The Quiet

by Vince Byrd

  “Come on, Doc, before I eat all your cornbread,” Larry teased poking his head out of the office.

  “Hey, you know what goes good with cornbread? Milk,” Jesse said stepping into the office.

  Larry grabbed a bucket from the floor and said, “I saw a cow out in the pasture earlier today. Here’s a bucket,” Larry offered.

  “I’d like to see that,” Kat challenged.

  “Me too,” Ginger chimed in.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” he answered.

  “What’s a matter, Doc, afraid of a little teat?”

  “No, Larry, I’m not afraid to milk a cow. I’m just not a fan of warm milk. Anyone of you is welcome to go milk a cow.” Jesse gestured with his thumb and looked over at Henry, “What?”

  “They get you every time, son,” Henry laughed.

  Jesse picked up a piece of cornbread, stuffed it into his mouth, and tried to say something. Little cornbread crumbs flew out of his mouth, and they all cracked up laughing. “This cornbread is a little dry,” he said, spewing out more tiny morsels, as they continued to laugh.

  Once the moment was over, Ginger said, “Hey, this couch is a pull-out,” as she ran her hand into the cracks of the couch.

  “Sounds like finders-keepers to me. We get the couch tonight,” Larry called, winking at Ginger. “I’m still injured, you know. I saw a cot in the back.”

  “Yes, Larry, I know you were shot. Sometimes, I wish I was the one that shot you,” Jesse remarked.

  “Come on, Doc, where’s the love? You know you love me,” Larry enjoyed, pushing Jesse’s buttons and blew him a kiss.

  Kat grabbed Jesse’s arm and said, “Let’s look for that cot.” Kat picked up a battery-operated lantern, and they walked to the back store room. They brought out several cots, “There were only three. Ava, do you mind sleeping in that chair?” She pointed to the lounge chair Henry was sitting in. “These cots are small, and I’m sure Henry will need to stretch out.”

  “I don’t mind. I ball up when I sleep anyway,” Ava answered. She patted Kat on the arm and whispered, “I’ll milk the cow if you want me too. I had to milk ours every day, so it’s no big deal.”

  “No honey, you don’t have to milk the cow. Larry was just joking around with Jesse,” Kat replied.

  “Okay, but if you want some milk, it’s no big deal to me,” she offered.

  “You are so sweet, thank you. Did you want some milk?”

  “No, I don’t like warm milk either.”

  They all settled down for the evening. Kat and Jesse set their cots in front of the door for security, and Henry’s was next to the lounge chair in the corner by Ava. Larry and Ginger were comfortable on the pull-out couch. “All we need now is a TV and some popcorn,” Ginger jeered.

  “Yeah, let’s binge stream some Friends episodes or some Becker,” Larry suggested.

  “How about some Andy Griffith or Highway to Heaven,” Henry joked. “I’ll even take some Touched by an Angel.”

  “Whoa, Preacher…how old are you? I just threw up in my mouth,” Larry groaned.

  Ginger smacked Larry on the arm, “I like Andy Griffith. I haven’t heard of the others, but that Opie is so cute.”

  “Opie was kinda like my son, Jacob. He had freckles on his face when he was little, and he was always trying to figure things out if something didn’t go how he wanted it to,” Jesse interjected. “I remember this one time when he saw a tennis ball against the fence of some park we were at. I don’t remember which one. Anyway, he reached through the chain link of the fence with his hand and grabbed the ball to pull it through. It wouldn’t fit, but he wouldn’t let go of it. He must have stayed there for thirty minutes trying to get that ball through the fence.”

  “Did he let go of it?” Ginger asked.

  “He kept saying, ‘finders keepers,’ like Larry did earlier. I guess that’s what made me think of it.”

  “Well, did he let it go or get the ball?” Ava cut in.

  “A park ranger brought me to him and said he wouldn’t let it go, and he couldn’t remove his hand. When I reached him, Jacob told me that he had found that ball, and he wasn’t giving it up. I told him I would buy him a new ball, but he said it wouldn’t be same because he didn’t find it.”

  “What did you do?” Ava asked intrigued.

  “I walked through the fence gate and told him to give me the ball, and that I would give it to him when I came back around,” Jesse explained.

  “Did he give it to you?” Ava wondered with anticipation.

  “He did, but he didn’t want to. He thought he could figure out a way to get that ball through the fence. It never occurred to him that he could just walk through the gate and pick the ball up.”

  “Ah, Doc, I got goose bumps,” Larry taunted.

  “The moral of the story, Larry, is, someone else may have the answer you’re looking for,” Jesse poked.

  “That’s a nice memory,” Ginger concluded. “Where is your son, Jacob, now?”

  “He’s in the military…in Germany,” Jesse answered.

  “That’s right, you told us that night at the fire,” Ginger remembered.

  “‘That night’…we need to come up with a name for that night, or afternoon, when everything stopped. That’s it! We can call it The Stop,” Kat proposed. “You would say, the day ‘The Stop’ happened, our TV went out.”

  “What about just calling it The Blackout? That’s what happened,” Larry suggested.

  “But that’s not what really happened. It was a solar storm. We could call it, ‘The Storm’,” Jesse put in his two cents, making air quotations with his fingers.

  “Everything went quiet on the farm. We can call it ‘The Quiet’,” Ava interjected, copying Jesse’s air quotations with her fingers.

  “Those meteors struck the earth and changed every life from east to west, north to south, and most likely across the world also. My suggestion is to call it, ‘The Strike’,” Henry spoke with his eyes closed, also making the air quotations, and making himself comfortable on his cot.

  “I think the air quotes are getting out of hand,” Larry scolded.

  “We could just call it ‘The Change’, or what’s a better word for change? Come on, you’re the writer, you have another word for change?” Ginger dared Kat.

  “How about…” Kat thought for a moment. “For the majority of the U.S., everything went quiet, and sometimes the simplest of words say it best. We’ll call it ‘The Quiet’,” Kat concluded.

  Nineteen

  Paige Day 1

  The night had an eerie feel. Everyone was silent in the Duster; David took it slow through their lightless environment. The world had shifted from normality to a strange semblance of an apocalyptic beginning. Is this it? Paige thought. Dad had often mentioned that the world in which we lived was a gift and would not last. Was he right? He must have seen some scary stuff in the Middle East. ‘The balance of our nation hangs by a thread’, he would say. So many times he talked about how it would only take one organized attack to bring us to our knees. He must be flipping out right now about me. And, he’s probably on his way to find me. Wait! “Oh my God!” she said aloud.

  “What!” David slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt.

  Paige had her hand over her mouth, and tears began to water her eyes. Everyone was looking at her as David flipped on the dome light. “What is it, babe?” Ethan asked.

  “What time did the van stall?” Paige asked.

  “I think it was around 1 p.m. I had just checked my phone a few minutes before, and it said 12:53. Why?” Ethan responded.

  “Dad was still in the air at that time. If the EMP was large enough…he’s...” she cried.

  Ethan grabbed her into an embrace and sucked in a quick breath; he just realized that Mr. Gibson’s plane would have crashed if the EMP st
retched that far. “No! It didn’t go that far. Your dad is fine,” he proclaimed. He pulled her back and looked into her eyes. “Okay, he is fine.”

  Paige wiped her eyes and said, “He’s okay. I didn’t get a bad feeling or anything, unless…unless this is it.” Tears filled her eyes again.

  “No, Paige. Don’t do this to yourself,” Emily objected.

  “Yeah, we won’t know for sure until we get past Abbeville,” David agreed. “What do you mean about a bad feeling?”

  “Ethan knows; we’ve talked about it. When my mom hit her head, I was at school. I got a really bad feeling about her that day. I knew something was wrong with her. I just couldn’t figure it out. I told Dad about it later after she had passed. He told me that it was my sixth sense,” Paige explained.

  “I know that feeling. When my Nanna died, I knew it. I could feel her gone,” Makayla related. “So, you didn’t have that feeling about your dad? You just thought about his plane crashing?”

  “Yes, I think so. It’s not the same as with my mom. I just realized that his plane might have crashed,” Paige fretted.

  David clicked off the dome light and said, “Then, we better get to Abbeville to find out.”

  Paige leaned back in her seat between Makayla and Ethan and wiped the tears from her face. “I’m not going to think about it until Abbeville.”

  David began to drive again and was suddenly halted to a quick stop. A man in his underwear slapped the hood with both of his hands and shouted, “They’re here! They’re here!” He stood for a moment in front of the car, and the headlights highlighted the many wrinkles on the man’s body. He then moved to the driver’s side of the car. “They’re here!”

  “Who’s here?” David shouted through the glass.

  The man pointed to the sky, stumbled back and shouted, “They know who they are! They know who you are!” he pointed at David. “They’re coming for your daughters to make their babies,” he pointed to Makayla and Paige.

  “Who?” David shouted again.

  “The aliens! The aliens! Don’t let them get me!” He laughed, pulling out a bottle of liquor from behind him that was tucked into the waistband of his briefs and took a swig. Then, he pressed his face against Makayla’s window and ran his tongue across it like he was trying to lick something off.

  Makayla hit the window with the bottom of her fist, “Go away!” The man grunted and wandered off into the darkness mumbling to himself.

  “What is happening, David? I’ve never for the life of me seen anything like that,” Emily admitted.

  “He’s drunk; probably homeless as well,” David assumed, as he let off the brake and began to accelerate again.

  “He’s certainly going to get cold with no clothes on,” Emily stated.

  “Yeah, he is. What a freak,” Ethan blurted.

  “Hey, he could have a mental disability and be an alcoholic. He’s not a freak. It’s sad, that’s what it is. But, he was a little scary,” Paige admitted.

  “Yes, he was, putting his tongue on my window. Nasty,” Makayla complained.

  “Freak,” Ethan pointed out again.

  “Freakishly sad, how about that?” Paige reasoned.

  “I’m with you, son; he was a freak,” David affirmed.

  “Let’s talk about something else, please,” Emily continued. “David, are we going to get a hotel room in Abbeville?”

  “We will if…” he glanced in his rearview mirror at Paige, “If the power is on there. I need a drink and something to eat. I truly hope that it is on. If not, it’s going to be a long night.”

  “Dad, do you think Abbeville will be locked down like Dothan?” Ethan asked.

  “I don’t know, son; we’ll just have to see.”

  They saw a family with two young children, way off the road with a camp fire burning bright. The flames cut through the darkness and made long shadows around its glow. The man stood and watched as they drove by. Houses sat dark and quiet as they passed, almost as if they were deserted. Street lights stood tall but empty of their radiance, and businesses were closed as though it were Christmas day. “We just hit forty miles from Bud’s,” David informed.

  “It’s still dark, and the cars are still abandoned,” Ethan commented.

  “Bud said at least fifty miles,” David hoped.

  For the next ten miles, everyone was quiet, lost in their own thoughts of what the future held and the worry of what they may have lost. I may never be able to get my app launched now, Ethan thought. What will I focus on? How long does the effects of an EMP last? I don’t know if I can deal with not being able to work on research and write code. I won’t even be able to work for Dad. You can’t sell cars when they don’t run. This just can’t be.

  Makayla was staring out her window wondering, How am I going to get my car home? Will these cars just be left here? Do I even want to try to get it home? It’s a piece of junk anyway. These people were nice to let me come with them. I wonder what they would think of me if I steal this Duster.

  Emily looked at David and thought; he’s so good to me. He takes good care of us, but I think this may be too big for him. She glanced back at Paige and Ethan, thinking, they are so young and have their whole lives ahead them. I hope this is not what Bud said it was. I’m so afraid for them. They deserve better. I can tell they love each other. I know David will get us home safe, but I don’t want Ethan and Paige to leave us. Why can’t she just wait to see her dad after this blows over? Oh, I hope his plane didn’t really crash.

  David’s eyes were strained ahead watching for cars and anything else that he might need to swerve around. Glancing down at the odometer, forty-five miles and we’re still not out of it, he thought. Maybe, its sixty miles, seventy, I don’t know. What if this is a real invasion? Ethan’s not ready for that. I was too soft on that boy. I might have been harder on him if he were my own. Emily too, she’s had it too easy over the years. She had nothing when I met her, and she’s forgotten how hard it was. He glanced over at her for a moment; she’s still so beautiful though. The years have been good to her. Dang, I hope Bud is right about the fifty miles. He saw a street sign that read, ‘Abbeville 5 miles.’

  Paige was twisting the ring on her finger that her dad had given her from her mom’s jewelry box. It was the first ring he’d ever given to her mom. It was a promise ring, promising to her that he would always be faithful to her. He had given it to Paige and told her that he would always be faithful to her mom’s memory. Dad, where are you? Please Lord, protect my dad. He’s a good man, and I know you’re taking care of mom for me, but I still need him, she prayed.

  “We just hit fifty miles,” David announced.

  Twenty

  Jesse Day 7

  Jesse opened his eyes; the light began to peek through the window in the office. He looked over at Kat. She was lying on her back with her feet crossed, her hands resting on her waist. She appeared to be in a deep, peaceful sleep. He saw one of her hands jerk, and then the other jerked also. He looked up at her face and saw that her eyelids were moving with rapid eye shifting. He knew she was dreaming. He reached over and touched her on the hand. She awoke startled and sat up quickly. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She looked around the room, then realized where she was and rubbed her face and eyes. She looked at him and said, “Jesse,” then smiled at him.

  “Yes, it’s me. You were dreaming.”

  “Yes, I was. For a minute there, I thought I was back on the plane before it crashed. Marcy was sitting in the seat next to me. She made a comment about Tyrone when he came out of the bathroom. I looked at him then back at her. She was lying back in her seat bloody and dead all of sudden. Then, I was on the plane all alone, and it was going down,” she explained. “I hardly ever dream.”

  “You’re having PTSD from the crash. Who wouldn’t? It was a very traumatic event.”

  “Hav
e you had dreams about the crash?” she asked.

  “Not specifically the crash, but about the people who died. They always talk to me in my dreams and remind me of what I could’ve done or should’ve done different.”

  “I’m so sorry. How awful that must be for you.”

  “I know it is part of my crazy grieving process. I would worry if I didn’t see someone who died in my dreams. That would mean that I was getting cold or used to human life becoming less valuable to me. I don’t want that.”

  “I was on the plane alone. Does that mean I’m selfish?” she questioned.

  “No, that just means you were scared. I was scared too. When the plane started shaking and the engines went out, I called on my Maker to save me. I knew it was going to get ugly. I didn’t want to die. It’s a natural fear.”

  “I can’t get Tyrone’s and Marcy’s faces out of my mind. The dream seemed so real. Does it ever go away? Will it stop?” she wondered.

  “In my experience, they get further apart as time passes. You just learn to store it away like a memory on a shelf, but every once in a while, you will find it back in front of you. If you can’t put it away again and again, it will wreck you. At least, that’s what I’ve learned. Talking about it helps a lot.”

  “I sometimes feel guilty that I lived and not them. Even when all the bullets were flying at the truck, and through the whole maniacal incident with Junior, I was still okay, unharmed…”

  “I know. When Marcy died, you were the one telling me it was not my fault, but I still felt guilty. Now you are feeling guilty about living.” He took her hands in his and said, “We are so emotionally driven that it can be a rollercoaster ride, but not for one second should you think that because you lived, it was your fault they died. We simply make choices and sometimes, those choices end in peril. They chose to get on that plane as we did. Everyone knew that there was a chance it would crash, a small one, but there was a chance. Why we lived and they died was God’s call. We have to make the best of the time that He’s given us.”