by Eden Darry
Perhaps that was it. Loveday trusted her because despite her awkwardness she had a quiet confidence, a sureness about her. Yeah, nothing to do with the fact Loveday wanted to kiss her senseless, and a lot more besides. But that couldn’t happen. For a multitude of reasons, including the fact Loveday wouldn’t be able to creep out of her bed in the morning and disappear.
“Everything okay?”
Loveday jumped. She hadn’t been aware of Ellery coming to stand behind her as she repacked her mug.
“Sorry, in my own world. I’m fine, though.”
“You sighed.”
“Did I?” Had she?
“I know an extra couple of days walking isn’t ideal but—”
“I trust you, Ellery. If you think it’s for the best, then it’s what we’ll do.”
Loveday stood and turned. She hadn’t realized Ellery was so close, and now they were inches from each other, almost the same height, lips lined up.
She watched as Ellery’s eyes widened, flicked down and back up again.
Ellery stepped back, almost stumbled, and looked away.
“We should get going. Make a start,” Ellery said.
Loveday sighed again and picked up her pack. It was just attraction, nothing more. It was normal and it would pass. Eventually. All she needed to do was ride it out.
In better news she was getting more used to the weight of her pack and hoped when they next stopped to restock their supplies she’d be able to carry more.
Even after a few days, she felt stronger and she liked it. She would probably never be a frequenter of the gym—well, no one would—but she was enjoying the way her body had started to feel. She felt capable.
Ellery was already on the move with the pets snuggled in the pushchair. It still gave Loveday a laugh every time.
“I can’t believe this still tickles you,” Ellery called over her shoulder, slowing down so Loveday could catch up to her.
“What can I say? I’m a child.” Loveday came alongside her in time to see Ellery shake her head and smile. She liked to make Ellery smile, Loveday was starting to realize. She frowned. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Where are you from? Originally?” The question popped out of Loveday’s mouth before she could stop it. Wanting to know about Ellery wasn’t a good sign either.
“About eight miles from town. I went to London to train, then came back.”
“Didn’t like London?”
Ellery shrugged. “It was okay. Bit too loud, bit too…anonymous?”
“You like knowing your neighbours?”
“Sort of. I’m not social at all, but I like being on a first-name basis. The practice staff are always—were always—trying to get me to go out with them.”
“Why didn’t you?” Loveday knew it was dangerous to be so interested, but she wanted to know Ellery. What made her smile and what made her laugh? What her favourite food was and what side of the bed she slept on. Nothing good could come of it, and she sensed the danger in becoming too familiar, in caring too much. But she couldn’t stop herself.
“Why didn’t I go out with the practice staff?” Ellery’s voice was contemplative. “I suppose I’m not very good with people. I never have been. I seem to say the wrong thing or miss social cues that everyone else picks up. It seemed easier to just avoid it.”
Loveday ached for her. Before everything that happened, Loveday had enjoyed going out and had been part of a large friendship group—the kind that was easy to have in London. Someone was always available for drinks or dinner or to see a film.
“That surprises me.”
Ellery looked at her and frowned. “Really?”
“Really. To me you seem…I don’t know. Confident. Eloquent.”
Ellery’s eyebrow rose so high it was nearly lost in her hair. She’d stopped walking. “Are you serious?”
“I am serious.”
Ellery frowned, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. She looked genuinely stumped. “Well, thank you. That means a lot.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ellery nodded and they started walking again.
After a while Ellery asked, “What about you?”
“Me?” The question startled Loveday. They’d spent the last half hour walking in companionable silence. No traffic, no planes, no people. If Loveday didn’t think about all that had happened, she might have quite enjoyed it. She’d been relaxed. Almost happy.
“Where are you from? Originally?” Ellery asked.
“Oh. London. Born and raised.”
“Wow. A real live Londoner.” Ellery opened her eyes wide and gave a fake little gasp.
Loveday didn’t mind the gentle teasing. She rolled her eyes. “Yep. I came to the countryside on a mercy mission. To bring some excitement to you bumpkins.”
“Hey, we had a Chinese restaurant open last month.” Ellery winked and Loveday’s belly fluttered in response. Shit. Ignore it, didn’t mean anything.
“I take it back, then. I had no idea.”
The truth was, they lived—used to live—a ten-minute drive from a large town, and being so close to the motorway meant the town was a fairly busy place.
They lapsed back into easy silence.
It wasn’t long before they came upon a small village. It was typical for the area. Pub, church, local shop, and a bunch of houses tightly clustered that spread out the further along the road you went.
“We should see if there’s anyone here,” Ellery said.
“I don’t think there is. It feels empty.”
Just like when she’d stepped out of her own house a few mornings ago, this place was still and lifeless. There was nothing to indicate anyone was around, and at this time of the day, there should be people about. Instead, there was that same absence of life. A stillness. A breeze ruffled the leaves of trees and birds sang. A sign squeaked on its hinges somewhere to the left of them, but the place was dead.
“It does feel empty. But all the same, we should check,” Ellery said.
“What about that thing. What if it’s in one of the houses?”
“I can’t feel it. I don’t think it’s watching us today. I haven’t felt it since we left. Have you?”
“No.” She hadn’t. Ellery was right. Since they left town, whatever watched them seemed to have gone away. That didn’t mean it couldn’t come back, though.
Ellery touched her shoulder gently. “You can stay here with the pets if you like. I’ll knock on a few doors. It shouldn’t take long.”
Loveday shook her head. “It’ll be quicker if I help. We can take different sides of the road, like before.”
They split up and made their way down the street. Rocky hopped out of the pushchair and followed Loveday. She felt better for having him beside her, hobbling along. Claude decided to stay put and have a snooze. She didn’t blame him. She’d get in there with him if she could.
Loveday made her way down the street, unsurprised when no one answered her knocking. She half-heartedly pushed on a few doors, but none of them opened, and she was relieved. She felt bad for feeling that way, but she was a coward after all. Not like Ellery who knocked hard on each door—and more than once—and seemed hopeful someone would answer her.
She glanced over at Ellery who was still a way behind her. She was stopping to look through windows. Guilt settled in Loveday’s belly, hot and heavy. Why did she have to be such a coward? So selfish all the time?
She reached the end of the street and waited.
She watched Ellery knock on a door painted bright red. Loveday got the sudden urge to tell her to stop. Her mouth filled with saliva and she was afraid. Relieved when there was no answer, fear surged again when she saw Ellery step over a small pile of bricks and go to the front window, knock again, then try to open it.
Before she could shout at her to stop, to run away, the front door swung open with a bang. A man stood holding a knife. Loveday called out to warn Ellery who still had her back turned.
Rocky
took off towards him at the speed of light, barking. Without much thought, Loveday ran towards the house. Straight at the man with the knife.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rosemary stood on a makeshift platform in front of thirty-four people. She was surprised so many had arrived so quickly, with more drifting in every day.
They’d set up this area for group meetings and religious services. Rosemary was pleasantly surprised to find people were so keen on them.
But tragedy tended to bring people back to God, and the truth of the message she preached reached these lost souls in their hearts. She was conducting services every day and had married two people yesterday—not that she was ordained. She considered the fact she was God’s representative on earth to be authority enough.
At first, the idea of being God’s chosen representative seemed blasphemous. As the days ticked on and more people flocked to her message—no, His message—she’d begun to see the truth. He’d sent her here for a reason. To lead His people out of despair. Out of darkness and into light. Into His grace.
She faced her flock now. Eager faces turned up to her.
“Let us pray.”
Heads lowered obediently.
“Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us together. Thank you for sparing our lives so that we could find our way back to you and live forever in your truth. Lord, we renounce our former ways and ask for forgiveness for the sins we committed. Adultery and fornication have no place in this new world. Homosexuality and intermarriage have no—”
“Excuse me.”
A murmur went up around the room as everyone turned to look at the woman who’d interrupted Rosemary. She was pretty and young. The kind of woman who’d carefully constructed her physical appearance for sin. She was everything that was wrong with the world.
“Are you serious? You’re going to take the Bible literally?”
Rosemary gave her most patient smile. “Yes. We follow the Bible in its most literal sense. No marriage between the races, no practicing of homosexuality, no adultery, and no sex before marriage.” She said it calmly but rage boiled inside her. Who was this woman to question her?
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” the woman said, then sat down.
Somewhere a chair leg scraped against the floor. Someone coughed. The room held its breath. Rosemary could feel it. Everything hung in the balance. This was a test for her. If she let the woman get away with disrespecting her, she would have no hope of leading the survivors to salvation. Of realizing her destiny.
“Do you call yourself a Christian?” Rosemary addressed the woman.
“Yes. Do you?” The woman stood again and Rosemary saw only defiance in her eyes. She was not afraid. She didn’t look like the other survivors, beaten down and shell-shocked. She was a fox in the henhouse.
“I think that’s obvious.” Rosemary scoffed and shook her head. She looked around the room, smiled at them as if to say, Who is this stupid woman? Some smiled back and some looked nervous.
“That surprises me. I mean, it shouldn’t, I’ve seen what you’ve been saying all over social media before this…this vanishing. I’d hoped you might be different now that it’s actually happened. Even so, since I’ve been here, I’ve seen nothing but bigotry and ignorance. Listening to you speak, I can see why. You fuel these people’s hatred and prey on their distress. I’d rather go out on my own than stay here and listen to your vile, twisted version of my faith.”
Her faith? As though Rosemary was excluded from it. As though Rosemary wasn’t the guiding force behind its resurgence. As if Rosemary wasn’t the one who had brought the survivors here and welcomed them in. Fed them, sheltered them.
“Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.” How handy Leviticus was. She nodded at the two men standing near the back with their arms crossed. Easy to miss but necessary in this new world.
They moved quickly and took hold of the woman. Another murmur from the congregation.
“What are you doing?” the woman asked. She tried to pull away, but the men tightened their grip. “Get off me. You can’t do this.”
Indignation. Disbelief from a woman who had up to now lived her life saying what she wanted, doing what she wanted, and living how she wanted without thought or care. No concern with how her selfish existence affected others. No consequences, no real faith—despite what she said—only a certainty she should have what she wanted and be able to say what she wanted because she was all that mattered. Her needs and wants overrode everyone else’s. Well, not today. Not anymore.
“You can’t do this,” she said again. She struggled as she was dragged out.
Rosemary turned to watch the congregation. She looked for anyone who might stand up to defend the woman or try to help her. No one did. Some looked shocked and others looked pleased. She made a note of the ones who looked pleased because they might be useful later.
Rosemary continued with her sermon. She’d deal with the woman later.
* * *
It was Loveday’s scream that made Ellery turn away from the window and towards the man with the knife. She held up her hands to show she was no threat.
He was young, early twenties maybe, and his eyes held a strange light. He thrust the knife out in front of him. Not really an attempt to stab her but to keep her away.
“Are you one of them?” His voice was uneven, scared.
“No.” Ellery didn’t know who he meant but she knew she shouldn’t be one of them.
“Why should I believe you?” He used the arm he held the knife in to wipe his nose on his sleeve.
“I’m like you,” Ellery replied. “My friend and I are just passing through. That’s all. We’re just passing through.” She kept her voice calm.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ellery saw Loveday approach and stand near the house’s gate. Rocky was in her arms and had stopped barking.
“To where? North?” He thrust the knife at her again and Rocky growled. “That dog. Is it yours? I need a dog like that.”
Ellery chanced a look at Loveday and tried to smile reassuringly.
“We’re just passing through, and we’re going to go now,” she said again. He was blocking her exit from the front garden, but she could probably climb over the hedge and on to the street if she had to.
“North?” he asked again.
“Yes.”
“You’ve been dreaming too?”
“Yes. We’ve been dreaming too. What’s your name?”
“I can’t sleep for those fucking dreams. And that thing. Watching me all the time.” He made a strange whimpering noise.
“How can you dream if you don’t sleep?” Loveday asked.
Ellery silently cursed as his attention left Ellery and zeroed in on Loveday.
“They come when I’m awake, you stupid bitch.” He took a step towards her and Rocky began to bark.
“My name is Ellery. What’s your name?” Ellery asked. She hoped he would turn his attention back to her.
“Shut that dog up.”
It didn’t work. He moved closer to Loveday and she stepped backward, onto the road. This gave Ellery a chance to get away from the window and back on the path, not trapped now. She realized that had been Loveday’s plan.
Rocky continued to bark, struggling to get out of Loveday’s arms. The man took a half-hearted swipe at him. “Shut that fucking dog up.”
“You’re scaring him,” Ellery said.
The man swung partially back around, not sure which of them to focus his attention on.
“We just want to be on our way. Go back in your house and leave us alone,” Loveday said.
He seemed to consider it for a moment, and his hand dropped slightly. Then Rocky broke free of Loveday’s grasp, and all hell broke loose.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Terry looked around. The grass where he’d seen that peeping little bastard was flattened. It had definitely been h
ere. But it was gone now. The trees were small and sickly looking and left nowhere for anyone to hide. Beyond them lay fields. Terry supposed they’d go fallow now and choke with weeds. The smell of damp rotten vegetation was thick in his nose.
From the corner of his eye he saw a dark shape move. It came from behind one of the trees, and Terry couldn’t understand how anything could hide behind them. Certainly not a man. And there was someone here because the grass was flat and because Terry could feel it watching him. Cold eyes. It’d been there in London. The morning it happened, and then later in the pub. It’d gone away for a while, once they started walking, but now it was back and Terry was fucking sick of it.
“Come out. Come out, you sneaky little shit. Fight me like a man,” Terry shouted. Overhead, birds took flight, but nothing else moved.
Footsteps came up fast behind him. Terry tried to turn but he was too slow. He made out a shape—like a man but not a man—something hard cracked against his head, and the lights went out.
* * *
Rocky jumped from Loveday’s arms and charged straight at the man with the knife. Even without his cast, Rocky would have been no match for him. Rocky lunged and the man kicked out, missing Rocky by inches, and Loveday was grateful he hadn’t used the knife. Rocky went for him again, tried to bite his ankles.
Without warning the man lurched forward, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground. Behind him Ellery stood, holding a brick. Her face was a mask of shock. She looked at Loveday, looked at the brick. Her face briefly contorted and she dropped it.
The man lay inert, the knife a few feet from his hand. Rocky had stopped barking, thank God.
“Come on. We should leave.” Loveday got hold of Rocky by his collar and picked up the knife. Ellery still hadn’t moved.
“Ellery. Before he wakes up.”
“What if I killed him? I should check.” Loveday watched as Ellery started to kneel.