“Then we vote on new council members,” Melvin said.
“This is fucked,” Rob yelled. “You talk about sticking to ideals when half of our town just got wiped out. We have nothing to be ashamed of by putting a bullet in her head.”
“Just stop, Rob,” Melvin said.
“Fuck you. Fuck all of you!” Rob shouted. He grabbed Carlie by the arm and they stormed off together.
Melvin was left to make a decision all on his own. Paul looked at Melvin with concern.
“What do you want us to do?” Paul asked.
Sister Bonnie held her head down to avoid the angered glares of the townspeople. Melvin cleared his throat and began.
“First, we need to find out who’s alive and who’s dead. We need to locate our injured. We need to collect the bodies of all of those lost and bury them accordingly. We have people in the bunkers, and we have to clean this up before the children see anything. Tonight is going to be a late night, but we must rebuild. After the worst is over, then the town will vote on its new council members and we will try to get back to where we were before all of this happened. I’m not suggesting that it’s going to be easy, or that we’ll ever go back to normal. But we have to do this.”
The townspeople remained silent but seemed to agree. Paul and Jordan looked at each other, breathing sighs of relief. No one spoke out against Melvin, and there was a general mood of cooperation in the air.
“What about her?” a man from the circle asked.
“We’re going to lock her up, and when the new council is elected, we’ll have a trial. That is our way now. Not the other way. We have a lot of work to do, so let’s get moving,” Melvin said.
The people dispersed and, though exhausted, got to the task at hand. Paul approached Melvin with a smile.
“That was a little inspiring there. You’re a good man,” he said.
“No,” Melvin said. “I’m just a man trying to be good.”
Chapter Sixteen
The Day After
The thick layer of dark clouds that normally coated the sky had thinned a little, allowing sunlight to peer through. The townspeople had been hard at work, gathering the deceased and injured and making the minimal repairs necessary to the large amount of destruction that had befallen their town the previous night. Rob and Carlie eventually came back and lent a hand, though unwilling to talk to Paul or Jordan. Melvin had Sister Bonnie secured in a room in his own house, though he left her location undisclosed. He had put one of the women in charge of guarding her. Her name was Sally, and Melvin trusted her more than anyone to listen to him. They worked as fast as they could to remove the carnage before the children awoke from the bunkers. That was their goal, as far as Melvin was concerned. He wanted no horrific account left behind for the children to see, though many of them had lost their parents in the battle of New Haven.
Margie had stayed awake the entire night. She peeked out of the bunker after four hours of waiting and noticed scattered movement throughout the town. It was early morning, and she could see a little better than when they had originally gone inside. She saw what looked like bodies piled in the park nearly out of range. She closed the door immediately, hoping that the sight wasn’t what she thought it was. She held her kerosene lantern up and looked to the slumbering children before her, all lying in sleeping bags on the ground. Margie wasn’t going to wake them until they were ready.
Paul and Jordan stumbled into the townhouse, exhausted.
“I don’t know about you, but I say it’s time to hit the road,” Jordan said.
Paul was so shaken from the night’s events that he knew sleep was not going to come easy, no matter how exhausted he felt.
“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again,” he told Jordan.
They walked down the hallway as Paul suddenly remembered David and Julie. Paul stopped Jordan.
“Hold on,” he said, slowly pushing their bedroom door open. There, in Jordan’s bed rested Julie. David was still in Paul’s bed, sleeping soundly.
“What’s he doing in here?” Jordan asked.
“I brought him here after he fell from a ladder and became unconscious.”
Jordan leaned against the hallway wall and looked as if he just stumbled upon a revelation.
“Holy shit. So you saved his life. Damn, Paul, you’re on a roll tonight,” he said.
Paul smiled and waved Jordan off. “Hardly. I just carried him here, plain and simple.”
Jordan nodded in agreement as they both looked to Julie. “So should we wake her?” he asked.
“Now’s as good a time as any,” Paul replied.
“You think they’re going to be okay?” Jordan asked.
“I mean, I need to at least see Margie before we go.”
“I hope they make it. I really do. There’s a lot of good people here. I won’t forget them.”
Paul walked over to Julie as Jordan examined David.
“He’s still breathing,” Jordan said. “Maybe he’ll wake up soon.”
Paul sat on Jordan’s bed and nudged her. “Hey, it’s time to wake up now.”
Julie’s eyes slowly shuttered open.
“Good morning,” Paul said.
She rose up from the bed and stretched. “Where am I?” she asked.
Paul laughed. “I know how you feel.”
Julie rubbed her eyes. “We’re leaving now?” she asked.
“Yes, very soon. Thanks for watching David like I asked. I’m sure he was in good hands.”
“He woke up for a little bit,” Julie said while yawning.
“He did?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, he was kind of out of it, but then he went back to sleep,” she said.
“At least he’s okay.” Paul said.
“Are you okay?” Julie asked after gaining a closer look at Paul. She could see that he was dirty and sweaty. He was also covered in black soot and blood.
“You look like a coal miner.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. We’re all going to be fine.”
Paul leaned in and gave Julie a hug. She put one hand on his back and tried to reciprocate his affection.
“What happened out there?” she asked.
Paul let Julie go then rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.
“It’s not good, Julie. I’m not going to lie. We need to just stay on track. Stay focused. We’re going to leave.”
“When?” Julie asked.
“Five or ten minutes tops,” Paul said.
“I just need to lie down for a minute and rest before we hit the road.”
Paul fell down next to Julie. His head crashed on the pillow and he fell asleep without a sound. Julie stepped off the bed
and went over to Jordan. He had already fallen asleep next to David on the bed. She was surrounded by sleeping adults, unsure of what to do, so she went back to her room.
Paul woke up. More light had shone in. He looked over to see an empty bed on the other side of the room. For a moment, Paul wondered where he was. He wondered if anything he remembered from the night before had actually happened; all the blood and carnage, firing his shotgun at a crazed man and taking another life. It was all a dream. A very bad dream. He was actually back at his home in Beech Creek, waiting for Samantha to come home. It’s funny the tricks the mind could play. He had simply missed his wife while she was away on business, and while sleeping, he had concocted a crazy dream about a nuclear apocalypse and the aftermath that followed. Paul rose from his bed, ready to make Julie some breakfast and go to work.
The room looked unfamiliar, but Paul attributed it to still being a dream state. The real world would come back to him soon. Paul was feeling pretty good about himself until he felt a slight stinging in the back of his head. He moved his hand over the sore spot and felt a large bump. The bump was no figment of his imagination, and neither was how he got it. Paul snapped out of his hopeful state. Nothing had been a dream. He was still in New Haven, and everything he had hoped to be fantasy had already happe
ned. Paul walked outside to see a town trying to rebuild itself. Jordan was in range talking with Margie across the street. Julie was talking with Tommy. People walking by had solemn expressions, and the mood was quiet. Paul had no idea what time it was or even the day. He felt angry that he had fallen asleep. Samantha entered his mind, and she scolded him for forgetting about her.
“I’m sorry,” Paul said. “I’m sorry for everything.” He built his nerve and walked over to meet Jordan. “How’s everyone doing?”
Margie tried to smile but couldn’t. “We’re coping,” she said.
“We should talk, Paul,” Jordan said.
Julie broke away from Tommy and approached Paul. “I heard what happened,” she said. Paul didn’t want her to know the extent of everything and hoped that she was spared the worst details. “They said that you tried to save the Sheriff, and that you told them to spare Sister Bonnie.”
“Who said that?” Paul asked, annoyed.
Jordan pulled him to the side to speak with him. “What is it?” Paul asked.
Jordan spoke calmly and with a quiet tone. “I don’t know if I can leave here, honestly. New Haven, they’re so defeated, it’s sad. But another part of me can’t take it here anymore. All the death, all the sadness, it’s too much. I don’t know if I can leave Margie. I honestly don’t know how I could leave her in this state. Thank God Tommy’s mother went into the bunker with some of the other parents. If she hadn’t, Tommy would be without a mother, just like half the kids here are without parents now. I don’t know what to do about it, I just don’t know.”
Jordan held himself back from crying as his voice went hoarse. Paul held Jordan’s arm and spoke. “It’s tragic, there’s no denying that. But I have a responsibility to my wife to find her. If you want to stay here, I understand. You’re in no way required to go with us. I just feel that I’ve done all I can do. I’m on a mission.”
“I’ll miss you both, Paul,” Jordan said.
“We'll miss you too,” Paul replied. “But we’ll see each other again. I know it.”
“You shouldn’t be so sure of things, not anymore. Not nowadays,” Jordan said.
Paul looked around. New Haven looked worse in the daylight than he had imagined. The fire had done extensive damage to the front of the town. They were wide open for anyone to come in. Chunks of rock and stone littered the roads from the grenade blast. Empty shells covered the road, and dried bloodstains had spread across the pavement and grass like spray paint. Paul saw Melvin instructing townspeople in cleanup efforts. He even saw Rob and Carlie pitching in, looking humble as ever. The question of Sister Bonnie crossed his mind. Where was she?
“Margie, you take care,” Paul said, approaching her. He gave her a hug and she returned it. He felt a deep sadness in her, as expected.
“I’ve stayed here as long as I can,” he said.
“I know,” she said, sniffling.
“You be safe out there.”
“You’ll get through this. I know it,” Paul said. “The people here need you. And that’s a good thing.”
Margie pulled away from him and patted him on the shoulder.
“Goodbye,” she said.
Julie walked into their conversation. “We’re leaving for real this time?” she asked.
“We have to find your mother,” Paul said.
Julie didn’t respond, but she knew it was time.
“So I guess this is goodbye,” Tommy said while shuffling his foot in the dirt.
“For now,” Julie said. “Bye, Tommy. I promise to write you.”
“You better,” Tommy answered.
There was an awkward moment where both of them didn’t know if they should hug or not. Julie lunged toward Tommy and gave him a quick hug, which surprised him.
“Goodbye,” Julie said.
She turned away and walked off with Paul toward the Malibu waiting for them in the Sheriff’s garage. After they had packed the car and got it ready, Paul was met by many of the townspeople to offer him a farewell. Melvin was one of the first to shake his hand, followed by a few others. Eventually Rob and Carlie walked up to him and apologized for their behavior the night before.
“I guess that’s why Carlie and I are so perfect for each other. We think the same way and do the same things. No hard feelings, right?”
Rob offered his hand and Paul shook it without hesitation. “You saved our lives, and I’ll never forget it. You don’t owe me any apology,” Paul said.
One of the last people to find Paul was David. He limped over to their car and shook Paul’s hand. “I think you’re even with this town as far as I'm concerned. I owe you my life.”
They gave each other a mutual look of understanding. Paul wasn’t convinced that he had done anything special for David but accepted his gratitude nonetheless. After saying his goodbyes, Paul looked to Jordan.
“So what’s your plan?” he asked.
Jordan still hadn’t made up his mind. He walked up to Paul to speak with him again. “I haven’t forgotten my family, not for a second. I’m going to find them. I don’t care what my wife thinks. I forgive her. I’m going to stay here a couple of days then try to find them and bring them back here.”
“Even your wife?” Paul asked, astonished.
“Well, it’s probably too late for that, but I’ll be damned if she’s going to keep my sons from me.” Paul gave Jordan a smile.
“Thank you for getting us this far,” he said.
Jordan wasn’t sure what he meant, but then it started to sink in.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Jordan said.
They hugged quickly after a strong handshake.
“Let’s get moving, Julie,” Paul said.
They got into the Malibu as the townspeople of New Haven gathered around to see them off. It wasn’t the same town as they had originally found it. It was a gated community turned town that had suffered personal loss greater than anything Paul could imagine. His mind wandered to the millions of people in the world that had reportedly perished. Before they drove off, Paul rolled down his window and called out to Melvin. Melvin approached the driver’s side window earnestly.
“What did you end up doing with Sister Bonnie?” Paul asked.
“We’re voting today on new council members. Then we’re putting her on trial. No guarantees, but she’ll pay. I’m sure of it.”
“I guess that’s the best you can do nowadays,” Paul said.
Melvin nodded in agreement as Paul waved and drove off down the road. Jordan watched as the Malibu maneuvered around the destruction in its wake. He wondered if he would ever see Paul again. He began to second-guess his decision to stay behind, but it was simply too much to think that he would leave Margie behind after what had just happened. The Malibu continued past the broken barricades through the pile of ash that was once the town walls. Paul’s exit was inevitable, as were so many things that had happened or that were still to come. It was Day Nineteen. Paul had spent ten unexpected days at New Haven, and if he wasn’t safe there, it was unlikely that safety existed anywhere. New Haven was fractured, almost beyond repair, but they would continue to try to rebuild their community. What other choice did they have?
Chapter Seventeen
Escape
Sometime after Paul and Julie left, hordes of children journeyed from the outside forest and past the nonexistent gates of New Haven. They were met with utter alarm by the townspeople, who hadn’t a clue where they came from or what they were doing there. Melvin was the first to identify them, stunned that he had so quickly forgotten about the children of the Seventh Order. It was them, after all, who helped burn down the walls. There was much uproar over what to do with the children and where they belonged; however, one thing was certain, they had nowhere else to go. The townspeople voted Melvin as the chief executive, along with Margie, Rob, Carlie, Reba, and Joanne as councilpersons. The council had to decide on what to do with the children, considering that it was presumed that all of their parents were dead. Melvin
believed there was no other choice but to take them in and allow them to live among the people of New Haven. There were six children between the ages of five and thirteen and nine others in their teens.
The kids feared New Haven, as Sister Bonnie had influenced their thinking in a way that had bred contempt among them for outsiders. It was going to take some work to get them back to any type of normal state, and Melvin considered talking with Sister Bonnie to get her assistance. She was an enemy of their town, but they were desperate for answers. Melvin told the council that he would talk with Sister Bonnie and reach an agreement where she would receive leniency only if she convinced the children to trust New Haven. Melvin left the Sheriff’s memorial service to have a talk with Sister Bonnie. He hadn’t revealed her location to anyone at the time, fearing retribution, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they found out. He walked into his three-bedroom home hoping to reach a resolution.
“Sally,” he called out, expecting her to meet him in the living
room. There was no answer, but Melvin called to her again. “Sally, I need to talk to Bonnie. It’s urgent.”
Still there was nothing. The house seemed empty. He heard no movement or talking. Sister Bonnie was being held in an extra bedroom. Melvin went to the room and opened the door. He found Sally lying on the ground with a pistol next to her. He immediately ran to her and looked for any signs of Sister Bonnie. She was nowhere in sight.
“Sally!” Melvin said. “Sally, are you okay?”
He lifted Sally’s petite body as her blonde head bobbed down, unresponsive. Melvin examined her neck and noticed deep lacerations. She had been strangled to death. Her dilated eyes projected the all-too-familiar look of a lifeless body. He lifted Sally up and placed her on the bed. He then grabbed her pistol and searched the room for Sister Bonnie.
“Bonnie. Get your ass out here, now!” he shouted. There was no response. Melvin swept the house and still found no trace. He searched each room repeatedly, then ran outside and searched the area. Sister Bonnie had disappeared. Melvin went back into his house and fell onto the nearest couch and cried. She had escaped, and he had helped make it happen. He punched the wall next to him. Now they had yet another body to bury.
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