by Susan Lowry
“That’s what I’ve been asking myself,” Rose said, glancing nervously over at the back window.
“We need to get her out of sight,” Chris mumbled.
“So sorry you have to do this,” Rose said, “but Travis will want to look out here when he wakes. He’ll know exactly what it means. I’m just hoping to convince him it was a dream. If it wasn’t for Lucy being here, I — I’m just afraid he might slip back to the way he was when Kate and Sarah found him. He is so afraid of corpses, and this, well… just hope he didn’t get a clear look at it. But by the way he acted, I’m pretty certain he did.”
“We’ll put her in the van,” Chris said, his eyes still fixed on it.
Rose pointed across the yard. “There’s a blanket and some plastic I brought out for you, by the rain barrel, and oh… gloves. Be careful not to touch it!”
C hapter Five
Upset Festivities
(July 4th, Year Two, PA)
Rose’s broom swishing across the floor in the other room was what woke Travis and immediately he remembered why he’d slept in her bed. He peered at her through the open door and then tried to contact Lucy who was still not conscious.
On the way to the bathroom Rose asked how he was feeling. “Okay,” he mumbled. So many things were going on, such change – in a good way – and yet his stomach was terribly queasy.
On his way from the bathroom he glared into the yard trembling a little, but there was nothing unusual to be seen. Travis needed to concentrate on the good things. He saw the calm blue lake, perfect for showing Lucy around the resort. Rose wouldn’t mind; she didn’t really need him hanging around, helping her prepare for the celebration. She liked doing that kind of thing and could probably do it better without him.
But Travis quickly learned that Lucy had other plans. On his way to get flour from the hotel pantry he crossed paths with the astronaut, who was about to bring Lucy’s belongings from the truck and then he was going to help Lucy and Sarah rearrange things in the cottage.
“Can I help?” Travis asked.
“Well, I’m sure Rose would really appreciate your assistance son,” he suggested cheerfully. “I understand she’s having everyone over for dinner tonight. And unfortunately, we all seem to have our hands full today.”
There was something he did not trust about the astronaut. Travis could not put his finger on it. But, even as Travis fussed with the tableware, setting the wine goblets neatly at each place on the white linen he could not stop obsessing over that man. He began to feel sullen and angry.
Peeking inside her gas oven Rose was apparently delighted with her rising cakes. In a few minutes she set them on the counter. Travis sandwiched the cooled layers with a can of thick chocolate icing, which he swirled over the top and sides. Then, he sunk into the couch and began to play with the touch-screen Jack had given him at the hospital.
Lucy was first to arrive and Rose, who was still in the kitchen, beat him to the door. “Lucy!” she beamed and Travis thought Lucy was going to fall over as Rose embraced her enthusiastically and rocked the slight-framed girl from one foot to the other.
“How are you feeling now that you’re settled in?”
Lucy smiled politely. “Much better thank you. Oh… here, I brought you something all the way from Google headquarters.” She handed Rose a small colourful gift bag.
Finally Lucy turned to Travis and stretched her arms around him. She smelled like a delicious mixture of watermelon and strawberries.
“Let me look at you,” Lucy said, squatting down and holding him at arms-length. Travis peered up at her pretty white smile and dazzling blue eyes.
“I wanted to show you around the lake today,” he explained.
She creased her brow. “I know, I’m so sorry… and I said I’d cut Christopher’s hair tomorrow morning – but we could do it after lunch… if that’s okay with Rose.”
“You’ll want to get the lifejackets out of the storage room then, my dear. Travis will show you where they are.”
“Okay, but… I am a swimmer though,” Lucy said modestly. “I’m kind of an athlete, especially in the water — at least I was.”
“Well, that’s wonderful Lucy. I’m sure you’ll get your strength back soon,” Rose smiled confidently.
“Do you want to see Snowy now?” Travis asked.
Lucy blinked, and for a second she seemed confused. “Oh, the bird that Kate rescued,” she said. “Of course I do.”
They squeezed past Rose through the narrow kitchen, which was jammed with dishes of food, to a small room by the backdoor where Snowy’s cage sat on a table.
“We can take him out, but close the door or he’ll escape outside when the others come. He flies to the highest tree top and won’t come down until he’s hungry. There’s a chance there could be a predator… you never know.”
“He certainly is a beauty,” Lucy crooned as Snowy stepped onto her finger. “He’s all white except for his cheeks; a Cockatiel, right?”
A while later, Sarah opened the door a crack to say hello. She came into the room wearing a short yellow dress with bare shoulders and red shoes. Travis couldn’t remember her ever looking so beautiful. When the astronaut arrived she excused herself and shut the door behind her.
Travis continued his story about his journey in the motorhome to Moonstone, but stopped in mid-sentence when he heard Kate, who’d arrived with Jack and the baby. He rushed to greet her.
“Come here my darling. I promise I’m all right,” she said, but he was extra careful embracing her. “Everything is going to be wonderful for all of us now Travis. The hard part is over, isn’t it sweetie? I can hardly believe Lucy is finally here!” she said, with her arms still wrapped around him.
“I’m glad Jack is here too,” he said.
Then she brushed her fingers through his hair smiling down at him. “I’m so sorry that I scared you like that. That won’t ever happen again honey.”
Finally, she went to join Jack, who’d taken a seat at the table with Ben on his lap. The astronaut was standing by them doing most of the talking. Lucy stayed with Travis for a while, but when she saw Rose and Sarah so busy with the food preparations, she patted his shoulder regretfully, “I better help out; talk later okay? Love you.” And then she disappeared.
“Okay.”
Travis slumped into the armchair behind the adults, pretending to play with his touch-screen.
“What is that like, viewing earth from space?” Kate asked with a tone of awe.
“Absolutely breathtaking,” the astronaut replied. He began to describe the experience in colourful detail, gripping the back of Jack’s chair while retrieving Ben’s pacifier from the floor, several times. Kate, Jack and Chris conversed mostly about the career of the astronaut who seemed extremely regretful for what he’d been unable to complete up in space — there had been so much to learn.
Travis was feeling increasingly gloomy; he would never have a chance to do anything near as spectacular. He felt relieved when Rose appeared with a basket of steaming rolls.
“Come, sit dear,” Rose instructed, dropping into the chair at the end of the table trying to hide her exhaustion. Travis sat beside Lucy. The astronaut took the empty seat on the other side of her, immediately pouring wine for everyone — except for Travis who had grape juice — and soon they raised their glasses in a series of toasts.
As they ate, additional salutes were given for every possible reason Travis could imagine and the stories they shared were all optimistic and interspersed with laughter. When only a few bites of cake were left on his plate the astronaut’s eyes became serious. “In case you were wondering what’s in that truck out there, well… I already told you about the solar panels; enough of them to bring us back into the twenty-first century and then some! Eh Lucy?” he smirked, winking at her.
Lucy’s cheeks were flushed. “That means hot water,” she grinned, sipping more wine. She had not taken her eyes off of him since he’d sat down. Travis quietly struggled wi
th his cake.
“But that’s nothing,” he continued, “We’ve a few more surprises… don’t we pumpkin?”
With her glass to her lips and her blue eyes glittering, Lucy nodded. The astronaut leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you’ve all heard of Nano-solar.”
The attention was all on him.
“Well, there are dozens of prototypes, all with powerful solar batteries like none you knew existed only a few hundred miles from the lake. They’re just waiting for us to retrieve them. It was a military secret — but given my position. I visited the facility several times. Eventually we’ll want to start travelling around again without worrying about the stability of gas. An infrastructure needs to be built of course… but that will come in time. Tell them Lucy, what is the icing on the cake?”
“Um…” she giggled, “do you mean the 3-D printers?”
As Travis watched Lucy with her red cheeks and reverent gaze fixed on the astronaut, his heart grew heavier and he knew her giggles had nothing to do with solar cars.
Chapter Six
Through the Trees
(July 7th, Year Two, PA)
“Do you hear that?” Jack whispered.
Kate lay in his arms. When she tried to move he firmed his muscles, preventing her from getting out of bed. She blinked into his dark eyes, listening, but was unable to detect a thing.
“It’s Ben,” he said. “He’s still asleep.”
“I know that, but not for long. You know what he’s like,” she protested, attempting again to sit up.
Jack seized her resolutely and she could not believe he was giggling like a child. She’d never heard him do that before and it made her laugh to the point that she finally relaxed, and then she gave in and sighed. “I don’t feel ready for another baby Jack.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen. Ben’s only three-and-a-half months, and you’re not a baby-making machine. It may be time for the others to start thinking about it, but not you.”
She nestled into his chest realizing how natural it felt to be there. They were a couple again. She was the lucky one, the only one with a mate so far. “Poor Rose,” she said.
“She’s not so badly off. She’s got Travis,” Jack said, his soft gaze on her as he ran his finger over the contour of her lips. “She can have her own baby. As many as she wants.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. She needs a man. And I’m guessing Chris has his eyes on Sarah — don’t you think?”
She rubbed the tickle on her nose from a strand of his dark hair which was now edging past his shoulders and he continued to stare at her with such seriousness, it was almost unnerving. “You know you are my woman, right?”
Kate chuckled, and looked away.
“Don’t laugh. I just want to make sure you know that Kate. Because one day your sister and Rose will need me too. And eventually Lucy – when she’s ready. You know what happens in a stagnant gene pool. It’s the only way, unfortunately.”
She gave him a patronizing glance. “Oh Jack, we have talked about this before. And I’m sure it’s going to be a terrible strain on you,” she said, hoping the sarcasm would sting just a bit.
“Well, don’t forget darling, it’s going to be Chris who fathers your next child. Do you think you can handle that? He’s a bit of a… ” His finger traced her collarbone from one side to the other.
“A what?” Kate laughed, but Jack had slid on top of her whispering, “I think Ben’s going to sleep a while longer.” His solid arms and legs straddled her and his eyes were fixed on hers with a devilish expression.
His breath was hot on her neck as she felt his teeth on her earlobe. She opened her eyes wide at the delicious rush coursing through her.
***
Lucy swished her feet through the kaleidoscope of colour sparkling in the shallow waters and finally came out onto the beach. She rubbed her wet hair and skin briskly, knotted her towel around her waist, and skipped from the dock to the hot sand. Sarah was at the top of the hill enjoying her tea in the shade.
Lucy went inside to change, thinking how extremely good Sarah had been to her from the very beginning, preparing most of their meals and generally spoiling her. On the kitchen counter she’d left a plate piled with fresh cinnamon-raisin toast on a tray with jam and a mug for Lucy’s tea.
She was starving, and carefully carried their breakfast outside to the picnic table. Sarah closed her paperback and the two of them chatted while they ate. But Lucy had plans and as soon as she finished, she gathered the dishes on the tray so she could take them back to the kitchen.
“If Travis comes by, will you tell him I’ll be back for our lesson a little later?”
Her hair was still drying in the sun as she passed by Christopher’s cottage. Since the proposal she’d made to him the other day he’d purposely kept clear of her, but that was understandable — given what she was asking of him. Of course he would need some time to think it over.
She dug her toes into the hot sand and continued toward the next cottage where she could see three towels hung to dry over the railing. As she climbed the steps, she overheard Kate.
“The hospital? What exactly are you and Chris doing over there?”
“I told you, we —”
Lucy rapped loudly.
Kate seemed a little deflated when she appeared with Ben in her arms. “Lucy, what a nice surprise! Come in.”
“Everything okay Lucy?” Jack was at the stove, teasing the edge of a pancake with his spatula.
“I’m fine. Just thought you guys wouldn’t mind a break and — hey there little guy! You cutie-pie,” she smiled, tweaking Ben’s nose. “I wondered if I could take Ben for a walk.”
Kate and Jack’s expressions seemed to brighten.
“What a nice idea,” Kate said slowly, her green eyes gazing meaningfully at Jack.
“Sounds good to me.” Jack grinned and returned to the griddle.
“We hoped he would sleep in this morning,” Kate said with a laugh. “He’s better than he was though. Babies can be so exhausting,” she sighed.
Lucy smiled. “I’ll just take him down the road then.”
Soon she was wheeling a wide-eyed Ben through the parking lot away from the hotel. She turned to find Kate staring after her.
“Don’t worry,” Lucy assured her. Kate nodded, waved, and shut the door.
The grasses in the field along the side of the road swirled with the hot breeze and Ben closed his eyes and sneezed. Lucy had always adored babies. Perhaps Moonstone was going to be good to her after all. Avoiding a rather deep pothole she steered his stroller up toward the highway.
It was a relief to see a few crows in the trees ahead but they cawed with such hostility that she felt it was a shame they didn’t know she was on their side – of course she couldn’t blame any survivor for having their suspicions after what had happened. She pushed Ben closer, gazing up, but as she passed beneath them they fluttered out of the branches and began to circle around, squawking harshly.
It wasn’t long before she’d made it to the strip of road that entered the forest; where shadows cast from the leaves were like dancing lace all around them and the air was filled with fresh scents of the wilderness.
She was wishing the crows had not disappeared, thinking that their angry caws were better than nothing, when a horsefly landed on Ben’s arm. “Get off him!” she shouted.
The nasty thing wanted Ben’s juicy flesh as a feast and, try as she did, it would not be chased away. She pushed the stroller over the bumpy road back out of the trees where she hoped the wind would carry away their scent while Ben bounced in his seat. But they must have told their friends, because now there were three of them relentlessly dive-bombing Lucy and Ben’s heads. Lucy waved her hands all around them as she fled.
The wind swept her hair back as she ran, Ben appearing uncertain if he was enjoying the rough ride. Panting, she finally came to a stop and brushed her fingers through his dark curls to be certain his
scalp was not being eaten.
As she gazed back up the road hoping the exasperating beasts were gone, the distant sound of something most unlikely resonated from up near the highway – a quiet, but audible hum that was getting louder. She peered through the trees, straining to see, quite certain that everyone was still at the lake.
There was a flash of red through a gap in the forest and she watched as it appeared again, along the route of the highway, for just an instant. “Come back!” she shouted.
She had to get to the parking lot fast so she could take Jack’s car and try to catch it! It would be unforgivable to allow a survivor to pass by; they might never come back that way. The world was so big, and so empty, and a lone person could be lost forever.
She would have gone back to the cottages to tell Jack and Kate but that would waste precious time and impede her chances further. This was far too important and they would want her to do it. If she was lucky the driver might be taking his time; maybe he would stop for a rest. She had to try.
Once Ben was finally strapped into his car-seat in the back of Jack’s silver Chevy Volt she sat behind the wheel, gasping. As she’d thought, the keys had been left in the ignition in case of an emergency just like this. She sped out of the parking lot, thankful Christopher had let her practice driving, and after turning west at the highway she pushed the gas pedal to the floor, racing faster than ever in her entire life.
***
Kate opened her eyes and yawned, still wrapped blissfully in Jack’s arms. She had not intended to fall asleep. “Lucy should be back by now,” she mumbled.
“Chris should be here too,” Jack muttered, snoring a second later.
Only when Kate got out of bed did he seem to wake up completely. She dressed, went to check outdoors, and returned, more than a little alarmed. “Jack, why would Lucy take the Chevy? It’s gone, and the stroller is empty.”
“What?”
Before Kate could repeat herself she heard Travis burst into the cottage and was immediately terrified by the look on the boy’s face.