by Eric's Story
"Gawd. I wish people would get over that," Brandy sniffed. "It was a long time ago. People need to let it go."
"Brandy," Eric chided her softly. "That event changed our world."
Brandy scoffed at this. "Yeah, like it didn't take forever at the airport before."
"You do remember the war, right?"
"It's not a war. It's nation building," Brandy said firmly. "Daddy explained it to me."
Eric tried not to sound sarcastic, but he couldn't help but say, "Yeah. Mr. Staunch Republican."
"Daddy is just older and wiser than you are. He says it’s natural for young men to be more liberal because you haven't gained wisdom yet."
Eric felt Pepe nudge his ankle and looked down at the small dog. The dog regarded him with a somber expression and licked his lips. Feeling the need to change the subject, he said, "I think Pepe is thirsty."
"He also smells. He was rolling in something again," Brandy sighed.
Pepe had been bought for Brandy, but Eric had messed it up. When she had asked for a "small dog", he hadn't realized she wanted a teacup Chihuahua. The lack of her clarity on the subject had resulted in him proudly presenting the Jack Russell Terrier and her declaring, "He's so not fitting in my purse." Pepe had instantly ended up being his dog and Brandy lost interest in the whole concept of having a little furry thing to tuck into her fashionable purses. Sometimes Brandy was quite affectionate to Pepe, but she quickly lost interest if he did anything to overtly dog-like.
"Look, there's a gas station on the corner. We'll stop there, I'll grab him some water and a Diet Coke for you," Eric said as he began to move on down the sun baked sidewalk.
"Well, okay," Brandy said and reluctantly tore her gaze away from a dress in a window.
Anticipating a nice cold drink, Pepe scampered ahead, tugging insistently on his leash and making Eric hurry. They reached the small corner gas station that was old fashioned in every way but its modern pumps and Eric looked back toward Brandy. She was sauntering along with her usual sexy model walk and he smiled at her realizing again how helplessly in love he was with her.
The door to the building opened and a bell jingled merrily as a pale faced man and frightened looking woman hurried out followed by three tween boys.
"Hurry, we got to go now!" The father grabbed the youngest boy's hand and yanked him along as the mother tried to run in her kitten-heeled flip-flops. The sound of those tiny narrow heels hitting the cement was a sharp sound and Pepe barked at her.
Eric watched in amazement as the family piled into a SUV and tore out of the lot and almost hit another car as it tried to get onto Main Street.
"What a total ass," Brandy said and flipped her hair over one shoulder.
"That was weird. Here. Watch Pepe and I'll get our stuff." He handed over the leash quickly before she could protest. He was quite anxious now to find out what had everyone so rattled. If Brandy stayed outside, he could possibly get some word while inside the gas station.
Brandy sniffed at the air over the dog and Pepe looked up at her with what Eric could swear was an annoyed look. "He needs a bath. They need to bathe him tonight."
"Okay, I'll order one for him. I'll be right back." He kissed her cheek and quickly moved inside.
The bell jingled over his head as he entered and he saw a tall, thin man standing behind the counter watching the news on a small TV tucked up on a shelf. The interior store was set up like an old general store and the wood floor creaked under his feet as he hurriedly grabbed what he needed. He could barely hear the voice of the news commentator over the sound of the old freezers turning on.
"…as the fire spreads through that area of Chicago we are receiving continuous reports of mass looting, violence, and possible murder. The National Guard has been called in to quell the violence and we still have no report of what happened to the first emergency crews to arrive at the scene of the commuter plane that crashed earlier…"
Eric moved up to the counter and looked toward the TV to see scenes of fire and mayhem being played out as the commentator's voice droned on.
"The shocking video of our own reporter, Trish Kendrick, will be shown again in ten minutes. We warn you that the footage is disturbing and based on the brutality of the attack we believe that Trish and her cameraman, Arnold Franco, are deceased. The footage shows an attack similar to ones being reported in Chicago and in several other cities."
"Was it terrorists?" Eric's voice cracked and he felt sick to his stomach seeing the footage.
"Dunno,” the older man answered. “They're trying to figure it out. Said that some girl on the plane was attacking other people and they strapped her down. That was the last thing the air traffic controller heard before it crashed. Got some other riots going down in some other cities." The man began to check him out, carefully entering the prices into an ancient cash register by punching down the big black keys.
"Is that why everyone is acting so odd?" Eric cast a wary glance toward Brandy. He was surprised to see her playing with Pepe.
"Not paying attention to the news, huh?"
"Well, we're on a little romantic vacation, so not really."
"Yep. People are freaking out. Thinks its terrorist putting something in the water or in the air. Rioting in some of the big cities up North. Army and National Guard will get it under control. Some weird stuff going on today, that's for sure. News people can't decide what's going on. They say terrorists. Then they say race riots." The man shrugged. "They're probably making it a bigger deal than it is."
"I hope so. How much do I owe you?"
"Four dollars and fifty-two cents," the man answered and rested his huge hands on the counter to lean toward him. "You know, its time like this, I'm glad I'm in Texas. We got guns and balls, son."
"That we do," Eric answered with a chuckle and handed over the exact change.
"Take care," the man said.
"You, too," Eric answered and headed back outside.
Brandy was standing in the sun, probably trying to get a better tan, while Pepe dug into a flowerbed nestled against the side of the gas station. In some ways he felt relieved knowing that whatever was happening was far away, but at the same time he didn't like to think of another form of terrorist attack happening, even if it was in Chicago.
Briefly, for a moment, he felt a twinge of terror skitter through his brain, and then he shoved it away and moved toward his girlfriend and beloved dog. Things would be fine. Chicago was far away and this was a time to enjoy themselves.
It was a struggle, but he managed to shove his nagging fear away and enjoy the rest of his day and evening. When he finally fell into bed that night, he felt content and loved. With Brandy nestled in his arms, he felt confident that everything was going to be just fine. Tomorrow, he would give her the ring and it would be perfect.
At 3 AM he found out how wrong he was…
Chapter Four
The Morning of the Last Day
Eric woke from a very deep sleep and wasn't immediately sure why. The bed was deliciously warm compared the coldness filling the room and he drowsily raised his head to look at the clock set next to the bed. In big red numbers it read 3:00. Blinking, he slowly sat up and reached out to touch Brandy. His hand slid over the covers to find she was not there. It was then that he became aware of the low tones of her voice speaking in a hushed voice.
Sliding out of the bed, he stood for a second trying to figure out where she was in the darkened room. Slowly, he realized she was not in the room at all, but the bathroom. Confused as to whom she could possibly be talking to, he moved toward the door, tilting his head to hear. As his awakening mind grew sharper, so did his hearing.
"…cannot believe you went out with my sister. No, I haven't told him, but I already told you I'm not sure what is going on between us. I thought I knew, but this time with Eric has been so good. Oh, fuck you. No, fuck you. You took my sister out and got her attacked! You're at the fucking hospital with my sister. Do not tell me to calm down," Brandy's
voice was whispering harshly.
Eric felt an intense cold shiver through his body and his stomach rolled. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but he just couldn't bear to. Instead, he laid his palm against the door and listened.
"Just tell me if she's going to be okay. Paul, a fucking bum bit the hell out of her neck and you're telling me to calm down? You fucking asshole. I can't believe I slept with you. I can't believe I was going to leave Eric for you. No, I don't feel bad that the bum bit you, too. No. No. It's over. No, it’s definitely over. You know how much my sister means to me. You fucking know it and you take her out on a date!" Her voice was growing louder and she realized this and caught herself. Her voice was much lower when she said, "You sleep with her and I'll fucking cut your dick off."
Feeling numb, Eric turned and staggered back to the bed. Unable to completely absorb the overhead conversation or believe it, he pulled the covers over him and lay there staring at the clock. It read 3:02.
In just two minutes, everything had just changed.
At her request, he had left his cell phone in the car, but she must have hid hers in her makeup case. And while he had staunchly avoided all calls, she was on the phone with Paul, her womanizing friend that Eric had never liked. Not only on the phone, but ragging on him for taking her sister, Rachel, out. That would have been understandable considering Paul's reputation, but to hear that she had cheated on him with that bastard was too much for Eric to bear. He closed his eyes, tears spilling around his lashes.
It was a nightmare and he just wanted to sleep. He would sleep and in the morning it would be okay. It would all be a nightmare. But his mind would not let him sleep and he could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest.
A few minutes later Brandy crawled into bed and snuggled up to his back. He could feel the tension in her body and he tried not to shirk from her touch. He remained still, pretending sleep, but she was soon thrashing around irritably, trying to get comfortable.
Sleep never came back to him and he watched the minutes on the clock changing then the hours. Brandy kept tossing and turning and crawled out of bed a few times to go to the bathroom. Each time he heard her voice faintly as she spoke on the phone. After the calls, she would return to bed to fidget even more.
Finally, the sun began to filter through the stained glass set in the windows after seven o'clock. Brandy slid out of bed again and went to the bathroom. When the door shut softly behind her, he sat up and slung his legs over the edge of the bed.
All night he had been tormented by the thought of her cheating on him and he knew without a doubt he loved her. He just didn't know what to do and he needed to have her explain to him, ask for forgiveness, anything to make it better. After four hours of sheer torture, he was ready to talk.
"What the hell are you saying? From a bite? My sister did not die from a bite! You're a fucking liar! I don't care if you're not feeling good. You're telling me my sister died? You're lying! You're lying!"
The bathroom door slammed open and Brandy stumbled out. She didn't even hide her phone smashed up against her ear. She plugged in the TV and hit the button to turn it on not even noticing Eric standing nearby.
"I don't understand. What do you mean? Why are you lying to me, Paul? What's on TV?"
Brandy hit the buttons to change the channel and suddenly the TV screen was full of images of bloodied people storming through a city street. They were attacking everyone in sight and the police were firing into the crowd. Eric felt his stomach twist hard as he saw the Texas Capital building in the background and realized they were showing Congress Street in Austin. Their home was in turmoil.
"Fuck you, Paul. I'm coming right now to take care of my sister." Brandy hung up and ran to the closet to pull out her luggage.
"Are you seeing this," Eric finally said.
"We're going back," Brandy answered firmly, her long streaked hair swinging around her face as she shoved her clothes into the suitcase.
"Are you seeing what is going on in Austin?" Eric looked at the screen and winced as the reporter's voice droned on and more scenes of what looked like National Guard soldiers shooting what appeared to be rabid people trying to attack them played out on the TV.
"The army is there. They'll fix it by the time I get there. Rachel is in the hospital. Some bum bit her last night and she's sick. She needs me," Brandy said. "Mom and Dad are in France and I need to be there."
"Brandy, are you actually paying attention to the news. You can't go back," Eric said in a voice that sounded strangely calm despite the trembling of his hands.
As she pulled on a pair of shorts, she glared at him fiercely. "Don't tell me what to do. The army is there. Get your stuff. We're going now!"
Eric reluctantly began to pull on his Dockers from the day before. The local Texas news cut to the national news. A map of the United States appeared with red dots surrounding several major cities. He sat down hard on the bed in shock as the ticker at the bottom of the screen told of the growing violence in the cities. He reached over and snagged the remote and turned up the sound.
"… continues as normal in some parts of the country this morning as growing violence develops in several cities. The government has issued a statement that all the violence has been isolated to only certain areas and that people should continue on with their lives. The violence in Austin, Texas this morning is being reported as the result of drunken rowdiness after a secret rave at a downtown nightclub and the National Guard has the situation under control. We are being told it is not associated in anyway with the race riots in New York, Detroit and Philadelphia nor the suspected terrorism in Chicago yesterday…" a very calm reporter droned on while the scenes of violence played out behind her.
"They're lying. This much rioting happening all at once. And look at those scenes. People are biting each other!" Eric's voice sounded odd to his ears. Too high pitched. And his stomach rolled once more.
"We're going. They said it’s under control and my sister is in the hospital and her drugged out buddy is being a shithead."
"You mean the guy you slept with?" The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Brandy was heaving her heavy suitcase off a chair and she hesitated at his words. "Fuck you."
"Well, evidently you're fucking someone else," Eric said defensively.
"My sister is in the hospital, dickwad!" She threw his shoes at him and his shirt from the day before. "If you love me, you'll come with me."
"Brandy, are you even watching the news. What is going on? Something is wrong. They put PCP in the water or something. Or some kind of chemical."
"Who?"
"Terrorists or something," Eric said. "Don't you see what is going on? Look at where the red dots are. They're around major cities. Being in a major city is a danger right now. Your sister is in the hospital and that's a safe place to be. We need to stay here until they figure out what the hell is going on!"
Brandy's lips set in a tight line and she shoved past him to barge out the door.
"Brandy, don't!"
Eric shoved his shoes on as fast as he could and ran out after her. Pulling his shirt on, he rushed down the stars as she dragged her suitcase down the stairs.
"You can't tell me not to go be with her. If you love me you'll go with me and stop being a jerk."
Brandy yanked the front door open and charged outside.
"Brandy, listen to me, honey. People are attacking each other, biting each other, they're rioting. You can't go back to Austin until they tell us for sure its over."
"The news said it was under control. I'm going to be with my sister and punch Paul in the face," Brandy snapped, barely glancing over her shoulder at him.
"Why? Because he's trying to sleep with your sister, too?"
"You were listening to my phone calls?" Brandy whirled around, her eyes burning bright with anger and her lips set into a tight, angry line.
"Yeah, I overheard you." Eric felt his anger fill him once more, but then it burst ins
ide of him and he felt a sob in his throat. "But I love you and I don't care. We'll get counseling. We can work through this. I've been working too much. Neglecting you."
Brandy stared at him for a few seconds then turned around and continued her march toward the car. "Then if you love me, you'll come with me."
Eric hurried after her. "Brandy, listen to me, sweetheart. I think if we go back we might die. Do you understand? We stand a good chance of getting killed. Those red dots are over the cities, Brandy. Don t' you understand. The more people there are the more dangerous whatever this thing is becomes."
His girlfriend shoved her suitcase into the back of the car and once more turned to face him. "If you love me, you will come with me."
Tears were threatening and he reached out and touched her cheek gently. She slightly turned her head away from him and it hurt him. "Okay. Okay."