7. The Farm

‘What should we do?’ Rev said, looking instinctively towards Kurt as Lola tracked the girl with the binoculars. Kurt furrowed his brow. Why was he expected to know what to do? All the time? In every situation, what felt like a dozen or more eyes fell to him for the answers, and he’d tried his best to help. But things like how to milk a cow, shear a sheep, build a fence, handle a gun – they were easy. They were things his parents had taught him. This was different. Lives were at stake. 

‘She’s getting close, Kurt,’ Lola warned, handing him the binoculars. He lifted them to his head, not tracking the girl, but the Invaders, vicious and snarling with pure hunger.

‘She’ll lead them right to us,’ Rev said. ‘We need a plan. What are you thinking? A distraction?’

‘Or do we just run for it, get the kids out? Malcolm can drive, and Bryn claims he can. We can cram everyone into the least rusty trucks and head for the town. Some of us could take the horses,’ Lola said, snatching the binoculars back.

‘We don’t have time,’ Rev said. ‘We need to drive them away from the farm somehow. Distract them with something.’

‘Could we release a horse? Would they chase that instead?’ Lola’s voice was wobbling. ‘Kurt! What do we do?

‘I don’t know!’ Kurt snapped, shouting louder than he meant to. His heart was racing so fast he thought it might burst out of his chest. He wanted to sit down. To be saved by someone else. To be a teenager, not an adult, who didn’t need to know everything. All he could think about was that this was his home, and his life, and he didn’t want it to be forgotten to time, consumed by these gruesome creatures. ‘I don’t know, I’m sorry!

Lola turned to him, her eyes fierce. ‘She is going to lead that horde of Invaders right to us! We have two options: either we fight, or we flee.’

‘Flee?’ Kurt rubbed at his face.

‘Either that or we get slaughtered.’

‘You want to leave our home? To them?’ Kurt’s voice cracked. ‘My grandfather built these walls with his own hands. My dad taught me how to work this soil. If we run, it’s like letting the Invaders win. I won’t. I can’t.’

‘Then we’re all dead,’ Lola shook her head, almost laughing at him. ‘You’re going to get us killed. We should have left right after the first one got in. You’re doing it again, Kurt. You’re repeating the same mistake that got Jamie killed!’

The words hung between them, heavy and cruel with the weight of their future. Lola’s eyes were welling with tears now. The memory twisted like a knife in his gut. He’d made it clear he never wanted the boy on the farm, or even in their hamlet. He was always in Lola’s orbit, making her laugh, bringing her tea, teaching her how to fight - they were never official, but everyone knew. Kurt had been jealous, but it helped his case that nearly everyone else had some sort of problem with Jamie too. He never helped out with anything, always off, doing his own thing. One time, Katie found him smoking weed in the barn when he was supposed to be harvesting crops. Somehow, looking back, Kurt hated himself more for how he’d treated the boy. Because it wasn’t Jamie’s fault that he was killed. It was Kurt’s. Kurt’s insistence on holding the farm, maintaining the fences, sending Jamie out to the far side alone to fix what had been blown down in the night; that had killed him. When he closed his eyes, Kurt could feel the weight of that choice pressing down, heavier than any fence he’d ever built.

He glanced back at the running girl. She hadn’t stopped legging it down the slope of the pasture. She started waving her arms wildly, begging for help.

‘Look, Jamie’s dead. She’s not,’ Rev said, pointing at the girl. ‘Kurt, you have another chance. A chance to save someone else. Lola, you can keep digging Jamie up, if you want him. But Kurt’s here and alive.’ Rev glanced between them, wide-eyed. ‘You two have been good to me,’ he said as he turned back to the girl. In one swift movement, Rev leapt over the fence, his legs scrambling over the top. ‘Try not to get yourself killed.’

‘What is he-’ Lola began, but the words got caught in her throat. 

Rev was running straight towards the Invaders. 

They watched on in horror as Rev slowed a dozen feet from the girl, cupping his hands over his mouth.

‘OVER HERE!’ he bellowed, his voice echoing around the hills. ‘C’MON YOU UGLY BASTARDS! I TASTE BETTER THAN HER!’

The Invaders turned, now snarling in Rev’s direction. The girl didn’t stop running, and now she was close enough for Kurt to see the tears streaking down her face. Rev spun and bolted, the pack of Invaders surging after him in jagged movement. Kurt felt sick. Rev was loud and reckless; an idiot who laughed at the wrong things. But maybe that was his way of coping. Maybe all that foolishness masked something braver than Kurt could ever stomach.

Kurt should have been the one to step up. To do something. To protect the farm. But Rev was a better leader than him. So was Lola. And if Rev didn’t come back, if that had been the last they saw of him, he knew it would be his fault too. Just like Jamie.

‘He just saved us all,’ Lola said. ‘He saved her.’

***

Her name was Macey.

Lola recognised the name; it had been on the CryCast a few days ago. She had been searching for a cousin. Macey was not so unlike Lola herself. Long blonde hair, a stern face, a missing cousin. She should have felt better about having another girl on the farm, one her age. So why did she feel like something was off?

Kurt eased Macey into a chair in the kitchen and was fixing her a cup of tea. Everyone haf crowded into the farmhouse, and Lola spent time making sure she secured all the doors and all the windows behind them. When she re-entered the kitchen, Malcolm, Bryn and Cai were idling around the edge of the room, clearly eager to talk to the new stranger. Cherry was sat at the table, one hand on Macey’s shoulder.

‘You’re safe now, okay?’ Cherry was saying. The little ones crowded around Macey’s knees, babbling and trying to climb on her. Katie and Pebbles sat on the countertop, with Pebbles' head on Katie’s shoulder. Pebbles was stone-faced and pale. Lola had always found it strange that out of everyone, Rev had become close with Pebbles, but they were both so odd it sort of made sense now. 

‘I can’t believe he did that, that boy,’ Macey said, her hands shaking as she accepted the hot mug of tea. She hunched over it like it was the only warmth left in the world. Lola really studied her, eyes narrow and hands on her hips. Macey was wearing a tattered puffer jacket over a dirty white crop top and low-waisted blue jeans. Her blonde hair was tangled and streaked with grime, falling in uneven strands around her face. She was covered almost head to toe in blood. The very picture of a poor, frightened victim, fighting for her life. ‘That boy… What was his name?’

‘His name is Rev,’ Kurt said rather bluntly. 

‘Rev,’ Macey nodded as though fixing the name in her mind. ‘I thought I was gonna die, I really did,’ Macey sobbed. Lola thought her voice seemed too high, her words too rehearsed. ‘I was running for so long. Days. Those things killed my friend on the way.’

 Cherry rubbed Macey’s shoulder gently. ‘You’re safe now, pet. What was your friend's name?’

‘Tom. Tommy. I didn’t know him well. He saved me coming out of the city, and said we’d make it. Together.’ She wiped her eyes, though Lola noted they were dry now. ‘He was wrong. They tore him apart, and I had to keep running. It saved me, it’s how I got ahead. And if your friend is dead because of me, then-’

‘Rev knows how to handle himself,’ Kurt stated. 

‘You came from the city then?’ Lola asked, ignoring Kurt’s blind optimism. ‘We heard your name on the CryCast a few days ago. You were with the Shadows?’

She nodded. ‘I was in Cardiff. It’s crazy down there. The place is crawling with those things. The Shadows have this warehouse, a real fortress. Not that it matters. Nothing holds forever.’

‘Did you see two boys there? Jasper and Nolan?’ She knew it was a long shot – the Shadows were a large group, and had multiple safehouses across the UK. Some of them had made it to Aberystwyth before, but she didn’t want to think about that just now. 

‘I… don’t think so.’ Macey’s eyes darted to Lola, then back to her tea. ‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t there for long. I was looking for my cousin, Aubrey. I heard she might have been moved to a hospital there. But she wasn’t, so I left. She had some family out here, used to come when she was little, so I thought that was the next best place to try.’

‘You’re so brave,’ Katie said from the side. ‘I’ve never been out there. I can’t believe you survived all by yourself. That’s amazing.’

Macey gave a small, somewhat sly smile, dipping her head. ‘It wasn’t amazing. It was just surviving. That’s what we do now, isn’t it?’

Katie shook her head, fiery strands of hair bouncing. ‘No, it is amazing. Everyone else I knew who left…’ She cut herself off, forcing another smile. ‘Well, you’re here now. That means something.’

‘If you want to stay, you’ll have to work for it,’ Lola said bluntly. ‘What skills do you have?’

‘Uhh,’ Macey dithered. 

‘Ignore her,’ Cherry said, patting Macey’s arm again. ‘She’s just sad about Rev. We all are. It’s a group effort here. We all help out.’

‘I get it,’ Macey said, icy eyes on Lola. ‘I can help. I’m fast. I’m a quick learner. I can cook. I make a mean stack of pancakes.’

Lola crossed her arms, caught Kurt’s sleeve, and pulled him into the corridor while Katie and Cherry fussed over Macey’s skills.

‘What?’ he whispered. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I don’t trust her,’ Lola hissed. ‘Did you see the way she looked at me when I mentioned Jasper and Nolan? When she talked about her friend? She’s lying about something. I can feel it. Why are you looking at me like that?’

Kurt sighed, rubbing at his temple. ‘Lola… I know you’re upset because of Rev, but it’s not her fault. Rev made his own decision. He’ll be lying low out there, and he’ll make it back if he can. But we need every pair of hands we can get.’

‘Why don’t you ever trust me?’ Lola said, her eyes flicking back to the kitchen. She dropped her voice to a harsh whisper, leaning in close. ‘Look at her, Kurt. She’s covered in blood, but she said the Invaders killed her friend and that let her get away, so she wasn’t right next to him, and she’s not injured anywhere, so whose blood is it?’

‘I’m sure there’s an explanation,’ Kurt said, but his eyes wouldn’t meet hers. Lola knew in an instant he was thinking about Jamie. ‘She’s just a scared kid, like the rest of us. Don’t be like me. Don’t go picking fights when we really need to be pulling together.’

Lola let go of his sleeve, jaw tightening. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t imagining things, that Macey was wrong in ways only she could see. But Kurt had already turned away and gone back to the kitchen, shutting her out. Lola stared into the room. Macey sipped her tea, her eyes glinting as if she knew exactly what Lola was thinking. 

Pebbles had been shuffling her worn tarot deck in her hands, quiet until now. She always shuffled when she was nervous, the cards snapping against one another in her small hands. She leaned in and whispered something into Katie’s ear.

‘Yes, great idea!’ Katie said. ‘Pebbles wants to do a reading, help us know what’s coming.’

‘Tarot?’ Macey tilted her head. ‘My mum used to read tarot. Can I see your deck?’

Pebbles reluctantly handed the deck over. Macey flicked through the cards and then handed it back. ‘The deck my mum had was very similar.’

Pebbles hopped down from the counter and pulled her first card, hands trembling as she laid it down on the table. They all stared at it.

‘Six of Swords,’ Pebbles said quietly, tracing a finger over it. ‘This is the past. It signifies someone running away, leaving danger behind.’

Everyone’s eyes turned to Macey, who was watching with polite curiosity.

The second card Pebbles drew was The Tower. ‘The present. Collapse, disaster, everything going wrong.’

Malcolm, who had crept over from the far corner of the room, laughed. ‘Yeah, well, that sounds about right.’

‘No kidding,’ said Bryn, leaning back with a crooked grin. ‘That’s our everyday.’

Cai snorted. ‘Don’t need no prophecy to know that trouble’s a-coming!’

‘Shush, guys,’ Katie said. ‘Okay, so what about the future?’

Swallowing, Pebbles drew the third card and flipped it over.

‘Ten of Swords,’ Macey read out loud. ‘What does that mean?’

A sharp intake of breath echoed around the table. Lola studied the card carefully. It showed a figure lying face down, pierced by ten swords.

‘Betrayal,’ whispered Pebbles. ‘That’s all I’m getting. A betrayal.’

Lola glanced at Kurt, whose jaw had gone rigid. His eyes flicked to the card and back to Pebbles, and for a moment, the weight of the farm, the Invaders, and Rev’s reckless bravery seemed to press down on him all at once. She turned back to Macey, whose blank face was already staring back at her.

Macey gulped and stood up. ‘Can I get cleaned up? All this blood…’

Cherry smiled. ‘Of course. The bathroom is just by the back door, on the right. Want me to show you?’

‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘I’m okay. I’m sorry. I think I just need a moment.’

They all watched as Macey left the room. 

Kurt rubbed at his temple, and Lola was sure she could see a tear pricking the corner of his eye. ‘Guys, I’m sorry about Rev. He saved us. I don’t know what Pebble’s card means, but he certainly didn’t betray us. He’s tough. He’ll make it.’

‘He might make it if he had his bat with him,’ Malcolm said, running a hand over his face. ‘But it’s still by the back door.’

‘Do you guys trust her?’ Lola felt the familiar knot of unease tighten in her stomach as she whispered, leaning into the table. ‘Macey. You trust her here?

‘Yeah,’ said Katie. ‘She seems nice. And she survived on her own, so we could do with someone strong like that.’

‘We could do with an extra pair of hands,’ said Bryn. ‘If we’re gonna stay, that is. Our farm’s been a bit neglected.’

‘Right, well I don’t trust her,’ Lola stated. ‘I don’t know what it is. Her story is too perfect. Her clothes are covered in blood, but she’s not injured in the slightest.’ Lola looked around at her friends’ expectant faces. ‘Did you not see her smiling when she told that story about her friend dying?’

‘She just ran for her life, Lola,’ said Cherry, bitterly. ‘Give the girl a break.’

‘I didn’t see her smiling,’ piped Bryn.

‘I think she was just nervous,’ Malcolm said. ‘I mean, heck, even I was nervous when I first found Manor Farm, two months back. It’s scary, meeting new kids in a world like this. I nearly got my head bashed in a couple of times before I found you lot.’

Lola shook her head, pressing her fingers to her temples. ‘No. None of you gets it. It’s the way she moves, the way she talks. There’s… something off. Something too calculated.’

‘She’s terrified!’ Katie exclaimed, perplexed.

‘Is she?’ Lola huffed. ‘She reminds me of someone, alright, that’s how I can tell! She’s like my mum!’

Kurt laughed, but it had no warmth. ‘That’s it, isn’t it? You’re just projecting your own issues onto her. Is it because you don’t want another girl in the house?’

Bile churned in Lola’s stomach. ‘You think this is some petty girl drama?’

‘I’m just going to go check on Macey,’ Katie announced, heading to the door. ‘She’s been a while now.’

‘Probably scared off by the arguing,’ Malcolm said.

Katie stepped over the toddlers and left the kitchen. 

Clenching her hands into fists, Lola stood up. ‘So she cries and gets to become one of us? We all fought for months to be here. We lost Jamie, now Rev, and some outsider can just waltz in like they own the place?’

Cherry shifted uncomfortably, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her pink sweater. ‘Can we all just calm down? She hasn’t done anything yet,’ she said, picking up one of the toddlers and sliding him onto her lap. ‘Imagine your brother or cousin turned up at someone’s farm like that, Lola. You’d want them to be treated well, wouldn’t you?’

‘I don’t know, man,’ Cai said, drumming his fingers against the table. ‘She might have a point. We don’t know her. She might be dangerous. I’m not saying we hurt her or nothing, but maybe give her a trial stay.’

‘Yeah, and if she does anything, we can kick her out after a week,’ Bryn added.

Kurt leaned back against the counter, sighing. ‘Alright, alright. Fine. Trial stay it is. But can we please not turn this into a war council every five minutes?’

Everyone nodded, but Lola wasn’t convinced. She knew she was right. Then it came. A scream, sharp and panicked, ripping through the farmhouse. Katie. Lola turned, but Kurt was already grabbing his shotgun.