Louise waved a hand in dismissal and shook her head. “Don't worry about it. Surprisingly, we get more visitors out this way than we'd ever thought we would. We typically have the fireplace going in the evenings, to help with cooking dinner, keeping the house warm, and just for setting the mood. The smoke probably lets people know we're here, since they usually seem to come in the evenings. If you walk back through the dining room and into the hallway, there's a bathroom located just on the right. You boys should all get cleaned up for dinner as well. It'll be about forty-five minutes until it's ready.”
“Yes ma'am,” C.J. said.
Louise smiled at being called ma'am and walked to the fireplace at the edge of the room to start a fire. Chris and Mike began spreading out blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the coffee table and set up a large combined sleeping area.
“C.J., go and wash your hands and your face,” Chris said. “Use soap if they have it.” C.J. nodded, crossed the room back into the dining room, and tried to follow the directions Louise had given them. Chris heard a door close a minute later and assumed he had found the bathroom.
Louise threw several logs and kindling into the fireplace. She grabbed paper from a basket placed next to the fireplace hearth filled with old magazines, newspapers, and other assorted paper. She crumpled up several pieces of newspaper and stuffed them underneath the logs and kindling. She used a lighter to set the few pieces of paper ablaze and stood back to make sure the kindling caught. Satisfied that it would remain lit, she returned the lighter to its position on the mantle.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Chris asked.
“Well, it looks like you have your beds made. I'll be using the fireplace to cook, but you're more than welcome to set the table if you like. I'll set out some plates, cups, and silverware on the table and you can arrange them, how about that?”
“We'd be glad to,” Chris replied. Louise nodded and walked back to the dining room, leaving Chris and Mike alone.
“She seems nice,” Mike said. “Gus is quite the geezer, but she probably drove him to it.”
Chris chuckled. “Either that or she should get an award for putting up with him for all of these years. So we stay here tonight, get a good night's sleep, and then in the morning we take off to Guernsey. Agreed?”
“Sounds like a plan to me. After dinner we'll take a look at C.J.'s stitches and make sure they're holding up. I don't see why they wouldn't, but I'd like to double check,” Mike said.
“Yea, I'd like to see how the infection is doing, too.” Chris sighed.
They did a little more arranging of the bedding, and then Chris and Mike walked into the dining room to find the table with dishes ready to be arranged. Chris maneuvered the glasses and plates into position while Mike arranged the silverware into piles for each person. It was odd to see a table so neatly arranged after spending so much time eating on the road and in the car.
It would be great to have a nice, relaxing, and warm dinner. Especially a dinner with meat. Chris couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten meat. It'd been quite a while, that’s for sure. His mouth started to water at the memory of Sammy's Burgers. It was a popular local hamburger joint he had frequented while he was in college. They had a burger called “the Delight,” weighing a solid pound, and it came with so many toppings piled on top that they would be exploding out from beneath the bun.
Gus had finished cleaning up and joined the group at the table. He was wearing a white long john shirt, covered with a pair of overalls. His hair was wet and messy, from what Chris presumed was a shower, but he sat at the table and looked quite prepared to eat. Gus didn't seem like the type to budge at taking a cold shower. Chris suspected that Gus might have taken cold showers long before they became the norm, simply for the sake of doing it. Gus picked up his knife and fork, held them in each hand, and called, “Where's the food, woman?”
“It's coming, hold your horses,” Louise said, bringing out a water pitcher and placing it in the middle of the table. C.J. walked into the dining room and took a seat at the furthest chair from Gus except for the tail of the table. His chair faced a large window, and he mutely watched the reflection of Louise preparing food in the kitchen.
“I'm going to wash my hands and face,” Chris said and walked to the hallway connecting to the edge of the dining room. He couldn't remember which room she'd said was the bathroom, but he knew it was either the first door on the left or the right. Let's try the left first, he thought. He opened the door, groped for a light switch on the wall, and flipped it up. It wasn't a bathroom but rather an unused bedroom. He was just about to close the door when something caught his eye. Are those hiking backpacks? he wondered. They looked like fancy ones, too, so he stepped into the room, curious to check the brand. If Guernsey didn't work out and they managed to get the laptop back, who knew where the next portal would take them. If they could pick up some heavy duty backpacks, it would be much easier to organize their belongings.
He picked up the nearest pack and turned it over several times in an attempt to find a tag. A small contact information placard designating the owner was attached to the zipper, and it clicked against the zipper teeth as he rolled the pack around. He turned the placard over and read the name, Sandra Zane. He wondered if Sandra was one of Gus and Louise's children, or perhaps a daughter-in-law? The placard contained the information he sought as well, it turned out to be an REI Flash,
The pack still felt plump with gear. It seemed odd that someone had just left their packs here; typically it would hold all of your necessary items. It'd be more appropriate if they were emptied and stored, why would you leave them full of supplies? Maybe their daughter had left it, and Gus used it when he went hunting? Chris grabbed the second pack and read its name placard. It declared its owner as Michael Zane, who was probably Sandra's husband.
As Chris laid the pack back down, a photograph loosened from a netted sleeve on the side, and fell to the floor. The curiosity over whether Sandra was Gus and Louise's daughter was quelled at least. When he picked up the picture an African-American couple smiled back at him, posing in front of a waterfall. Since Gus and Louise where white, it was unlikely she was one of the daughters they'd mentioned, unless she had been adopted. That was always possible, but unlikely.
The man in the picture was muscular, one of those men that looked strong even when he wasn't trying. The woman was beautiful, lean, and had a vivacious smile. Chris couldn't help but smile back at the picture, but the question still nagged at him, why had they left their packs? He placed the picture back in the netting and arranged the packs the way he had found them. Not really my business anyway, Chris thought. Gus and Louise probably found the packs in Glendo and thought they could prove useful. I'd have taken them myself if I'd ran across them in the city.
He closed the door to the room silently, keeping the door knob fully turned to prevent any loud clicking sounds. He crossed the hall and opened the other door into a bathroom adorned with green walls, a green tub, and a white and green marble counter-top. The fan turned on automatically and whirred overhead. A slippery bar of Irish Spring soap sat in the notch cut out area designated for it on the edge of the sink. Chris turned on the water and splashed some on his face and neck. He picked up the bar of soap, rinsed it off, lathered his hands, and used them to wash his face and neck as well as his hands. He rinsed everything off and observed himself in the mirror. Water dripped from his chin into the sink. His skin was red and wet from being scrubbed. Dark bags lay under his eyes, a visible sign of his overall exhaustion. Hopefully tonight he would get a good night's sleep and wake refreshed in the morning.
A towel hung from a nearby rack and he checked it. Only the front was wet, which he assumed had been used by C.J., so he used the back part of the towel to dry off his face and neck. He looked in the mirror again, satisfied he'd removed all of the soap and water, and exited the bathroom.
The dining room appeared to be exactly how he'd left it except for the
food that was now on the table. Steam rolled into the air from a plastic bowl full of green beans, rolls were stacked sat on another plate, and apple wedges sat on yet another. Chris's stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. It hadn't been long since their meal in the store, but the sight of the fresh, not to mention cooked, food forced some kind of dormant hunger in his body to awaken.
“It looks good, Louise,” Chris said, pulling out the chair next to C.J. and sitting down.
“You haven't seen anything yet,” she said. “My Gus may not be good for much, but he is a good provider, there's no denying that. If we're good for one thing, it will be filling your bellies and providing a warm place to sleep.” Louise lowered a plastic tray, covered in what appeared to be slices of ham, onto the table. They were steaming hot and both looked and smelled delicious. Chris's stomach did another roll inside, grumbling for attention.
“Well,” she said, lowering herself on the chair next to Gus. “Dig in already.”
They passed each tray around, and the occupants of the table filled their plates with generous portions of each item. It took considerable restraint for Chris to not immediately push all of the slices of ham adorning the plastic tray onto his plate. He couldn't quite remember the last time he'd eaten meat, but the smell floated in the air temptingly, and he didn't hesitate in sliding a piece onto his plate when the tray made its way in front of him.
Little conversation was made in the first five minutes, as the guests were busy stuffing their faces with food. Louise noticed their pace had slowed a bit and took the opportunity to initiate some conversation. “So what brings you out this way? I'm assuming you don't live nearby, since you were looking for a place to sleep for the evening.”
“We live in Colorado. We were up here visiting Glendo State Park,” Chris said. “It ended up being too late to make the drive back, so we figured we'd just stay here for the night and drive back in the morning.”
“Dad, we–” C.J. said.
“C.J., please don't interrupt adult conversations,” Chris said, abruptly stopping C.J.'s potential correction. “We don't need to bore them with the details of our trip.” Under the table he squeezed C.J.'s leg. The signal was a familiar one for C.J. His dad would use it when he'd not told Sarah the whole truth, for instance hiding the details of eating ice cream on the way back from the batting cages, even though it was nearly dinner time.
Mike gave Chris a glance as well, taking a drink from his glass of water, which Chris ignored. Mike must also be curious as to why he wasn't being fully honest. Chris just couldn't see any reason to reveal too many details of their plans or exactly why they had come to the park in the first place. Just like back in Brent's house, you can't really be too safe. Besides, there was something about that photo of the couple by the waterfall that still bothered him, and he didn't quite know how to broach the subject. Maybe he could just ask about the packs and why they were left here?
“I accidentally wound up in the empty bedroom across the hall from the bathroom earlier when I went to clean up. I noticed you had some fancy hiking packs in there; do you happen to be hikers?” Chris asked. “There are some good hiking areas at the park,”
Louise placed her fork down slowly on the table and shared a look with Gus, who met her gaze expressionlessly. “Were you snooping in our house?” She turned and stared hard at Chris. “I explicitly told you that the bathroom was in the hallway, on the right.”
“Oh no,” Chris said. “It was purely an accident. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Once I realized I was in the wrong room, I went back out across the hall. I just happened to notice the packs on the floor, that's all.”
Louise visibly relaxed and smiled again. “Of course, accidents happen. No, we aren't hikers. Gus brought the packs back from one of his hunting trips. Isn't that right, Gus?”
Gus cleared his throat and looked at Chris. “Yep, I found those packs while I was out in the woods. They were just sitting there waiting to be snatched up by someone. I'm not sure what happened to their owners, but I figured if they'd just left their packs in the woods, they didn't need them anymore.” Gus picked up a piece of ham and tore off a bite.
“Have you been to Glendo, recently?” Mike asked.
“I can't say that we have,” Louise said. “We have enough food here, for now, packed away in the cellar. We haven't needed anything else, since we'd always kept a large supply of sanitary items in our storage area. It's probably been a couple of months since we ventured out. Why do you ask?”
“Do you mind if I ask if you have family there, first?” Mike continued. He hoped to avoid hurting them, by telling them of the current state of things, if they did happen to have family there.
“No,” Louise said. “All of our kids moved out of state for college and didn't come back. They found good jobs or relationships, and they decided to stay. Again, why? Is something wrong in Glendo?”
“Well,” Mike said. “When we were there it appeared that something horrible had happened, and there were bodies everywhere. We didn't stop to see what specifically caused the deaths, but it was obvious that something terrible occurred. At first we were paranoid that something could be in the air, but we haven't experienced any ill effects, so maybe it was something in the water?”
“We have our own well, so we're not on the same water supply as the town is. We wouldn't have experienced any issues that they would have,” Louise shrugged. “That's sad to hear about the town though, are you sure it was the entire town?”
“It sure appeared to be,” Chris said. “Who knows though, there could have been people in other areas of the town that we just didn't see. Things were definitely bad where we were.”
Louise shook her head. “That really is a crying shame. Let's not dwell on the negativity though; you can't change what you can't change. It looks like everyone is done with dinner. Was it good, C.J.?”
“It was great,” C.J said. Both Chris and Mike nodded their agreement.
“Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, I have some special apple pie, who wants a piece?”
“Oh, I'm stuffed,” Chris said, patting his belly.
“I'll have some,” C.J. said.
“Come now,” Louise said, standing. “I'll get everyone a piece and we'll have a little pie. Humor this old lady and have a small piece.”
“Fair enough,” Chris said. “At least let me help clear the plates from the table.” He stood and brought the plates into the kitchen, placing them on the counter.
“Thank you, now go sit down,” Louise said, placing her hand on his arm. “I'll bring the pie in just a minute, after I dish it up.” Though it didn't feel right to Chris to not help, he obeyed and sat again at the table. Mike was attempting to make small talk with Gus, but didn't seem to be getting very far.
“What kind of hobbies do you have out here?” Mike asked.
“Working on a farm is a 24/7 job; we don't have as much time for hobbies as you city folks,” he said. Silence hung awkwardly in the air, and Chris was glad for the distraction when Louise brought the pie in the room.
“There we are, fresh apple pie,” she said, lowering a plate in front of each person. She sat back down, and watched intently as each of the guests took a bite. She smiled. “Is it good?”
“Very much so,” Mike said, in between bites. “Thank you again for everything; for giving us a place to stay tonight and the wonderful dinner.” Chris took small bites and even those were taken slowly. He hadn't been exaggerating or being polite, he really was full. He watched C.J. and Mike in amazement; despite also having had two dinners, they polished off their pieces of pie quickly.
The occupants of the table had resorted to silence again, when Chris noticed Mike's face slowly droop and lay to rest on his crumb covered plate. Chris made a mental note that Mike must be exhausted after such a long day and decided that he should probably take over the driving tomorrow. His internal conversation was interrupted, however, when C.J. also slowly laid his face down. It landed on the
edge of the plate, tilting it upward, and rolling crumbs down onto his face.
Chris tried to ask C.J. what was wrong but found that he was unable to. The thoughts were in his head, and he was sure his brain was sending the appropriate signals to his mouth, but it appeared his mouth had turned off the receivers and decided that it was keeping silent, come hell or high water. His head bobbed lightly, and he attempted to strain his neck muscles to keep it upright but to no avail. The blue and white checkered tablecloth appeared to rise, each colored square enlarging in his vision until the left side of his face made contact. There he lay, looking at Gus and Louise eating their pie, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Chris tried to yell and scream at Gus and Louise that something was wrong. Did they seriously think this was normal?
“This was pretty good luck,” Louise told Gus. “You didn't even have to go anywhere this time.”
“Yea,” Gus nodded. “I don't feel right about the boy though. It's not right to take advantage of a child.” He took a bite of his pie and looked at C.J.
“We can't let him go,” Louise said.
What is going on here? Chris screamed in his head. What was in that pie?
As if tapping into his thoughts, Louise turned to address them. “I won't bore you with the details, but the reason you can't move is because the pie contained an animal tranquilizer, which when ingested, temporarily paralyzes you. You'll be able to move again in an hour and a half. Well, I should say, you would be able to move again in an hour and a half. In your case, it won't matter.”
They drugged us, Chris said. I can't believe they drugged us! Why would they do that? We didn't do anything to them. Have people really become so paranoid? Louise and Gus finished their pie in silence, and Louise took the plates away. She carefully removed the plates from underneath the paralyzed heads on the table, laying their heads back down gently.
Portals Page 13