by Kip Nelson
It was at times like these when he had to rely on his instincts, and his instincts were telling him going into that hotel was making a mistake. He stepped back, tearing himself away from the doors. Major still was growling and Tillman had to tighten his grip on the dog’s leash to prevent the mutt from lunging forward and scratching at the door.
“Come on, boy. There's nothing for us here, at the moment,” he said, while hoping to God that Jessica wasn't being held captive there. He thought about calling her name but knew it only would draw the attention of the people inside. They may well be dangerous.
Both hotels and the movie theater had proven fruitless, so there was only one place left to look.
“That settles it, Major. We have to go to the cemetery,” Tillman said, sighing with resignation. At least it was daylight. Tillman wondered why kids like Jessica and Tanya would want to spend their lives in a cemetery, but there always were strange hobbies to be had.
The cemetery was at the back end of town, a wide field at the bottom of a grassy knoll, with a small chapel standing at the peak. Tillman saw this before he saw anything else. He imagined a lot of people would have turned to the church for refuge. The cemetery was located below the chapel. Tillman had seen plenty of people already, and he wasn't enamored with the idea of addressing a congregation of desperate and scared people, but he'd have to go ask them if Jessica was there.
Going to the cemetery had given him the creeps. He hadn't been to the chapel since Morelle's wedding, which had not been a happy occasion. When he looked at it now he saw his sister so happy, so radiant, not knowing that she was pledging her life and her love to a monster. Tillman shuddered as he thought about all that had happened, and tried focusing on the task at hand.
Lurking around a cemetery wasn't his idea of a good time, and he instantly grew tense as he approached the black metal gates. They hung open, inviting him in. White marble tombstones stood tall, while older gray ones, mottled with bright green moss, were at angles as well. There were willow trees around the edges, and large hedges separated various areas. Tillman walked carefully along the grassy path between the graves and glanced at the tombstones around him. Some of the messages still were clear, others had been weathered away, the tombstones left blank. Some graves had flowers placed upon them and were well-tended, while others had been allowed to grow over with weeds. Whether this was out of neglect or simply because there was nobody left to remember the person in the grave, Tillman didn't know. He wasn't sure which possibility unnerved him more.
His heart sank being surrounded by so much death. He always had been taught to respect the dead, to be reverent to those who had shuffled off this mortal coil. But after having seen so many broken and charred bodies lying inert on the ground, knowing they would not be given a proper burial, he wondered how he was supposed to treat the dead with respect. How could you hold a funeral for millions of strangers? Tillman's mind couldn't cope with the vast amount of possibilities.
Unlike in the hospital, he allowed himself to speak, not fearing he would alert anyone. He doubted there were a massive group of people hiding behind the tombstones.
“Jessica? Jessica? Are you here?” he asked.
There was no response. Major showed no signs of agitation or any other indication she might be here. Tillman feared that again he would be out of luck, that his hopes would be dashed yet again. He made his way through the cemetery, winding around the graves, even walking away from the path toward the trees. He knew that Jessica and Anthony were at the age where they didn't understand that there were certain rules in place for places like these. Nothing would have stopped them from wandering into forbidden places, so Tillman would have to wander there as well.
However, there was still no sign of her. Tillman had to accept that she wasn't there, and that he would have to go up to the chapel. He looked at it with grim resignation, then began his ascent.
The knoll wasn't steep, but he had done so much walking it felt as though his legs were on fire. When he approached the chapel, he heard a hymn resonating through the air. The blanket of sound wafted down the knoll, and gave him goosebumps.
The door was closed but unlocked. Tillman opened it carefully. When he did, the noise burst out with fury, enveloping him in its dull drone. There were at least a hundred people packed into this small chapel. None of them seemed to notice him except one, the priest. He looked straight down the aisle at Tillman and held up his hand. The singing stopped immediately. Silence reigned in the chapel, and the entire congregation moved as one, staring at Tillman. He was entirely unnerved and took a step back so that he had an easy escape.
“Welcome to the house of the Lord,” the priest said, opening his arms wide. Tillman quickly scanned the room to see if he could spot Jessica, but if she was there she didn't present herself. “Are you in need of salvation? Did you come here seeking shelter in the bosom of the Lord?”
“Actually, I'm looking for someone. I thought she might be here. My niece, Jessica? She's about sixteen and was probably with a boy named Anthony.”
The priest looked around the room. There were murmurs and whispers, but Tillman's heart already had started sinking. If Jessica was there she would have presented herself when Tillman mentioned her name.
“It appears she is not here, unfortunately, but I am sure the Lord is keeping her safe, just as he is watching over this world.”
“I can't imagine he likes what he's been seeing,” Tillman muttered.
“Excuse me?” the priest said.
Suddenly, Tillman felt the room’s mood shift. Everyone tensed. The congregation, who had been staring at him with curiosity, now seemed to be glaring at him. Tillman wasn't one to shy away from a philosophical argument, but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place.
“I was just talking to myself,” Tillman said.
“We never are talking to ourselves, because the Lord always is listening,” the priest said. “Stay with us and worship the Lord. Praise him and seek guidance in these troubled times.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I really have to go look for my niece,” Tillman said, edging toward the door.
“Let us pray for this man and that he will find his niece. Let us pray for all those who are searching for loved ones. Lord, open your infinite heart to the troubles of these people. Give them the guidance and the courage they need to find the people they have lost, and if they are indeed beyond hope, then give them the strength to endure their sorrow and continue living.” The priest closed his eyes as he said this prayer. His congregation all bowed their heads in unison and clasped their hands together. They moved together so naturally that it seemed they were part of some hive mind.
“My son,” the priest said after he had finished praying, “go and find your niece. Be happy together. You always are welcome here. We are standing vigil until the sun sets on this world. We are witnesses to God's love, and I know that he will see you through this darkness. Return as and when you wish. We shall be here.”
The priest spread his palms and gestured toward the door, allowing Tillman to leave. He bowed his head in thanks, and then moved away as quickly as possible. There was nothing inherently eerie about the people in the chapel, but something about the situation just didn't seem right. As soon as he stepped outside and shut the door the hymn began again. There was so much else they could have been doing, like gathering supplies, building shelters, searching for people who needed help. Yet they shut themselves away in this chapel.
Tillman descended the small knoll and the singing faded into the distance. He doubted he would be there again, and he wondered how long it would be until their faith deserted them. It was all well and good believing in a higher power, but to expect God to bring them salvation on a platter was mistaken. He only helped those who helped themselves, simply praying was not enough.
Tillman and Major walked back into town slowly. Tillman tried imagining where Jessica could be. He'd exhausted all the places Tanya had suggested and was n
owhere nearer to finding her. He thought about going back to Tanya to see if she remembered anything else but given her state he didn't think she would appreciate a return visit.
Without any idea of where to go, Tillman realized he might as well go anywhere. He had the same chance of running into her. So, to be methodical about it, he went back into the middle of town. His plan was to make his way through the town in concentric circles so that he crossed as much ground as possible. If he still didn't find her then, well, he'd just tear this entire place apart if he had to and would knock on every door.
“I need your help with this, Major,” he said. Major panted.
Tillman walked through the empty streets once more and reached the middle of town. The arcade was just across the street from him. He was glad to see that it still was standing. The lightning bolt still was at the window, and for old time's sake he thought he should go inside. There was a poster on the window showing Tillman, and he blushed a little with embarrassment. Julio, the arcade’s owner, seemed proud to declare this the virtual birthplace of the great Tillman Torres. In fact, over the years, he had made overtures for Tillman to appear at the arcade. Tillman always had declined, for he knew that if he appeared here he would have to reconcile with his parents. He had sent merchandise and invested some money to help keep the arcade going, but seeing it again made him wish that he had accepted one of those invitations. He was held in high regard here, and never had been forgotten. That meant a lot in Tillman's eyes.
He inspected the door and instantly tensed, for it had been broken, and was hanging slightly ajar. Tillman peered through the window but couldn't see anything. He pulled the door open, wanting to know who was in the arcade. Perhaps it was Julio himself, and Tillman would have another ally in this fight for survival.
Walking in this place again was like walking home. Tillman had spent so many hours in this arcade, and he was filled with powerful emotions. He remembered the excitement he used to feel every time he came in, thinking about which game to play, for he had wanted to master them all. A tear came to his eye as he realized he never would be able to recapture his youth. To see such a stark visual reminder of everything that had been taken from him by the EMP struck him at the core of his being, and if he hadn't been searching for Jessica he would have fallen to his knees and wept. In some ways, this arcade held the same importance to him as the chapel did for the priest and his congregation.
He stood in silent reverie, almost forgetting about the broken lock. Then, he heard a cry for help coming from the back of the room. It was a soft voice, trembling, and Tillman moved quickly, working his way through the big machines that stood like the tombstones in the cemetery. They were dormant, their black screens staring at Tillman with nothing but infinity in their stares. Tillman led Major to the back of the arcade, and then his eyes widened as he came upon the person who needed help.
Chapter Six
“Jessica?” he asked.
She looked up at him, eyes red with tears, and wrapped her arms around him. She had changed so much since he last had seen her, but she was still the same Jessica as he remembered. She had dyed her hair orange, and thus resembled Penelope. She wore dark eyeliner, which had been smudged, thanks to her crying, and she was trembling. Tillman held her tight, closing his eyes, so glad he had managed to find her.
“It's okay, Jess. I've got you,” he said over and over again. Jessica sobbed.
The relief of seeing her uncle seemed to release all the emotion that had been pent up inside her. Tears flowed out of her and she collapsed with grief, sinking into Tillman's embrace. She was so young, so fragile, and Tillman hated the thought of her having to be alone in this world.
Then again, she wasn't alone. This boy was with her. Tillman glanced down at the boy who was lying flat on his back, gasping, twitching occasionally. His hand rested on his leg, where a deep gash tore at his jeans and scarlet stained the tissue he was holding against the wound. Tillman could have held Jessica all day if it meant she felt comforted, but he knew it was not possible. They had to make it home as quickly as they could, for safety's sake, and for Morelle's sanity.
“Uncle Tillman, is it really you?” she asked softly. Tillman broke the embrace but kept his hands on her shoulders.
“It's really me, Jess. I'm here. I've come home.”
“Oh, thank God for that,” she said, and wiped her eyes. She looked pale, and he wondered if she'd eaten or drank anything all night. She rested her head against his shoulder. “Will you help us?”
“Of course I will. Tell me what happened. Try to keep calm.”
Jessica nodded and bit her lip. “We were just messing around last night. I went to my friend Tanya's, but really, I came out to see Anthony. I knew it was wrong, but, well, you know...” she said, casting her eyes away from Tillman.
“I know what you mean. Don't worry, I'm not going to lecture you,” he said. Then, he thought, 'I'll leave that to your grandfather,' but he didn't say that out loud for fear that Jessica already had enough to deal with. She sniffed and continued with her story.
“We weren't doing anything naughty, just hanging out together. We both like the night. It's the only time that it's really peaceful, you know? Like, we can just be together and not have to worry about anything like school or our parents. It's like we have the whole world to ourselves. I guess that sounds a little stupid.”
“No, it doesn't sound stupid at all,” Tillman said, remembering feeling exactly the same way whenever he and Angela had some time alone.
“Well, we were goofing around at the cemetery, trying to make up stories about the people who were buried, when I saw something in the distance. I wasn't sure what it was. It looked like a comet or something. Then I saw a few more of them. It was far away, so they were only dots, but it didn't seem right. We watched them, and it was quite beautiful, but I felt...uneasy.”
Tillman realized they must have seen the planes that crashed into each other, falling from the sky. While he had been up close and personal with the inferno, witnessing the carnage it wrought, Jessica and Anthony had been distant observers. Their experience had been entirely contrary to his own. Instead of being horrified by the deafening crash and the suffocating heat, they only had seen the streaks of orange as the planes fell from the sky like angels. Tillman decided not to tell her how mistaken her perception of the event had been.
“Anyway, I figured that if it was a meteor shower or something it would be on the news. So, I went to look it up to see if anyone else was talking about it, but my cell wouldn't work. I didn't understand why, since it had been fully charged when I left Tanya's. So, we tried Anthony's, and his was out too. Then we realized that nothing we had worked. I turned around and noticed how dark everything was. The entire town was blacked out. I crouched with Anthony for a long time, wondering what had happened. We figured it was a power outage and all we had to do was wait for it to be fixed. So, we huddled together.
“An hour or so later nothing had changed, and we started to get worried. Then we saw lights and people approaching the cemetery, and they were all singing a song. They made their way up to the chapel. Maybe we should have asked them for help, but we were both so scared we didn't want to move. After that, though, we knew we couldn't stay there all night. We started to get afraid that the dead would rise, like something out of a movie. Anyway, we decided to try making it back home. I figured that grandpa would know what was going on, and we'd be safe. So, we walked slowly, not wanting to draw any attention to ourselves.”
Tillman nodded with appreciation, proud that Jessica had shown great determination and wisdom in her actions when faced with such a grim situation.
“That didn't last long,” Jessica continued, “we took the road through town, when we heard a noise. Anthony and I stayed in the shadows, but whoever it was saw us. They shouted at us. I don't know who they were. They sounded drunk, though. I don't even know if they knew anything was wrong. We ran as fast as we could away from them. Maybe we should have
just ignored them, but we already were scared. They chased after us and I tried to think about places we could go. Anthony pushed me along, but he caught his leg on a piece of metal and he only could limp. He couldn't make it out of town, so we had to come here. Maybe it was because I associated this place with you. I managed to break the lock before they came around the corner. They didn't seem to think we could have gone into one of the buildings. They moved away. I don't know where they went.”
“Has anyone else been around since you've been here?”
“No, nobody,” Jessica asked.
“Strange that Julio hasn't appeared.”
“He's out of town. That's why this place was closed. He's going to be devastated when he returns,” she said.
“Can you help Anthony? He's not going to die, is he?” she asked, her eyes wet with tears, but filled with hope.
“No, he's not going to die, but we do need to get this wound treated properly.”
“I put pressure on it like they do in the movies. I wasn't sure what else I was supposed to do. I don't even know how long we've been here.”
“Have you eaten?”
Jessica nodded. “Well, we found a couple of sandwiches and some bottles of soda in the back. There was a first aid kit as well. There wasn't much else. The vending machines don't work.”
Tillman handed her some jerky and some water. She took them eagerly. As soon as she opened the jar, Major perked up.
“Who's your friend?” Jessica asked.
“This is Major. I found him. Decided that we could both use each other's company.”
“There's something else as well,” Jessica said as she chewed on some jerky. Now that she had had some sustenance the color began returning to her face. “Anthony lost his inhaler. He thinks it fell out of his pocket when he caught his leg.”