by Tara Ellis
“We’re here!” Chris interrupts, as the Tahoe comes to a stop.
Not waiting for anyone else, I open the door and jump out. I find myself standing in a driveway leading up to a modest, two-story house. My feet seem suddenly cemented to the ground as I notice movement at the front door.
Slowly, it opens. Standing there is a girl my age with honey-colored, shoulder length hair. While slightly shorter than me, she is slimmer and quite attractive. I recognize my best friend immediately, but hesitate. She is staring at me with such an expression of dread that I at once doubt whether we should have come here at all.
EIGHTEEN
Hesitantly, I raise my hand towards her. “Missy?” I call, my voice threatening to crack. Her eyes shift between the guys who are standing behind me before she finally focuses on my face. As the reality that I am actually standing here sinks in, recognition replaces her fear and she finally smiles.
“Alex?” she asks hesitantly, still not quite believing.
“Yeah, it’s me, Miss. It really is!” The use of her nickname breaks through her paralysis and she runs off the porch. My vision explodes with angles of projection as she throws herself at me and I smoothly follow them, catching her midair and preventing us both from falling.
Laughing, we spin around like two little girls at recess. Finally stopping, I notice that her mom has come outside. “Cindy!” My own mother shouts as she steps forward and the two of them embrace. They had always gotten along when we all lived in the same town. She turns and introduces Cindy to Lisa and then waves the boys forward.
Introductions are made, and I can tell instantly that Nate and Kyle are more than happy to meet Missy. I’ve never seen them so well behaved.
Baxter is walking in circles around our group, grinning. Noticing Missy’s younger sister hanging back by the house, he bounds up to her and starts licking her face. He’s always had a soft spot for kids. I think Natalie is close to five, and she responds by throwing her arms around his big furry neck.
Grabbing me by the shoulders, Missy holds me at arm’s length and in typical Missy fashion comes straight to the point. “Alex, I thought you were dead! How could you have left me alone for this long, imagining over and over all the horrible ways you might have died? And what in the world is wrong with your eyes? And how come you’re so freakin’ beautiful?”
Laughing, I pull her close. “Oh Missy, you wouldn’t believe how much I’ve missed you.”
Allowing the moment to last for barely five seconds, she pulls away. “Seriously though, Alex. What’s going on? You look like my last zumba instructor. She was a stinkin’ beast. Don’t get me wrong, I’d kill to have a body like you, but it’s tripping me out a bit.”
One of the things I love about my friend is the fact that although she doesn’t seem like it, she’s brilliant. Book smart and street smart, too. Nothing gets past her. I can’t wait to fill her in and find out what her take is on all of this.
“I think that we should go inside and explain everything,” Chris suggests. Missy tugs excitedly at my sleeve and giving her a wide-eyed warning, I mouth, ‘yes’. Okay, so maybe she’s really smart, but she’s still totally boy crazy.
“Is it possible to park the Tahoe in your garage?” Chris continues, either missing the exchange or pretending to. Cindy tells him to wait and runs inside. In a minute, the garage door opens and a pale yellow VW bug backs out. Exiting the vehicle, Cindy rejoins us.
“I think there should be enough room in there,” she tells Chris. “If not, there’s an alley behind the house, if you want to get it out of sight. Come on,” she directs the rest of us. “Follow me!”
As Chris maneuvers the Tahoe into the tight space with the help of Nate, the rest of us go inside. Cindy leads us towards the back of the house and into an oversized family room. Seeing the familiar furniture gives me a sense of peace and I’m happy to let Missy pull me down onto the leather couch next to her. I’m tempted to actually relax.
Everyone finds a spot to sit and Chris and Nate soon join us after successfully in hiding the SUV. Natalie drags Baxter into a nook where she has a stash of toys and he seems happy to entertain her.
“Where’s your dad?” I ask Missy, hoping that he made it through the infection okay.
“He’s out hunting with our neighbor,” she explains and I sigh with relief. “Someone spotted a big bull elk yesterday and they’re trying to track it.”
Jacob is on some floor pillows next to Kyle, but keeps looking towards the kitchen behind us in the open space. There’s some food out on the counter and I can almost see the drool on his lips from here. Cindy notices too.
“Would you guys like something to eat? We don’t have much of a selection, but you’re welcome to it.”
As much as I hate to delay our reunion, I realize that we have to take advantage of the opportunity. We never know when we might have to run again, and eating is essential.
Our meal consists of crackers, processed cheese, and peanut butter. “Sorry about this,” Cindy repeats for like the third time. “There just isn’t much to be had anymore. We have fish in the freezer that we’ll make for dinner. There’s plenty for everyone.”
“Cindy, this is very generous,” Mom assures her. “Frankly, I’m surprised at how well you’re doing, compared to what we saw in Spokane on our way here. They didn’t even have power downtown.”
“We’re hearing all sorts of stories about them,” Missy tells us. “It was really bad for a while, before they declared martial law. Looting, riots, and a bunch of people getting killed or beat up. I’m glad we live here.”
Cindy puts an arm around her daughter, pulling her close. They are both leaning up against the kitchen counter, while the rest of us crowd up to the table, eating. “Missy is right. We have been very fortunate. I’m not sure where Spokane gets their power, but we get our electricity from the dam on lake Coeur’d Alene. I don’t know if any of you have ever spent any time on the lake, but it’s huge and full of fish. We lost power for a few days, as people were recovering. The hydroelectric plant is still running on a skeleton crew. Its use is limited to certain hours during the day and there are frequent shutdowns because they are having a hard time keeping up with routine maintenance. From what we can tell though, based on the limited news, we are doing much better than most. We are pretty much self-contained here.”
“How’s the hunting?” Chris asks around the crackers in his mouth.
“Well, there’s the fish,” Missy answers. “The woods get thick south of the Lake and east of here, and are full of deer and elk. We don’t have as much farmland as some places, but enough to provide for a good portion of our population. We’ve only got about 45,000 here, less after The Shining. If it weren’t for the military commandeering a chunk of it, we’d be a lot better off.”
“Why would they be taking your resources?” Lisa asks quietly. “I would think they would be supplementing it.”
Missy and Cindy exchange a bewildered look. I don’t like the fluttering that has started in my stomach again. Something is off. “What do you mean?” Cindy asks, confused. “Of course they are. In order to maintain their control in the bigger cities, they have to keep those millions fed. With the supply-chain dwindling, they are turning to the smaller towns with larger resources. It’s martial law you guys. Ya know, soldiers with guns. Only reason they aren’t on our streets is because there aren’t enough of them to go around and we honestly don’t need the help.”
“Omak has been under government quarantine since the first week after The Shining,” Nate explains. “We’ll tell you why in a bit. That’s going to take some time. But it would seem that we have been sheltered. We haven’t had any access to the internet for over two weeks and, even then, it was limited. Our only source of news lately has been rumors. Last we knew, the market was falling and companies were struggling to get their manufacturing plants, semis, and other parts of the delivery system manned. We’ve continued to get the essentials in our town though. I guess we
just assumed that since the trucks kept coming with the food that everyone was getting it. Prices sky-rocketed and gas became unaffordable, but it’s all still available. I’m thinking now that this was a ploy to keep the townspeople calm and co-operative, while effectively cutting us off from the outside world.”
“I think you guys need to sit down,” Cindy says, leading us back to the family room. Back on the couch with Missy on one side and Jake on the other, I feel a little better. I brace myself for the truth about what’s been happening to rest of the country.
“The market crashed just over two weeks into the recovery,” she continues. “So I’d guess that was when your access to the internet was shut off, if they were trying to keep you from knowing. The dollar de-valued and everything went to hell practically overnight. Everyone world-wide was already struggling to get the import-export operational and the crash had a domino effect that brought that to a standstill. Countries suddenly found themselves on their own as far as supply and demand goes. America is probably in one of the better positions to handle being self-sufficient, if it weren’t for the chaos The Shining had already caused.”
“Nobody trusts the government anymore,” Missy adds. “We’re all suspicious about what caused The Shining and when the crash happened and everything doubled or tripled in price, there was pretty much a revolt. People who had been able to return to work stayed home. No one could afford the gas to get there. It was like thirty dollars a gallon when there was still some left and milk is almost twenty. We were forced to revert to the bartering system in order to survive. Martial law was implemented, but they only have enough troops to deploy in the biggest cities. That seems to be failing now though, because we’ve heard that everyone is trying to get out of Seattle. Control is completely lost there and they simply don’t have enough food for everyone. It’s ugly. Take away the basics and we revert to primal instinct real quick. A report yesterday said that people were being slaughtered in the streets. There isn’t anything left to loot, but roaming gangs have formed. It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie.”
“You have no idea,” I tell her. She turns to study me more closely and is silent for so long, that I begin to wonder how all of this might change our relationship. Is she going to blame me?
“I think it’s time for you tell me why you look like someone from a skin care commercial and how your eyes have suddenly changed color.” Swallowing hard, I turn to my mom for support. Now that the time is finally here, I’m not sure how to start my story.
“It began with the Holocene meteor shower,” Chris interjects. Everyone shifts their attention to him and once again I’m grateful for his strength. “Of course, you already knew that. But what you don’t know is that the Holocene virus originated from earth about 5,000 years ago and that Alex’s family is intricately involved in trying to stop it. In fact, Alex is the one who released the anti-virus.”
Missy literally squeals, making me jump. “I knew it!” she yells, grabbing my shoulders again. Eyes bright, she is smiling broadly at me and I wonder how I could have ever doubted my friend’s love.
NINETEEN
We talk for nearly three hours. So much has happened, and I don’t want to leave anything out. It becomes apparent that they are starved for details on what it was really like during The Shining. Since those infected don’t remember any of it, they have had to rely mainly on official reports. From what the local authorities here have been able to determine, they had just moved into the secondary infection stage and begun killing those who were immune.
The anti-virus reached them as they were literally preparing to slaughter another group. While hundreds were spared, not all survived. Those that did, don’t like to talk about it and the result is a lack of information.
I’m surprised at how easily Missy and her mom accept the unbelievable story we share. I have my dad’s book with the first note and rifle as some proof, but that’s it. Seth took my medallion and the skull is still inside the pyramid. Perhaps they are past the point of trying to maintain a sane world. So much has happened. I guess our definition of what is normal or possible has changed in order to cope and survive.
Missy asks some intelligent questions regarding the virus and the professor, but for the most part just listens. However, when I begin to share the account of my abduction and being infected, Missy takes my hand. I’m moved to see that she’s crying and at this moment, part of the solid wall I had erected over the past weeks falls away and I’m almost overwhelmed by emotion. Sobbing, we hold each other for several minutes and with some effort, I rein my feelings in. The wall is repaired and I promise myself that one day I will be able to tear it down. But not now. I can’t function without the protection in place.
I have read about how the brain compartmentalizes when in extreme stress or traumatic situations. It enables us to act and do what has to be done, otherwise we shut down. That isn’t an option.
Once composed to the point that I can talk again, I finish my story by describing our trek through the woods. I explain how we may not have enough gas to reach Bigfork and ask if there is any available in town.
Missy seems to be having a more difficult time getting a grip, but I can tell she is trying very hard. Taking her hand, I squeeze it between my own.
“Missy, I know how hard all of this is. But we need your help. As much as I’d like to tell you that it’s over and you’re safe … it isn’t, and you aren’t. It really is just starting and it could get even worse than before. Those dreams I told you about mean something. We are being prepared for an invasion, I think. Just like Mr. Jones said. It’s brilliant really, if you think about it. It’s a form of pre-emptive biological warfare. By the time they get here, the battle is already won and they’re in complete control. We can’t let that happen.”
Startled, she looks at me with a new understanding and I can see the determination literally cross her face. “No. We can’t,” she agrees. Taking a deep breath, Missy looks at her mom briefly before turning back to me. “I want to go with you.”
“No!” Cindy says sharply.
“I might be able to find you gas,” Missy continues before her mom can interrupt. “Our VW is on empty and Dad’s truck will be close to it by the time he gets back, but we can try Mr. Harris. He runs the gas station down the street. It’s been closed for a couple weeks, but I’m pretty sure he kept some for himself.”
“Missy, do not change the subject!” Cindy practically yells. “You are needed here with your family, and that is the end of the discussion. We will help them however we can, but you are staying here!”
There is an uncomfortable silence that drags out as Missy and her mother face off.
“Of course she’ll stay with you,” my mom finally says. “I would expect the same if the roles were reversed. Alex and I would never want to separate you guys. Right, Alex?”
Looking to me for confirmation, I am torn between my own wants and what is right. Squeezing Missy’s hand again, still clasped firmly in mine, my shoulders slump in defeat. “Missy, you know I love you but your mom is right. It would be wrong to leave your family.”
Nodding reluctantly in agreement, Missy turns back to Cindy. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s just really hard. I’ve been stuck here for so long. I want to do something that makes a difference.”
“It’s okay,” Cindy says softly. “I understand. We’ll talk more about it later. Right now though, I think that you all should get some sleep while you can.”
Looking at the clock, I see that it’s almost 12:30 in the afternoon. We agreed earlier that we should leave tonight, as soon as it’s dark. It’s only about four hours drive time from here to Bigfork. Even though we move forward an hour because of the time change once we’re in Montana, we should easily make it there before the next morning. Only problem is that we’re going to be a few gallons short on gas. It’d be best if we could find it here before we go.
Even if we sleep for four or five hours, we’ll have time to eat dinner and go check out
Mr. Harris’s. Honestly, re-hashing everything that’s happened has left me emotionally exhausted. I need to rest.
It appears that so does everyone else. They all eagerly make sleeping arrangements. Mom and Lisa on Cindy’s bed, Jacob in Natalie’s, Kyle and Nate in the guest room, me in Missy’s, and Chris opted for the couch. As we all settle in, a hush falls over the house. Missy follows me to her room, and as much as I would like to sink into the bed and turn my brain off from reality for a while, I find myself sitting with her and talking in whispers.
“I keep pinching myself. I can’t believe you’re really here, Alex. You have no idea how many times I’ve tried to call you and text you. Even when there wasn’t any service, it just made me feel better.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get a hold of you,” I tell my friend. She’s hugging a teddy bear in her lap as she talks. I recognize it as the one she won at the fair when it came to Omak a couple of years ago. The sudden, vivid memory of such an innocent time is almost painful. It will never be that way again.
“When I finally got my cell phone back,” I explain, “whenever I tried to call it was just the same failure message over and over. I think early on, when things were still up, it was overwhelmed. Then, it just stopped. I’m not sure now if that was everywhere or if Omak was jammed on purpose?
“No, it was everywhere,” Missy confirms. “We all went back to using our landlines. Those of us that still had them, anyway. A lot of my friends don’t have home phones so I couldn’t even call them. Whenever I called yours it was just a beeping out of service type noise.”