Deadland: Untold Stories of Alice in Deadland (Alice, No. 5) Read Online Free PDF

he
also knew that The Rising had meant more than just the end of the world as they
had known it—it was also the end of innocence, the end of childhoods spent
sheltered from the ugliness that lurked in the world around them. Alice had
come face to face with that ugliness, something that the rational part of
Gladwell's mind knew was inevitable, but not at such an early age.
    Alice sobbed in his arms. 'Daddy, I was so scared.'
    Gladwell thought back to the heart-wrenching sight he had
seen when he had reached. His little girl, standing defiantly in front of a
Biter, throwing a rock at it to try and save her dog.
    'Alice, look at me.'
    She looked up at him, her eyes still brimming over with
tears.
    'There's nothing wrong in being scared. I was also scared
last night. Being brave doesn't mean not being scared, but what we do when we
are scared. Some people just think of themselves, but others stand up for those
they care about. They put the fear aside and try and help others. I saw you
throw that rock, and I was so proud of you. You may have been scared, but you
were very brave. Do you understand that, sweetheart?'
    Alice nodded, though the tears still flowed.
    'Now, try and get some sleep and we'll have lunch together.'
    Alice listened to her daddy and went off to sleep, her head
on his lap. She dreamt of Biters with their skin flapping open, of heads being
split open by axes, of blood spraying all over her face, but she also dreamt of
a little puppy who had given his life to save her, and she dreamt of how good
it had felt to throw the rock at the Biter.
    When she sat down for lunch at the large community dining
room, Alice tore into the bread and soup that was their meagre meal. She had
not eaten since the previous night, and now she ate wordlessly as Gladwell and
Jo looked on. Jones was at an adjoining table, and as he finished his meal, he
began calling out to the older kids, and Jane shuffled along hesitantly to join
the afternoon lessons in firearms and unarmed combat that Jones taught.
    Gladwell watched his elder daughter join the other kids, and
he knew that it was but a matter of time before she would have to do her share
and join in patrols out in the Deadland, foraging for food, sweeping for Biters
or bandits. As Jones walked by, he just nodded with a smile at them and
lovingly tousled Alice's blonde hair.
    'You doing good, darling?'
    Alice looked up at him, not a hint of a tear on her face
now. Instead, Gladwell was surprised to see a look of resolve on her tiny face
that he had never seen before.
    'Uncle Jones, when will you teach me how to fight Biters? I
don't want to be scared next time I meet one of them.'
     
    ***
     
    SIZE AND TEARS
     
    Alice watched in goggle-eyed fascination as the boys and
girls drilled with Jones. He had them sitting in a circle and was lecturing
them about Biters before the afternoon's exercises began. At seven years of
age, Alice was still too young to join the classes, but she would hide nearby
and listen and watch. She had been asking Jones for some time to teach her, but
he had always refused, saying her Daddy wouldn't want her to start her training
before she was a few years older. That seemed so unfair to Alice. So what if
she was just seven? She knew she could run faster than any of the other kids,
and she was the only kid her age who had actually seen a Biter up close. These
kids heard lectures about how to kill a Biter—she had seen it for herself when
her Daddy, Jones and Sunil had fended off Biters to protect her.
    The kids in front of her got up and stood in a circle around
Jones and he called two of them into the middle. One was a boy called Ram, who
was ten, and another was Vineet, a year older.
    'Remember, with a Biter, no point in getting fancy. Go for
the legs, unbalance him, and then finish the job.'
    Alice had to stifle a giggle as Vineet tried to do his best
Biter imitation, with a loud growl followed by moaning noises. Jones tapped him
hard on the shoulder.
    'Cut