Infuse

by Michael Cornett

  Alec wanted to ask what had happened to them. How could he think about his grandchildren and still smile? Mr. Pat must have sensed this or maybe the question was written across his face. “Lost contact with my son a few days after, but the grands were taken with the rest that disappeared. I know I’ll see them again, in this world or the next.” Alec was taken aback by the conviction in the older man’s words. He was so peaceful, so confident. “How can you be so sure?” Alec questioned. “People just don’t up and disappear, Alec. Our universe is one of action and reaction. Of balance. Right now that balance seems out of whack to me. Only a matter of time before it balances itself again. Plus, the way I see it my grandkids are the lucky ones. They aren’t stuck here suffering in this world, being tormented by abominations.”

  Alec stared at the grey haired man as he bounced the dimply baby on his leg, lost in thought. He wasn’t certain if the older man was right or not, but he certain about one thing. He was not about to sit around and wait for the universe to correct itself. “Until it re-balances itself, I think we need a long term plan. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what that plan should be. I’m not sure if you know, but there is a prison down in Constitution, not all that far from here. I’m going to leave first thing in the morning to scout it out. I hope you don’t mind the extra guard and baby duty while I’m gone, but I really think this could be good for long term sustainability. If it works out that is.” Mr. Pat looked at him with old, discerning eyes, “Alec, you’ve done a great job with what you’ve put together here, son. If you think moving us is best decision, then I’ll help any way I can.” Luciana chimed in her agreement in the form of a loud giggle as she bounced on Mr. Pat’s knee. Alec smiled at the innocence of the baby, serving as a reminder of the future they were fighting for. “Thanks, Mr. Pat. I already told Nick and Natalie my plans.” Mr. Pat nodded, “You be careful out there. Not everyone that was left behind has as big of a heart as you.” “I will. Thanks again, Mr. Pat.”

  Chapter 11

  Logan was startled awake by a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. In his dreary state, Logan’s first thought was he was still dreaming or perhaps it was the television. He tried to wipe the fogginess from his eyes and was relieved to find that his headache had somewhat subsided. His relief was short-lived when he heard the woman screaming again, and the realization of the past forty-eight hours hit him harder than any hangover. Thoughts of the radio commentators, the spreading violence, and the disappearance filled him anxiety for what may have been the first time. He asked himself where would he go? What was he supposed to do? The swirling thoughts brought him to the conclusion that he had been in denial since the disappearance.

  Denial turned to fear as he thought about venturing outside to help the screaming woman. What could he do? He didn’t even have a gun. Logan cursed as he swung his legs out of bed a little too fast and hit his knee on the nightstand. “Jesus…” Another thought hit Logan as he took the Lord’s name in vain...the church. Why wouldn’t he to go the church, a likely place for many of the faithful would surely flock to when they were scared? This suddenly sounded like a wonderful idea. Surely others would come, some of them would even be armed. They could protect him.

  “I can’t go like this,” Logan said as he looked at the man with wild hair and bloodshot eyes staring back at him in the mirror. He looked slovenly, like he was…hungover. Quickly locking the bedroom and bathroom door, he hopped into the shower. It was a strange feeling, knowing that the end of the world was here, and out of everything he could possibly be doing, he was showering.

  The shower felt good to him, cleansing, like he was washing away last night’s sins of drunkeness and lust. He began to feel guilty but tried to justify his actions by asking why they mattered. If the rapture had already happened, and he wasn’t taken, then why did it matter what he did? Logan immediately rebuked himself for that way of thinking. “I have to stand firm in my beliefs,” he whispered to himself as he let the warm water wash down his face.

  Hearth thudding, Logan pulled up his pants and struggled to tie his shoes with trembling hands. There had been no more screams since he got out of the shower. He told himself the poor souls had reached safety, that there was no reason for them to scream anymore. His lie did little to comfort himself and he found himself reaching for his holy book off the dresser as he scurried for the front door. It was now dark out. A shiver shot down his spine as he looked up and down the dimly lit street. Everything looked clear.

  Logan hurriedly opened the front door and ran for his car, not even bothering to lock the door behind him as he abandoned his house. He fumbled the keys in his hands as he frantically tried to crank the car. Finally the engine turned over and he slammed his foot on the gas pedal, lurching the car backward. In his haste he clipped the side mirror on his mailbox. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he gripped the wheel and tried to calm down. He told himself to take deep breaths, but that didn’t help. The past forty-eight hours had been too much for him to handle. What made it worse was knowing that he shouldn’t even be having to deal with any of this stress. He was supposed to be one of the taken. Anger began to fester up inside of him until it even began to overwhelm his fear.

  Chapter 12

  “Geez, Alec. What in the world?” Natalie said as sat up in bed. “You scared the crap out of me!” Alec was sitting upright, gulping giant breaths of air, sheets drenched with sweat. “I’m sorry, Nat. Didn’t mean to wake you.” “Same dream again?” He nodded his head, “Yeah, can’t seem to dream about anything else.” Natalie propped her arm up on her hand, dark hair flowing down over her shoulders, nearly touching the bed. She looked absolutely stunning, and like a model preparing for a photo shoot. “Anything different this time?” Alec had a hard time processing the question, too distracted by his wife’s barely covered breasts. He regained his composure enough to carry on the conversation. “Same as every other night but…it just feels more…real. I don’t really know how to explain it, but I swear if I didn’t wake up to you sitting here, I would never know the difference between that dream and reality. It scares the hell out of me, Nat.” He wiped the sweat off his brow then continued. “Each time I wake up I have this feeling, this desire to do… something, something important. I just don’t know what it is that I’m supposed to be doing.” “What do you mean, Alec?” “It’s hard to explain. It’s that uneasy feeling that you’re forgetting something…like your anniversary, or the feelings I had a couple years ago when I started buying survival gear. The fact that I don’t know what I’m supposed to do is driving me insane.”

  Natalie gently rubbed his back as he talked it out and when he was finished calmly told him, “If anyone can figure it out, it’s you. Your brains are half the reason I married you.” She leaned in pressing her plump lips firmly against his and climbing on top of his sweaty body, pulled her tank top over her head, tossing it aside. It took no time for Alec to become aroused, forgetting about the dream for now, focusing instead on the subtle curves of her naked body. They made love not once, but twice before falling back asleep in an entangled twist of naked flesh.

  Early the next morning Alec awoke feeling well-rested, even invigorated despite the task that lay before him. First, he needed to ask forgiveness from Mr. Pat and Nick for leaving them again on guard duty. Then he needed to tell Kable his plans, who was sure to oppose the idea, and finally he had to finish packing his bag for the trip.

  He quietly slipped out of the bed, trying not to wake Natalie, and grabbed some clothes from the dusty dresser. He slipped them on and snuck out the door, nimbly continuing down the hall that lead to the kitchen. Kable was sitting with his elbows propped on the small round table, sipping from a beige coffee cup that read “Morning Joe.” His friend seemed to be deep in thought, unconsciously sipping the morning brew. “You’re up early,” Alec said as he walked to the pantry and grabbed one of the protein bars.

  “Couldn’t sleep,” Kable replied. “How’s Sara doing? I figured I’
d give you two guys the space last night and check in on her this morning before I headed out.” Kable gave him a puzzled look at this, “About the same. She’s hanging in there. Where are you headed?” Alec took at seat across from Kable as he began chewing on the protein bar. “I’m going to take the motorcycle and head down to that prison in Constitution that I was telling you about. After Stephen…” He paused, it was difficult for him to think of his childhood friend in the past-tense. He swallowed hard before continuing. “I just don’t want to lose anyone else, not if there is something I can do about it. I don’t think things are going back to normal anytime soon. While this cabin has been good to us, it’s just not defensible. Not against the abominations. I know you’re against leaving the cabin and all but I can’t help but think it would be better, for all of us.” Kable seemed to consider his words and stared down into his cup, as if the liquid within held the answers. “I should go with you,” he said after a moment. “I can’t ask you to do that. Not with the condition Sara is in. Plus, I’d feel better about leaving Natalie and the others if you were here.” Kable pushed his chair back from the table and stood, looking down at Alec as he placed a strong hand on his shoulder. “If that’s what you feel is best, we’ll do it.” Alec clasped his friend’s arm, “Give Sara my best when she wakes. I should be back well before dark.” “Be careful,” Kable said, squeezing him in a quick hug before walking towards the stairs. As he left, Alec remembered one last thing, “Oh, hey, one more thing. Do me a favor and ask Nick to give Sasha food and water?” Kable snorted, “Sure” and then continued up the stairs.

  Alec stuck some vienna sausages, a pack of saltine crackers, and a can of green beans into his bag. Not exactly mouth-watering, but it would get the job done. He took a can of spam to the back porch, where he found Sasha sprawled out in the shade snoozing. The creak of the door opening caused her to jump, apparently she had been in a deep sleep, but her tail immediately began thumping the wood planks of the porch when she saw Alec. “Hey girl, how’s the leg?” She began dragging her hind quarters with her front two paws and rolled over onto her back for a rub when she reached him. Alec obliged and rubbed her belly for a minute, then took a bite of the beef jerky as he emptied the can of spam into the bowl he had set out for her. “Listen girl, I’m going to be taking a quick trip, but I’ll be back this afternoon. Do me a favor and look out for the crew while I’m gone.” She looked at him with the sincerity that dogs sometimes do, and let out a soft bark in agreement, or at least that’s the way Alec took it. He pointed down to the lake and said, “Now you feel free to go on down there and cool off or get you some water if you need it, but you stay up here by the house come dark.” Sasha just looked at him, tail wagging, and licked his hand. He gave her a final rub behind the ears and left her to the can of spam, heading back inside to tell Natalie he was off.

  To his surprise, Mr. Pat was sitting in the dining room feeding Luciana a bottle of formula. Alec was impressed to see how much the older man had really stepped up his involvement with the infant. “Good morning you two,” Alec said as leaned over and gently brushed Luciana’s curly dark hair. “Good morning, I assume you’re about to head out?” Mr. Pat asked in a calm voice. “I am, just after I tell Natalie goodbye. I’ll be back by sun down.” He turned back to Mr. Pat, meeting his eyes and said, “Be safe, Mr. Pat.” “Don’t you worry about us. It’s you that needs to stay safe.” Alec nodded and headed towards the bedroom, but stopped before leaving the room, “Thanks for stepping up with Luciana like you are. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done around here.”

  He found Natalie standing near the bathroom pulling on some jeans, “Looks like I just missed the show.” She jumped at his words, “Geez Alec, close the door behind you!” “Haha I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Would you mind taking those back off and starting over again?” She grabbed her top of her jeans as she bent over and swayed her hips from side to side for a split second and then stood up straight, “Maybe if you come home early today I’ll do it all in reverse.” Mouth still half open, Alec stood idle for a moment before regrouping, “Now that just isn’t fair.” “And neither is you leaving us here worried to death about you all day.” Alec, walked over and pulled her in close, “I’ll be back before you know it, but I need to get on the road.” He leaned in and pecked her lips, “Love you.” “I love you, too. Please be careful.” “You know I will.”

  A few minutes later Alec was cruising down County Road 138 on the six hundred CC sport bike with the cool wind in his face. He shuddered as he thought about all the dangers that lie ahead of him, because of all the intangibles of this trip and what could go wrong. He shuddered because of the creepy feeling that someone or something was always watching him, day and night. Alec began to doubt his decision to go to the prison, especially alone. Fear of making this trip began to consume him and the thought of turning around crossed his mind, but something else was pressing him onward. It was a warm confidence, a father’s pat on the back, a coach’s “you can do it,”or simply laying on a beach with someone you love. Alec couldn’t explain it, but the feeling of pressing onward simply felt right.

  Alec had been fortunate enough to never be required to visit the prison before the disappearance. There was no way to research it, no internet at his fingertips to easily pull up pictures and information on the prison. He did know that it was a medium security prison, which didn’t mean a whole lot other than it likely once held hundreds or even thousands of prisoners locked in caged-style housing with a fair number of guards. Based upon the little he knew about medium security prisons, he expected to find the grounds enclosed by high double-fences topped with barbwire, but that was about it. He wasn’t even sure how he would get past the fences much less inside the facility, which is part of the reason he wanted to leave so early, despite it only being a two hour trip by motorcycle. Getting in the facility seemed daunting enough, but what really concerned him was what he may find inside. Would the inmates all be dead in their cells? Maybe they had all escaped and taken control of the prison, killing and raping one another until only the toughest, most vicious of them were left. What if other groups, unfriendly groups had the same idea as him about moving into the prison? What if deep inside the dark empty halls abominations were waiting, sleeping? There were so many factors to consider that it made his head spin, so instead he pushed those thoughts as far back in his mind as he could and wondered if Natalie and Sasha were bonding back at the cabin.

  County Road 138 turned into Highway 82 after about twenty-five miles and then after another forty-some-odd miles intersected with Interstate 260. It was here that the roads became congested, a nasal passage blocked by idle car after idle car. Alec weaved through the clogged interstate at a terribly slow pace, having to walk the motorcycle through some points and drive it slowly through the tall grass off the shoulder of the interstate at other places. The going was even slower than he expected, only passing a new mile marker every several minutes. Thankfully there weren’t many bodies along the way, plenty of clothes sitting empty in car seats and a few scattered down the interstate, but only a few bodies. Most looked to have been from natural causes, or at least as natural as being thrown from a vehicle speeding seventy miles per hour could be considered natural.

  Alec stared at one of the bodies being picked at by vultures as he passed and thought he may vomit. He stopped long enough to honk at the disgusting birds, trying to shoo them away. The birds flew away and the flapping of the birds was accompanied by another noise, a low rumble. The sound was not coming from the black beasts, but from a mean looking row of dark clouds blowing in from the Southwest. It looked to be a substantial storm front, carrying all sorts of unpleasantries for anyone in its path. The weather channel, another unfortunate victim of the apocalypse. Alec tried to think of the last mile marker he had passed. What was it? One sixty-four? If he was recalling the mile marker correctly then he was still about twelve miles from his exit. He throttled the motorcycle as fast as he dared, concentrating so
lely on navigating the path in front of him. A half-decomposed body sprawled across the edge of the road nearly caused him to lay down the bike, but he braced the bike with his left leg and slid his foot across the top of the asphalt.

  Sideways rain and gusts of wind battered him as he drove the last few miles to the prison. The sky was a scary black, with streaks of lightning shredding the looming clouds above. It was difficult to see the prison sign with squinted eyes, hurting from the needles of rain that shot towards him like tiny darts. So difficult in fact that Alec passed the turn. He had seen it at the last moment, but with all the water on the road he feared of braking too hard and laying the bike down.

  Large bushes sat on both sides of the roadway leading up to the prison and despite the lack of maintenance over the last couple of weeks, the grounds still maintained an orderly feel. Sure, the grass was slightly taller than Alec imagined it was usually kept, but plenty of tax payer dollars had most definitely been spent on the landscaping. Either that, or the inmates stayed plenty busy working outside in the months and years leading up to the disappearance. The bushes lined the roadway all the way up to a small guard post with black-and-yellow striped barriers on either side. Luckily his motorcycle was small enough to slip through the far side of the barrier. Since there was no guard on duty, he didn’t anticipate that anyone would stop him, or at least he hoped no one would. Luck was on his side, and he was able to easily pass through into the large parking lot. It was about half full of cars, mostly visitors or workers judging by the decals hanging from the rearview mirrors, with a few state police and correctional officer vehicles as well.