Kale And Armada: Chemical Warehouse

• Luca Barton, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2014

Inside the satchel there were few items; a compass and map, leather bound flask – she took a swig, it was water, 750 ml. By her side was the tranquilliser pistol, only one round out of the two left though. In a smaller pocket she found a pocketknife and an extra round for the pistol Kale had. He lay exhausted on this cardboard mattress she’d found for him. Soon his breathing slowed down and Armada was sure he’d fallen asleep.
Armada studied the map carefully. The wall, far west of their location, was marked with a thick grey line. Suitable she thought. Venturing west and then south were vast dune fields and a cluster of brown dots for their village, further down the track were plains and then the jungle, marked by green dots. It ended there. Just infinite jungle as far as anyone knew.
Vines leeched on building walls, hazy sunlight poured through smashed windows illuminated dust. The air tasted sour. She revised her decision to put gas masks on them upon seeing the hazardous sign. The lettering at the entrance was in another language, but she figured that it might be some kind of – Kale jarred from his sleep. Jumping up. Eyes wide open. He went to remove his mask but Armada ordered him not to.
In the hallway were decomposing remnants of takeout lunch packets, turned over bins, soot and spreading mould like wall rugs. Kale noticed no animal droppings. Armada craned over her map still. He was going to suggest scouting their vicinity for the sake of caution but now he had an entirely convincing reason. The man’s head hung at his shoulders with eyes straining up, all but the warped pupils seen glazing. Clothing ripped and torn. Limping, a twisted ankle dragging after him like a small rodent. Its jaw unhinged and a growl guttered from its throat, whites making hypnotic contact with Kale. It broke out from a slow limp, now two more by its side. Three and four. Kale screamed for Armada to run. She flung all items into the bag and fled the other way. The humanoid creatures were all snarling.
“We’re in a chemical warehouse.” No more words for five bodies’ weight pressed against the swinging doors, Kale and Armada counteracted with their own weight. Kale had picked up a metal rod and jammed it through the handlebars. As they continued, away from the jaw-snappers and their radius of spit, Armada filled him in. “An abandoned one. Left behind by the city. I couldn’t read the sign but I figured from the warnings. I’d seen them in a book once.”
“Why would they need a chemical warehouse-?”
“In the middle of the jungle, I know.”
“Wait. Who are they?” Both turned and witnessed ‘them’, punching through windows and shoving out the metal rod from its place.
“Just keep the hazmats on.”