Collide

by Shelly Crane

  Then I saw a big gash on one of the many legs. Three long gashes were next to each other and they were glowing red. I gasped quietly and looked up to meet the face. He saw me looking at it and understood my surprise. He was the one who saw Merrick looking at my Mark earlier. He nodded an ‘I know’ gesture and smiled a little pained smile.

  I closed my eyes and shook my head back and forth trying to force out the memory of my attack and the painful burning. I’d definitely have to talk to him later.

  The guy clutching me told me about his family dying as we eventually moved to sit on the steps together. I kept my arm around him as he just seemed to need the contact. He was all that was left of his family.

  After a while, we all convened in the commons room and I got drinks for everyone and sandwiches for the newbie’s which they practically inhaled and even had seconds. Jeff and Merrick introduced our group and Racine introduced theirs. She was the only female in her bunch.

  They were Josh, a Special, the young blonde jock looking guy who so needed a hug from me. He started out with his mother, father, and younger brother in Tulsa. He was all that was left, losing them all within three weeks of each other, the last one being a few days ago. No wonder he was so upset. Poor guy.

  Racine was his Keeper and his gift was that he could see through walls and objects. He was the only one of the newbie’s to have a gift.

  Next was my older scruffy balding rescuer, Aaron. He lost his wife, a Special, almost a year ago. Then Michael or Mike, a Special who hadn’t lost anyone because he didn’t have any family and never married. Thank God for small favors in times like this but he did lose his Keeper.

  Last was Miguel who lost his wife somewhere along the way. He was the one with the Marker scar and I made a mental note to speak to him immediately. He wasn’t a Special nor had his wife been. They just banded with the group to escape. He spoke with an Australian accent which was refreshing from the northern accent of most of the people stuck down here, with the exception of Trudy and her lovely ‘Paula Deen’ speak, as I called it.

  Their story was that they didn’t have a set hideout because there wasn’t anywhere to go really. They looked and looked for something more permanent but nothing ever panned out with that many people all together. Splitting up wasn’t an option. The more they moved the more people they lost, their numbers dwindling.

  They came this way because they were told by the news reports that the Markers weren’t as significant as over in the middle west part of the country. Little did they know they came right into the Takers territory. All in all they lost three Keepers. The rest were family, a couple Specials and some were just people they had found that hadn’t been affected by the Lighters lies yet.

  The mood was somber and reflective even though we were all glad they were here and could finally be safe. Now they needed to just wait for relief to set in. I was happy that my idea worked. Now we knew that it would work and others would probably start making their way to us.

  We’d have to start working on a new hall soon. Jeff had an idea about going deeper down instead of extending the hall further. Whatever the outcome, we’d had to make room. An army we would soon have and need.

  Welcome To The Family

  Chapter 30

  So it would be common knowledge that no one would be venturing out at night any longer. Unfortunately, that was when most of the people seeking refuge with us would travel to keep prying eyes off the place. At least I would hope they would know to be discreet.

  The newbie’s got settled into some of the new rooms and I’d never seen a group more grateful for a closet living space. After sleeping in the dirt or whatever you could find, you’d be pretty grateful for anything.

  We tried to get better acquainted with them which wasn’t hard because they were all very talkative and thankful to us. And they had plenty of stories which most were not so pleasant and I was glad that our crew knew what tactful questions to ask and what not to.

  These five had seen more action, pain, loss, and trickery than all the rest of us put together. I had a feeling that every person that walked through our trap door would have a similar experience and story. It made me feel sad and guilty for being relatively safe this whole time.

  A cold week passed. The guys started work on the hall again, putting in the bathrooms and stringing up lights. There was still no air duct down there but it was winter so that project could wait. There weren’t too many luxury’s being added, only two toilets and showers. They wouldn’t even have mirrors or shelves just bare necessities.

  Once again I was stuck going to bed by myself and trying to keep busy, with Merrick working down the hall all day without me.

  The Specials who had started gaining powers were feeling better and not sleeping so much. They even looked better and more energized. I spent my days with them, as did a lot of us, showing them the ropes of living in the bunker like how to perform the chores and tell them where everything was and went.

  We enjoyed talking to them. There were all very down to earth and not one of them came on to me, so I was thrilled about that although Josh had definitely taken to me. It was a sister kind of way even though he was a year older than me. I could tell there was absolutely no attraction there, the guy just needed someone because he’d lost everyone else.

  I didn’t mind. He was a lean and muscular jock type and it was off in my mind for him to be so meek. Danny even seemed to get a little jealous which I thought was hilarious and ludicrous. I mean, he didn’t get upset about Ryan or Jeff. The poor guy just lost everything and everyone before his life had even gotten started. At least Danny still had me and I had him.

  I liked them, especially Miguel. He was a lean wiry tan black haired man. He had been attacked by the Marker one night not long after me. He was the first in their group to be attacked by one, but not he last. There was another one after him but he didn’t make it.

  He said he had actually been picked up and carried away before being scratched and let go to fall to the ground. From his description his recovery had been much worse than mine because they had no meds to make him sleep. It hurt me to even think about it but Miguel just laughed and said ‘you can’t hang on to the past and you certainly can’t throw a wobbly every time something happens that you don’t like’. Once I found out what a wobbly was, a fit, I agreed with him. Especially in times like this when our future was so uncertain.

  They brought some stuff and skills with them. A car for one. Somehow they had all managed to cram into an old pea soup colored Gremlin. One of them had a portable DVD player with about five discs to his collection and another one had a medicine cabinet in his backpack with every kind of antibiotic and painkiller you could think of.

  Apparently, they had gone overboard since Miguel’s run in with the Marker and refused to let that happen again so they raided a walk-in clinic. That would come in handy I knew.

  Miguel was a martial arts instructor with his own studio in California, which was where he met his wife. He could show us all some basic training moves. We were going to need it.

  Mike was a construction contract worker, building basements for new construction homes. What were the odds of that? He would be very useful in our hall expansion.

  I did explain to them about mine and Merrick’s relationship. I told them that I loved him and he loved me and that was all they needed to know and we had eloped. Racine seemed the most interested in it but, respected my tight lip decision. Knowing Jeff, he’d probably fill her in eventually and I knew she wouldn’t stay out of Merrick’s head forever.

  And Jeff. Jeff was spending even more time with Marissa. You would think he’d want to be talking with the new Keepers and being his normal Keeper self, but no. I even saw them once locked in one of those stare gazes with the slow spreading grins that followed.

  Hey, I was all for it. As I stated before, it would be nice not to be the only freak show down here.

  And Jeff was so good natured and kind that any human girl would b
e lucky to have him. I guessed he had worked out his problems with Marissa and her being a Muse and maybe even his disagreeable thoughts about human interactions.

  Marissa seemed to be different that when she first came. She fixed her hair now which she really didn’t worry about before. I’d seen her tucking her hair behind her ears and smiling while he talked to him.

  I refused to acknowledge it any further or even encourage the development. The minute they got a whiff of my suspicion they’d both back off and that would be that.

  The purpose of that was that Jeff was not wanting to hear crap off Merrick for his obvious distaste of our relationship in the beginning and the scrutiny that came from our fellow cave dwellers for such an act. I’d just keep my eyes and ears off and let them figure it out in their own.

  The Keepers thought it would be prudent for the Specials to start practicing their new powers and learning to be comfortable and more controlling of them. So some of the Keepers started holding ‘classes’ which were really just sessions where they all sat around together and practiced on each other.

  It was apparent, though none of us would voice it, that there was a reason for these gifts. That we’d need them one day, which meant things were going to get worse before they got better and we’d have to fight.

  Miguel was going to teach all us humans basic karate and self defense and we’d already had one lesson. It was amazing. I couldn’t wait until I could chop wood in half and pretend it was a Lighters arm. Not really, but I couldn’t wait to not be helpless anymore.

  Trudy, the recluse, started coming out more often and Calvin and his mom were interacting with everyone else more. Calvin was growing up before our eyes.

  When they were young it was amazing to watch them literally have a growth spurt and be inches taller in a couple weeks. I could see Calvin’s shirts were starting to be a little snug and short on him.

  I continued with my sign language with Lana as did I still teach Calvin some piano every now and then. The hall was coming along nicely and quickly with more hands available. The men worked hard while the rest of us stayed and practiced our boredom.

  There was only so many times you could play spoons before enough was enough. I couldn’t wait to have my husband back. My Husband.

  After two weeks with our new comrades and no new visitors showing up I figured we needed to go back out and replace our flyers at all the locations.

  We decided to use the same game plan as before. Divide and conquer and quickly. Three teams, one flyer, many locations to litter and less conspicuous when there was only two people as opposed to six or more. There needed to be another food run as well so it was settled.

  Merrick refused to let me return to the grocery store since the Lighter or Taker or whatever it was had seen my face. Though I didn’t see why that mattered, I didn‘t argue because I didn’t want to see the taker anyway.

  Miguel and Jeff decided to be the food run mates, as Miguel put it. We all started out that morning after a hardy Trudy breakfast.

  She made them a mile long grocery list and went back with the other Specials to practice while we are gone. Josh hugged me and told me to be careful as did Danny who squeezed me with over exaggerated emphasis. I couldn’t help but laugh watching Merrick’s eyebrow quirk and a confused face on.

  After all the be carefuls and goodbyes we went topside. We decided to take the Jeep letting someone else take Phillip’s El Camino he left behind. I was definitely not ready to ride in his car.

  I leaned against the Jeep waiting for Merrick to come back out. We forgot to get the most important thing before we left. The flyer. As I waited I rested my forehead on the passenger window and thought about all the things that had transpired these past months. It was unbelievable. Would life ever have a sense of normalcy again?

  Then I heard Phillip. Yes, Phillip.

  “Hello, Sherry.”

  I gasped but when I turned I saw nothing or no one. I looked all around, peeking under the Jeep and the other side, spinning and breathing heavy in fright. Nothing. Alright, Sherry, calm down. I realized this is the first time I’d been alone since the attack except for my brief shower that next day. That was why I was freaking out. Ok. Ok. Calm down.

  “Sherry. I’ve missed you.”

  Oh, God, no!

  “What? Phillip?”

  “Sherry, I need you to come to me. Come to us.”

  I heard him but couldn’t see him. It was like he was in my head instead of me hearing him out loud. What the heck! How could he do that?

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m where I’m supposed to be, where we’re supposed to be. Come to me, Sherry. All you have to do is follow me. You can find me.”

  Phillip was cryptic and pissing me off.

  “Listen, Phillip. Get out of my head. I don’t know what you’re trying to do but I’m not interested.”

  “I can give you things beyond your wildest dreams. I’m special now. More special than your pathetic excuse for Specials. I’m a God.”

  “Hmmm. Somehow, I doubt the real God would appreciate that remark. Leave me alone,” I barked out the order though my voice was shaking.

  “We’re coming for you.”

  “What?” I yelled.

  “Sherry?” Merrick asked coming around the Jeep looking quizzical.

  “Merrick,” I breathed in relief, hand flying to my chest, wondering if I should bring up my schitzo encounter with Phillip. “How long have you been standing there? You scared me.”

  “Long enough to hear you. Who are you talking to...and why do you look like you don’t wanna tell me?”

  “Phillip.” Deep breath. “Phillip was here, well, in my head. He was talking to me in my head.”

  “Phillip was talking to you?”

  “He was saying...he’s coming for me,” I said as scared tears strained my voice making it shake even more.

  Merrick crossed the distance between us and pulled me to him. I wrapped me arms around his neck like there was safety there as he lifted my feet from the ground in a safe embrace. Safety from the feelings flooding back to me and the thought that I didn’t have control of what went on in my own head anymore.

  “How could he do that, Merrick? How could he be in my head? He wasn’t a Special.”

  “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.” He let me down and took my face in his hands. “We’ll talk to Jeff when we come back, ok? I promise we’ll figure it out. Apparently there aren’t rules for anyone anymore. Don’t worry, I will keep you safe.”

  He kissed me with the soft reassurance of his promise but it wasn’t good enough for me. I pulled him closer to me with his collar, wanting to be engulfed in him and completely devoid of anything Phillip.

  The ride was quiet. I could tell the wheels in Merrick’s mind were turning. He was freaked but didn’t want me to know. How could a human speak to someone’s mind when he wasn’t a Special. He shouldn’t be able to have a gift. I pushed it aside to focus on our task.

  I reached over and peeked behind Merrick’s ear at the cover up job I’d done. It was much better this time. He shivered and I giggled at how I could still drive him crazy. I leaned over to rest on his shoulder and enjoyed the remainder of the silent ride. Silence wasn’t my favorite thing but, if Phillip wasn’t in my head, it was golden.

  The same young guy was behind the counter at the print shop. He took the flyer to make my two thousand copies and I boasted about how I’d gotten married since the last time I was there but that didn’t seem to interest him in the least.

  Retrieving the copies and paying for them I wondered when our money was going to run out. And then what would we do? Yet another thing that was inevitable yet no one wanted to discuss it.

  When we pulled into the coffee shop parking lot, I grabbed some flyers from the huge stack and start to open my car door.

  Merrick stopped me with a hand on my arm. He took the flyers from me and laid them on the dash.

  “Are you ok, honey?” he asked me
, his face full of concern.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Well, you’re so quiet. I thought that you might be upset about Phillip.”

  “Well, I’m not thrilled...but, what am I gonna do about it?”

  “Most women would crumple under what you’ve been through lately.”

  “I want to sometimes,” I admitted softly, “but I’m afraid I don’t get to have that luxury. What with the world under invasion and all.” I smiled at him to let him see my light mood.

  “Ok but, just remember that I’m here. You don’t have to be a stone all the time, not with me.” He refused to leave his gaze from mine until I understood and nodded.

  He reached over to run his fingers through my curls.

  “Thanks, babe. I’m fine, I promise. As long as he doesn’t do it again...and we can figure this all out.”

  “I promise you I won’t stop until I do. Remember, don’t think about home or Danny. Love you and hurry.”

  “Ok. Love you too, Finch,” I said as I grabbed the stack of flyers from the dash, kissed him quickly and exited the car, his quiet laughter following me from the open window.

  The usual places were pretty packed; the truck stop, the gym, the coffee shop, diner. I tried to pay attention while I was in there, walking among all of them, trying to feel out who could possible be on our side.

  In every establishment the television was on and the news cast was spewing the Lighters lies. People weren’t really even engaging in conversation that much, just glued to the tube.

  How weird that these people didn’t think it strange that they all wanted to sit around and watch the news all day, even the older kids. What in the world could the news be talking about for 24 hours a day anyway? I didn’t listen though because Merrick told me not to.