The ten students with Alex and Mrs. Moore all raised their hands. That was it, eleven people to leave out of the whole class.
With a resigned sigh, Mrs. Moore continued. “Although I disagree with your decision, it is yours to make. Mrs. Davis will now take over and you may follow her directions. You ten students who are leaving follow me to the side.”
As Mrs. Moore started walking away from the main group, Mrs. Davis realized what that meant and immediately started objecting.
“What are you doing? You can’t leave! You children join the main group right this minute. You lost the vote so you will be coming to the consulate with us!”
Mrs. Moore rounded on her forcefully and was practically spitting. “Shut up! You are not their parent. They have made their decision and as the adult responsible for them, I give it my blessing. I will know that at least some of my students will survive this. Now go back and prepare the rest to get moving.” She finished, turning her back on Mrs. Davis in dismissal.
“Norma, you can’t talk to me that way! And what about the rest of the children? They are your responsibility as well,” she said in desperation. The thought of being responsible for all the students erased the smugness of getting her own way.
With a look of exhaustion Mrs. Moore turned back and wearily said, “Mrs. Davis, I will be accompanying you and the rest of the students to the consulate.”
“But you don’t want to go there. I don’t understand you at all!” she said in exasperation.
“All the students are in my charge. And even though I strongly disagree with your choice, someone has to try and keep you alive and that seems to be me. Now please go back and get everyone ready to go while I talk to this group.”
With a look of disbelief on her face, Mrs. Davis walked away.
“Well if we do make it home, I’m sure that one will have plenty to say to the school board! And I for one would welcome that if it is the worst outcome of this tragedy. Now, we must make haste as time is slipping away! Have you all decided what to do?” Mrs. Moore looked to the group expectantly.
Alex couldn’t believe what was happening. “Why aren’t they listening, Mrs. Moore? This is crazy. Please come with us!”
Mrs. Moore turned to Alex with a sad smile and said, “Alex, I’m sorry. I can’t go with you.” She shook her head in regret. “Most people are sheep. They can’t think for themselves. They will only follow and look to others to take care of them. You, students, are all leaders and I know that you will do fine without me. The rest will need to be taken care of and I believe it will be up to me to do that.” She turned back to the group. “What have you decided?”
Mason began by explaining to Mrs. Moore his sailing ideas and Quinn explained his overland travel plan.
“All right, both are sound ideas. Are you sure that you won’t stay together?”
At the boys and their friend’s negative answers, she said, “I am positive that you would do better if you stayed together but splitting up may mean a better chance of at least one group making it. So that’s that. Mason, there is not a lot of advice I can give you about sailing but I will say this. Work together as a team. Stay vigilant for danger and don’t give trust easily to strangers. The best judge will be your intuition. Also, be reminded that even though you may find this is a new, lawless land you are setting out in, you will have to live with the decisions that you make along the way. Help others when you can but always keep your group’s safety as a priority. Good luck to you and may God watch over you.” With that, she gave him a pat on the back and nodded to Lisa and Mark.
She turned to Quinn and said, “I don’t know which group will have the hardest journey so, all I have said applies to you as well. Your journey will be more physically demanding, so rest when you feel safe but don’t waste time. The longer this goes on, the worse conditions will get and the worse people will behave. Remember that it is a different world out there and some rules will have to change. If you feel threatened do not hesitate to take action and if you are truly in a situation where it is your life against someone else, act accordingly. Do not let that burden you deeply as you are not only saving your own life but probably others in the future. Do you understand what I am saying?” She looked around and met all of our eyes.
Alex spoke up clearly. “If someone is trying to kill or hurt us, we should defend ourselves and if it means that person dies we shouldn’t fall apart over it. Is that what you mean?”
“Yes,” was all Mrs. Moore said.
“All right, Mason - you, Lisa and Mark should go now. Stop at the closest convenience store and get a map and some water. The sooner the better, it’s going to get crazy out in the city soon.” Mrs. Moore stood to see them off.
“Emily is coming too,” Mason announced.
Alex responded immediately. “No, she is not!”
She turned to face Emily, who was looking down quietly crying.
“Emily?” Alex asked. “What’s he talking about? You can’t go with them! You can’t leave me.” Alex cried.
Emily looked up and met her best friend’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Lex. I’m going with Mason.”
Chapter Three
Alex stared off into the distance. She could see people walking along the monorail track away from the now stationary train suspended up in the air.
“I would have hated to be stuck way up there when it stopped,” she thought and looked away with a frown.
She just couldn’t understand Emily. After choosing Mason over her friends all these months and she was now choosing him for a life or death journey. Alex didn’t feel like she knew her friend at all anymore. It felt like a piece of her had just been snatched away. It was bad enough that Mrs. Moore wasn’t coming with them but now Emily also splitting away was just too much to bear. She had heard all of her friends trying to get her to change her mind but it didn’t sound like it was working.
A tap on her shoulder made her look around with hope it was Emily. Instead, she found David with an unsure look on his face.
David was a great guy. A little quiet compared to Josh and not as outgoing as Quinn, but a stable addition in their group. You could always count on David for anything. Most of the time you didn’t even have to ask him, he just seemed to know what was needed.
Alex knew that David had a thing for Emily. She didn’t know if he was in love with her but he had definitely been crushing on her for years. When Emily had started dating Mason, David had been in such a funk that he barely talked to anyone. For the first three weeks he walked around in a sulk. It wasn’t until Alex had talked to him about it and shared her feelings about Mason with him that he started to come around. They had both decided that Emily was just trying out a new crowd and once she really got to know Mason and his jerk sidekicks, she would ditch them and come back to her real friends. That conclusion seemed to be very wrong now that Emily had made this huge choice.
“You okay?” asked David with concern.
Alex thought if she tried to speak she would end up crying so she just gave a tiny shake of her head. How could any of this be okay?
“Listen, Alex - I don’t think she’s going to change her mind. Even Mrs. Moore took a crack at her and had no luck. So, the only thing I can think of is, I have to go with them. I don’t think I could live with myself if I let her go off with those three assholes alone. What do you think?”
The only thing Alex could think at that moment was how could Emily be so blind to this guy? Alex leaned in, grabbed David in a tight hug and whispered a ‘Thank you’ into his ear. She felt David stiffen just as she heard a tentative Emily.
“Lex? Can I talk to you?”
Alex let David go and with a deep breath turned around to face her best friend. She couldn’t think of anything to say to her so she just waited.
When it was clear to Emily that Alex wasn’t going to say anything, she began.
“I’m so sorry Lex! I know you must think that I’m a fool or crazy but…” At a loss for words, she stopped.
Alex took pity on her friend and tried to help. “But why? I don’t understand why you would go with them. You don’t know anything about sailing and those guys are so self-centered. At least with us you know we would do anything to keep you safe.”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons. I don’t think they would make it on their own. They bluster and brag so much but I think they are pretty clueless outside of their shallow high school world. I think they need help. And I know I don’t know anything about sailing but I’m the best swimmer in the whole school. You know I was on track for the National’s and then maybe the Olympics so that will help. I don’t think Mark even knows how to swim. Alex, I know you don’t like Mason but I really believe he cares about me and will try to keep me safe. He comes off as such a jerk but when it’s just the two of us he is a totally different person. Please, I need you to trust me. This is something that I have to do,” she begged for understanding.
With a groan of frustration, Alex replied. “I do trust you Em, it’s them I don’t trust. I know how stubborn you are under that mop of blond hair. How can I go on this epic adventure without my best friend and what am I supposed to do if we make it and you aren’t there?”
Emily gave a cheeky smile and said, “You know what an adventure really is right?”
In unison, Alex and Emily cheered, “Far away from home and fucked up!” and both girls broke out in laughter.
Alex’s older brother Peter had once told the two girls to be careful and safe when they went on their first solo camp out. And when Emily said it would be a great adventure he had replied with the famous line. The girls had never forgotten and anytime they started off to camp they would yell it out into the forest.
Once they stopped laughing they just grabbed on to each other and held on tight. After a while, Alex pulled back and stared into Emily’s blue eyes.
“Okay Em, I guess I get why you’re going but it scares the hell out of me. The only thing that makes it semi-ok is that you aren’t going alone.”
At Emily’s questioning look Alex explained that David was going with them to sea. Seeing the embarrassed look on David’s face she quickly put in, “David is good with motors and thinks he can help get a boat started. And he’s very worried about his mom and little sister. He thinks going by boat will get him home faster.”
She made that up on the spot. While not really a lie, David was good with cars, he was always working on his old Mustang and with his Mom being all alone at home with an eight-year-old to watch over he must be worried. It was all Alex could think of in the spur of the moment to help David save face.
Emily turned to David and gave him a quick hug and a sweet smile.
“That would be so great, David. I feel a lot better with you along to help out.”
Just then the rest of the group joined them and Mrs. Moore took charge. After David told her he was going with Emily she seemed very much relieved.
“Time to go, we have wasted too much time. It has now been just over an hour and the masses out there will be starting to get nervous. Mason, Emily, David, Lisa, and Mark it’s time you got on your way. Remember everything I have told you and be safe. When you make it home please tell your parents that I am sorry I couldn’t do more for you. Good-bye, or as you are going by sea, Bon Voyage.” With that, she turned away and discreetly brushed a tear away.
As Mason’s group stood by waiting, Quinn and Josh said their goodbyes to David and gave some last-minute advice. Alex and Emily just stood looking at each other.
Finally, Emily started with, “Well this should be a piece of cake.”
Alex came back with, “Nah, a piece of pie.”
Then together, “Just not a banana split!”
It was another childhood saying meant to break the tension. With sad smiles, the girls gave another hug and whispered, ‘Love you’ and ‘Love you more’ to each other and parted ways.
As Emily walked away with Mason and his friends, David came up and put his arm around Alex.
“Bring her home, David. And you too. Both of you get home safe.”
David gave her arm another squeeze and followed Emily out of Disneyland.
Chapter Four
When Alex could no longer see Emily, she finally turned back to her group to see what was going on. Quinn, Josh, Cooper, and Dara were all kneeling around what looked like a map on the ground. Alex hadn’t even given Cooper and Dara a thought but guessed now that they were down to five, they would be getting to know each other much better. Cooper was this bad boy by reputation but that was all Alex really knew about him. He must be somewhat smart if he had chosen to come with them. Alex decided to keep an open mind until she got to know him better.
Dara confused Alex. Up until grade six, Dara was a part of her group. Her family lived on a nearby farm and she and Emily and Alex had been in all the same activities and clubs. The summer before grade six Dara’s parents had gotten a divorce she had moved into town, along with her mother and brother. Things had stayed the same until halfway through the school year when Dara had started distancing herself from the girls. She would sit alone at lunch and recess and barely speak to anyone. Emily and Alex had tried to keep her in the loop but Dara just kept pulling away. By the beginning of grade seven, Dara was alone and Alex and Emily had given up. By grade nine, Dara was into black clothes and heavy makeup. She started coloring her hair weird shades and had gotten a reputation of being a Goth. Alex didn’t think she was really a Goth but wasn’t really sure.
Not that it matters anymore, she thought. We are in this together. Alex would take any help available.
Mrs. Moore was talking to Mrs. Davis and broke away to speak to Alex. Mrs. Davis was gesturing to the remaining students to get up and get ready.
She walked up to Alex and surprised her by taking her hand. With a very intense stare she exclaimed, “I believe in you. I know you and the others can do this. You will make it home.”
Shaken by Mrs. Moore’s intensity but also strangely more confident, Alex gave a firm nod.
“I want you to take this, Alex.” Mrs. Moore reached into her huge purse and pulled out Mr. Carter’s wallet and money belt. She handed them to Alex and then took out her own wallet.
“Take out the money and give the rest back to me and take this as well,” she ordered Alex and handed her the money from her wallet.
“Mrs. Moore, I can’t take this! What will you do?” Alex cried.
“Hush now and listen! Mrs. Davis has two thousand dollars on her as part of the fundraising we did for student meals here and all the other students and adults have money so that is all we will need. Besides, this paper will be worthless by the end of the day. Take it and use it as soon as you can. Find a sporting goods store and get bikes and camping gear, water, and food. Use as much of it as you need to get supplies and then get out of this deathtrap city fast. Now, one other thing before you go. When you get home, and I know you will, if I’m not there that means I didn’t make it.”
Alex tried to interrupt but Mrs. Moore continued, “No, hush and listen. This is important! Go to my home. Do you know where I live? It’s not that far from your farm.”
Alex nodded.
“Good. Go to my home and check the basement. It is full of supplies. If it has been cleaned out, don’t worry about that. Go back behind my old shed, and there is a set of storm doors with a padlock on them. The key is under the kitchen sink. The storm cellar was enlarged and it is just as full of supplies and there is also a living space in it. Now listen, this is very important. Tell no one! No one! Not even your family. It is only to be used in dire straits. You must keep it safe for a time that is life and death. Do you understand? Being a little hungry from rationing is not an emergency. Starving to death is. There are food and medical supplies but if they are all used up, they cannot be replaced. Do you understand, Alex? This is so important for your future.”
Stunned, Alex nodded her head in agreement.
“Do you really think it will come to
that Mrs. Moore? Starving?”
“It is hard to say but people do terrible things when they are scared. There is plenty of livestock and crops where we live so it should be fine but there may be a lot of refugees from the cities. Then again, Canada may not even be touched by this, but I doubt it. Anyway, time for your group to go.” Mrs. Moore surprised Alex again by pulling her into a tight hug.
Quinn and the rest were all standing and waiting for Alex, so she headed towards them and they all started for the front gates. Alex thought that it was ironic that here she was in Disneyland for the first time, she hadn’t even gotten more than 300 feet inside, and she was leaving again, likely never to return.
Suddenly she whirled around and called out to Mrs. Moore, “Thank you! I always looked forward to your classes! Good luck!”
Alex could see Mrs. Moore standing alone watching them leave, then she slowly turned away.
Alex caught up to Quinn and gave a brief smile and nod to Dara and Cooper as she passed them.
Quinn looked down at her and asked, “Ready?”
“Ready!” she replied.
Alex checked her watch and was again surprised to see that only an hour and a half had passed. It felt like forever since this all began. At only 9:40 am, it was promising to be a very long day. She told Quinn the time and he suggested they plan to have bikes by no later than noon. While the students had been organizing themselves, there had been a steady stream of people leaving the park but it had been fairly quiet. Some crying kids but no one seemed to be panicking. Alex guessed that it helped that it had happened so early in the day and the park wasn’t as filled up as it would have been later. By the time the group got out past the parking lots and onto a major street, things were much different.
There were car crashes everywhere and plenty of people screaming and yelling. Many people had bloody clothes and obvious injuries. There were no signs of emergency services. With all roads blocked with traffic accidents and no cars working, no ambulances would be coming. Off in the distance, there were quite a few smoke pillars rising into the air.
STRANDED: Box Set: Books 1-6 Page 3
