by Lilah Boone
Kyle rubbed a hand across his face. “Have I fallen down a rabbit hole or something?”
Abby rolled her legs over the edge of the bed and sat while she pulled on her jeans. “We have never been strangers. Please talk to me. Help me understand.”
He got out of bed, looking exasperated as he pulled a white tee shirt over his head. “Look, I’m sorry Abby. I can’t do this right now. I told you I wasn’t a nice guy. Just forget about this whole thing, whatever this is between us. Three days ago you had no idea who I was.”
But she had known. Her soul had always know him, always missed him.
“If you’re not a nice guy why didn’t you just sleep with me and call it another notch on your bedpost?”
His mouth opened, closed again. “Because…” He hesitated for a long moment, appearing to rack his brain for a good enough excuse. “Because Jim is a good friend and I wouldn’t want to piss him off.”
Abby watched as Kyle went to the door and slung it open wide. He took big barefoot strides straight into the hallway, past Evie and Hanna to the linen closet. His aggravation was obvious.
Without word or expression he motioned to the closet door like he was a game show spokes model before pulling it open with a yank. “Towels.”
Neither of the women spoke and Kyle descended the stairs fast without another word.
Abby came out of the doorway with a shrug of her shoulders. “Guess he needs some coffee or something.”
Hanna and Evie nodded in unison. “Oh.”
* * *
A few hours later the entire group of nine was sitting on the porch of the Yellow House, finishing up a late lunch of cold cuts and fruit.
Abby looked at Evie, carefully avoiding Kyle’s face, as she sank her teeth into an apple. “So you’ve just finished a degree in environmental science with a minor in botany?”
Evie nodded, her long dark hair blowing around her exquisite features. “Yes, I basically work with plants. Green things are sort of my specialty.” She bit into an orange slice and paused to chew. “Ever since I was a little kid I’ve had a talent for growing things.”
Evie reminded Abby of one of the Tahitian women Gauguin loved to paint. She was tall and thin, with curves that were the epitome of hourglass. Abby half expected her to pose seductively, tuck a flower behind her ear, and cradle the bowl of oranges in her arms.
Kyle turned to Hanna. “And you’re a med student right?”
Hanna smiled with big perfect teeth. “Yeah, I’m just second year though.”
Hanna blushed. A pretty shade of red covered her freckles under Kyle’s gaze and Abby frowned. Apparently she wasn’t the only one affected by him.
Kyle walked down the porch stairs and lit himself a cigarette before tossing the pack up to Abby without a word. “Still that will probably come in handy one day. I think we can count on hospitals being closed for business in the near future. Any kind of healer will be a precious member of society.”
Abby didn’t look up but lit herself a dose of nicotine. After the first drag some of the tension in her neck started to fade.
“What’s this? You smoke now?” Alex eyed Abby with a hint of amazement mixed with disgust.
Abby looked up at him. “Focus Alex. We have bigger problems. Besides, this is just end of the world smoking. I’m not falling off the wagon.”
“Oh, end of the world smoking. Right. I think you two are a bad influence on each other.”
This coming from the guy who could suck down a twelve pack in a couple of hours, Abby thought. She purposely resisted looking at Kyle.
David chimed in unexpectedly. “That’s an understatement.”
Alex glanced over with a derisive snort. “No one asked you Dave. I know her. She’s a friend of mine. You just got here so you don’t get to have an opinion.”
David didn’t say another word and Abby looked up at Alex with gratitude. “It’s just temporary Alex. Don’t worry.”
Alex only nodded and the conversation continued with Sam and Jake, the two brothers in the group. Sam was an engineer who had graduated from MIT. He was smart but rough around the edges. This guy wasn’t going to wear a pocket protector to save his life. His brother was an electrician. Both of their hands on experience and technical know-how would be valued when the time came to rebuild.
Kyle looked over to David. “What do you do then? You must have some sort of mechanical talent since you’re yellow too.”
“I’m in construction.” He muttered the words with downcast eyes as though he was ashamed to say them. “But I have much bigger plans once I can get the money together for school.”
Jim stood up, walked to the porch railing. “I don’t know if that’s going to work out for you now Dave. There won’t be any colleges to go to pretty soon.”
David shrugged. “That won’t stop me.”
The rest of the group seemed to look around at each other, waiting to see if anyone would have a response. Apparently David had a way of sucking the life out of everyone.
Kyle broke the silence with a quick clap of his hands. “Ok then. We have the mystery of the colors all figured out. Blues are Healers, Yellows are Builders, and Greens are… well I guess Greens are Growers.” He paused momentarily to make sure everyone was in agreement. “Okay then. Now let’s all make sure we’re packed up and ready to go into the bunker tonight. Everybody pick a bunk, get settled in. Okay?”
There were nods and grumbles as the new group went about gathering their things. Within twenty minutes all nine of them were in the shelter listening to Kyle talk about their new accommodations like he was a real estate agent trying his hardest to sell them on a unique fixer upper.
“This is a modern, state of the art fallout shelter complete with a living area here in the front with tables and bench seating, plus a bathroom with a flush toilet and a grey water shower. The sleeping area is in the back through that there.” He pointed towards the curtain that served as a door. “You’ll find twelve bunks, stacked two by two down the narrow hall. A few of them are being used for storage so we might have to move some things around. It’s going to feel a little bit like a submarine, but at least the curtains on each bed provide some privacy.”
Everyone went to claim a bunk while Kyle, Jim, and Abby stayed in the living space. Kyle moved to the sink where he pulled down a heavy metal door from underneath the counter. “There’s a freezer here full of… well frozen things that can be heated on the stove. I think there’s even a steak somewhere in there.” His smile was small. “The whole place is running on the turbines and solar panels, as you know, but there’s a backup generator too.”
Jim examined a row of small digital screens and buttons. “What’s this here? Radiation meters, environmental controls.” He read the labels blankly.
Kyle flipped a panel down to reveal more buttons. “This stuff controls the heat in here, the air quality, etcetera. And this screen gives a reading for the temperature and radiation above ground. You’re familiar with safe levels?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah, had to learn that in the army. Hazmat training is not an easy experience to forget. I remember what’s good and what’s bad. I’ll be in charge of that if it’s something we need.”
“Okay, good. So that’s about it. You guys know everything else by now.” Kyle glanced at Abby for a millisecond. “We’re as ready as we’re going to be I guess. It’s just a matter of time. Now we sit back and wait for the apocalypse to come.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Thursday, December 20th 2012, 5:27pm
By late afternoon the temperature on the farm had hit somewhere in the high 90s. It was just around the time the sun would normally set when the ash started falling. By six-o-clock the farm looked like a scene stuck inside a poorly designed snow globe.
Any other year there would’ve been holiday cheer blanketing the land instead of a layer of thick, acidic ash. People would be bundled up against the cold and happily caroling through the town. Christmas trees would be lit up inside e
very home with lights outside, wrapped around porch railings and stapled along rooftops, illuminating each quaint street with electric happiness. But that was not the case this year. This year was a holiday in hell.
Abby wiped the sweat from her brow as the group of nine people and two dogs made their way to the bunker. Like the rest of them, the lower half of her face was covered with a strip of fabric to keep the ash from entering her lungs. Even the dogs had pillow cases lightly placed over their heads as they were carried to the shelter by Jim and Kyle.
After being shown the accommodations of the underground bunker, the group had gone above for a few more quiet pleasures like hot showers and indulgently huge chocolate sundaes with all the fixings provided by Kyle.
Daisy let out a soft whine prompting Kyle to pat her head through the cloth. “It’s okay girl. Almost there now.”
His voice was muffled through the steel grey strip of tee shirt wrapped around his face, leaving only the top half exposed to the early night air. Sweat dripped down his forehead and into his eyes, making him squint as he struggled with the light weight yet cumbersome animal in his arms.
Evie and Hanna were the first to get down into the bunker. The men turned to Abby next, as if to say women and children first, but one look from her and an emphatic shake of her head had them lowering the two hounds down next.
It was then that Abby saw the flashlights. Elevated voices followed, screaming above each other like a deranged choir.
“Connelly! We know you have that old bomb shelter on this farm and you’re gonna let us in it.”
“Shit. Here they come.” Kyle’s head popped up quickly, his eyes wide. “Everyone in the bunker now!”
Kyle grabbed Abby’s arm but she shrugged him off. He latched on again, this time with more strength. “Get in the god damn bunker Abby.”
Abby heard the fear in his voice but resisted anyway. She couldn’t shake off his grip this time, but fixed her eyes to his with a determined stare. “Let go Kyle. I’ll go when you go.”
He shook his head, looked up at the mob that was closing in on them fast. “Don’t do this Abby. I can’t protect you up here. I won’t risk your life again.”
“What about you?”
Kyle met her gaze with sadness buried behind his eyes. He pulled the cloth from both of their faces and kissed her hard, lingering for only a moment with his hands gripping her cheeks. Then all at once he shoved her towards Alex and Jim.
He pulled his mask up again. “Get her in and keep her there. And lock up the hatch tight.”
Suddenly he was gone, crossing the distance to the big red barn without looking back.
Abby couldn’t fight the two men holding her, though she tried like hell. “Kyle!”
She turned desperate eyes on her uncle. “Where is he going? No. Don’t. Let go of me. We have to help him. How will he get in with us if it’s locked? How will we know when to open it for him?” Neither of the men spoke, just worked together to pull her down into to the bunker like she was a ragdoll. “Jimmy, please. We have to help him.”
Abby turned her body and flailed wildly, striking Alex in the face before she brought her heel down on her uncle’s toes. Their grips loosened just enough for her to squeeze away.
Once free she began to run towards the barn. Looking up she saw Kyle, glowing in the ash like a flaming beacon on a dark, desolate shore. She stopped in the layer of soot, watching as the mob broke windows out of her uncle’s house. The beams from their flashlights shot out into the night and Abby was certain she noticed the glint of a gun barrel.
One of the pillagers caught sight of her and yelled towards the others. “Hey, over there! There’s one of them.”
Abby looked again to Kyle. His eyes bore straight through her as he held a shotgun in one hand and a lantern in the other. For an instant he was Callum, standing on the hill, her priest and her husband. He held the stare for a long moment and Abby sensed he was trying to tell her something, could almost hear him whispering to her. But his voice stayed out of range; too faint for her mind to grab onto.
He removed the cloth from his face again to reveal a faint smile. It was a smile for her benefit, meant to reassure her, but it didn’t touch his eyes.
With a final look he held the lantern high in the air. “This way everyone! Follow me. The shelter is over here!”
“Oh my god.” She took a step to start running only to be stopped by Alex’s body falling over top of her in a messy tackle. His stocky frame pressed down on her hard making it difficult to raise her head to see Kyle. The mob was moving towards him now, running for their very lives to seek the safety of the imaginary shelter he promised them.
Before she could see anything else Alex dragged her off the ground and slung her over his shoulder. Her arms and legs flailed wildly, kicking into his stomach and beating his back with balled up fists.
“Stop it Abby.” Alex spoke between his teeth, holding her feet down with his arms.
“Why are you doing this Alex? Put me down and go help him.”
Abby was half way down the hatch of the bunker when she heard the first shot. More shots followed, one on top of the other. The echoes invaded her ears with a painful sharpness, stabbing into her like the tips of burning hot blades. She flung her limbs around again, screaming and beating into Alex’s back with renewed force.
He threw her down hard as they reached the floor of the bunker, leaving the beginnings of a fresh bruise on her tailbone. She stood up quickly despite the pain in her backside and made a move towards the door. Her uncle quickly blocked her path with Alex stepping in beside him to create a firm wall between her and the way to the surface.
She felt the sting of panic in her chest, the first welling of tears behind her eyes. “Why is he doing this? How will he get in the shelter? How could you leave him out there to fend for himself?”
Alex spoke first. His eyes were stern while he rubbed his gut where she had kicked him. “Because he told us to.”
“What?” Abby looked up confused, salty tears running down her cheeks. “I don’t understand. What do you mean he told you to? Why would he do that?”
Jim looked to the other five people, gestured for them to go into the sleeping area. When they were gone he gripped his niece’s shoulders to look her in the eye, took a breath to gather the right words.
“He knew something was going to happen, knew we’d never be able to support all of those people in here. There’s not enough food, especially after we took on the others.” When she continued to stare blankly he continued. “Those people were fighting for their lives. They would’ve killed us to get in here. Kyle sacrificed himself to save us.”
Abby allowed herself to be led to a bench behind one of the tables, sunk down into the seat with a sob on her lips. She was in shock but definitely not numb. The weight of a two ton brick pressed in on her chest. She swallowed the ball of panic in her throat, bit her lip to keep from screaming.
Jim continued. His voice was strained with grief. “He warned us ahead of time that you were going to fight, that you wouldn’t go quietly into the shelter without him. He told us you went where he went.” Jim smiled, rubbed the back of Abby’s hand softly. “And that we would have to restrain you, force you underground to protect you.”
“But he can’t make it up there alone, not against what’s coming.” She made a move to stand up again but her uncle held her in her seat. She looked at him with complete desperation. “Please. We have to help him. Damn it. He won’t survive.”
Alex shook his head, looked down at Abby with something like tenderness. “He made us swear not to let you leave and he made us swear not to come out of the shelter to help him. Not under any circumstances.”
“And you’re just going to listen to him? Why? He might glow and have visions of the future but he’s not super human. He needs saving sometimes too.”
“He made us swear Abby,” Alex repeated. “He made us swear on our lives. He’s the one who knew what was coming. He’s
the one who knew about all of this before any of us did. There is no reason not to trust him.”
Jim rotated in the bench. “We did trust him Abby. We believed in him and the things he knew. And now we have to believe in you. It’s your gifts that are going to get us through the days to come.”
“No.” Abby set her jaw, looked at the both of them defiantly. “He’s coming back. Kyle will find a way.”
Jim and Alex looked at each other in silent communication. It was Alex who drew the short straw and bent down to take on the task of telling Abby the last of the brutal truth. “No he’s not honey.” He took a deep breath and continued softly. “He’s never coming back and he knew it.”
“I don’t believe that. He would’ve made more time for us. He would’ve…” Her sobs came then, choking her words.
After a sea of tears and lots of arguing Abby finally allowed herself to be led to her bunk. She cuddled up her tired body within freshly washed blankets and closed her eyes. As she drifted off she heard Alex say something about keeping an eye on her, and making sure sharp objects were out of her reach.
“I don’t trust that she won’t do something stupid.” Alex stood by the sink, staring up at one of the control panels on the opposite wall.
“You really think so?” Jim joined him by the sink, keeping his voice low. “They didn’t really know each other that long, barely had time to get cozy or anything.”
Alex sent the older man a look that said he was completely oblivious. “Didn’t she tell you about the visions, about the connection they shared, the past life thing?” Jim shook his head and Alex went on. “She’s completely in love with him. Believe me, I know. She never looked at me the way she looked at him. He was her one and he’s gone now. Who knows how she’s going to react to something like that?”