After she had finished in the restroom, Davis made her way back to what she supposed was “her” bedroom. She didn’t feel it was indeed hers; she belonged at the Pods, getting ready to work at the Everett Center. Didn’t she? she thought. She felt confident about residing in the Pods and working at the Everett Center. But then there was another bite on her brain, another annoying wisp of something chewed off and spat out, and she had to admit she wasn’t even sure where she belonged. Davis walked in and noticed a small closet to her right. There were some hooks on the door, where the damp towels could hang.
Davis looked around the room. It was the first time she had been aware enough to survey her surroundings. She couldn’t believe it: color. She was so used to only seeing white, gray, brown, and maybe some black. The world was various shades of those colors. Naturally, the sky was blue, and the grass green, and you could find wildflowers now and then in all shades of colors. But painted things or those manufactured, and fabrics that were dyed colors, were always in lackluster hues or were without pigment altogether. Davis had never seen anything like this room. The carpet was a bright blue, dotted with little yellow flowers. Still not made, her messy bed was covered with off-white sheets, a gray blanket, and a quilt on top of that. The quilt was a series of blue and green triangles, sewn together to form boxes. The triangle squares had white borders. In the center was a yellow diamond. There was even a little white table and dresser, yellow flowers with green leaves painted in the corners. The same pattern decorated the bed frame, white with cheery flowers and leaves marching along the headboard. The wall pattern alternated between thick and thin stripes in navy blue, shamrock green, and white. A blue shelf on the wall held two large yellow pots that had artificial red flowers. Placed at opposite edges on each end, in between the flower pots, were books, and—she had to admit—a pretty creepy looking clown doll right smack in the middle between the books. Davis got up to take a closer look at the books, clown, and flowers. She loved books and spent a lot of time in the libraries in all Pods and at the Everett Center. Davis read the titles, running her finger over the weathered spines. To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Little Women—she had read all those and thought very highly of them. There were also a few magazines, different fashion and cooking magazines, but nothing specific she recognized. There was one book lying on its side, Frankenstein. She had never read that one and pulled it off the shelf. Then something caught Davis’s eye, and she walked over a little further with the book still in her hand. A metal chain was hanging down from a metal plate on the wall. She pulled the chain with her free hand, and the metal plate pulled open, and whoosh, a cool breeze came out into the room.
“You’re lucky.” Quinn walked into the room, startling Davis, making her jump back and drop her book. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spook you. I was just going to say you have one of the few rooms with a vent. Ringo fixed up some of the rooms with some kind of weird exchange vents—I’m not quite sure how he did it. But it’s pretty genius. A fan somehow sucks air from outside; then, several filters remove any impurities and toxins, and then another fan blows a fresh breeze out. They were pretty intricate to make, though, so only a few rooms have them. And this is one of them.”
“Oh, what about the creepy clown? Is there a reason for that?” Davis said with a slight smile.
Quinn couldn’t tell if Davis was sincere or being ornery. Quinn took a bet on genuine and politely answered that it had been Ringo’s when he was a child. He had kept some books, magazines, trinkets, and mementos in the bunker and allocated them among the rooms for decoration.
“Oh, does that explain that too?” laughed Davis as she nodded her head toward a very bizarre framed poster. It was on the far side of the bed, between the nightstand and the wall. It was directly across from the closet, so earlier, when she turned around after hanging up her towels, she had first seen this poster featuring multi-colored rainbow cartoon bears that were dancing around a rainbow spiral.
“Ah…yes…that gem,” replied Quinn. “Well, you did get the air vent. Therefore, you also get the bears.”
Davis got a solemn look on her face and then looked downward. She felt uncomfortable and awkward. Her head was buzzing again, and she started to get worried if she didn’t sit down soon, falling over may become inevitable. She got herself over to the bed, sitting lightly on the edge of the mattress.
“I’m sorry if that was too much.” Quinn was looking concerned, and Davis noticed something in her eyes. Quinn looked compassionate. Davis felt like she hadn’t seen that in a long time, or even that she’d ever seen it or even had compassion herself. Perhaps she did. Davis hoped that it was in her all the time, a deep-rooted feeling waiting to become unearthed. Like a dull dream fading, she felt something in her brain awakening. She nodded her head in a way that let Quinn know it was okay.
“Anyhow, I brought you some clean clothes. Sorry I didn’t bring them in sooner.” Quinn walked over and placed the clothes on the edge of the bed. “I think these should fit. I had to guess. After you get dressed, if you’re up to it, I can show you around, where the food and water are and the garden. Also, where you can find other clothes and do laundry, that kind of thing. And if you want, you can meet the others.” After a short pause, she added, “But, take your time. No rush. We can even do it tomorrow or later in the week.”
Before Quinn left, Davis noticed another look in her eye. A look that told her the meeting actually could not wait.
~
Although it was clear she should, Davis couldn’t get herself to go out right away. Her mind was floating again, and she felt ill. Laying her head down and not meaning to fall asleep, Davis drifted off as if being coerced by sleep. The next thing she realized was that an enormous cat was sitting on her bed looking at her. That wasn’t there before, Davis thought. She looked at the cat and blinked her eyes several times to make sure it was genuinely there. The cat blinked back. She looked over at the door, seeing it was ajar and how the furry interloper got in. Davis had seen cats in person, feral ones walking in the streets, but she had never been near one. Realizing she’d never been this close, she couldn’t be positive that the cat was extra-large, but it seemed that way to her. Humungous but not overweight, the cat was long and lean—looming, like a king looking at his subject, from the edge of the bed. The cat had great large green eyes that seemed to be calling her an idiot. The cat was handsome, a mix of dark and light gray stripes and some cream and white stripes and markings mixed in. The cat’s long, slinky tail was slapping the bed softly: pat, pat, pat. Davis sat there, not sure what to do. She kind of scrunched back up against the headboard and surveyed the area to see if she could slip out of bed and not go near the cat. “Meow!”
It sounded so loud and angry that she let out a little yelp and leaped out of bed. The cat gave her a look of contempt, jumped down from his assumed throne, and sauntered toward Davis. She gave another yelp and backed up against the wall. The cat stopped and took a good long stretch; it seemed to go from his shoulders, down his back, and out each side as the cat shook each leg out individually after stretching. The cat then walked over to Davis, looked up at her in her supposed disdain, rubbed against her legs once, and promptly left the room.
Davis immediately felt silly. She couldn’t believe she was afraid of that cat. It had been kind of cute when it gave her a leg rub. The cat gave her a warm, cozy feeling. Especially since she hadn’t been sure what to expect, and what had happened was pleasant. She hoped that would happen more and more. She felt the last few days of her life had been so crazy; it had been full of illness, uncertainty, and fear. A pleasant surprise at this point was a welcome surprise, albeit a small event.
Davis realized she was famished and thirsty and that people were waiting on her. She sighed and closed the door until it clicked and then turned back to the bed to dress in the clean clothes Quinn had brought her. She was happy to put some fresh-smelling clothing on, at least. Another
small pleasure to hold onto, she thought as she pulled on the clean white underwear and clipped on the bra and then the pants, which were weird to her; they were a thick dark blue material that was slightly stiff. The shirt was red and a little too big but soft and comfortable. Lastly, she donned a pair of white socks. Overall, she felt that Quinn had guessed her sizes pretty well; the bra might be a tad loose, but nothing was uncomfortable. She pulled at the edge of her shirt nervously and then walked out the door, scared but eager to find out what was about to happen. She found herself wishing that the cat was there to escort her out.
Alas, the cat was not there, so Davis made her way out of her room solo. She went down the hallway, opposite the way she went for the bathroom. She didn’t know which direction she should go but felt like she could hear some sounds coming from that way. She walked slow and steady, peeking around corners and into doors very carefully, unsure what to look for or what she would find. The sounds were getting louder, so there was a certainty she was going the right way. Davis got to a doorway and peeped around a corner, seeing Quinn and another woman in what appeared to be a kitchen. She couldn’t hear what Quinn said, who was whispering something to the woman next to her. The other woman started laughing, and she lightly placed her hand on Quinn’s shoulder. As she did this, the woman turned her head slightly and saw Davis. “Oh!” she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” She quickly jerked her hand away from Quinn’s shoulder at the same time she spoke.
“Davis, so glad to see you!” said Quinn with a broad smile. “This is Ana. She also lives here with her two children, her little boy Russell W., who turned four in February, and her little girl Mae has just turned two. She’s Namaguchi’ s fourth wife.”
Ana walked over and stuck out her hand to shake with Davis. Davis took her warm hand in hers and shook it gingerly. Davis was surprised by the length of her hair; it was longer than any hair she’d seen—and it was shiny, bouncy, and pretty. It was very individualistic, too; something she was not used to seeing, whether it was a hairstyle or anything else. “So, um, how are you feeling?” Ana asked tentatively.
“Better, I think,” said Davis. “A lot of confusion still. About why I’m here and such. And I feel like, oh, I don’t know; it doesn’t matter. It’s hard to explain anyhow.”
“I’m sure it is confusing, and maybe like you don’t know what is real and what is fake, true, or false?”
“That about sums it up, I suppose.”
“Well, that is normal. Because it isn’t normal to hear everything you’ve ever known is not true. But believe me, it will even out. It’ll all come out in the wash.”
“What does that mean, ‘it’ll all come out in the wash’?”
“Oh, it was just something my mom said to me when I was troubled. It just means that everything will get worked out eventually and that things will be okay in the end. So, don’t worry because we can’t control when or where it will get figured out, but it will get figured out.”
“Your mom sounds wise; does she live here too?”
At this point, Quinn seemed to leap forward, and she piped in, “Are you hungry? Do you need something to eat or drink? We were just getting some lunch together.”
“Yes, actually,” answered Davis, shyly, quietly. “That’s why I came in here in the first place. I hope it is okay.”
“Let’s see,” said Quinn. “What can we feed you? Your stomach is still getting used to regular food, so I don’t think we should go crazy. Do you want to try some plain oatmeal, maybe a small salad with no dressing?”
“Well, I don’t know really what any of those things are or how they taste. You’re the expert. I’ll leave it up to you, but is there anything I can do to help you get things ready?”
“No, we’re making salads anyhow, and the oatmeal, you just add hot water…it’s a good idea. We’ll make some for everybody. You can go sit down, and we’ll bring everything shortly.” Quinn said, pointing out toward a door that connected to the kitchen. “The dining room is in there; some other people are at the table, already.”
Quinn turned around and started busying herself with the food. Davis nervously waved to Ana, who was still looking at her, and she made her way out the door Quinn had indicated. Davis walked into a large room, painted a pale yellow. Taking a deep breath, she tentatively crossed the threshold into the unknown.
A group of people sat at a long dark brown wooden table. They all looked at her as if she had antlers growing from her head. Finally, Ringo seemed to remember his manners. “Welcome!” he said in a booming voice that didn’t match his stick-thin frame. “Sit down; please come join us.”
Davis found an empty spot at the long table; there were white plates and glasses at each, along with a sunny bright yellow napkin and silver utensils.
Nobody said anything for a minute. There was a lot of staring. A lot of questions were asked with eyes as uncertainty and tension hung in the air. There was a bowl of nuts in the middle of the table; Davis absentmindedly took one from the bowl and tentatively chewed it as she chewed over thoughts in her brain. “So, I’m Davis,” she ventured.
“You met me, Ringo, this is my wife Audrey, and our twins Oliver and Olivia,” he said, gesturing to a lady and two children sitting right of him. “You’re eating almonds, you know? They might be difficult to digest since you’ve never had them. They are great nutrition for you. I like to call nuts ‘nature’s vitamins’”—Ringo inserted a pause and slight smile, seemingly amused by his wit—“but you might want to take it easy since you’re not used to eating them.”
Davis looked down at the nuts and then at Ringo’s family. Audrey was striking, with clear, ivory skin and large brown eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a shapely chin. Davis immediately coveted that chin. Her own had a narrowness to it and was a cleft chin. When Audrey spoke, Davis was even more surprised. She had an accent. “We are glad to have you here with us, Davis. I know it has been a difficult few days, but please count us as friends. We’re here to help you with anything you might want or need.”
“Thank you, but really, can someone please tell me why I am here? What is this all about?”
Ringo answered, slowly and calmly, as if he was explaining to a child. “I know you must be very confused, and a lot is going on for you. But, please, believe me, it will be better for you if we start slow. We’ll have a real sit-down after dinner tonight, and…” Ringo trailed off, and Davis seemed to know that she wouldn’t find any answers in the immediate future. She decided to try something else, try to at least open conversation and get to know these people who were her captors yet seemed to mean her no harm.
“You know, I might be digressing a bit, but thoughts have been floating in and out of my mind, and I want to ask before I forget. But how do you get all this food?”
“We grow some of it,” Audrey answered. “Some items were vacuum-sealed and stored in our deep freezers when we realized we would have to come down here. Like the almonds, actually. We have hidden solar panels up top for electricity, and the fans Ringo made create some additional electricity. They keep us running: freezer, fridge, lights, oven, we even have heating for winter, but we do keep it cold in here, at sixty-three, to conserve. But it takes the edge of winter off. And—” Audrey was nervously rambling; Davis decided to cut in and changed the topic.
“Oh, thank you. That’s interesting. Can I digress again and ask about your accent? I’ve never met anyone with an accent.”
“Yes, I’m from Annecy, France. It’s a small town, a little less than an hour out of Geneva, Switzerland.”
“How did you get here? I mean, we haven’t had legal immigration for so long.”
“I moved here for work and then was married to Ringo about a year before the borders were closed. Then I went to France to visit my family. I knew things were getting touchy here once they cured the Lombardi Plague, and policies were changing.” She looked at Davis to make sure
she was following without discrimination and not getting upset by what she said. She saw Davis was just listening intently, so she continued. “As I was saying, I knew things were uneasy, but I didn’t expect them to close the borders. Especially for dual citizens! But, when they closed the borders overnight, I had to fight my way back in. Thankfully, being married to an American helped. It was still a lot of hoops to jump through and not at all easy. But I made it back, we made our way down here, and we had these two great kiddos.”
Davis was shocked. She knew the borders had been closed, but she had no idea they had locked out those even with dual citizenship. She wondered how many people this could have affected, people stuck in another country when their homes and families were here. Just because they possibly didn’t have a spouse. It made her realize that this would also affect Audrey’s ability to see her family in France. She then looked over at the kids. The kids that had never met their maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Previously, she knew the borders being closed meant families kept apart, but she never really thought about it. Suddenly, it seemed as if a fog had lifted from her brain to show her just how devastating this must have been to people. She mindlessly took another almond and thoughtlessly chewed it. She snapped back and realized she had been staring at the kids. They had got their looks from their mom. Cheery, happy, plump apples for cheeks. Lovely, shiny chestnut brown hair. And adorable round non-cleft chins. They both smiled at her but didn’t speak. After a moment, Davis asked another question she had been pondering.
“So, there is another thing that I’ve been thinking about. Why do some people have the names regulated by the government, like myself and Quinn? The government prohibits any first names and allows only certain surnames, but you guys have first names,” said Davis, remembering the day she turned fifteen, and they showed her the list of approved surnames. The government assigned children without parents their names, and she, like many others, simply chose to keep the name they gave her when she was born. There were only about a hundred to pick from as President Everett said it fostered community spirit and togetherness for people to have similar names. But since there had been so many orphans with assigned names that had little to do with actual ancestry or familial relation, a Davis could easily marry another Davis. The government kept pretty extensive records, and genetic testing before marriage ensured you were not too closely related.
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