by Kody Boye
“I think you should let me out on the roof,” I said. “Or at least by the front barricades.”
“No.”
“I could warn your men if and when They’re coming,” I replied.
“I said—”
“I heard what you said, Commander. But you have to consider the fact that the aliens—”
“Might come to Burgundy Hospital. Yes. I’m aware of that. I’ve been aware of that, Ana Mia.”
“And what’ll you do then?”
Dubois said nothing. She merely turned and began to make her way back into her quarters.
“Ma’am!” I cried, then stopped as she slammed the door on my face. I pounded my fist against the wooden barrier and grimaced as I heard the snap of a lock falling into place. “Ma’am! This is ridiculous! You can’t just ignore this!”
“I’m not ignoring it, Ana Mia. I’m ignoring you.”
Unsure what to say, I stepped away from the door and stared at its solid countenance—at the threshold that separated me from the answers I so desperately wanted. I wished, at that moment, that the younger Dubois would come forward and simply open it in her stead, allowing me entry into their personal quarters. Knowing, however, that it wouldn’t happen, I turned and began to make my way down the hall and back toward me and Asha’s room.
Though I wanted nothing more than to run downstairs and alert Sin as to what was going on, I knew that Dubois wouldn’t let the matter go unattended. As religious as she was with security, she likely had a two-way radio in her room. If Tasha and Joshua hadn’t already alerted Captain Sin to the threat in the area, Dubois would.
Sighing, I slipped into my room, then made my way back toward the window to stand sentinel.
I could see nothing in the darkness.
I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or afraid.
Chapter 16
I must’ve fallen asleep sometime after I’d resumed my watch, because when I woke the following morning, I was seated in the windowsill with my cheek pressed against the glass. With the light of a new dawn shining upon the horizon and bathing me in warm splendor, I opened my eyes to view the city and realized, in but a moment, all that had occurred last night.
The light—
The eyes—
The Serpent
Dubois.
Today was Halloween—the day something bad was going to happen.
I couldn’t get the sour feeling out of my stomach no matter how hard I tried. Even when I stood, shrugged the blanket off my shoulders and stretched my legs as I walked to the bathroom I felt like there was sickly bile in my throat. A drink of water didn’t cure that, nor two, nor three. By the time I’d downed half the bottle I felt ready to throw up, and while meandering back to the bed, I thought of Asha and what she might have seen last night.
Had the Serpent been visible from the barricades in front of the hospital? Or had it stealthily evaded detection from those guards out front?
Unable to know until Tasha returned, I made my way toward the bed and was just about to settle down in it when I heard a knock at the door.
“Hello?” I asked.
The door opened to reveal none other than Mary-Anne, bleary-eyed and red-faced. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” I replied, unsure how the girl would respond to me after the events that had occurred the night before.
“Sorry if I got testy with you last night. It’s just… I was concerned that my mother—”
“Would have an aneurysm. I know.”
Mary-Anne smiled, then, and glanced behind her when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. “I won’t stay long,” the girl said, “especially since it looks like your friend is coming, but I just wanted to ask if you would be interested in helping me hang decorations in the lobby for tonight’s celebration.”
“I can do that,” I replied. “Were the scouts able to find some?”
“There’s some old Halloween decorations lying around in a box somewhere. It’s mostly just orange and black tinsel, fake plastic pumpkins, and a collection of eyeballs and spiders, but we try to go all out every year for the kids.”
“A respite from the horrors of life,” I said.
Mary-Anne nodded. “Well… I’ll meet you in the lobby when you’re ready. I’m going to start setting up.”
“All right.”
The girl turned and left the room just as Asha entered, her face grim and her expression worried. “Ana,” she said. “Was it you who—”
“Told Dubois about the Serpent? Yeah. That was me.”
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard,” Asha replied, collapsing in the chair beside the doorway and offering a sigh that could have shook mountains. “I mean… gosh. I thought They’d be gone.”
“It was looking for me, and through me, Dubois.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. It… didn’t say.”
“Well, Captain Sin sure had a fit when he heard the news. Said to double up security, prepare for shifts later in the afternoon instead of early in the evening. God, Ana Mia… I wish you were out there with us. It’d sure make me a lot more comfortable.”
“I think it would just make people nervous,” I replied. “Not that your feelings aren’t important, but you gotta think of the whole in these sorts of situations.”
“Yeah. I know.” Asha paused as I stooped to gather a pair of underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt. “So… you going to help Mary-Anne put up all those decorations she has in the lobby?”
“It’s not like I can do anything else. At least if I’m seen working, Dubois won’t have a hissy-fit and try to kick me out.”
“We really are expendable now that you’re not… well…” Asha paused, likely considering her choice of words, then deciding against them.
“Yeah,” I finished. “I know what you’re talking about.”
Asha rolled her shoulders about their sockets before leaning forward to undo the laces on her boots. “Don’t stay on account of me,” the girl said. “See you later.”
“See ya,” I replied.
I glanced back at her only briefly as I left the room—wondering, the entire time, just what would happen come time night fell and she was forced to take watch.
Mary-Anne and I spent the better half of the morning transforming the lobby into a Halloween paradise. We upended tables, strung fake webbing, dangled spiders from innocuous places and set up plastic pumpkins in rows that would lead to the receptionist’s desk whereat the two of us would pass out treats, all the while basking in the normalcy such an act offered.
By the time we were finished, both of us were exhausted. Mary-Anne, however, had a different dilemma on her mind.
“You want us to wear costumes?” I asked, stunned.
“Why not?” Mary-Anne replied. “We’re doing this for the kids, not for us.”
“I know. It’s just… well… where are we going to get the makeup? Or the outfits?”
“We can make do with what we have,” the girl said. “Besides—turning ourselves into vampires isn’t going to take that much work. A little white foundation here, a little fake blood there—”
“How are we going to make fake blood?”
The girl produced two tubes of the concoction from the cardboard box explicitly marked with the word HALLOWEEN. She grinned, and I, unable to help myself, grinned back.
“So… here’s what we’re going to do,” Mary-Anne said, sliding the tubes of fake blood into her pocket before turning and starting toward the stairway. “I’m going to go upstairs and get the makeup palette that my mom gave me for my birthday. I don’t know about you, but the Halloween stuff is too thick, slimy, and always breaks me out.”
“What should I do?” I asked.
“Go down to the cafeteria and see if they’ve started making the treats yet. There should be cookies, pastries, that sort of thing. I’ll be back down in a few minutes and meet you there.”
“All right,” I said, then turned and started down the hallway.
At the doorway to the kitchen—which was filled with sound and the scents of cookies and pastries—I waited a moment to compose myself before knocking and entering.
A young man, possibly no older than me, lifted his head, frowned, and said, “Who are you?”
“Charles!” an older Indian woman snapped. “That’s no way to talk to a lady.”
“Sorry, Miss Shayana.”
The woman pressed a hand to Charles’ shoulder and beckoned him to the deeper parts of the kitchen before wiping her hands on her apron. “Now,” she said, centering her steely eyes upon me. “What can I do for you, young lady?”
“Mary-Anne asked me to come and check on the progress of the treats,” I said.
“Ah. Well, there’s no need to worry. They’re coming along splendidly. See?” The woman turned and gestured to a wire tray, which was topped with steaming—and seemingly chocolate-chip—cookies. “We’re making them by the dozens so everyone can enjoy, not just the children.”
“Can you afford to do that?” I asked. “I mean, what with the supplies and all?”
“We’re doing our best to ensure that our people are fed. A little treat every now and then won’t hurt them,” Shayana said. “Besides—we just freshly-ground the flour we used to make these cookies. Here, have a bite.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, stepping toward the tray. My mouth instantly began to water at the thought of eating something so warm, so scrumptious, so normal. When she nodded, I reached forward, took hold of a cookie, and then bit down into its soft edges.
It was just like I imagined—chocolate chip.
I could’ve moaned from how good it tasted.
“Well?” Miss Shayana asked.
“They taste perfect,” I replied.
The woman beamed, her smile radiant in that it captured the true affections of her work. “Thank you,” the woman said, setting a hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad to hear that an old woman like me has still got the knack for cooking.” She cast a glance back at the young men and women assisting her in the kitchen before returning her attention to me. “If there isn’t anything else you might need, I’ll ask you to run along, dear. I still have a lot of work to do to prepare for tonight’s celebration.”
“All right,” I said. “Thank you for your time.”
“It’s my pleasure, child.”
I turned and made my way out of the kitchen just in time to bump into Mary-Anne—who, with a massive makeup palette tucked beneath her arm, appeared all the more ready for Halloween.
“So,” the girl said, flashing me a devilish smile. “You ready to turn into a monster?”
“Already?” I asked. “It’s not even going to be dark for a few more hours.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
“All right,” I smiled. “If you say so.”
Mary-Anne’s practiced brushstrokes were soothing to my otherwise-frazzled consciousness, as the closer it got to dark, the more I began to think about the Serpent, what it had said, and what might occur come time the lights finally dimmed from the world.
“Hey,” Mary-Anne said as she pulled the brush away. “Are you ok?”
“I’m just worried about what might happen tonight,” I replied. “That’s all.”
“Mom told me about the… well… thing,” the girl replied, as if afraid to actually speak the monster’s name out loud. “Honestly, I don’t think we have anything to worry about though.”
“You don’t?”
Mary-Anne shook her head. “I think that if They’d have wanted to do something to us, They’d’ve done it already. Don’t you?”
I did, but that didn’t mean that They had an ulterior motive—a plan set in place as to how They would deal with us come time They began to assimilate into the population. They’d already stated They would lay waste to the cities and build Them from the ground up. What if They didn’t want to wait to start?
With a shake of my head, I expelled a breath from my lungs and gestured Mary-Anne to continue with what she was doing. She only performed a few more strokes on my face before lifting a mirror and revealing my horrified facade in full. “Ta-dah!” she said.
I looked every bit the vampire—complete with white skin, black lips, and little white fangs that dotted my lower lips. “Wow,” I said, surprised that a girl so young could have such skill with makeup. “I’m impressed.”
“It’s something I’ve always liked to do,” the girl said as she lowered the mirror and lifted a tube of fake blood to apply some to my chin. “Drawing. Painting. Coloring. I’ve done it since I was a kid. Makeup’s my way of expressing myself.”
“I take it it’s pretty hard to find though, isn’t it?”
“Not really,” Mary-Anne said. “I mean… when your mom’s Commander Dubois and your daughter wants something for her birthday or Christmas, it’s pretty easy to send soldiers into abandoned malls to raid the makeup stores.” She paused, then frowned. “Not… that I’m spoiled or anything. Or… am I?”
“I don’t think you are,” I said, suddenly self-conscious about the fact that Mary-Anne was now having doubts about her previous requests. “I mean… if they were already going into the malls to find clothes and stuff anyway, it’s not like you’re being selfish. You have things you want out of life.”
“I just hope I wasn’t seen as a burden,” the girl said, then secured the brush back into the palette before closing it before her. “It’s hard enough being the commander’s daughter. It’s even harder when you feel like you’re worthless half the time.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I’m not a soldier or a scavenger. I’m not out there looting buildings and bringing back supplies. I can’t cook, and it’s not like it’s easy to learn. And sewing?” The girl snorted. “Don’t even get me started.”
“You contribute in your own way.”
“I know. It’s just… I feel like I’m unprepared for the world, you know? For its challenges, its obstacles.”
“The world’s changing, Mary-Anne. It’s not going to be like it was before.”
“I know, but still.” The girl sighed. After a moment, however, she lifted her head and forced a smile, which I responded to in kind if only to help bolster her mood. “But anyway, let’s stop talking about the sad stuff in the world. We have a Halloween party to throw!”
“Yeah!” I replied, then stood and followed her out of the room.
Darkness came, and with it the reality that things could go wrong at any moment.
Seated behind the receptionist’s desk with Mary-Anne at my side, I watched as from the heights of the building and from the lower halls where the gymnasium was located as parents, their children, and the other occupants of Burgundy Hospital drew forward. Armed with treats, gift baskets and other essentials that we would be giving away, Mary-Anne greeted the kids with fanged smiles and waved her hand over one of the candles burning in front of her for dramatic effect.
“Welcome,” she said, “to Halloween!”
The children laughed and drew forward as those in the cafeteria began to carry out the treats and other foods that would be served in the lobby. The sight of cookies were met with screams, pastries giggles of delight. The soldiers going out on duty were served first—and Asha, being one of them, approached with a smile on her face and a cookie in her hand.
“Wow,” my friend said, glancing first at Mary-Anne and I, then at
the lobby, which looked spectacularly-spooky in the candlelight streaming from the various fixtures. “You guys really went all out.”
“We tried,” I smiled. “Didn’t we?”
Mary-Anne grinned and nodded at Asha before reaching down and passing a series of small, hand-sized satchels over the desk. “For your hands,” she said. “I heard it’s cold out there.”
“Oh. Hand warmers. Neat.” Asha palmed the objects and tested them out in her hands before sliding them into her pockets. “Thanks, guys. Have fun tonight.”
“You too,” I replied, then watched her leave out the front door along with Captain Sin, who merely offered me a sad nod before disappearing into the night.
“Hey,” Mary-Anne said, pressing a hand against my shoulder. “Why the long face?”
“I’m still worried about what’s going to happen tonight,” I replied.
“Don’t be,” Commander Dubois said as she appeared from around the corner. “Security has been doubled on account of what happened last night.”
“Mom,” Mary-Anne said, straightening her posture.
“Mary-Anne,” the imposing woman replied. She looked from her daughter, to me, then back again before returning her gaze to her daughter. “I’m pleased to see the work you’ve done.”
“Thank you.”
“It means a lot to know that my daughter cares about the people of Burgundy Hospital,” Dubois replied, then leaned forward to set a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Again: thank you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
The woman turned and disappeared toward the punch bowl, which glowed red in the light echoing from the flashlights that’d been arranged beneath the glass table.
“I noticed she didn’t thank you for helping me,” Mary-Anne mumbled.
“It’s fine,” I replied. “Really, it’s—”
Someone screamed.
My blood ran cold.
The soldiers guarding the front entrance raised their guns and aimed them directly at the door.
“What’s going on?” Dubois barked as she turned, punch in hand. “If this is someone’s idea of a practical joke, they better knock it the hell off before I—”