The Rule of Three

— 3 —

He had to survive. Jack had spent so many years alone, wishing for someone to share his life with. He didn’t want to lose it all now. Thinking of surviving reminded him of the stories his nana had told him about living through World War Two. About how everyone had carried on as normal. How they looked after each other, helped one another when needed. How they’d sung songs down in the bomb shelters, frightened, scared, listening as the Luftwaffe rained down terror and misery. She would be telling Jack to “Keep calm and carry on.”

Thinking about how his grandparents had survived the Blitz helped Jack to calm down. He reached out and turned on the stereo. Anything to try to distract him from the horror that he had just witnessed.

After thirty minutes, the two cars came up to an intersection. Flatcap pulled over, allowing Jack to pull alongside. His passenger jumped out before the car had stopped and ran over to her car. “Babies! Are you okay?” The kids clambered out of the car to hug her.

Jack waved to Flatcap. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I think so. Was that the virus?”

“I don’t know, man. I really don’t know.” Jack shook his head. “I was hoping you could tell me. I’ve been hiking in the mountains for the last three days.”

“There was shaky footage on the news and conflicting reports,” Flatcap said.

Jack nodded and checked his mirrors for any other cars.

So many thoughts were buzzing around in his head, he was having trouble concentrating. He just wanted to get home to Dee. A few hours ago he’d been happily enjoying the solitude of the wilderness, back before he read Dee’s message. He’d believed her, but seeing the creatures first hand had frightened the hell out of him.

He looked back at Flatcap and his family. “We’d better keep moving.”

Flatcap nodded in agreement. “Definitely. Which way from here?”

“Right for a few kilometres, then left for a bit. Just follow me. Lots of turns.”

“Sure. How far to Cambridge?”

“Half an hour or so.”

Flatcap grimaced and stuck his head out of his window and lowered his voice. “Thanks for your help back there.”

“No problem.”

Jack plotted the course in his head, thankful that his adventurous spirit had pushed him to explore all these back roads. The fact that he hated being stuck in traffic had added fuel to his passion for exploration. Everywhere he looked, the glow of fires in the direction of built-up areas lit up the night. Knowing what caused them made him hurry.

Coming over the brow of a hill, Jack saw the school where he had to turn left. Realising he was going too fast, he pushed down on his brakes. Flatcap’s car nudged into the back of his, causing him to spin, like in a police PIT manoeuvre. He wrenched the steering wheel hard left, trying to correct it, but Flatcap’s car slammed into him again, causing both cars to slide out, tyres screeching. They ended up in the ditch on the side of the road.

Shaken, but unhurt, he clambered out of his car. His back wheels were stuck fast, deep down in the culvert. A short distance away, the other car’s front end was also in the culvert.

Damn it. What else can go wrong tonight?

Jack made his way to Flatcap’s car. “You guys all right?”

“Shaken but okay.”

“We went crash!” squealed a child’s voice. Jack smiled, spotting Flatcap’s son in the back.

Flatcap hauled himself out of the car. “Yes son, we went crash.”

He looked back at Jack. “What happened there?”

“Going too fast, simple as that. So do you think we can get these out?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. We’re in too deep.”

“Bugger it!” Jack spat. “I’ll go see if I can find a tractor or something. Plenty of farms around here.”

Flatcap moved the peak of his hat up and down his brow. “Yeah, all right. Probably best I stay here with my family.”

Jack nodded.

Returning to his car, he grabbed his pack out of the back seat, took out his headlamp and checked to see it was still working. Satisfied, he looked around. Spotting a driveway farther up the road, Jack headed off.

As he turned into the driveway, a crunch under his foot revealed gravel. Fear of being detected, by either humans or monsters, made him tread carefully and silently.

Jack flicked his gaze up towards the house and back to the vehicles. Plucking up his courage, he entered the property. As he crossed the cattle grate, his foot slipped and he went down, the resulting clang like a gunshot in the silence of the night. Jack winced, at the noise and the pain, and rubbed his foot. He prayed there were no monsters around to hear that racket. But surely they wouldn’t be, so far from civilisation? He crawled off the cattle grate and got back onto his feet, testing out his foot. It would be fine. Dusting off his pants, he carried on up the driveway, pausing every few metres to strain his hearing for any sounds.

Jack could see the silhouettes of a house and vehicle sheds in the dark. Moving towards the shed, he thought he heard a popping sound. He froze. What was that? Heart hammering, he peered into the darkness. He wished he could turn on his light, but was fearful of attracting the creatures, or an angry farmer with a shotgun.

Maybe I should just knock on the door?

There were no lights on in the house, and no further sounds reached him. Jack wondered where everyone was. Had they made a run for it? Why would they? They already lived in the country; nothing out here except cows, cows and more cows. He shook these thoughts from his mind as he approached the shed.

The shed was enclosed on the sides and the back, leaving the front open to the elements; typical for farms. He could see an old-looking tractor. Moving to the back of the vehicle, he saw that a wooden pallet platform was attached to the trailer. Piled on it was a rusty chain with a large metal hook attached to each end. In the cab, the key stuck out of the ignition.

Finally! Some good luck.

Jumping into the seat, he checked to see if the tractor was in neutral. With his fingers crossed, he turned the ignition.

The tractor coughed once, then turned over. Engaging the gear, Jack eased his way down the driveway. He looked back at the house every few seconds, half expecting someone or something to chase after him. But it all stayed quiet. He risked a quick glance up at the stars; he wished he and Dee were already in their cabin, doors bolted and safe. He sighed and focused on steering the old tractor.

Arriving back at the cars, he found Flatcap and his family sitting on the hood of their car, their feet resting against the small clay bank. The children were eating, nestled into their parents’ sides.

“I’ll reverse up and get yours first,” Jack said, pointing at the front of the vehicle.

“All right,” Flatcap nodded, pushing himself up.

“Don’t chain it up around the axle. There should be a hook, near the front.”

“Yup, sure thing.”

Jack reached down and put the tractor in forward. Looking back up, he saw movement over Flatcap’s shoulder.

Six figures were moving through the school yard. Their limbs seemed strange, elongated, their movements jerky, inhuman. Jack wasn’t sure if they’d been spotted. But then one of the creatures let out a bloodcurdling scream. They all dropped to all fours and with an incredible burst of speed flew across the intervening ground towards the group.

Jack gave an inarticulate shout, but there was nothing he could do for Flatcap and his family. Within seconds, the monsters were on them. Two of the creatures slammed into Flatcap and his wife, tearing and snarling. The stench of blood permeated the air.

Time shifted into slow motion as Jack reacted. Thinking fast, he leaned over and grabbed the chain off the platform. Unfurling it, he swung it at the nearest creature, which had grabbed one of the boys. Slamming the hook into its head, he was shocked when bits of skull and black gooey sludge fountained out. The creature slumped against the car, dead.

Pulling the boy into the cab and onto his lap, Jack gunned the engine. The tractor lurched down the road. With one hand on the wheel, he swung the chain at two more of the creatures and searched for the second child. All he could see were the creatures fighting over what he guessed were the remains of Flatcap.

He swung the chain again at the snarling monsters. He couldn’t believe how fast they were, easily dodging his wild swings.

The boy on his lap screamed in agony as one of the creatures tore open his leg. Jack managed to boot it in the face, smashing its sucker. It loosened its grip and Jack kicked it again, harder. He grinned as the beast fell off and crunched under the back wheels.

Three more of the creatures shrieked into the night and sprinted towards the fleeing tractor, flanking them in a classic pincer movement.

Ugly, but not stupid.

Jack was still managing to keep one creature at bay with swings of his chain. He knew he couldn’t outrun them on this old workhorse. He’d just have to outmanoeuvre them. The tractor might not have speed, but it did have torque.

Jack swung the wheel hard right, down a steep embankment.

Bounding over the rutted ground, the creatures drew closer.

So damn fast.

They slammed into the side of the tractor with abandon, causing it to tilt like a listing ship. Cradling the boy, and trying to tuck himself into a ball, he leapt off the vehicle. Thumping into the ground, the boy jolted free of Jack. Immediately, one the creatures caught up to the boy and, with a sickening sound, tore a hunk of muscle from his torso. The boy screamed, in terror and agony, his eyes finding Jack’s. Pleading for the monster to stop. Pleading to not be left to die.

Jack rolled to a stop and found himself at the bottom of a ravine, next to a small bridge crossing over a river. Two blurs of black came flying towards him. To his surprise, he found he was still holding the chain. Channelling his inner Viking berserker, Jack swung the chain with all his remaining strength. It connected with the closest creature, smashing into its horror hole. It ripped away the monster’s lower jaw and continued up through its eye socket, taking out black muck and brains and killing it instantly.

Before he could turn fully, the other creature careened into him, smashing him against the bridge railing. Pain streaked up his spine as his breath fled from his lungs.

The creature’s sucker mouth snapped at him, its claws trying to grasp him. Jack swung his arms, fists clenched as he thumped a few blows against the beast. Kicking out, he fought with everything he had.

Jack managed to get the chain up under the monster’s chin to hold off its snapping jaws, but the terrible stench of rotten fruit emanating from its mouth made him gag. One of its claws gouged deep into his thigh muscle. Jack let out a scream. He delved down deep inside himself and found an inner strength he never knew he had. He wrapped the chain around the creature’s neck. Reaching behind him, he coiled it around the railing, then secured the hook over it. The creature dug its claws deeper into his thigh, its sucker mouth smacking at him as it strained to get at his face. With a last grunt of frustration, he tumbled over the railing, clasping the snapping creature in his arms. The chain went taut and, with his added weight, the creature’s head ripped off, covering him in black gunk. Jack plunged towards the river, releasing the creature’s body on the way down.

The cold water prickled his skin as he splashed into the water, its frigid embrace a welcome respite. He kicked back to the surface from the blackened depths. Gasping, Jack prepared himself to be torn apart by approaching reptilian nightmares.

To his surprise, the remaining creatures were still on the riverbank, apparently reluctant to enter the water. They snarled and hissed at him, joints popping as they paced up and down. He welcomed the reprieve. Struggling to keep afloat, he removed his hiking pack and cradled it in his arms. Turning over, he let the current drag him away.

He stared up at the stars. His stars, the pinpricks of light.

Years of wondering what hellish creatures dwelled out in the infinite reaches of space, and Jack had never imagined he would find them on Earth.

I never knew their names…

I’m sorry, Dee… sorry… I tried…