CHILDHOOD’S END
Childhood’s End
Jennifer Reynolds
Copyright © 2019
All Rights Reserved
Cover Copyright © 2019
Jennifer Reynolds with images used from Pixabay.com.
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All Rights Reserved.
Jennifer Reynolds asserts the moral and legal right to be identified as the author of this work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the owner. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding other than that which it is published and without a similar condition, including this requirement being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Author’s Note
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real places or events is purely coincidental.
***WARNING: ADULT CONTENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE***
CHILDHOOD’S END
Jennifer Reynolds
Dedication
I’m dedicating all the Shore Haven short stories to those who love the novel so much. If you all hadn’t been so excited about Shore Haven’s world, I wouldn’t have had the inspiration to dive back into it so many times. I love you all.
Table of Contents
Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter4
Chapter5
Chapter5
Chapter6
ShoreHavenChapter1
Acknowledgments
AbouttheAuthor
Chapter 1
“You should call your uncle and have him come get you,” I said, rubbing my best friend Keisha’s back, as she sat slumped onto the cafeteria table.
“I’ll be all right, I just need to lay my head down for a second,” Keisha said with a slight slur to her voice.
“No, you aren’t. You have whatever this bug is that’s going around. Alley has it as well. Hell, half the school has it. I’m surprised they haven’t canceled classes for the rest of the week.”
My little sister had woken sick that morning, but I hadn’t thought much about it until I got to school and saw how empty the place was.
“It’s not that bad, is it?” she asked, not opening her eyes to look at me.
“Pretty bad. Rumor has it that half the island is sick.”
“You aren’t.”
“Nope. Mom and dad aren’t either, just Alley. I feel great, actually.”
“Don’t rub it in.”
“Seriously, if you feel this bad, go home. Look around. This place is deserted. I doubt we’ll be doing much the rest of the afternoon.”
She didn’t lift her head, but I gave the cafeteria a once over. The place was only a quarter full, and half those that were there didn’t look well. The sight made me a little nervous. I don’t think I’d ever seen our school look so empty.
We’d had outbreaks from time to time, due to contaminated water or bad food, but nothing like this. Every so often something from the old world seeped into the water or the ground, and we had an epidemic on our hands, but the farther away we got from the devastation brought on by the meteors, the more immune we were to things and the clearer our air, water, and soil became.
Nothing this big had ever happened before. There hadn’t been anything about it on the morning news Dad was watching before I left for school. Alley had woken up with diarrhea though, and Mom had said a few of her co-workers were out sick yesterday. Half the student body hadn’t been here either, and even fewer were here today.
My stomach turned with worry.
“We’ve got that Chem test tomorrow. I want to get the rest of the notes,” Keisha said, breaking through my thoughts.
“Mr. Patterson won’t be giving that test if over half the class is out. Besides, you can always get the notes from me later and make up the test. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t wanna move.”
“I know you don’t, but you need to be in bed.” I brushed some hair away from her face to get a good look at her. As my hand crossed her forehead, I jerked back. “You’re burning up. I’m going to get the nurse.”
“Okay,” was all she said.
I started toward the double doors that led to the hall, but before I made it, Principal Ortega entered, followed by V.P. Yee and Nurse Conner.
“Listen up, Ladies and Gentleman,” Principal Ortega said. “We’re releasing you all early today. Those of you who are feeling fine are welcome to go ahead and go. The rest stay put, and we’ll call your parents. We’ve also canceled classes for tomorrow. We’ll keep you posted about Monday. Hopefully, by then this bug will have run its course.”
“We’ll be going around to take the names of those who can’t drive themselves,” V.P. Yee said, as the three spread out into the room.
I went back to Keisha and waited. My cell was in my locker, so I couldn’t call Mom and Keisha’s Uncle Jason to let them know what was going on at that moment. When I asked Keisha if she had hers, she only grunted at me. Before I could start digging through her things, Nurse Conner came to our table.
“How do you feel Kayla?” the woman asked me, as she watched Keisha sleep.
“I’m fine, but Keisha is burning up. I can take her home if that’s all right. If her Uncle Jason is at Shore Haven, he might not get your call.”
“That’s fine. We’ll still call Keisha’s uncle to let him know. The quicker she’s in her own bed, the better. How’s everyone at your house?” she asked, as I packed up Keisha’s and my things.
“Alley was sick this morning, but Mom, Dad, and I are fine.”
“Good. Keep your sister and Keisha hydrated as much as possible, and if you can avoid going outside once you’re home, do so.”
“I will. Thank you.”
I strapped Keisha’s backpack to mine, pulled both of our purses over my neck, and touched the top of her head lightly.
“Keisha, can you wake up? I’m taking you home.”
She mumbled something but didn’t move.
“Keisha. Wake up. They’re letting us out of school early. I’ll take you home.”
My friend looked up at me with a blank expression on her face.
I reached under her arm and pulled her to a seated position.
"Okay," she said as if she were just then hearing my words.
“Do you have her?” Nurse Conner asked, watching us, but not making a move to help me. That annoyed me some, but at the same time, I could understand if she was worried about catching the illness.
“Yeah. We’ll be fine,” I said and led Keisha out of the cafeteria. I went straight to my car, not once thinking about my phone, which was something highly unusual for me.
I had a little trouble getting my friend into the car and buckled in, but once I’d done so, she seemed to perk up a bit.
“Thank you for taking me home,” she said, as I got behind the wheel.
“You’re welcome. Did you hear what the principal said about school tomorrow?”
“No.” She had her head back against the headrest, and her eyes closed, but she sounded more awake than she was earlier.
“Canceled. They’ll let us know about Monday.”
“I hope to God I feel better by then,” she
said. “I feel like I’m dying.”
“I’m sorry. Nurse Conner said to drink lots of water.”
“Okay.”
The rest of the drive to her house was quiet. I kept cutting my eyes to her, but she never looked at me. I didn't think she was asleep, but I couldn't be sure.
“Do you need me to help you into the house?” I asked when I pulled into her driveway.
“No. I think I’m good. I think I’m just going to go to bed. Uncle Jason is here. I’ll get him to get me water or food when I need them.”
“All right. Call me when you feel better.”
“I will.”
We didn’t hug as we usually did, but Keisha gave me a big smile before grabbing her things. The smile didn’t reassure me, but I was glad to see it.
I watched her cross the street, climb the stairs, and enter her house before I pulled out of the driveway.
I didn’t live too far from her, and it wasn’t until I was alone that I noticed how empty the streets were. A lot of people on Liberty walked or rode bicycles. I drove to and from school because Keisha and I lived on the other side of the island. There were other schools we could attend, but not many, and Northside High offered more music classes for me to take. Having said that, there still should have been more vehicles on the road in the middle of the day.
When I pulled into the drive, I noticed that my dad's car was in the garage. My vehicle was technically Mom's, but since her job and Alley’s school were within walking distance, I got the car throughout the week.
The sight of his car worried me. Had Alley gotten worse? Mom had stayed home with her, so he wouldn't need to be there unless she needed to go to the doctor or hospital.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” I chided myself. If Dad’s office was as empty as my school, his boss could have closed the office for the next few days.
I took a few deep calming breaths, grabbed my purse and backpack, and exited the car. I went into the house through the garage. The place was eerily quiet when I entered. Everything in me wanted to scream out my parents’ names, but I calmly set my stuff on the kitchen table and went in search of my family.
Chapter 2
All of the lights in the house were out. The sun shining in through the curtains was the only thing illuminating the rooms I passed through. None of the televisions were on nor was anyone listening to music.
No one was in the living room, family room, or laundry room. All the bedroom doors down the hall were closed. The entire house was eerily quiet, making me feel as if I were alone, but I couldn’t be. Dad’s car was in the drive, and I’d just arrived in our only other vehicle. They could have gone to the hospital via an ambulance, but I think only one person was allowed to ride with a patient, so someone would have still had to drive Dad’s car.
My bedroom was the first door on the left. I opened it to find no one in there. I hadn’t expected anyone to be in my room, but I wasn’t leaving any room unchecked. The bathroom I shared with Alley was the next door on the right. No light showed under the door, but I checked it anyway. Empty.
Alley’s bedroom was the next one on the left. I was sure I’d find her asleep in her bed but didn’t. I stood in the middle of her room, dumbfounded. She’d been sick that morning. Mom would have made sure she spent the day in bed. Her bed was unmade, so she had been in it during the day. Where was she now?
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard my parents’ door open at the end of the hall. I spun to see my dad closing it behind him.
“Shh,” he said, putting his index finger to his lips and nodding down the hall toward the living room.
I followed, leaving Alley’s door open behind me.
“Why are you home?” I asked in a low voice once we were in the living room.
“Your mom called about an hour ago and asked me to come home,” he said, taking a seat in his recliner. “She has what your sister does. So do half the people at work, so no one complained when I left early. I take it the school canceled afternoon classes.”
“And tomorrow. We don’t know about Monday yet. Will they be all right?” I asked curling into the sofa.
“I think so. I don’t know anyone who’s died from this bug yet. I’m sure some might if they don’t have anyone to care for them, but as long as we keep your mom and sister hydrated and keep a little food in them, I think they’ll be all right. I put them both in our room because it has the bathroom attached to it. I also put Grandma Rose’s potty seat in there, but I think most of the diarrhea has stopped for your sister. We won’t know for sure until she tries to eat something. Right now, they’re both sleeping.”
“Keisha is sick. I took her home before I came home. She had a high fever during lunch.”
“How do you feel?”
“Fine. You?”
“The same.”
“How long do you think this bug will last?”
“Not sure. Hopefully, it’s just a twenty-four to forty-eight-hour thing, but who knows.”
“Is there anything on the news about it?” I asked.
“Not as of the last time I saw anything,” he said, picking up the remote to turn on the television.
We sat quietly for a while, flipping through channels, looking for something useful. One station listed school and business closings. One said it was just a stomach bug and that most people should be over it by Sunday, Monday at the latest. They said we should drink as much water, clear sodas, and anything with electrolytes as we could, and they said to eat.
After a while, I fell asleep. At one point, I think my dad came over to me and felt my forehead to see if I was getting sick too. I wasn’t. I was just tired. I stayed up too late most nights talking to Keisha and doing the mountain of homework I had. I knew I was forming a bad habit, but couldn’t seem to stop myself. With Mom, Alley, and Keisha sick and no schoolwork to catch up on, I decided I’d spend the weekend catching up on my beauty sleep if possible.
I slept for maybe two hours. When I woke, Dad wasn’t in his recliner. I won’t lie. I panicked a little until I heard water running in one of the bathrooms. I followed the sound to my parents’ room where I found Mom and Alley asleep in the king-sized bed and Dad coming out of the attached bathroom carrying a newly clean bucket…the one that came out of the potty seat.
“Your mom has been throwing up. Luckily, she’s been able to make it to the potty seat. Will you pull the trash from the bathroom and carry it out?” he asked, as he cleaned the seat and put it back together.
“Yeah.”
The trashcan was full of adult diapers. He must be putting them on Mom and Alley in case they couldn’t make it to the bathroom. I was glad he thought of it because Mom also tended to pee when she vomited. I pulled the bag, tied it off, replaced it, and left the room.
Dad had balked when Mom had insisted we keep some of Grandma Rose’s medical stuff, like the potty seat and the large, unopened pack of diapers. Mom and Dad’s sisters, along with a couple of nurses, had rotated caring for Grandma Rose during the last few years of her life. She’d suffered from Alzheimer’s, and in the end, relied on others for her every need.
Dad had thought the items were a waste of space in our garage, but Mom had argued that they would come in handy if any of us got sick or if one of her parents got down to where they needed someone to care for them. Dad had argued that their insurance would pay for most of it, and it would, but some of the items hadn’t gotten to Grandma Rose right away, and Mom wanted them to have the supplies as soon as they needed them.
I’d only helped Mom with Grandma Rose a few times, but I got her point. The three days before Grandma Rose got her potty seat were not fun, and the two weeks between the time her therapist ordered her a Hoyer Lift and the time she got it were backbreaking. If we could make Nana and Pop’s life a bit easier when they were sick, I was all for it.
With all of that on my mind, as I was coming back into the house via the garage, I looked through the totes for anything else we might need. I found a few l
inen savers, a few vomit bags, two bottles of the no-rinse body wash, and some other odds and ends that may or may not have been helpful. I carried it all to my parents’ room and laid them out on their dresser.
“Good thinking,” Dad said, looking over my shoulder. “Do you know where the bottle of air cleaner is? This room is starting to stink.”
“I think it’s in the laundry room. I’ll go check.”
“Thank you. Be thinking about what you want for dinner too.”
I nodded and left the room.
I brought the bottle to him once I’d found it then went to the kitchen to see what looked interesting. I laid out the fixings for spaghetti for Dad and me before searching for something Mom and Alley might be able to stomach.
When Dad found me a bit later, I had chicken bouillon cubes cooking on the stove.
“I didn’t know what else to feed them,” I said.
“Good idea. After supper, I’ll run down to the grocery store to see if I can get them some bottled water and something to soothe their stomachs.”
“Want me to go instead?” I asked, trying not to show my shock over his willingness to spend so much money.
It’d been nearly a hundred years, and we’d rebuilt well, but some things cost too much to make and ship, soft drinks being one of them, that most places didn’t carry them or if they did, their prices were high, but I guess if you really thought you needed something you’d pay for it.
“No. I don’t want you leaving this house until this bug has run its course.”
I thought that odd at first. I was already exposed. If I were going to catch it, I would. It wasn’t until later that night while we were watching the news that I started to understand his point. Some people were taking advantage of closed businesses to rob them. There wasn’t too much of that right that second, but if the sickness lasted for too long or if people started dying, things would get worse.
Shore Haven (Short Story 2): Childhood's End Page 1
