In the Lone and Level Sands

by David Lovato

  “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s been too long already.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  “No, you don’t.” Brandon looked blindsided. Keely sighed. “Look, thanks for helping me. I appreciate it, I really do. But I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to make friends, okay? I just want to be left alone for however long I have to be in here, all right?”

  Even as it came out, Keely thought she was being unnecessarily cruel. She didn’t want to care, but she couldn’t help feeling bad.

  “All right,” Brandon said. “Okay, sorry to bother you.” He went back to his cot and lay down, one leg extended. He wiped the blood off of his drawing board and propped it on his knee, took a sheet of paper from his messenger bag, and started doodling. Keely looked back at the elderly couple. They were quiet again. The rest of the stadium was growing louder.

  Katie, where are you? I need you.

  Time dragged on. Keely felt like she had been in the stadium for days, but it had barely been a couple of hours. It was too early to try to sleep away her boredom, not that she felt a desire to ever sleep again, let alone in the stadium.

  She closed her eyes, against her better judgment. She didn’t even want to see the place anymore.

  More time went by. Keely passed it by thinking about Katie, but at the same time, she didn’t want to. She couldn’t be sure Katie’s plane had even landed. It had taken all of the strength she could muster to stay hidden in the attic, to not go out to the airport. She knew she had made the right choice, that if she had gone to the airport, she would’ve died. But it still felt so wrong. She didn’t think Katie could be alive now, that if she was, she would’ve been in this stadium, somewhere. Maybe she already was; it was hard to say.

  Keely’s stomach grumbled. She opened her eyes, and Brandon was standing by her cot again. He was offering her a plate of food.

  “How long have you been there?” she asked.

  “Long enough to know you’re hungry,” he replied. “Food’s been available for a while.”

  She looked at the plate, then back at him, and took it. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” He went back to his cot, assumed the same position as before, and continued drawing.

  Keely forced herself to eat. Every bite brought her closer to vomiting, but she knew she’d need to keep her strength, so she finished her meal. She set the plate aside, then looked around the stadium. It was packed, and most of the officers were inside, now. She thought about reporting the incident from earlier, but without knowing where the goons were, this seemed like a waste of the officers’ time. They were busy trying to keep things in order. Some were still setting up cots, as a large group of people was still waiting to get some.

  Keely’s own cot was on the very last row, in the end zone of the field. She was surprised for a moment that none of the goons had made a joke about that, and then she broke her close-to-throwing-up record.

  She looked at the elderly couple. The woman was asking about Johnny again. The man didn’t answer her. Keely looked at Brandon, who was still drawing. She got up and stood by his cot.

  “What are you drawing?” she asked.

  Brandon peeled his eyes from his paper. “A meadow.” He went back to drawing.

  “Just a meadow?” Keely said, after a moment.

  “Yeah. Got tired of seeing this place, thought I’d draw myself a new one.”

  “Is that how you escape?”

  “I guess so. I could certainly use it.”

  “I think we all could.” Keely stood there for a few minutes. Brandon focused on drawing. “Hey, well, listen. I’m sorry I snapped earlier. That wasn’t fair. You helped me a lot, you know.”

  “Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Brandon said.

  Keely looked around. The awkward silence was made worse by the fact that everyone else in the stadium was talking, and Keely hated how bad she was at communicating with people. It was a miracle she had ever gotten close to Katie.

  “Well, I’m gonna go now,” she said.

  “Okay,” Brandon replied. “Let me know if you need anything?”

  “Sure.” Feeling embarrassed, Keely went back to her cot and sat down.

  More time passed. The stadium lights and sounds made it hard to keep track.

  “Is Johnny here?”

  “Johnny’s dead, Midge,” the old man said. He sounded wearier than Keely had ever heard anyone sound.

  “Ed, what are you talking about? He was just here this afternoon.”

  “Midge… Damn it, Midge. Just get some rest, will you?”

  “But what about Johnny?”

  The man stopped for a while. Then he said, “He’ll be here soon.”

  “Who will, dear?”

  “No one,” the man said.

  After a while, a voice came through a megaphone somewhere in the stadium.

  “Attention everyone, the lights will be shut off in ten minutes. We are now enacting a curfew. Please try to remain at your cot until morning to keep things in an orderly fashion. If you need to use the restroom or have some other emergency in the night, please locate the nearest law enforcement official or stadium hand. They will be wearing reflective clothing and wielding flashlights. That is all.”

  There was a crackle as it ended. The chatter in the stadium got louder.

  “Are you all right?” Brandon asked. Keely turned to him. He was lying down, but he wasn’t drawing. He was tucked into his cot, ready for sleep.

  “Yeah,” Keely said. “I’ll be fine. Sounds like they’ll have this place locked down.”

  “Yeah. Hey, don’t be afraid to wake me up if you need something, okay?”

  “Totally. Thanks.” Keely turned away, then turned back to him. “Goodnight, Brandon.”

  Brandon looked back at her. He looked surprised. “Good night, Keely.”

  A few minutes later, the lights went out. The din of people talking gave way to the moans of the zombies outside. Keely lay down on her stomach, pulled the blanket over her, tucked her face into her pillow, and quietly cried herself to sleep.

  ****

  Keely woke to the sound of hundreds of people talking over one another. She sat up. Most of the people in the stadium were awake. Brandon wasn’t in his cot, but his messenger bag was sitting on it, along with an unfinished sketch. She looked to her other side, and the elderly couple was gone. Their cots were empty, and had been moved apart from each other again.

  Keely stood up and felt sore. It was beginning to stink in the stadium, and Keely realized she was sweating. She had fallen asleep with her hoodie on, and her shirt beneath it had twisted around her. It was uncomfortable, and worse because of the heat.

  She took her hoodie off and then sat down on her cot. She wanted something to do, she was tired of sitting around.

  “Hey, good morning!” Brandon said as he sat down on his cot. “They have breakfast up at those tables, if you’re hungry.” Keely couldn’t decide if she was or not. The smile faded from Brandon’s face. “Hey, you look kinda pale. You okay?”

  “It’s fucking hot in here,” Keely barely said. Her throat was dry.

  “Yeah. Hey, I’ll go up to the tables with you, if you want. You could probably use some water.”

  “I think I could use an escape.”

  Brandon lifted his sketch. “Working on it.” Keely laughed, but caught herself. She hadn’t expected it. “That’s more like it!” Brandon said. Keely hoped he wouldn’t see her blush. “You should laugh more often, you have a really cute laugh.” All hope was gone.

  “Yeah… Well, I don’t really care for meadows,” Keely said.

  “My artistic skill isn’t limited to those. Come on, want me to draw something for you?”

  “No, it’s okay.”

  “Come on, please? It’ll give me something to do.”

  Keely thought for a moment. “All right. Draw me… flying. Above trees.”

  “I’ll get right on it,” Brandon said. “After I help you get som
e breakfast, anyway.”

  Keely was reluctant, but she let him guide her to the breakfast tables. She prepared a small plate of food and a large glass of water, returned to her cot, and choked it all down.

  Throughout the day, people found ways to entertain themselves. Keely mostly sat around, hoping Katie was okay and that they’d find each other. Brandon spent his time drawing.

  Dinnertime came, and Keely and Brandon went to the lines together. They got their food quickly, despite an altercation farther up the line where a man was accused of taking extra food. The two ate together, and they talked a lot more than Keely would’ve thought possible just a day before.

  Brandon worked on his drawing, but the two continued talking. Keely was beginning to feel less afraid and a hell of a lot less bored. At night, to drown out the increasing volume of the moans outside, Keely focused on the sound of Brandon’s pencil frantically scraping across his paper. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep.

  The next day was much like the one before it. At lunchtime, the two lined up to get food. Ahead of her, Brandon was talking about his sketch. Suddenly, Keely felt someone behind her, someone too close. She felt arms reach around her, and hands grabbed her breasts.

  “Hey babe, miss me?” Kirk said. He licked her cheek. Keely shouted and tore away from him, dropping her plate. People stared.

  “You motherfucker!” she said.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” a man asked from down the line.

  Kirk laughed. “We’re just playing.”

  “This man sexually assaulted me,” Keely said.

  “You sick fuck,” a woman said. “Taking advantage of people at a time like this!”

  “Hey, we’re all dead men walking anyway,” Kirk replied. A little girl in the line started crying.

  “Why don’t you take your shitty attitude elsewhere?” someone said.

  “Yeah, like outside,” someone else added.

  “Hey, lighten up, people,” Kirk said. “I’m just having a bit of fun.”

  “This is what you call fun?” Brandon said.

  A few officers showed up. “What’s going on here?” one of them asked.

  The people in line explained the situation, and Kirk was taken to a cell the police had set up. By the end of the day, Kirk’s goons were also incarcerated. While this brought Keely some comfort, she still couldn’t wait to leave the stadium behind. Preferably with Katie.

  And, she found, with Brandon too.

  ****

  It was after dinner. Keely lay on her back with her head draped over the edge of the cot. Something about seeing the stadium upside-down made her feel like things were more right.

  “How’s the drawing coming?” she asked.

  “Great!” Brandon said.

  Keely sat up, then lay on her stomach. “Can I see it?”

  “Not until it’s done. I’m adding a special surprise.”

  “I don’t like surprises,” Keely said.

  “Everyone likes surprises,” Brandon replied. “Besides, I know you’ll like this one.”

  That night, a small group of zombies broke in on the other side of the stadium. There was a lot of commotion and a lot of shouting, but after a while, everyone calmed down. Soon after, rumors of a woman having a heart attack and nearly dying reached the edge of the stadium. Keely wondered how so much could be going on that she wasn’t aware of; then again, there were a lot of people in the place.

  Everyone had been given earplugs to drown out the moans. Keely didn’t wear hers. She fell asleep to the sound of Brandon sketching.

  ****

  Keely woke up in the middle of the night. She sat up and looked around the dark stadium. Almost everyone was asleep, and she could see flashlight beams and reflective clothing on the officers wandering around the stadium. She was surprised to see Brandon sitting up in his cot.

  “Can’t sleep?” she asked.

  “Bad dreams,” Brandon said.

  “You’re telling me. I don’t even remember what good ones feel like.”

  “When I have good ones, they’re good because I’m not alone.”

  Keely sighed. She looked around the stadium again, then got up and went over to Brandon’s cot. She sat at the foot of it, legs crossed.

  “You’re not alone,” she said.

  Brandon tried to force a smile. “You cold?”

  “It’s hot in here.”

  “I can’t help but remember what that guy said, the first day. How we’re all going to die in here.”

  “That guy’s an asshole. Don’t pay attention to him.”

  “I know,” Brandon said. “I just… I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.” Keely moved closer to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back.

  “You had a bad dream, that’s all,” Keely said. She was starting to feel tired again.

  “I don’t know. I mean, whatever is going on out there, it’s not over. It sounds like it’s getting worse. How long can they keep us in here?”

  “I don’t know,” Keely said. She was starting to drift off.

  Brandon put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her away from him. Keely snapped awake. Brandon looked at her like he might cry. Then, he kissed her. Keely tensed up, wondered what she should do, eyes wide open. She didn’t feel threatened at all, she felt warm, somewhat safe, but as his tongue grazed hers, she pulled away. Brandon opened his eyes, looking ashamed.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have… I didn’t—”

  “Brandon,” Keely said.

  “I… love you,” Brandon said. “I know it’s crazy, I know we’ve only known each other for a few days, but I love you.”

  “Brandon, I’m not—I don’t—I’m gay, Brandon.”

  Brandon only looked half surprised. “You can’t… make an exception? Just once?”

  “It doesn’t work like that, Brandon.” Brandon turned aside. Keely got the feeling that he didn’t want her to see him cry. “Look, Brandon, I like you a lot. I don’t know what I would’ve done in here without you. But I don’t love you. I can’t, that’s just not who I am. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry, Keely,” Brandon said. He looked at her and smiled. “Don’t ever be sorry for who you are. You should only be sorry for being anything else.”

  “Brandon,” Keely said. He hugged her, and she hugged him back, as hard as she could. Minutes passed, and Keely wondered how long they would stay like that. She was tired, and her legs were uncomfortable. She leaned forward and pushed Brandon onto his back, rested her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep.

  ****

  Keely woke up in Brandon’s cot. He was sitting on the ground next to it. His drawing board was out, but it was just lying on the ground near his bag.

  “You okay?” Keely asked.

  “Yeah,” Brandon said. “All of the beautiful girls in the world won’t make that cot feel any less like a concrete slab.” Keely laughed.

  “Why aren’t you drawing?”

  “Not in the mood, right now. Maybe later.”

  For a while, they didn’t say anything. They got breakfast without saying anything, and they returned to their cots without saying anything. Keely hoped Brandon didn’t hate her. He just lay there on his cot, not doing anything. Finally, he got up and sat next to her.

  “So, do you have a girlfriend?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Keely said, trying not to feel awkward.

  “What’s her name? What’s she like?”

  “Her name’s Katie.” She searched for the right words. “She’s the best girl in the world. She’s my best friend, she’s always been there for me. She brings out the best in me.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She was on her way to Seattle the night that… You know. She was going to move up here for good, as soon as she could. I was so happy. She was, too.”

  “Did you find her at the airport?”

  “I didn’t go. Too risky. It happened before her plane was scheduled to land. I wanted to leave so
badly, but I couldn’t. God, I hope she’s okay.”

  “I’ll bet Katie is just fine. And… she’s a very, very lucky girl.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Hey, know what? I’ll bet she’s even coming to try and find you,” Brandon said.

  “I left her a note letting her know I’d be here,” Keely said.

  “She might already be here, then!” Brandon stood up and offered Keely his hand. “Come on, let’s see if we can ask the officers if they have some sort of census going.”

  The two headed down the row. They noticed a lot of people had left their cots, and all of the officers were gathered by some tables near the main entrance. When they got closer they saw that all of them were on their knees, with their hands tied behind their backs. Some men were standing on the tables, all were heavily armed.

  “What’s going on?” Brandon said. Keely felt uncomfortable; she and Brandon were near the front of the crowd.

  “What are you, deaf, kid?” one of the men said. “I said we’re the kings of this castle! You answer to us or you get the fucking guillotine, that’s what’s going on!” Keely looked over at the holding cell nearby. Kirk was standing there, smiling widely at her. For a moment, the rest of the stadium, the shouting from the gunmen and the murmuring of the crowd disappeared. And then the lead gunman said something that brought her back.

  “All right then, let those fine men out of there!”

  A man went to the cell and opened it, letting Kirk, his goons, and the food thief out. He handed them guns.

  Keely wanted to disappear before Kirk could find her again. Brandon must have sensed this, as he took her by the shoulders and pulled her back into the crowd. They headed for their cots as the gunman continued his speech.

  “Now, all of you assholes get yourselves back to your fucking cots before I start using you all for target practice!” His voice faded as Keely and Brandon worked through the crowd, but soon after, gunfire rang across the stadium. People screamed, babies cried, and everyone returned to their cots. Keely and Brandon didn’t see any police officers anymore.