The Abandoned Trilogy (Book 1): Twice Dead (Contagion) Read Free

families I lived with, especially Theresa. I suspect she might not have been so keen on me reading if she knew exactly what I was reading! I also have an almost photographic memory and absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Not that I did much with that knowledge other than accumulate it, but that was to change.
    I also liked to do puzzles, work out solutions to them, the more complex the puzzle, the more I liked it. I apparently was borderline Autistic; well that is what Social Services said, so along with my long-term physical and mental health problems, like Seb I had a long-term care order in place.
    I moved from juvenile foster care into my first residential home when I turned 18 but unlike Seb, I didn’t fight the system. I drifted along with it, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of what was going on around me, subconsciously I was totally aware of my surroundings, and every now and then I woke up and jabbed at something that bothered me, but mostly I drifted because I guess it suited me. I didn’t have to worry about looking for work, because I was seen as incapable of holding down any kind of job.
    The live in and day staff at Thorncroft were nice enough, they tended to leave the more-able minded of the disabled residents to their own devices, people like me who had a physical disability that didn’t require a wheelchair, just a customised leg brace and as and when needed an elbow crutch and who was placid and quiet in their eyes.
    There were certain things I had to do, like going on certain home outings, eating with the other residents, some socializing, but primarily within the context of my closed and well-supervised world which I could usually manipulate to suit what I wanted to do.
    Seb was supervised way more than me because he bucked the rules given half chance but also because he was seen as being a danger to himself; he had his own PA, Gregory, or the Gorilla as the residents called him. Gregory had no qualms about lifting Seb out of his wheelchair and carrying they young man cursing and fighting to either his room or the TOR space if he was being really difficult.
    Surprisingly though, Seb had quite a good relationship with the Gorilla, mainly because Gregory had a passion for racing cars and speed, in the same way that Seb still did. Despite no longer being able to race, Seb still loved racing and dangerous sports. He kept himself as physically fit as he could with daily upper body exercises and regular physiotherapy for his legs and spine.
    I can’t honestly say I remember all the residents from before the rise of the Twice Dead, only the ones that were left at Thorncroft when it did happen.
    There was me, Seb, Jasmine, Paul, Eden, Stevie, Phoenix and Cassidy. Staff wise on that fateful day was the Gorilla, Mitch the coach driver and Shannon one of the Auxiliary Care Assistants and the live in Assistant Manager, Adag.
     
    It was what you would class as an ordinary day, a Sunday in fact, all the residents who were going to stay with family or friends for a summer break had gone on the Thursday or Friday morning and what was left in Thorncroft were us, those who either had no family to bother about, families who weren’t able to get down that week, or if they did have family, well let’s say, they rarely visited.
    I remember how warm it was that day, too warm in fact, and the air smelt funny. Sweet and cloying. It was going to be a hot summer I thought as I took my book out into the garden and sought out the shade of a favourite tree.
    I had found the book in a charity shop on one of the home’s outings. Things Unborn it was called, by Eugene Bryne. My reading material is quite eclectic.
    To my consternation Seb was there, tinkering a way with his spare electric wheelchair that he affectionately called Lewis Hamilton, Lewis for short. He glanced up at me, but said nothing. He had when I first arrived at Thorncroft tried his hardest to rile me as he did with everyone in the home, he succeeded with