by Bella Street
I'll kill him.
She gnashed her teeth and looked around the room. Of course. Leave it to Trent to find some secret passageway into her room. Seffy began kicking along the wall, listening for any differences of sound. She peered behind a mirror for any anomalies, then looked under the bed for a trap door. Spying the closet door ajar, she entered and turned on the bare bulb hanging over head. Seffy shoved aside all the compound clothes. Pushing on the wall panels, she caught her breath when one shifted inward, revealing a narrow hallway.
Red hot rage unfurled within her. She marched down the hallway until it ended at a door. Using her foot, she kicked the door open and found herself looking into Trent's room...and meeting his amused gaze as he lounged on his bed.
“Took you long enough.”
Seffy opened her mouth to speak but could only make choking sounds.
“Did you get my peace offering?”
“Peace offering?” she exploded. “You have access to my bedroom!”
Trent unfolded himself from the bed and stood up. “Why don't you just calm down, Seffy. You look like you're about to have a stroke.”
Seffy gave him a succinct piece of advice and turned to go leave.
Trent reached out and grabbed her arm. “Look at me.”
She shook off his arm. “Don't touch me.”
“Did you eat the cinnamon roll?”
“I don't want anything from you. Ever.”
His eyes held hers. “So now you know why I picked this room.”
“I think you're seriously messed, Trent.”
“I think you're in denial.” He leaned close. “Soon, you'll be glad about this little secret passageway. And you'll be coming to me through it.”
Seffy slapped him hard. He didn't flinch but his eyes glittered dangerously. Fighting tears, she turned and marched back to her own room. When she got there, she latched the door shut and grabbed a chair, hooking it under the knob.
Shaking, she backed up until her legs hit the bed. She sank onto the edge and struggled to control the storm of emotion loosed within her. She was just freaking because of the drugs that had run rampant in her veins. A little over-reaction after what she'd endured was more or less normal, right? Seffy glanced at the cinnamon roll, longing to take a bite, but knowing if she tasted it at all, she'd eat the whole damn thing.
She picked it up and went back to the closet door. After removing the chair, she marched into the passage and hurled the roll toward Trent's door. The splattering sound as it hit home brought a sliver of satisfaction.
Seffy returned to her room and put the chair back in place. She needed a lock for the closet door. She needed a whole different room.
Hell, she needed a whole different decade.
***
“Are you serious?”
Seffy regarded Addison with weariness. “C'mon, it's just for one night.”
Addison put her hand on a lean hip. “Because your room is haunted?”
“I just have the heebie jeebies, that's all. Once Gareth puts a lock on the closet door, I'll be out of your hair.”
Lani appeared behind Addison. “You can stay with me, sweetie,” she said, putting her arm around Seffy and drawing her into the room. Seffy stuck her tongue out at the redhead on her way past.
“This will be nice since we haven't hardly had a chance to talk, since...the event.”
Seffy smiled at Lani, wondering which 'event' she referred to. Her getting Malone back? Or Seffy getting infected with zombie juice? Or maybe the blast that had started it all.
Lani curled up on the bed while Seffy collapsed into a chair. Addison drifted over to the sofa and sat down, apparently deciding to shelve their last conversation.
Which is fine with me. She watched the redhead cross her legs in relaxed comfort.
“I miss seeing you every day,” Lani said. “It must really suck to be stuck in your room all the time.”
She wasn't technically stuck. Who told her that? Was that why no one ever came to see her? “Yeah.”
“I feel so guilty that you can't come and eat with us. Is your infection all cleared up?”
Seffy tugged up her pant leg and looked down at the black blotch still present. “Not quite.”
“Maybe when it it's healed, they'll let you in the cafeteria.”
“Um, I'd rather figure out a way to leave than go to the cafeteria.”
Lani's eyes widened. “You mean leave the compound?”
“Of course. Don't you want to go home?”
“She doesn't want to leave her boyfriend,” Addison said laconically.
Seffy eyed Lani. “You guys are a couple?”
The brunette shrugged, but her crimson cheeks said it all.
“Okaaay. So you're in lurve with a henchman.” Seffy shook her head. “I gotta say, bold choice.”
“Like I told you before, Malone is just misunderstood. And he's reformed.”
Seffy leaned forward and patted Lani's knee. “I'm sure for you, he's reformed.”
“You're just saying that. Don't be patronizing, Sef.”
“You're right, I don't want to sound like Addy.”
Addison rolled her eyes.
“You guys don't understand this. I know Malone is a good man deep inside. I know he has his challenges, but, if I don't love him, who will?”
Seffy schooled her expression while inwardly shaken to the core. Lani was off her rocker even more than usual. She took a deep breath. “So, did he ever say how he escaped becoming zombie nosh?”
Lani laughed. “You should know the answer to that. He didn't have any weapons and wasn't mobile.”
“Are you telling me he sang disco hits?”
“Yep! And it worked just like before.”
Seffy shook her head in a daze. “I still can't believe it worked the first time. That had to be one of the weirdest things I have ever seen—and this in context with, you know, zombies.”
“He pretty much had to sing twenty-four straight hours until one of the compound guards came across him. He almost lost his voice.”
“Wow.”
“But just like the song he sang with us that day in the desert, he's a survivor.”
“That's wild.” She hoped Malone was worth all this admiration, but doubted it. “So do you think he'll come back to 2006 with you?”
Lani and Addison exchanged glances. “I...think so. When and if that day comes.”
“If? I don't like the sound of that!”
“I just mean they haven't figured out how we got here.”
Seffy tamped down a surge of panic. “Hey, something got us here, something damn well better get us back.”
“That's what they're trying to figure out, genius.”
“Who's 'they'?” she asked Addison.
“That Poindexter dude in the basement and his nerd herd. And Gareth's been helping some, too.”
“Is Gareth there now?”
“He's in his room,” Lani said. “You should go say hi. I know he misses you.”
Addison snorted.
Seffy glared at her. “You know, Addy, if you need a man in your life, your perfect match is waiting for you just around a couple corners.”
Her green eyes glimmered. “What's the matter? Doesn't Twent wanna pway nice wiff you?”
“I'm just saying, you two could be soul mates.”
“Are you pissed because you finally met a guy who doesn't fall at your feet?”
Seffy considered telling Addy about the adjoining rooms, then decided against it. She stood. “I'm going to see if Gareth is back.”
Lani smiled up at her. “Don't worry, Miss Grumpypants over there will be sleeping in her own room. You'll be safe with me.”
“Thanks.” Seffy went out into the hall, wondering why two people were accusing her of basically the same thing—of needing men to dance attendance on her. She reminded herself to consider the sources.
Seffy knocked at Gareth's door and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard his voice. She
opened the door and found him sitting at the small desk near the bed. He got up, drew her in, and gave her an awkward side hug.
“I haven't seen you in a while,” he said, his brown eyes warm. “Are you avoiding me?”
Seffy looked up at him, biting her lip. Was he teasing? Because she wasn't the one doing the avoiding. And he seemed to forget the whole meals-on-heels thing he'd promised. “I was, uh, wondering if you could install a lock on my closet door.” She suddenly remembered Trent's stinging words about her dependency on others. “Or, if I had the hardware I could do it myself.”
He regarded her with a quizzical expression. “The bogeyman bugging you?”
She sent him a weak smile. “Something like that. This whole place just creeps me out, you know?”
“I can easily imagine, especially after the experience you had.”
“Yeah.” Seffy eased out from under his arm and took a seat “So, Addison said you've been working on a way to get us home?”
Gareth sat down at the desk. “I'm trying to help, but I can't believe the computers and software they're using could do more than support a Pong LAN party much less get us back through time.”
“Hey, I need English.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “And I can tell the guys in the science department consider me a distraction, or even maybe a threat.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “They don't trust me. It's so frustrating. I possibly know either more than they do or know something new that they couldn't have learned yet. But every time I offer up theories, they listen with polite smiles, then more or less ignore me.”
“Crap.”
“Exactly.”
Seffy stood and began pacing the room. “We can't stay here, Gareth. I can't stay here. This whole thing is impossible.” She stopped and implored him with her eyes. “I want to go home.”
He rose and put his arm around her again. “We all want...to go home.”
Seffy wondered why he didn't sound certain. What am I missing here?
Maybe instead of waiting around for Gareth to figure it out, she needed to do her own investigation. Seffy knew the notion was partially motivated by Trent's painful accusation. But if that's what it took to get them home, did it really matter?
“I'll get that lock on your closet door first thing in the morning, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He sent her off with a sad little smile. Her spirits sank.
Seffy returned to Lani's room since Gareth didn't seem eager for her to stay and hung out for the rest of the evening watching old movies of Lani's choosing. One title was something called Picnic At Hanging Rock, which didn't help calm Seffy's growing paranoia. Finally she fell sleep, grateful for her friend's company, even if Lani did mostly talk about Malone.
When Seffy woke up the next morning, the remnants of yet another bizarre dream afflicting her mind. Trent had been running his lips along old scars on the inside of her arms. She sat up and looked at the place where Dream Trent had been kissing. Faint, puckered lines criss-crossed the skin below the inside of her elbow—remnants of a more difficult time in her life. Trent couldn't possibly know about those scars. Not even Gareth knew.
The idea disturbed her as she quietly slid from the bed to avoid waking Lani. It continued to vex her mind all the way back to her room.
It made her even more thankful to find a shiny brass lock on her closet door.
Chapter Ten
Seffy stared at the lock and felt some of her angst ease. Until Gareth poked his head in the door.
“Hey, is it too early to do that little project for you?”
She waved him in. “Do you mean get us back to the twenty-first century?”
He laughed, then stared at her closet door. “Uh...I see you already have a lock.”
“And I appreciate you getting it done so quickly.”
Gareth held up a blister pack containing a brass slider lock set. “I haven't done it yet.” His brows lowered. “Did you ask someone else because you thought I'd reneg?”
“No, of course not! I'm confused.” She stared at the golden mechanism with burgeoning dread. “Maybe it was there and I just didn't notice it before?”
“Obviously,” Gareth said gently. He walked over and lifted her chin. “Are you sure you're up to par? I think you need more rest.”
Seffy bit her lip against a sharp retort and angled her chin from his hand. “You're probably right,” she said, struggling to rein in her galloping thoughts. “Sorry to make a fuss. I feel so stupid.”
“It's no big. And on my way back from the supply area, I swiped a few of these for you.” He pulled three Snickers bars from his pocket and handed them to her. “I figured you were tired of whatever it is they're expecting you to survive on.”
Seffy stared at the bars, reminded of her time of thievery with Trent when candy was what she craved most. Trent had also brought her something hot. As in cinnamon roll hot. Even if she didn't eat it, he still made the attempt. Gareth brought her candy bars after promising cafeteria food. Something is very wrong with this picture. She looked up at him, managing a smile. “That was very sweet. Thank you.”
“No problem. Uh, I'm gonna head back to my room. I'm working on some time travel theories. Maybe I'll get lucky.”
“Please do,” Seffy said, setting the bars on the desk. “Thanks again for coming by.”
“Anytime.”
As she watched him go, she knew he was relieved to be gone. Ouch. She looked at the candy. Double ouch. Next, the lock. Seffy stared at it and felt her blood pressure spike. It could only have come from one place.
“Knock, knock, Miss Carter,” came a muffled voice. “Time for your vitals check.”
She looked over to see the Haz-Mat team enter the room.
“We came here this morning as per usual but you weren't present.”
Seffy sighed dramatically. “I stayed with Lani last night.”
A silver person with no mouth and only a red rectangle window for eyes shook his head. “That was very inconvenient, Miss Carter. We'd appreciate it if you'd respect the time and effort we take to ensure your wellness in the future.”
Seffy stared at them in dumb fury and remained silent as they strapped on the blood pressure cuff.
“Hmmm, we're elevated today, aren't we?”
Yes, we are. Blood began to pound in her ears. Next came the temperature taking, and then a stab.
“Ouch!”
“Just a blood sample, Miss Carter. Nothing to be concerned about.”
God. “Where's Olga, the nurse I had before?” She wouldn't stab me like that and use the Royal We all the time.
“Frankly, she was uncomfortable working around someone with your infection, so she asked us to take her place.”
Seffy caught her breath. Now that really hurt. Olga's stern and mothering bedside manner had been a balm on more than one occasion, and now the woman was just as freaked as everyone else. Geez, I'm running out of supporters fast. I should be nicer. Or less infected. Or something.
“We noticed that the air is dry in here and so we'll be putting in a humidifier. Leave it on all the time and we'll make sure to keep it filled for you.”
“Okay,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Buh-bye now.”
As soon as they were gone, Seffy heaved a frustrated breath. She could not just sit here and stew. She had to do something.
She grabbed the candy bars, ate one, and stuffed the other two in her front pocket. Seffy peeked out her door and saw that the hall was clear. Taking a deep breath, she eased out of her room and pulled the door closed. Still clear. I swear to God, if I see Trent, I will rip his head off...with my teeth.
To the left was the cafeteria, which meant people. She chose the right and hoped it took her where she wanted to go. If she didn't get some fresh air, she'd lose what was left of her frontal lobes. Stained linoleum floor tiles stretched in front of her almost as far as the eye could see. Seffy began a light jog to an
intersection of one hall and turned down another, in the opposite direction of Trent's room. She kept running until she heard voices.
Spying a storage closet, she nipped inside and held her breath until the voices passed. Seffy groped for a light and turned it on. She found a greasy set of coveralls wadded up in a corner next to mops and brooms and industrial cleaning supplies, rolls of duct tape, toilet paper, and light bulbs. Even an old baseball cap on one of the shelves. Yuck. But she knew it would help.
She picked up the coveralls, wincing at the stale smell of cigarette smoke, and she pulled them on. Next came the cap. She stuffed her hair up underneath. Seffy wondered if grabbing a broom was going too far. She debated, then decided to take one. If she got caught she could say she was cleaning up a spill on aisle five.
After listening at the door, Seffy peered out of the closet and saw the hallway was again empty. Where did everyone go? Did the residents stay cooped up in their rooms or was there a portion of the compound where they congregated? Either way, the absence of snoopy residents could only help her endeavors. She eased out into the hall and started in a direction she hoped would lead her to liberty.
After wandering from hall to hall, while studying the walls for some sign of identification, she noticed the flat ceiling and fluorescent lights give way to exposed ductwork. Her heart kicked up in anticipation. Was freedom, however temporary, within her reach?
Footsteps behind her made her heart pound even harder. Seffy reminded herself to stay cool. She was just a maintenance worker on her way to do a...maintenance thing. Suddenly the footsteps increased. Seffy swallowed and kept her stride normal. Just go past me, please.
“C'mon, daddy! Hurry! I want to show you my strawberries!”
Seffy saw a blur rush by, then pause and turn around. It was a little girl with long brown hair and big blue eyes in a polka dot dress. After staring at the dress and wondering why it caught her interest, Seffy looked away, glad the girl didn't acknowledge her. She heard heavier footsteps approach from behind.
“Hold your horses, Cindy. I'm coming.”