Terra Nova by Mati Ocha

Author:Mati Ocha [Ocha, Mati]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robot Dinosaur Press
Published: 2024-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

“Are you out of your mind?” Declan hisses to me when we finally make it into his house an hour later.

“Yes, without a doubt.” With Murtaugh safely in Declan and Angela’s back garden with Trudy and the morning looming already, all I want to do is collapse, but I’ve officially got miles to go before I sleep. “Absolutely nutters. Round the bend. Mental. Give me a belt to bite and hand me a fork to stick in an electrical socket.”

That wouldn’t even work these days, but it gets a chuckle from Ngozi.

All she says is, “You are sure?”

I nod.

Angela is standing down the hallway a few steps with two young children peeking out around her bum where they stand behind her. One is young enough that he’s sucking a thumb—or rather, his index finger, somehow contorted so his palm is facing me.

“Will is going to the abbey with Zeke Bosworth at first light,” Declan explains to Angela, who stares at me.

“That wanker?” She winces as soon as the words are out of her mouth, glancing down guiltily at the bairns. “Sorry. Not used to little ears yet.”

They’re the first small children I’ve been close to in, well. Ages. Even before the ascension, I didn’t see many, let alone hang out with them. Bamford is—was—an aging community.

These two…well. They look shellshocked, and I’m not surprised. They’re both white, I presume siblings, and they have the same brown hair and big blue eyes.

The older one is a girl, her wispy curls pushed back with a headband, and if I had to guess, I’d say she is about four or five. Her little brother is maybe two at the oldest. They both stare at me wide eyed, clinging to Angela’s legs.

“I’ll tell you all about it,” I promise. “Just maybe once the little ones are asleep?”

Declan and Angela exchange a glance and nod after a beat.

Ngozi, after doffing her shoes, crouches easily at the children’s eye level. “Hello, my friends. My name is Ngozi. Perhaps I can show you how to make something out of clay tomorrow.”

The children don’t say anything, but I notice the girl’s eyes trained on Ngozi’s smile and see the tiniest twitch of the wee one’s mouth that says she wants to smile back.

“That would be wonderful,” Angela says softly. “I think they would like that.”

“And this is Will.” Ngozi points to me. “He isn’t as scary as he looks.”

“Hey!” I say with mock indignation, making my hands into T-rex arms and bouncing them like claws. “I’m very scary. Rar.”

I don’t know what makes me do it, maybe it’s their big, unblinking blue eyes boring holes in my heart. Maybe it’s the question of whether or not they’ll ever see their parents again. Maybe it’s to make the adults laugh, who knows?

But the wee boy cracks a smile around his finger and says, “Rar!”

“Excellent,” I tell him seriously. “Very good roar.”

I look up in time to see Angela swallow, her eyes suspiciously glassy.

Declan settles me and Ngozi in the

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