Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

“Best to just leave it, I think.” Steven answered in an equally polite manner.

As the rest of the group continued walking on down the street, Erica continued to stare at the bodies in awe; all she could think about was how it was just by pure luck that Cora was not in the same state as them…

LONDON

NOVEMBER 2034

“It’s pity we never did such a thing again,” Erica bemoaned over Steven’s grave about how their excursion to Cambridge was the only holiday the London group had done, “I mean, in all fairness, that wasn’t exactly your fault, was it? You were dead by the following summer.”

Again, another pensive few moments passed as it truly hit Erica just how long it had been since The Bandits’ first attack on London.

“Six years, hey?” She was in utter disbelief. “So much has happened in all that time.” Again, thoughts came flooding back into her mind.

The cross over Steven’s grave creaked lightly, as though an insect in the soil beneath was crawling around it.

“We lost Olivia,” Erica revealed, “Though I’m sure you already know that. You’re probably elsewhere together right now, in fact.”

Although she did not believe this in heart, she still had hope that it was true, and that the siblings were indeed watching over her.

“Elliot remains,” she added, hoping that it would provide some sort of comfort to their spirits should they happen to be listening somehow, “And not a day goes by where he doesn’t think about either of you—He loved you like a brother Steven, and he loved Olivia like the woman he was supposed to marry.”

Erica shook her head in dismay, as even she herself once had dreams about Elliot and Olivia’s wedding day. “He deserves to be happy,” she felt comfortable expressing her true feelings only at the graveside of a dead man, “He’s been through so much for the rest of us… I hope that he’ll find something, or someone, that puts a smile on his face forevermore one day.”

She looked down the street which she had come up, towards the hotel in the distance where Elliot currently was.

“He’s blind now, by the way,” Erica cackled as she revealed this, “I only find that funny because it just further goes to show that the man doesn’t know when to stop! Heck, you and Olivia of all people would know that, wouldn’t you? You knew him before the apocalypse—I wish I had done to. He seems like he was such a cool friend.”

There was a very faint breeze through Erica’s hair, which she interpreted as Steven’s way of letting her know that Elliot was indeed a good friend to have before Day Zero.

“Anyway,” Erica rose from Steven’s graveside, “I’d best get on with my walk.” She bowed her head to the grave, “Take care of her for us, will you?” She referred to Olivia, then sighed at her own remark, “Who am I kidding? Of course you will.”

As Erica passed the main gates, she kept her distance from the two people on watch duty as she was not in the mood to have a conversation with any living soul right now.

Instead, she waved at the two people at the gate from afar. As her pupils adjusted to the darkness and the one streetlamp between her and them, she realised who they were: her old friend, Annabelle, and the newcomer, Maylene.

Being sweet, Annabelle and Maylene both waved back at her.

In an odd way, Erica just felt something so wholesome about seeing Annabelle in the company of someone a similar age to her; perhaps, at long last, if Annabelle could, then maybe Cora too could finally have the proper girly friendship group that she’d missed out on in her teenage years.

And thus, a plan formed in Erica’s mind. In order to bring the younger residents together, she was going to host a party.

Chapter 23: The Party

Inside the safe zone, there was a small park which many of the residents liked to take daytime strolls through.

But on this night, however, Erica had put a huge number of resources into making it all bright and fun.

Several gazebos and marquees had been set up on the grass, there were chains of bright lights hanging from several recently erected poles, and there were tables of food and drink all around.

“There!” Erica commented as she set up the final set of hanging bulbs.

Then, looking out across her work, she put her hands on her hips and smiled; she was impressed with the party that she had set up.

“Erica, come in please.” Tina radioed to her with impeccable timing.

“Go for Erica.” She replied to her wife.

“I hope that party’s set up…” Tina cryptically told her.

“It is—Why?” Erica was confused at first, but then, she heard it…

“Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” The partygoers on board the minibus were singing loudly and proudly till their hearts’ content.

After The Bandits had been defeated, Tina had wasted no time in fixing their abandoned minibus and had jazzed it up with rather luminous decals, stickers, and on the inside, LED light strips.

“Jump! Jump! Jump!” The partygoers were still singing in perfect unison with each other as they jumped up and down, punching the air carefreely in the same moments.

“We’ll be coming in hot soon!” Tina yelled back to her passengers, but also down the radio to Erica.

“I—I don’t believe it…” Erica mumbled in dismay and disbelief as she listened out for the party bus speeding around in the distance, headed straight for the park given some more time.

“So uh, mum, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” Cora addressed Erica as she placed down the last platter of food in the nearest gazebo, “But, what exactly is this party for?”

Erica shrugged, “Oh, you know, just for us to all