by B D Grant
Getting to the church in record time is no surprise with Tony’s driving. There are multiple cars in the parking lot. Tony parks us beside a well-driven Impala. It’s ugly. It would probably drive for another twenty years before dying. Ugly cars last forever. Dad would’ve picked something like that to give me as my first car. Dillon switches on the walkie as Tony gets out. The rest of us stay in the van. With how many full the parking lot is there seems to be a good amount of people here.
Bryant leans forward looking around me out the window to watch Tony walk through the parking lot then leans back. “What would you think if you’re in the middle of talking to God when G.I. Joe busts in the front door?”
Dillon answers first, “Apocalypse.”
Low static comes in through their radios. Dillon turns it up.
“Zombie apocalypse,” I add.
Bryant grins at me, “That’s what I was thinking.”
More static blares from Dillon’s radio followed by someone yelling unintelligibly into it. Bryant pops his head up looking out my window again. “What the?”
Tony hasn’t made it up the steps yet but the doors to the church burst open. A man in preacher attire flies out. He points to Tony’s radio. A female voice comes through the radio but she doesn’t get a full word out before a loud boom cuts her off. At the same time we hear a deep thud from inside the van followed by the ground rumbling. The walkie goes silent. Tony charges into the van, slamming the door. The loud noise wakes Ben up. “That wasn’t the first explosion,” Tony tells us starting the engine.
“What happened?” Ben asks, looking out the windows. He pulls his gun to him. He sees the church and relaxes. “Oh, we’re here. That was fast.”
Tony says in a high pitch, “No, you idiot, there was an explosion!” He throws it into gear.
“What exploded?” Ben asks.
“Exactly,” Dillon says picking his gun up and rolling down his window getting ready to shoot out the window if need be. Bryant, Ben and I don’t have retractable windows but we all hold our guns tighter watching for anything that would give us cause to use them.
“How far are we?” Dillon asks Tony.
“He said we have another fifteen miles.”
I wouldn’t have thought a van this size could go as fast as Tony pushes it. It no longer feels like we are hitting bumps in the poorly paved road but more so gliding over them. I think at this speed the tires are becoming airborne with every void in the road’s cement. The smoke peaking over the trees tells us we’re heading in the right direction.
Ben points to the front telling us, “Look up ahead. Something’s on fire.”
“You really picked a terrible time to take a nap,” Bryant tells him.
“I’m not like you, okay,” he says defensively. “It’s hard for me to go to sleep at night.”
“It would be hard for me too if I drank energy drinks and played video games all night long.”
“Pay attention you two,” Dillon barks.
“The road should be getting close,” Tony says, slowing down.
A dirt road appears on the right. We all have to brace ourselves as Tony hits the brakes. We make the turn with the rear tires momentarily loosing traction on the gravel. Tony regains control of the van but he’s unable to drive as fast on the gravel.
We haven’t regained radio communications since the church. We’re getting deeper into the woods. We know we’re on the road that will lead to whatever is causing all the smoke ahead when we come up to tall fencing. The fence work is serious with barbed wire swirling on top. A guardhouse is on each side of the road. “That’s one of ours,” Dillon says about the truck that’s smashed into the left guardhouse. We drive past the fence as it dawns on me how real this is. There’s a guard on the ground a short distance farther, dead. It can’t get any more real than that, I think to myself.
The road widens to a circle drive in front of a lone two-story building. Vehicles like ours are parked randomly from being in a hurry to unload wherever there was space to do so. One of the vans we park behind has smoke billowing up from under the hood. Tony and Dillon get out first. Bryant and Ben are next. Dillon walks to the van door motioning for me to get out. Bryant, Ben and Tony are talking strategy. Dillon takes my gun. “This,” he puts his finger on the lever that is next to the trigger that Bryant told me about, “This isn’t a safety.” He reiterates what I have already been told about the gun. “Got it?”
“Got it. Up for friends, down for Rogues.”
Bryant, Ben, and Tony have already went ahead without us. They’re in the open heading for the building when someone opens fire on them. It is followed by a moment of confusion. Dillon grabs my vest slinging me to the back of the van. Bryant, Ben, and Tony shoot at the woods on either side of the building. They run for the stairs at the entrance of the building. The shooting seems to be coming from both sides of the building. Dillon and I shuffle to the other side of the van as bullets from the right side of the woods move in our direction.
15
K. You drop the bomb on me, baby
A campus wide announcement is made as I’m waking up. Today’s classes are canceled due to multiple flu-like illnesses. The school is under a light quarantine. We are to stay in our rooms unless we are going to breakfast, lunch, or dinner which remain at their designated times. It works out perfect for me since I still can’t decide which candid photo to turn in for the latest assignment in my photography class. The due date will have to be pushed back since it was scheduled for today.
It is no surprise that the cafeteria is a mad house when I go for breakfast. There aren’t very many teachers around. The ones that are here aren’t doing much to control things.
There aren’t any cafeteria workers today. So, the serve-yourself waffle station has caused chaos. A teacher finally excerpts a band of stage twos from a waffle maker after they’ve nearly caught it on fire.
Our table is enjoying the air of madness by cutting up along with everyone else. Mick and Boston have rolled up pieces of their waffles to throw at random students at the surrounding tables whenever they aren’t looking.
“Cut it out. How old are you?” Zoey chastises, but she’s laughing along with them so it doesn’t do much to deter either of them. Another teacher stands up trying to find where the balls of waffles are coming from. We snicker when he sits back down.
Something small hits me in the back of the head. I turn around. Anne is walking my way down the aisle toward the exit trying to keep a straight face. “You have got to work on your poker face,” I tell her when she gets close.
Her pathetic poker face breaks, “Ah come on, you didn’t know it was me.”
“Payback’s coming,” I threaten.
She passes the table looking at my hair saying, “Syrup looks good on you.” My hand flies to the back of my head in search of syrup where the waffle ball made contact. Anne looks over her shoulder at me, laughing harder.
“You’re safe,” Jake assures me. He picks up the waffle ball from the ground. “It’s dry.” He tosses it to me. Thank goodness. I’m not a snob or anything but I wasn’t going to walk around with syrup in my hair all day. I set it on the table and continue eating my waffles while they’re still warm.
Jake takes a big piece of balled up waffle again and chunks it. It flies across the room and collides with the side of Mase’s face. He turns sharply searching for the culprit. He looks at our table where most of us are watching him. Jake points at me. I slap his hand away from me.
“Thanks a lot,” I murmur.
Everyone sitting at our table starts laughing. Mase glares at me then turns back in his seat.
Nurse Pauline walks in the cafeteria and scans the room. A teacher gets up to meet her. Pauline tells her something and the teacher points at our table. What now? I think to myself. She’s looking frazzled. She walks straight over to our table. Boston hides all the waffle balls he’s made. She looks at me then to Jake. She lowers herself down to our level so that she can be hear
d over the loud chatter. “I need you to report to my office as soon as you’re done with breakfast, Jake.”
He slumps in his chair. “Yes ma’am.”
On her way out she stops at one more table to talk to a couple of teachers before leaving. The two teachers get up and throw their trash away shortly after she’s gone. Jake leans down and picks up some of the waffle pieces under him. He tosses them on his tray. He gets up taking his tray. “See ya’ll later.”
“Here,” Boston says. “Give this to the nurse for me.” He throws a waffle ball at Jake. He catches it in his mouth triumphantly. We cheer.
The teacher from earlier shoots out of his chair. “I better not see that again,” he warns and takes his seat. Boston nods at him and goes back to eating.
Zoey grins. “See what happens.”
Later, in Mick and I’s room, we’re discussing the most recent stage three that received early placement. It has been two weeks since Lena left and in that time four other students have followed her. Someone knocks on the door. Boston pops off Mick’s bed and walks to the bathroom.
“It’s probably for you,” Mick tells him.
“I’ll be a minute,” Boston tells him, shutting the bathroom door.
I get up to answer it. Mick closes his notebook and faces the bathroom door. “You better not be doing what I think you’re doing in there!”
I open the door and Jake rushes in looking over his shoulder as he enters. I look out the door to see what’s got him so nervous. The hall’s empty.
“What did the nurse want?” I ask.
Jake goes straight to the window. “I don’t know.” He looks at the closed bathroom door and points at it.
“Boston,” Mick tells him.
The toilet flushes. When Boston opens the bathroom door Mick says, “Don’t you come out of there without washing your hands.” Boston retreats to the sink leaving the bathroom door open.
“What were you saying?” I ask Jake.
He stares out the window. “I didn’t go.”
“Why?”
Boston walks out of the bathroom shutting the door behind him. Mick watches him suspiciously. “It better not stink in there,” Mick tells him.
Jake leans away from the window as if he’s trying to not be seen by someone looking up. “Something’s going on out there,” he says.
“Yeah.” I return to my spot on my bed. “They have to clean and disinfect−”
“No,” he stops me.
Boston joins him at the window looking concerned. “What happened?” he asks Jake.
“Will you do something for me?” Jake asks him. Boston looks at Mick and I. Both of us are listening intently.
“Sure,” he says, turning back to Jake.
“The barn, I want you to take me to it.”
“Okay,” Boston says, disappointed by the mediocre request. I’m disappointed too. Asking the person that can get you anything for a trip to the barn is a total let down. “We can go later tonight.”
Jake walks to the door. “I mean now,” he says insistently.
Boston walks slowly across the room. “Hold on. Everyone was told to stay put. If we go stomping to the barn we’re going to get in trouble for leaving our rooms without permission.”
Jake’s hand is on the doorknob. “No we won’t. You’ll see.” He walks out the door.
Boston turns to us. “You two coming or what?”
I stand up. Mick shakes his head, “He didn’t ask us.” Boston and I walk to the door.
I turn around to Mick before leaving. “Come on. This is the most excitement we’ll have all day.”
Mick catches up with the three of us as we are walking out of the stage three building.
We trek up the hill separating the school buildings from the field when we hear someone yell, “Stop right there!” All of us freeze.
Jessica jogs over. “Where are you boys going?”
Mick steps forward crossing his arms. “Where ever we want,” he tells her sternly.
She’s not intimidated by him in the least. “Okay, Mr. Serious.”
“What are you doing?” Boston asks her.
She avoids making eye contact with Mick when she answers. “I had to bring my dad some stuff at the south helicopter pad.” Boston nods letting us know she’s telling the truth.
Jake isn’t paying attention to any of us. He’s looking around and slowly stepping in the direction of the barn.
I continue walking with Jake. “Cool. See you later,” I tell her. Mick and Boston are immediately in tow behind us. To everyone’s surprise Jessica follows us.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Mick asks.
She gives him a cheeky look. “Where ever I want.”
Boston grins at Mick who can’t think of a comeback. Jake looks at her. “It’s not a good idea,” he says as something catches his eye. He slaps my side with the back of his hand. Ahead of us, a teacher is walking our way. She’s heading straight for us.
“What do we do?” I ask.
“I got this,” Jessica says. She walks to the front of the group, on the other side of Jake, closest to the teacher.
Before the teacher reaches us, whaling sirens ring out above us in all directions. It is coming from the announcement speakers by the field. This time we all freeze in place.
The teacher yells, “It’s a drill people! To your emergency locations!” She takes off running northeast, past us.
Every student is assigned to a specific emergency location. My emergency location was changed when my class schedule changed. I am to report to the marsh evacuation site in the southeast corner of the grounds. There are airboats in the marsh that I am assigned to help load students in for evacuation.
“We have plenty of time,” Boston says, totally unfazed.
“I’ve pushed my luck enough for today, I’m out,” Mick says, heading toward campus.
Jake heads in the same direction. “I’ll catch up with y’all.”
I look at Boston and Jessica as Jake splits. “Aren’t we out here because of him?”
“Whatever, lets just get to our locations,” Boston says to the two of us.
Somewhere north of us on campus, the sound of fireworks being popped starts. I look up at the sky waiting for a light show thinking about what a waste fireworks are to use this time of day.
Jessica takes off to the field yelling, “It’s not a drill!” Boston looks at me, and then looks behind me towards campus. I turn to see Mick running back to us. Jake isn’t with him.
“We need cover now!” Mick says, flying up to us. He keeps running in the same direction as Jessica. “What are you waiting for?” he asks as he runs past me.
I look behind him at what little I can see of the campus. Some teachers are yelling orders to the few students around them, but most are running to their designated locations. I don’t see anyone with fireworks. Boston is yelling at me now. I’m only faintly aware of myself as I jog half-heartedly after them trying to figure out why everyone is freaking out over fireworks.
The alarm isn’t stopping. I’m over the hill now, separating me from the chaos on campus. I hear faint screaming coming from behind me. I stop, thinking maybe I didn’t really hear it. I should wait to see if my ears are playing tricks on me or not.
Boston yells, “Snap out of it, Kelly!” Suddenly he’s grabbing my arm. “Move!”
I’m turning around to follow Boston when I see her on the hill. “Boston, look.”
It feels like I’m in some kind of dream. None of this is making sense. A girl is slowly walking over the hill to me. She isn’t running in fear like my friends or yelling or anything, just walking like any other day. It’s Nikki.
I smile and wave at her. “What’s going on?” She doesn’t answer me. I must be dreaming. I should be waking up soon.
“Mick,” she says, walking closer to me so that I can hear over the sirens.
“No, I’m Kelly.”
Boston looks surprised by her appearance too. He ye
lls for Mick. I don’t look back to see if Mick can hear him or not.
I hear her better now that she’s only a short distance from me. “My Mick,” she says over and over.
“This dream isn’t right. You should be asking for me,” I tell her. My dreams always revolve around me. Mick pushes me to the ground as he runs to Nikki.
Boston grabs my shoulders, shaking me hard, “What the hell is wrong with you, Kelly?”
I shrug him off, “Man, lay off me. This is all a dream.”
I’m up to a crouching position when Boston leans back looking at me bewildered. “If you’re dreaming then you won’t be mad if I did this.” He kicks me right in the family jewels.
My insides jump to my throat and suddenly I can’t breathe. I roll to my side as realization dawns on me. I cough a little from the pain. The alarm is still going off for a reason. It isn’t fireworks that I’m hearing it’s… gun shots. Teachers and students have left for their emergency locations because we’re under attack. The gunshots mean whoever it is that caused them to turn on the sirens is already on campus. A loud boom from campus distracts me momentarily from my pain. It’s so loud that the earth shakes a tiny bit beneath us.
Something really bad is happening not far from where we’re at and what does my best friend do? He takes this opportunity to kick me in my boys. “I thought we were friends you as…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I had to do something. You were out of it. Do you still think you’re dreaming?” he asks, carefully lifting me to my feet. I’m too heavy for him causing us to nearly fall. I push Boston off of me and I raise myself up.
Nikki is looking wildly at Mick. She keeps an arm tucked under her jacket. Her other arm is embracing him like her life depends on it. She’s saying something to him but he doesn’t seem to understand her. “Nik!” he calls out when she falls to her knees.
She begins to cry as she takes her arm out of her jacket exposing a hand covered in blood. Boston sees what’s happening and leaves me to tend to her. My stomach still hurts, bad. He didn’t have to use that much force; a simple tap would have sufficed.
