-- Callum contemplating the crow's nest, The Enemy[1] |
Callum is a central character in The Enemy, and a minor character in The Fear. He was the only member of the Waitrose crew who chose to stay behind at the supermarket, as he believed Waitrose was the safest place in London. He was later killed by Saint George and The Fear when they eventually broke down the gates to the supermarket.
Appearance
Callum was only described as having "black eyes".[2]
Personality
Callum was agoraphobic to the point where it ended his life. He had such a large fear of being outside that he chose to stay in Waitrose instead of go with the others to Buckingham Palace, insisting that Waitrose was the safest place to live. When Small Sam was taken by the sickos, Callum blamed him being outside as the reason he was taken. He even refused to leave Waitrose as the sickos invaded the building, telling himself that going outside would be worse. On his deathbed, he contemplated how his mother would act the same way whenever she was sad, and wondered if he learned his fear from her.[3]
While on his own, Callum quickly developed a routine for himself and had no problem sticking with it. He compared himself to Robinson Crusoe, likening the feeling of being alone in Waitrose to being marooned on a desert island. Though he tells himself he wants to be alone, he soon realises that he does, in fact, miss being around the rest of the group.[4] He even welcomed his death, as he had slowly been dying of loneliness since the Waitrose crew left.
Callum seemed to have a habit of pretending to hate things that he actually liked, such as ABBA, Harry Potter, and High School Musical.[5]
History
Before the outbreak, Callum lived in Holloway with his mother. Whether or not his father was ever in the picture is unknown.
Callum and his mother would frequently listen to listen to ABBA, which was his mother's favorite band, and they watched Mamma Mia on DVD. They even went to go see the musical live on stage, and Callum complained despite secretly enjoying it.[5] At one point, Callum was told by one of his mother's friends that she suffered from depression, but due to his age, Callum didn't understand what putting a label on his mother's behavior would do to it. Before he came to Waitrose, Callum suffocated his mother with her pillow.[3]
After the outbreak, Callum made it to the Waitrose supermarket and became part of the group there. In order to avoid being outside, he convinced Arran and Maxie that he was of better use in the crow's nest.[1] While everyone else rationed their food, Callum hoarded his own rations and whatever food he found in secret hiding spots in the event he needed to look after himself.[6]
Synopsis
The Enemy (2009)
Callum joins Maxie, Josh, and several others as they go outside to fight the sickos that took Small Sam. Callum remarks that they're too late, and gets in an argument with Josh about fighting the sickos.[7] He is later seen in the crow's nest of the supermarket, contemplating the previous attack as he watches for Arran's scavenging party.[1] Callum later gives the signal to let the returning party in,[8] and at the meeting, he tries to reassure Arran of their safety in the Waitrose.[9] The meeting is immediately interrupted by the arrival of Jester, and Callum insists that they shouldn't let him in because he's being pursued by sickos. Arran lets Jester in despite Callum's protests,[10] and Callum is the only member of the group who isn't swayed by Jester's stories of the palace.[11][12] Against Callum's protests, the group votes to go to Buckingham Palace.
Before the group leaves, Callum confronts Arran and refuses to leave. Arran tries to convince him to go, but Callum insists that other kids will want to stay as well, as the grown-ups won't come in if they don't think anyone's there. Arran goes to the group and asks if anyone wants to stay behind, and the group refuses. Maxie says that if Callum won't come, then they should leave without him. Josh, who is keeping record of the Waitrose kids, crosses Callum's name off his list.[13]
After the group leaves, Callum takes out his hidden rations and starts to set up a music player. He hears someone banging on the door outside, and tries to ignore it under the impression that they'll go away if they think nobody's there.[6] Suddenly, Small Sam enters the supermarket, having crawled through the improperly-shut gates, and Callum asks him how he got in. Callum then tells Sam about where the others went, and when Sam starts to cry, he tells him they didn't leave too long ago.[2] He then helps Sam find a bike pump and helps him repair his bike, before promising Sam that he'll properly shut the gates after he leaves.[14]
Callum starts to set up a daily routine while he's by himself, and sets up a running track around Waitrose to pass the time. He notices that the sickos are starting to come around in groups of two and watches them fight each other, placing bets on which would win. While going about his routine, he thinks about the group headed for the palace. Though he tells himself that the palace is the last place he would want to be, he realises that he's begun to cry. He then starts bawling out loud as he realises how lonely he is.[4]
While running laps the next day, Callum sees Saint George and his followers trying to break into Waitrose. He figures if he leaves them alone, they will just go away like the rest of the grown-ups. He starts thinking about what his mother would tell him whenever he got upset, and contemplates running thirty or forty more laps.[15] The grown-ups would try several more times to break in, and Callum exhausted all his ammunition.
Callum sits in the middle of the supermarket, takes a sip of flat cola and eats some of a chocolate bar. As the grown-ups break in, he puts on headphones and listens to Winner Takes All to drown out the noise. He closes his eyes, but morbid curiosity forces him to briefly open his eyes. sees the grown-ups charging at him, with Saint George running at the front. Callum lays his head back and closes his eyes as they reach him.[3]
After Callum is killed, the grown-ups put his head on a spike.[16]
The Fear (2011)
In a later chapter, it is stated that the grown-ups who attacked him put his head on a spike in front of Waitrose.
Equipment
- Ammo: Callum had a small set of ammo up in the crow's nest that he used to shoot sickos if they got near the fence.
Relationships
Callum's mother
Callum's deceased mother. Callum was told by one of his mother's friends that his mother suffered from depression, but he didn't fully understand what that meant and believed his mother was just his mother.[3]
Before he came to Waitrose, Callum suffocated his mother with a pillow. Though the exact time of her death is never stated, it is implied that his mother was becoming infected with the disease, as Callum stated that by the time of her death she wasn't really his mother anymore.[3]
Josh
Josh and Callum were both the look-outs in the Waitrose crew, trading shifts in the crow's nest to keep watch for adults. He felt bad about leaving Callum behind, but was somewhat glad that he didn't come as Callum had been acting strange lately.
Small Sam
When Small Sam was taken by the sickos, Callum blamed him for going outside where they could be attacked. In reality, Callum blamed himself for not seeing the sickos coming, as the lot where Sam was taken was his only blind spot. When Sam returned to the supermarket, Callum showed no reaction to his apparent survival, only asking him how he got inside the supermarket.
Kill Count
List of Victims
| Novel | Name of victim | Fate of victim |
|---|---|---|
| The Enemy | Callum's mother | Suffocated with a pillow before the events of the novel. |
Totals
| Completed kills | Failed or unfinished kills | Total victims |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 |
Sightings
| The Enemy | |||
| 1. The Enemy: | Debut, Death | 5. The Sacrifice: | Absent |
| 2. The Dead: | Absent | 6. The Fallen: | Absent |
| 3. The Fear: | Mentioned | 7. The Hunted: | Absent |
| 4. Geeks vs. Zombies: | Absent | 8. The End: | Absent |
Trivia
- Callum is the only member of the Waitrose kids to not join up with the Holloway crew.
- He thinks Meryl Streep is a weird name.[3]
Gallery
Notable Fanart
| V - E - H Waitrose crew | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Maxie |
| Active members | Achilleus • Ben • Bernie • Ebenezer • Ella • Small Sam |
| Deceased members | • Arran Harper • Big Sam • Callum • Curly Sam • Deke • Eve • Freak • Johnno • Josh • Katey • Lila • Louise • Maeve • Mohammed • Monkey Boy |
| V - E - H Characters in The Enemy | |
|---|---|
| Holloway crew | Achilleus • Alice • Andy Thomas • Arran Harper • Ben • Bernie • Big Sam • Big Mick • Blu-Tack Bill • Blue • Brandon • Callum • Curly Sam • Deke • Ebenezer • Ella • Eve • Freak • Jake • Joel • Johnno • Josh • Kahmal • Katey • Lewis • Lila • Louise • Maeve • Maxie • Mohammed • Monkey Boy • Ollie • Paddy • Small Sam • Whitney |
| Buckingham Palace kids | Al • Alfie Walker • Andy Kerr • David King • Franny • George Halley • Jessica • Jester • Jonathan • Kate • Maria • Paul Channing • Pod • Red Uniform kids • Rose • Spotty • Tom |
| Tower of London kids | Abdullah • Adele • Ali • Brendan Eldridge • Captain Reynolds • Carly • Courtney • DogNut • Ed Carter • Felix • Finn • Hayden • Hugo • Jim • Jordan Hordern • Kate • Keren • Kinsey • Kyle • Leo • Marco • Olivia Channing • Partha • Tomoki Ford • William McIntyre • Will • Zosia |
| Natural History Museum kids | Aiyshah • Alexander • Alice • Alicia • Boggle • Bradley • Brooke • Cameron • Cass • Casper Leverson • Chris Marker • Daryl Painter • Demi • Einstein • Emma Hudson • Emily Winter • Ethan • Froggie • Gabby • Geta • Gordy • Hattie • Jackson • Jamie • James Stornay • Jason Hickley • Jasmine • Jibber-Jabber • Justin • Kwanele Nkosi • Lettis Slingsbury • Reece • Robbie • Samira • Scott • Stacey Norman • Thomas Hopgood • Wiki • Zohra |
| The Squatters | Carl • Just John |
| Hunters | Dom • Ryan Aherne • Torchboy • Zulficker |
| Houses of Parliament kids | Bozo • Buzz Cut • Nicola • Ponytail |
| Cathedral kids | Archie Bishop • Charlotte • Harry Ryan • Matthew Palmer • Nathan • Nev • Phil • Tish |
| IKEA kids | Dan • Jaz • Johnny • Ricky • Saif |
| Twisted Kids | Betty Bubble • Fish-Face • Flubberguts • Legs • Monstar • Pencil-Neck • Skinner • Spider-Boy • The Pink Surfer • Trinity • TV Boy • Warehouse Queen |
| Brockridge Park kids | Abby • Andy • Susannah • Rav |
| Bracknell kids | Daniel • Harry • Isaac Hills • Louisa • Sonya |
| Slough kids | Josa • Kenton • Tyler Keene • Tyler Keene, Jr. |
| Windsor kids | Golden Girl • Golden Boy • Go-Girl • Veda |
| Sandhurst kids | Dara |
| Ascot kids | Arno Fletcher • Henry • Green • Sean • Sophie • The Mad King |
| Notting Hill kids | Anita • Big-Man • Cool-Man • Persephone • Shadowman • The Fox |
| Rowhurst boys | Adam • Anthony Sullivan • Damien Sullivan • Harry Bamford • Jack • Jacob • Jamey • Jason • Johnno • Piers • Stanley • The Kid • Tommy • Will |
| Unaligned kids | Aleisha • Altan • Ameena Hussein • Ant • Charlie Piper • Claire • Danny • Eve • Jamey • Jason • Liam Thorne • Little Paul MacLaren • Malik Hussein • Mark Watkins • Maxine • Nadia Hussein • Rhiannon • The Kid • Tommy • Zahra Hussein |
| Adults | Amelia Dropmore • Animal Man • Big Mick’s father • Big Mick’s mother • Bluetooth • Brian • Callum’s mother • Cheryl Cole • Chris Catell • Daragh • Daryl • Dorothy • Frédérique Morel • Janey • Louis Corpse • Man U • Mel • Mike • Mother with Sunglasses • Monsieur Morel • Mr. Hewitt • Mr. Langston • Mrs. Harper • Mrs. Thorne • Ms. Jessop • Ms. Warlock • Nick • One-Armed Bandit • Paul MacLaren • Pez • Rachel • Royal Family (Marquess of Tavistock • Elderly female royal) • Roy Peachy • Saint George • Seamus • Simon Foul • Spike • Stickboy • Stumpy • Tomasz • The Collector • The Medusa • Threesome • Uncle Ray • Waggers • Wormwood |
| Non-human characters | Boney-M • Charlie • Dior • Godzilla • Orion • The Gray Lady |
| Groups | Ascot kids • Bracknell kids • Brockridge kids • Buckingham Palace kids • Cathedral kids • Coach party • Gym Bunnies • Imperial War Museum kids • Holloway crew • Houses of Parliament kids • Ikea crew • Inmathger • Hunters • Maidenhead kids • Morrisons crew • Natural History Museum kids • Notting Hill kids • Promithios Biomedical • Rowhurst boys • Sandhurst kids • Slough kids • Survivalists • The Fear • The Squatters • The Twisted Kids • Tower of London kids • Unseen characters • Waitrose crew • Windsor kids |
Notes and References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Enemy, Chapter 4 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Enemy, Chapter 15 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 The Enemy, Chapter 57 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Enemy, Chapter 32 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Enemy, Chapter 22 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Enemy, Chapter 14 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 1 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 6 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 7 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 7 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 9 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 10 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 12 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 17 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 41 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)
- ↑ The Enemy, Chapter 57 (Charlie Higson; 3 September 2009)