Ryan eased out of the hug, a smile on his face. “We’re going to get out of here, Aaron. We’re going to get out of here and take life by the balls, yeah?”
Aaron wiped a tear from his face and smiled. “Yeah, but no matter what, we don’t tell mam about any of this.”
“Too bloody right!”
The shaft of light coming in through the plastic window diluted more and more. The sun was deserting them and it would soon be dark outside. Ryan found himself standing directly beneath the dangling lightbulb in the centre of the shed, as if its glow might keep him safe. Aaron was standing near the back, readying the two bicycles that he still insisted were their best way out of the situation. He was probably right. It would sure beat running.
Ryan looked towards the shed door, wishing he could see through it. How long had they been hiding in there now? An hour? Two? “Do you think Brett and Loobey are okay?”
“I don’t know.” Aaron’s glum tone suggested he thought not. Sean was still out there somewhere.
They had armed themselves as best they could after having searched the shed’s inventory, and Ryan now held a sixteen-ounce hammer. Its wooden handle was old and splintered, but the tool was solid overall. It would break bone. Aaron held a pitchfork with only three tines, the left-middle one snapped away. It would have to do.
“This one has a light,” said Aaron, switching on a small torch mounted to the handlebars of one of the bikes. The frame was yellow, while the other bike was red. “We’re going to have to make a break for it eventually.”
Ryan didn’t want to think about it. Out there, in the night-covered hills, the ground would be merciless. Arriving by daylight in a four-by-four had been hazardous enough. Mr McGregor knew the roads but had still taken every corner cautiously while bringing them up here.
The lightbulb overhead flickered, causing both brothers to glance at each other. Aaron pulled a face. “How long do you think the generator will last?”
“McGregor said it would last all weekend. He said the solar panels supplied most of the power and the generator was just a backup.”
Aaron’s eyes widened. “The solar panels? Shit, they were probably fried by the EMP. If they were…”
Ryan groaned. “Then the generator will be working overtime and we might not have long left.”
The lightbulb flickered again.
Ryan grabbed his hair with both hands. “I can’t stay here in the dark, man. I’ll go to pieces.”
Aaron shushed him. “It’ll be all right. Don’t panic.”
“I feel trapped. It’s almost worse than being outside with Sean.”
“It’s not and you know it. We’re safe in here. Keep your head and we’ll figure a way out of this.”
Ryan nodded. He wasn’t usually claustrophobic, but these were extreme circumstances. Being trapped inside an old spider-infested shed, miles from anywhere, and with a monster stalking them was enough to make anyone panic. In fact, he was surprised by how calm Aaron was being.
He’s been calm all along. I don’t give the kid enough credit.
The light in the room shifted as something moved past the plastic window and cast a weak shadow. A subtle sound, like crumpling paper, caught their attention. Aaron took a step to see what was happening. His expression left no doubt that it was bad. “Bugs! They’re coming in through the window.”
Ryan didn’t dare move closer, but he spotted a tiny gap between the plastic window and the wood. Bugs were scuttling through, one by one, like fat-legged slugs. Ryan looked at the hammer in his hand, reassured by the weight. “I think we should make a break for it. If we have any chance, we need to go while there’s a tiny bit of sunlight left, and I’d rather face Sean than stay in here with all these bugs.”
Aaron seemed pained, but he nodded. “I don’t think we have a choice. Once the light goes out, we’ll have no way of seeing where the bugs are. We’ll get infected. I swear, if we make it back to the village, I’m coming right back with a flamethrower.”
“I won’t argue with that, but listen to me, Aaron, okay? If Sean is out there, leave him to me. I’m your big brother, which means I’m the one who takes the risks.”
Aaron rolled his eyes.
“I ain’t kidding. Once we get outside, you get on a bike and pedal like crazy. Anything else, you leave to me. I need you to promise me. Promise me!”
Aaron shrugged. “Whatever, I promise. Can we just get out of here before we’re covered in bugs?”
“All right.”
By now the bugs had started to drop onto the floor beneath the window. Aaron stamped on a few, but they kept on coming. It was now or never.
Ryan stepped out of the bulb’s weak halo and went to the shed’s door. It was on a latch but not locked, which filled Ryan with horror that he hadn’t done anything to secure it. In his panic, he hadn’t even thought about it. As it turned out, the monster outside had made no attempt to get in. Was it unable to physically? Or hadn’t it even occurred to it to try and open the door?
Sean would have known how to get inside. He would have grabbed the handle. Does that mean he’s truly gone?
Yeah. He’s been gone a while.
He’s gone.
Ryan felt a hitch in his throat, and he had to push aside his feelings before he broke down. He placed his left hand on the shed’s handle and held the hammer in his right. His thumb moved to the latch release. His heart pounded in his chest.
“Wait,” said Aaron, then he wheeled both bicycles to the front of the shed. He propped one against the wall, but the other – the yellow one with the
