The Aliveagainers

5 - Gear

We come out early, it's cold and foggy. The solar lights cast shadows that hang in the mist like eyes.

Priya and Késhaun follow me as we creep along the side of the hotel. She's a little better, her fever has stopped but she's lookin' real strange and keeps mutterin'. She's also bein' a real cow, grumpy as anythin'.

"This way," I whisper and I scamper from the edge of the hotel to a hedge that lines the road. A thick tree hangs above us, its leaves slick and wet and bronzed by the fall. The parkin' lot is just behind the hedge, up a little rise of a hill. There's a bunch of cars parked there, some have their windows smashed in, others have obviously been hit. One has all the doors and even the trunk hung wide open.

I check the first set of keys—Toyota, with a remote opener. I could chance it, but I don't want to make any noise so figure we're gonna need to check each one we see.

Then I notice somethin' across the lot. There's a small row of offices and little stores. One of the lights is close enough that I can see some signs, or at least guess them. There's an accountant, a dry cleaner. And there, in the middle—bizarrely, a store called "London Calling". I remember walkin' past it, and I remember seein' food in it. My stomach rumbles at the thought and I realise how little we've had to eat the past few days. It seems so loud I turn to see if they've noticed but they don't seem to have.

"There's a store across the lot that might have food. I'll go check it out."

"Kayla, I wanna come with," says Késhaun.

I'm about to say no when I look over at Priya. She's starin' at the boy with the strangest look in her eyes. Almost glarin' at him, mutterin' somethin' under her breath. Then she flicks her eyes to me.

"What?" she spits.

"Priya, can you check which cars are Toyotas?"

She raises her head a little and looks over the hedge, then speaks curtly. "Of course I can. Give me the keys."

I think about it then clutch 'em tighter. "You just find the Toyotas; we'll go get the food. We'll come back and go together."

She sighs. "Fine." And then she ups and stands and walks out to the lot.

I wait a moment, then Késhaun and I run, half-crouchin' along the hedge to where it meets a small concrete wall and we follow that around. The ground is slick and wet, some parts almost icin' over.

Then we reach the road and I pause, kneelin' down, and Késhaun comes up next to me. I can see the stores across the street. Amazingly, they’re all lookin' ok, no windows smashed in or doors ripped out. I guess no one really needs their shirts pressed or taxes done when all the world’s gone to shit.

I take a look up and down the street. It's clear as far as I can see. I look back and can see Priya movin' slowly between the rows of cars, lookin' up at each one she passes.

"Let's go," I say and run across the street to the store.

I check the door, it's a simple old type with a simple lock above a brass plate. There's a sign that says, "Welcome Home". I reach into my pocket and pull out a nail file and a long, thin tweezer, slide 'em up into the lock and then start bumpin'. It's an easy one and I get it open in a second. I look down at Késhaun and give him a smile; he's got a grin on his face and that makes me glad. Who'd a thought showin’ a kid how to bust into a store could be a good thing?

We get inside and look around in the murk. It's dark but enough light spills in from outside for us to see. There's a fridge with a bunch of chocolate and water and soured milk inside. There's a souvenir backpack and I grab it, stuffin' water and biscuits, chocolate and dried fruit inside. Késhaun does the same, grabbin' a bunch of things. He passes 'em to me and I fill up the bag. One thing he gives me feels a bit weird and I look down to see one of them ol' teddy bears with the tall, black hats and a red jacket. The ones that protect the queen and that. He giggles a little and it makes me smile and I make a little show out of admirin’ the little bear’s fancy clothes and I put it in the bag.

Suddenly, I hear a noise and pause, then I hiss, "Quick, hide!" and push Késhaun ahead of me. We move to the back of the store, behind the counter, and get down. I hear footsteps outside come closer and then hear the sound of the door open.

"Well, shit," comes a deep voice.

I grab the nail file and hold it in my fist, pushin' Késhaun under me as best I can. The counter ain't more than two feet wide and I'm sure bits of us must be stickin' out.

I hear the guy movin' around then grabbin’ at some packet of somethin'. He tears it open and then I hear the crunchin' as he starts to chomp on whatever it is. He grunts and makes sounds as he's eatin'. He flicks on a torch and I hear him unzip somethin', start shovellin' stuff, I guess, into his own bag. The light flashes around as he moves.

I can feel Késhaun tremblin' beneath me. I whisper super quiet in his ear, "Sshh," and rub my hand on his head. He nods a little.

Then the footsteps move up and the guy comes to the back. I look up behind us and see the light shinin' on a row of food packs that look like jerky or meat or somethin'. The man comes up and grabs at one and he's there, right in front of us. He's a big guy, wearin' a huntin' jacket and his face all covered in a week or two of beard. I see tattoo's snakin' up his neck, bitin' out along his wrist. I hold the nail file ready, just gettin' myself up for stabbin' out if I need to.

I can hear him bitin' into somethin' and he groans again. My stomach growls and I tense up, sure he must've heard it. I can almost taste what he's eatin', my mouth wet and hungry. I imagine the meat he's eatin', all spicy and hot. Metallic.

The air chills and my heart drops.

The man freezes then turns the flashlight round. He swings it about, then moves it down and right into our faces. "Well, hell, what we gots here?" he asks in a low, drawn out kinda voice that tastes familiar.

Then a shriekin' noise comes in and the man turns to the door. I can feel the Aliveagainer sweep in, its teeth chatterin', and its whispers tumble and spill around the store. Its words are strange and sharp but I can feel their venom.

The man cries out. He drops the torch and whips out somethin' from his coat and the store echoes with the thunder of a gunshot.

It ain't do no good of course. The Aliveagainer sweeps up and I move my head down, cradlin' Késhaun beneath me. I can hear the man screamin', "No, no!" and the strange rustlin' sound as the spirit sweeps about him.

And then there's silence. I've got the nail file still clenched tight in my hand and I look up. The torch is aimin' in the corner and a bit of light casts back up at him.

The guy is standin' there, starin' straight ahead, outside the store window. He opens and shuts his mouth a few times then wipes his hands on his shirt. He clears his throat then speaks but he's talkin' some different language. It's all choppy and rough and I can't understand nothin'.

Then he takes a step forward and moves ahead, and he walks right outta the store.

We wait a while. I’m glad we didn’t leave the keys with Priya.

Then I sit up. I can feel Késhaun's been cryin'. I been holdin’ him too tight.

"It's ok, he's gone now. We're good."

He's tremblin' and nods. We wait a moment longer then take a drink from one of the water bottles. We fill our bag up, grab a few more things and stuff our pockets full, and then we make our way to the door and outside.