Darkness Falls

by A E Faulkner

  After a few minutes, Rose tires from the emotional outburst. She starts to apologize but Aidan shushes her and tells her to rest. I jump up and help Aidan get her settled on the couch. Her eyes look glassy as she thanks us and lets her body relax into the cushions.

  Chapter 30

  Aidan grabs my hand and leads me around a corner toward a section of the basement that I didn’t notice until now. This part looks like storage central. Shelving units line the cinder block walls and dusty plastic tubs fill the shelves.

  A rug rests on the floor in front of the shelving units, inviting us to sit. The tan rectangular carpet is thin, but at least it’s softer than the floor. Other than the couch and chairs we just left, there’s really no other furniture we can sit on. With nothing else to do, we plop down across from each other.

  “So,” I start. “You were really good with Rose, you know?”

  Running a hand through his hair, his downcast face makes him look shy and uncertain. “Yeah, well, I grew up with two younger sisters. I guess I learned how to console them when they were upset.”

  I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about his family. And I don’t blame him; it’s not like that’s a happy subject for me these days.

  “Well, I just wanted to thank you for jumping in. I wasn’t really sure what to do.” And, even though it crossed my mind since we showed up here, I decided not to tell Rose that Aidan and I have both been here before, at least outside the house.

  “I thought about telling her a joke to cheer her up, but I wasn’t sure if she would appreciate that or not,” he says.

  “What was your joke?” I ask. My tone borders on flirting. He must not mind because he smiles broadly and proceeds. “Why was the sedimentary rock extra cheap?” Oh geez, here comes the geologist in him. I narrow my eyes and try very hard not to scrunch up my nose.

  “Because it was on shale,” he says, unable to contain a hearty chuckle. I force a fake laugh and say, “Thanks for not saying that to Rose when she was upset. She was already suffering enough.”

  “Oh, look who’s the comedian now,” he says. “How about we just agree that we both have a good sense of humor!” I giggle and nod, realizing that my emotions surge and recede so quickly these days. One minute I’m angry that Riley is gone, the next I’m terrified of a storm, and when I have a moment to breathe, I just want to flirt with Aidan.

  “Hey, you hungry?” he asks. “I’m starving.” With that, he hops up and strides back the way we came. He rounds the corner a moment later, carrying our backpacks. Depositing mine at my feet, he drops to the floor, emptying the contents from his bag.

  He dumps out a sweatshirt, a set of keys, a pocket knife, an unopened water bottle, and a can of beef stew that he gazes at lovingly. He catches me smiling at his love-struck expression and asks, “So, what do you got?”

  Suddenly, I don’t want to show him what’s in my bag. “Um, you know what,” I say lamely. “I didn’t really bring anything, so let’s just use your stuff, okay?”

  He shakes his head. “No deal. I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” My incredulous look only slightly delays the inevitable and earns me a stern head shake.

  I slowly unzip my backpack, gingerly reaching inside. Sliding a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer out, I place it on the ground in front of me. Aidan raises his eyebrows and gives a brief nod of approval. I huff out a sigh and reach back in the bag. This time I pull out my makeup bag. I set it on the ground quickly and reach back into my backpack.

  “Wait a minute, what’s that?” Aidan asks, pointing at the sparkly silver pouch. “It’s just my makeup,” I mumble. “Nothing important.” He stifles a laugh and motions for me to continue. His face turns serious when I pull out my cell phone charger.

  “You’ve got a working cell phone?” he asks, anticipation oozing out of each word. I roll my eyes before answering. “No, I lost my phone in the car wreck. I don’t know why I still carry the charger around with me...habit, I guess.” He narrows his eyes in confusion. Ugh.

  I reach back into the bag with both arms and pull out as much as I can. I want to get this over with. I unceremoniously dump my possessions on the floor in front of me – nail polish, lip gloss, a pack of gum, and a blue hairbrush.

  He scrunches his face up and crosses his arms. “You got anything else in there?” I answer by pulling out my high school team’s cross-country sweatshirt and the water bottle I use for running, which happens to be empty. Then I make a show of upending the backpack, proving that it’s empty.

  “Alright, well your bag of tricks is really helpful,” he says. “But I’m gonna take a quick look around here and see if there’s a utility sink or something we can use to wash up.”

  After a brief exploratory mission, he returns defeated. “Nothing. Looks like we’re eating right here. At least we have your hand sanitizer, right?”

  “Why don’t we just run upstairs, wash our hands and run back down?” I start. “Or better yet, we can check out the kitchen and see if Rose has anything we can just grab and bring down here to eat. We can even grab food for her.”

  “Gee, Quinn, that’s nice of you,” he says. “Willingly bringing something back for Rose that you found while snooping around in her cupboards…while she slept.”

  Embarrassment flashes across my cheeks. “Well, I didn’t think of it that way.” I try to shrug his words off.

  “Look, that storm can’t be over yet. We need to stay put. We’ll eat and then we’ll try to sleep.” Geez, who died and made him the supreme commander?

  “Aye, aye, sir,” I say with a salute.

  “Now, now,” he says, a smile quirking on his full lips. “No need to salute, but you can continue to call me sir. I like the sound of that.”

  I roll my eyes but can’t hold back a giggle. We settle in next to each other, sitting cross-legged on the thin carpet. Aidan pulls the tab off the can of beef stew. We have no spoons. He holds the can out to me. “Here, you eat first. Use your hand to scoop out your half.” He says it matter-of-factly, like he’s done this a million other times.

  Eating beef stew with my bare hand sounds nasty but there’s really no other option. I’d kill for a bathroom right now, or even just a full-fledged sink with water and soap. I grab the sanitizer bottle and scrub my hands until they’re pink. After I set the bottle in front of Aidan, I reach into the gooey brown sauce and retrieve a piece of coin-shaped meat. My rumbling stomach confirms it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

  With all the restraint I can muster, I finish my dinner and hand the half-empty can to Aidan. He digs in, polishing off his stew in minutes. We both lick our fingers clean and apply a fresh coating of sanitizer.

  “Let’s try to get some sleep,” Aidan says. “I think we’re gonna have a big day tomorrow.”

  “Good idea,” I say. I’m emotionally exhausted and there’s really nothing else to do. He holds his sweatshirt out to me. “You want this? You can put yours on and use this as a pillow.”

  “No,” I say, “But thanks for offering. Thanks for everything.” My voice cracks, but I push the words out. My mind flashes to Rose’s earlier emotional display. We all endure loss. And we are all, ultimately, alone to face it. I’m worried about Riley. I don’t want to get all sensitive right now, but I’m glad Aidan is here with me. I curl up on the rug, wrapping my arms around myself. Aidan whispers, “Goodnight,” and I close my eyes, willing this day to be over, so I can get back on track and find my sister.

  For a short time at least, sleep finds me and lulls me into a dreamless state.

  Chapter 31

  I’m jolted awake by what feels like thunder striking my chest. My grandpa John’s face flashes through my mind. He died of a heart attack when I was in elementary school, but I remember his face from pictures my mom kept around the house. I worry that the suffocating pain consuming my chest is my heart vying for oxygen. Or maybe my heart is literally breaking. I shift positions, trying to lessen the pain.

  Momentarily forget
ting where I am, my eyes widen. They sweep across the shelving units surrounding me and land on the lump lying just a foot or two away. The sight of the same blue T-shirt and khaki shorts I’ve seen for the past three days slows my pulse. A smile tugs at my lips as I search his face. Aidan’s features look softer, younger, as he sleeps.

  I lean toward him, just a little closer, to get a better look. I stifle a giggle when I see a tiny dribble of drool along his chin. Satisfied that I got a good look at him, and terrified that he could open his eyes at any moment and catch me staring, I shuffle back to my side of the rug.

  Just as I settle into a comfortable position, a crack of thunder cuts through the calm. That must have been close. The storm has largely been muted up until this point. When the basement goes dark a moment later, I know we’ve lost power.

  Thankfully, that’s the only strike not muffled by the cinder block walls. After a few deep breaths, the ache in my chest weakens and I’m ready to drift back to sleep.

  As my mind fades in and out of a dreamless haze, a creaking sound pulls my senses back to reality. I open my eyes to an empty rug. After quickly stretching out the creaks in my neck and shoulders, I rise on wobbly feet.

  Walking toward the steps, I find Rose sitting on the couch, looking rested. “Good morning, dear,” she says. “I’m afraid I haven’t been the best host. I hear you and Aidan had to sleep on the floor last night.”

  I kneel down in front of her, resting my hand on her arm. “Rose, we can’t thank you enough for giving us a safe place to wait out the storm. You have been the best host possible.” I smile at her before my eyes canvass the basement. I guess it’s pretty obvious who I’m looking for.

  “Oh, sweetie, he went upstairs to see what we missed last night,” Rose says wistfully.

  “Are you okay down here?” I ask.

  “Well, this sofa’s gonna smell pretty bad if I don’t get to a bathroom soon,” she says. “But seeing how the only one’s upstairs, I’m gonna need my somewhat clumsy houseguests to assist me with that.”

  A chirp of laughter escapes me, and I pat her hand. “I’ll go retrieve clumsy houseguest number one.”

  She winks at me.

  I jump to my feet and dash up the stairs.

  Pushing open the basement door, I’m amazed by the difference last night made. In the living room, Rose’s neatly stacked boxes have toppled and tumbled. Any floor space open enough for her wheelchair to pass through is covered in cardboard.

  I scan the hallway we walked through just last night. Thankfully, it’s mostly clear. When the front door opens and closes, I turn to the noise. Aidan eyes me cautiously.

  “Rose has to use the bathroom, so we’ve got to get her up here,” I inform him. “Soon, I think.”

  He nods and takes a step closer. Speaking quietly, he updates me. “Quinn, it’s a mess inside and out. Winds must have blown out the windows and knocked stuff around in here. Out there, trees are down, and debris is scattered everywhere I can see.”

  I nod slowly. “Just what we need, another challenge,” I say scornfully.

  Grabbing my shoulders, he intently meets my eyes. Can he see I’m on the verge of spiraling into insanity? “Look, this isn’t gonna stop us. Let’s get Rose settled and head back to the trailer park.”

  When I manage a slight nod, he releases my shoulders and leads the way to the basement. We awkwardly carry Rose up the stairs, desperately trying to keep our footing steady. Her death grip is surprisingly strong.

  Thankfully, her wheelchair sits where we left it, just behind the basement door near the wall. It looks somehow unharmed. One small miracle in this mess.

  Once she’s safely seated, Rose visibly relaxes. “Oh, I missed ya, Jerry,” she says, patting the arm rests. I try to stifle a giggle. “You named your wheelchair?” I ask.

  Her smile reaches her watery eyes when she says, “I sure did. Jerry was my husband. He was my home, and now he still is.” A sappy smile spreads across my face.

  Chapter 32

  Aidan pulls us out of the moment with practicality. “Alright, Rose, how about Quinn and I clear the path for you, so you can drive Jerry to the bathroom?”

  With that, we spring into action. Retracing our steps from last night, the hallway remains pretty clear. Just a few random obstacles stand in our way, which we promptly relocate. On this floor, the living room took the worst of the damage. Strong winds must have poured in through the large picture windows. Rose is actually lucky that some of her belongings were packed away in boxes. That probably protected them last night.

  Once Rose is behind a closed door, we huddle to discuss our plan. “So,” I start, “We should probably head back to the trailer park and look for Riley. Who knows how long it will take to get there if trees are down. Our path could be totally blocked.”

  He stops me before I can say anything else. “Quinn, we can’t leave just yet. I want to find Riley and I want to make sure my friends are all okay, but we’ve got to make sure Rose is safe here before we can leave.”

  My eagerness deflates, but I know he’s right. Just as silence veils our conversation, the bathroom door opens and Rose wheels out. My stomach takes that moment to share how empty it feels right now. A loud growl moans from my mid-section.

  “Well,” Rose says. “How about I rustle up some breakfast, and then you two can be on your way? I’ve got to start feeding the cats anyway. They were probably hiding all night and want last night’s supper by now.” She turns the wheelchair and rolls to the kitchen. I hear her muttering along the way, “And who knows how long it’ll take me to coax the scared ones out of their hiding places.”

  She seems to have made up her mind, but Aidan calls out to her. “Sounds great, Rose. Thank you. While you’re doing that, Quinn and I are going to patch up your broken windows and just fix things up as best we can, okay?” She throws a muffled, “Sure” over her shoulder as she continues on to the kitchen.

  It’s comforting to know that she isn’t going to beg us to stay. I was worried she would need more help, but she seems eager to return to a solitary routine.

  I throw my arms up to motion “after you,” and Aidan leads the way to the living room. First, we forge a path through the fallen boxes, restacking them as we make our way toward the shattered windows. Once he assesses the damage, Aidan looks around for something to cover the openings while I find a trash can and vacuum to remove the glass shards.

  While Aidan heads back down to the basement, I go straight to the kitchen to ask Rose for the supplies I need. Informing me that the power is out, which I should have figured from the brief report Aidan gave after his glimpse outside this morning, Rose directs me to a trash can, broom and dustpan. Not my ideal tools for removing glass pieces from carpet, but I guess I’m old-schooling it today.

  As I head back to the living room, the cats slowly meander toward the kitchen. They must realize their meal ticket is back and ready to be at their service.

  It takes me a good ten minutes to pick up the largest pieces of glass. My efforts to sweep the remaining pieces with a broom are useless. Aidan returns just in time to question my progress. “Having much luck there?”

  I chuckle in spite of myself. “I’m striking out here. What did you find?”

  “Well,” he begins, “I couldn’t find any plywood, which would have been ideal. So, then I thought we could unhinge some of the inside doors and nail them up over the windows.” My eyes narrow in confusion. I can’t even clean up glass and he wants me to help hang a door over a window?

  “But,” he continues, “I don’t think that’ll work with the picture window.” He pauses to scratch his head. “So, I found some tarps in the basement. I say we hang those around the windows and then stack all the boxes in front of the tarps. Whatever we come up with is a temporary fix anyway, and I think that’s the best we can do.”

  While I attempt to extract as much of the glass from the carpet as I can, Aidan checks with Rose to make sure she’s okay with us nailing a tarp to her
living room wall. After she waves him away, instructing him on where to find a hammer and nails, we set to work. I guess she figures she won’t be living here much longer anyway.

  About thirty minutes later, my arms are tired from holding up the tarp in awkward positions while Aidan affixed it to the walls. It takes us another twenty minutes to arrange stacks of boxes in front of the windows, our lame attempt at securing the openings.

  Just as we’re about to collapse on the plaid sofa, Rose calls to us from the kitchen. “If you’re done destroying my living room, I’ve got some breakfast for ya!” We smile at each other before walking down the hallway. With each step, my nose picks up more scents. And none of them are good.

  When we reach the kitchen, my eyes lock on the source of the odor. Half a dozen cats have emerged from hiding and sit before various-sized bowls of brown and tan mush. “Sorry, I had to get some of my babies started on breakfast,” Rose says, smiling. She adds, under her breath, “And I’ve got a lot more to do still.”

  She wheels up to the table and motions for us to sit. We dig into heaping bowls of yogurt, granola, and fruit chunks. She must have opened the refrigerator to retrieve the yogurt. I hope the power comes back on soon, so that everything else inside doesn’t spoil. The mixed fruit obviously came from a can but it’s absolutely delicious.

  After a quick cleanup, we’re ready to leave. Aidan asks Rose if she’s sure she’ll be okay.

  “Now don’t you worry about me, kids,” she says. “I’ve got to take care of the cats, and with this power outage, that’ll delay Emily from coming here for a few more days. I’ve got lots to do and I’ve got lots of company.”