by Kate L. Mary
Chapter 3
Four Months Later
TESSA WAS SOBBING, BUT I COULDN’T SEEM to force out even a single tear. The room was cloaked in darkness thanks to the swiftly setting sun, and the shadows that had been cast across the room made it look eerie and unwelcoming. It wasn’t how this room was supposed to feel. This was my home. The house I’d grown up in, the living room where I had welcomed dates and opened Christmas presents, where my sisters and I had stayed up late watching scary movies or gossiping about boys. Only that was all gone now. Everything was.
“What-t d-do we-we d-do?” Tessa managed to get out between sobs.
“I don’t know.”
She had asked me the same thing yesterday when Dad died from the virus, and the day before when Claire had succumbed. Now, only seconds after Mom had taken her last, painful breath, my baby sister was once again looking to me for answers. Only I had none.
True, between the two of us, I had always been the responsible one, but I wasn’t prepared for this. How could I be? This thing, this virus that was sweeping the country, was something no one had seen coming. Not really. Despite the countless movies, TV shows, and books that had centered around a scenario exactly like this one, no had ever really believed it could happen. There was nothing big enough to wipe out humanity.
Only it looked like we had all been horribly wrong.
Tessa went back to crying, but I couldn’t look at her. All I could do was stare out the window at the sparkling water in the distance and try to convince myself that this wasn’t really happening. It didn’t work. I had heard too many news reports since the virus hit New York, had read too many conspiracy theory posts on Facebook. Weeks had gone by, and despite the safety measures the government had taken, despite the restricted travel and martial law, the virus had continued to sweep across the country.
When it hit South Carolina, I’d tried to convince myself that it would leave our family untouched. We’d hunkered down, after all. Had kept to ourselves and stayed inside in hopes of avoiding the virus. I had thought it was working. Despite the news reports that the hospitals were overrun and the area was swamped with illness, the five of us had stayed healthy. Dad had stocked up on supplies at the first sign of trouble in New York, just in case, and Claire and I had moved home to ride out the storm. Daniel Island was more secluded than other areas and the road had been closed to incoming traffic. I’d convinced myself it was enough.
But somehow, against all odds, the virus had found its way here. The neighborhood Facebook group had kept us informed of what was going on, people at first posting about relatives in other states getting sick, and then friends and family members who weren’t on the island. Finally, only a week ago, people began posting about the illness hitting their own homes.
Then Dad had gotten sick and we knew there was no escaping it. Claire had come down with the illness only a few hours later, and Mom the next day. It had happened so fast, and now they were all dead, leaving Tessa and me alone as we waited for our turn.
Only, I had a strange feeling our turn wasn’t going to come. Before the Internet went down and the electricity shut off, making getting news about the outside world impossible, there had been rumors about people being immune to this thing. It had given us hope, hope that had quickly been dashed when Dad came down with the virus, but hope that I now found had not been lost completely. My little sister and I still hadn’t come down with a single symptom.
“We might be okay,” I said, almost to myself and not totally believing the words even once they were out.
Yes, it was true that Tessa and I might not catch this thing, but even if we didn’t, would we really be okay? I couldn’t see how, not when the rest of our family was dead and the disease was still spreading. How many people had this virus killed? How many people were left? Would anything ever be the same again?
I let out a deep breath, emptying my lungs as I pulled myself to my feet. It took a lot of effort, nearly all the strength left inside me. Tessa didn’t move, but she watched me from her position on the floor as I crossed the room. I paused at the French doors for only a moment before flicking the lock. Behind me, Tessa’s sniffles died down, but she didn’t say anything until I had turned the knob and shoved the door open.
“Melanie, no!”
I didn’t look back at her, but instead closed my eyes and allowed the salty sea air to wash over me. It was thick with moisture, but refreshing after the stuffiness of the house. We hadn’t opened any doors or windows in weeks, not even after the electricity went out and the air conditioning had stopped working. Not even after Dad had died. We’d been too afraid, but there was no point in hiding now.
“It’s okay,” I told my sister as I stepped out onto the deck. “We’ve been exposed. There’s nothing we can do about that now.”
The sun had almost set and the horizon was painted brilliant shades of orange and pink from its rays, while above me the sky had almost darkened to black. The stairs in front of me led down to the backyard where the remaining sunlight shimmered off the blue surface of our swimming pool, and beyond that the calm water of the Cooper River reflected the sunset. The world was still. There were no distant sounds of boats or cars or even airplanes, or any indication that anyone other than Tessa and me were left on the island. The usual faint sounds of conversation or laughter from neighboring houses had all been extinguished, and if it weren’t for the sound of water lapping or the occasional caw of a bird, the world would feel dead. Even so, I couldn’t stop a shiver from running down my spine.
“Melanie?”
I turned at the sound of my sister’s voice and found her standing just inside the doorway. Almost like she was afraid to step out.
“It’s going to be okay, Tessa,” I said, surprised by the utter calm in my voice.
“How?” she whispered.
I opened my arms, and without another word she moved toward me, allowing me to wrap her in my embrace. Her shoulders shook, as did my own, and together we stood on the deck of our childhood home and wept for everything we’d lost. For everything the world had lost.
“I don’t know,” I said through the tears. “But somehow it’s going to be okay.”
TESSA AND I WORKED TOGETHER TO DRAG Mom’s body out of the house and down to the garage, placing it next to Dad and Claire’s. I knew we would need to do something else with them soon, but I wasn’t sure what. Bury them yes, but where? And could I possibly dig three holes by myself? It seemed unlikely.
Before I could even think about that though, I needed to formulate a plan. Which meant trying to find out if there were other survivors in our area or an emergency plan in place. There had to be something, someone in charge somewhere who was working to help survivors. The government couldn’t be gone completely. Could it?
If emergency services were still up and working, I knew there would be a radio broadcast telling us what to do. Only, the electricity had shut off days ago, meaning the television or computer were no longer an option. Since my phone had died already, as had the phones of everyone else in my family, that was out too. Leaving only one option: the car radio.
I wrestled Mom’s key fob out of my pocket and said, “We need to check the radio.”
Tessa stood by silently as I hit the button, and a second later Mom’s SUV beeped. The headlights flashed, illuminating the bodies of our family, and my stomach dipped. I swallowed and turned my back on them, choosing to focus on the car instead of my dead loved ones.
“There should be some kind of emergency broadcast system,” I told Tessa as I slipped into the driver’s seat.
She stood anxiously at my side as I slipped the key into the ignition, and when I turned it a second later, the car roared to life. Whatever station Mom had been listening to the last time she drove this car was no longer working, and static blared through the silence, making both of us jump.
“It will be okay,” I whispered for what felt like the hundredth time today.
Tessa chose to say nothing
.
I turned the dial, searching the radio stations for something, anything that told me there was life out there somewhere. A country station still had music playing, and I paused long enough for the song to end, silently praying for a voice, but all I got was another song.
“We’ll come back to that one,” I said as I turned the dial again.
More static filled the garage, and then more and more. I was on the verge of screaming in frustration when a voice finally came over the radio, making me pause.
“This is not a test. Emergency procedures are in place, and citizens are to travel to the nearest refugee center. Refugee centers located within this broadcast area are: North Charleston Coliseum, Beaufort High School, The Colleton Center, Saint George Fire Department—”
“The Coliseum!” Tessa shouted to be heard over the recording, drowning out the rest of the words.
She grabbed my arm and shook it, making it impossible for me to turn the dial again even if I wanted to. Which I didn’t. There was no reason to when I had found what I was looking for. Refugee centers had been set up. Other people were alive.
I let out a deep breath and sank back in the seat, closing my eyes. “Thank you.”
“Melanie.” I opened my eyes and met my sister’s gaze. “Let’s go.”
“Okay. Yeah.” I nodded, but I didn’t move.
My gaze drifted to the other side of the garage where the bodies of our parents and sister were laid out, covered in sheets. We couldn’t leave them here. Could we?
“We need to bury them,” I said, nodding to the bodies.
Tessa jerked and kept her gaze on me. After a second, she shook her head. “Bury them? That’s what funeral homes are for. We’ll find help at the refugee center. Then we can send someone back here to get them.”
It wasn’t until the words had left my sister’s mouth that I realized how little she had actually grasped about our current situation. Or maybe she was just in denial. It was hard to tell.
“Tessa,” I began, choosing my words carefully. I wanted her to understand what was happening, because I was going to need her help, but I didn’t want to hurt her. Not if I could help it. “I don’t think there’s going to be that kind of help at the refugee center.”
“There has to be,” she argued, her hands going to her hips almost automatically.
How many times had I seen her do this same thing? Give me this same look? Too many to count, and the normalcy of it was almost a relief after everything that had happened.
“Do you think they’re just going to leave bodies laying around to rot?” she snapped.
Her words were like a slap across the face, because it hit me that that was exactly what was going to happen. And not just to our family, but to all the other families who had died here and everywhere else in the world. No one was going to worry about gathering the dead, at least not right away. Right now we needed to worry about food and water, and what we were going to do to get electricity up and running again. The bodies were going to have to wait.
The thought made my stomach lurch again.
“We need to bury them,” I said, this time in a whisper.
Suddenly though, it occurred to me that there probably weren’t any gardening tools in the garage. Dad had hired landscapers, meaning there had been no reason for him to own a shovel or anything else that would help me dig a hole. Which also meant that I couldn’t possibly put my family to rest.
“We’ll come back,” Tessa argued. “We need to figure out what’s going on first.”
Since there was nothing else I could do, I nodded and pulled the key from the ignition. Arguing with her was pointless when there were no other options available to us. We’d go find help now and take care of our family later. It was all we could do.
“Let’s get some stuff together,” I said as I passed Tessa and headed for the door. “Then we can head out.” I paused before stepping inside so I could look over my shoulder at the SUV. “We’ll have to take my car. The gas tank is full and it’s already parked outside. Getting the garage door open with no electricity is too much of a hassle and I just don’t think I have the energy right now.”
Tessa only nodded, and I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders grow heavier. I was the big sister, and even though she was nineteen now, I knew she was looking to me to take care of her. It was how it had always been, and a virus wouldn’t change that. At least in Tessa’s mind.
“Let’s go,” I said, turning my back on the garage and my dead family so I could head inside.
TESSA AND I PAUSED OUTSIDE THE FRONT door as if we were both unsure of what we were going to see, but the dark road in front of us was empty. I looked up and down the street as we headed for my car, my gaze moving from house to house for any sign that there was still life, but there was nothing. No movement, and no lights in any of the windows that I could see. Nothing but blackness and utter silence.
“Maybe we should wait until morning,” I said when we were halfway to the car, but I didn’t stop walking.
“What?” Tessa said incredulously. “Why?”
“Because it’s dark and there are no streetlights. It could be dangerous to drive in the dark like this.”
My sister only snorted, not even pausing for a second before she jerked the passenger door open. “We’ll be fine and I don’t want to wait.” She tossed her bag into the backseat. “I want to be with people and find out what’s happening. Plus, I think I’ll go crazy if we have to wait until morning. I don’t want to be in there anymore. ”
She had a point. Not only had we been trapped in the house for weeks, but the very idea of staying in there when the bodies of our parents and sister were lying in the garage made my stomach lurch. The sooner we found help, the sooner we could make sure they were resting in peace.
I slid into the driver’s seat, my gaze still on the dark street in front of us. Clouds must have hidden the moon, because not even the soft glow it usually provided was visible and the road seemed to stretch out forever in endless blackness.
“I hope we don’t regret this,” I muttered as I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.
I took it slow, moving through our neighborhood at a max speed of fifteen miles an hour even though Tessa constantly nagged me to drive faster. The slow pace was only partly due to the lack of streetlights. I was also looking at the houses we passed in hopes that there might be lights burning in a few of them. We couldn’t be the only people left alive on the island. There was nothing, though. Just street after street of darkness.
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye only a split second before a figure banged into the car window. Tessa screamed and I jumped. My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter while my foot slammed down on the break, stopping the car in a sudden halt that sent both of us crashing forward.
Whoever had slammed into the car was little more than a dark shape outside my window, so I flipped on the interior light. My hands were still shaking, and I paused for only a second to let out a deep breath before pushing the button that rolled down the window.
It moved down, allowing the light out and illuminating the broad chest of a man, but not much else.
“Hello?” I said. “Are you sick?”
He ducked down and his face came into view, and I let out a gasp. I blinked twice, but the image in front of me didn’t change.
“Logan?”
He startled, and then blinked just as I had. Then his gaze moved past me to where Tessa sat in the passenger seat. “Melanie? Tessa?”
I hadn’t seen him since my sister’s failed marriage attempt, and I hadn’t really expected to ever again. Sure our parents had lived on the same island, but he hadn’t lived with them and I certainly hadn’t planned on being on the island for very long. The odds of us bumping into one another were slim. Especially once the virus had broken out. Or at least I had thought so. The fact that he was standing at my window right now contradicted it, though.
Logan let out a de
ep breath that was laced with relief. “I’m not sick. Are you?”
“No,” I said in a small voice, and then had to pause so I could swallow. “Our parents are dead, though. And Claire.”
He nodded and even in the shadows I could see the pain in his eyes. “My parents too. Everyone is, or at least I thought so before I saw your car driving down the street. Sorry if I scared you, I was terrified that you’d drive away if I didn’t get your attention.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
Memories of the night we’d spent flirting flitted through my mind. It felt like a different world now, a different time. More like a dream than reality.
“We’re headed to North Charleston. To the Coliseum.” I swallowed when my throat tightened. The tears I had been unable to shed earlier were now desperately trying to force their way out of me, but I knew that I needed to stay in control. At least until we got to a place where I could rest, possibly even put some of the burden on the shoulders of someone else. “There’s a refugee center. Do you want to come?”
“A refugee center?” Logan repeated the words like they were a different language. “How do you know?”
“It was on the radio.” I nodded to the dashboard.
“Smart,” he whispered, his head bobbing slowly, almost absentmindedly. “When the electricity went out, I didn’t even consider using the radio in my car.” Logan let out a deep sigh, and then glanced over his shoulder. “Yes. I do want to go with you, but can you wait a minute? I need to do a couple things before I leave.”
“Of course,” I said.
He took a step back, his eyes still on me. “Don’t go anywhere. Okay?”
“We’re not leaving you, Logan.”
He nodded, but continued walking backward, his gaze on me like he was afraid I was lying and would speed away the second he turned. He walked that way until he reached the grass, and then finally spun around and took off running.