Nick lay in those strange, unknown peoples' bed. It was morning, maybe. Or evening. There was no way of knowing. The sun was up at least.
He looked at the ceiling and enjoyed the quiet peace of this room.
The candles had gone out, so it must have been a long while later. Who cared? There was no reason to care. Right there, and then, he had no cares in the world whatsoever, for once. All the world and all its nonsense stopped at the door. They were free in that peaceful room and he had just got laid by the hottest girl alive in this town.
Nick joined Sarah at the open window, where she was smoking. She wore the disappeared man's dressing gown and had towelled off most of the wetness from herself, although the oil had clumped the tips of her hair. She twisted it between her fingers and tutted.
Nick hugged her from behind, still naked, and nuzzled into the side of her neck. Sarah passed her spliff back and held it between Nick's lips. He watched the clouds trace their silent way across the sky and how the wind moved the trees.
'I've been watching someone walk up the hill very slowly,' Sarah said, absent-mindedly.
Nick replayed it over in his mind a couple of times.
'What?' he said.
'I've been watching someone,' Sarah said, exhaling, 'climb up this hill.' She pointed at a figure from the corner of the window.
Nick stared, as the person, clothed in all-in-one green overalls, hobbled slowly into view. The figure was bent over and limped as it made its way very slowly along the pavement.
'This fella passed by a bunch of Deads and they didn't pay him any attention,' Sarah murmured.
Nick watched for a while more as the stooped figure neared the far edge of the window's view. He then swore, pulled his trousers on, looked about until he found a t-shirt and pulled it on then tripped and fell down the stairs.
Out on the street, Nick called out to the figure and waved him over.
'Hi there! Come on over! It's not safe out here. You can't stay outside.' Nick went and guided him across the street then led him through the gate.
The group of the friends congregated in one of the gardens and the excited buzz that susurrated among them fell silent as they guided the nervous old chap, who was wearing what looked like a hazmat suit, to one of their dens. They laughed and smiled, delighted to find other life in the world.
In the dim clutter of the kitchenette they offered the old man a drink. He declined, but a very full glass of gin was thrust into his hand anyway. With the over-enthusiastic help of others, he was soon relieved of the headgear of his green suit
The man had wispy combed back white hair sparsely covering a freckled scalp. He looked good for his age, they thought. He had tanned skin, wise eyes and looked every inch the kindly uncle. They noted with concern, however, how the dark hoods around his eyes made him look like he was ill, or sickening for something. The girls fussed over him.
The man grinned, quite overwhelmed by the reception, and took a drink of gin.
'Gosh,' he said, and choked a little. 'Do you have anything to go with it?'
'Poor effort, lad,' said someone from the back, and was told to shut up.
'Sure,' said someone from the front, and they poured a tonic into his grimy, well-used glass. 'Although I'm afraid we can't offer you any ice. Also, we seem to be short on limes.'
'That's okay,' the man said. He squinted at them as he took a sip.
Nick forced his way to the front. 'Where have you come from? Do you know if there's any kind of rescue coming?'
'Oh… um,' said the man as the glass was helped up to his mouth by a hand. He gulped and said, 'I've come from further in town. I was making my way to Golcar. I've got family there. I want to make sure they're alright. Trouble is, it took me a bit longer than usual this time. I get tired a lot these days.'
'How many of you are there? Whereabouts are you based?'
'I like your overalls. Where did you—' Katie began.
'Shut up!' said Nick. 'Why didn't you drive?'
'Well, I was never much of a driver, couldn't drive for a few years cos of my legs. Aren't what I used to be!' he chuckled, ruefully. 'And most of the roads are blocked. The sick are everywhere.'
'The sick? Sure, sure,' said Nick, and he asked for the man's name, which was Charlie. 'We're waiting to be rescued out here. Has anyone got in touch with you, like the army, or the police?'
'Sort of. There is a rescue organisation, of sorts. It's made up of ex-police, military, rescue services and the like. Mainly civilian volunteers, though,' said Charlie. 'But there's not that many and they can't do much. They're overstretched as it is, and this far away from their control zones is more than they can deal with. They try to drop us some supplies when they can.'
'Whereabouts are your lot in Golcar and what kind of defences have you got?' asked Nick. 'Have you got any guns?'
'Give it a rest, Nick,' said Emma. 'Just be quiet and let him speak. Sorry darling, you go on. The thing is, you're the first person we've seen since this all happened. At all.'
'It's so lovely to see someone, you'll have to stay,' said Jenny and squeezed his arm.
'Rumour has it that there's a camp in Leeds, where the police and army take in people and protect them. They have a lot on their hands so they probably won't find you all the way out here. If you go to them they wouldn't turn you away, I don't think. At least not empty-handed,' said Charlie. 'They could probably use you young'uns help.'
The friends in the room stood and looked at Charlie with undisguised eagerness. It was so wonderful to see someone else for once, someone who wasn't from the group. There was quiet for a while. The old fella chuckled a little self-consciously.
'Well it's marvellous to see that you've pulled through it all and seem to be doing okay,' said Charlie, grinning and a little glazed-looking from the gin. 'I think your face paint's fantastic. Have you been having a party this evening?'
The others seemed to find this amusing. Charlie chuckled along too, although he wasn't sure why it was funny.
'You seem to be doing alright for yourself,' Charlie said, as he took Nick by the wrist and had a peer at all his watches. Nick grinned. He really liked the fellow. He was much better company than the idiots he was saddled with.
'We're the merry court of kings and tricksters in our castle upon the hill!' Jack said, beaming with a theatrical flourish, which puzzled the man and made the nearest friends cringe.
'Yes, well. You're only borrowing these, I take it? You'd need to save up some pocket money for that collection! Still, if there's no one around to object to you looking after them for a bit, then it's not so bad,' Charlie said. The idea that taking what they found was somehow unethical was a strange one to the friends. It was something none of them had considered.
'We never could agree,' enquired Emma. 'Where did the bombs drop?'
'Well, we think they were dropped on Manchester, Halifax and Sheffield. Big mushroom clouds in the skies for days.'
'Ha. I fucking knew it,' said Joe.
'Language!'
'…then everything went dark, like night, and it began to snow,' Charlie said. 'But of course, it wasn't actually snow. Bloody Russians.'
'I still can't believe it. There was lots of smoke from huge fires, and ash blowing our way, but if nuclear bombs were dropped, wouldn't there have been huge tremors, lots of noise, windows broken for miles…' Matt shook his head.
'There was. Where were you?' said Charlie.
'Then how are we still alive? And how do you know it was the Russians?' Jack seemed to remain sceptical. Charlie couldn't answer.
'What I do know is that since all the people got sick I can tell you a few stories, believe you me! There was a time when our Peter got stranded on the roof because of next door's cat, who'd gone barmy, and—'
'Hang on, wait, sorry, where can we find this organisation in Leeds?' Sarah asked him.
'I can't be sure. They found us,' said Charlie.
They kept topping up the man's smudged glass. He was loosened by the alcohol and elevated a little by some second-hand smoke from the others.
'Well, that smells interesting! What kind of baccy's that? 'Ere, there isn't something else in there is there? Somefink a li'l naughty?' Charlie said, quite giddy by now.
'It's mostly Cutter's Choice,' said Tom. 'Mostly.'
They passed him the joint. Charlie took a little whiff. 'Oh no, I don't like that,' he said, coughing. 'Strong, that is.'
'Tell us about the world outside,' someone asked him.
'Ooh, you do hear some stories, I tell you that,' Charlie said. 'Now, some people talk of roving gangs of psychos that go roaming around. There's no police or order, so they go around doing whatever! Anything goes! They're sick loonies that gone mad since the "Big Bang".'
'Big Bang. Nice,' Jack said.
'…but not in the same way the common sick folks that have lost their mind. These uns are fiends! Vampires! They prey on small groups of people what can't defend themselves. They kidnap people and drink their blood, and they wear the skins of them's they do!'
Charlie lowered his voice and held the rest of the group in thrall. 'Some say they paint themselves like African tribesmen with their blood. They make necklaces out of body parts and they sold their souls to the Devil,' Charlie said, face in an expression of horror.
He lost them at that last bit. The idea of selling souls to the Devil in the present year was ridiculous. Up until then, the group seemed captivated and aghast at the story. Ripples of amusement made its way around them and the joviality that had dissipated from the room returned.
'Nah, sounds like a lot of make-believe,' Nick said dismissively. 'Have you ever seen them?'
'No, I haven't,' Charlie conceded, but he had heard all the stories and knew many people who had.
'It sounds like Chinese whispers, classic fireside horror stories. What people want to hear least they crave to hear the most, all in the name of good old-fashioned fun,' Jack said.
'God, I hope it isn't true. I never thought there would be people out there like that,' Emma said.
'Maybe it would be best if we did keep a low profile. Perhaps it's better if we stay hidden and hope the wrong people don't find us,' said Jenny.
Charlie stopped drinking and looked around him. He squinted at them. 'Say… are you lot alright? You folks look a little off colour… is it something going round…?' he began, but stopped to have a self-conscious drink. 'I need to find my family in Golcar.' He made to get up.
What? You can't go yet! You're the first person we've seen! How did you get past all the Pleb— I mean the sick people?' Emma clung to his arm.
'Well, maybe I don't look too appetising…' Charlie tried to sound humorous as he was sat back down but it was clear he was quite nervous. 'If you cover yourself up and don't show any skin, and don't go near them, our theory is that they don't know that you're dinner.' He didn't look comfortable.
'Whenever we go out they take one look at us and start getting worked up,' said Katie.
'Some others said that with my bad legs I walk like one!' said Charlie, and he made another unsuccessful attempt to get up. 'If I cover up and walk the way I do, then they don't pay me any mind. If you don't look like a living person then they generally don't look twice. If you talk or do something like use a car or mobility scooter, like I tried once, then they'll be all over you.'
'We wear these biker suits when we go out to cover up. They still attack us,' Jenny said.
Charlie looked from one face to the other. He seemed seized by a terrible, fearful thought.
'What's the matter?' asked Nick.
'I should move on. I didn't mean to come through Paddock,' Charlie said. 'I took a wrong turn.'
'It's getting dark,' said Nick. 'You can't leave now, it's too dangerous.'
'I've got family waiting on me,' said Charlie. 'I need to go see them!'
Everyone in the group had their full attention on him. He couldn't go. He was old and he looked slightly ill. They couldn't just let him go. He was such a sweet old man! They wanted to help him and nurse him and keep him. When he spoke they saw traces of reddened saliva on his set of pearly whites. He looked a bit weary, but there was still a compelling kind of vitality in his slightly bronzed skin. After they'd been left alone for so long, he couldn't disappear just as suddenly.
'Don't go!' said Jenny, and she hugged his arm tight. 'It's going to be night-time. You need to stay here with us. We can put you up. We do an amazing curry!'
Emma hugged him too, effectively trapping him in his chair. Both girls beamed at him, imploringly, and wouldn't let him go. 'You can't go! You have to stay with us.' They rained a shower of kisses down on his head, each longer and sloppier.
Charlie's eyes rolled around in a kind of panic as he tried to stand up.
'Let me out! I have to go and see that they're alright!' he surprised them all by shouting.
'Okay, okay, just let him go,' said Matt.
'But it will be night-time soon. He won't get far before then,' said Sarah.
'True,' said Matt under his breath.
The girls had to prise themselves off the man, and all the others had to step back to make way for him. They reluctantly handed him the headgear of his hazmat suit and followed him outside. For so long the friends had wished and searched for other people out in the world, which seemed to have mysteriously emptied. Now, the first and only person they had seen was hobbling hastily out of the door and down the stairs. They waved him off with regret. Charlie turned and shot them a strange wide-eyed look as he hurried off. They couldn't understand it. Together, they felt alone. Abandoned.