Rude Shock Read online

  AMERICA FALLS

  Episode 4

  RUDE SHOCK

  Scott Medbury

  Contents

  Copyright © 2018 Scott Medbury

  Part One: The Valley

  Part Two: Rude Awakening

  Part Three: Convoy

  Copyright © 2018 Scott Medbury

  Formerly published as Volume 3 of After Days Series.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All characters and events depicted in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  RUDE SHOCK

  “Inside every man is a beast that cannot be tamed…”

  -Anonymous

  Part One: The Valley

  1

  The optimism we felt that day, looking down at the farmhouse, was overwhelming and infectious. We rushed down the hill to what would become our new home like crazy, excited kids and, right then, that’s exactly what we were. All of the death and destruction was forgotten for a little while, and we were able just to be ourselves.

  The big farmhouse dominated the fields and buildings around it. It looked sturdy and well maintained despite its faded paintwork and, like the others, I felt a burst of happiness at the prospect we would make it our home.

  Ben was the first to reach the verandah which wrapped around the entire building, only slowing as he climbed the stairs and arrived at the front door. It was painted a jarring shade of pale blue and looked as if it could have been painted just yesterday. Ben waited for the rest of us to arrive, wanting to share the moment, I guess. We gathered round, and we seemed to collectively hold our breath as he reached out and grasped the brass door handle before turning it. It was locked.

  “Of course,” said Ben. “Wouldn’t want things to be too easy now, would we?”

  I stepped forward and put my ear to the door. I couldn’t hear anything. Indigo had gone to a window and peeked past the white lace curtains.

  “Nothing.”

  “I think it’s safe to break in,” I said. “But let’s try not to damage the door too much.”

  “I’ll do it,” volunteered Ben. He stepped back a few paces, ushering the rest of us out of the way, then shoulder charged the door ... and promptly fell on his backside, leaving the door unscathed and us in stitches.

  “I’ll try,” said Beau from the rear of our group, as Ben climbed to his feet, rubbing his shoulder and looking sheepish.

  We let him through, and he produced a small red-handled chisel from his pocket.

  “Where did you get that?” asked Luke.

  “Back at one of the houses we raided. It was in the garage.”

  He stepped up to the door and placed the point of the chisel where the door met the jamb, just next to the handle, and began working it. It wasn’t an easy task, but after a few minutes and several of us having turns, there was a splintering sound as the latch pulled free of the timber and the door creaked open.

  “Ben and I will go in first and scope it out,” I said, pulling out my handgun. “I’ll yell the all clear when we’re sure it’s okay.”

  The house was big, empty, and well maintained. The room we entered was a big living room with a high ceiling and a large brick fireplace. It was furnished comfortably, if not extravagantly, the older style furniture reminding me of houses I had seen in old black and white movies my mom and dad used to watch occasionally.

  Opposite the front door was a staircase leading up to a landing that ran the equivalent length of the living room. We decided to explore the ground level first.

  To the left was a large kitchen and with a huge walk-in pantry and a door that led down to a large basement. We high fived when we saw how well-stocked it was. A door at the rear of the kitchen led to a laundry. We also found a bathroom on ground floor and then headed for the stairs.

  On the landing, we decided to split up to explore the upper level of the big house. We were almost certainly the only humans in there, dead or alive. While the home smelt musty, there was no nasty undertone of rot to it, and I’m pretty sure if anyone were living there we would have been confronted by now.

  We found six bedrooms on the upper level, along with another bathroom and, as I suspected, there were no bodies, dead or alive, in any of the rooms. We reached the last bedroom together; it appeared to be the master bedroom and had a massive four poster bed.

  We looked around. I checked the wardrobe as Ben examined the big timber dresser against the back wall. He picked up a tiny crystal object from where it sat on the polished top.

  “I think I’ll give this to Brooke,” he said. “She always loved Bambi when we were little.”

  I felt a pang of loss as I thought briefly of my own sister.

  “I think she’d like that. I better call them up. They must be wondering what’s happening.”

  I went to the door.

  “All clear! Come on in!”

  The squeals of sheer delight and thundering footsteps on the staircase were infectious, and Ben and I looked at each other, grinning. Apparently, we had the same idea and immediately ran for the big bed, leaping onto it and rolling onto our backs. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do while packing loaded guns, but we were oblivious.

  We lay there spread-eagle on the soft mattress, laughing and listening to doors slam, and voices call dibs on rooms. I felt myself begin to relax slowly. It had been a long, difficult journey, but I felt like, at last, we were finally home.

  A grinning Luke joined us shortly thereafter and instigated a pillow fight by grabbing one from the floor where it had fallen and whacking me one handed on the side of the head. Outnumbered four good arms to one, he lost badly!

  It appeared the house had been vacant at the time of the infection and, while Ben, Luke, and I were acting out upstairs along with the others, Indigo and Brooke, far more practical than us, were checking the pantry. Ben and I had looked briefly, of course, but the girls went through it and made an inventory of everything in there. It was extremely well-stocked, with an assortment of canned foods and dry packaged goods, like flour and sugar. It appeared we had struck the motherlode.

  We spent the next few hours exploring every nook and cranny of our new home. The house had its own generator, which Beau managed to fire up. We would be able to power the house, at least until we ran out of fuel for the generator. There were a few modern appliances, including a stove and oven in the kitchen and a TV in the living room, but apart from that, it was pretty much technology-free. The big fireplace in the living room would come in handy once winter set in.

  As the girls prepared a warm meal -- our first since we had escaped from Drake Mountain -- I couldn’t resist turning on the TV. I flicked through the stations slowly, knowing I wouldn’t find anything, except possibly Chinese broadcasts, but hoping just the same. Apart from one channel which had a black screen, all the rest were digital snow.

  “Nothing, huh?” Luke asked, coming up beside me.

  “Nah. Didn’t think there would be, but ... you know.”

  “I thought there would be a Chinese channel, at least. It might be a sign the Professor’s attack was successful.”

  “Maybe. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  During our trek from Drake Mountain, I had reconciled my mixed emotions regarding the retaliatory attack on the Chinese. As we passed the empty houses and towns which were a testament to the ruthlessness of the Chinese government, I wondered how
we could ever remain free while a regime like that established itself in our country.

  While it was horrible that thousands would die if the reverse engineered virus had been effective, there was no other way we were ever going to have a chance to live out our lives as free people if it wasn’t. Perhaps the end did justify the means after all.

  “Yeah ... hey, on a brighter note, there are a few animals out in the yard, but I don’t think it was a functioning farm. Not for a long time anyway. I think it was more like a hobby farm. Probably owned by some rich city dude who only came on the weekends or something.”

  “Yeah, or maybe it was a bed and breakfast,” said Brooke, coming up beside us and looking at the black screen. “What’s on? Oh, I think I’ve seen this show. It’s called Blackout, right?”

  We laughed at her lame joke and Luke grabbed her in a bear hug. The pretty English girl squealed in delight as she struggled to escape his grip. He let her go eventually, and she told us that dinner was ready as she left the room looking happy.

  “What?” asked Luke, when he saw my knowing smile.

  “Huh? Oh, nothing... nothing at all. Was just thinking you two would make a great couple.”

  He blushed, and I slapped him on his good shoulder.

  “Come on, let’s go eat.”

  The meal Brooke and Indigo had prepared was nothing fancy, but it was a feast to us. Although it was dinnertime, the mix of foods on the table would actually have made a hearty breakfast.

  Beau had collected eggs from an abandoned chicken coop he found. It appeared the chickens were now free range, but apparently came back to the coop to lay. Indigo had fried them up, so they were crisp on the bottom and soft on top. We had one each with a couple left over. Luke and Ben wolfed those down when everyone else politely passed. No one seemed to mind.

  The fried eggs were delicious and to accompany them we had oatmeal, warm baked beans, and, for dessert, a crusty kind of homemade bread with honey on top.

  “I propose a toast,” said Luke, banging his fork against the glass of water in front of him. “Here’s to fresh eggs!”

  We all laughed and spent the next hour happily enjoying food, friendship, and the comfort of our new home.

  After dinner, Indigo, Brooke, and I chipped in to clear the table and wash the dishes, while the others went upstairs. There was something strangely comforting about that domestic chore, and I found myself enjoying it and the company of the girls almost as much as I had enjoyed dinner. It was something none of us had done for a very long time. For me, it was topped off when Brooke left the room briefly, and Indigo grasped my face with hands covered in soap suds and kissed me on the lips as I dried a bowl. Of course, the tender moment was cut short by Luke entering at that most inopportune moment.

  “Get a room, you two!”

  His teasing earned him a swift punch in the arm from Brooke who trailed behind him. I was too happy at the sweet promise that kiss held to let anything faze me. Indigo and I just giggled and went back to washing the dishes.

  When we had finished, Allie made everyone a drink of hot chocolate from cocoa powder, and Carnation evaporated milk. We drank it standing in the kitchen as the conversation turned more serious.

  “We need to vote for a leader,” said Paul, after draining his mug in record time. “I nominate Isaac. He’s done a good job so far, and I don’t see a reason we should change.”

  “Do we need a leader?” asked Allie. “I mean, we all get along and stuff.”

  “Yeah, we do need one,” said Brooke. “A strong one. I for one don’t want to see a pig’s head on a stake any time. If we were on an island, I would be freaking out right now.”

  I understood her reference to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, but there were some blank looks on faces around the room. Luke briefly explained, with some relish, the characters’ descent into savagery and murder, evoking expressions of horror from Ava and Allie.

  “Well, thanks for that cheerful explanation, Luke,” said Ben. “The point is, we do need a leader. I vote for Isaac, too. Anyone else?”

  Hands went up around the room, and I found myself unanimously elected for a position I hadn’t volunteered for, elected as a leader without opening my mouth. Indigo squeezed my arm supportively. I was quiet for a moment. The thing was, I wasn’t sure I wanted to shoulder all the responsibility again.

  “I’m really flattered. But the truth is, I couldn’t have been a good leader without everyone else doing their part, too. I don’t want to lead on my own... I nominate Indigo and Luke to be my co-leaders.”

  “Do you mean like advisors or actual co-leaders?” asked Luke.

  “Co-leaders. I want each of us to have an equal say.”

  “A triumvirate then? Yeah, I’m cool with that.”

  “A what?” asked Ava.

  “It’s a Roman term,” said Luke. “During one period of their history, instead of being ruled by one man, they were ruled by three who all had equal power.”

  “Well,” I said quickly. “We’re not ruling anyone; we’ll be leading, which is different. And with three of us making the decisions, there is less chance of someone doing something stupid. What do you say, Indigo?”

  She looked unsure, but when all the girls piped up in support, she smiled and agreed.

  “Okay, I guess.” She shrugged. “If that’s what everybody wants. I think we should vote again in six months or something to give someone else a chance, though.”

  “Maybe a year?” suggested Luke. “Shall we take a vote then? All those for Isaac, Indigo, and I being our first triumvirate, raise your hand.”

  Everybody’s hands went up.

  “And voting every year?”

  Again the vote was unanimous. I guess that vote was the first step we took to planning our future. The very fact that we’d been in the Valley for just a few hours and were already scheduling something in a year’s time displayed the sense of optimism we all felt.

  Over the next forty or so minutes, we managed to assign jobs and tasks for everyone and also decided it would be wise for the time being to set a nightly watch, just in case there were other not-so-friendly inhabitants in the area. Beau volunteered for that night’s first shift, and it was agreed he would wake Paul at 3 A.M. to take over until morning.

  It was Indigo who brought up the sleeping arrangements.

  “So, what shall we do about the bedrooms?”

  “Um, girls sharing with girls and boys sharing with boys,” I said, too fast.

  I could feel my face burning. I had decided earlier I would suggest that arrangement, so why was I embarrassed? Probably because of Luke’s wicked grin and my own teenage awkwardness.

  Of course, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I started to think that maybe Indigo would think I didn’t want to share a room with her. I mean, I had just assumed she wouldn’t want to share with me, but I didn’t want her to think that I didn’t want to share with her ... just in case she did want to! I was very confused.

  She came to my rescue.

  “Okay,” she said, a little smile curling her lips. “Sounds good. Brooke and I can have the room with the single beds, and Ava and Allie can bunk together in the big room.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Ava. “I can have a single bed if you want.”

  “No, don’t be silly,” said Brooke. “In your condition, I think you deserve the big bed.”

  “Okay cool,” I said, the roaring flames of my embarrassment slowly dying to embers. “I’ll share with Luke.”

  “I’ll share with Beau,” said Paul.

  “Excellent! I’ll have a room all to myself!” said Ben.

  After that awkward conversation, I brought up a far more serious one.

  “It’s been a few days now since the Professor’s drones went out. I want to take a small group scouting to see what’s happened. I plan to head back to Plymouth on foot to survey the damage ... if there is any. It shouldn’t take more than a day and night. We’ll leave before dawn the day after
tomorrow. Any volunteers?”

  Ava was the only one who didn’t put her hand up. Given her condition, that wasn’t surprising.

  “Not you, Luke, you only lost your hand a few days ago. I want you to rest up and let it heal properly.”

  For once he didn’t argue.

  “Ben and Paul, I’ll take you two. Indigo and Brooke, I’d rather you two stay and help Allie make sure everything runs smoothly for the first few days. Beau, I want you to start getting the farm and the animals we have into shape. Luke can help as much as he can. Ava, you just need to rest up and look after you and the baby.”

  I told them I would organize the mission the next day and we began discussing our plans for the farm and writing the list of chores for everyone to do. Among us, only Beau had any kind of farm experience. During our journey to the Valley, he had told us he had spent many a summer holiday on his uncle’s farm in Vermont.

  We had an ample water supply. The pond at the rear of the property was huge, and there was also a large rainwater tank adjacent to the farmhouse. Luke informed us the tank water would be okay to drink but we should still to go through the process of boiling our drinking water. Of course, we would have to do the same with the pond water if we ever needed it. We set up a roster for someone to collect water from the tank and boil it every day.

  Like the chicken coop, we had found the gates to the pig pen open when we arrived, and one of the girls had since spotted the escapees roaming the farm. With a bit of luck, they would all be on the farm somewhere. Beau’s first task would be to catch the pigs and the chickens with the help of a few volunteers.

  The cattle were in good shape, grass being in plentiful supply. There were four cows, a calf, and a bull, but only the mother was giving milk. Another was pregnant, and Beau informed us she would be ready to milk after she gave birth.

  “The other two are kind of useless for milk unless they become pregnant. Two should produce plenty of milk for us, though.”