the last person in the camp who he would want to share with, it beat the prospect of sleeping under the stars.

  “I like these people,” Wren said as she shuffled into her sleeping bag and dimmed the small lantern.

  “There’s a surprise,” Robyn replied.

  “What does that mean?”

  “You like everybody.”

  “No I don’t.”

  “Do.”

  “Don’t. So, are you saying you don’t like them?”

  There was a pause. “No, actually. Out of all the losers you’ve wanted to hook us up with, I think these are the funniest.”

  “Wow! You’re just all heart, aren’t you?”

  “I like them, okay? I just don’t go all gooey like you do when I meet somebody new.”

  “Ja, I have noticed this about you. You are half full glass all the time. She has always been this way, Wren?” Mila asked, raising her head a little to see over Robyn.

  Wren shuffled onto her elbow to look at Mila. “Always … unless it’s a boy she likes and then it’s a totally different story.”

  “I am here. I can hear you both, y’know?”

  “Yes. This is good. It is like an intervention, no?” Mila replied and Wren started giggling.

  “That’s right, laugh it up. I’ve just got one thing to say to you both.” Robyn broke wind loudly. “There. Intervent that. Goodnight.”

  “Oh God, you are such a pig,” Wren said, flipping on to her side desperate to get away from the smell.

  Mila turned onto her side too. “Widerlich!” she said indignantly.

  “Is that goodnight in German?” Robyn asked, breaking wind again.

  “No. It is disgusting. You are a disgusting pig. We are in a small tent, and you do something like that.”

  “Well, it’ll teach you not to gang up on me, won’t it? Trust me; I can keep these coming all night. I had two helpings of veg stew, and I’m not afraid to use them.”

  “How can I possibly be related to you?” Wren muttered.

  “Pure good luck on your part. Sleep well.”

  Wren started giggling again. “Night, Bobbi. Night, Mila. Night, Wolf.”

  “Goodnight Wren. Goodnight vile pig.”

  “Night,” Robyn said and within a few minutes they all drifted into sleep.

  CHAPTER 12

  The next morning, there was an air of apprehension in the tent. They were all awake long before the first words were spoken. Despite everything they had been through together and apart, they all knew that what they were about to do was no small matter. The sounds of people moving around outside eventually made Wren stir. “I suppose we’d better make a move,” she said, getting a groan in response from her sister.

  Within five minutes, they were out of the tent. They ate breakfast consisting of tinned fruit and dried crackers. They washed in the icy stream water, and then they waited. Chuck had more duties than most at the camp, and he was the last one to join them. “Y’alri
ght, lad?” he said, looking towards Josh. “You look a little peaky.”

  “I’m fine. Just want to get this out of the way, that’s all,” he said, holding the shotgun up.

  “Well, all being well, you won’t be using that. Reet then, are we all ready?” he asked, looking at the others. His eyes did not meet their faces. Instead, he glanced at Wren’s homemade spear, Robyn’s bow and Mila’s swords before finally looking down at the axe he held in his hand. “Like the bloody Justice League, aren’t we?” A broad grin cracked on his face, and the others smiled politely.

  “You will be careful, won’t you?” It was Ruby’s voice.

  Wren turned around. “Don’t worry. We’ve done this before.” She looked beyond Ruby to see Tommy. His tics were in full swing. “Is he okay?”

  “He understands everything. He’s become attached to you. He’s just worried, that’s all.”

  Wren walked over to where Tommy was standing. “Don’t worry. We’re coming back. I promise you. And then I’m going to take you to a place with so many books you won’t know where to start.”

  The left side of his mouth lifted momentarily, and his fingers paused for the briefest of moments. Wren nodded, guessing that was the best response she could hope for, and started walking back to the others. “In the end, we’ll all become stories.”

  Wren stopped and turned back to look at Tommy. His head was angled up towards the sky. When he spoke, it always sounded like it was with the greatest effort, like it took all his strength to force the words out of his mouth. “What did you say, Tommy?”

  There was a pause before he spoke. “In the end, we’ll all become stories.”

  A warm smile appeared on Wren’s face. “I suppose that’s true. Who said those words, Tommy?”

  “M-Margaret Atwood. Margaret Atwood said in the end we’ll all become stories. Margaret Atwood.”

  “I can’t wait to take you to Safe Haven, Tommy. You’re going to love it there.”

  “Take me to Safe Haven. You promised.”

  “That’s right. I’ve got to go away for a little while, but when I come back, we’re all going to go together.”

  Half a smile crept onto Tommy’s face again; then Ruby appeared. “Come on, Tommy. Larry says he’s got some scripts you might like reading.” She started leading her brother away then turned back to Wren once more. “Take care.”

  “Don’t worry. We will.” Wren went back to the others. Wolf was waiting patiently by Robyn’s side. There was an atmosphere around the camp that made them all feel uneasy, and the sooner they got out of there the better.

  “I’m going to be a total mess until I see you all back here,” Emmy said as she grabbed hold of Chuck’s trunk-like arm.

  “There’s nowt to worry about. We’re going to be in and out. We’ll be back here before you know it.”

  “I hope you’re right,” she replied as more of the inhabitants of the camp gathered around.

  Chuck let out a long sigh then looked towards Robyn, Wren, Mila and Josh. “Right then, what do you say we get out of here away from these morbid bastards?”

  Polite laughter fluttered around those gathered, and the small group departed.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The day was overcast and cool, but there was no rain or wind, not that it mattered that much. The dense forest shielded them from most of the weather. The encampment was on the side of a hill, and for the moment at least, they continued through the woods at the same height. The six of them walked in one line, watching the uneven ground, careful not to trip over exposed roots. “You don’t really seem like the type who’d be working for a travelling theatre company,” Wren said out of the blue.

  The big man turned and glared down towards her. “Don’t mind my sister. She has that thing. Y’know, it’s like Tourette’s syndrome, but rather than swear words, it’s just stuff that questions people’s character and generally offends them,” Robyn said, nudging Wren with her elbow.

  Chuck didn’t speak for a minute then let out a long breath. “I suppose I do stick out a bit,” he said with a smile. “I’ve always been good at making things with wood, metal, pretty much everything. Got no qualifications or owt, I just know how to put stuff together.”

  “So how did you end up with Larry and the rest of them?” Wren asked.

  “They were the only ones who’d have me,” he said, smiling again.

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “I joined the army straight from school. Managed to get myself dishonourably discharged for lamping an officer. When I got out, I got myself into a lot of bother. Got mixed up with the wrong crowd … did stuff that I shouldn’t have done. I went away for armed robbery. When I came out, I was twenty-seven and a changed man. I vowed never to go back to the clink. All I wanted to do was find a job and start living my life. Thing is, I had no experience, no idea even of how to work in the real world. I must have applied for two hundred jobs and got turned down for all of them.”

  “That must have been tough.”

  “It was, and I gave up. I was seriously thinking the only way I could ever make money was by thieving. One day, I was walking down this back alley … all the best bars to get that kind of work are down back alleys ... and I saw this truck unloading. There was this teenage girl struggling to pull this big trunk off the wagon. These four blokes were talking nearby then a big argument broke out. Three of the blokes stormed off, leaving this one fella by himself. Well, he looked like he was going to have kittens. The girl by this time was crying her eyes out, and I’d forgotten about where I was going or what I was doing there. I’d lit myself a fag and I was just watching.”

  “That was Larry and Emmy?” Wren asked.

  “Yep. Well, both of them sat down on the kerb, and the girl carried on crying, and the man put his arm around her and kissed her head, but he kept looking at all the heavy stuff inside the truck, and I understood then and there what had happened. I thought, This is it. This is my one chance. Don’t blow it. I walked up to the truck, took my jacket off, lifted that trunk onto my shoulder and said, ‘Right, where’s all this stuff going?’ Twenty years later, I’m still with them.”

  “That’s a great story. They were lucky you came along.”

  “No, I was the lucky one. They trusted me when no one else would. They had faith in me. I started as a dogsbody and gradually Larry gave me more and more responsibility.”

  “Did you tell him about your past?”

  “That day, he said to me that everyone in life deserves a second chance. He hired me that afternoon.”

  “He obviously thinks the world of you. They both do … the whole camp does.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s a two-way street. Don’t get me wrong; they don’t half get on my tits sometimes. Bunch of bloody arty-farty pain in the arses they can be, but they’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a proper family after my mum died and there isn’t anything I won’t do for them.”

  “Armed robbery, you said?” Josh asked a little nervously.

  “Yep. Not proud of it, but it is what it is. I did wrong, I paid the price. I learnt from my mistakes,” he said, swinging the axe up over his shoulder like a happy lumberjack.

  The conversations dried up as they finally left the protection of the forest. They walked over a brown, muddy field and joined a narrow single-track road. “Are we close?” Robyn asked, feeling an urge to pull an arrow from one of her quivers.

  “About a mile or so. It was the weirdest thing. We thought the place was deserted, and then they just came out of nowhere.”

  “That’s happened to us a couple of times.”

  “I’ve taken out the odd one or two before, but no way could I handle that many, and it’s not like I’d have any back-up.”

  “We need to keep our eyes peeled. They might have spread out a bit.”

  They continued down the narrow lane, and the scrub grass verges gave way to wild hedgerows. Ripe blackberries were growing in abundance, and if this was any other time, Wren would have gleefully
collected them all, but this wasn’t any other time. This was now, and with each step they took, a greater sense of foreboding came over them.

  A small, partially covered road sign announced Invernasheen - 1 mile. Mila withdrew her swords. “Remember, Josh. You use the shotgun as a last resort only,” she said.

  “Don’t worry; Chuck lent me this as well,” he said, producing a hatchet from inside his jacket.

  “Just make sure that, if you use it, you bloody clean it before giving it back to me,” Chuck said.

  “Don’t worry. For you, I’ll make it look like new.”

  “Good lad.”

  Suddenly, Wolf began to growl. There was a crook up ahead and no way of seeing what was around it, so everyone tensed. Wren brought up her spear, and Robyn nocked an arrow. The six of them slowly navigated the bend, and there, with its back to them, was a single creature. Wren reached down and placed a firm hand on Wolf, making sure he didn’t attack. For a moment, the beast carried on in the other direction then spun around like a character from a haunted house at a fairground.

  It was not like anything any one of them had ever seen before. In life, he had probably been an average-looking man. In death, even by zombie standards, he looked anything but. The skin on the left side of his face had melted. His eye dangled out of its socket. Dark yellow teeth and sickeningly grey gums were exposed for all to see. There were holes in his clothes revealing dark red wounds encircled by the familiar pallid skin that they had all come to know.

  The creature charged, opening the right side of its mouth, revealing the rest of its teeth in a demonic snarl. The left eye bounced up and down on its cheek, like a golf ball on a piece of elastic, as it tore towards them. It let out something resembling a growl, but whatever had caused the damage to its face and torso had also affected its throat. There was a hole where there had once been flesh, and what came out of its mouth was more reminiscent of a snake’s hiss than the sound they were all used to. But despite all the ways this beast differed from most, there was one thing that remained constant. The pure malevolence that seemed to live within all these creatures continued to bubble inside.