by Perrin Briar
“Yes, please,” Bill said. “If you don’t mind.”
The driver took them the scenic route out of the small town, past all the buildings and shops and streets they knew so well, and then along the road that wound up and around a mountain, the only road in or out of the valley.
“Can you pull over for a moment?” Bill said to the driver.
The Flower family got out of the van to look down on the beautiful valley spread out before them, at everything they had ever known. A clean blue river ran through the middle of the town. Church bells rang and the people spilled out into the streets on their way to work. The sun winked above the peak of the snow-capped mountains and began its assault on the sky.
A sliver of hesitancy flickered inside the Flowers before giving way to excitement.
They got back in the van and continued on their journey.
V
THE FLOWERS and Montroses dumped their bags on the seats in the airport lounge.
“Liz,” Bill said, “why don’t you take the boys and check-in?”
“You’ll need to be there too,” Liz said.
“I’ll catch up,” Bill said.
Liz turned to the boys.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go check-in. Bring your bags with you.”
“You should check in too, love,” Dennis said to Marie.
Marie had a pinched expression, a constant pout like she disapproved of everything around her.
“Isn’t there a service for that?” she said.
“I believe not,” Dennis said.
Dennis loaded their luggage onto a trolley. Marie made half an attempt to push it.
“It’s too heavy,” she said.
Jenny rolled her eyes and pushed the trolley, causing it to roll forward. Marie followed in her wake. Once they were out of earshot Bill turned to Dennis.
“What are you doing here, Dennis?” Bill said.
“I heard you talk so passionately about going on an adventure and travelling the world, and I think it rubbed off on me,” Dennis said.
“I thought seeing those women was adventure enough for you?” Bill said.
“Keep it down, Bill!” Dennis said, eyes going wide.
He waved and smiled at Marie.
“I’m talking about real adventure,” he said. “I realised I need more than just a quick fling now and then. I want to start again. Fresh. A blank canvas.”
“Is that the truth, Dennis?” Bill said. “Or just a form of it?”
“Isn’t all truth really just a form of it?” Dennis said.
Bill’s eyes narrowed.
“All right,” Dennis said, holding up his hands. “Marie is beginning to get suspicious.”
“It’s probably for the best,” Bill said. “If you’d kept going it was guaranteed to end up biting you.”
“You’re telling me,” Dennis said. “My bit on the side wanted to be more than a bit, which can’t be allowed. Twice already she’s visited me at work.”
“At least you’re guaranteed one patient,” Bill said.
Dennis glared at Bill.
“This isn’t a laughing matter, Bill!” he said.
“You’re right, sorry,” Bill said.
“Jesus, Bill,” Dennis said, shaking his head.
“It’s great you’re going to start a new life with your family,” Bill said. “New country, new slate.”
“Marie isn’t much interested in a new beginning,” Dennis said. “Jenny isn’t excited about it either. But hey, they have no choice, right? I’m the breadwinner. They’ll have to follow the crumbs. And to be honest, I quite fancy seeing what’s on the other side of the world in terms of the female persuasion. There’s nothing quite so exciting as experiencing a different culture and all it has to offer.”
He chuckled to himself. Bill cringed. He suspected said experiences were rather narrow in scope in Dennis’s mind.
“Bill!” Liz called.
She was at the head of the queue, about to be called to the check-in desk. She waved him over. Bill waved back and began to make his way over. He sidled in close to Dennis.
“Can you at least promise not to make trouble on our way to the island?” Bill said.
“Of course,” Dennis said. “You can trust me.”
Bill had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Liz
I
THE FLOWER family moved to the security gates, their boarding passes and passports at the ready. Bill double-took something over Liz’s shoulder.
“Looks like somebody’s here to see you,” he said.
Liz turned to see Angel. She stood there uncertainly, taking a step forward and then back.
“I’ll catch up with you,” Liz said, leaving the queue.
Bill and the boys filtered in behind the security screen as Liz approached her sister.
“I was hoping I would catch you before you left,” Angel said.
“I’m surprised you managed to pull yourself away from your busy schedule,” Liz said, folding her arms across her chest.
Angel gritted her teeth.
“I wanted to see you off,” she said. “But maybe I made a mistake.”
She turned to leave.
“No,” Liz said. “Wait. Say what you came to say.”
Angel cocked her head to the side.
“No,” she said. “I don’t think I will.”
“You came all the way here to see me,” Liz said. “You must have had something to say.”
“I came to make sure you’re not leaving because of me,” Angel said, her voice tight.
“Believe it or not, but the world doesn’t revolve around you, Angel,” Liz said. “And I certainly don’t. We made this decision by ourselves.”
“Good,” Angel said.
“Good,” Liz said.
The sisters stared at one another, neither one breaking eye contact. Then Liz sighed, unfolded her arms and softened her tone.
“I’m glad you came to see me off,” she said. “I appreciate it.”
Angel blinked in surprise. Then smiled, raising her eyes.
“You’ll do great things,” she said. “Not as great as me, I grant you, but-”
“You can leave it there,” Liz said, pressing her finger to her sister’s lips.
Angel took Liz’s finger off her lips, folded the fingers up inside her own and kissed Liz’s hand.
“Thank you for raising me,” she said.
Liz waited for a biting retort but none came.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
They hugged.
“We all have to have a purpose in our lives, don’t we?” Angel said. “Mine’s work. Yours is your family. I understand that now.”
“What made you change your mind?” Liz said.
“I’m a saleswoman,” Angel said. “I know I have to alter my sales plan for each customer I work with. No one is the same. It’s hard to remember that outside the office sometimes.”
“I’m glad you’re trying,” Liz said.
“So am I,” Angel said with a smile. “Now I really do have to be getting back to the city.”
Liz smiled and shook her head.
“Busy, busy,” she said. “I suppose I’ll see you in a year or two.”
“Who knows,” Angel said. “I might have a business trip or two out there soon.”
“It’ll be good to see you,” Liz said. “Do me a favour in the meantime, and don’t be sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Angel said.
“For anything,” Liz said. “I love you the way you are, flaws and all. Don’t be sorry. Life is too short.”
Liz watched her sister head toward the large automatic doors and out into the bright sunshine, a small shadow consumed by the light. Liz turned and joined the security queue.
II
THE GUARD on duty wore a mask, goggles and plastic gloves. She took Liz’s boarding pass and passport, checked her details, and handed them back. Liz passed through the security doors.
&n
bsp; She froze at what she saw.
A dozen cameras glared down at each line of passengers with an unblinking red light. The security officers wore the same ensemble as those outside. A dull yellow mist doused the area from the overhead sprinkler system.
An impersonal voice over the speaker system said: “If you have hot flushes, headache, dizziness, or the need to vomit, please notify an official immediately.”
“Fills you with confidence, doesn’t it?” a middle-aged woman beside Liz said.
Liz joined a security queue and shuffled forward. She kept her eyes down, sensing it was a mistake to appear confrontational. Liz glanced up at the cameras lined up along the walls. They moved forward and back on long whirring hydraulic arms.
One camera centred-in on Liz and followed her. The red light began to blink, dilating like a pupil. At a terminal up ahead a pair of security men peered at a monitor and then turned in Liz’s direction. One of the men broke away and headed toward her.
Liz looked around but couldn’t see any sign of Bill or the boys. She concentrated on the back of the leather jacket the man in front of her was wearing, her heart beating so hard she could feel it in her throat. The man in front had reached the conveyor belt and unshouldered his bag and jacket, placing them in the trays. He had coarse black hair pulled back into a ponytail.
The security man stepped through the metal detector.
“Boots, please,” the small security lady said to the ponytail man.
Ponytail removed his boots and placed them in a tray. The large security man stopped in front of him.
“Excuse me, sir,” the security man said. “Have you been to the Middle East recently?”
“No,” Ponytail said.
“Can I see your passport please, sir?” the security man said.
“What’s this all about?” Ponytail said.
“Your passport, please,” the security man said.
Ponytail handed his passport over.
“Have you experience any flu-like symptoms?” the security man said as he flicked through the passport. “Nausea? Breathlessness? A cold sweat?”
“No,” Ponytail said.
The security man nodded, watching Ponytail intently. The other passengers looked at the floor, the conveyor belt, anywhere but the scene taking place in front of them.
“Excuse me, Madam,” the small security woman said to Liz. “Can you continue through, please?”
Liz removed her bag and put it into a tray, wary of the two large men.
“Can you come with me please, sir?” the security man said to Ponytail.
“What’s going on?” Ponytail said.
“Just a minor security check, sir,” the security man said.
“What about my things?” Ponytail said.
“They’ll be taken care of,” the security man said.
“But I’m going to miss my flight,” Ponytail said.
“This will only take a moment, sir,” the security man said.
The security man led Ponytail away.
Liz passed through the metal detector doorway and came to another security man on the other side.
“Open your mouth please,” the security man said.
Liz did, and he aimed what looked like a futuristic gun at her mouth. A red light on the top blinked. He put a gloved finger to her cheek, pulled down her bottom eyelids and peered intently at her. He waved her through.
Liz collected her things, hastily stamped her shoes on without tying the laces, and headed out of the security area.
“There she is!” Francis said.
He came running over, barrelling into her, almost knocking her off her feet. Bill and the others were all looking at a bank of monitors, beside a hundred other people.
“What’s going on?” Liz said.
“It’s something on the news,” Francis said.
Liz took his hand and stood at Bill’s shoulder.
“It’s boring,” Francis said.
“Bill, what’s-” she said, but Bill shushed her.
“A plane has crashed into the Atlantic after unconfirmed reports of aggressive passengers on board,” the newscaster said. “This comes just hours after a Miami-bound plane crashed in the Florida Keys and two flights in Yemen exploded on the runway. There have been unconfirmed reports of cancelled flights landing at London Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. We are as yet unsure of the full implications, though we have been assured this is just a precaution. We will keep you posted on developments as they occur.”
“This is unreal,” Fritz said.
“It’s the perfect time to be taking a plane, and no mistake,” Bill said.
“Our gate has just been called,” Ernest said. “Gate twelve.”
The Flower family shared uneasy glances.
“We’ve got more chance of getting struck by lightning than dying on an aeroplane,” Bill said without conviction.
“I suspect the chances go up significantly during a storm though,” Ernest said.
“Thanks, Mr. Positive,” Fritz said.
With a solemn mood the two families headed toward their gate.
On The Island #5
I
JACK STARTED awake, flying up into a sitting position. He jerked back, almost sliding off the edge of the sheer rock face. He crawled back on his elbows. He got to his feet and checked his body, the strength in his muscles and tendons. He felt himself again. He jumped, performing a backflip in the air and shouted, “Woohoo!”
It was still night time. That was good. He might not be late.
He bent down and plucked Greenie Stripies, stuffing them in his pockets. He looked down and saw the zombie, scratching at the sheer cliff wall, nails torn from its fingers. Jack picked up a rock, relishing the strength of his body, and threw it.
The zombie stood staring dumbly up at the rock, making no attempt to avoid it. It smashed into his skull and flattened his head into the ground in a miniature crater.
Jack looked up at the top of the trees roiling like the sea. He gave Nips a high five.
“About time we got home, don’t you think?” Jack said.
He took two steps back and then threw himself over the edge of the cliff and down into the trees below. On his descent, he seized a vine and swung his way up, into the upper boughs.
He hit the branch and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Faster and faster he went until the world was a blur and the creatures he passed didn’t react quick enough to get out of the way before he was gone.
Jack ran into his parents’ room first, filling a glass of water on the way. He took the petals out of his pocket and mashed them up, adding the water to make it into a thin paste. He took it to his mother.
Her pulse was weak and he had to hold her up in order to feed it to her. The liquid spilled into her mouth and down her throat. Some of it spilled down her cheek, but he was quick to slide the cup up her face to recapture it.
He did the same with his father, and then his brothers in the order they had been infected. He was relieved to find they were all still alive. Once he was done, he set to cleaning the vomit up off the floors.
He pulled up a chair and waited with the full intention of staying up all night to care for his family, but no sooner had he rested his head against the cabinet than his eyes began to drift closed.
II
JACK’S EYES opened into slits, the light stinging and painful. The world was fuzzy with multiple blocks of indistinct colours.
“He’s coming around,” a female voice said.
Jack recognised it but couldn’t put a name or face to it.
“There is he,” a deep voice said. “Our little hero.”
Three more blurs joined the first two.
“Our hero?” another voice said. “He’s the one who made us all ill in the first place! Funny hero.”
“But he brought us the cure too,” the deep voice said, and Jack recognised it as his father’s.
Jack blinked, and his vision snapped into focus like
hitting the autofocus button on a digital camera. His family stood around him. He was lying in bed.
“Am I undead?” Jack said.
Liz chuckled.
“Far from it,” she said.
A fuzzy mass of fur lay curled up on Jack’s stomach. Nips looked up at Jack, a big smile on his face. His movements were slow and awkward.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jack said. “He hasn’t caught it too?”
“No,” Bill said. “Just an overdose of loyalty. We tried to feed him but he wouldn’t take anything we gave him. All he would do was sit by your side. Or, rather, on your stomach.”
“But you’re all okay?” Jack said.
“We’re fine,” Bill said. “Thanks to you.”
“I woke up and found everyone else unconscious,” Liz said. “It scared me, I can tell you. But when I saw you and the petals in your pockets I knew what I had to do. I made more of the paste and gave it to everyone every hour. They each woke up one by one.”
“Why didn’t the other medicines Father made work?” Jack said.
“It didn’t work because I assumed it was Ernest’s hat that had caused your mother to get ill,” Bill said, “but it wasn’t the hat at all.”
“What was it then?” Jack said.
“It was your flowers,” Bill said. “They were what got into Liz’s system. She’d breathed in their poison in a deep inhalation. That’s why she was affected first. The rest of us were affected much slower, the pollen gradually entering our systems. I don’t know why I was affected before Fritz or Ernest. It might have been down to fatigue, or maybe I was just more susceptible. Francis is smaller, so it’s logical it would affect him quickly.”
“How can you know it was definitely the flowers?” Jack said.
“Because I gave the flowers to some rats we caught,” Bill said. “They collapsed and died—too small to suffer the poison and live. We got lucky this time. This isn’t your fault, Jack. It could have happened to any one of us. Just goes to show you can live in a place for months and never really know anything about it.”