Once she does, I sit down in the enclosed porch with Matt. He opens a beer and hands it to me. “My father has always enjoyed brewing his own beer so we have some stockpiled.”
I’ve only ever had alcohol at special occasions, such as when we celebrated Dominic’s work assignment. Typically, consuming alcohol is frowned upon in the territories, as it doesn’t produce anything beneficial for society. Matt’s father must have had special privileges to be able to produce unregulated beer.
After a few minutes of companionable silence, Matt breaks it. “I have to ask. How did the two of you get in the position you were when we found you?”
I deliberate what I should tell him. “We were over around the lake staying with two of my friends I have known since childhood. A group of genetic engineers came to capture us for testing.”
“Are you serious?” Matt’s eyebrows are almost to his hairline.
I nod and take another sip. “Apparently they think they can figure out how to turn this whole thing around. They killed my friends. Jess and I were able to escape.”
Matt closes his mouth and regains some of his composure. “Do you know where they went?”
“I would guess back to Potentia to get back to the lab,” I say.
His face lights up. He quickly recovers his emotions and changes the subject. “I know I gave Allison a hard time for it earlier but are you two together? I mean you looked like it after we killed all the Hungry.”
“What did you call them?” I ask.
“Oh, the Hungry. It’s just what I call them because eating is all they care about.” He playfully nudges me. “Nice try dodging the question.”
I laugh. “I thought I got away with it.” I take another sip and enjoy the feeling of it going down my throat. Water and a shower would probably be a better idea at this point, but I don’t have the energy.
He taps his head and says, “You can’t get anything past this bad boy. Many have tried, but none have prevailed.”
I sigh before I respond. “You know, I honestly am not sure what’s going on with Jess. Sometimes it seems like we’re almost a couple, then other times, not as much.”
“Hmmm, well do you want to be together?” he asks.
“She’s wonderful. Any guy would be lucky to have her.”
“Once again, nice try. Do you want to be with her?” He stares me down and I know I have to answer him.
“Of course I do. It isn’t just her looks. She’s beautiful, but it’s more than that. She gives me strength and makes me better. She believed in me before I did myself.”
“Here, have another beer, you’re going to need it. You got it bad, brother.” He laughs good-naturedly and hands me another drink.
I take it happily. “How about you and Allison? How long has she been pregnant?”
His face turns to shock. “She’s not pregnant.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say, embarrassed. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
To my surprise, he laughs loudly. “I’m just kidding. She’s around five months pregnant. Maybe close to six.” I join in and laugh with him. His laughter abruptly stops and he turns serious. “Listen up, this is really important. Do I have your full attention?”
“Yes, you have it,” I say. I sit up in anticipation.
He rubs his hands together in excitement. “What’s Mozart doing now that he’s dead?”
“Mozart? The music composer? What does that have to do with anything? He’s been dead for a really long time. How is this going to help?”
“Just answer it,” Matt says.
When I come up with nothing, I shake my head in surrender.
“He’s decomposing,” Matt tells me and immediately laughs at his own joke. “Get it? Decomposing.” His laughter is infectious and soon I laugh with him.
“If you’re done with the life-changing advice, I’m going to go shower and go to bed,” I tell him when our laughter quiets down and I finish my drink.
“Okay, sounds good. Peace with you. I’ll wake you up for the watch when it’s time.”
I nod and walk away. I get to the front door and stop for a moment. “Hey, Matt?”
“Yeah?” he says.
“Thanks for saving our lives and bringing us here. I really appreciate it,” I say. The simple statement seems inadequate. I hope my sincerity comes across.
He chuckles and says, “Still waiting on the letter of appreciation, brother.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
I walk back toward our new room. I’m grateful that we ran into Matt and Allison. In a serious time with so much tragedy, having someone who can make you laugh is infinitely valuable. That’s a lesson we learned from Andrew and Chris. It’s also helpful they have a functioning vehicle as well.
I’m lost in these thoughts when I open the door and glimpse Jess changing into her cleaner clothes. I immediately look to the ground and utter an apology. I stumble out of the room. My cheeks burn and I curse myself for not knocking before I barged in.
To delay having to face her again, I go into the bathroom to take a shower. The bathroom is pretty small, yet functional. A pink, flowery pattern covers the wall. I laugh to myself at the idea of Matt living in a house filled with pink flowers.
Once I get under the hot water, my mind goes blank and I simply enjoy the feel of the dirt and scum coming off my body. I know I must have gotten horrendously dirty, but there was nothing I could do to avoid it. There is dried blood on my hands, reminding me of Carly’s death.
I quickly wash it off and relax once the evidence of the battle goes down the drain. I let out several deep breaths while the water cascades down my body. Out of all the modern technologies, hot showers are my favorite. They’re simply therapeutic.
Too soon, the water loses its heat so I hurry up and clean my body. I pay special attention to my tender foot. The soap and shampoo are some berry scent. Allison must have picked them out. I grab one of the soft pink towels as I get out and dry myself as best as I can.
I neglected to grab any clothes to change. The idea of putting back on my filthy clothes disgusts me, so I go out in my towel holding the clothes away from my body. Out of habit, my mind drifts to my scar. I take a deep breath and take a step forward. I have more important things to worry about.
I knock lightly. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. When I don’t hear an answer, I very slowly open the door to find her sleeping on her stomach in the middle of the bed. Her shirt has rolled up, exposing her lower back.
I quietly grab Matt’s old clothes and put a shirt and pair of shorts on. I carefully nudge her over so I have room to sleep. She moans unhappily but eventually allows me to move her slightly so I can get into bed.
I stare at Jess, taking comfort in the fact that we’re both still alive and together. She must feel my attention on her because she opens her eyes a little to scowl playfully at me.
“You’re creepy.” Jess’s words are slurred with sleep.
I chuckle under my breath and pull her in tight. She snuggles in and her breathing slows down once again. Her hair is still wet and feels cool through my shirt. I inhale deeply and recognize the same berry scent coming from her hair.
Finally getting a chance to relax is amazing. What’s more, however, is the knowledge that we’re safe. We’re alive. This wasn’t something I thought would be possible just hours ago. I’m grateful to be here. I close my eyes and moments later, I join her and fall asleep.
…..
“Elliot, wake up. It’s your turn,” a deep voice informs me and I wake up. “You go for two hours and then wake up Jess for her turn. Have fun.” Matt then leaves the room, presumably to go to bed himself.
Those two hours went by too fast. I force myself awake and maneuver out of the bed. Jess rolls over but remains sleeping. I cringe again when I place weight on my foot.
Even though I’m jealous she gets to keep sleeping, I’m glad I didn’t wake her. I step out of the room to walk to the patio. There aren’t a
ny lights on in the house, so I stumble a little while I make my way. Eventually, I reach the front door. I pause for a moment and open it.
The night breeze is a little chilly and I wish I had a blanket or light jacket. Besides the crickets, the only other noise is the leaves lightly rustling in the wind. Overall, it’s very relaxing. I take a seat in one of the rocking chairs and begin my watch.
The only source of light comes from the full moon. With all of the darkness, it’s easy to imagine my brother storming through the trees. I know Dominic better than anyone else and there is no way he’s finished with me. He isn’t the type of person who gives up. If he thinks testing on me is his highest probability for his own well-being, he will go to any length to ensure his survival.
I can’t let what happened with Andrew and Chris happen to anyone else. I need to somehow make sure that Dominic never finds us again.
At the same time, I can’t help but feel guilty for not searching for Andrew. A small voice in my head wonders if he could still be alive. I know it would be a suicide mission to try and find out, but I can’t help but think about it. At the end of the day, however, I can’t put Jess’s life in danger. I saw the looks Dominic gave her after he saw us together.
Yet, Dominic let us get away. He could have shot us. Instead, he lowered his gun. I know I saw the indecision in his eyes. Not only did he not shoot us when Jess and I ran away, there was also no evidence that they tried to catch us. It doesn’t add up.
The house seems safe here. I don’t want to jeopardize it and have Allison and Matt make us leave. Should I warn them about Dominic?
I make myself end that unsettling train of thought and decide I don’t like keeping watch. While I understand it’s necessary, I wish it wasn’t. I’m still not used to the idea of the Letum and how quickly everything fell apart. How could a society that prides itself on its superior genetic planning destruct so easily?
Our generation is stronger and smarter than ever before, yet the moment this outbreak occurred, people stopped caring about each other. No matter how bleak a situation looks, I could never imagine capturing another person to run experiments on. Why is it so easy for Dominic? I can’t fathom his ability to shut out emotion and focus solely on logic. With all of the recent loss, though, maybe it would be easier if I could be more like him.
Surely there is a place where it’s safe and we can start over. Although I know it isn’t entirely possible, I’m unable to put away that thin string of hope. There has to be a way for society to come back from this.
The time ticks by slowly. When I’m about to fall asleep, I glance at my watch and am relieved to find my two hours are up. Even though I don’t want to wake Jess, the pull of sleep overrides my desire to be chivalrous and spare her this duty. I take one last look around the property and go inside to wake her.
She’s the complete opposite as she was earlier. She rests in the fetal position and when I get closer, I can see her tears. I touch her gently. I want to end whatever nightmare is causing her pain as soon as I can.
She starts to wake up but before she does, she mutters out, “Why not me?”
“Shhh, Jess.” I try and soothe her. “Everything is okay, wake up. The dream is just a dream.”
She opens her eyes and once she understands what’s going on, she wipes her tears away. Jess doesn’t utter a word and leaves the room to take watch.
I fall asleep worrying about her.
Chapter Nineteen
When the sun rises in the morning, Jess lies unresponsive in sleep. I get out of bed carefully so as not to wake her and leave the room.
Allison must hear me because she turns to me from the porch. With a beaming smile, she motions for me to join her. I sit down and try to fully wake up. Luckily for me, Allison starts talking, helping to speed up the process.
“So, how did you sleep last night?” She smiles warmly at me.
“Pretty well. Although, I still can’t believe that I was able to sleep at all. I thought for sure we were going to die yesterday.”
She nods. “That was a close call.”
I change the subject, not wanting to let the sense of doom return. “How did you and Matt come to be here?”
“It’s a long story, but I’ll give you the highlights,” she starts. “We’ve known each other since we started school. We quickly became best friends. It’s probably pretty obvious, but Matt’s parents planned him. Me, on the other hand, I’m just what popped out.
“He was in the middle of his training to be an educator whereas they were still trying to figure out what to do with me. I was hoping I could be an educator with Matt, but they would never let an Unplanned teach.”
She breaks her story and asks, “By the way, what were the two of you studying for?”
Too ashamed to admit I had been assigned to the janitorial field, I say, “I’m Unplanned, too. Still waiting, just like you.”
She nods. “And Jess?”
The image of her wrapping my foot in the bathroom plays through my mind. “She had been assigned the medical field.”
Allison’s eyes light up. She touches her stomach and says, “That’ll be helpful in a few months.”
I’m not sure how much Jess has already learned in her training, so I’m not familiar with her abilities. I make a noncommittal noise and eye Allison’s stomach. Hopefully, the territories will be secure again by the time the baby comes.
She takes a deep breath. “Growing up, Matt’s parents always discouraged us spending time together, but there wasn’t anything they could do, due to us being in the same schooling year. We were always together and it was no big deal until we got older and went from loving each other to actually being in love with each other. His parents caught us together once and they were not happy.”
She sighs sadly and looks like she’s reliving the memory.
Once she composes herself she keeps speaking very quickly. “They met with my parents and while I wasn’t part of the conversation, I got the general idea of it once I wasn’t allowed to see him anymore. Of course, that didn’t stop me.” She then gestures at her stomach and laughs.
“We’d been seeing one another for awhile when this whole mess started. Everyone was at work when the sickness came into our territory. Fate was with us, though, because Matt and I were sneaking out to see each other to discuss this little blob. We hadn’t told anyone yet.”
I raise my eyebrow at this.
She laughs and says, “I wore a lot of baggy clothes. Once our parents got over the shock, I wonder what type of grandparents they would have been…”
Alison’s eyes unfocus as she ponders what could have been. While children born out of wedlock aren’t unheard of, with the two-kid limit, a lot of people elect out of the pregnancy, especially since it will be an Unplanned. I have new respect for the two of them given the amount of bravery they’ve displayed by sticking together.
My curiosity interrupts her thoughts. “I thought Robur was more progressive about everything. My mother used to say that there was a higher percentage of Unplanned there.”
Allison continues her story. “That’s true overall, but not for Matt’s family. His father was on the city council and very conservative about genetic planning. He felt like if his son was with me, he would dilute his genetic superiority.”
“I know the feeling,” I say. I look at her in a new light. She was subjected to the same discrimination I was. There is nothing worse than being told you’re worth less because of something you have no control over. We make eye contact and something passes between us, a bond and understanding of what we both went through.
Allison looks back toward the yard. “He wasn’t a bad person overall. He was under a lot of pressure to maintain this perfect image and I was a threat to it.”
I admire her for not wanting to talk badly about him even though it’s clear he treated her unkindly.
“It’s still hard,” I say.
“It is what it is,” she says. “But anyway, their vehicl
e didn’t have any mileage restrictions on it. One of the perks of being a high-ranking official, I guess. But it always allowed them free travel, so we took advantage of it. We ran back to his place to grab some things and the vehicle.”
“What about your parents?”
She looks over at me and drops her eyes.
“I’m not sure. You have to understand, there wasn’t any time. We barely got out ourselves. I didn’t want to leave them.” She holds her stomach, deep in thought. “We had to give our child the best shot.”
“I’m sure your parents would just be thankful the two—or three—of you are safe.”
“Maybe one day we’ll see them again,” she says.
“If there is anything this whole thing has taught me, it’s that anything is possible.” Trying to cheer her up, I tease, “If that was the short version, I can’t imagine the long version.”
“Oh please, I left plenty of the good stuff out,” she says and winks, making me thankful I got the edited version.
She laughs at my expression, but the laughter stops and she points out in front of the house. In the distance, there’s a small group of the Letum walking toward us. It’s hard to tell exactly how many there are, but it looks like either three or four.
“Should I go wake the others?” I say as soon as I see them.
“For only a few? I can take care of this myself. I’ll save one for you if you’re lucky.”
“Should you be putting yourself at risk? I mean, in your…um…condition?” I ask while gesturing toward her stomach.
“Don’t start. I hear enough of it from Matt. I’m not dying, I’m just pregnant. And that means I’m allowed to eat more, right? Well, I’m hungry for some Hungry.”
With that, she grabs her weapon—it looks like an old baseball bat—and races off to meet them. Her stride isn’t as fluid as I imagine it could be if she weren’t pregnant. Before long, I doubt she will be able to run off like this.
I cuss under my breath and run inside to grab a machete by the front door. By the time I get back outside, she’s about halfway to the group. I sprint to help her out. The pain in my foot has become an all too familiar companion.
Specious Page 17