In The End Box Set , Stevens, GJ [motivational novels .txt] 📗

time the boat strayed to one side, Gibson would crouch, pushing us gently off the bank with creatures swiping at the wood.

Without command, we formed a circle on the deck, each of us but Shadow, who stood proud at the back of the boat, peering at the unholy creatures who gaped back, almost drooling with hunger. Only Gibson moved when he had to push the pole to the edge.

For the first time since the disaster had begun, and with nothing else I could do, I studied the creatures, staring at their grotesque injuries and picking out their resemblance to who they had been before they had turned into something that, even after all this time, I had great trouble understanding how they could be real.

A chill breeze renewed the stench in my nostrils and I noticed the awful smell for the first time in a while.

I couldn’t help but marvel at our ability to adapt, but once I’d taken notice of the putrid vapour, nothing could stop the waves of odour clawing at the back of my throat.

After five or ten minutes, or it could have been less, I found the stand-off so exhausting I felt my guard drop until one of the others moved, or took a step to steady themselves and a rush of adrenaline would surge through my body, fearing it could be our last moment.

A crash of water came from behind and our combined twist sent the boat rocking, forcing us to regain our balance. Relief came when I saw our number was still the same and it was a creature who had fallen into the water with its place on the bank already filled, leaving the blonde hair floating just below the surface as the only sign of what had happened.

I sat on the deck, holding my head in my hands.

“What happens when the water’s high enough?” I asked, not lifting my head.

“What?” came Sherlock’s heavy accent.

I looked to see him towering over me, but no one else had turned from the water.

“Get the fuck up, you little shit,” he boomed.

“Give it a rest will you,” I snapped back, turning away.

A foot came at me as if from nowhere and landed a blow to my back.

I jumped to my feet, full of rage, swinging my fist in his direction. He stepped back, then pulled his arm away, balling his fist, the boat rocking as he jabbed, but before he could swing out, Thompson was behind him, pinning his arms at his back.

“Fucking stop it,” Thompson bellowed, his voice booming so loud it seemed even the creatures paused their clawing to take note.

Shouts rose from others, arms wrapping around me to take hold.

Realising Alex held me tight, I didn’t struggle, but glared to Sherlock as Thompson released him.

“One more, Sherlock, and you’ll be up on a charge.”

A splash in the water caused us to turn, and Alex released her grip so she could look. Another splash came, the noise from all around and we watched as one after the other all of the creatures stepped into the water, plunging down with their expressions unchanging as if they hadn’t noticed the fall.

Soon the water teemed with movement as a mass of hair waved in the water with bubbles rising to the surface. I looked around the now unimpeded view on the bank as if night had turned to day.

With all of the creatures in the water, it made everything so much better again. Turning around with a smile I couldn’t suppress, I looked to Sherlock and although he didn’t nod or show any apology, he at least didn’t launch into another attack.

“It must have been the noise,” I said.

“Guess so,” Alex replied, along with a few murmurs from the rest.

“Let’s just hope nothing else heard it,” said Jess in a cold, flat voice.

A shrill call echoed in the distance.

Alex raised her arm, pointing past the pub and across the river. As the only things moving, the dark figures were easy to spot; the small crowd leaping to the air every so often gave us no doubt they were what we dreaded the most.

73

“They won’t be able to make it across the river.” Alex’s voice cut through my thoughts.

Letting my stare fall down to the dirty brown water, I gazed at its alien motion.

“The mud flats on either side of the river will swallow them up if they’re stupid enough to try.”

I nodded, but any sense of relief fell away when the high-pitched calls cut through the air at our back from the place I knew there was no such natural defence to keep them at bay.

“We have to take a fucking chance,” I said, as I struggled to hold back my rising panic. “Open the gates.” I turned inward to the circle, glancing at each of their faces whilst searching for a sign someone saw sense in my words.

We each turned to Cassie at the sound of another distant call, so much closer than the last. Cassie looked back, stony-faced, as if she hadn’t heard the noise or didn’t care. Instead, she took the three steps to the wheelhouse and peered forward.

After a moment she turned to Gibson with the pole still in his hands and nodded. “It’s hard to tell how far it’s risen, but I guess we have little choice.”

Gibson didn’t wait, leaning out with the pole to push away from the hotel side of the bank. As we drifted, water splashed up to the sound of hands slapping at the hull.

Nearing the edge, Gibson used the pole to drag us closer, but the bodies in the water stopped us from getting right up to the concrete, their squirming motion pushing against the boat as we squeezed them against the bank.

Cassie jumped the gap and I followed, the