novelxo Chapter 10: Sheep in Wolves Clothing
The lumbering form stomped down the street. It slowly moved it’s head this way and that, with a confidence of regal proportion. None would dare oppose this mountain of a figure. As the giant reached a doorway, a key was produced from some pocket deep in the recesses of the clothing. It was pushed with purpose in to a waiting hole. With a satisfying click the lock opened, and the bulk passes within.
Turning, the figure gave a swift reckoning to the many locks, bolts and chains. Until that portal was throughouly secure. Next a screen on the wall was inspected, with minute detail. Until the figure was satisfied, and then it nodded.
Only then did a tiny hand, much too small to belong to this giant of a figure, issued from the chest. It was placed firmly on an electronic pad on the wall. Brief blue sparks played over the carpet. And from further back in the house, came the squeak of a mouse. As it proclaimed it’s untimely demise, by electric shock.
“Rats, I’ll have to go find it” came a voice from within the figure. It was too small for this colossus, but it did fit the hand belonging to the small girl. She was now emerging from the hatch in its chest. She turned to the battle suit she had just vacated. Then she set up the protection, to stop anyone but her using it. “That really would be the end of me”, Nancy thought. Then she went to find the mouse.
It was lying on it’s back on the second floor hallway. “Poor thing” Nancy crooned to it, and picked it up by the tail. There was a sudden thud from the door next to her. But without flinching Nancy turned to it, and called through the stout barrier. “Not long now Daddy. I’m home now and tea will be ready soon.” There was a low moan, and the scraping of feet departing.
Nancy took the dead rodent down to the basement kitchen, and then busied about with tea. As she worked, she glanced occasionally at a photograph. It was stuck to the fridge door. It was of a kind faced woman, who shared Nancy’s looks. It was her mother. Now gone, like the others. Nancy looked down with tears in her eyes.
Then with resolve, she filled the oven up with wood. Just like the woman in the photograph had shown her. “Nice dry wood, we don’t want any smoke Nancy.” The words echoed in the girl’s ears, just at the edge of hearing. Then she got the pot on.
Soon it was bubbling away, so she took up one of her picture books to wait. There were a stack of books in the corner; Mommy had used them to teach Nancy about food preparation, first aid and practical electronics. These had been her main lessons. “For the new world we live in”, her Mommy had often said. Nancy liked to think about the old world, which Mommy would tell her about. But that was all gone now, and so was Mommy.
Nancy took out a spoon, and tested the mixture on the stove, “a little more salt I think.” Nancy glanced over at the photo on the fridge again. The kaki clad woman beamed out, and Nancy remembered one of her stories of old. Mommy would cradle Nancy on her lap, and tell her of the big war that ended it all. How someone released the poison, and how the people all became bad. Except for Nancy and Mommy. “Never trust a stranger,” Nancy was told umpteen times a day. Except now everyone was a stranger, after Mommy went.
Nancy filled a bowl from the pan, and went back up stairs. Daddy was moving about; Nancy could hear the scraping of bare feet. She placed the bowl in front of the door, and drew open the low slot. Instantly a claw like hand shot out, and grabbed the bowl. Nancy got a glint of a ring, as the food was dragged away. Then she sat on the floor, and listened to the sound of the food being devoured. The empty bowl shot through the slot, and rolled about on the floor. Mommy had been very strict about that rule. “If Daddy don’t give back the dishes, the next meal, they just misses.” And always in her singsong tone.
Nancy took the empty bowl back down to the kitchen, and had her own tea then. Always feed Daddy first. After washing up, Nancy checked the pantry; it was still all right. She wouldn’t have to go shopping, for tomorrow at least. Taking up her torch, Nancy did her rounds. She meticulously checked the locks, blinds and other defenses. They were all in order, just as when Mommy was here.
Then tired from the day, Nancy went to her own room. This one had all the locks on the inside. The bed seemed far too big, now Mommy wasn’t there to keep Nancy still. She tossed and turned, and ended up with the sheets on the floor by morning. Too tired to rouse herself, Nancy just lay there. While from behind the heavy curtains, the light grew brighter.
Then unable to make another excuse to just lie there, she got up. Dust spun in clouds as she crossed the carpet, like willow the wisps that had fascinated Nancy before. But now they were just so much of the background to her constant struggle to go on. She passed the door to Daddy’s room, listening out for scraping noises. There didn’t seem to be any, so she paused. But then there was a thud on the wall, and Nancy passed on.
After reheating what was left of last night’s meal in the pot. Nancy divided it in two, and took both bowls upstairs. She placed one in front of the door. After it was snatched, she sat on the floor. She ate hers, to the sound of Daddy breakfasting. With the two empty bowls in hand Nancy tidied up, and then she did a check of the defenses again. “Constant vigilance” was Mommy’s watchword.
The strangers didn’t like the light, so this was the best time for Nancy to go out. She made sure the battle suit was fully recharged, and ready for action. Turning once more to the back of the house, Nancy shouted. “I’m just going out Daddy, I won’t be long.” Then she sealed herself into the protective amour, and gazed as herself in the mirror. No one would suspect that under the thick coat and rags; stood probably the last piece of high Tec weaponry in the land. Nancy gave a salute to the mirror, and then she unlocked the portal to out there.
Trudging off down the street, Nancy headed as far as it was safe to go. “Always forage away from home”, She recalled Mommy’s words. Nancy needed wood to keep the stove going. Water was easy to collect, from a well in the garden. Mommy had chosen their home with care. Food was in plentiful supply; you just had to catch it. Finally there was the electricity, to supply the battle suit and house defenses. Nancy wasn’t too sure where it came from, but Mommy had always assured her, it would never run out. So Nancy had to leave it at that.
The wood had to be dry. So it meant entering a building, to rip bits up furniture or floorboards. “As long as you do it safely”, Mommy had always taught her. “And don’t forget inside it’s dark, so strangers might be in there.” Nancy checked the proximity sensor; there was a faint ping. It was probably a rat about twenty feet away. Nancy knew what was trouble, although once she had to stamp on some barking thing; that just wouldn’t leave her alone.
After a good morning’s work, Nancy hefted her load on her back, and trudged back home to make lunch. The hand shot out, and Nancy got a glimpse of that ring again, as it dragged the bowl inside. She wished Mommy hadn’t had to go away. Nancy had cried for a full day when it happened. But Mommy would always be there in her memory, and on the fridge door. The image would never fade.
Nancy took up her schoolbooks in the afternoon. She diligently studied practical electronics; for she knew some day she would need the skills contained in the books. “There’s on one else to fix it, so learn.” was another of Mommy’s sayings. After tea Nancy took one last look about the pantry. Not a morsel of food remained. She had put it off as long as she could. Nancy would just have to go shopping tomorrow.
That night she cried herself to sleep, clutching a book for comfort. The next morning she finished what was left of the food in the pan. Nancy stooped over the bowl, as she cleaned the last bits from the dishes. Slowly she checked the defenses. Then with meticulousness bourn from reluctance, Nancy examined the battle suit. Finally all the tasks were complete, and Nancy cried out. “Just going shopping Daddy”, but the words stuck in her throat. So she just climbed into the suit and went out.
This was her first time shopping. Mommy had taught her what to do, but it wasn’t the same. Book learning was far from doing it for real. Nancy had almost retched, when she had first tried to prepare food for the pantry. But Mommy had got her through that, with a combination of soothing talk, and plain down to earth explaining. “If we don’t eat, we won’t live.” And Nancy got a reassuring hug at the end, as reward for a lesson learned. This time however, there was no Mommy to get her through it. Nancy just had to go out there, and get shopping.
The mechanical tramp of Nancy took her with a purpose. To a large house, streets from home. There was a large ping on her screen. She looked up at the imposing facade. “Like a monumental cereal box, with a treat inside.” Or at least that was how Mommy described it. For Nancy had never seen a cereal box.
Nancy gulped, and wished she had brought a drink. Her throat seemed parched beyond belief. The mechanical hand reached out, and tore the door from its frame. Then with all the stealth of a tank Nancy walked in. This was actually the tactic Mommy had taught her. “But only when there’s one ping.” Not that strangers liked to hunt in packs, like moles they were a solitary predator. “Just like me” Nancy thought, and a pang of regret held her.
The wrong moment for reflection, for just then the snarling mass of the stranger attached itself to Nancy’s exoskeleton. It began to devour the outer layers of rags. Nancy was safe; she was just waiting for this moment. She flicked a switch, and a shock ran through the savage beast trying to kill her. It went limp, and with deft reflexes Nancy had the stranger hog tied; and over her shoulder. Then she went home.
Checking to see no one was following her; Nancy produced her key, and was soon in the hall. This time, instead of exiting the suit, Nancy went to Daddy’s room. Then she pressed another button, on the wall beside the door. There was a thud, and Nancy let out a stifled moan. Another Daddy was food, and this stranger would be her new Daddy. She dragged the body from the room, and put the new Daddy where the old one had lay. The bonds were cut and the new Daddy stood, as Nancy relocked the door. With that part over, Nancy returned the battle suit to its place by the door. Then she went through the coming home routine, and finally crawled out of the suit.
She sat huddled at the suit’s feet, staring at the food. Nancy had prepared it a few times before, but this time was different. Finally Nancy reached out, and dragged the food down to the kitchen to prepare it. Just like the last time Nancy prepared it alone. Fighting back the tears now, just as she fought back the tears last time.
Nancy’s mind drifted back to her tear stained Mommy, as she stood ridged in the hall that last time. Fighting through her clenched teeth, as Mommy tried to explain to a sobbing child, how Mommy was becoming a stranger. Nancy had cried “No Mommy”, trying to grab at her. But her Mommy forced her back, with every ounce of restraint. Then pressing the button to Daddy’s room, Mommy had dragged the food out.
Next Mommy disappeared inside, and pushed the door shut with a resounding click of the lock. The key flew out from under the door, and a snarling beast rebounded off the closed portal. Nancy had finished preparing the food, and she sat with the ring in her hand. Nancy put a string through it, and hung the keepsake round her neck. Mommy would always be in her heart, long after she had passed through Nancy’s belly.