The World Could End With You - Novella

Chapter 6 - Bowlines, babies and see you soon maybes

"Breathe Ivo." Toby says quickly, crossing the room before the words have even sunk in for the rest of us, "Which direction? Where are the others?"

Ivo takes three dramatic deep breaths before he speaks again, "Katy's in the treehouse, Bobby is by the barn and Jess is in the truck.  They're coming from the west."

Dec frowns and looks around before whispering against my ear, "Which way is west?"

I smile despite myself and shrug. "So is anyone going to tell me why you've got literal scouts on lookout?"

"The scout leader became...unwell," Toby says with a significant look and my heart goes out to the poor kids, "So someone took him to the hospital and I offered to let the kids stay here and wait for their parents to get them. I told them they could play in the treehouse as long as they kept a lookout for danger. They decided they wanted to set up lookouts instead." 

"We want to help!" Ivo smiles up with all the innocence of a child, but a redness round his eyes that tells me he's not coping as well as he's pretending.

"It sounds like you've been so helpful." I reassure and he beams at me.

Toby claps him on the back and then starts to hobble towards the back door, "Alright let's go and get the others in so we can come up with a plan."

I follow them to the edge of the porch and call out, "How many can you see?" 

A small head pokes out of the treehouse, "At least fifty, maybe more." A girl I am assuming is Katy calls back, pointing out to the left.

I squint and try to look past the hedges lining each field to spot what she's talking about. Then one of the hedges moves and I realise it's not a hedge at all. It's a herd of the infected lumbering towards us and barely just over a mile away.

My eyes widen, "Oh shit."

I turn to run back to tell the others and slam straight into Dec's chest. "What is it?" He asks in his rumbling concerned voice. 

"We don't have long. They're moving slowly but they're definitely coming." I point and Dec follows my finger until he sees them himself.

"Shit." He echoes, whirling to go back into the house.

As soon as we are all gathered inside he starts speaking quickly, "The treehouse is our best option for those who can't defend themselves. We need to get all the kids up there, including baby Ivan if possible."

"We can make a pully system. We learnt how to create all sorts of different knots a few weeks ago." Katy puts in eagerly. 

Although Sarah still looks a little doubtful, Toby promises to help and she nods in agreement. "Not to be sexist but Sarah and Karina, I think you should be up there too. Those kids need Mum's to get them through this and I think you're the ones who can keep them quiet." Toby says gently.

Sarah and Karina exchange a look that is both determination and despair, both bonded by a mutually difficult situation.

"Our other options for hiding spots which have good views of the treehouse so we can keep an eye on things with the kids are the attic and the hayloft in the barn. Ladies," Dec turns a winning smile on Ruby and Violet who immediately light up, "Unlike the treehouse they are wooden ladders rather than rope but I don't think either are particularly easy to climb, which would you prefer?"

"Oh the attic if you don't mind. Dear Toby mentioned some photo albums of the village when he first moved here and hopefully they can distract us." Violet says, reaching to pat Toby's leg.

My eyebrows shot up at the contact and Toby winks at me so I'm forced to hold back a laugh.

"I'll join them in the attic, it gives me the best view of you." Paul says, squeezing Sarah's knee.