Sleepers

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Where is my son?” I asked.

  “In the back with Alex; they’re looking for clues, for anything to say where everyone went.” Beck said.

  “So they were here?” I questioned.

  “Without a doubt.” Beck walked up the altar. “Clothes are here, food, sleeping bags. They went somewhere; there isn’t any blood. No sign of attack, that’s good news, right?”

  ‘Yeah,” I spoke softly. “That is.”

  “We’ll find where they went,” Beck pointed. “I’ll be back. Bill, keep an eye out.”

  Bill nodded. He moved about the pews, lifting items. “Maybe somewhere in here is a clue to where they went.” He lifted a blanket. “Just odd.” He moved slowly around the front pew to the piano just the right of the altar. “I always wanted to play.” He tinkled a few keys. “But I’m better on a computer keyboard that a Rhodes.”

  His comment made me chuckle. “Bill, what were you going to ask Randy?”

  Head still looking at the keys, he spoke as he slowly depressed a few notes. “I was calling him out. I know, that’s not fair, right?”

  “I can’t say what’s fair and what’s not, I have no idea what you’re calling him out on.”

  Another note, then Bill’s hand slammed down to the keys hitting a sour chord. “On that computer, future e-book reader, or whatever you wanna call it, there’s stuff about Phoenix.”

  “Oh my God,” I gasped out. “He’s a child molester.”

  “What?” Bill squeaked out a surprised laugh. “No. He . . .” Bill looked at me. Suddenly his whole demeanor changed. His facial expression went from smiling to serious and his tone was deep with concern and warning. “Mera. Run.”

  Instead, instinct didn’t have me moving; it made me look behind me. Nothing was there. I produced a quirky smile and turned back around. “Bill? Not cool to joke like ...”

  “Move!” he bolted my way.

  I was confused, yet I took a step forward. No sooner did I do that than the first of the Sleepers dropped to the floor from the choir loft above me.

  I clutched Phoenix as tight as I could. The Sleeper was in front of me, arms extended in attack mode. I spun to bolt out of there when another dropped, blocking my way. Then another. They dropped from above me fast and furiously. How many were there. They reached and grabbed. I screamed.

  I lost my bearings and didn’t know which way to run, where to go or what to do. I was completely surrounded and all I could think about was protecting Phoenix.

  With everything inside of me I believed I was done for. Their hands reached out. One pulled my arm away from Phoenix; I tried to yank it from his grip, but he was too strong. I watched as his mouth widened and he came in for the bite. Just as I felt his saliva and the slight graze of his teeth, I was yanked backwards, hard and fast. I landed on my backside and must have slid five feet from the force.

  Thank God I still had Phoenix.

  What had happened?

  It was Bill.

  I went from being in the midst of trouble to trading places with Bill.

  He threw me and in doing so, put himself in harm’s way.

  “Beck! Alex! Help!” I screamed and scurried back, struggling to get to my feet. Despite my cries for help, the Sleepers didn’t worry about me.

  There had to be thirty of them.

  Bill was completely encompassed. His large frame fought diligently but he was overpowered. I had never felt so helpless in all of my life.

  His face was red as he struggled to get free, calling out for me to run.

  He had saved my life and I couldn’t do anything to help him. I wasn’t armed.

  I could only scream. Someone help. Please. Someone.

  I know it wasn’t that long but it seemed like an eternity for the first shot to ring out and it didn’t come from the church.

  There was one shot, then another and as I moved to the side, backing up, I felt my body grabbed.

  Fearful it was a Sleeper, I swung out with one arm.

  “Mom,” Danny called my name.

  “Get her out of here. Now!” Beck rushed by, pointing backwards. “Now!”

  Danny pulled at me but I couldn’t stop watching Bill. His eyes were connected with mine. To break that would be to abandon him. I kept that eye connection even as Danny moved me away.

  A few more shots and I saw a few Sleepers behind Bill fall down. Beck flew into the mix, grabbing Sleepers, then Alex joined in.

  The confrontation grew further from my sight as Danny dragged me to the side door. As we readied to leave, finally, Bill broke free. He moved only a step forward. I saw the look of relief on his face then I saw something else.

  A Sleeper lunged at him, wide mouthed, and bit down hard upon his neck. From my heart I cried out a long and loud, “no!”

  I was still crying out as Danny pulled me outside. He slammed the side door closed and spun around to face me. “To the van. Now!”

  “Bill . . .”

  “Now!’ Danny took hold of my arm and pulled me along. The gunshots inside increased.

  We ran round the side of the church.

  Danny stopped before we made it to the front, held a hand out to me and peeked around the corner to make sure all was clear. I knew it was when he came back for me and grabbed my arm.

  Just as we made it to the front lawn, Randy bolted out of the door. “Danny, help me secure this door!”

  “Go to the van, Mom,” Danny ordered and raced to Randy.

  “Get ready,” Randy said, holding one side.

  Danny took the other.

  Before I knew it Beck and Alex raced out of the church dragging Bill with them.

  “Now!” Randy shouted, slamming the door shut and Danny did the same with his side.

  Too much. Too much was going on.

  I was only a few feet from the steps.

  Beck and Alex laid Bill right by my feet and Beck, after releasing Bill, raced to the van. My eyes went to Bill, then to Randy and Danny who struggled to secure the doors of the church.

  Randy used the weight of his huge body, but for how long could he hold the determined Sleepers at bay.

  My eyes went back to Bill. His shirt was saturated with blood.

  I lifted my eyes when I heard Randy call out. “Hurry, I can’t hold it.”

  Danny was securing the door.

  “Mera, I need a free hand,” Alex said. “Please.”

  Again I looked at Danny and Randy, then finally I was able to focus and I crouched down to Bill. Alex took off his shirt and placed it over Bill’s neck wound. “Hold this as tight as you can. Okay?” He instructed. “Pressure.”

  One arm clutching Phoenix, my other hand pressed tightly to the wound. Bill’s body shook from the loss of blood and pain. My heart squeezed in pain and I just wanted to crumble.

  Bill opened his eyes. “Mera.”

  “You saved my life. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, this happened.”

  He shook his head. “Listen . . . listen . . .”

  “Watch out.” Alex returned. He slid to the grass on the other side of Bill.

  Beck joined him. He was preparing a syringe.

  “Mera,” Alex made eye contact. “I have to do this fast. When I’m ready, you lift. Ok?”

  I nodded.

  My attention drew from Alex only a moment when I heard Randy call out an accomplished, “Got it!” I peered up. He and Danny backed from the secured door.

  “Mera.” Alex called me name.

  I returned to Alex. He was preparing a suture. He glanced to Beck and said. “I think it hit a jugular. He’s bleeding way too bad.”

  “Can you get it?” Beck asked.

  “Let’s hope. I’m gonna clamp it then suture. Ready with the syringe?”

  “Ready,” Beck said.

  A single nod, then Alex said ‘now’.

  I lifted my hand.

  Bill tilted his head my way. “Mera . . .”

  “Don’t talk.” I told him.

  “Have . . . have to.” Bi
ll struggled for a breath with each word.

  “Motherfucker’s deep,” Alex said.

  “Can you get it?” Beck asked.

  “I’m trying. Hold it closed with your hand.”

  Bill kept his focus on me. “Ask . . . ask . . Ran . . Ran . . .”

  “Randy?” I asked. “Bill, this isn’t important.”

  “Is. It is.” Bill struggled.

  “I can get this,” Alex said. “Come on, guy, hold on one more minute. Mera, he has to stop talking.”

  “Bill, please.” I laid my hand on his face. “This can wait. Let them fix you.”

  He shook his head ‘no’. Then Bill’s hand lifted and dropped. “2633.” He breathed out, short huffing breaths. “Get . . . Phoenix. Get … get to New …Jerusalem.” He sighed out, raising his bloodied hand.

  “Almost there,” Alex called out. “Almost.”

  “Get …” Bill placed his hand on Phoenix’s head. “Baby there. He . . . saves.” His last word trailed out as his fingers slid down from Phoenix’s head leaving a bloody trail. Then Bill, head titled to the side, went still.

  “Alex.” I whispered.

  “Done.” Alex said. “Closed.”

  I lost all ability to breathe. My throat swelled with emotions and I just wanted to scream. Not him. Not Bill. “Alex,” I whimpered.

  Still reeling from the adrenaline rush of his emergency medical procedure, Alex, breathing heavily looked at me. “What?”

  I couldn’t say it; I could only nod toward Bill.

  At first Alex murmured out a ‘no’ then more emotional than I had even seen him, he growled out a scream, pounding his fist to the ground. I thought for a second that Alex was going to break. His face reddened, the veins in his neck protruded. He dropped to his rear, hand to his head and looked away.

  My face tightened up and I couldn’t hold back the tears.

  “No,” Alex said strong. “No, this will not happen.” He spun around, hands on knees and faced Bill. “Beck. Prep a syringe.”

  “Epinephrine?’

  “Yeah.”

  “Go it.”

  I slowly stood up, backing away to give Alex room. He was determined and vigilant. Nothing going on around him mattered. Not me standing there with Danny and Randy. Not the Sleepers as they broke the glass on the doors and reached through the windows.

  Nothing.

  “This is not your day to die, Bill. Not your day to die.” Alex grabbed the syringe raised it high above Bill’s chest and plummeted into his flesh.

  It was so hard to watch, yet I couldn’t look away. Bill’s eyes were still open and Alex worked on him.

  I wanted it to work so badly, my heart was breaking. It had to work.

  Alex focused like I had never seen another human being focus and worked to revive not only with determination but with his heart and soul.

  It determination was a saving grace then I firmly believed, with each compression, each breath of CPR, Alex was giving Bill his lifeline.

  24. Caged In

  It didn’t work.

  Despite his best efforts, Alex was unable to bring Bill back to us. He stopped the bleeding and fixed the wound, but it was far too late. Bill had passed on.

  We were all in a state of shock and left emotionally a mess. No one expected it to happen, not at all.

  My mind reeled in Bill’s final moments and the words he diligently delivered to me. I heard his words and kept thinking of that old saying Danny said not a week back.

  There are no atheists in a foxhole.

  What did Bill read on Randy’s computer to cause a staunch nonbeliever to rattle off Biblical information in his final moments?

  I needed to speak to Randy about it. I needed to find out what Bill read and knew.

  But that had to be later. We made a shallow grave on the front lawn of the church. The Sleepers stopped trying to escape and a wave of quiet swept over us.

  We’d left Pastor Michael’s church not even five hours earlier, yet it seemed as if we’d experienced another week of heartache.

  Bill had lived across the street from me for years, yet I didn’t get to know him until the last week.

  I felt bad about that, because he was such a good soul. During my tragedy with Jeremy, during everyone’s tragedy, Bill tried to help out. He died trying to help out.

  I was crouched there, holding Phoenix and staring at the shallow grave not far from the van, when Beck laid a hand on my shoulder. “We have to get going.”

  Slowly I stood. Beck, Alex and Danny stood behind me. Randy’s attention was elsewhere. I finally looked at Danny, I mean really looked at him. He didn’t look well. Bill’s death wasn’t something he was handling. They seemed as if there were waiting on me. “Where?” I asked. “Go where?”

  Beck shrugged. “I don’t know. To find Jessie. Maple Valley is not that big; we’ll start here and look around.”

  Alex stepped forward. “They obviously left this church in a hurry. They’re around somewhere. We just have to find them.”

  Beck added. “We didn’t come all the way across the country to quit now, did we?”

  “No.” My head lowered. “At least at the gym Jessie left a message, we knew she was alright. But this time they left in such a hurry, we haven’t a clue where they went. No one left a message.”

  Randy finally spoke up. “That’s not true.” He turned around. “They did. Look.” He side-stepped, exposing the sign in front of the church.

  Alex whispered in shock, “Oh, wow.”

  Beck followed with an ‘Oh my God.’

  And Danny said. “How did we miss that?”

  I thought, miss it? Miss what? I was still missing it. I raised my free hand and let it drop. “What do you see that I don’t?”

  Danny hurriedly looked over his shoulder at me. “You were never good with puzzles. Read the sign.”

  I sighed out; head tilted and read with some sarcasm, “We that praise on are saved.” I paused. “What?”

  Danny huffed out. “Read it again. Look at the letters.”

  My huff of breath matched his. “We that praise ...” Then I saw it. How did I miss it? How did any of us not notice?

  I thought it was part of the destruction we took for granted. But a message was clearly left for someone.

  The ‘T’ and the ‘H’ of the word ‘That’ had fallen some, as did the ‘A’ and the ‘E’ in the word ‘Praise’, and when I read the sign without the dangling letters, it clearly read:

  We at

  Prison

  are saved.

  I shifted my glance to Beck. It made sense, a perfect place to hide and wait. Safe. Secure. Locked.

  They had gone to a prison.

  But which one?

  ****

  Though I wished, I doubted very much that it was going to be as easy as driving to the Maple Valley Police Station and finding everyone there. It was empty and the only people we found on our travelers were Sleepers.

  Randy used that computer and was able to find out there were two facilities large enough to be considered prisons. One was Monroe State Penitentiary and the other, Kings County Jail. Monroe was about 40 miles north and Kings County, well, was right smack in the middle of Seattle.

  We discussed the matter. None of us wanted to go into the heart of the city. Not with all the Sleepers. The state prison had to be the place. That was the wishful deduction.

  Unfortunately, when we arrived nothing remotely looked as if survivors were there. We couldn’t even get in.

  We’d wasted two hours of our day, and we headed back to Seattle.

  I feared what was in the city. I feared the Sleepers because more and more they grew dangerous. We had all packed into one vehicle, leaving the Smart Car and the contents behind. I felt relatively safe in the van; it was strong and sturdy, and I had accepted the group decision that should we hit more Sleepers than we could handle, then we would simply turn around.

  If the city was overrun with Sleepers, as I expected, then in our
minds there was no way survivors were locked down with them.

  As we drove into the metropolis entering from the freeway we saw the first sign.

  A handwritten cardboard sign simply said, John the Baptist, with an arrow.

  The next sign stated Freda’s Grocery and another arrow. All along the freeway ramp were names of businesses and places that we could only deduct were once safe havens for survivors.

  But why the signs?

  “The Sleepers read,” Beck said. “That’s the only thing I can think of. Or, these people think the Sleepers can read and just to be sure, to make sure the Sleepers don’t understand the signs.”

  It was a scary notion that the Sleepers could read or reason. I doubted that, not with the way they attacked Bill.

  I guess whoever placed the signs was being cautious.

  There wasn’t a vehicle on the freeway entering the city and oddly there were none leaving. An exodus was a common sight as we passed major cities, but not in Seattle.

  No cars. No Sleepers.

  It looked empty until we pulled off the ramp to enter the city. Just around the bend was a huge barricade made of cars and trucks.

  Beck slowed down the van. “What is this?” he asked.

  The cars extended all the way across the ramp with two school busses parked diagonally in front.

  Alex lowered the binoculars. “Stop the vehicle.”

  “Sleepers?” Beck asked.

  “I don’t know.” Alex said then neared again. “I don’t know. The guy is waving.”

  At that second I thought that perhaps the Seattle Sleepers were different, maybe even smarter. I looked around the front seat to glance out the windshield and did so about the same time Alex announced the man was coming our way.

  I saw him. He held a rifle over his head and waved his other hand high.

  “Pull up a bit,” Alex instructed. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

  I asked. “Is it safe?”

  Randy stated. “He’s waving his weapon in the air. He’s trying to tell us he’s safe.”

  With a nod, Alex repeated, “Pull ahead.”

  Beck moved the van slowly.

  The man trotted our way and Beck rolled down the window.