As the Light Dies (53 page)

As they reached the end of the tills and turned away from the shop front heading deeper in to the supermarket more figures appeared through the ashy snow and pressed themselves up against the front doors. Another almighty crash rang out.

“
Oh God
!”
murmured Thom as he ran with his heart racing ten times faster than it ever had in his life. They reached the staff door and they both glanced back, their stomachs burned with fear at the sight! The front of the shop was engulfed from end to end by looming figures, all of them silhouettes, all frantically slapping and banging at the glass after them. The
y’
d seen enough, Andy kicked the door open and they both dived out of sight.

Leann jumped up and Collin flinched and stepped away from the wall ready to run.

“Holly shit!”
said Collin
,“
wha
t’
s happening out there
!
”

“
You guys wo
n’
t believe what we just saw
,”
blurted Andy gasping for breath.

“
I think we will
,”
said Leann.

“
What did you see? Wha
t’
s going on out there now
?”
asked Collin, looking at the two men with wide eyes. Thom stood in silence shaking all over constantly rubbing his bald head like he was trying to rub something off, unable to speak. Collin thought he was about to pass out, but Thom sat down against the wall like Leann had and put his head in his hands and carried on massaging his head
.“C’
mon what was it
?”
said Leann.

“
Well
,”
said Andy
,“
I think we can both say that we believe you guys now.
I’
m sorry I did
n’
t give you time to explain earlier, i
t’
s just that...
.
”

”
I
t’
s ok
,”
said Leann
,“
I would
n’
t have believed it either, and I know you had to go check
.
”

Andy nodded
.“
Ok. Well you go first, finish telling us what happened to you guys earlier and then
I’
ll fill you in on what just happened to us
.
”

Leann nodded and looked at Collin pausing and biting her lip. Collin nodded to her.

“
Ok
,”
she said finally
,“
I still do
n’
t really know where to start but here goes
.
”

“
Maggie and Jimmy were both trying to explain to a group of people that we did
n’
t have any power and that the phones did
n’
t work you know. But they would
n’
t believe them, they started getting really agitated and angry you know, shouting and swearing and that. Anyway
I’
d just carried out a search of the shop floor for Maggie and I was just coming back to tell her the place was empty when I heard a strange noise. The others all heard it too because I saw them all look round to see what it was when from out of nowhere Kev, the truck driver guy dived right in to them from out of nowhere, and it was him making that weird noise, like he was gurgling mouthwash or something
.”
Andy nodded
.“
He was all black and blotchy for some reason, it almost looked like h
e’
d been painted black and then stood out in the rain for it to wash off
.”
It was so strange! Anyway, he fell on the guy that was having a go at Maggie knocking him to the ground, he knocked Maggie down as well. So I started to run over to help you know, and I saw Jimmy drop down to help Maggie back up. Then the gu
y’
s wife started shouting at Kev, telling him to stop, and get off her husband and then she started to scream.

Jimmy turned to see what was happening as he helped Maggie and as he moved out of the way, I saw Kev smashing the gu
y’
s head off the ground like h
e’
d gone totally mad or something.

The gu
y’
s wife was crying, probably in shock holding her children trying to turn them away so they could
n’
t see, but one of them, the biggest one, a boy, probably about eight or nine ran over to help his daddy and he started beating Kev on his back. You know, like little kids do. But the guy was out for the count on the deck with blood pouring from his mouth and nose and Kev stopped and reached out and grabbed the boy...
.”
Leann had to take a deep breath there as her voice started to waver
.“
Yo
u’
re doing ok
,”
Andy told her, she nodded, cleared her throat and carried on.

“
Kev pulled the little kid in close to his face...
.”
Leann faltered again for a second, her lips pressed tight together and she wiped away a tear before trying again.

“
He bit a fucking chunk out of the kids face! He leaned in and bit him. He actually bit the little boy, and he kept on doing it, over and over. It was horrible, it was so, so horrible, it was nasty!

The poor little kid did
n’
t even make a sound. I do
n’
t know if h
e’
d fainted and was just being held up by Kev or what but he did
n’
t make a single sound. Then Kev flung the little boy to the ground and started to bas
h
hi
s
head against the ground. The sick bastard cracked the little bo
y’
s head open on the first go, split it right fucking open. The mum was absolutely hysterical at that point and tha
t’
s when Jimmy dived in. I know he woul
d’
ve jumped in sooner but he was dealing with Maggie while that all happened, and it all happened so fast.

Maggie was kinda stunned, we both were. I think we all were. She just stood there like she could
n’
t move you know. I was
n’
t sure what to do. I mean it was all happening so fast. The woman fell to her knees hysterical holding on to her little girl in one arm and her baby in the other. Then Kev stood up throwing Jimmy off and turned around and grabbed him around the neck, I thought he was trying to strangle him. No-one else was doing anything so I went to try and help somehow. I do
n’
t know what I thought I was going to do but I had to do something and as I took my first couple of steps Kev started head butting Jimmy really, really fast, over and over. He was using both hands to push Jimm
y’
s head out at ar
m’
s length you know, and then bring him back again as fast as he could smashing Jimm
y’
s face against his forehead. He did it again and again and again! It was horrible. Every time they hit more and more blood splattered across Ke
v’
s blackened face, then all of a sudden Maggie ran at them so fast I could
n’
t do anything to stop her and she launched herself between them
!
”

Leann stopped again, she was crying heavily now, and struggling to breathe
.“
It all just happened so fast you know. I just could
n’
t do anything, it was so fast, I do
n’
t know what I was meant to do
?
”

“
I
t’
s ok
,”
said Andy trying to reassure her
,“
no-one woul
d’
ve known what to do in that situation
.
”

She nodded and continued
.“
Kev dropped Jimmy and took hold of Maggie. He lifted her up in the air as she frantically swiped at him and kicked him but it did
n’
t do any good, it did
n’
t make any difference. He threw her to the ground and stood on her neck. It was horrible. Her eyes were bulging and she was gagging and choking. Then he leaned down and grabbed her by her belt buckle and lifted her up you know, lifting her up from her waist while he still stood on her neck. Then he started pulling at her waist. Pulling against her neck
.
”

Leann lost control and burst in to a torrent of tears. Andy put an arm around her and she blurted out
,“
The woman with the baby and the little girl started walking backwards in to the ash, I wanted to go to her but I could
n’
t, I just could
n’
t. Kev was right there in the doorway, all I could do was watch and then someone took her. I swear I saw an arm wrap around her waist and drag her and the little girl and the baby out of sight in to the ash, I swear tha
t’
s what I saw, and there was nothing I could do, they were gone. Gone to who knows what fate
!
”

“
Maybe it was a friend of hers or something
,”
said Andy.

“
Yea, it coul
d’
ve been someone trying to get her to safety
,”
added Thom without looking up.

“
It was
n’
t
!”
snapped Leann
,“
she was dragged out of sight! I know she was, and so was the baby and the little girl
.
”

Leann paused for a few deep breaths for a second before she continued again.

“
I could
n’
t think what to do, Kev was going crazy pulling at Maggi
e’
s waist and every time he pulled he kicked down on her neck twisting his foot like he was crunching a bug and his boot was tearing the skin around her neck with the pressure
.”
Leann held a hand up to her mouth like she was about to be sick but she carried on
.“
Then he looked up at me and tha
t’
s when I managed to move. I knew I had to or
I’
d be next. There was a pallet truck just beside me loaded with grit salt that Jimmy had been spreading outside the front doors. I grabbed it and pushed as hard as I could ramming it against the back edge of one of the front doors and slid it shut before he could get in. Then I ran and hid. I did
n’
t mean to, I was running back through here to warn everyone but with all the noise he made I was sure h
e’
d smashed through behind me you know and I just dived in behind the kid
s’
ride- on car and the photo booth. I did
n’
t realise
I’
d even done it
.
”

Lean
n’
s sobs took over and she heaved violently trying to breathe through the tears.

“
That poor little boy
,”
she muttered
,“
he was only trying to help his daddy
.
”

Andy hugged her tight and told her not to worry, there was nothing she could have done. He did
n’
t think there was anything anyone coul
d’
ve done going by the sound of things.

Collin did
n’
t think it was going to be ok, he did
n’
t think it was going to be anything near ok, not for a long time....

The group sat in silence, listening to Gavin as he finished telling them what had happened to him out on the road. When he finished there was an awkward silence that Ann was the first to break.

“
So yo
u’
re saying that people are sick or something and i
t’
s making them attack other people
?
Even animals!”

Gavin shrugged his shoulders peering out the window
.“
I do
n’
t know!
I’
m just telling you guys what I saw
.
”

The chain link fence still shook and rattled somewhere out there in the darkness, and the strange calls from the infected figures Gavin had just told everyone about drifted up to them.

“So
!
Do you think i
t’
s the ash tha
t’
s making people crazy
?”
asked Keith.

“
I do
n’
t know wha
t’
s made them like this, said Gavin, but i
t’
s gotta be related. People do
n’
t just turn black and grey and start attacking each other
.
”

Ann piped in
,“I’
ve never heard of people turning black¸ then turning on each other because of a volcanic eruption
.
”

“
This is
n’
t a normal volcanic eruption though, is it
!”
said Dean
,“
i
t’
s killing everything electric, even batteries. All electrical currents are being killed off, and just look at the trouble the rest of Europe were having before we lost contact, tha
t’
s never happened with anything before, never mind a volcanic eruption. I noticed that all the conifers around the playing field are all dead as well, and they were
n’
t just dead, they were all really brittle, like the
y’
d been in a fire or something. I brushed my hand over them and everything I touched just crumbled and fell to the ground...
.
”

Gavin cut in
,“
Yea I noticed that everything I passed was dying, or dead. There were big branches across the road all over the place, probably snapped off in the strong winds, and they were brittle as well. I caught a few with my foot as I stepped over and they kinda crumbled you know
.
”

“
Everything dies off at this time of year though
,”
said Keith.

“
Not if i
t’
s evergreen it does
n’
t
,”
said Dean.

“
Ok
,”
said Ann
,“
so the ash might be different to what anyon
e’
s ever seen before...
.
”

“I’
d say i
t’
s a lot different
,”
said Gavin.

“
Ok
.
Whatever,”
Ann continued
,“
but what I mean is, that the news said ther
e’
s been some really bad eruptions in the past, like in history and violence was bad then, so maybe you just got confused with the poor visibility
.
”

Gavin was already shaking his head before she finished.

“
All I can go by is what
I’
ve seen
,”
he said
,“
and
I
kno
w
what I sa
w
an
d
heard in the house and in the bus. Besides what do you think is making that noise you can hear
?
”

No-one answered they just looked out the window and listened.

Gavin started getting up
.“I’
m going to get cleaned up
,”
he said.

“
Yea, me too
,”
said Dean standing with him when Sam suddenly burst in to a barking fit, hopping up and down on his front legs looking out the window.

Gavin stopped and looked
.“
Oh shit
!”
he said under his breath as he searched the hazy athletics field below. He saw what it was and he pointed out the window
.
“LOOK!”
he blurted
.
“HOLY SHIT, LOOK!”
All of them looked out to see what had caught his and Sa
m’
s attention.

“
Oh shit
!”
said Keit
h“
is that one of...
.
”

“
Yea
,”
said Gavin
,“
tha
t’
s one of them
.
”

As they watched searching for gaps in the ashy snow a silhouette raced towards the building at incredible speed. They all saw it and they watched as it disappeared beneath them out of sight.

“
Where
?”
started Ann....

“
The
y’
re after us
,”
said Gavin
,“
after me. After everyone
!
”

“Well you fucking led them here!”
snapped Keith.

“HEY!”
snapped Dean.

“
Ther
e’
s another one, look
.
Look!”
said Ann pointing.

They all looked following her outstretched arm and index finger, and sure enough they all saw another figure running through the ash straight towards the building following the same track as the first one. As they tried to follow it through the snow another two appeared right behind it.

“
They must
a’
broken the fence
,”
said Gavin.

“
WHAT
!”
blurted Keit
h
“
HOW
!
”

“
Force by numbers probably
,”
said Gavin
,“
the
y’
ll be trying to break in next
.
”

Before Gavin even finished saying the word next, an almighty crash erupted somewhere below them! They all jumped!

“C’
mon
,”
said Dean, and he took off towards the ramp with Sam by his side and Gavin and Ann close behind.

“
Wait, uh, where are you going
?”
asked Keith.

Dean called back without slowing down or looking back
,“
We gotta stop them getting in
.
”

Keith did
n’
t like the idea of going down the ramp towards the source of the banging. He thought that they should be running away from it. But not wanting to be left behind he hesitantly followed them. The crashing noise was loud and frantic. Ann broke out in goose bumps as a chill passed through her. Dean tried to look over the thick banister down at the lower level as they ran, there was nothing to see. They were
n’
t in yet
.
Thank God
,
he thought. They reached the bottom of the ramp turned around on to the top of the lower ramp and stopped. Dean looked down the ramp, searching the lower level but because of the angle that they were at and the darkness he could
n’
t see anything so he started down the ramp.

“
Dean
?”
Ann started to ask wide eyed.

“
Hang on
,”
he said cutting her off
,“
just wait there for a sec ok
.
”

He stopped again at the halfway point and crouched down to give him a better viewing angle to see the lower level. Sam stood beside him hackles up growling loudly. The crashing and banging was
n’
t coming from the row of glass doors like he thought it would be. He looked at Gavin and frowned. Ann called down to them
,“C’
mon guys le
t’
s go. I do
n’
t like this
.
”

“
Yea
c’
mon Dean lets go, le
t’
s get outa here
,”
added Keith standing a few feet behind her.

“
Go where
?”
said Dean
,“
hiding wo
n’
t stop them from getting in...
.
”

An almighty slap made them all jump, and Sam let out a deep bark.

“
What the hell
!”
said Gavin turning to look at Dean.

Dean racked his brain trying to thinking as fast as he could. There was another loud slap followed by a creaking sound
!“
SHIT
!”
said Dean, and he took off again, running all the way down to the lower level and along the wide corridor with Sam bounding along right beside him and Gavin keeping up behind.

“
The
y’
re at the weight-room fire doors
,”
yelled Dean.

Keith heard and blurted
,“
Oh SHIT
!”
knowing he was right. He stayed put not sure whether to follow or not, or even to run the other way. Ann watched the two brothers disappear down the ramp in to darkness and thinking that there was strength in numbers she ran after them.

“
Ann! What the hell
!”
Keith blurted shocked and scared
.“
Ann, stop. What the hell are you doing
?”
And then before she even answered he said to himself
,“
Oh shit
!”
and took off after her calling for her to wait for him.

“
Have the doors been fixed
?”
asked Gavin remembering that the weight-room doors were in poor repair when he worked there.

“
No
,”
said Dean
,“
it still keeps getting put off
.
”

“
Oh shit
!”
said Gavin
,“
I hope the weight-roo
m’
s locked then
!
”

“
So do I
,”
said Dean.

As the two brothers ran flat out along the corridor Dean glanced at the viewing doors along the back wall. He could see dark smears all over the windows
.
They tried the fire doors
,
he thought and then he turned off the main corridor and ran down the steep narrow ramp that led down to the Olympic style free weights only room, an extension to the gym above, the room where the big guys trained. Dean saw the wooden door at the bottom with its small square shatterproof window, it was closed, but that did
n’
t mean it was locked. He wished that management had fixed the damn weight-room fire escape properly instead of just botching it every time
.
“Everything in there’s too heavy for anyone to steal,”
the managers use to joke. They reasoned that, as long as the door up to the gym and the door in to the main corridor are locked no-one will get in to the main building.

The frame had been weak for a long time and was practically held in place by putty.

Dean knew that it would
n’
t take long to break in through them, especially at the rate they were going at. The loud claps continued although now they were loud thumps and the sound of creaking wood was more frequent. Dean skidded to a stop at the weight-room door with his foot pressed against the base. He peered in to the room grabbing the handle, he could
n’
t see anything. It was pitch black. More claps and creaks sounded through the darkness, and the morbid calls were almost at shrieking pitch.