by M. D. Massey
Usually, a girl will comfort a guy in this situation. He doesn’t deserve it, and I don’t pity him.
“Hang on a minute, Mary. I think something is wrong,” he says with a little bewilderment in his eyes. Joshua has no idea what happened to him? How can that be possible? Has he ever jacked-off?
I laugh, not helping matters. “Oh, please, nothing is wrong with you. You got over excited when you looked my lady parts in the face. It happens with the inexperienced, or in your case, brainwashed.” I don’t know what comes over me. Thoughts of Mac maybe? I don’t want this kid to have his way with me.
A slap stings my face. “You should be grateful to me. I could hand you over to someone else.”
“No, you’ll screw me first at least.” I want to shoot him. I’ve never wanted to outright kill anyone before. Now I have two on my hit list in less than twenty-four hours. “You killed your brother for nothing it seems.”
This pisses him off, but his fist stops in midair at screams through the walls. Joshua looks toward the door, startled. My heart soars. Mac. Right now! I draw my fist back, when Joshua turns to me, I punch him in the temple and he falls unconscious. Pain slithers through my hand, making it throb. I shake it out. How does Rudy do it all the time? The man must be made of steel.
I throw the wedding band at the twerp as I jump and run for the door. The ring still bounces as I shut the door behind me. A nondescript hallway, in a nondescript apartment, in a nondescript apartment building confuses me. Everything’s plain beige. The carpet in this hall, burgundy, a color I’ve seen Glinda use on her nails.
The screaming comes from the opposite direction, but I make way for the room I stayed in earlier, smiling when I get there. My pack leans against the wall, still here. When I look in it, so are my jeans, along with Mac’s t-shirt. I throw them on without underwear, searching around for my boots. What do you know? Isabel hid them under the bed. I shake my head at her stupidity. I don’t have any bullets, but my guns are still there. Mac’s compound bow leans against the wall. No arrows. He probably thinks I took it. My crossbow resides in his room at the community.
I dash down the stairs in the midst of complete chaos. Zombies. Not Mac. My heart breaks, but I spring into action, kicking a couple out of my way down the stairs. I freeze at the sight of them carrying unconscious humans, but not eating them. Puzzling at this scene, a man steps into my view. He wears black canvas pants, boots, and a black canvas jacket with little pockets. Exactly like the man in the parking garage. What an unexpected turn of events.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” His hands are up in a soothing gesture. He reaches out and pricks me with something. I stare at the pinpoint of blood on my arm. This cannot be happening to me. I blink as my vision blurs, and my body lightens. The world spins, closing itself off from me.
29
Cold air seizes my body along with a harsh smell of antiseptic. My eyes don’t want to open, and I can barely move. A breeze floats where no breeze should be. A beep of a monitor makes me peek my eyes open to look. I move my head and see my knees in the air. My feet are cold from harsh stirrups, warming with my body heat. It’s cold where it is usually warm because I’m wide open.
A doctor writes in a clipboard, no. Not a clipboard, a smart pad. I figure he’s a doctor from the white coat. Maybe I’ve been in a four-year coma. Possibly having had a massive car wreck, hallucinating zombies, and having a massive freak out requiring me to be placed in the loony bin. I’m betting he’s a doctor, and I didn’t dream up the last four years.
I struggle and let out a moan, meaning to say, “What the fuck?” It doesn’t come out the way I want it to. The monitor beeps with the tune of my heartbeat. The doctor turns to look at me, gesturing with his hand. Before I can look at him, a nurse with green scrubs on comes into view. She does something I can’t see. I remember nothing after that.
My body is stiff, like I’ve been asleep for an unusual amount of time. My memories stream back all at once. I know where I am, and don’t want to face that reality. Without moving or making a sound, I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. Lying on a twin bed, a bunk bed to be exact, I’m in some kind of dorm room, made of painted white cinderblocks. Several bunk beds take up the wall space. It smells of harsh cleaning chemicals and floral fragrances.
“She’s awake,” a bored voice announces. “Get Donna, so she can do her thing.”
A girl with dark curly brown hair to her shoulders comes into view. She’s clean, and when she smiles, her teeth are stark white against her coffee brown skin, and the bright green v-neck shirt contrasts with it.
“Hello, sleepy. You’ve had quite a time, huh?” She doesn’t sound like someone held captive against her will and awaiting slaughter. I blink sleep out of my eyes, and rub out the crust.
A door opens and a woman clears her throat. “You know the drill, ladies. You can get to know Kansas later. Out.” She points to the door with her thumb. Creamy Coffee shrugs at me and leaves along with a couple other girls who look to be around my age. I’m curious about this, and want to know more about them. I haven’t seen many girls my age for a long time.
“Hello, Kansas.” I turn my attention back to the plain-Jane woman with frizzy, dishwater-blond hair tied in a ponytail. Her light brown eyes scrutinize me. A purple sweater and jeans with white sneakers give off a disheveled look that reminds me of myself. “I’m Donna. I help coordinate the single female housing.”
She lets that sink in for a minute before continuing: “You’ll be able to shower and change in a little while. I’m sure you’re tired of that hospital gown.”
I hold up a hand. “How long have I been here?”
She rubs her chin like she has a beard and sighs, as if my question isn’t unexpected, just tiring. “A couple of days.” Everything seems to be in order. The team hasn’t showed up yet. “Usually happens with the people we have to sedate.” Her eye twitches. “If you cause trouble, we won’t hesitate to do it again. If you give it a chance you can be happy here.
“We have rules. I’ll start with the basics. You’re encouraged to find… a partner.” She eyes me as dread settles in my stomach.
I’m not in immediate danger, and she doesn’t hold a gun on me, but I have to ask. “Why?”
She sighs again. “I suppose you have questions, but I’m not at liberty to answer. Dr. Finnegan will be here in a couple of days. He’s the one that answers those. He’s brilliant, and it may take a while to get used to his views, but everything makes sense. I promise.
“You’ve been cleared as a healthy, fertile female. You’ll be treated with much respect. You could say it’s almost like being royalty. You will be royalty if you bear children. You have a chance to pick your own partner. You can live with him, marry him, or have babies. Some women opt for that, and live on their own so they give back to the world the same as women who find a companion.”
“Who’d want to bring an innocent baby into this world? What if I opt out?” I’m getting angry. This is the second time in a week that I’m wanted for my uterus. One of the reasons I was kidnapped to begin with. Kidnapped, twice. I now know why young women are scarce at the community. They don’t just come and go. They’re taken against their will.
She looks at me blankly. “We want you to be happy, so you’re encouraged to do so. On your own. The children here are happy. Children with no worries that would apply to children outside of here. They live and are raised by their parents. They attend school, get exercise, play, and have friends that they’ll know their entire lives.” She lifts her chin studying my reaction. “I have someone that will take you around the compound and let you see with your own eyes. She’s married, and pregnant with her first child. She lives with her husband and they live a normal life in independent housing. She devotes her time in talking to women like you, who come from the outside unwillingly. She was here before I came, and I’ve been honored with watching her grow and accept.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care. What if I deci
de I want to leave?”
She looks at me with pity. “We won’t force you to stay here, but if you walk out of those doors you are no longer safe from the infected.”
“What? Infected? So it is a disease? How?” I blurt these all out. She holds up a hand. I don’t believe her about letting me walk out if I want to leave. Her tone tells me as much.
“Dr. Finnegan will explain.” Her arm lifts toward the door. “Let’s get you a shower, and something to eat. Then you will have time in the singles hall.” They’re not wasting any time. I have to be serious. I was coming here for this exact reason. Now, I’m going to talk to someone who knows the things I want to know. Hoping the team will hold off a while longer, I’ll have time to get knowledge, look for Julie, and set a plan into motion. Not for the first time this week, I wish I could make a phone call.
We go next door to the shower room, complete with lockers, benches, and a big group shower. She shows me clothes in the lockers, and shoes. Everything I’ll need. A big makeshift vanity with girl crap all over occupies an entire wall. A girl with auburn hair spots us, and scrambles out after applying lip gloss.
“Um, where are my clothes and boots?” I want Mac’s shirt back and my boots. The jeans I don’t care about, just the shirt.
“Your clothes were cut off of you.” My eyes sting with tears. Stupid, but it’s all I had. She takes in my reaction and mumbles, “I can look for your boots, if you’d like.” I nod, and she leaves. They do want me happy and compliant, but I have no doubt they won’t have any trouble tossing me to the famished, like Rudy first said they did. I can’t grasp the reality and organization that was put into this.
I believed her when she said people are happy here, people jumping at the chance for safety and normal living. I still can’t see bringing a child into the world. It’s cruel and selfish. They don’t know what I do though, a cavalry will come with a whole lot of explosives soon, and their world will be torn apart. It’ll be too late to think about their hasty decision to join a new age plan.
Pure happiness overtakes me when I get in the hot, steamy shower. Standing there for a good ten minutes as it ripples over me puts me in a daze. I don’t understand my situation yet, it being so frustrating and unbelievable. After I take my time washing my hair and body, I get out feeling relaxed and ready to take on anything.
My boots perch on a bench on top of something white, much to my relief. Mac’s shirt. When I pick it up, it falls apart in tatters, but I’m grateful to Donna.
“I figured it was like that.” I spin and Donna leans against the wall. “You know, more people came with you. Maybe he is here?”
I shake my head. “I was kidnapped before, by crazy religious people.”
She nods. “You might recognize some of them then. You never know whom you’ll see. They bring in people all the time.” I hope Mac is not here. Rudy either. Anyone I know, for that matter. I can’t worry about them now. They can take care of themselves. I know they thought the same of me. No point going down that road. I’m sure the opportunity to be pissed at myself will arise again through my unwilling frolicsomeness.
I dress in a white long-sleeved t-shirt, and low-rise jeans, so low that my shirt doesn’t cover my hipbones as they protrude, indicating I’ve lost weight. My tattoo sinks in, I need food pronto. A baby pink, zippered, hooded sweatshirt covers my skinniness. Slipping on my boots is a comfort to me. The colored part of my hair’s light blue, so I brush it and leave it down, pulling the hood up.
It seems we stick to the same building with several wings. She explains one wing is dedicated to the singles area, but the bachelors live in a separate dorm. The cafeteria’s right off the front lobby, which is all white-painted brick and cream-colored tile floors.
The cafeteria’s empty when we get there, reminding me of a school. Rows of tables with the attached stools and a long buffet line sit in front of the kitchen. Inspirational posters hang throughout the building. I notice one now, featuring a cottage-type house with a family playing in the yard. The caption says, “Home sweet home. This is the place to find happiness. If one doesn’t find it here, one won’t find it anywhere.” Give me a fucking break.
The menu is varied with pizza, burgers, and fries, and I eat, not realizing how hungry I am. Food that’ll keep people happy. I opt for a Portobello mushroom burger, fries, and a hearty vegetable soup. God loves me – I have homemade double chocolate brownies. Donna watches me eat. I think she wants to laugh.
“What?” I say with a mouth full of food as a piece of mushroom goes flying.
She smiles. “This is my favorite part. Watching people eat the foods they haven’t been able to eat.”
I nod. “I lost weight while drugged. I don’t think I’ve ever been this skinny. It’s gross.” I don’t remember eating anything at Jeremiah’s either. I frown.
She raises her brow. “Most girls like being ultra-skinny.”
“It’s disgusting. Even though some girls can’t help being that skinny. Most girls starve themselves, and all I want to do is give them some cookies. I don’t think it’s attractive to not eat.” I shrug.
She nods as I dig into my brownie. “Can I take some of these to go?” I ask jokingly, and tell her so. I feel a lot better now with a shower and food. I did eat too much, but I need it. I’ll eat a lot today, and not be hungry tomorrow.
“So, how did you know my name? It’s not like I have ID on me or anything?”
She rubs her chin again. It’s a wonder it’s not raw. “Fingerprints.” I grow cold, turning to stone. “It seems yours were in the database. Quite the trouble maker,” she scolds. “We know all about you, Kansas City Sunshine Moore.”
I stare at her. “Not everyone can be found that way.”
“Not everyone has to be brought in being carried. Most of these people came here willingly.” A tight smile forms on her lips. I don’t believe her. Otherwise, how would they know I’d make trouble before taking my fingerprints? They wouldn’t, leaving me to believe everyone is drugged and carried here.
“Yeah, they thought it was a government camp. You know? The people that run the country?” My voice isn’t exuding with sarcasm. Much.
She ignores my tone. “Battle of wills now.”
I ask, but she holds up her hand. “All in good time, Kansas.”
“Does everyone know about me?”
She shakes her head. “No, just your name, and your tattoo.” She smiles. “Can’t keep secrets like that around here.” Damn Reece and his “virgin canvas” speech. “But no. No one knows about your previous record with the police.” She eyes me and purses her lips. “We had to confiscate your bag and the laptop. Your previous actions from the former world let us know that’d be the smart thing to do. The guns, it’s against the rules for civilians, and the guards know to look out for anyone who has had them.”
I nod, not caring for those things. I can get more. This new information tells me my laptop would’ve been useful here. I file that away for future reference. About my past? I’m not proud of it. Therefore, I don’t want anyone to know about it. I was young and dumb, testing my parents’ limits. It slowed down when Malachi became attached to my hip. I think that’s why they loved him so much. I loved him for that, too. That’s also why his parents could not care less about me, and tormented him about it. It hurt I was no less than frigid with them. They treated him poorly. I can see now, they wanted what was best for him, but I never held him back from anything. I still got into trouble though. I’m surprised this base knows about the felony charge that’d been thrown out.
I sigh, letting those thoughts go. They never get me anywhere I want to be. “Where are the people that came with me?” I ask.
“Most have adjusted, but none had records such as yours either. We took precautions with you. Are you ready to meet everyone?”
“Might as well get it over with.”
She peers sideways at me as we leave the cafeteria. “It’s not so bad.”
“Do you know a Julie?�
� I ask, not knowing her last name.
She glances at me again, this time with shock. She rubs her jaw. Her chin must be sore. All her face touching explains the little pimples lining her jaw. “Yes,” she says. “She’s the one giving you the tour tomorrow.”
I freeze. “Wait. Didn’t you say she was married and in a fix?” Her look tells me she’s confused, not catching my meaning. “You know, pregnant?”
She nods, watching my reaction. This just got a lot more complicated. I haven’t even met the tramp yet. I scoff at myself. Who am I to judge?
30
The “singles” hall is just that, located adjacent from the cafeteria. It reminds me of a nursing home recreation room with an adjoining courtyard. Big TV’s with comfy seating make up most of the room. A huge bookshelf on a wall supports board games, DVD’s, books, music, and video games. I can see myself getting into the mood here. Right.
Pool tables and card tables dominate a huge space in the middle. People talk in friendly groups. At first glance, I’m relieved not to recognize anyone.
“The courtyard is out that way.” Donna points toward the double glass doors parallel from us. “The indoor pool is right across from the bathrooms, down that hall.” Her finger directs to an open hallway on the far right. “The workout room is also down there.”
Workout room? Interesting, it’ll give me something to do if I get bored. Not likely. Right now though, I feel odd, and want to sneak back to bed. I’d rather take my chances running into the thousands of zombies outside the base.
“Not everyone is here yet, still on their work detail, but will be here shortly. You’ll be assigned to do something, but can wait a few days while you get adjusted. I’ll see you soon. Dinner is at seven.” She gestures to a clock and it reads 3:17pm. “You’ll get used to the schedule, and everyone else’s. I have something I need to see to, so I’ll leave you to it.” She turns, leaving before I say anything.
