mirror.
The drive to Tess’s is something I’ve never done, on the bus it’s half an hour. There’s very little traffic on the road save for emergency vehicles and the odd people carrier, laden with luggage. Most people haven’t cottoned on to the idea that they should be evacuating the city, probably doing what the television is telling them, for now at least. I think that might change in the next few hours. By the end of the day those people that aren’t infected might begin a mass exodus. I’d rather avoid that if I could.
Some small shops and businesses are open, but many more are standing empty, shutters closed. Buses aren’t running and the one or two pedestrians I see are moving quickly, eyes down, heading for home. I try calling Tess again but my phone won’t connect. Whatever’s going on has really screwed up the mobile network.
I pull up to Tess’s flat twenty minutes after I set off. She lives opposite a small park, above a nail salon which normally does pretty steady business. Today the park is empty, the lights in the salon are off and a sign has been taped to the door that says;
‘CLOSED DUE TO STAFF ILLNESS, SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.’
I look around but I can’t see anyone, so I step out of the van. I walk up to the front door and press the buzzer for a full five seconds hoping to hear Tess’s voice. Someone does answer, but the voice on the intercom isn’t Tess, its Cassidy, Tess’s housemate and leading campaigner of all things anti-Mike. This could be difficult.
“Hello?” She sounds half asleep.
“Cass? It’s Mike, is Tess there?”
“What do you want?” Venom drips from every word.
“I wanted to make sure she’s alright. Is she there or not?”
“No Mike, she’s not alright-”
My stomach turns,
“-but once you’re out of her life, she will be.”
I lean against the door in relief.
“But no, she’s not here, she left for work hours ago.”
Fuck!
“Have you spoken to her since she left? Is she still in the city? Did she make it out ok?”
“Make it out? What the hell are you talking about?”
As I go to answer I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. A man I can only assume to be homeless is shuffling through the park. He is holding what looks like a length of something dark in his hand as he looks vacantly at the ground.
Suddenly his head comes up.
Oh Christ.
His mouth is smeared red, his jaw still working. My stomach lurches as I realise he is holding what used to be a dog lead.
Then where’s the dog?
His beard is stained with blood, his eyes that same cloudy colour that Alan’s were. As they lock with mine, he lets out an awful rasping moan and starts lurching towards me like a broken marionette. He’s maybe forty yards from where I’m standing, closer to the van than I am. I realise with a sinking despair that I’ve left the hammer and the knife on the front seat.
What a fucking moron.
“Mike? Hello?”
I jump as I hear Cass on the intercom.
“Cass can you let me in please?”
“I told you Tess isn’t here!”
I struggle to stay calm, the tramp is getting closer.
“I know but you need to let me in, it’s not safe out here.”
“Not safe? What the fuck are you-”
“Haven’t you seen the news?!”
Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with her?!
“Look at the fucking TV!”
“Mike I don’t know what the hell you’re on about but if you don’t get out of here I’m calling the police. I was working ‘til four AM at the bar last night and I don’t need this shit.”
“Ok Cass look I’m sorry.” I’m starting to panic and I fight to sound reasonable. “But please you have to let me in. I think Tess is in serious trouble.”
A pause.
“What kind of trouble?” I can hear the suspicion, but Cass loves Tess like a sister. I need to use that, before this homeless
The drive to Tess’s is something I’ve never done, on the bus it’s half an hour. There’s very little traffic on the road save for emergency vehicles and the odd people carrier, laden with luggage. Most people haven’t cottoned on to the idea that they should be evacuating the city, probably doing what the television is telling them, for now at least. I think that might change in the next few hours. By the end of the day those people that aren’t infected might begin a mass exodus. I’d rather avoid that if I could.
Some small shops and businesses are open, but many more are standing empty, shutters closed. Buses aren’t running and the one or two pedestrians I see are moving quickly, eyes down, heading for home. I try calling Tess again but my phone won’t connect. Whatever’s going on has really screwed up the mobile network.
I pull up to Tess’s flat twenty minutes after I set off. She lives opposite a small park, above a nail salon which normally does pretty steady business. Today the park is empty, the lights in the salon are off and a sign has been taped to the door that says;
‘CLOSED DUE TO STAFF ILLNESS, SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.’
I look around but I can’t see anyone, so I step out of the van. I walk up to the front door and press the buzzer for a full five seconds hoping to hear Tess’s voice. Someone does answer, but the voice on the intercom isn’t Tess, its Cassidy, Tess’s housemate and leading campaigner of all things anti-Mike. This could be difficult.
“Hello?” She sounds half asleep.
“Cass? It’s Mike, is Tess there?”
“What do you want?” Venom drips from every word.
“I wanted to make sure she’s alright. Is she there or not?”
“No Mike, she’s not alright-”
My stomach turns,
“-but once you’re out of her life, she will be.”
I lean against the door in relief.
“But no, she’s not here, she left for work hours ago.”
Fuck!
“Have you spoken to her since she left? Is she still in the city? Did she make it out ok?”
“Make it out? What the hell are you talking about?”
As I go to answer I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. A man I can only assume to be homeless is shuffling through the park. He is holding what looks like a length of something dark in his hand as he looks vacantly at the ground.
Suddenly his head comes up.
Oh Christ.
His mouth is smeared red, his jaw still working. My stomach lurches as I realise he is holding what used to be a dog lead.
Then where’s the dog?
His beard is stained with blood, his eyes that same cloudy colour that Alan’s were. As they lock with mine, he lets out an awful rasping moan and starts lurching towards me like a broken marionette. He’s maybe forty yards from where I’m standing, closer to the van than I am. I realise with a sinking despair that I’ve left the hammer and the knife on the front seat.
What a fucking moron.
“Mike? Hello?”
I jump as I hear Cass on the intercom.
“Cass can you let me in please?”
“I told you Tess isn’t here!”
I struggle to stay calm, the tramp is getting closer.
“I know but you need to let me in, it’s not safe out here.”
“Not safe? What the fuck are you-”
“Haven’t you seen the news?!”
Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with her?!
“Look at the fucking TV!”
“Mike I don’t know what the hell you’re on about but if you don’t get out of here I’m calling the police. I was working ‘til four AM at the bar last night and I don’t need this shit.”
“Ok Cass look I’m sorry.” I’m starting to panic and I fight to sound reasonable. “But please you have to let me in. I think Tess is in serious trouble.”
A pause.
“What kind of trouble?” I can hear the suspicion, but Cass loves Tess like a sister. I need to use that, before this homeless
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