Alison Killeen
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Gomorrah
Chapter One
More dead as the new strain of the Gomorrah virus tears through Liverpool.
Twenty more confirmed dead and still no nearer a cure.
This hacked Jake off because it meant the Liverpool match would be cancelled again. Why couldn’t it be happening in Manchester? Folding the paper over, he stuffed it through Mrs Kent’s letterbox at number three.
Cycling past some shops he saw an old man rummaging through a bin. It was disgusting, no matter how hungry Jake got there was no way he’d resort to bin diving.
“You’re gross, you hobo,” Jake shouted.
The old guy raised his fist and barked something that Jake couldn’t hear.
“Yeah, same to you,” he called back.
In his kitchen, Jake was met with silence. He went over to the sink and turned on the tap. It gave a gurgling rumble and a splutter but nothing came out.
“Great.”
Using a tea towel, he cleaned his hands. Emptying a load of ‘Chocolly Crocklies, into a bowl a couple of the chocolate covered balls rolled onto the table. Picking one up Jake ate it. It was stale and tasted of cardboard. He tipped them into the bin. His Mum walked in.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Chucking them.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“They’re off.”
“Oh, what?” she said. “I only bought them yesterday. People are selling any old rubbish.”
Jake watched her walk over to the tap and waited for her to turn it on before saying, “There’s no water.”
She gave him an irritated look. “Thanks for telling me.” She took some bottled water and filled the kettle. Sitting down she rested her head on the table, “I’m exhausted.”
“You should try getting up for a paper round,” he said.
“Life’s so hard.” She gave a yawn.
He had to admit she didn’t look that great. Her hair hung lank around her shoulders and looked like it needed a wash. There were red rims around her eyes.
It had just been him and his mum for years. His dad had left when he was four to go and be an eco-warrior somewhere in Scotland. It used to bother Jake, not having a dad around. Especially when he’d play football but then his mum started coming. She’d be so embarrassing, screaming and shouting like some mad woman. One time she was given a yellow card for arguing with the ref. His mate, Mattie, calls her their ‘groupie’ and said that she is fit for a mum. Jake thought that was totally sick.
She picked up their paper and read the headline. Her face clouded over. “Nothing seems to be stopping this Gomorrah virus.” She looked up at him. “Jake, we need to talk about things.”