all killed. Well, maybe not the chicken. "You can't come. Go home. I don't want you, you'll get me killed. Yourself too." He had to be harsh, it was for the boy's own good. "Aw, c'mon, don't cry, it's for your own safety. I'll be back."
"You won't," sniffed Aiden. "You'll go and never come back and leave me alone forever, until I get The Lethargy and just die and Martha's eggs will pile up and then she'll die too as there is nobody to look after her."
I can't believe this, I'm on the run from maniacs and I'm arguing over chickens and he simply can't come.
There was a car coming down the street, fast. It was them. No more time, the decision was made.
Edsel grabbed Aiden by the arm and started to run. "Come on, fast. Faster, they'll kill us."
"Martha!" The towel fell from Aiden's arms as they started to run. Martha flapped about noisily until she was free of her fluffy prison and ran around wildly, right into the road.
Squawk.
"Martha!"
"We have to go. Move. Now."
They ran, both turning to see the car closing on them fast. The chicken was still alive. It must have gone right under the car.
Lucky bugger.
"Faster. There, over there." Edsel pointed to a playground, tall grass partially hiding swings and climbing frames probably not used in years.
That's got to be the saddest thing I've seen in my whole damn life.
Sun glinted off the slide, mocking the degradation and the abandoned hope for a future that would never be alive with the laughter of children.
No more kids. Well, there's one at least. He's your responsibility now Edsel, you have to look after him, no choice now dude. None at all.
They ran for the playground, the green metal fencing meaning the car couldn't follow. The fields beyond, once used daily by regular folk walking their dogs, now as deserted as the rest of the country — the rest of the world.
"Faster."
Pain blinded Edsel to everything but running. The scabs had formed a tight seal over most of his body through the night, wrapping him as tight as a mummy, the skin ripping and cracking as the sudden movements opened up wound after wound, his clothes rubbing the dry itching skin, tearing off long peels of thick poisoned flesh like pork crackling as they ran for all their worth toward the silent playground, the swings still, nothing but ghosts left.
All that remained were dead children, forgotten by parents lost to The Lethargy, searching for adults in the only place they could think of to look once they were all alone.
"Don't look," said Edsel, trying to avoid the partially eaten or skeletal remains of a number of children and a few adults too by the look if it.
"It's okay. I live here, I've seen it all before."
God, what a world to be a kid in. When I was his age I hadn't even known anyone that had died, let alone seen the corpses of children eaten by dogs. I don't think I'd even lost a goldfish.
They ran fast through the playground, dodging bodies, knocking aside empty bottles and cans, pausing only to open the child-proof gate at the far end. They were out into fields now, gaining some distance on whoever had been in the car. Edsel risked a glance backward.
Damn, four of them now, they've got reinforcements.
He picked up the pace but Aiden could only go so fast, his young legs not up to the same speed as Edsel.
This is going to be a problem. Poor kid, what have I got him into?
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Eh? What?"
Did he just read my mind.
"A little, sorry about that. Daddy always said it was rude to do it, but when I'm excited it just kind of happens. Sorry."
"You're Awoken then? Naturally? Never mind, come on, let's get out of here."
They kept on running.
The field was knee-high for Edsel and higher for Aiden so they had to slow, but at least they were getting away. Their trousers were getting wet, the rains through the night ensuring everything was damp as usual. His legs began to hurt at a new level as the grass brushed against the material, seed heads pricking him like a
"You won't," sniffed Aiden. "You'll go and never come back and leave me alone forever, until I get The Lethargy and just die and Martha's eggs will pile up and then she'll die too as there is nobody to look after her."
I can't believe this, I'm on the run from maniacs and I'm arguing over chickens and he simply can't come.
There was a car coming down the street, fast. It was them. No more time, the decision was made.
Edsel grabbed Aiden by the arm and started to run. "Come on, fast. Faster, they'll kill us."
"Martha!" The towel fell from Aiden's arms as they started to run. Martha flapped about noisily until she was free of her fluffy prison and ran around wildly, right into the road.
Squawk.
"Martha!"
"We have to go. Move. Now."
They ran, both turning to see the car closing on them fast. The chicken was still alive. It must have gone right under the car.
Lucky bugger.
"Faster. There, over there." Edsel pointed to a playground, tall grass partially hiding swings and climbing frames probably not used in years.
That's got to be the saddest thing I've seen in my whole damn life.
Sun glinted off the slide, mocking the degradation and the abandoned hope for a future that would never be alive with the laughter of children.
No more kids. Well, there's one at least. He's your responsibility now Edsel, you have to look after him, no choice now dude. None at all.
They ran for the playground, the green metal fencing meaning the car couldn't follow. The fields beyond, once used daily by regular folk walking their dogs, now as deserted as the rest of the country — the rest of the world.
"Faster."
Pain blinded Edsel to everything but running. The scabs had formed a tight seal over most of his body through the night, wrapping him as tight as a mummy, the skin ripping and cracking as the sudden movements opened up wound after wound, his clothes rubbing the dry itching skin, tearing off long peels of thick poisoned flesh like pork crackling as they ran for all their worth toward the silent playground, the swings still, nothing but ghosts left.
All that remained were dead children, forgotten by parents lost to The Lethargy, searching for adults in the only place they could think of to look once they were all alone.
"Don't look," said Edsel, trying to avoid the partially eaten or skeletal remains of a number of children and a few adults too by the look if it.
"It's okay. I live here, I've seen it all before."
God, what a world to be a kid in. When I was his age I hadn't even known anyone that had died, let alone seen the corpses of children eaten by dogs. I don't think I'd even lost a goldfish.
They ran fast through the playground, dodging bodies, knocking aside empty bottles and cans, pausing only to open the child-proof gate at the far end. They were out into fields now, gaining some distance on whoever had been in the car. Edsel risked a glance backward.
Damn, four of them now, they've got reinforcements.
He picked up the pace but Aiden could only go so fast, his young legs not up to the same speed as Edsel.
This is going to be a problem. Poor kid, what have I got him into?
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Eh? What?"
Did he just read my mind.
"A little, sorry about that. Daddy always said it was rude to do it, but when I'm excited it just kind of happens. Sorry."
"You're Awoken then? Naturally? Never mind, come on, let's get out of here."
They kept on running.
The field was knee-high for Edsel and higher for Aiden so they had to slow, but at least they were getting away. Their trousers were getting wet, the rains through the night ensuring everything was damp as usual. His legs began to hurt at a new level as the grass brushed against the material, seed heads pricking him like a
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