Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel(96)

Probably just moping about somewhere.

To Nick’s great surprise, Jan and Renee had chosen to sit with Dave while they ate. They even shared a few beers. Perhaps they appreciated his lobbying to get them out of the cellar; although they should have been thanking Cassie more.

Maybe they just want to be with the guy who makes the decisions.

Nick finished the last of his lukewarm burger and stood up from the table. He felt a headache coming on and the growing darkness inside the restaurant was making his mood low.

“Where are you going?” Eve asked him, a concerned look on his face.

“I just fancy a walk and some air.”

“You want me to come with?”

Nick shook his head. As much as he enjoyed Eve’s company, right now all he wanted was a bit of solitude. “I won’t be long,” he said. “You just stay here with Pauline.”

Eve seemed a little unsettled that he was leaving on his own, but she didn’t complain and agreed to stay put.

Nick headed out through the restaurant window and entered the shadows of the park. The moon was full and everything seemed to glow with a silvery edge sharp enough to cut flesh. The park’s rollercoaster, The Hood, towered in the distance like a giant stick insect. A Lovecraftian monolith blending with the shadows.

Nick headed for the zoo. The animals had a calming effect on him and he liked seeing them go about their peaceful existence. It was almost enough to make him forget about everything else.

But, as soon as his eyes caught sight of the smouldering fires in distant villages, reality always came crashing back.

Coming up on his left was the empty orang-utan enclosure. It was a serene landscape of shadows and dark angles, so he decided to settle there. He leant up against the enclosure’s barrier and let his head drop. Beneath him were the rotting bodies of the infected that Annaliese said had attacked Lily and her family. It spoiled the peacefulness, somewhat, so he looked around for a more suitable place to enjoy the small circle of enclosed nature.

The bungalow at the edge of the habitat was sloped; low on the side that faced the footpaths and taller on the side that faced the enclosure. A drainage pipe ran up one side of the building.

Nick didn’t know why, but the thought of climbing up on the roof was appealing. Something childish inside of him desired the feeling of being up high where it was safe. Five-hundred feet above the ground and he still had the need to go higher.

Maybe the closer I can get to Heaven, the closer I will be to James.

He stepped closer to the bungalow and took a running leap onto the drainpipe. It creaked under his weight and felt as though it might come away from the wall, but then it caught on its brackets and held firm. He shimmied the seven or eight feet up to the roof and then hoisted himself over the edge. He headed to the highest point of the sloped surface and eased himself down, letting his legs dangle free above the enclosure.

From up high, he had a better view of Ripley Heights. Ripley Hall rose in the shadows at the back of the park; its many rooms full of shrieking horrors that could be released at any moment. Nick shuddered as he thought about what would happen if the doors were ever opened. He chose to turn his head and instead look over at the amusement park, but even that had taken on a sinister fa?ade. Its unused carousel, its abandoned pirate ship, and its dormant big wheel had all taken on a ghostly visage as they seemed to shimmer beneath the moon’s penetrating glow. The whole place looked haunted, echoing a past of children giggling and parents kissing. Things the old park would never see again.

Thud!

Something hit the roof right behind Nick and he cried out in fright. He twisted around and almost lost his balance on the roof. He grabbed the edge with both hands and managed to steady himself just when he had been sure he would fall.

“Jesus Christ!” he said when he realised what was behind him. His first instinct was to flee, but as the seconds went by, the orang-utan made no attempt to grab out at him or hurt him in any way.

Lily examined Nick curiously, tilting her head left and right. Slowly, she raised her left arm and inched it towards him. He let one of his own hands come away from the roof’s edge and gradually raised it to meet hers.

This is nuts.

Their hands touched. Lily’s rough fingertips slid over the cold flesh on the back of Nick’s hand. She let out a soft hoot.

“I heard you and me have something in common,” Nick said to her softly. “I lost my family, too. At least your man did his job and protected you, though. I let my family down.”

Lily’s breath was audible as it escaped through her deep nostrils. It was almost like she knew what he was talking about but didn’t like the subject. The smell of her being so close was intoxicating. It was an unpleasant smell yet, in some ways, comforting. It was the smell of a creature uninterested in personal hygiene or any of the numerous other stresses that mankind placed upon itself. It was a reminder of what man really was deep down: just an ape – egotistical and self-involved, but really nothing more than an ape.

Maybe we would all be happier if we just accepted that.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Lily,” he said.

At the sound of her name, Lily hooted again. Then she took off into the night as quickly as she had arrived. Nick missed her already as she leapt into the treeline and disappeared. Now that she was gone, his thoughts would resume their torment of him. He had sought out solitude – needed it, in fact – but now that he had it, he was afraid. His memories had talons and they were poised to rip him apart.