Incredibly, at first glance, the shots looked like they were ricocheting off the intended targets, and being flung back instead. Eventually, it became apparent that they were not deflecting the bullets, but avoiding them altogether, allowing them to miss. The bodies of these entities seemed to dissolve to sand when a projectile came within striking distance, and reform after it had passed through. From the helicopters’ view, the large numbers of innocent bystanders and military personnel that were being cut down by their own ammunition, in comparison to the few aliens that had been slain or injured, was overwhelming.
The gunplay stopped almost as quickly as it had started, and the cries of the injured could be heard. Others were mourning over their losses. There were no words any reporter could give that would paint a pleasant picture of what we all witnessed. The stunned silence said it all. This event would forever be remembered as the Sayner Slaughter.
1.
“Checking in?” I asked the happy couple trying to interrupt their giggles as they came up to the front desk.
“Yes. The name is under Tucker,” said the woman. She could barely contain her excitement, saying the last name proudly.
Obviously they were just married, judging by how close they stood, holding onto each other and exchanging loving glances, hardly noticing anyone else in the room. Her attention kept moving back and forth between her husband and the gigantic stone on her hand. They, of course, would be staying in the honeymoon suite. It was our biggest room out of five, and included a Jacuzzi tub and a bottle of champagne. It wasn’t much of a view, but I’m pretty sure no one was in there to admire the lack of scenery.
After doing this so many times with other nauseating couples all summer, it was easy to go through the motions and get them on their way: Credit card, keys, signature and goodbye. I had nothing against someone being in love, but I could live without seeing the blatant over-the-top affection. Dealing with customers was always so much better when the couples were older and using this place as an escape from screaming children, or to rekindle a failing relationship. They at least didn’t have to make a big scene in front of everyone, using cute pet names like “cutie pie” or “honey bunch.”
With a fake smile plastered on my face, trying not to roll my eyes, I said, “Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your stay. Breakfast is from seven a.m. ‘til noon.”
“Thank you, and oh, I’m sure we will be getting up late in the morning, if you know what I mean,” she said with a cute little wrinkle of her nose as she gave her new husband a peck on the lips.
They walked away arm in arm, keeping close as they made their way to the oak staircase and out of view. It took every ounce of effort not to yell back at them to keep the noise level down tonight so others could sleep. I was sure that, when they left, I would hear it again from one of the housekeepers: how they spilled champagne on the carpet; or used bubbles in the hot tub, causing an overflow in the bathroom; or forgot to leave a decent tip. Not something I was looking forward to hearing.
“Was that the Tuckers that just checked in?” I could hear Sally say, coming out from the back office, behind the counter.
Her plump, rosy cheeks grew in size with her genuine smile. The sparkle in her green eyes made it hard to deny that the guest’s happiness was worth it. I still wanted to gag on the thought of anyone calling me “cutie pie.”
“Yeah, I don’t get it,” I said, still trying to shake the romantic couple from my mind. “Why would anyone want to come here to Big Run to have a honeymoon, when there are so many other places they could go? There is nothing to see here in the middle of nowhere. We don’t even have air in the place.”
“Because we are in the middle of nowhere, and we’re cheap. Some people still believe a sleepy town is a great place for getting away, contrary to what you might think, Emily.”
Aunt Sally always had a positive attitude to everything; nothing ever seemed to upset or frustrate her. Her heart was nearly as big as the rest of her. She loved running the three-star bed-and-breakfast, and always smiled as each person came in or left. Even when she got a call in the middle of the night because something went wrong, she never seemed to let it get her down. She was content with living here. I, on the other hand, was not.
I had lived in Big Run, Pennsylvania with my mom and my brother, Chase, as long as I could remember. My mom always owned the O’Neil B&B, which had been a family house built in the late 1800s. I had followed my mom to work many times, and I had always wished we could have lived in it, instead of our own house. Our house was just a few miles away, but it was a shack in comparison to the Victorian style of the B&B.
The Persian rugs covering hard wood floors; the oak staircase that spiraled at the end; even the stained glass windows that reflected blue and red light across the room when the sun hit them – all of it was picturesque, like it had been torn out of a moment in time when life was good, and nothing could destroy it.
When I was eighteen, Sally moved back from Pittsburgh to help my mom run the old place. It wasn’t exactly her dream to come back home, but after most major illnesses had been cured, thanks to the Vesper and the Franklin Vaccine, hospitals didn’t have as much need for a large nursing staff. With a substantial bonus and severance pay, she had bought a house near the inn, even though she could have stayed with us. She had used what was left to renovate the entire inn: fixing plaster and paint that had chipped off walls; refinishing wood floors; and adding new fixtures to the bathrooms, including a private bath for the honeymoon suite. With the improvements, business picked up, and everything was great. However, as with all good things, sometimes they have to come to an end.
I got the call while away at college my sophomore year. Being only a week away from Christmas break, I had planned to come home and celebrate the holiday, then take off to a local ski resort with some friends for New Year’s. Chase had to make the call, since Sally was still at the hospital. There was an emptiness to his voice when he told me. The road had been icy. Mom had died on impact. Sally walked away with hardly a scratch. In one ghastly moment, my world was turned upside down.
My mom had been there for me my whole life, since my dad had split before I could even walk – and she was gone in an instant. I had no desire to finish school, and regretfully came back home for good. I knew she would have wanted me to continue, to get a degree and move on to a large city with a larger paycheck, but I could barely even get out of bed without falling apart. Chase tried to be there for me as much as possible, but for months I couldn’t leave the house. I had shut down completely and just needed to be alone. Sally brought dinner over almost every night, attempting to get me out of my depression. Every time I saw her smiling face, I couldn’t help to think why she didn’t feel the same way I did. How could she keep going on as though nothing had happened? My heart was torn apart, and there was nothing that could ever fill it again.
I lived in solitude for months. I finally had to give in and force myself to cope with the loss of my mom: to push the memories aside and move on, even if I couldn’t feel it in my heart. That, or possibly be put away; I was content with either. Sally had suggested that I should work at the inn to help out. She thought being around people would help me come out of my funk, and maybe even smile again. I didn’t believe her, but I still did it, hoping that one day I could leave this town – this place that I felt had taken so much away from me.
The years passed and the pain faded, but I was still here at twenty-five, and it felt like I had been sucked in by the small-town charm, just as Sally had. I always knew there was something out there bigger than me, waiting for me to find it; I just had no idea when or where. I was allowed to stay in my solitude for the most part, as long as I made an effort to come out and show I knew how to communicate with other people on a rare occasion. It wasn’t to my liking, but it was better than four padded walls and art therapy every day.
I leaned over, feeling the coolness of the wood against my arms, keeping the stifling temperature in the room beara
ble. I finally smiled back at Sally, still standing at the desk with me – we both knew it was half-hearted, but I didn’t care. My day was almost over, and I could go home and be alone.
“I also wanted to tell you that Chase is here with the delivery, and is asking for you,” Sally said. “I’ll cover the desk so you can run back.”
“Okay, but he could have come over when I got home,” I said, walking back though the office to the kitchen. “It’s not like I don’t see him almost every day anyways.”
Chase may have moved out a few months ago to be closer to work, but he managed to never miss a hot meal when given the chance. He was a grown man and made decent enough money to move out and live with a few friends in an apartment across town, but he was still used to the idea of being taken care of by one of us. I did his laundry weekly, and I made sure he stayed out of trouble. We were always close, even when our mom passed, but it had become just a routine to me. I already felt sorry for the girl he would end up with. I just hoped she was planning on raising a grown child.
I worked my way to the kitchen, where cleanup was being finished. The full house from the previous night took twice as long to pick up after. Large loads of dishes still in the sink, along with trash that was rotting in the summer heat, gave a pungent odor to the room. As much as I wanted to stay inside, the smell was driving me towards the screen door, where I could see the red Ford pickup that belonged to Derrick Carter.
Every Saturday afternoon, Carter’s farm in Dubois made its delivery to us, bringing fresh eggs, milk, and some seasonal crops. This late in July, the load they brought included some corn, potatoes, and tomatoes. Chase had worked on the farm since graduation, and usually it was just him and Mr. Carter’s son, Derrick, who made the rounds. There was someone new with them today; he was sitting with his head down, crammed into the back of the truck.
“Hey, Emily!” Chase called as he carried a crate full of fresh sweet corn, just picked that morning.
We looked so much alike, no one ever questioned we were related, and often remarked we looked like twins, even with the three year age gap. We had the same blue eyes and curly chestnut-brown hair, even though he was wearing the same dirty baseball cap he always wore to cover up his disheveled locks that were in need of being cut. He had a bit more athletic build and a much deeper tan than I did, from working in a field all summer. His grey Penn State T-shirt was wrinkled, and looked like he had slept in it for the last few days. He probably had, since he hadn’t been over to do his laundry for a while.
“Hey. Sally said you wanted to talk to me,” I said. I could feel the heat blast me as I held the door open for him. The weather was even muggier outside than it was indoors. I wasn’t planning on moving any further into the sun than necessary.
“Yeah,” he said. “You remember that Sayner I told you about, the one Samuel got last week?”
“How could I forget?” I asked. As few of them as there were, I had never seen one other than on a television screen. Chase had told me last week that the Carter’s had bought one from another farmer who was retiring. It was such an oddity to know one was even close to town. It was also a bit scary, since it was well known that they had a tendency to act out of line, and people usually wound up hurt by their actions. I was surprised that people hadn’t lined up at the farm to buy a ticket to see the freak show.
He put the heavy crate on the counter and turned back to face me and the door I still held open. He looked past me, pointing out to the truck. “That’s him out there in the back.”
I followed his gaze back out to the man I had seen in the back of the truck when they arrived. From a distance, he looked no different from any of the other guys from the farm; all of them had tans from working outside every day in the blazing sun. The filth that covered his clothes didn’t look much different from what Chase would look like after a day of hard work and sweat. His head was still lowered, not looking up; his mane of blonde hair was matted down, and he had his knees brought up close to his body, hands clasped around his long legs, trying to make himself as small as possible.
“He doesn’t look any different than you, Chase. He’s ugly, dirty and probably smells just as bad. Are you sure you’re not a Sayner?” I jabbed him in the side.
“I think Emily might be right, Chase. I think the only thing you have on that Copperback is smarts, and that’s cutting a close second.”
Derrick had gotten out of the cab and stopped around the side of the truck. He looked pristine in stark comparison to the farmhands. His jet black hair was slicked back in place by gel, and he wore a freshly pressed denim dress shirt and jeans. I had never seen him so clean cut before, and it was impressive. He now had someone with him to do his share of the work, so he could afford to not get his hands dirty. His smile gleamed back at us, but I could tell it was meant only for me.
“Sorry I had to bring him, but my dad’s not feeling well today, and I don’t trust this thing by himself without a babysitter.”
Derrick turned to look right at him when he said it, but the Sayner didn’t move or react. He was a motionless statue, sitting there.
“Does he even understand what you’re saying to him?” I asked. I had no idea about them and had always been so curious.
“He understands enough. He doesn’t talk, though. Not sure if he can. He’s probably too stupid to figure it out.” His taunts at the Sayner brought no reaction. “We have some work to do. Grab those boxes and hand them to Chase.”
The Sayner came to life instantly and stood up. Without raising his head, he placed one large hand on the side and vaulted out of the truck, landing lightly on the ground, hardly disturbing the gravel under his feet. His gait was nothing like a farmhand. He seemed to almost glide along the ground, as though he was as light as a feather. His height towered over Derrick’s, who was at least six foot. He was slender, but I could still see the muscular frame pressing against his shirt. When he grabbed for the crate of eggs, the brown freckles that ran down the backs of his muscular triceps from under the shirt were apparent, as was the crude branding of the Sayner mark on the back of his hands. The pale irregularity against the smooth, tan skin couldn’t go unnoticed.
I had never seen the mark before either, except on posters or the news. It was the shape of an eye, but in one continuous line. It started around as an almond shape and flowed into the pupil. All slaves had the marks burned into both hands to let us know that they were not to be trusted. They had hurt so many when they came, and never tried to fit in. They were no better than any animal.
He turned and walked toward us. Derrick was right behind him, keeping at his heels, waiting for him to make one wrong move.
“You had better not drop any of those,” Derrick said as he shoved him hard in the back. I could see the Sayner lurch forward, but he managed to maintain his balance and walked up to Chase, carefully handing him the box. He was so close that I could feel the fear building in me, but I tried not to move. I was still curious about him, but the thought of him being this close scared me.
As he turned back to get the next box, he looked up at me, making eye contact. For a brief moment, his dark brown eyes with their golden glimmer showed not anger, but humility. Even though I could see it, I was still caught up in my own fright, and jumped back away from him, nearly falling over my own feet. The only thing keeping me upright was my grip on the doorframe. The hinges strained as I held on tight, using it to support my weight. He immediately looked back down at the ground, like he had just done something terrible, and walked back to the truck.
Apparently Chase thought the encounter was funny, and couldn’t help but to make jokes while still holding onto the crate. “Aww, I think he likes you. Maybe I can ask him for his phone number for you.”
I think I had made some disgusted face, because I saw Derrick, not at all humored by this, yell for the Sayner to get back into the truck. He did as he was told without question, and sat back in the same spot he had arrived in. Once he was seated, Derrick came back ov
er to me.
“Are you ok? Did he scare you?” He was obviously overly concerned about it, but I just brushed it off like it had never happened.
“I’m fine. Just a little startled. No harm done.” I faked a smile, but my heart was still pounding so hard in my chest, I was surprised no one else could hear it but me.
“I want to make sure he doesn’t ever hurt you. I can protect you – if you want me to, that is.” He was standing a bit close for comfort. He apparently had not been told about personal space.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” I glanced back at the truck, still shaken. The Sayner was still as ever, and probably had no idea what he even did.
Derrick’s words were kind. I knew he had been interested in me for a while by the flirting he usually attempted every chance he had, but this was the first time he had actually made mention of it. I already knew my answer. He was a good looking guy, and did well for himself, but if I ever planned to escape, it was not going to be with him. He was forever chained to the small-town life, and that wasn’t something I was willing to commit to until I had seen all my options.
As Chase finished moving the last of the crates, he announced, “I’m not going to make it for dinner tonight, Emily. I have some plans to go out right after work and hit the bar. You’re not going to be too upset, will you?”
Having Chase go out was just fine for me, since I wouldn’t have to play chef to him. It gave me a chance to catch up on reading, and not have to worry about entertaining guests. The thought of my cozy couch was already waving off the pang of fear still in my head and filling it with more peaceful thoughts.
“You have a great time. Stay out of trouble this time.”
“Sure thing, sis,” he said, heading back out to the truck to finish the load that the Sayner wasn’t going to carry. Derrick still had not made a move to help, leaving Chase on his own. Instead, he stayed close to me, working up the courage to ask me something.
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