The Renewal

by Joseph Ferguson

  Chapter 10

  The Culdan Mhor was brightly lit, Treyson noticed, when he stepped inside. He felt his sword whisper "magic” making him instantly wary. The Irish music was uplifting and the twenty or so gathered here were smiling with the occasional bursts of laughter. It seemed odd to Treyson as the effects of the plague which had brought death and destruction to the world had not entered into this place. He saw Kenny and three other kids, a boy and two girls, happily throwing darts. A couple was on the small stage dancing to the music, some Irish jig, is what he supposed.

  "Ah, de MacAlistair has returned and I tink he's found a sword," came the familiar voice with his Irish lilt from behind him.

  As he turned around Treyson answered, "Shaun, why do you continue to use your leprechaun voice when you speak perfect English?"

  "You take the fun out of a good time" he said as reached out his hand in a friendly gesture.

  His sword spoke "Magic" louder this time making Treyson back up a little. "The people here are abnormally happy even though their world has just been turned upside down. The couple dancing there is having a good time, enjoying themselves, it's like they have forgotten the turmoil that's engulfed the planet," he spoke with a look of confusion.

  "I've always had the uncanny ability to brighten people spirits in the midst of disaster. To help them sort of... forget," Shaun said as he reached out and touched Treyson wrist.

  "MAGIC!” the sword screamed as Treyson pulled back from Shaun, feeling a touch of euphoria bringing a smile to his face. The happy feeling dissipated as the blade seemed to absorb or reflect the spell as it spoke with a soft almost tired voice "Taken". Treyson put his hands up in an attempt to keep from being touched again. "And I always thought it was the ale that made people forget their troubles," Treyson laughed, just as the power went out causing the pub to be incased in darkness.

  "I will have it fixed in a jiffy, me friends,” Shaun spoke loudly with his Irish accent as he ran out the doors into the night. Treyson thought it weird that even with the lights out the patrons were still laughing; the darkness did nothing to dampen their spirits. The lights sprang on and the people continued as nothing happened. Shaun came back in and stood next to Treyson all smiles as he watched the people.

  "More magic," Treyson asked?

  Shaun smiled and chuckled a bit before answering, "Generator." They both laughed.

  They sat at a nearby table watching the people enjoying themselves while discussing the magic that Shaun had used on them. "I never use any type of magic, "he said with a serious look, "it’s just that every morning after I open up, I sit cross-legged in the dead center middle of the floor and raise my hands. Next I yell, "Bring peace and happiness to all that enter the premises and let me be the dispenser of the oblivious touch.”

  He told Treyson the story of how his Father would gather them around the breakfast table in their family’s pub on Mondays and speak the same words while they held hands. The pub, known for its weekly drunken brawls became less frequent after his father started saying these words. Shaun said he was determined to have a peaceful establishment so he started doing this every day since he bought this pub. It’s never worked this well before, until the last few days and today "wow" Shaun said, "Everyone I touched simply forgot what was outside the doors and started having a good time. They that have come in today have yet to leave and it's starting to worry me."

  Treyson told him that he might have to touch each individual and tell them to remember and then send them all home. "They have to get on with their lives and deal with the loss like everyone else," he said.

  Shaun got to his feet, "I'll do it," he exclaimed. He started with the couple dancing, then those sitting at the tables that had been pushed together and then lastly the kids throwing darts. After a few minutes as they slowly began to get their memories back, at first crying then heading for the doors till all that was left was the two of them. Treyson congratulated him on a job well done and said that he would have to be careful from now on. Shaun agreed. Shaun went over to the bar, drew them both a mug of ale and sat at the table with Treyson.

  "So what are your plans now," he asked?

  "I want to find a way back to America. You wouldn't happen to know how to fly an airplane would you?"

  Shaun laughed his squeaky leprechaun laugh then said, "No..., (pausing while looking up with hand on chin) you could always take a boat."

  "I thought of that, but it would take a long time wouldn't it," he said after taking a drink of the ale.

  "Hey look, we could go down to the marina and find the biggest boat with the biggest engines and just zoom over there," Shaun said with a chuckle which caused Treyson to break out laughing too. After a few minutes of uncontrollable boisterous laughing Shaun got serious and said, "how about we sleep here tonight then tomorrow morning after a hearty breakfast we find a boat and head to America."

  "You’re not serious are you? I mean you have a pub to run don't you?"

  "You saw with your own eyes there isn't much left for me here. Plus, I could use an adventure in my mundane life and who knows I may meet a woman along the way," he said with raised mug and eyebrows.

  Treyson stared at him for a second or two then said, "Seriously, finding a woman? Dude I think it's a little late for that, there's not many left."

  They sat, finishing their ale without speaking as their minds went separate ways, Treyson thinking of Sara and Shaun thinking about the years he has spent at his pub. After a little while he showed Treyson to a small room with a cot and not much else, but Treyson was too tired to care. He kicked his boots off and laid his sword at the foot, but left his clothes on as he pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.

  Treyson awoke to the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and fried bacon. His stomach rumbled and his intense hunger caused him to throw off the blanket and come to a sitting position on the cot. He noticed his cell phone had slid out of his pocket and was lying on the bed, lit up, a text he had not noticed before had come in. It was from his office at work, but the message was empty, he typed back, "who is this" and tried to send but he had no service. He would try again later.

  "Coffee and bacon, my two favorite things in the morning besides my wife, but she isn’t here," Treyson said loudly as he walked into the pub. Shaun who was busy stacking up the tables and chairs looked up when he heard him come in. The place looked and smells as if he had stayed up all night cleaning.

  "Wow, Shaun, you've been busy, what's the occasion, it's not spring," he laughed.

  "I'm closing shop and going to help you get to America. You will need my brains if you want to make it," Shaun laughed pointing to his head. Treyson laughed too as he walked into the kitchen following the bacon smell, finding a covered platter and a steaming mug of hot coffee. Flipping the lid off he found thick slices of bread smothered in bacon gravy, "mmm" he said with his nose close to the plate.

  "Smells good don't it? You better eat up, we need to get an early start, and storms are coming in tonight and sticking around awhile. I figure we could be out to sea before it hits and get out in front of it." He paused watching him eat then asked, "What do you think?"

  Treyson’s mouth was full before Shaun spoke a word. The taste was amazing and distracted him from what was being said though he answered with grunts as if he was listening intently. He washed the last bit down with hot black coffee then gushed, "We need to find a boat with a galley so you can work your magic. That sure was good."

  "We should be going," Shaun said as he grabbed his packed duffle and headed for the door.

  Treyson headed back to the little room for his things, "meet you outside there's something I need to find first" he shouted as Shaun stood by the exit.

  Shaun followed him over to the rubble of the burnt hotel and watched him pick up charred lumber and throw it aside. Asking what he was looking for, Treyson described the little bean stuffed, brown bear with the brown nose. They had worked nearly two hours and at the point of giving up wh
en Shaun pulled out a partially singed bear and showed it to Treyson. He let out a joyful shout as he took the bear from Shaun and examined it. Other than being a little burnt with its brown nose melted and flat, he was glad it was in his possession again. With a big smile he stuffed it into his front shirt pocket vowing to himself never to lose it again. After brushing themselves off they set off for the marina. Shaun joked about going back to the pub for another shower. Treyson laughed.

  Shaun with duffle tossed over his back struggled to keep up with the longer legged American, although Treyson had his sword strapped to his side and saddlebags thrown over his shoulders. The hour walk to the marina was delayed twice, the first time they stopped at an outdoor cafe to get some coffee which they had to make themselves. There was a chill in the air with the threat of a storm on the horizon. A few bodies lay on the cafe square, they had shriveled to a near log appearance with their white leathery skin wrapping tightly their bones. A slight breeze blew across the pavement causing a white dust like substance to be whipped from the bodies and caught up in the air. "They are dissolving before our very eyes," Treyson spoke and Shaun with mouth agape, nodded thinking of the horror of it.

  They rested the second time at a shopping center where Treyson said he needed get some clothes since his burnt in the hotel fire. They walked into a men's clothing area where they had to step over a body to get through. It seemed odd but they both were becoming immune to the sight of death everywhere knowing they can do nothing to change it. Treyson quickly grabbed some jeans, shirts, underwear and socks placing them in his saddle bags along with some hygiene products. He felt bad not paying as they walked out. Shaun laughed as he commented, "they caught you stealing on camera." Treyson laughed, too.

  A large steel building with smoke coming from it loomed just up road to the docks. They noticed what was left of a gas truck jutting out of its glass entrance doors when they got closer. The office building across the road had a gray taxicab pulled out front with a body lying halfway out the back door. Treyson wondered to himself what the world death count really was, or for that matter what the world population was now, something they may never know. At least being out on the boat awhile they could avoid the death surrounding them on land. Shaun must have been thinking the same thing when he said "can't wait to get to sea."

  A cool misty breeze was blowing in off the ocean causing Treyson to shiver. Boats of all kinds filled the marina, but it was a large maybe fifty foot yacht that stood out against the rest. Shaun too must have noticed it for when they were close enough to see they both said out loud the boats name "Retirement Home". The helm sat high and majestically encased in glass and polished steel. Its hull was white with dark brown trimming and in pristine condition. Boarding it brought "wows" from the both of them with the sunroof overhanging the luxurious patio and its glass doors leading to the berths. Treyson took the stairway to the helm and though he had never captained a boat, he liked how it felt behind the wheel. "Start her up and let’s hear how she sounds," Shaun said after coming up top.

  "I'm not sure how, I don't see any keys," Treyson said shrugging his shoulders.

  Shaun spoke while laughing, "A captain should know how to start his ship and if I start it I get to be captain, deal?" Shaun was still laughing as Treyson glared, then he added, "And you could be the galley cook. I can teach you how to turn the stove on." Now his laughter became uncontrollable making him lightheaded so he sat down. Treyson didn't think it funny at all so he scanned the instrument panel and tried to figure it out himself. After a few minutes Shaun had Treyson follow him to the engine room where he flipped the fuel on switch and the battery switch, then led him back to the helm. He pushed the ignition switch and then pushed the start button. They listened as it whined, then sputtered trying to hit yet not starting. He tried it again to no avail it just wouldn't start.

  "Maybe" Treyson thought out loud, "What Elaina said was true that technology would start to fail. The rental car, the electricity, this boat and cell phone service, none of it seems to work."

  "Coincidence," stated Shaun.

  "No, I don't think so. Let’s go try an older model, something with less technology and see if it makes a difference," Treyson said as he headed for the stairs.

  Shaun, right behind him repeated, "Coincidence, that's what I think, but we will see."

  Once down the boat ramp they looked for an older, less sleek boat and found a white yacht sitting out a ways from the docks moored to a buoy. Treyson could tell it was older by the length and shape of the hull. He pointed to it gaining Shaun's attention, which agreed and said it was probably a pre-eighty’s. A flat bottom rowboat sat in the water at the edge of the pier, so they decided to take it out and have a look at the boat. After they loaded their things, Treyson got behind the oars, his enthusiasm for being right pushing him. The boats name "Das Schar Schiff" became readable making Shaun gasp, "It’s a German small troop transport. (He hesitated then turned around) We better turn around and find another one."

  Treyson kept rowing as he spoke, “I don't want to turn around now we are almost there. What would it hurt to check it out, plus if we find anyone they will probably be dead?" He rowed up near the rope ladder that extended down into the water and they both climbed up. A lone guard in German uniform lay shriveled up on the deck, his exposed skin starting to decay, flaking and blowing away. Shaun pushed him under the rail and into the water saying that it was disgusting.