The Rot (Post Apocalyptic Thriller) by Paul Kane Read Free Book Online Page B

window, always makes me smile; they’re so full of energy. Takes me back.” She had a faraway look in her eye, as if she was remembering her own childhood days. “It’s always quite lively, boisterous. Only something was off this time, something not right. The kids were fighting, but then that’s nothing new – only it was the way they were fighting with each other. It was just more…”
    “Savage?” I offered.
    Carrie gave a nod. “They were really laying into each other, doing some damage. Not just to each other, to themselves as well. One lad was simply standing there punching himself in the face. But it wasn’t just the kids, it was the teachers too – and parents. I watched for a few moments, not really knowing what to do… I got up off the sofa finally when I saw all the blood; when there were kids on the ground not moving. I tried to call the police, but the line was dead. So I got my shoes and coat on, went outside – just in time to see Jane running towards me, terrified. Her mother was chasing her, but she wasn’t trying to get her back, to keep her safe. Sandra had this odd expression on her face, a wild look in her eye, you know?”
    I did. I knew exactly what she meant.
    “Jane basically leapt into my arms. I think she had a sense that her mother wanted to do something to her as well. I took her back into my house, just as Sandra caught up. She was banging on that door, trying to get in – but she wasn’t shouting anything, just wailing. Screaming and wailing. I held Jane to me in the hallway; she was sobbing into my shoulder. Then the banging suddenly stopped. I don’t know what happened to Sandra, whether she just gave up or someone…” Carrie looked back across at Jane, busily colouring something in, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth.
    “What did you do then?” I asked.
    “I waited a little while, but the noise was deafening outside – like a full scale riot or something. When someone put the living room window through, I took Jane out the back door, out into the garden, and we climbed over the fence. Wasn’t until then, until we were making our way through town, that I saw it had affected more than just the school.”
    I recalled the images I’d seen as I flew over the place. There was no need for Carrie to go into any more detail.
    “I just couldn’t get my head around it. How quickly it had turned… for everything to go to rack and ruin, to go to rot. If Rakesh hadn’t found us, I don’t know what would have happened.” She looked across at the youth and smiled a thank you.
    “So,” I said next, “what’s your story, Rakesh?”
    Turned out he was a student at the local college. “Moved here to study art,” the lad told me. “Painting, drawing, film…”
    “Piss about at the tax payer’s expense more like,” Dennis chipped in, but Rakesh didn’t rise to the bait.
    He’d been walking back to his digs after a lecture on Picasso, taking a short-cut down an alleyway leading into town proper, when he became aware of someone following him. “There was a gang of them; guys, about my age. It’s not the first time something like that’s happened,” he said with a sigh in his voice. “Things can get a bit difficult… especially up here.” I thought I noticed a pointed exchange of glances between him and Dennis, but he moved on quickly. “It’s like Carrie said, though, there was just something off about them. The way they were moving, the funny noises they were making. Wasn’t right. So I ran, raced up the alley – and they chased me. Managed to lose them eventually, but I was scared they’d still be waiting to jump me somewhere. You can imagine how relieved I was when I spotted a copper on patrol. I’d been about to phone for help, when I saw him – went up to him. Except…”
    “What?” I prompted.
    “Well, when he turned and looked at me… his face was blank. It was as if there was nothing going on inside, like he was just reacting to the