Post by roch on Aug 15, 2007 18:34:35 GMT 1
Sorry if this is a bit shorter than usual!
==============================================
Part VIII
“Erm, hello?” Grayson said hesitantly as the door opened slowly. For a moment there was silence.
Then suddenly, a voice burst out. “Grayson! I was so worried about you! Why didn’t you call me back?” It was Rosemary, and she now opened the door wide and let everyone in.
Standing inside the hallway, Grayson embraced his mother. “Thank God you’re safe. There are... well, you’ll never believe me but... well, it’s not safe outside.”
Rosemary said nothing.
***
Scarlet peeked out from behind Matthew, gaping at her undead brother, who was shambling forwards towards the bar as if he wasn’t quite used to his new status yet. The tourists themselves were much quicker. Carl had his hands over his mouth, while Chas whispered, “Oh God.”
For the moment there was an oddly peaceful stalemate, with the tourists in front of the bar and the survivors behind it. It was almost as if the tourists were waiting for something, or perhaps they were such unintelligent creatures that they could not work out how to get to their prey. But whatever the reason, their apparent reluctance to attack was somewhat unsettling.
“You two,” Matthew said, trying not to let his voice shake and daring to turn for a moment to point to Diane and Marlon. “Get some bottles of whisky, as many as you can find, and take the tops off ready. Jack, are you ready for a fight?”
Jack nodded solemnly, shifting the farm implement in his hands.
“We can’t just...” Scarlet whispered, but she trailed off.
Matthew turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Listen, Scarlet, Jimmy’s dead. I know you cared about him, but it’s too late. Mourn him later if you want to, but we’re going to have to kill him so don’t get too attached.”
Scarlet wasn’t sure if he was being kind and strong for her, or completely unfeeling.
***
“Well then,” Rosemary said, having heard the tale of what had happened in the village. “I wondered why it was so dark. You had all better come to the kitchen and have a bite to eat.”
Jamie, Rodney, Jasmine, Edna and Viv headed towards the kitchen, still in a state of shock. But Grayson caught his mother’s arm.
“Is something wrong, dear?” she asked, sounding strangely unconcerned about the strange story she had just heard.
Grayson gaped at her for a moment, wondering how she could ask that. “There’s something I have to do. But first, do you know where Perdy is? She wasn’t at home when I left this morning, but...”
“Oh, she’s in Hotten with Katie, it turns out. I did tell her to go and meet you in the Woolpack at lunchtime, but she was persuaded otherwise. Apparently, Katie thinks she needs a new dress for the Horse and Home do on Saturday.”
Grayson gave a sigh of relief. “Right, good. Well, I have to go and do something.”
“And what is that?” Rosemary raised an eyebrow.
“Go back to the village,” he said.
***
Zack appeared from the back and declared that the back exit was ready, and that he would stay to guard it until they came through. He also said that the Dingle van was conveniently close to the pub and would carry all of them.
“Thanks, Zack,” Jack said. “Right, love, give me two of those bottles.” Diane handed him two bottles of whisky, and he proceeded to drench one half of the bar with them.
Chas followed suit and took some bottles from Marlon, soaking the other side of the bar as well as the gap at the end. “We need to get the timing right,” she said to Matthew.
Matthew nodded. “You take the others to the door, but don’t go out until I tell you to. Jack, you stay here and help me.”
Scarlet caught his arm. “No, we all have to go at the same time!” she said, afraid of losing another brother.
He gently removed her hand from his arm. “And we will,” he said. “Carl, you take care of Scarlet.”
***
“No!” Rosemary cried, trying to restrain her son as he opened the front door and headed back out to the van. “No, son, don’t!”
“I’m sorry, mother,” he said stoically, despite his terror at going back to the chaos of the village. “But you can be proud of me. I know what I have to do.”
With that, he climbed into the ice cream van and set off. Since he did not understand the controls, he was unable to turn off the tune it was playing, and he left Home Farm accompanied by We’re All Going on a Summer Holdiay.
Rosemary sullenly re-entered the house and went through to the kitchen, where the others saw her distress.
“What’s wrong?” Jasmine asked.
She shook her head. “Gray’s gone back to the village,” she whispered. “That was never supposed to happen.”
***
The plan was in place, and everyone knew what they were doing. When they were ready, Zack would fling open the door and run to the van, bringing it as close to the door as possible. Chas would lead the main party and make sure they all got in, fighting off anyone who might attack them at the back exit. Matthew and Jack would hold off the creatures inside the pub, and when everyone was getting into the van they would set fire to the bar and retreat.
“Right, Chas, you shout us when the van’s in place,” Matthew said, strangely organised amid all the chaos.
Chas nodded but said nothing.
For a moment everything was silent, but then Carl looked at Chas with concern in his eyes. “Are you OK?”
She looked back at him, but suddenly her vision began to swim, and her legs buckled. He caught her before she could fall and held her against him.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked desperately.
***
As Grayson drove with determination back to the village, Rosemary was worrying desperately about him. But he had a new spirit in him now, stirred by the dreadfulness of the situation and his surprising ability to lead others and to do something about it. He had never really been a strong person, always giving in to the least temptation and forever in his haughty mother’s shadow. He knew she wanted the best for him, but it could get suffocating sometimes, and now he knew what it was like to be an important, upstanding person in his own right he rather resented her for keeping such experiences from him.
He did not feel bad about what he was doing, especially now that he knew his mother and wife were safe. Well, his wife at least. Unless similar things were happening in Hotten. But he blocked out such thoughts and put his foot down, smiling to himself as he sped towards danger and heroism.
***
“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Carl shrieked, letting his emotions get the better of him. He was trying to come to terms with losing Jimmy, but he could not bear to lose Chas too. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
But Chas had fainted, and so he scooped her up in his arms.
He turned to Matthew, his eyes wide. “But she was so strong a minute ago!”
Matthew felt an actual pang of sorrow for his little brother. He was even sorry for Chas, whom he had never liked until he saw how bravely she had fought with him against the tourists. “You better check her for... wounds,” he said.
Carl understood that he meant bites, and proceeded to check her neck and arms. “I can’t see anything, just a few scratches.”
Jack grimaced. “Yeah, but do we know this... disease... can’t be transmitted through a scratch?”
They all fell silent.
Then, suddenly, the tourists sprang forward in attack.
==============================================
Part VIII
“Erm, hello?” Grayson said hesitantly as the door opened slowly. For a moment there was silence.
Then suddenly, a voice burst out. “Grayson! I was so worried about you! Why didn’t you call me back?” It was Rosemary, and she now opened the door wide and let everyone in.
Standing inside the hallway, Grayson embraced his mother. “Thank God you’re safe. There are... well, you’ll never believe me but... well, it’s not safe outside.”
Rosemary said nothing.
***
Scarlet peeked out from behind Matthew, gaping at her undead brother, who was shambling forwards towards the bar as if he wasn’t quite used to his new status yet. The tourists themselves were much quicker. Carl had his hands over his mouth, while Chas whispered, “Oh God.”
For the moment there was an oddly peaceful stalemate, with the tourists in front of the bar and the survivors behind it. It was almost as if the tourists were waiting for something, or perhaps they were such unintelligent creatures that they could not work out how to get to their prey. But whatever the reason, their apparent reluctance to attack was somewhat unsettling.
“You two,” Matthew said, trying not to let his voice shake and daring to turn for a moment to point to Diane and Marlon. “Get some bottles of whisky, as many as you can find, and take the tops off ready. Jack, are you ready for a fight?”
Jack nodded solemnly, shifting the farm implement in his hands.
“We can’t just...” Scarlet whispered, but she trailed off.
Matthew turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Listen, Scarlet, Jimmy’s dead. I know you cared about him, but it’s too late. Mourn him later if you want to, but we’re going to have to kill him so don’t get too attached.”
Scarlet wasn’t sure if he was being kind and strong for her, or completely unfeeling.
***
“Well then,” Rosemary said, having heard the tale of what had happened in the village. “I wondered why it was so dark. You had all better come to the kitchen and have a bite to eat.”
Jamie, Rodney, Jasmine, Edna and Viv headed towards the kitchen, still in a state of shock. But Grayson caught his mother’s arm.
“Is something wrong, dear?” she asked, sounding strangely unconcerned about the strange story she had just heard.
Grayson gaped at her for a moment, wondering how she could ask that. “There’s something I have to do. But first, do you know where Perdy is? She wasn’t at home when I left this morning, but...”
“Oh, she’s in Hotten with Katie, it turns out. I did tell her to go and meet you in the Woolpack at lunchtime, but she was persuaded otherwise. Apparently, Katie thinks she needs a new dress for the Horse and Home do on Saturday.”
Grayson gave a sigh of relief. “Right, good. Well, I have to go and do something.”
“And what is that?” Rosemary raised an eyebrow.
“Go back to the village,” he said.
***
Zack appeared from the back and declared that the back exit was ready, and that he would stay to guard it until they came through. He also said that the Dingle van was conveniently close to the pub and would carry all of them.
“Thanks, Zack,” Jack said. “Right, love, give me two of those bottles.” Diane handed him two bottles of whisky, and he proceeded to drench one half of the bar with them.
Chas followed suit and took some bottles from Marlon, soaking the other side of the bar as well as the gap at the end. “We need to get the timing right,” she said to Matthew.
Matthew nodded. “You take the others to the door, but don’t go out until I tell you to. Jack, you stay here and help me.”
Scarlet caught his arm. “No, we all have to go at the same time!” she said, afraid of losing another brother.
He gently removed her hand from his arm. “And we will,” he said. “Carl, you take care of Scarlet.”
***
“No!” Rosemary cried, trying to restrain her son as he opened the front door and headed back out to the van. “No, son, don’t!”
“I’m sorry, mother,” he said stoically, despite his terror at going back to the chaos of the village. “But you can be proud of me. I know what I have to do.”
With that, he climbed into the ice cream van and set off. Since he did not understand the controls, he was unable to turn off the tune it was playing, and he left Home Farm accompanied by We’re All Going on a Summer Holdiay.
Rosemary sullenly re-entered the house and went through to the kitchen, where the others saw her distress.
“What’s wrong?” Jasmine asked.
She shook her head. “Gray’s gone back to the village,” she whispered. “That was never supposed to happen.”
***
The plan was in place, and everyone knew what they were doing. When they were ready, Zack would fling open the door and run to the van, bringing it as close to the door as possible. Chas would lead the main party and make sure they all got in, fighting off anyone who might attack them at the back exit. Matthew and Jack would hold off the creatures inside the pub, and when everyone was getting into the van they would set fire to the bar and retreat.
“Right, Chas, you shout us when the van’s in place,” Matthew said, strangely organised amid all the chaos.
Chas nodded but said nothing.
For a moment everything was silent, but then Carl looked at Chas with concern in his eyes. “Are you OK?”
She looked back at him, but suddenly her vision began to swim, and her legs buckled. He caught her before she could fall and held her against him.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked desperately.
***
As Grayson drove with determination back to the village, Rosemary was worrying desperately about him. But he had a new spirit in him now, stirred by the dreadfulness of the situation and his surprising ability to lead others and to do something about it. He had never really been a strong person, always giving in to the least temptation and forever in his haughty mother’s shadow. He knew she wanted the best for him, but it could get suffocating sometimes, and now he knew what it was like to be an important, upstanding person in his own right he rather resented her for keeping such experiences from him.
He did not feel bad about what he was doing, especially now that he knew his mother and wife were safe. Well, his wife at least. Unless similar things were happening in Hotten. But he blocked out such thoughts and put his foot down, smiling to himself as he sped towards danger and heroism.
***
“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Carl shrieked, letting his emotions get the better of him. He was trying to come to terms with losing Jimmy, but he could not bear to lose Chas too. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
But Chas had fainted, and so he scooped her up in his arms.
He turned to Matthew, his eyes wide. “But she was so strong a minute ago!”
Matthew felt an actual pang of sorrow for his little brother. He was even sorry for Chas, whom he had never liked until he saw how bravely she had fought with him against the tourists. “You better check her for... wounds,” he said.
Carl understood that he meant bites, and proceeded to check her neck and arms. “I can’t see anything, just a few scratches.”
Jack grimaced. “Yeah, but do we know this... disease... can’t be transmitted through a scratch?”
They all fell silent.
Then, suddenly, the tourists sprang forward in attack.
