by S. E. Meyer
“Who’s there?” she nervously called out.
“Jenny, it’s me, John.”
Jennifer let out a yelp as she flung the glass door open and saw him standing there. She was immediately overwhelmed and flew out of the shower at him, wrapping her dripping wet arms around his neck and pressing her naked skin against him.
“John! I can’t believe it! Braedon said you were dead. It’s so good to see you, I have missed you so much.” She kissed his cheeks and forehead as she hugged him tightly. Tears began to stream down her face as the emotion of seeing her husband again took control of her. Jenny’s thoughts turned to the last several weeks and her muscles stiffened. Guilt gripped her body and tore into her soul. She let go of John and got a towel. She began to dry herself with her head hung low, avoiding eye contact with John.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
Jenny didn’t speak until she had found some clothes and got dressed. “John, come here and sit down on the bed. I have something I have to tell you.”
“Jen, I already know what you’re going to say. I know about the baby.”
“You do? But how could you know? There are only a couple people that know that!”
“Jen, you forget. I can read your thoughts and feel your emotions remember?”
Tears began to roll down her cheeks again as she looked him in the eye. “I’m so sorry John, I had no idea you were still alive, or that there was any reason to hope that you were. You’ve been gone for two months!”
“Come on Jen!” John replied. “Our bed was barely cold, and there was no way for you to know for sure whether I was dead or not. Nothing like clinging to hope right?” He continued sarcastically with an icy tone. John was hurt. It was the kind of pain that he felt as deeply in his bones as he did in his heart. It was causing him to lash out.
“Well it's not like you hung around very long while I was in a coma!” Jenny yelled. “Who abandoned who here? I mean, you just ran off and left me behind,” she paused, “in this place!” Jenny spread her arms out wide and gestured around the room. Her face was turning red now as her guilt quickly turned to anger.
John shook his head in frustration. “I was out trying to save your family!” he yelled pointing a finger in Jennifer’s direction.
“I guess that was more important than your wife!” Jenny roared. She stopped and tried to regain her composure when she saw Ninti and Frank come through the helper entrance to her room.
“You might want to keep it down a bit,” Frank pleaded. “We could hear you halfway down the hall.”
Jenny had a look of surprise on her face. “Frank, what are you doing here? And you, I recognize you from the Healing Ward,” Jenny exclaimed.
“Yes Jen, this is Ninti, the nurse that took care of us. They're both here to help. We have to get out of here as soon as possible,” explained John
“Get out of here? Why?” Jennifer asked.
“Look Jen, Braedon is not at all what he has been leading everyone to believe. He’s been murdering countless people and you’re not safe here.”
“Murdering people? No, Braedon wants to help all of us. He has been doing everything in his power to accomplish that. I’ve watched firsthand. He is responsible for saving billions. He even put me in charge of evacuee orientation because of my psychology background. I've put dozens of plans in place to help them better adjust to their new lives! I feel great for having been able to play a small part in that!” Jennifer was waving her arms excitedly as she defended her role.
“Jen, he’s not responsible for saving them, he’s responsible for killing them. Every one of them,” explained John.
“That’s not possible. I’m telling you John, I was there!”
“Have you ever gone down below and toured the cities he says he has filled? Have you interviewed any of the evacuees after they were sent below to see how they were settling in?” John paused and waited to see if she would answer him.
“No, Braedon said it would be too dangerous, but I don’t have to go down there to know they’re safe.” She continued to defend Braedon even though John was starting to put doubt in her mind. That seed of doubt was making her angry again. “What do you know about it anyway? You haven't even been around!”
“Because Jen, I did go down there. There was no city or food. There was no underground housing, bursting with people filling their bellies. I watched as people were executed.”
Jennifer couldn’t accept what he was telling her. She knew that if what John was saying were true it meant she played a part in slaughtering the majority of the human race. It seemed like an impossible tale. Her anger continued to grow. She stood up and walked to the other side of the room. Jennifer’s hands began shaking as she contemplated the possibility that John was telling the truth. At the same time she couldn’t stop thinking about the baby growing inside her. Jenny’s body shook frantically as she continued lashing at John in a crackling voice.
“And where have you been for the last two months John? You left me down here, abandoned. Why didn’t you find a way to tell me you were still alive? Why didn’t you come sooner? And now I am carrying his child and that’s not my fault. That’s your fault, that’s on you! I never would have let this happen if I knew you were out there somewhere. You know I would never have let this happen.”
“Jen I know that. Braedon is the master of manipulation.”
“At least he’s the master of something!”
“That's it!” John yelled out furiously. He grabbed Jenny's arms and pushed her down on to the bed as he spoke to Frank over his shoulder. “Help me hold her down.” Jenny was yelling and trying to get out from under John's weight as she pushed with her arms.
“I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't believe you! I'm just going to stay here and wait for Braedon. I'm sure he will sort this whole mess out.” Jenny spat through clenched teeth. She managed to free one of her arms and started to slap John just as Frank restrained her.
John ignored his wife's ranting and continued to instruct Frank. “We've got to get that thing out of her head Frank, before every Annunaki down here comes barging through the door. Help me roll her over.” They managed to get Jenny rolled over onto her stomach as she kicked and continued to yell. John pulled a bandage and sharp knife from his pocket as he called for more help. “Ninti, can you take care of this while I hold her down?”
“Yes, of course,” replied Ninti as she moved in next to John. She lifted Jennifer's hair from the back of her neck and in one swift move cut the metallic disk out from under her skin.
“Ouch!” Jenny wailed. A small line of blood began to trickle from the wound and Ninti covered it with the bandage John was holding.
Ninti gently rubbed Jenny’s head and moved a few strands of wet hair from her cheek. “I'm sorry dear, we didn't have the time or the supplies to make this painless.”
As soon as the disc was removed, Jenny stopped trying to get away. She began to sob quietly with her face buried in the bedding. John bent over and whispered into her ear. “Look, the best way for me to explain everything; why I was gone so long and what Braedon is actually doing, is to just show you. But it wouldn't have done much good with that thing still in your neck.” He moved his hand to touch her face. Jenny flinched away from him but he gently grabbed her arm with one hand and then placed his other on her temple. The images of the planet Eridu flashed in front of her eyes. He showed her the beauty and overwhelming joy of being on that planet. He expressed the euphoria he had felt of a utopian existence. He conveyed the ability to get lost in its splendor emotionally, mentally, and physically. She was able to see the way time was lost and the way John struggled to find himself. His battle to gain enough strength and request to be brought back to Earth so he could save her. The images changed to the executions by electricity and the powder that was collected from it. Jenny’s body began to twitch and writhe as she witnessed the horror before her eyes. The images changed to the making of the bread, including its ingredients, and fin
ally to the billions of suffering souls trapped underground, including Jake’s. John finally let go of her and she crawled off the bed dropping to her knees. Jenny crawled on all fours into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. She coughed and then continued to fill the bowl, as her stomach heaved its contents. John came into the bathroom and rubbed her back as he knelt down beside her.
“It’s okay Jen, I did the same thing when I found out what was going on. It’s a lot to wrap your head around,” he soothed.
Jennifer took a towel and wiped her mouth. She got up and splashed water on her face and then looked at John, who was still kneeling on the floor. “It’s even worse for me John because what you have just shown me means I helped murder hundreds of millions of innocent people. It makes Braedon an animal, a monster even, and I’m carrying that monster's baby!”
There was a knock at the door and Jenny's face showed a look of panic. John got up and headed back into the bedroom. “Get rid of them, whoever they are,” he whispered and then hid in the closet while Frank and Ninti disappeared through the helper entrance to Jenny's room. There was another knock, louder this time, and Jenny quickly wiped the tears from her face. She threw a towel around her neck to cover her wound and opened the door. It was one of the helpers.
“Hello Jenny,” she said with a smile and then frowned. “Are you okay? You look pale and we heard yelling from your room.”
“Yes, I’m okay. I just had a long, frustrating day today. I must have been talking to myself. I'm just tired and need some rest is all,” Jenny lied. The helper was unconvinced, but had more important business to attend to.
“Okay well,” she started apprehensively with a raised eyebrow, then continued, “I have a message from Braedon. He said he will be arriving in about two hours and that he located your family!” The helper said excitedly and smiled again. “I have good news. They’re okay! Braedon said they were scanned, checked in, and on the last train headed for the nearest evacuation center. Isn’t that great news? They should be down below, safe and sound, by the end of the night. Here is their ID chip information.” The Helper handed Jenny a small piece of paper. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again.
Jenny forced a smile. “Yes, I’m fine. That is great news! Thank you so much. Can you leave a message for Braedon when he gets here too?”
“Sure, anything.”
“Let him know I’m not feeling well and will be going to bed early. I will see him tomorrow when I’ve had some rest.”
The helper answered her with a simple, yet concerned, nod and Jenny closed the door. John exited the closet. “Jen, we have to get out of here as soon as possible. Ninti can help us get out of here safely. She has an intricate knowledge of this place,” he explained. Frank and Ninti heard them talking and reentered the room.
Jenny took a deep breath and collected her thoughts for a moment. “Look John this is all very overwhelming and hard to process all at once. I believe you, and I know you are telling me the truth so I know we have to leave okay?” Jenny grabbed a few personal items and threw them into a small bag before turning to face John again. Her head was spinning. “Wait, what about Jake, we can’t just leave him. We have to get him out of here.”
“Jen, there’s nothing I can do for him right now.”
“What do you mean? You’re supposed to have some kind of powers or something right? You’re trying to tell me that between you and Frank there’s nothing you can do?”
Ninti placed a hand of Jennifer’s shoulder. She spoke softly and looked her in the eye. “Jennifer, Jake’s soul is beyond the help of any of us right now,” she explained.
John took Jenny’s hand and turned her around to face him. He held a serious expression as he spoke. “Jen, I promise you that I will come back for him. I will not leave him here, okay? I don’t know how yet, but I will get him out of here. Right now, we have to leave.”
John’s tone was convincing and Jenny responded with a simple, ‘Lead the way.’ “It will be okay Jen. You’re okay and that’s what’s important. Now let’s get you out of here.”
Jenny’s face turned to a look of shock. “Oh my God John, did you hear what the helper said? My family is on their way to the evacuation center. We have to get to them before they go down below and...,” she trailed off for a minute before continuing, “I have to get a few things before we go. We’ll need to be able to track them so we know exactly where they are. I have to go to the Healing Ward for a minute. There are a few tools there we’re going to need,” she explained.
“Jen, you’re coming right back here? Because we can’t wait for long,” explained John.
“Yes, of course I am. With everything you just showed me, it’s important, and urgent as ever, that we get to my family before it’s too late,” Jenny said as she opened the door to the hallway outside her room. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and then left the room and closed the door behind her.
Frank spoke up as soon as she was gone. “John, can we trust her? She’s been living down here for some time you know. You don’t think she would...”
John cut him off. “No, she wouldn’t. You can read her mind as well as I can, so we both know she was serious about leaving with us,” replied John.
“I still don’t know if any of this was such a good idea,” Frank responded with a slight shake of his head.
“Well, what was I supposed to do Frank?” John asked. “I’m not exactly happy about what’s been going on around here. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over the fact that she’s carrying Braedon’s child. I guess in my mind it’s over and we’re through, but come on Frank, I had to at least get her out of here and away from that manipulative bastard!” John spat.
“I get that John, look I didn’t mean to upset you. I just hope she comes back soon or we’re going to have to leave here without her,” said Frank.
“We’re not leaving her here!” John argued. He was about to continue when the door in front of them swung open and Jenny walked in. John suddenly realized how foolish it was to be standing out in the open in front of the bedroom door where anyone could have strolled in and saw them standing there. He turned his attention to Jennifer. “So, are we ready then, can we go now?” John asked impatiently.
“Yes, we can go.” Jenny responded in an icy tone. “I understand the urgency just as much as you do okay? I mean, it’s my family that’s in trouble here. I’m not necessarily leaving because I want to. Can you understand that? I’ve started a whole new life down here John. I was just getting back on my feet and really feeling like I had a purpose in my life. I realize it was all a lie and so I am leaving, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it,” Jenny finished. She felt a wave of nausea again as the images John showed her flashed across her mind.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s just get the hell out of here,” replied John. He looked over in Ninti’s direction. “Are we ready to go?”
Ninti led them down the passageway outside Jenny’s door and they took the first left. After going several hundred feet she opened a small hatch in the bottom of the corridor wall. “This is a maintenance access panel,” she whispered. “We can get to the nearest available elevator through here.”
John, Frank and Jenny followed her through the small hatch and closed it behind them as soon as they squeezed inside. They had to crawl on all fours as they made their way in a straight line through almost total darkness. They felt their way along, occasionally passing an air vent below them. They could see down inside the rooms they were crossing as they crawled over the vents. John noticed another large mural of Braedon’s deceased wife in the room below him. It was similar to the one he had seen before, when Ninti had taken him to the Shi Habannatu, and it was another exact image of Jennifer. It made John fume. He felt the rage well up inside him and he unconsciously bit his lip until it drew blood. The group continued on their hands and knees until they came to another small hatch in the wall. Ninti peered through three tiny slots in the opening. “There isn't
anyone here. Let’s go. As soon as you are in the hallway, go directly across and get in the elevator. From there we can head straight west and on to where Jenny’s family is,” Ninti explained. One by one, they crept out of the passageway. As soon as John joined everyone inside, they were careening towards the interchange in Mexico.