massaged her arches. Velvet against
velvet. Over two hours, and so much more
left.
"I thought we'd find more people. How can they have had one in five come
through at that boarding school, while in forty apartments we were too late for
the sole survivor?"
"One in five healthy teenagers with Science Boy playing
head nurse," Noi pointed out. "We're trying to Nightingale the wrong demographic."
"Do you want to go on?"
With a sigh, Noi nodded. "Yeah. I'd obsess about it
if we stopped now. About things like
that family, except with one of the kids still alive instead. But eat something – don't let the hunger
catch up."
They snacked on some of the nuts and dried fruit they'd
brought along to offer to survivors, and Madeleine browsed BlueGreen while Noi sent some texts. There was an
entire section devoted to Rushcutters Bay Grammar, one of a half-dozen 'major
studies' cobbled together by whoever happened to have access to a large number
of infected people.
"Looks like we're not being very original," Noi
said, and held up her phone to show a Twitter feed for # checkyourneighbors .
Madeleine could wish for fewer neighbours, but nodded and
stood up. "My cousin's apartment's
the last on this row. We can put me down
as a survivor."
"One less door to thump on, anyway."
There was a merciful run of empty apartments, and they moved
on to the next level up.
" Who is it? "
The words had a horror movie quality, the barely audible
sound sending Madeleine flinching backward, the keys she'd been lifting to the
lock jangling.
"Hello!" Noi called out, with only a suggestion of
a gulp. "We're checking for sur – for anyone who needs help. We have some food and bottled water, or we
can bring milk if you want it."
" I don't need anything. "
It was a woman, her voice hoarse, frantic. Madeleine and Noi exchanged worried glances.
"We can leave some things out here for you, if you'd
like," Madeleine offered. "You
don't have to open the door while we're here."
"Go away ."
"All right. Sorry
for – uh, we'll be in apartment 222 later, if you, um..." Madeleine trailed off as a thump made the
door shake, as if the woman had hit it. "We're going now."
Noi hurriedly pushed the trolley down the walkway to the next
door, then clutched Madeleine's arm.
"I don't know whether to laugh or scream," she
whispered. "What the hell?"
"Maybe she somehow managed to avoid the stain. Of course she wouldn't want to open the
door."
"She could have just said that." But Noi shrugged off her annoyance. "I guess we can at least chalk up
another survivor."
"We still don't know everything that the dust does to
people. She could be something new,
changed in other ways."
"Don't say that after you told her your apartment
number. Let's get on – I'm wanting some
distance."
Madeleine rapped at the new door, far less casually, and
called for longer than had become habit, before making a quick, nervous sortie
and heading for the next apartment.
" Wait. "
The strained voice was worse for being louder, sharper, and
it was impossible not to jump, Noi even letting out a tiny, cut-off shriek as
they spun in unison to see the previous door had opened, though there was no
sign of a person.
" Take him away. "
The faintest suggestion of movement followed, then nothing.
"I am freaking the shit out right now," Noi said,
under her voice. "Are you freaking
the shit out?"
"I'm...really looking for an excuse not to go in
there," Madeleine said.
They approached the door like nervous horses, ready to shy at
a moment's notice. Madeleine moved to
peer around the corner, changed her mind and backed to the limit of the
walkway, against the railing, so she wouldn't be in reach of anything which
might be just inside the door.
"Can't see anyone," Noi murmured, craning for a
look down an airy, white hall. She
hefted the bolt cutters, adding: "It's going to turn out to be some scared
little old lady and I'm going to look like the bad guy waving these around, and
yet..."
"Let's get
velvet. Over two hours, and so much more
left.
"I thought we'd find more people. How can they have had one in five come
through at that boarding school, while in forty apartments we were too late for
the sole survivor?"
"One in five healthy teenagers with Science Boy playing
head nurse," Noi pointed out. "We're trying to Nightingale the wrong demographic."
"Do you want to go on?"
With a sigh, Noi nodded. "Yeah. I'd obsess about it
if we stopped now. About things like
that family, except with one of the kids still alive instead. But eat something – don't let the hunger
catch up."
They snacked on some of the nuts and dried fruit they'd
brought along to offer to survivors, and Madeleine browsed BlueGreen while Noi sent some texts. There was an
entire section devoted to Rushcutters Bay Grammar, one of a half-dozen 'major
studies' cobbled together by whoever happened to have access to a large number
of infected people.
"Looks like we're not being very original," Noi
said, and held up her phone to show a Twitter feed for # checkyourneighbors .
Madeleine could wish for fewer neighbours, but nodded and
stood up. "My cousin's apartment's
the last on this row. We can put me down
as a survivor."
"One less door to thump on, anyway."
There was a merciful run of empty apartments, and they moved
on to the next level up.
" Who is it? "
The words had a horror movie quality, the barely audible
sound sending Madeleine flinching backward, the keys she'd been lifting to the
lock jangling.
"Hello!" Noi called out, with only a suggestion of
a gulp. "We're checking for sur – for anyone who needs help. We have some food and bottled water, or we
can bring milk if you want it."
" I don't need anything. "
It was a woman, her voice hoarse, frantic. Madeleine and Noi exchanged worried glances.
"We can leave some things out here for you, if you'd
like," Madeleine offered. "You
don't have to open the door while we're here."
"Go away ."
"All right. Sorry
for – uh, we'll be in apartment 222 later, if you, um..." Madeleine trailed off as a thump made the
door shake, as if the woman had hit it. "We're going now."
Noi hurriedly pushed the trolley down the walkway to the next
door, then clutched Madeleine's arm.
"I don't know whether to laugh or scream," she
whispered. "What the hell?"
"Maybe she somehow managed to avoid the stain. Of course she wouldn't want to open the
door."
"She could have just said that." But Noi shrugged off her annoyance. "I guess we can at least chalk up
another survivor."
"We still don't know everything that the dust does to
people. She could be something new,
changed in other ways."
"Don't say that after you told her your apartment
number. Let's get on – I'm wanting some
distance."
Madeleine rapped at the new door, far less casually, and
called for longer than had become habit, before making a quick, nervous sortie
and heading for the next apartment.
" Wait. "
The strained voice was worse for being louder, sharper, and
it was impossible not to jump, Noi even letting out a tiny, cut-off shriek as
they spun in unison to see the previous door had opened, though there was no
sign of a person.
" Take him away. "
The faintest suggestion of movement followed, then nothing.
"I am freaking the shit out right now," Noi said,
under her voice. "Are you freaking
the shit out?"
"I'm...really looking for an excuse not to go in
there," Madeleine said.
They approached the door like nervous horses, ready to shy at
a moment's notice. Madeleine moved to
peer around the corner, changed her mind and backed to the limit of the
walkway, against the railing, so she wouldn't be in reach of anything which
might be just inside the door.
"Can't see anyone," Noi murmured, craning for a
look down an airy, white hall. She
hefted the bolt cutters, adding: "It's going to turn out to be some scared
little old lady and I'm going to look like the bad guy waving these around, and
yet..."
"Let's get
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