Pulse

by David Lisenby

  “And?” the sheriff prodded.

  “Well,” Vincent continued, “I was standin’ over there dippin’ my cornbread and havin’ some of this delicious coffee. I could still see the door by the light comin’ from that camper over there. All of the sudden there was an explosion coming from the root cellar that knocked me on my butt.”

  “And what do you think caused the explosion?” asked the sheriff.

  “That’s what I’m not sure about, Sheriff,” Vincent said. “The best I can determine is that those boys found some Tannerite in there and tried to use it to break down the door and escape. They must have hit it wrong and ignited it. The roof caved in on ‘em and I knew there was nothin’ I could do to help those poor boys.”

  Sheriff Mavis looked at his lieutenant. He was trying to see any indication that the lawman was lying. He saw none. He looked around the small group of people who had gathered around them.

  “Does anybody want to add anything?” the sheriff asked as he looked around at the faces staring at him. He stopped his gaze on Shiela Mae. “Did he leave anything out?”

  Shiela Mae returned the lawman’s stare. “I think he purty much summed it up, Sheriff,” she said coldly.

  Sheriff Mavis looked around the group again. Slowly. He then faced Lt. Vincent and looked deeply into his eyes. He clicked his cheek against his teeth. He knew damn well that it took a high velocity impact to ignite Tannerite; not anything unarmed men could strike it with.

  The sheriff looked over to his detective, who just nodded his head and stood stoic. He looked back around the group and then back at his lieutenant.

  “You sure all the surviving intruders were in there?” the sheriff asked.

  “Yes, Sir,” Vincent answered. “Positive.”

  The sheriff kicked a rock at his feet. “Shame there aren’t any suspects left to interrogate,” he said. “Probably wouldn’t have done any good anyway since they were stupid enough to blow themselves up. I’ll expect a full report on my desk Monday morning where we can close the file on this case.”

  Lt. Vincent finally exhaled silently. “Yes, Sir,” he said, knowing that the sheriff doubted the story he had just told him. He would have doubted it, too.

  “You should go grab a shovel and give those folks a hand diggin’ graves,” Sheriff Mavis finally said, never taking his eyes off the lieutenant.

  “Be honored to, Sir,” Vincent said. The sheriff turned and started walking toward the fire pit. He wanted a cup of that coffee. It had been weeks since he had a good cup.

  Det. Allen looked at his partner. Vincent returned his gaze. Det. Allen winked at him and turned to get himself a cup of coffee. When he was out of earshot, Shiela Mae stepped close to the lieutenant.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. He looked straight ahead.

  “Don’t mention it,” he said. “Ever.” He turned his head and made eye contact. He winked and then walked toward the tool shed to find a shovel that fit his hands, leaving the small group to chat among themselves.

  They didn’t chat, though. They never spoke of it again.

  Bruce kept filling the wagons until they were maxed out with water. Once he was ready to go, he found Ray Lynn sweeping the deck of the lowboy. Bobby was helping him.

  “I don’t think we’re gonna to sell any water today, Bruce,” Ray Lynn said when he noticed the man standing there.

  “I was thinkin’ we should still go in town,” Bruce said. “People will still be countin’ on us. They always get extra on Fridays to last the weekend.”

  “I’m not goin’ today,” Ray Lynn said. “If you wanna go you can just give the water away today. You know how much each regular gets every Friday. Give ‘em that much for free. You can give everyone else two gallons each until its gone.”

  “I can go with you and give you a hand,” Bobby offered. “I could use a couple of hours away from this place today. Besides, there are way too many people showin’ up than I care to be around.”

  “Arlene ain’t gonna’ like that,” Ray Lynn said. “You’re supposed to be healin’ up.”

  “We won’t tell her,” Bobby said. He laid down his broom and stepped off the lowboy.

  Ray Lynn continued sweeping as the two men walked over to the backyard to get a cup of coffee to-go. A small group of people were gathered by John and Ashlyn’s place. Bobby nodded when he caught Squirrel watching him as he passed by. She nodded back.

  “We can go down to the intersection and let everybody know that there won’t be any school today,” Beetle said. “I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  “That’s a good idea, Beetle,” John said. “It’d be better to stop ‘em down there instead of lettin’ the kids come up here expectin’ to stay for the day.”

  “Tell ‘em to come back after the weekend,” Phil said. “We’ll be ready for classes Monday mornin’. Right, Ashlyn?”

  Ashlyn looked at the grieving man. She was devastated by the loss of her new friend and fellow teacher. She looked at Phil’s eyes and could see the pain in them. She knew he was as lost as she was.

  “If you think so, Phil.” she said. “We’ll see.”

  “We need this as much as they do,” Phil said. “Willie needs to be with his friends and I need something to focus on. I can help you teach,”

  “Monday, then,” Ashlyn nodded. She turned her attention to Beetle. “Tell them school will reopen Monday.”

  The two girl scouts walked over to the Grub Hut, where Roxie was busy making pancakes and deer sausage. There were a lot of extra mouths to feed this morning. The girls freshened up their coffee cups and stood by the fire.

  “Where ya’ll off to?” Roxie asked the girls.

  “We’re gonna’ go to the intersection and meet the kids comin’ in for school,” Squirrel answered. “We’re gonna’ tell ‘em to come back Monday.”

  “You sure they’ll be ready?” Roxie asked pointing her spatula toward Ashlyn’s place.

  “They’re the ones who told us Monday,” Beetle said. “I think it’s too soon, too.”

  “Breakfast will be done shortly,” Roxie said as she flipped another pancake.

  “We’re gonna’ go on and head that way,” Beetle said. “They should start showin’ up soon.”

  “Well grab some Bambi-in-a-blanket to take with ya’ll,” Roxie said insistently. “You girls are gonna dry up and blow away if ya’ll don’t start eatin’ more.”

  Both girls grabbed a pancake, sprinkled some of the deer sausage onto it (kinda’ like a soft taco) and then spooned some flour gravy on top. They then folded the pancake again, turning it into a sausage and gravy burrito.

  “Make two,” Roxie said, causing both girls to snap their heads up and look at her. “They’re small.”

  The girls made two Bambi blankets each before turning and heading to the intersection.

  As the sound of the tractor pulling the water wagons faded in the distance, Roxie rang the dinner bell. People started heading to the back yard for breakfast.

  It didn’t take long before most of the residents of the Landing were gathered near the Grub Hut. They had gone to bed the night before without having dinner and were pretty hungry. Roxie knew they would be. She cooked a lot of pancakes, deer sausage and gravy. She even pulled out the old percolator and had two pots of coffee going.

  It took a little convincing, but the volunteers all rested their shovels and joined in the morning meal. For most, it was the best home-cooked breakfast they had eaten in weeks. They were all impressed with the resourcefulness and teamwork they had witnessed already that morning.

  And this was only the morning after tragedy struck the Landing.

  Most had fixed their plates and were sitting around in little groups when the Lindsey family made their appearance. They group all walked as one (well, except Kay … she was in a wheelchair, remember?). As they came in through the gate, nobody said a word. All eyes were on them, though.

  The people standing in the serving line stepped back and allowed the family
to fix their plates and fill their cups with the bitter caffeinated nectar that they all craved. It was quiet.

  Arlene stepped up and fixed a plate for Kay. She carried it over and laid it upon her lap. Kay looked at her lovingly and softly said, “thank you.” She then bowed her head and offered thanks to God for the nourishment she was about to receive. When she finished her silent prayer, Kay raised her head and said, “Amen.”

  Everyone in the back yard repeated, “Amen,” in unison. Even the children.

  The family sat and ate together. They had stayed up until late in the night sharing memories and talking about the future. They had felt the earth shake when the explosion occurred in the middle of the night, but none of them were frightened or concerned. After that, they had slept well.

  Following their meal, everyone went about their business. Arlene had joined the family, sitting next to Sierra. Apparently, the baby had been active the night before and was causing an awful ruckus in her mama’s belly. Her due date was a couple of days away and Arlene suggested they go to their sleeping quarters and check things out.

  Kay was glad to hear this, since she had listened to Sierra moaning most of the night.

  The morning wore on and more people showed up to offer their help and to bring covered dishes. That was weird. Yes, this was a small town in Texas and folks did that when someone died, but there had been a solar flare that knocked the entire planet to its knees and people were scrounging for food. Somehow, though, they were able to maintain tradition. Soon there was enough food to feed an army.

  Chief Whiteside and Mayor Willis even showed up. The mayor brought an enormous platter of fresh-baked cookies – the kind that Bruce loved so much.

  When the sheriff told Chief Whiteside what had happened to the intruders they had left in the root cellar, all he did was shake his head and say, “Dangit. I was sure lookin’ forward to seein’ ‘em hang.”

  Jake, Abe, David, Will and Kenneth all retreated to the workshop to put together some toe pincher coffins for those who were to be buried. Jake and Abe went inside the Main House and retrieved the one that Harold had built to use as a pattern. It was the first one that had been built and Harold had drilled holes for pins and put shelves inside it. He had displayed the ashes of his niece and mother-in-law on those shelves, saying that one day he would be buried in the cedar box.

  Today was that day.

  Since they had a pattern to go by, it didn’t take the men but about four hours to build six coffins; one for each person who had died and a special one for Emma. The had to adjust the one for Wade, since he was a pretty large guy. The also added extra braces and screws so it wouldn’t fall apart when the big man inside was carried to his final resting place.

  It was probably close to one o’clock when the preparations were completed; the coffins were built, and the graves were all dug. Kay had decided that Harold would be buried next to the old oak tree, next to his mother. The others would be buried in the same general area, leaving enough room for other family members to be buried alongside those who had gone before them. Kay wanted to be planted next to her husband, when her time came.

  Everyone took a lunch break, joining the people from the Landing in the backyard area. The atmosphere was somewhat somber, but there was a lot of food spread out on makeshift tables and a lot of hungry people to help eat it.

  Sheriff Mavis took the opportunity to address the group, once they were all in the same place. “Folks,” he said, “I just wanted to tell ya’ll that I appreciate you coming out and helping this family in their time of need. A terrible thing happened here. It happened to a group of good people. I’m just sorry that we weren’t able to stop those men who did this before it happened.

  “The fact is, though, that we couldn’t stop them until they came across someone who was willing to stand up and face them head on. The people in this community did that. They stared them in the eye and said that they weren’t going to be run over or go down without a fight. They stood their ground and they won that fight.

  “I’m glad that there are still people like this in the world. Heck, I’m honored that there are so many of them right here in my county. It’s people like the men and women of Lindsey Landing who will ensure that we will survive the disaster that we’re going through. People like you, good people who were willing to come here and help your fellow man in their time of need.

  We can beat this if we work together; just like we’re doing today. We will beat this. Don’t forget the men, women, and even children who lost their lives here. It was evil that took them from us. Now it’s up to each and every one of you to prove that good can triumph over evil every time. God bless you all and thank you for being here.”

  Ashlyn then offered a blessing over the food and the feast began.

  At different times during the meal, people would make their way over to where the family was sitting to offer their condolences to Kay and the children. Phil and his son joined the Lindsey’s and were also touched by the kind words and gestures offered by the guests.

  Arlene was sitting by herself, which was somewhat unusual for her, as she nibbled on the food from her plate. Jerry saw this and quietly walked up behind her with his own plate.

  “Arlene,” he said where only she could hear him. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know he was your husband.”

  Arlene turned slowly and looked at the man standing behind her through sad eyes. “You don’t have anything to apologize for,” she said. “Knowing doesn’t change a thing. He’s still gone.”

  “And so is my brother,” Jerry replied. “I couldn’t help either one of ‘em. It happened so fast.”

  “Don’t dwell on it, Jerry,” Arlene said. “That was a long time ago. Another life. You really should let it go and focus on the life you have right now. Focus on the future; not the past.”

  “I’m tryin’ to,” Jerry said, probably a little louder than he intended. “How can you expect me to reach for the future if I can’t let go of the past? I had to watch two good men die that day and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

  “It’s not up to me to absolve you for your sins,” Arlene said. “That’s between you and God. I lost the love of my life that day. You lost your brother. Contrary to popular belief, misery doesn’t love company. I’ve learned to deal with my loss. Maybe you should learn to deal with yours.”

  “Aaaagh,” Jerry growled as he turned and stormed away.

  Only those close to the two heard any part of their conversation. Kay, who was somewhat close, has very good hearing. She hears everything.

  During lunch, other people continued showing up. Word has spread about the invasion at Lindsey Landing and those who lost their lives. Clifford Crain, a local preacher that knew most of the deceased and had actually been the man to marry Harold and Kay, arrived with his wife. They had been part of so many family events that they were counted as close family themselves.

  While everyone was eating, Kenneth and Rickey loaded the coffins onto the lowboy trailer and pulled them over to the front of the Main House. Jerry and several of the lawmen joined them and, one-by-one, carried the coffins into the house and filled them with the victims of the invasion. The lids were placed on the coffins and screwed shut. There would be no viewings before the burials.

  Officer Alexander walked around to the back and told the families of the deceased that they could bury their loved ones whenever they were ready. As he went back into the Main House, through the control room, he looked at the screen with the camera feeds.

  “Do those things record?” He asked Loretta, who was keeping an eye on the perimeter.

  “Yep,” she answered.

  “Did they catch what happened yesterday?” the officer asked, looking at the clarity on the screen.

  “Most of it,” Loretta answered.

  “Do they have night vision?” Officer Alexander prodded.

  “Yep,” Loretta said.

  “Can you make me a disc of the invasion?” the officer continued a
sking questions.

  “Yep,” she answered.

  “And what about there?” he asked, pointing at one of the camera feeds on the split-screen. “Can you isolate that view when the root cellar exploded?”

  “Nope,” Loretta said.

  “Why not?” Alexander asked, perplexed.

  “For some reason them cameras wasn’t recordin’ last night,” Loretta said, looking directly into the officer’s eyes.

  “So, you’re tellin’ me that there’s no footage of the explosion?” he asked.

  “Yep,” Loretta said.

  The two stared at one another for a long minute.

  “Good,” Officer Alexander said. “Can you make me a disc of the invasion then.”

  “Yep,” Loretta said with a smile as she handed the lawman a sleeved disc. “I figured one of ya’ll law dogs might want this.”

  Officer Alexander took the disc from the smiling lady. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Why, thank you, little lady,” he said in his best John Wayne impersonation. He then returned to the front room to join the others.

  In the back yard, Sheriff Mavis had the volunteers retreat to the area near the graveyard to give the family room to talk among themselves. Kay asked all of the folks who lived at the Landing to hang around where they could all decide what they wanted to do about the burials.

  After a bit of discussion, it was decided that the best thing to do would be to bring their loved ones to the graveyard all at one time and ask Clifford to offer his words of wisdom and say a prayer for the people who had lost their lives. Then, if anyone wanted to say something, they would have the chance.

  Ray Lynn pulled the lowboy with the coffins around to the back and got as close to the gravesites as possible. The men then carried them the rest of the way by hand. Each coffin was placed upon 4x4’s that had been laid across the open graves, one by one.

  Everyone gathered around, with Clifford standing among the six coffins. He offered a prayer and then began talking about memories he had with each of the people about to be buried. He had personal stories of interactions he had with each person, including the young boy who had attended his church before the pulse and always had a smile and a warm hug for the preacher and his wife.