The Black Tide I: Remnants (Tides of Blood)

by Baileigh Higgins

  “Lexi, please. I'm sorry.” Jacob's face was pained and he stumbled over the words. “You know I don’t want this.”

  “Sorry isn't good enough,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

  His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he dropped two large bags down in front of us. My eyes traveled from the bags to his face and back.

  “Jacob?”

  “M...my mom wants you and Lexi to leave tonight.”

  “What?” I cried, my knees turning to water. “What do you mean?”

  “She...she...”

  “Aunty Anne blames you for what happened to Andy,” Lexi piped up.

  My jaw dropped. “What?”

  Jacob nodded, his misery evident. “It's true. She blames you, Ava. Now she wants you to leave. You and your sister.”

  “It wasn't my fault,” I replied, even though the guilty feeling that throbbed through me cried otherwise. After everything that had happened, this was the one thing I hadn’t seen coming.

  “No, it's not your fault. You would never hurt anyone,” Lexi added, her blind faith in me warming my heart.

  “Hush, sweet pea. It's okay.”

  She shot me a mutinous glare.

  “I know it's not your fault, Ava. But there's nothing I can do. My mom's mind is made up.” He hung his head. “I'm sorry. I don't know what to do.”

  “I'm sorry too.” On impulse I reached out and hugged Jacob, my arms wrapping around his scrawny shoulders for what would probably be the last time. He sniffed and hugged me back.

  “I'll miss you,” he said. “And Lexi.”

  “We'll miss you too.”

  “No, I won't,” Lexi said, still angry. The shimmer in her eyes betrayed her, however, and when Jacob hugged her, she broke down and cried.

  I slung the two bags over my shoulders, a muttered 'oof' escaping my lungs at the weight. There was no point in arguing. If Mrs. Peterson wanted us gone, we had to leave. Before she called in the army.

  “Come on, Lexi. We have to go.”

  She sniffed, curling her fingers into the straps of her pink backpack. “I'm ready.”

  “You have to hurry. My mom drugged the soldiers with mild sleeping tablets. It won't last long,” Jacob said.

  “Alright.” I turned to go.

  “Oh, and Ava.”

  “Yes?”

  “Good luck.”

  A lump formed in my throat. “Thanks, Jacob.”

  With his help, Lexi and I scaled the wall, our feet landing in the brittle grass on the other side. I gripped Lexi's hand, feigning confidence.

  “Come on, sweet pea.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Don't worry. I've got a place. We just have to get there without the soldiers catching us.”

  “Okay.”

  Her small fingers curled around mine while her eyes gazed up at me with complete trust. I had no idea where we were going or what we would do, but she believed in me and that was all that mattered.

  20

  Chapter 19

  I hoisted the two bags onto my shoulders and immediately realized my original plan of going back to Brian’s house wouldn’t work. Not while carrying this much weight on legs that felt like jelly and with a ten-year-old in tow.

  Even with the risk of contagion, it would have been safer as the army would never guess to look for us there. I could have disinfected the place and be assured of a roof over our heads, at least.

  Not anymore.

  “Plan B it is,” I muttered.

  We set off, working our way to the front of the oldsters’ house. I waited until I was sure the road was clear then jogged to the left, hugging the neighbor’s palisade fencing. Our breathing sounded loud to my ears, and I winced whenever one of us stepped on a twig. The bags became heavier with each step, and I had to fight the urge to toss them aside. Whatever was in them could be vital later on.

  Frantic barking broke out at the next house as the occupants’ dog twigged onto our presence and I broke into a run. “Come on!”

  Three houses further on, I paused behind a bush and hunkered down. My heart hammered in my chest until I thought I would keel over and die with fright. This time, it wasn’t just my fate at stake. It was Lexi’s too.

  I had to admit, I was impressed with the manner in which she was acting. No hysterics, no whining. Perhaps, Jacob was right and I’d been underestimating her, treating her like a baby when she was anything but.

  When the dog quietened down, we set off again. “Please, please, please, let this work,” I chanted in my head while counting the houses.

  When I thought we’d gone far enough, I paused and inspected the gate and premises. It looked clear. Only one window showed a light and the doors were shut. No porch light, either. With a deep breath, I reached out and rattled it, purposely making a noise.

  No barking.

  Not many people had dogs nowadays, most getting rid of their pets when the food shortages began. Some held on, however, unable or unwilling to give up their beloved animals.

  I fished through my pockets for my lighter and tapped on the metal, the sharp noise echoing through the night.

  Still nothing.

  I turned to Lexi. “We need to climb over, okay?”

  She nodded, then replied in a small voice. “Okay.”

  One after the other, I hoisted the bags up, dropping them on the other side, waiting each time for the dull thuds to elicit some response from the house. When nothing happened, I pulled Lexi close and pushed her up before following, the gate wobbling beneath our weight.

  I scrambled for our things. “Let’s go,” I whispered.

  We circled around the house until we reached the back, my eyes and ears straining for the tell-tale noise of a door opening. At the back wall, I levered myself up and peeked over, nearly fainting with relief when I spotted our old backyard.

  We made it.

  I scanned the area, hoping with every fiber of my being that it wasn’t being watched. I’d considered the possibility, which was why Brian’s home had been plan A. Now, I hoped that the army wasn’t watching our old place too.

  It looked undisturbed, the curtains drawn, no lights or movement showing. They might decide to search there in the morning when they discovered Lexi’s absence. That, however, was something I couldn’t worry about now. My immediate concern was getting us off the street.

  “We’re here,” I said, throwing our bags over.

  The overgrown grass muffled any sound and I knelt down, holding out my cupped hands to boost Lexi over. Once she was on the other side, I followed, landing beside her.

  “It’s our house,” she whispered, eyes as large as saucers. A hint of silver in the moonlight betrayed the tears threatening to flow across her cheeks. “I miss Daddy.”

  “I’m sorry, sweet pea. It was the only place I could think of.” I squeezed her shoulder. “I miss him too.”

  I looked up at the building, dark and shrouded by the night. The warm feelings I’d had once gave way to longing and despair. The house belonged to a different lifetime. One before the Black Tide, before my father’s death—before Andy.

  “Wait here,” I whispered before setting off to make sure it really was deserted.

  After a quick search of the yard confirmed it, I unlocked the back door with the key I’d hidden under a desiccated pot plant. The door creaked, raising the hair on the back of my neck. I held my breath.

  Nothing happened.

  I stepped inside, noting the musty smell that permeated the air. The smell of a building long closed. Relief set in and I moved fast, searching the rooms. It was empty. Judging by the thick layer of dust that coated everything, no one had been here since we left. I went back for Lexi and our stuff. “Come on, sweet pea. We’re home.”

  Once inside, I locked the door again then hustled us into my old bedroom. Its windows faced the back and the curtains were thick and navy colored. It was unlikely our movements would be seen.

  With old familiarity, I moved around, shaking
the dust off my bed covers and stashing our bags against the wall. “Come on. Time for bed.”

  “But I’m not tired yet,” Lexi protested.

  “I’m sorry, Lexi but I haven’t slept in a long time. I really need to rest.”

  “Fine,” she replied, crawling into bed next to me.

  Once I’d uttered the words, the full weight of my exhaustion crashed down on me, crushing me into the mattress. I didn’t even notice my empty stomach or dry lips. With Lexi huddled against me, I fell asleep within seconds, all thought obliterated by the sweet sensation of a deep dreamless sleep.

  21

  Chapter 20

  Lexi's POV:

  Ava fell asleep quickly. She must have been really tired. Her breath tickled the back of my neck and her snores filled the room. I couldn’t sleep. My mind was too busy with everything that had happened.

  Waking up yesterday morning with Ava gone, I’d been so scared. Andy was missing too. I’d run about the house, then the yard, looking for them. Not long after that, loud knocking on the door had startled us all. Mrs. Peterson’s had answered it after telling me it would be okay. She was wrong, though.

  It no longer feels right to call her Aunty Anne.

  It was a soldier. A very nasty one, too. He said a lot of ugly things to Mrs. Peterson, telling her that Andy and Ava were traitors, working against the government. He said two soldiers would stay with us to wait for them. When they were caught, they’d be executed. Poor Mrs. Peterson cried all day long.

  Jacob had explained to me what traitor meant later on. I didn’t believe them. Ava would never hurt anyone or steal. He also explained what execution meant. Even knowing what would happen to them if they returned, I still hoped Ava would come back. I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing her again. Besides, I was sure she could fix things, tell the soldiers she didn’t do anything bad. They had to believe me.

  Later that afternoon, soldiers rode down the road announcing over a loudspeaker that they were looking for them. They also said the others who’d been part of their group were dead and anyone who helped them would be shot too.

  I grew really scared then. What if they shot her? I couldn’t lose her too. She was all I had left. I tried to explain that to the two soldiers in our house, asking them not to hurt her. Neither of them answered me.

  That night, I waited. And waited. Despite trying my hardest, I fell asleep after a while. In the morning, I bolted out of bed, running to her side but her bed was still empty.

  Somehow, I thought she’d be there. That it was all a bad dream. But it wasn’t. She was still gone. Just like Mommy and Daddy. That’s when I’d really thought she was dead.

  I cried, sitting with my arms and chin on the window sill looking out. The sun was coming up and birds were chirping which I thought was awful. Nothing should be happy when Ava was dead.

  That’s when I saw it. Something was in the big old tree at the back of the house. I couldn’t make out what it was, but somehow I knew.

  Ava!

  It had to be her. I knew she’d come back for me and she was too clever to be caught by those stupid soldiers.

  The soldiers!

  I ran to the patio. Sure enough, there he was. The young one that smoked a lot. If he looked properly he might spot her. That’s when I nagged at him to go somewhere else, telling him I liked to play on the patio and his smoke bothered me.

  It worked and he left. I’d called Jacob, dragging him out of bed. We waited all day for a chance for him to go outside and talk to Ava. I’d thought his idea of pretending to read was quite clever. Jacob has always been clever. That’s one of the things I liked about him.

  Too bad he was no longer my friend. Not after what he did. I know his mom didn’t want us there but he could have told her that Andy dying was not Ava’s fault. He could have helped us more.

  I hated Jacob now. His mom too. It was too bad about Andy, though. Ava will miss him a lot. I’m going to miss him too.

  What will happen to us now?

  It felt strange to be back. It didn’t feel right. Nothing was the same anymore. Daddy was gone and people were looking for us. Dangerous people. People who wanted to kill us.

  Behind me, Ava shifted, pulling me closer. That felt good, comforting. Not everything had changed. We still had each other.

  My eyes began to grow heavy. At first, I fought it, determined to stay awake. What if someone came during the night? Ava wouldn’t hear them. She was too tired.

  But I couldn’t help it. It was like waiting for Santa Claus the night before Christmas. I never managed to stay awake then either so I gave up and snuggled down under the covers, closing my eyes. One thought lingered as I drifted off.

  I missed Jacob. I missed my friend.

  22

  Chapter 21

  I woke up with a start, heart thudding. I’d been awakened by a noise. The sound of breaking glass and a thud. All the doors were locked, I’d made sure of that the night before.

  Soldiers.

  I bolted upright, lunged off the bed and scooped up the gun from the bedside table. Pointing it at the door, I waited, straining my ears for the sound of intruders. Only the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

  I imagined a squad of men, armed with automatic guns, creeping along the passage on booted feet.

  They’ve come for us.

  Lexi mumbled in her sleep and I reached back with my other hand to shake her awake. “Lexi. Lexi, wake up.”

  “Wha...what?” she slurred.

  “Get up. Quick. There’s someone here.”

  “Huh?”

  “Lexi, please. It’s the army. They’re looking for us.” I released her shoulder, taking a two-handed grip on the gun and steadying my aim. My eyes were trained on the door but I heard her gasp and scramble out of bed.

  “Soldiers? Where?”

  “In the house.”

  She popped up by my side, eyes wide. “What do we do?” Her frantic whispers were rising in pitch to match the panic I glimpsed in her face.

  “Shh, quiet, Lexi.”

  It was a good question. What did we do? The only way out was down the hall towards the living rooms and kitchen where the sound had come from. We couldn’t slip out of a window either. Burglar bars.

  My mind raced, considering the possibilities. There was nowhere to run and Lexi could not be caught in the crossfire should I fight. “We hide.” I pointed at the closet. “Grab your shoes and get inside.”

  She obeyed without question, scooping up her boots and hurrying across the room. With one eye glued to the door, I grabbed our stuff and followed. My old closet was small, barely large enough to hide a poodle let alone two people. I stuffed the bags inside and motioned to Lexi to get in. She crouched down in the bottom, squished into the tiny gap.

  “What about you?” she asked.

  “I’ll hide under the bed. Whatever you do, keep quiet okay?”

  She nodded “Okay.”

  I pulled an old coat off its hanger and threw it over her. The action reminded me of the riot and how I’d tried to hide her then too. What would happen today? Would we make it out of this like we did then? Or has our luck run out?

  Shutting the closet doors with a firm click I paused, leaning my forehead against the wood and closing my eyes for a brief moment. Lexi didn’t know because of the night-frill, but there was no space beneath my bed.

  I turned to face the exit and padded over. My feet made no sound on the thick carpet and I reached for the handle with a trembling hand. After listening for any noise, I swung open the door, revealing the dark hallway.

  Swallowing, I stuck my head around the corner. With the raised gun pointing the way, I sidled down the passage, every step slow and deliberate. I checked each room I passed, expecting a soldier to jump out and start shooting each time. Nothing happened. I couldn’t hear anything either. Perhaps I’d dreamt the whole thing? But no, I was sure I’d heard a window break.

  The living room loomed ahea
d and I paused, working up the nerve to continue. My mouth tasted like sandpaper while my pulse raced with the growing tension. I had no illusions over what would happen once I came face to face with the soldiers. The chances of me making it out of this alive were slim. I had to try, though. Licking my dry lips, I crept closer and hunched down to present a smaller target. I strained to see through the gloom, studying the open plan living and dining room spread out before me.

  Still nothing.

  The only remaining rooms were the kitchen and pantry. My brow furrowed in confusion. Perhaps, I was wrong. If there was an invading force, I’d have heard or seen them by now. Maybe I had imagined the whole thing.

  Squaring my shoulders, I stepped into the space between the dining and living room, facing the kitchen entrance. I inched forward until I stood beneath the arch leading inside and scanned the space.

  Empty.

  I lowered the gun and blew out a breath, annoyed. “What the fuck?”

  Had this whole charade been for nothing? Was it just my overactive imagination that sent me scurrying around like a rat on a sinking ship?

  That’s when I noticed it. A ball of paper the size of my fist lying on the floor. Scattered around it were shards of glass while the kitchen curtain fluttered in the morning breeze.

  After peeking through all the windows and checking that no intruders lurked in the yard, I kneeled beside the ball and picked it up. I was surprised to find it quite heavy.

  Paper wrapped around a rock. A message.

  My mind raced through all the possibilities. None of them good.

  With the strange missile clutched in my hand, I retreated back to the perceived security of my bedroom, seeking the comfort of the familiar. “Lexi, you can come out now. There’s nobody here.”

  Her relieved face appeared from the closet and she hurried to my side. “No soldiers? Are you sure?”

  “Nope. I checked everywhere.”

  “So I hid in the closet for nothing?”

  “Not nothing.” I showed her the rock. “Somebody threw this through the window.”