Darkness Ahead of Us | Book 3 | Darkness Lifting Read online

  Darkness Lifting

  Darkness Ahead Of Us #3

  Leif Spencer

  First published in Great Britain in 2021.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  Darkness Lifting © 2021 Leif Spencer

  www.lspencerauthor.com

  Cover by Holly Jameson

  www.hollyjameson.co.uk

  For Susan, who is incredibly patient even when I’m stressing over a deadline.

  Contents

  Also by Leif Spencer

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Stolen Visions (Excerpt)

  Note From The Author

  Also by Leif Spencer

  THE END WE SAW (Novella Series)

  Stolen Visions

  Chased by Guilt

  Misplaced Mercy

  Forlorn Redemption

  All We Have Left

  THE END WE SAW (Omnibus)

  The End We Saw (The Complete Series)

  EXCLUSIVE FOR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS

  After the Pulse (The End We Saw Prequel Short Story)

  DARKNESS AHEAD OF US

  Darkness Within

  Darkness Falling

  Darkness Lifting

  Acknowledgments

  Darkness Lifting is the third and final book in the Darkness Ahead of Us trilogy, and I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters, but it’s time to let them go. That means it’s time for me to thank everyone who has been involved in this project.

  This series wouldn’t exist without Lauren. Without Lauren, none of my books would exist. Somehow, your comments turn bare bones into something worth reading. I can’t thank you enough!

  Without Isabel, it would be riddled with errors and far too many commas. Commas everywhere. I’m sorry.

  And most of my books wouldn’t have a title without Esther.

  Last year, Gemma got this household addicted to Animal Crossing, and this year I got her addicted to Valheim. Payback time! Thank you for your continued help with my website. Let’s be Vikings together.

  I’d also like to thank Susan, Stephanie, Misty, Dorene, Dave, John, Colin, Bryan and Anthony.

  And every reader and author over on Women of the Apocalypse. (Check out and join our Facebook group, especially if you like post-apocalyptic fiction with strong female characters.)

  And last but not least, all my friends on the Indie Author Server on Discord, thank you for your support and for sharing your knowledge.

  To every reader, I’m eternally grateful.

  1

  Spring was Anna Greene’s favourite season, but if she was forced to choose a favourite month, she’d pick September. The air was still warm and pleasant during the day, but the leaves were slowly turning orange, then a deep red, before littering the ground in a colourful display.

  But now, of course, the prospect of winter without central heating loomed on the horizon, filling her with apprehension. They had prepared themselves as best as they could, but…

  Anna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Despite the early hour, Bob’s wife, Sue, and Sue’s sister, Rachel, were already busy in the kitchen of their cottage, and the scent of baked apples and herbs filled the air.

  The rising sun was a pale red, bathing the garden in a golden hue. Anna turned her head towards it, letting the sun warm one side of her face, then the other.

  She opened her eyes and inspected her blistered hands. The cottage had a small fireplace, and everyone had been chopping wood for the better part of the summer months. She let her gaze drift to the woodpile behind the cottage, and the sight of their hard work filled her with pride. The stacked logs were leaning against the charcoal grey wall where Graham’s neighbour—they called him Pyro Neil—had set fire to the cottage at the beginning of summer shortly before Anna and her sister, Sarah, had joined the small settlement.

  Bob had invited his next-door neighbour Luke to brave the apocalypse together with him. Surviving in company sounds a lot more pleasant than surviving alone, Bob had said, and together they had decided to invite Luke’s next-door neighbour, Graham, and the couple living opposite him.

  Neil’s no had been loud and clear.

  No one knew why he had set Bob and Sue’s cottage on fire, and he’d packed up and left the next morning before anyone could muster up the courage to ask. Graham had interpreted it as a warning.

  Anna shifted, both her hips and her right knee sore from sitting still for hours on the narrow lookout platform they had nailed to the old oak tree growing in front of the cottage.

  She reached for the small radio at her feet, massaging her knee with her other hand. Switching it on, she searched for a broadcasting station. The EMP had struck a little over two months ago, and the radio Anna had taken from Tesco that night now only emitted static. Occasionally, they found someone else broadcasting that they were looking for survivors, but the BBC had gone quiet.

  Without the BBC, Anna retained little hope that there still was a functioning government.

  Underneath her, the door to the patio opened, and Bob stepped outside. He paused to stretch. The sound of joints popping floated up to Anna and she grimaced.

  Bob yawned and rubbed his hands together. “Right. I’m off.” He grinned up at Anna as he walked past her, and she waved.

  Sue wasn’t happy that he still walked his twenty miles every day, setting traps, but the rabbits he brought home were their only fresh meat. At least once a week, he ventured to the border of the nearest town, Braintree, looking for signs of change. But every time he visited, the town had grown a little more deserted, and instead of bringing home hope, Bob broke into the newly abandoned houses and took any remaining supplies.

  Occasionally, he had enough room in his backpack to bring back a few books as well. He would hand them to Anna and wink. “Make sure to give these to Sue after you’re done.”

  She thought it was sweet that he gave them to her first instead of his wife, but a part of Anna knew that he simply pitied her, knowing that she’d been forced to leave her flat and everything in it.

  Anna missed her home. Most of all she missed her books, but her coffee machine came a close second. Instant coffee just wasn’t all that great.

  She gave a startled jump when a voice came from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Good morning.”

  She turned around to see Luke’s face—his rugged chin just coming into view—grinning at her. He was pulling himself up onto the lookout platform, the muscles in his arms bulging as he tightened his grip on the wooden slats.

  She offered him her hand, but he shook his head. “Not with your knee.”

  Her hand found her aching knee instead and she massaged it firmly, digging her slender fingers into the muscle. The joint froze every time she sat down if she didn’t extend and stretch it every so often.

  Anna hob
bled to the side of the platform so that Luke could sit down and yawned.

  “Did you get any sleep at all?”

  “Sarah had the first watch. I managed a few hours before she woke me,” Anna said. “I’m supposed to feed the chickens now and take the eggs to Rachel for pickling.”

  A smirk lit up Luke’s pale blue eyes. “Your sister’s rigid schedule is a nightmare. She reminds me of an old English teacher I used to have.” He hid a yawn behind his hand. “I left fresh sheets outside your room. Sarah said she would make up the bed for you.”

  “Thank you.” She appreciated his kind nature, and that he’d been willing and was still willing to share his home with her. It was cramped in his spare room, but Anna felt right at home among his bookshelves.

  Luke frowned. “Where’s your dog?”

  “Oreo’s either crawled into bed with Sarah, or he’s in the cottage with Rachel and Sue. Bob took him on his walk yesterday. He’s always a bit lazy the day after a long hike.”

  “Anything I need to know?”

  Anna removed the pistol from her belt and handed it to Luke. “I saw movement over at Pyro Neil’s house. I think Rose and Graham were right, and Neil and his wife have come back.”

  “Did you actually see Neil?”

  Anna shook her head. They hadn’t known the name of the man who’d set fire to Bob and Sue’s home. After realising he’d left the day after the attempted arson attack, Sue had called him all the names under the sun. Rose, Graham’s wife, had eventually broken into the empty house and rifled through his post, coming up with the nickname Pyro Neil. It had stuck.

  “If he’s really back…should we…should we warn him off? Should we talk to him? What if he does it again?”

  “He can’t get near our houses without being seen from up here, and we’re armed. What can he do?” Luke shrugged. “But you know Bob. He’s probably already forgotten about the fire. These are strange times and perhaps…”

  Anna raised an eyebrow. “Are you really trying to excuse arson? I don’t care if the times are strange. He didn’t need to do that. He could have said no thank you and left it at that.”

  “I don’t know.” Luke settled down on the stool and holstered the pistol. “He was probably just afraid. We all were.”

  “And yet we all somehow managed not to burn down our neighbours’ houses.”

  Luke sighed and leaned back on the narrow stool. He closed his eyes, his face turned towards the rising sun. “I’m just saying.” He pressed his lips into a grim line and turned his head to look at Anna. “I’m still terrified, you know?”

  “I know.” Anna smiled sadly. She wanted to comfort him but what else was there to say? He’d always seemed so brave that she hadn’t realised he was as afraid as she was. “I’d better go and feed those chickens.” She climbed down and was walking away when a thought occurred to her. She paused, looked back up at Luke. “Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee as soon as I’ve dropped off the eggs?”

  A smile lit up his face, temporarily replacing his worried expression. “I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”

  Sarah had moved into Graham and Rose’s guest room at the beginning of summer, but whenever Anna took the watch immediately after her sister’s, Sarah slept in Luke’s spare room for a few hours. Graham and Rose were early risers and Sarah was a light sleeper.

  There were two empty houses to the left of Pyro Neil’s, and Anna and Sarah had considered moving into one of them, but it felt weird to occupy someone else’s property without their permission.

  Apocalypse or not.

  And now that Pyro Neil was possibly back, Anna wasn’t sure she’d feel safe in an empty house across the street.

  The small cul-de-sac was easily defensible. Especially now that they’d reinforced the fencing surrounding their properties. Bob and Sue’s cottage backed onto a copse of trees. A public footpath separated the copse from a vast field. Beyond that, there was nothing but woodland.

  Braintree was a few miles in the other direction.

  Anna opened the gate and entered Luke’s garden. It squeaked as she carefully closed it again. She hesitated for a moment, goosebumps prickling her skin. She thought she’d seen movement, but everything was quiet.

  Where was Oreo?

  She took out the dog whistle Bob had found during on one of his supply runs and blew it.

  She and Oreo had been training all summer. With him being a Border Collie, she’d been able to teach him plenty of tricks before the EMP. He could reliably give his paw, wave and roll over. He trotted alongside her, never pulled. And he knew his toys and even put them away at the end of the day when told to do so.

  He barked at strangers, but he’d never learned to bark on command or be quiet on command. Now, after weeks of work, he finally snarled when she asked him to, and with the help of a fake training arm, she’d taught him how to restrain people by biting down onto their arms.

  He still let go the moment the person yelped in pain, which wasn’t ideal, but at least it gave her a few moments where a potential enemy was distracted.

  Something black and white shot around the corner, and a moment later Oreo sat in front of her with his ears perked and his tail wagging.

  “You’re a good boy,” Anna said excitedly. Oreo was very food-driven and couldn’t care less about the excitement in her voice, but she could no longer feed him ham and cheese. There wasn’t any, and even if there were, it wouldn’t be for the dog. She took a dried apple chip from her pocket and offered it to him on her open palm, then scratched his chest. “In fact, you’re an excellent boy.”

  He swallowed without chewing and sat still, waiting for another command.

  The chicken coop was set up behind Luke’s house, right underneath Anna’s window, and the incessant clucking woke her every morning. Apparently, it bothered Sarah less than Graham and Rose’s early morning chatter.

  Luke and Bob had built a fence made of mesh wire around the coop to make sure the chickens were safe from any passing foxes. They’d considered keeping them inside at first, but they were loud and messy, and for now the small coop would have to do.

  Anna checked the fence for any damage before feeding the chickens and removing the eggs from the wooden hut. Another six eggs. She smiled, relieved. It had taken the chickens several days before they’d been comfortable enough to start laying, and Bob had already worried that the farmer had given him useless livestock.

  Bob had initially asked for a few fertilised eggs and was going to incubate them with the help of a thermometer and a camping gas lamp, but the farmer had laughed at him. Instead, he’d offered six chickens and a cockerel in return for help with fortifying his own fence.

  Bob, Luke and Graham had spent almost a week at the farm, then promptly took their newly acquired knowledge and built a sturdier fence around their own trio of houses.

  It could be scaled, of course, and it wouldn’t stand up to an axe or a cutting tool, but it was better than nothing and would give them more than enough time to react.

  Especially if Oreo smelled or heard the strangers approaching.

  “Do you need any help?” Rose asked, peering over the hedge growing along the edges of her garden.

  Oreo gave a playful bark. Anna smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you. Just about to bring these eggs to Rachel. She and Sarah were going to pickle the next batch today.” The thought of eating pickled eggs made Anna grimace, but it was what they needed: long-lasting food.

  “Was it a quiet night?”

  “I think you were right about seeing Pyro Neil the other day. I saw some movement during my watch.” She absentmindedly scratched behind Oreo’s ear. “Have you or Graham seen anything else since then?”

  “Bob said that we should consider talking to Neil, but Graham disagrees. You know how he is. He doesn’t trust anyone. He’s not happy about Bob putting up all those flyers asking people to come and join us either. He thinks that we should chase Neil away for good and make sure that he knows he�
�s not welcome here. Not after what he’s done.”

  “Aren’t you worried about provoking him further?”

  “Why?”

  Anna shrugged. “He set Bob and Sue’s house on fire.”

  “We can’t just ignore his presence.”

  “Why not? It’s not like he can do anything. We’re armed, we have Oreo, and there’s always someone up there on that platform.”

  “He seems to have come back without his wife. I wonder if he’s even planning on staying.”

  “He’s come back without his wife? How do you know?”

  “I—” Rose stammered, running a hand through her dark hair.

  Graham appeared behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on his wife’s shoulder. “Are you talking about Pyro Neil?” He placed a kiss on Rose’s cheek, then smiled at Anna. “Did Rose tell you that I saw him again last night?”

  Anna frowned, wondering why Rose hadn’t mentioned that, then shook her head. “She was just telling me that you think Neil had come back on his own?”

  “He only had one bag with him, and there was no sign of his wife.”

  Anna offered Oreo another apple chip as a reward for sitting next to her so patiently. “And you don’t think we should talk to him?”

  Graham let go of his wife and approached the hedge. “Why, what do you think we should do?”

  “I don’t know. Talking is always better than just…acting.”

  Don’t think. Just act. She’d said those words to Christine when they’d met on the night of the EMP. Anna had since changed her mind. Thinking was how she’d freed herself when Gus and Nellie had tied her to a radiator pipe.