Change and Other Terrors by Jim Horlock

Author:Jim Horlock
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958228654
Publisher: Quill & Crow Publishing House

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I murmured to Henry, trying not to be heard.

The weird walkers stayed in a rough circle around us as we moved through the trees, like some sort of honor guard. Or prison guards.

“To be honest, mate, no I’m not,” Henry muttered back. “I don’t like the look of these people. But I like the look of Josh even less. If they’ve got some medical supplies or a phone or something, that’s his best bet at this point.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Henry shot a look back at Josh. The strange people had made a makeshift stretcher for him using sticks and rope, their hands moving to the task as though they’d been in a dream, staring into nothing. They hadn’t uttered a word. They hadn’t so much as exchanged a look or a gesture with one another.

They carried him now between four of them while he lay on his back groaning incoherently, his hands on his swollen stomach.

“I have no fucking clue,” said Henry. “I’ve never seen anything like it. We have to get him some help, ASAP.”

“Welcome,” said the smiling man, who had introduced himself as Malcolm. He was at the head of the group and didn’t bother turning around, instead spreading his arms wide in presentation.

Beyond him was a space between the trees around the size of a football field. A dozen houses had been built there and I was actually surprised by the quality of the construction. I’d been expecting mud huts or creepy wooden Evil Dead-style shacks but these looked more like homely little log cabins straight out of a holiday brochure. There were even neatly maintained paths between them, linking them to a central dirt road that ran through the middle. The clearing was ringed by trees with white-silver bark.

It would have been picturesque if it wasn’t for the ominous feeling I got from Malcolm and his gang.

“Take him to the doctor,” Malcolm instructed his mute hiking buddies, who followed him like an empty-minded herd, smiling all the while.

They complied, carrying Josh’s bulk without complaint towards a long bungalow at the other end of the clearing. Josh was beyond speaking. He let out a soft moan every now and then and stroked his hands over his belly.

Malcolm kept walking towards the main cluster of buildings and we followed.

“We should go with him,” said Petey, glancing after Josh. “Should we go with him?”

“He will be fine,” Malcolm said. “You are free to stay here as long as you like. We have room to spare.”

“Can we use a phone?” Henry asked. “We should call ahead to the lodge, let them know what happened and why we’re delayed. Don’t want them thinking we’ve gone missing and sending out search parties or something.”

“No phone here, I’m afraid,” said Malcolm. “No mobile signal either. We’re pretty isolated. We like it that way. Back to nature. Returning to the earth!”

Henry frowned. “Where do you get your medical supplies? Your food?”

“Oh, we go into town when we need to do a supply run.

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