The Other Life (21 page)

“What do you mean?” I hadn’t thought about the radios before now.

“Our radio worked, we could communicate with other safe havens, and then suddenly we couldn’t. You said your radio worked and then, poof, suddenly it didn’t. It’s kind of
strange. It’s as if someone doesn’t want us to communicate.”

“But who? There’s nobody around.” Apparently, I wasn’t the only one becoming paranoid.

He looked up and something in his eyes made me pause. “I’ve never told anyone about this, but a few weeks ago I noticed something strange during a hunt.”

My heart swelled with pride and something else I couldn’t identify – he trusted me. I moved closer, my body prickling with curiosity. “What did you notice?”

“Geoffrey had asked me to look for radios, because ours had stopped working. He wanted to get back in contact with the other safe havens. So I went to a hardware store that I knew still
had radios, but they were all gone. A dozen radios, disappeared. As if they’d vanished into thin air.”

“Gone?”

“Yes. It was like someone had taken them.”

“Maybe it was other survivors?” But there didn’t seem to be many of us left.

“Maybe.” Joshua’s tone made it clear that he didn’t believe it. “But when I left the store, I saw something in the sky. It was moving.”

“A black dot,” I said. A feeling of unease swelled in my stomach.

“Yes.” Joshua’s eyes searched my face. “You’ve seen it too?”

“A few times, but I didn’t know what it was.” So it wasn’t my imagination.

Joshua’s expression became distant.

I touched his arm. He blinked, then his eyes focused on me. “What do you think it is?” I asked.

“I’m not sure.” The look on his face told me he had an idea but wasn’t ready to share it with me yet. His trust had a limit. “Let’s not think about it
now,” he said abruptly, taking my hand. It was like he had suddenly shut himself off.

He led me back to the main building and across the courtyard towards the vineyards. Even with the cloudy sky, the sight was beautiful. It was easy to forget the horrors of this new world while
looking at the beauty surrounding us. We strolled through one of the rows between the vines. The silence was calming, not unsettling like the one that hung over downtown.

Joshua slowed down as we turned back in the direction of the house. I glanced up at him.

He was looking at me with a strange expression, one I’d never seen on his face. I was unable to look away. Slowly, he leaned down, bringing his face closer to mine.

I was frozen to the spot.

He was going to kiss me.

My heart threatened to burst through my ribcage. Maybe I should have made it easier for him and stood on my tiptoes, or lifted my face towards his, but all rational thought had left my mind. He
was so close.

His warm breath fanned over my skin and my eyes shut.

There was a rustling a few rows from us. My eyes shot open. We froze, stared at each other and pulled apart. My skin tingled with anxiety. There was something in the vineyard with us. Joshua
grabbed his gun, his face and posture alert. Without warning, he pulled me behind him, shielding me.

You don’t have a gun, do you? You left it on your nightstand,
a voice in my head taunted. I was an idiot.

More rustling made me tense up. I felt Joshua do the same. It came closer and closer. Joshua aimed his gun in that direction. Something shot out from behind the vine. A startled cry escaped my
lips and I prepared to run.

Joshua shot but missed.

An alarmed chicken dashed across the row, cackling loudly. Just a chicken. Joshua and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. He lowered his gun.

“Paranoia!” he said with a grin, but I didn’t miss the lingering apprehension in his eyes. My heart was still pounding in my chest.

“Come on, let’s get back to the house.”

The incident with the chicken had been a good reminder: we were never safe.

I spread my arms, fingers brushing the moist grass blades.

A soft drizzle chilled the night. My lungs filled with air. Refreshing and cool.

A full moon. Small water droplets on the grass glittered in the silver light. It illuminated our garden. Everyone was asleep, the light in the neighbouring houses extinguished.

“Sometimes I wonder what our life will be like in ten years,” Izzy whispered.

“I don’t know. I hope I’ll work as a vet. That’s what I’d like to do.”

“Hmm. Sounds like a plan.” She yawned. “I’ve got no clue what I want.”

“Twenty-two, that’s kind of old, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I bet you’ll be married to Alex and have a bunch of kids.”

“You’re stupid.”

She grinned, but it faded. “Do you think we’ll still be best friends?”

“Of course. Best friends for ever.”

“Best friends for ever.”

I buried my face in the soft pillow, trying to return to sleep. A nightmare must have woken me. At least I hadn’t disturbed Mia. She was snuggled against my body, her face
resting against my chest. My eyes felt heavy. It wouldn’t take long to fall back to sleep.

Tick-tick.

I turned my face away from the pillow and opened my eyes.

Tick-tick.

What was that noise?

I held my breath and listened.

Tick-tick.

It sounded like someone – or something – was tapping their fingernails against the window.

I swallowed. The thud-thud of my pulse filled my ears, like a bassline turned up high. I shifted on the bed, careful not to wake Mia, and tried to get a look at the window. Moonlight streamed
into the room and illuminated the floor. A moving shadow parted the beam of light. My heartbeat quickened and my mouth went dry. Something was in front of the window and tapping against the
glass.

I didn’t need to see it to know it was a Weeper. The window wouldn’t stop it for long. With its strength, bursting through the glass wouldn’t be a problem. I had to protect
Mia. I wouldn’t let
anything
hurt her.

Where was my gun?

I inched closer to the edge of the bed and the nightstand where the gun lay. Mia stirred, making me freeze.

“Sherry, wha’s up?” Her voice was muffled by my chest and her hold on me tightened.

The tapping got louder, more insistent. I needed to get out of bed. My hand moved closer to the gun – centimetre by centimetre. Mia shifted and looked at me, then her eyes grew wide.
“Tapping,” she mouthed. I put my finger against my lips.

A scream resounded in the silence, setting my teeth on edge.

Mom. That was Mom’s voice!

What if she was alone in the small cottage with Dad?

I jumped out of the bed and grabbed my gun from the nightstand. My eyes settled on the Weeper balancing on the window sill of my room. Its moist eyes stared right at me, its inhuman face twisted
into an ugly grimace, showing off several sharp teeth. I shot twice, ignoring Mia’s scream. The Weeper pushed itself off the ledge before a bullet could hit it.

I rushed towards the broken window and shot a few more times at the Weeper fleeing across the courtyard. I couldn’t let it get Mom or Dad or anyone else. I had to stop it. The third shot
brought it down. It lay unmoving on the ground.

Screams rang out in the house and more were coming from the cottage. The windows were dark but I could make out a commotion.

My eyes landed on Mia, who sat on the bed, shaking, tears streaming down her pale face.

I needed to help Mom, but I couldn’t leave my sister alone.

Shots sounded in the house. Roars and more screams followed. Panic swelled in me. I grabbed Mia and pressed her against my chest. She wound her legs around my waist and clung to me. I tiptoed
towards the door and opened it a crack, gun at the ready.

I crept into the hall. Mia’s hands clutched at me and their grip tightened with every gunshot. It sounded like a war was raging downstairs – and I wasn’t there to help. I
didn’t want to leave Mia alone, but her weight would only hinder me. And that would put us both in danger.

The screaming downstairs got louder. I needed to make a decision. Quick.

I prised Mia’s arms from my neck and lowered her to the ground. She clung to me, her eyes wide and fearful as she gazed up at me.

“Mia, I need to help downstairs. Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

She wound her arms around my waist and shook her head frantically. “No. Don’t leave me alone!” Her sobbing tore at my heart, but she was safer here than with me downstairs.

I loosened her grip and opened the door of the linen closet. I pushed the heaps of towels and linen aside, so Mia could walk in. “Listen, Mia. I promise I’ll be back very soon. Just
wait here. Be quiet and don’t move.”

She sank down to the ground and leaned against the wall, giving a small nod. I positioned the heap of towels in front of her and closed the door, before rushing towards the staircase. I froze
halfway down the landing.

A Weeper cowered on the last step. Its yellowish eyes settled on me, tears pouring out of them, and it snarled, spit dripping from its lips. I wanted to run and hide, but I didn’t.

It pushed up from the step and propelled itself towards me. My heart pounding in my chest, I raised the gun and shot.

A bullet cut through its neck, blood flying everywhere, and the Weeper landed with a thud on the stairs below me. It twitched as if hit by electric shocks.

I caught my breath and moved closer. My body trembled when I leaned over to check if it was really dead. The way its skull was broken left me in no doubt. Shreds of skin covered the stairs.

Swallowing down my sickness, I stepped over the corpse and walked towards the commotion in the living room. A dead Weeper lay just in front of the doorway, bleeding all over the flowery
carpet.

The house was silent. I glanced to the side and saw Larry and Geoffrey in the living room, armed with guns. Two Weepers lay at their feet. One of them was dead, the other still whimpering. They
didn’t need my help any more.

Gunshots cracked outside and I whirled around. Without thinking, I stormed towards the front door and ripped it open. The scene outside nearly brought me to my knees.

Several Weepers lay sprawled in the courtyard, the pebbles surrounding them shiny red with blood, and amongst them was a human body. Or what was left of it. Not much. Bile rose in my throat.

I grabbed the door frame to steady myself, my vision swimming. Thunder rumbled over Safe-haven, lightning flashing across the sky. Joshua stepped out of the cottage and came up to me, two guns
in his hands. He was only wearing pyjama bottoms, his chest bare. Sweat glistened on his skin. He’d been with Mom and Dad.

“You alright?” he asked, his eyes sweeping over me. It started pouring down on us, raindrops lashing against my face.

I gave a weak nod. “Mom? Dad?” My voice quivered.

“They’re okay.”

I swallowed down a bitter taste and nodded towards the body.

Joshua followed my gaze and his expression softened. He cupped my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I was too late. Your grandma ran out of the house to get to your grandfather’s grave
before we could stop her. The Weepers killed her instantly.”

Grandma was dead. Killed by Weepers. If there was anyone who wasn’t scared of death, then it was her.

Karen appeared next to us. She’d also come from the infirmary cottage. “Any injuries?”

I shook my head.

“Larry? Geoffrey?” she called out, and the two came up behind me.

“We’re fine,” Larry assured his wife. “Tyler and Rachel are with Emma and Marie in their room on the upper floor.”

“Where’s Bobby?” I looked around, the familiar tremor coming over my body.

“I’m here!” He leaned out of the window of the small cottage and Mom stood behind him.

My heartbeat calmed. We’d survived. Not all of us, I reminded myself. Grandma was gone. But it could have ended worse. So much worse. It was a miracle that more of us hadn’t been
killed.

“That’s the first time they’ve ever attacked,” Geoffrey said with a puzzled look.

Joshua’s expression darkened. “It won’t be the last time.”

Safe-haven wasn’t safe any more. That too had been taken from us.