Write: Unplugged - After the End

Dear Readers,

Here I have posted my next instalment of Unplugged. Hopefully, you find it enjoyable to read and can see my skill increase in real time. I really hope you enjoy it!

If you're game... Read on:

Unplugged - After the End

Aliyah trudged up the road. One foot in front of the other. The tall, lanky Nelson was hunched forward in front of her. He too, was putting one foot in front of the other, stretching his strides out wide. Climbing the uphill road that had quickly bled out of the light commercial area into a country back road that wound its way side-to-side like a snake.

The whole road was framed by mature pine trees and streetlamps. Light grey concrete driveways sprouted from the dark tar on the road. Letter boxes gave a glimpse into the personalities of the owners that lived down the long steep driveways. Then through the dark green pine needles they could see buildings that were selling heavy duty construction vehicles and a timber processing factory.

In the lowlight of the sagging sun, Aliyah looked around at all of this scenery as she staggered, puffed and panted. Through deep breaths, she asked. “Ah! Are we... almost there... yet? How far... How much further?”

Her Mary Jane heels clacking heavily on the pavement as she stretched her legs forward in an exaggerated and tired fashion. Trudging up the steep road. Her whole body rocking side-to-side to bring her legs higher with every new step. All her energy focused on keeping up pace with the fit and long-legged Nelson. So much so that she walked straight into the back of a suddenly stationary Nelson.

Head back, he looked up at the dead bulb in the streetlamp above him. Rubbing his chin, he examined it thoughtfully.

“Ha! You know... I always thought that I have never relied on electricity, but...” He wagged a finger that pointed directly upwards to the lamp. “Those were pretty helpful.”

After a moment of pause, he looked back at Aliyah with excited, twinkling eyes. “We’d better hurry. The light is disappearing, and these... are of no use.” He indicated to the streetlamp. “Otherwise we run the risk of getting hit by a speeding vehicle. Lets go! The bus depot should be just around this next corner!” He took off in a run before he even finished his sentence.

Aliyah watched him go with a look of exhausted disgust. “Argh! No! I can’t go on anymore. I’m exhausted. Hey! Are you listening...? Don’t leave me!” She took off in a clambering run as he disappeared around a grassy bank that the road took a sharp turn around another corner.

With heavy steps she followed him. Now with the added anxiety of a car speeding around the corner at any given second. She pressed herself against the grassy bank as much she could. Keeping an eye out for a vehicle. Greatly appreciative of the excuse to slow down and catch her breath.

Once around the corner, she spotted Nelson cross diagonally over the road to a wide driveway on the other side. She followed with a groan.

His lanky figure ran in the fading light. Down the long cracked concrete driveway to a parking lot with long empty slots designed for buses. In the corner of the fenced-off property was a large two-storey building with a porch on the front of a reception area.

Aliyah was so grateful for the decline down the driveway. When she reached the parking lot that plateaued out, she copied Nelson and slowed from a desperate jog to a relaxed walk. However, the dimming blue light of the sinking sun reflecting off the sky was rapidly fading. This made her quicken her steps despite her pounding heart in her chest. Her poor Mary Janes weren’t used to this kind of physical activity. They flexed at the arch of her shoe where the sole lifted up to the small, chunky heel.

She regarded them with a sigh. “Oh, you poor things. You’re not made for running, are you?”

As she passed the building, she saw two tall garage doors on the side of the back half. Made for buses, no doubt. She spotted Nelson’s darkened figure standing at a gap in the light coloured wooden fence.

With a waving indication of his hand, he gestured to follow him and disappeared through the gap.

When she got to the gap, she paused to look behind her. There was a passing feeling of uncertainty. Should she follow this random stranger she had met earlier today through a sketchy hole in the fence in the countryside? She contemplated this for a moment. Then she realised that she’d come too far to turn back now.

With a renewed sense of determination, she stepped through the hole. Stooping her head and lifting her knee, she stepped through.

Her right Mary Jane landed on some wet mud. Then when she stood up straight, her left did too. She stood in a field of tall grass that reached her chest-height that backed onto a pine forest at the back. She could see all this in the low light, with the pine trees being the familiar dark triangular shapes in the distance.

There was a warm orange glow that immediately drew her eye to the centre of the field. A roaring fire. In the light of that glow, she saw a familiar figure approaching it.

“Nelson!” She said, barely above a whisper. Suddenly aware that there must be someone around to keep that fire alive, and unaware of what kind of person it was. She bent down and crept up to the fire, following the path through the grass that Nelson had blazed by his confident stride.

Her head unconsciously kept low, she came to the edge of the grass where there was an area of dirt. From there, Aliyah could see the fire in a tall oil drum that was riddled with rusted holes. A few patched-up camping chairs were laid out in a wide circle around it, with two men occupying two of them.

One of these men looked to be a wizened old wizard wrapped up in a thick winter coat without his staff. But he had a magnificent, long greyish white beard and narrowed eyes that stared into the blazing flames like he was unlocking the secrets of the universe.

The other man was middle-aged and sat directly across the fire from him. He too, had a beard. But his was shorter and more scraggly. He was in a slumped posture, arm over the back of the worn camping chair. Dull, dazed eyes with a gaping open mouth gave off the impression of a listless druggie. He was also staring into the fire, but he looked to be on some strong psychedelic instead.

The moment the two men realised Nelson’s presence, they both sat up with a start and gave a hooray!

“Ha ha! My boy. You’re back!” The wizened old wizard announced with a smile.

“Oh, ho ho ho! The prodigal son has returned.” The listless druggie said with a sloppy smile.

The sound of high-pitched cheers caught her attention. Two young children, a boy and girl, both came running out from behind the fire. Running to Nelson with wide open arms.

“Yay! Nelson’s back!” The boy called.

“Nelson! Up up! Pick me up!” The younger girl demanded. Her short arms stretched up as high as she could.

Nelson bent down and scooped them both up. Both of them were all smiles and clutching at his clothes with tiny hands. When he turned side on, Aliyah could see he looked just as happy to see them, as they were to see him.

Just outside of the fire's discernible light, she was so fixated on the handsome Nelson with the dazzling eyes shining in the flames that she didn’t notice the listless druggie catching a glimpse of her.

“Oh! Who’s that there?!” He boomed in a voice of warning. He squinted to see better amongst the grass and darkness.

She shuddered at his voice. A cold electric shock of terror shot down her spine. On instinct, she crouched down to hide in the grass.

“What is it?” The gravelly voice of the wizard asked.

“Someone was creeping up behind Nelson!” The druggie yelled. Groans and moans sounded like he was trying to lift himself out of his chair. “Nelson! Kids! Come away from the grass. Now!”

Protests from Nelson could be heard over the arguing and demanding of the druggie. “No! No wait! Grey! It’s just- She’s-” He was suddenly cut off by the sound of a pull-start motor being started.

The sound of whirring, vibrating metal and mechanical parts made an unexplainable sense of horror and fear overwhelm her. Her ability to think evaporated and her flight instincts kicked in. She turned and began running away.

It seemed as though the grass was woven together now. Deliberately trying to hold her back when she was in her panicked state. She fought and pushed her way through. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the figure of a stereotypical psychopathic murderer with a chainsaw raised high above his head, framed by the fire's bright yellow and warm orange light.

In that moment, Aliyah regretted every choice that had led her to this point. How stupid could she be to follow a stranger right into a horror genre situation? It was so stupid!

In her frenzied state, she aimed approximately in the direction of the hole in the fence. However, at this point, the darkness was deep, with the sun completely gone now. So, she was basically running blind. And she didn’t see the fence until it was half a metre in front of her nose.

Unable to stop herself, she ran into the fence with hands out to protect her face. But the force of crashing into the fence made her stagger back.

Still running on adrenaline, her hands flew to the cold wooden panels and began feeling for the hole. As her hands swept over the wood softened with moisture and years, she still couldn’t find it. That feeling of panic rose up her back. A tingling over the skin on her back. Her breaths turned from pants of exertion to rapid breaths of anxiety.

Finally, the tips of the last three fingers of her right hand dropped off the edge. Suddenly, with nothing under them.

A wave of relief washed over her skin. She’d found the hole! With hands still outstretched, her fingers brushed over the rough oval that had rotted away in the fence. In haste and with fingertips guiding her, her head stooped down, and she rushed through. The tip of her Mary Janes caught on the rotted planks lying on the dirt. She tripped and fell over.

Her hands reached out to save herself once again. The fear of falling heightened a hundredfold by the lack of sight. She didn’t know how far away the ground was or what was on the ground beneath her.

Her hands touched the ground, but she wasn’t prepared to catch herself. Thankfully, her back arched automatically, which pulled her face away. However, her chin wasn’t so lucky and hit the ground.

Before she knew what had happened, she was already on her feet. A throbbing chin, a jarred jaw, and a shooting pain in her hand. She stumbled away, hands out to feel any obstacles in the way.

Between the darkness and her aching body, she decided that her best chance at survival was to hide. In her memory, she remembered seeing a narrow gap between the fence and corrugated iron sheets leaning against the building. Her hands guided her along the fence until she felt a narrow gap just big enough for her. She felt around and squeezed herself into the gap.

Completely running on adrenaline, she couldn’t feel any pain or hear anything over her thundering heartbeat. Facing in the direction she came, her left hand was on the moist fence and her right hand was on the sharp edge of the iron sheets stacked against the building external wall. Besides the cold, hard metal, there was still something irritating in her right hand, but it was unconsciously pushed to the back of her mind.

Like a mouse hiding from a cat, her heart was rapidly pumping inside her chest. Like a squeeze ball held in the hand of an extremely high-strung individual.

An orangish-yellow glow broke through the gap in the fence, and her breath stopped. As did her heart. All of a sudden... there was just silence. No rumbling and rickety motor. No whirring blades. No angry yelling. All silent save for an indistinct voice.

A warm orange broke through the rotted fence, and an old-style black fire torch with a healthy flame springing out of the bowl at the top leaned out. The hand grasping it then was connected to an arm and a familiar narrow face. Nelson!

He looked worried in the dispersed light as he swung his fire torch around. “Aliyah! Aliyah, where are you? It’s okay! He’s not going to hurt you! He thought you were an intruder. Please come out! It's not safe at night!” He ran away swinging the gentle light, scanning the side of the bus depot building.

The light wasn’t like a penetrating beam from a flashlight, but it did cast a radiating light that could illuminate the darkish outlines of figures in the surroundings close to the light source.

As he swept his arm around himself, the dispersed light reached out to the two large garage doors. Then as he spun around, it slid off the edge of the building and over Aliyah’s hiding spot. As this happened, Aliyah was already considering the possibility of ducking down, but the gap was too narrow for her to crouch. In a knee-jerk reaction, she backed up.

Forgetting to lift her right hand off the razor-sharp edge of the cold metal sheets, she slid it back along the edge. Shredding and slicing the tender skin on her palm, she shrieked in pain.

Her shriek made Nelson focus in on her. Holding his fire torch out towards her hiding spot.

“Aliyah! There you are! Wait! Stay there! Don’t...”

Aliyah didn’t wait to hear him out. She was already shimmying her way through the narrow gap. Back against the fence, injured hand curled into her chest, she squeezed out from between the metal sheets. Now free from the narrow gap, she was out the back of the building. Feet landing on bare, compacted dirt, she didn’t pause to look back. She ran!

Thanks to the light from Nelson’s fire torch, she could see the rusting pile of wheel hubcaps, the crumbling cinder blocks scattered around, and other random, forgotten rubbish in her path.

She avoided all of these obstacles with the speed of a terrified rabbit. Her breaths came in rapid pants. Her feet moving to the beat of her pounding heart. If she tripped or stumbled, her body instantaneously righted itself without her conscious input.

It was at this point that she began inwardly berating herself. How could she be so stupid? What did she expect when she followed a stranger to a strange place? Of course, she would be walking straight into a horror novel. And now! She’s going to be chased down by a psychopath with a chainsaw and die in this backwater, rundown bus depot out somewhere in the country!

The light from the fire torch was now right behind her. Nelson had squeezed himself through the gap between the fence and the iron sheets and was following her, yelling. “Wait! Aliyah! Stop!”

She didn’t listen. She just kept running. Of course a psychopathic killer would say that! He wouldn't want to chase his prey down. He would rather it stood obediently and quietly to await what was coming to it.

A low wall of stacked tyres appeared in her way. She jumped over them without hesitation. Landing awkwardly on the tarmac, but without stumbling. The adrenaline gave her almost superhuman speed and agility... or at least, for her clumsy nature, it seemed superhuman.

Now in the open bus parking lot, she had nowhere to hide. She could only run.

Her Mary Janes were constantly reminding her that they were not designed for this. Slapping down on the tarmac and the flimsy strap over her right foot was threatening to snap; she knew she couldn’t keep up like this for long. Especially with the long-legged and athletically inclined boy behind her.

As she was running across the vast expanse of concrete, two bright headlights came down the driveway at speed. Seeing them and hearing Nelson calling out behind her, she changed trajectory to run right in front of the headlights. It was her best chance now. There was no way she could outrun Nelson anyway, but then there was also the added fact that she couldn’t see in the dark without his torch...

The unusually close-together headlights made rapid progress. She aimed her steps to cross directly across their path. Suddenly, the thought of being hit by this vehicle, going at a fast pace for a parking lot, flashed across her mind. What were her options? Risk getting hit by a car and hope that there was a decent person behind the wheel... or don’t risk getting hit by a vehicle and get caught by Nelson... or trip in the dark and die in a random ditch somewhere.

Her body was moving, but her brain paused... There weren’t any good options. She decided that she was committed to this idea now. She just hoped and prayed that there was a good person driving that vehicle.

She was in the headlights' path now. Her feet planted themselves firmly on the tarmac and her arms raised out either side, making herself look as large as she could. It was the posture she’d always seen in the movies in these situations and always said looked ridiculous, but for some strange reason, her body assumed this posture naturally in the adrenaline of the moment. Now it was up to the vehicle to brake in time.

Her eyes closed instinctively. She waited for the impact. Her heart was thrusting itself forward into her ribcage and then back, then forward and then back. Almost like it was trying to escape in these few seconds before her death. The blood was racing in her veins to where she could feel it rushing like a coursing river. The pain that she’d vaguely felt before had disappeared. All the sensation everywhere had disappeared. Now she wondered if she still had limbs.

A screech! Mechanical clunking. Metal rattling. Rubber sliding on tarmac. A hefty thud. Then a hiss! There was almost a sigh of relief from the vehicle.

Her eyes peeked open. One at a time.

It had stopped. The headlights had stopped! She heard Nelson’s voice call. He was getting closer. She rushed to the door of the vehicle without thinking twice. Her palms landed flat on the cold metal of the passenger door as it was being opened by the occupant.

“Hey! Girl! What are you doing? Running out in front of a car!” A feminine voice sternly berated her from behind the vehicle door. The voice was quickly getting out, but the terrified Aliyah was much quicker. “Are you trying to kill yoursel-?”

She was interrupted by Aliyah’s hands latching onto her forearm of the hand that was holding onto the vehicle's door. Fingers tightly digging into the stranger's arm, Aliyah said.

“Please! You have to help me! I’m being chased by a murderous psychopath with a chainsaw!” Then, without her usual courtesy, she forced her way into the vehicle, which she now deduced was a narrow van, and squeezed herself through the front seats to the seats behind. In her frantic scramble, she realised there was a startled male driver in a very plain, rumpled dress shirt and plain blue tie.

Now huddled in the backseat, back against the passenger front seat, she mentally berated them for not slamming the doors shut and driving away at high speed. Had they not heard her? There were dangerous men out there! One of whom was hot on her heels! He must be just outside the van now.

She raised her head ever so slightly to peek out the van's window. On the dark backdrop, she saw Nelson bent double, hands on his knees. Torch still in hand, talking very calmly to the lady whose hand was still on the passenger's door. She could hear them talking, but could not discern their words. But from their body language, she could tell that the lady was scolding him. A finger wagging at him. Then returning to fold to a fist on her hip. Finally, the lady turned around to face Aliyah’s door and made a grab for the handle.

To Aliyah’s dread, the sliding door clunked and then parted. Terrified, she sat in the nearest car seat and placed the toes of her shoes in the inside handle to push it shut again. The lady was surprised by this. She tried again. Putting more strength into it this time.

Once again, Aliyah extended her legs and closed it again. It was an extremely awkward position, but she kept it. Her leg strength in this odd position surprised even herself.

“What’s this?” The lady asked, looking over the van door. Like the problem was mechanical and not human. Suddenly, her head tipped back as she realised the issue. She shooed Nelson back with a flapping hand and leaned in the open passenger door. Head peeking through the gap between the headrest and the side of the van, she said gently.

“Hey sweetie. It's alright. You’re okay. There is no murderous psychopath. That weird man with the chainsaw is called Joseph. Please don’t mind him. He can’t do anything with that rickety old thing. It probably took all his back strength just to start it. But it's off now. See! Do you hear it now?” She paused for Aliyah to listen. Indeed, there was no sound of that whirring sound of the chainsaw’s blades or the rattling of the motor.

The lady studied Aliyah's face as she craned her ears for any sounds. Her motherly face softened, and she smiled. “Don’t worry, my darling. I can vouch for him... and Nelson too. She indicated to Nelson, who was standing a respectful distance away.

He watched the van intently. Those wide, worried eyes shining in the fire's light. His head craning up to one side and then the other. As if he could see anything more if he looked from a different angle.

“If I had any reservations about them, I most certainly would never leave my children with them. But they’ve definitely proved themselves over the years that I’ve known them. So... what do you say, sweetie? Do you want to hear Nelson out? Or would you rather stay in the van a bit longer?”

The tension in Aliyah’s body was melting at this point. But there was still a loud voice of doubt that told her that this lady could be an accomplice and just be trying to placate her. Then lure her back into the death trap. Aliyah’s eyes, still wide with worry, searched the middle-aged lady’s face. She seemed trustworthy and normal.

“I-I-I want-t to stay here a bit longer... if that’s alright.” She finally said.

“Okay...” The lady replied with a smile. She turned to the man in the driver's seat. “Let’s... just pull up in our normal spot and I’ll wait with her a bit.”

The man in the driver's seat gave a solid nod and placed his hand on the gearstick as the lady lifted herself back inside the van. The van jerked as it came back to life and pulled off. Aliyah’s eyes naturally found Nelson as they drove past him. He looked sad and confused. There was a pang of guilt in her stomach, but that voice of doubt shouted it back down.

“By the way, honey, my name is Riley... Riley Lee. And this!” She reached out a hand to the man in the driver's seat. “Is my husband. Brett Lee.”

He looked in the rearview mirror; Aliyah could barely make out his face and smiled.

“Hey, how are ya? You must’ve gotten a scare, aye? You look like your soul has left your body. Poor girl.”

Normally, Aliyah would jump into making friendly small talk and reply with something that adds no real substance to the conversation, but makes the other person happy to hear. However, in this instance, she just stared back at them. Legs still extended up to the handle. Her ankle-height skirt now slipping down the decline towards her knees. She should’ve been conscious of her skirt, but it just didn’t even occur to the shocked Aliyah.

“Ah! Yes! I must explain my name.” The lady named Riley said. One finger pointed up in the air to indicate an idea had just occurred to her. She twisted in her seat. “My name sounds funny, doesn’t it? Riley Lee. My maiden name, Hillsdale sounded much better. My parents said they thought long and hard about matching my names to sound good. However, when I met him... I fell in love before I even knew his last name. So, when I learnt what his surname was, I was already committed.” She reached out an affectionate hand to hold onto his forearm. “So, I became Riley Lee... Funny, right?”

Riley looked at her with a pleasant smile. And Aliyah felt compelled to return it. But her attempt was short, and it fell quickly back to her shocked expression.

The van suddenly pulled to the right and parked. Brett turned off the van, handed the keys to his wife, and jumped out of the van. As he rounded the outside, Aliyah watched him walk to Nelson, who was meandering up to a safe distance away. He put an arm around the uncertain younger man’s shoulders and led him away through the gap in the fence.

This left Aliyah in a van with a motherly stranger. And this motherly stranger was silently melting her stress away with a comforting smile. The adrenaline that had seemingly given her speed and strength was slipping away. Leaving only her own conscious effort to keep her legs braced against the van's sliding door.

Without the adrenaline, it was getting more and more difficult to keep her tired legs straight, and now the loud voice of doubt in her head was all that prompted her to keep her posture. But there was an overwhelming feeling of tiredness and relief that washed over her body and made her feel weak. This was an exhausting battle that raged inside of her.

During Alyiah’s inner turmoil, Riley had opened the glove compartment and pulled out a half-finished knitting project. There was the clicking of the needles as she began her knitting. As she did, she said.

“Well, I think I should give you a proper introduction to the people you’ve just met. Hopefully... it might help reassure you a bit, huh dear?” She looked in the darkened rearview mirror, barely able to make out Alyiah in the backseat. “Huh? Well... first, there’s Nelson. You’ve probably already met him, right?”

Alyiah nodded rigidly.

“Yeah? Yeah, he’s a good boy. I’ve known him for the last three years that we’ve been bunking here. Then there is the man who's assumed the role of his fatherly figure, Roald. I don’t know the full story, but I believe that Roald has basically raised him since he was a young boy. When he was just a boy wandering the streets by himself. Roald raised him best he could. Raised him to love reading and learning. He’s very clever and book-smart... that Roald.” Her head bobbed over her work as she spoke.

In Alyiah’s mind, she reasoned Riley called the druggie/murderous psychopath Joseph. So, Roald must be the name of the wizened old wizard.

“Then there is Joseph...” She looked into the rearview mirror again to check the darkened reaction on Alyiah’s face. “Well, he, uh... he... is a mess. I’m not gonna lie. You don’t have to be afraid of him... usually, but when he gets a hold of drugs or alcohol... he can be a nightmare.”

Alyiah’s legs stiffened on their own at this comment.

“B-but, don’t worry! He’s not violent... or creepy or anything. He just becomes unpredictable and loud and depressed. He’s had a hard life too... I’m not sure exactly what, but it’s enough to make him feel worthless and unwanted in this cruel world. He was there too... when Roald found Nelson. Nelson regards him as an uncle. And he’s tried to be better. To be a better role model. In fact, if not for Nelson... he might’ve not survived this long.”

Alyiah’s legs weakened and finally fell to the van floor.

“But just so you know... I trust him completely. I even trust him enough to leave my children with him. As long as I’ve known him, he’s never crossed the line. Even when under the influence of... whatever, he’s never hurt anyone that didn’t throw a punch first.”

As she listened, Alyiah became aware of her aching jaw, bruised chin, and her right hand... There was a slice that ran diagonally along her palm and some foreign object jabbed directly into the skin beneath it. She just stared at it in shock.

“Oh! Then there are my children!” Riley continued. “Rochelle and Raine. Do you like their names? I loved both those names since I was a little girl. I always promised myself that I would name my children those names if I ever had any. Of course, I was expecting two girls, but... no matter. Oh! And it was only after I named them that I realised that they both start with R. It’s funny isn’t it? Riley, Rochelle and Raine. Ha! Oh dear. I just have funny luck when it comes to names. Don’t you think, dear?” She cast her gaze up to the rearview mirror, but she had to squint. Something was wrong. She twisted in her seat.

There she saw, in the backseat, Alyiah was slumped over. Head in lap. Back curled forward. Arms hanging limply off the car seat.

“Ah! Oh no! Sweetie!” Riley threw aside her knitting project and jumped out of her seat. Yelling and hollering for help. Fighting with the sliding door that she couldn’t negotiate with in her worried state. Banging on the window. Trying to rouse the unconscious Alyiah.