Blood on the Floor: An Undead Adventure (27 page)

Twenty Eight

‘Don’t touch his mouth. If you touch his mouth you will walk. DO NOT TOUCH HIS MOUTH.’

Amna nods. Her big brown eyes gloriously happy at being held by Paco. Rajesh glares. His bottom lip poking out at the way Amna always gets what she wants.

‘Hands there. Do not move your hands.’

‘Okay,’ Amna nods again.

They walk on. Paco’s hands soaked and rubbed in anti-bac. His arms the same. His beard, his chin, his face and then his hands again. It took an hour just to go far enough to be out of sight of the barn. It was shit. Really shit. Like totally completely shit. They walk on with Amna sitting in his arms facing forward, her legs dangling with her red shoes swinging happily with Heather watching her like a hawk. He didn’t flinch at Amna being placed in his arms and even adjusted his stance and position to make sure she couldn’t fall. Heather noticed that and looked into his eyes again until Rajesh announced that he too, was in fact, also very tired.

‘Paco is not carrying you too.

‘But my legs hurt.’

‘They do not. Just walk.’

‘My feet hurt.’

‘Walk.’

‘I can go on his back.’

‘No. Walk.’

‘Can I hold his hand?’

‘No.’

‘You were holding his hand.’

‘I had the gloves…no…’

‘I can put the gloves on.’

‘No, Rajesh. No.’

‘Can I put my hand on his pocket?’

‘What!?’

‘You had your hand on his pocket. I want to put my hand on his…’

‘No! For the love of God no. Just walk.’

‘Raj, stop being a baby.’

‘I’m not a baby.’

‘Baby.’

‘I’m not a baby.’

‘Baby…’

‘Enough. Subi, stop it.’

‘He is a baby. Paco doesn’t want your hand on his pocket.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Fine! Put your bloody hand on his pocket then but that’s it. Don’t moan. Walk.’

‘Okay, Heather.’

‘…’

‘Heather?’

‘Yes, Subi?’

‘Can I put my…’

‘Yes.’

‘Thanks, Heather.’

Paco walks with a child in his arms and one on each side hooking thumbs into his pockets. Heather walks further away so the steam coming from her ears doesn’t burn anyone. She pulls the gloves off in a huff and tucks them in her back pocket but checks all three constantly, just to be sure. What on earth is the attraction? He doesn’t speak or do anything? Why are they drawn to him like that? They could hold her pockets but oh no, they want his pockets. He’s big and famous, that’s why. What? What difference does that make? He’s familiar to them. They recognise him plus he’s massive so he makes them feel safe. Yeah well. It’s still shit.

‘Heather?’

‘Yes, Subi?’

‘Why are Paco’s eyes red?’

‘Eh? Amna! Take those sunglasses off. Why…how did you…’

‘Why are his eyes red?’ Subi asks, leaning forward to stare up as Rajesh leans forward to stare up.

‘His eyes are red,’ Rajesh points out.

‘I just said that,’ Subi says.

‘I saw it first.’

‘Did not. I said to Heather…I asked her why his…’

‘I saw it first.’

‘Did not. Heather, tell Rajesh I saw…’

‘Amna, I said don’t touch his face…’

‘You said don’t touch his mouth.’

‘Yes, thank you, Subi. How did you even reach them?’

‘He gave them to me.’

‘He did not.’

‘Did so.’

‘He did not. You are sat on his hands. How would he…’

‘He did. Promise.’

‘Give them back.’

‘No.’

‘Amna. Give Paco his…give me the glasses…’

‘Paco said I could have them.’

‘He did not. Right, you can get down and walk.’

‘NOOOOOOO.’

‘Shush!’

‘NOOOOOO.’

‘Oh my…bloody hell be quiet. Right fine, stay there just shut up.’

‘You shouldn’t give in to her.’

‘Yes thank you, Subi.’

‘Why are his eyes red, Heather?’ Rajesh asks.

‘Conjunctivitis.’

‘Nanna had that. Her eyes had yellow gunk. Paco doesn’t have any yellow gunk.’

‘Thank you, Subi. It’s er…it’s like conjunctivitis.’

‘Is he one of the things?’ Rajesh asks.

‘No.’

‘But Nanna had yellow gunk and her eyes were only a bit red but Paco’s eyes are
all
red and…’

‘Subi!’

‘And they were itchy and Paco isn’t rubbing his eyes at all and he has bite marks on his…’

‘He doesn’t.’

‘He does. I saw them. Under his bandages.’

‘Er…be quiet.’

‘But…’

‘No talking now.’

‘But…’

‘Heather? Is Paco one of the things?’

‘No, Rajesh.’

‘Oh.’

‘Rajesh shush, Heather said we have to be quiet now.’

‘I was being quiet.’

‘You are talking now.’

‘So are you.’

‘Stop it. Enough. No talking. No. Shush. Not a word.’

‘…’

‘I need a wee.’

‘Oh for fuck’s sake.’

Stressed, harassed, drained, sweating and with a temper tantrum threating to spill over at any second they finally reach a village. A small one. One shop. One pub. One road through. Tiny really. Heather sighs, biting her lip and wishing it was a big stonking town that she could nail up signs in and use a loudhailer to announce she has three orphans that need a home.

‘Okay, come with me,’ she plucks a protesting Amna from Paco’s arms to hold against her hip. ‘Rajesh, this side. Subi, on this side…both put your hands on my pockets and don’t let go…’

‘Why?’

‘Because I said so, Rajesh. Paco needs to keep his hands free now. Subi, take a bottle of water from my bag. Rajesh, put your hand back on my pocket. Okay, Amna, go down for a minute. Stop whining! Just for a minute. Paco, have some water. Everyone stay quiet now. I need to listen. Subi, pass me the plastic bag. Okay, don’t touch this bottle in the plastic bag. Paco, you okay? Not too hot? Right, Amna come here. You two at my side and do not move. If anything happens stay with me. Do not run off and do not scream. Whatever happens do not scream.’

‘HEATHER!’

‘Shit…PACO…get behind me…behind me…Amna don’t look.’

‘I wanna look.’

‘No. Turn your head.’

‘Get orf, I wanna look…what’s Paco doing?’

‘Oh so cool.’

‘Rajesh, close your eyes. Don’t look.’

‘Why is Paco carrying that man?’

‘So cool.’

‘It isn’t cool, Rajesh. Amna, stop looking.’

‘But…oh he dropped him. Will he carry him again?’

‘I said don’t look,’ Heather grunts, forcing Amna to turn her head while trying to shield Rajesh and Subi peering out round and through her legs. Three of them from the pub. All males. All big. All get killed with a ruthless viciousness that surprises even Heather. He’s getting stronger and faster. His motor skills are improving every day. He uses his hands to hold one still while he kicks another one away then pivots that same one round to block the path of the next one. Intelligence mixed with brutality in a man that checks his kills and walks back as Rajesh rushes out from behind Heather’s legs.

‘RAJESH NO,’ Heather bellows with a force that brings the boy to a sudden stop. She rushes after him, grabbing his arm to drag him back.

‘That hurts,’ Rajesh tries to pull away, his face contorting in fear and pain.

‘DO NOT TOUCH HIM,’ the veins in her neck bulge. ‘Subi, hold you brother. NOW, SUBI. Keep Amna with you.’ She drops the bag to pull the wipes, anti-bac and sprays out. ‘Paco, stop,’ she calls out, knowing he will walk to be at her side. She runs to him instead, pulling her gloves on to wipe his hands, arms and face. She checks his t-shirt, spraying him all over with detergent. She turns constantly to make sure the children don’t come closer, her movements frantic and hard with pressure applied that she hasn’t done before. Paco watches her. Sensing and seeing the worry and fear. His own mind settles from the images that flooded in when he killed the three infected males. The equilibrium shifting to start that swing back and forth. He still sees the dog in his mind and feels the emotional connection but the grip of that memory is too weak to hold and stay.

‘Okay, all done…let me look,’ Heather moves back to walk round him, taking a fresh wipe to do his hands for the third time then checks his feet again and sprays more detergent on his boots. ‘Good, you’re good…are you thirsty?’ She looks into his eyes, holding his gaze with her own look so worried and troubled. ‘Subi…no, actually I’ll get it.’

‘Do you want the water in the plastic bag?’

‘Don’t touch it,’ she snaps, running to get to the bag first and water bottle before Subi can reach it. She goes back to give Paco the bottle. ‘You did three,’ she says softly, her hand reaching out to touch his face while he drinks. ‘Amna, you can walk now. You two stay with me from now on.’

‘But…’

‘No, Rajesh. Stop arguing.’

‘I wanna go…’

‘Amna, no. Did you see what he just did? Did you see it?’

‘So cool,’ Rajesh says again, nodding earnestly.

‘No,’ Heather says, showing her revulsion at his reaction. ‘He killed those…’

Subi shrugs with a movement that catches Heather’s words in her throat. ‘We had loads in the supermarket.’

Christ they did. She forgot the mound of bodies. Death isn’t new to these children. She gets the bag on her back without another word. This is too much. Everything is too weird. She spies the shop knowing they need more food, more water, more wipes and more everything. The pressure builds. The lives now depending on her when it should just be her and Paco walking and lying under oak trees. She gets to the door, holding still to listen and peer through into the store. Blood on the floor but then when isn’t there blood on the floor now? That’s all this world is. Blood on the floor. Flies on the floor. Maggots on the floor. Dead bodies on the floor.

She goes in without waiting for Paco, pushing through to stare round. He comes in quickly, almost with a sense of worry at her going ahead. She opens the flap on the bag and starts filling as the children file in. She spots them looking at the chocolate bars and junk food strewn on the ground. ‘No,’ she says the word brutally, leaving no room for argument. Two of them are old enough to understand but Amna chooses not to and grabs one anyway.

‘I said no,’ Heather plucks it from her grip to throw it across the shop. The last thing she needs is more sugar in them.

‘I WANT IT.’

‘No.’

‘I WANT IT.’

‘I SAID NO.’

A stand-off ensues. Staring eyes against staring eyes. Amna folds her arms. Heather stands straighter. Amna purses her lips. Heather narrows her eyes. Amna’s foot lifts. Heather’s eyebrow lifts. The foot comes down. Heather shakes her head.

‘I WANT…’

‘Oh shut up,’ Heather turns away in disdain leaving Amna staring in shock but the girl is a veteran of such battles and hardens to rally more energy.

‘I WANT CHOCLIT.’

‘Fruit,’ Heather shows her the tin. ‘Beans…’

‘CHOCLIT.’

‘Macaroni cheese.’

‘CHOCLIT.’

‘Mixed vegetables.’

‘CHOCLIT CHOCLIT CHOCLIT….’

‘Blah blah blah,’ Heather grabs the tins, showing the pictures on the front to Amna exploding in temper and rage that makes her little face contort and flush red.

‘I WANT CHEESE BALLS…’

‘What?’

‘CHEESE BALLS.’

‘Stop shouting.’

‘Can I have some cheese balls please, Heather?’

‘No.’

‘IWANTCHEESEBALLSANDANDANDCHOCLIT.’

‘Water,’ Heather shows her the bottle that gets thrust into the bag.

‘COKACOLA.’

‘Water,’ Heather shows the next that goes into the bag.

‘LEMONADEANDCHOCLIT.’

‘More water.’

‘CHERRY…’

‘More water and more water. What else have we got here? Oh yes, more water. Oh and look. Wipes. We need wipes and anti-bacterial gel and detergent. Now out. Go on. Out.’

‘I. Want. Choclit,’ Amna growls, her eyes furious at being denied.

‘Out.’

‘No.’

‘Amna. Get out.’

‘NO.’

‘Fine, stay here then.’

‘I will.’

‘You bloody won’t,’ Heather grabs the stunned girl up to swing her up into Paco’s hands. ‘Hold her…now out. Everyone out.’