didn’t work, though.”
“Why didn’t they broadcast a warning?”
He smiled sheepishly. “We didn’t know much about the virus and the mutation. The military was worried that the infected might be listening in. They thought they’d run for
safety before they could be destroyed.”
“The Weepers behave like beasts, but they are intelligent. Very intelligent, and that makes them dangerous,” Joshua explained. He rested his head against the back of the
armchair while he gazed at the ceiling.
“But if so many people died, where are their bodies? There must have been thousands of them.”
Geoffrey stared intently at the paper as he spoke. “They were burned. The military feared an epidemic. They put the bodies in a pile and burned them. The crematoriums were swamped and most
of them were closed anyway. The smell of burned flesh hung over the city for days.” He closed his eyes tightly. It took him a few minutes to compose himself.
I swallowed down my nausea. “But there must be members of the government somewhere, or military,” I said.
Geoffrey shrugged and looked away. “I’ve no idea. I’ve told you everything I know.”
His voice changed suddenly, as if he had unburdened himself. “Joshua told me that the Weepers captured your father. I hope you manage to get to him in time.” He patted my shoulder
awkwardly before he rose from the armchair and excused himself.
I watched his back as he walked out – not sure if I should hate him, or feel sorry for him. My fingers traced the bloodstains on my jeans. Dad’s blood. He was all alone, probably
unable to defend himself. Was he waiting for me to save him? Did he think I’d abandoned him? My stomach twisted with worry and guilt. I felt like I was going to throw up. This was all too
much. When I finally looked up, Joshua was leaning forward, watching me with curiosity.
I rubbed my temples. “Does Geoffrey tell his story to every newcomer?”
“Pretty much.”
“I’d have thought that’s something he’d want to keep to himself.” By God, if I’d screwed up like that, if I’d killed so many people, I’d keep my
mouth shut.
“I guess he wants to get it out of his system. Seems to weigh heavy on him. I mean it’s some really tough shit. He’d be a heartless bastard if it didn’t bother
him.”
“Do you believe him?”
Joshua hesitated. “I haven’t found anything that would prove him wrong. Why would he lie?”
Yes, why?
“Don’t you blame him for everything?”
For a moment, Joshua didn’t react. He stared up at the ceiling again, as if there lay the answer to all our problems. I’d almost given up on getting a reply when he spoke in a very
quiet voice. “When he first told me what he just told you…yes, I hated him. Hated him for all I’d lost, for all I’d seen.” He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw,
the muscles twitching beneath his tanned skin. “But then I realized that he’d lost just as much as the rest of us. More, even. And he’s tried to make up for his failure –
unlike many others.” Joshua opened his eyes and turned to look at me, a vein pulsing in his forehead. I raised my eyebrows, willing him to explain.
“His wife and children died from the rabies. He watched it happen. There was nothing he could do. Once people are infected, all you can do is watch them die or watch them turn.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “That’s horrible.”
Joshua gave a small nod. “Geoffrey never went into shelter. He tried to help the military stop the spread. I met him a few months after I’d left the bunker.” The slightest hint
of admiration lay in his tone.
“But why did so many people die? And why have some survived?”
Joshua ran a hand through his hair. “Geoffrey told me that about ten per cent of the population are immune to the rabies, maybe even less. When people began leaving the bunkers, the virus
was still highly contagious and the majority got infected. Almost all of them
“Why didn’t they broadcast a warning?”
He smiled sheepishly. “We didn’t know much about the virus and the mutation. The military was worried that the infected might be listening in. They thought they’d run for
safety before they could be destroyed.”
“The Weepers behave like beasts, but they are intelligent. Very intelligent, and that makes them dangerous,” Joshua explained. He rested his head against the back of the
armchair while he gazed at the ceiling.
“But if so many people died, where are their bodies? There must have been thousands of them.”
Geoffrey stared intently at the paper as he spoke. “They were burned. The military feared an epidemic. They put the bodies in a pile and burned them. The crematoriums were swamped and most
of them were closed anyway. The smell of burned flesh hung over the city for days.” He closed his eyes tightly. It took him a few minutes to compose himself.
I swallowed down my nausea. “But there must be members of the government somewhere, or military,” I said.
Geoffrey shrugged and looked away. “I’ve no idea. I’ve told you everything I know.”
His voice changed suddenly, as if he had unburdened himself. “Joshua told me that the Weepers captured your father. I hope you manage to get to him in time.” He patted my shoulder
awkwardly before he rose from the armchair and excused himself.
I watched his back as he walked out – not sure if I should hate him, or feel sorry for him. My fingers traced the bloodstains on my jeans. Dad’s blood. He was all alone, probably
unable to defend himself. Was he waiting for me to save him? Did he think I’d abandoned him? My stomach twisted with worry and guilt. I felt like I was going to throw up. This was all too
much. When I finally looked up, Joshua was leaning forward, watching me with curiosity.
I rubbed my temples. “Does Geoffrey tell his story to every newcomer?”
“Pretty much.”
“I’d have thought that’s something he’d want to keep to himself.” By God, if I’d screwed up like that, if I’d killed so many people, I’d keep my
mouth shut.
“I guess he wants to get it out of his system. Seems to weigh heavy on him. I mean it’s some really tough shit. He’d be a heartless bastard if it didn’t bother
him.”
“Do you believe him?”
Joshua hesitated. “I haven’t found anything that would prove him wrong. Why would he lie?”
Yes, why?
“Don’t you blame him for everything?”
For a moment, Joshua didn’t react. He stared up at the ceiling again, as if there lay the answer to all our problems. I’d almost given up on getting a reply when he spoke in a very
quiet voice. “When he first told me what he just told you…yes, I hated him. Hated him for all I’d lost, for all I’d seen.” He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw,
the muscles twitching beneath his tanned skin. “But then I realized that he’d lost just as much as the rest of us. More, even. And he’s tried to make up for his failure –
unlike many others.” Joshua opened his eyes and turned to look at me, a vein pulsing in his forehead. I raised my eyebrows, willing him to explain.
“His wife and children died from the rabies. He watched it happen. There was nothing he could do. Once people are infected, all you can do is watch them die or watch them turn.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “That’s horrible.”
Joshua gave a small nod. “Geoffrey never went into shelter. He tried to help the military stop the spread. I met him a few months after I’d left the bunker.” The slightest hint
of admiration lay in his tone.
“But why did so many people die? And why have some survived?”
Joshua ran a hand through his hair. “Geoffrey told me that about ten per cent of the population are immune to the rabies, maybe even less. When people began leaving the bunkers, the virus
was still highly contagious and the majority got infected. Almost all of them
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