by A. L. Jambor
Mindy kept watching the door. Baby Girl jumped up onto the bed and Mindy put her arm around her. Then she put her hand around the terrier’s mouth. Baby Girl was using her paws to push her hand away. She wanted to bark and protect Mindy. Mindy looked at the little door. Maybe she could get to it. As Mindy was about to crawl across the bed, she saw a figure in the door.
He looked like a spaceman. His suit covered him from head to toe. It was bright yellow. Mindy knew that he had seen her. He walked into the room and came towards her. She let Baby Girl go, hoping she would scare him. Baby Girl barked and growled, but she wouldn’t go near the stranger. The stranger came closer to Mindy.
"It's all right.” It was a man's voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He came closer, and Mindy turned and crawled to the little door. Baby Girl continued to bark.
Mindy grabbed the bolt on the door. The man reached over the bed and grabbed her as she struggled with the lock. Another figure appeared at the door.
As the first man held Mindy, the second man put something over her face. It smelled really bad and made her choke. Slowly, she fell asleep until everything was dark.
*****
Mindy slowly woke up. She felt very sleepy. She looked around the room. It looked like a hospital room. Mindy felt something stuck on her arm. She looked down and saw an IV drip. She put her hand by her side and felt Baby Girl next to her. She stroked the little dog's head. A pretty young woman came into the room. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. She wore her hair in a ponytail.
"So, you're awake,” she said. “How are you feeling?”
Mindy looked at the woman. She looked friendly, but Mindy didn’t speak. She didn’t like this place.
"Not talking to me, huh? Okay, I understand. You'll probably get hungry a little later on. Just press the button, and I'll bring you some breakfast.” As the woman came closer, Mindy could smell her. She smelled like cherry blossom soap.
"See this button?” The woman held up a hand buzzer on a line attached to the bed rail. The woman smiled at Mindy. She had a kind face. “Just push it if you need anything,” she said. “Oh, and my name is Christie.” She turned away and walked out the door.
Mindy tried to sit up. She was dizzy and felt weak. The drug they had given her to keep her asleep was potent. She managed to rise up on her elbows and looked down at Baby Girl. The little dog was sleepy. Maybe they had given her something to make her sleep, too.
Mindy sat up a little more. Her head began to pound, so she lay back down and fell asleep.
When Mindy woke again, she found Christie standing next to her checking the IV.
"I think we can take this out now,” Christie said. She then removed the needle from Mindy’s arm, and pushed the bottle stand to the side after placing a small bandage on her arm.
"How are you feeling?” she asked Mindy.
Mindy stared at Christie for a few seconds. She desperately wanted to know where she was and who Christie was, but her stubbornness kept her from speaking.
"At least tell me your name. Or even the dog’s name. I just want to help you, sweetheart.” Christie went to the cabinet next to Mindy’s bed and took out a thermometer.
"Open up.” Mindy obeyed her and allowed Christie to put the thermometer under her tongue.
"97.6, it’s just a little low. But your color's a lot better, and I think it’s time to bring you some food.” Christie left the room, leaving Mindy and Baby Girl alone.
"How are ya doin’, Baby?” Mindy stroked the dog’s little head. “You look pretty good. Have they been nice to you?” Baby Girl nuzzled Mindy’s hand. She climbed up near Mindy’s face and licked her over and over again.
"Stop!” said Mindy, giggling, “too much!” But she loved the little dog’s kisses. She hugged and hugged Baby Girl.
Christie was back with the food. It smelled wonderful, and Mindy could see steam rising off the tray. Hot food! How long had it been since she’d eaten hot food?
As Christie moved closer, Mindy could see pizza and ice cream. She felt her stomach rumble. As much as she wanted to hate Christie for kidnapping her, she couldn’t refuse the food, and whoever had kidnapped her had brought Baby Girl with them too.
"What about my dog?” Mindy asked.
"She speaks!” Christie said. “Well, she’s been sleeping the whole time with you, so she must be hungry too. What does she like to eat?”
"She likes dog food, the kind in a bag and the kind in a can.” The pizza was cut in four slices, and Mindy picked one up. She bit into the warm slice and the flavors burst on her tongue. Seven days of eating condensed soup were quickly forgotten.
"I’ll see what we have in the storeroom and be right back.” Christie again left Mindy alone with Baby Girl.
Mindy broke off a small piece of crust and gave it to the dog. Baby Girl chomped the crust twice and swallowed. She sat staring at Mindy, waiting for the next piece.
Christie came back with a plate full of diced meat that looked like chicken. She had warmed it and when she put it down, Baby Girl immediately began to eat it. Christie also had Mindy’s clothes in her hand. They had been cleaned and looked in good condition. Christie put them on the cabinet.
"When you're done, if you want to get dressed and maybe come outside, just let me know. I want to help you out of bed the first time. You were weak when they brought you in, so please wait for me to come. Just buzz for me with the button.” And with that, Christie was gone again.
For the first time Mindy noticed how clean she felt. Her hair smelled good. She had been bathed while she was asleep.
After Mindy finished eating she rang for Christie, who came and helped Mindy out of bed by dropping the railing and putting an arm around her. Mindy’s legs felt weak, but she stood up straight and didn’t falter.
"I think you can come outside now.”
"I can put on my clothes myself,” Mindy said.
After she got dressed, she, Christie and Baby Girl walked into the corridor. Mindy could hear the low rumble of motors and fans. She’d never been in a place like this before.
The corridor was long, with doors on each side. Christie led Mindy and Baby Girl to the end of the corridor and through the double doors that led to the rest of the facility.
"My name is Mindy, and this is Baby Girl.” Christie took Mindy’s hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Mindy and Baby Girl.”
Chapter 5
As the trio passed through the door, Mindy looked over the railing and down into the center of the building. It looked like the center court of a shopping mall. There was a play area in the center and trees planted around to make it feel like Main Street, USA.
All along the street were old-fashioned street lights and benches. Mindy looked up and saw that the ceiling was blue with clouds floating by. It looked very real. The ceiling even had a sunroof and lighting designed to make it look as though sunlight was streaming through it. But as in a mall, the air just didn’t smell fresh and Mindy knew that she was definitely indoors.
"What do you think of our little town?” Christie asked as they walked towards the elevator.
"It’s okay.” Mindy was still not sure how she felt about Christie. “Where are we?”
"The Wilmer Biosphere. I think you’ll like your new home. We really tried to make everything as comfortable as possible.”
“What's a biosphere?” Mindy noticed that there were kids all over the place. They all looked to be around her age.
“Well, a biosphere is a place that is usually built underground. Scientists use them to study different things like plants or animals. This one was built to protect people from the fallout from bombs and such.”
When they reached the first floor, they stepped off the elevator and turned left. Mindy saw what looked like tiny houses, each with a window and front door. As they approached the first one, a girl came out and ran over to them. She stopped in front of Baby Girl.
"Oh, wow, a dog! Can I pet her?” The girl was smiling at
Mindy with her hand hovering over Baby Girl.
"Yeah.” Mindy was getting angry. Where had all these people been while she was alone and scared? She was feeling really mad now. She wanted to yell at Christie, but she didn’t know what Christie would do so she kept quiet.
"Hi, little dog. What’s her name?” The girl looked up at Mindy. She had brown eyes and long black hair, and she spoke with a slight Spanish accent.
"Her name is Baby Girl.” The little dog was basking in the glow of all the attention she was receiving. She licked the girl’s face, eliciting squeals of joy.
"Mindy, this is Maria Elena. She lives in this first house over here because she was the first child we rescued. Maria is 10 years old.” Christie looked at Maria. Maria stood up and took Mindy’s hand.
"How old are you?” Maria asked Mindy. Mindy let her hold her hand for a few seconds before pulling it away.
"I’m nine, but I'm going to be 10 soon.” Mindy was studying Maria. A strange look passed over Maria’s face when she heard how old Mindy was.
"I really like your dog. It’s been a long time since I saw one. I left class to use the bathroom, and then I saw you,” Maria Elena said. She was stroking Baby Girl. Christie said it was time to move on but that Maria Elena was welcome to come with them to Mindy’s new home. Maria Elena tagged along behind Christie and Mindy, with Baby Girl close at her heels.
They passed several small houses until they came to number 199. It was a pink house with small purple shutters. Mindy loved pink and purple. They were her favorite colors. The door was painted lilac. Christie opened the door and beckoned the girls to come in.
There was one room that served as both a living room and a bedroom. There was a tiny kitchen and a bathroom in the back. The bathroom had a clothes closet and a linen closet. The rooms were all painted white. The walls were bare except for a TV mounted on one wall. In one corner was a small twin bed with a plain pink comforter. On the other side was a small kitchen table. The room also had a sofa with a small table next to it. Upon the table sat a piggy bank-shaped lamp.
"You can’t cook in the kitchen, but you can have snacks and drinks in the fridge. You can clean your dishes in the sink. The bathroom has a full bathtub and shower. I think Maria Elena can take you to the commissary to get any toiletries you may need. Any questions?”
Mindy had a lot of questions, but she decided she would rather ask Maria Elena.
"No, I’m fine. Thanks,” Mindy said.
Christie left the house and went back to wherever she spent her days at the facility. Mindy and Maria Elena stared at each other.
"Why don’t I take you to the store?” Maria Elena headed for the door with Mindy and Baby Girl following behind.
"I have to get dog food. Do they have a store for that?” Mindy said.
Maria Elena looked thoughtful.
"I don’t think so. But maybe they have some kind of meat in a can. You can also bring her scraps from dinner. They give us plenty of food to eat.”
"Who are they anyway?” Mindy couldn’t wait any longer to find out who her captors were.
"They’re the people who take care of us.”
"Yeah, but who are they? Haven’t you ever asked them?”
Maria Elena looked down at the floor. She was obviously trying to think of an answer that would satisfy Mindy’s curiosity. The truth was Maria Elena didn’t know who they were and didn’t really care. They fed her and clothed her, and they gave her a very nice house to live in.
"When I was alone, I prayed for someone to come and help me. They came and brought me here. That’s all I know.”
Mindy felt frustration rising up inside of her.
"But, what about your parents? What if they come looking for you? How will they find you?”
Maria Elena stopped walking and looked at Mindy.
"My parents are dead. All our parents are dead.”
"All of your parents? What do you mean by ‘all’?” Mindy asked.
"All of us came here because we were alone. All of our parents died of the poison.” Maria Elena had a sad look on her face. She could see that Mindy was confused but couldn’t understand why. Surely Mindy knew about the poison.
"I was with my Grammy for a while,” Mindy said. “My parents were on a trip. My Grammy left to buy food because we had to evacuate and she never came back. My parents should have come back by now, but they haven't.” Mindy walked away from Maria Elena, but Maria followed her.
"I’m sorry Mindy. I thought you knew. I thought Christie told you. It affected everyone, all the animals too. That’s why I was so excited to see your dog. Please, Mindy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
They walked in silence down the long “street” until they reached a small storefront. Inside the store were all kinds of toiletries and snacks. There were also posters for decorating, some clothes, shoes, and backpacks. Mindy picked up a shopping basket and filled it with soap, shampoo, deodorant, chips, soda, and beef jerky for Baby Girl. Maria Elena explained that you didn’t need money. You simply filled your basket. Then you bagged your items and took them home.
As they left the store, a group of boys and girls approached them from the “town square”.
"The class must be over,” Maria Elena said to Mindy. “I’m going to meet a friend. Dinner is at 5. I’ll save a seat for you. Just follow the signs to Market Street.” She pointed to a signpost next to the store. There was another one a few yards down the street. Mindy could see signposts running along the entire length of the street. Maria Elena ran to meet the group. Mindy and Baby Girl headed home.
Mindy put her groceries away. She looked at the bed and realized that she was still pretty tired. She lay down on the bed and fell asleep. She woke up an hour later. Baby Girl was nuzzling her hand. She was trying to get Mindy out of bed.
"Oh boy, you must have to go out!” Mindy said.
Mindy got out of bed and opened the front door. She looked around the house for somewhere Baby Girl could go. There was a small flower bed by the side of her house that would have to do for now. After Baby Girl did her business, they went back in the house.
Mindy put a bowl of water down for the little dog, which quickly lapped up every last drop. Mindy refilled the bowl. She took out the beef jerky, broke it into pieces, and put it on a plate. She put the plate next to the water bowl.
There was a clock on the wall, and Mindy noticed it read ten minutes to five.
"I have to go. I can’t take you with me, but I’ll come right back.” Baby Girl whined a little as Mindy closed the door.
Mindy set off in the direction she and Maria Elena had gone earlier that day. When she got to the store she began reading the signposts until she came to Market Street. She could see the large, cafeteria-style dining room to her right. The tables were filled with children her age. She could see Maria Elena in the food line and moved towards her.
Mindy hadn’t seen this much food in a very long time. There were vats of spaghetti, meat sauce, rice, diced chicken, canned corn, and glorious desserts. Mindy took a tray and a plate. She filled the plate to overflowing and grabbed a napkin and silverware at the end of the line. She followed Maria Elena to a table in the middle of the room. There were two other girls sitting there when she and Maria sat down.
"Mindy, this is Katie and Alyssa. Girls, this is Mindy. She’s just arrived.” Katie and Alyssa were identical twins. Mindy was fascinated watching the girls eat because they did so many things the same way. They lifted their forks the same way. They chewed their food the same way. Mindy couldn’t take her eyes off them and found it hard to follow the conversation.
"Where were you, Mindy?” Alyssa was asking.
"Uh, oh I was in Largo.” Mindy kept looking back and forth between the girls. They looked exactly alike! They had flaming red hair, freckles, green eyes, and dimples.
"We were in Gulfport. When our parents died, we were left alone for days. We had just run completely out of food when they came for us. I didn’t like
the bodies. I was glad when they found us,” Katie said.
“I saw one body. There was a man across the street from Grammy’s house. Everyone had left, the hurricane was coming, but he stayed. I thought he just died because he was old.” Mindy stopped talking. She hated thinking about the old man’s body. She changed the subject.
“Who are they?” Mindy asked, pointing at Christie and a large man in an apron. “They must have told you something?”
"Well, we don’t know who actually picked us up.” Katie said. “But Christie, Andrew and George take care of us.”
"And nobody knows who they are, Christie, Andrew and George that is?” Mindy had a habit of half-squinting her eyes while pouting. She was doing that now.
"As long as we’re cared for, does it matter?” Maria Elena was looking in earnest at Mindy as if to say “let it go”. Mindy’s face softened. She kind of liked Maria Elena and didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
"Mindy has a dog.” Maria Elena said. Katie and Alyssa looked up.
"How does she have a dog? Our dog died when our parents died, and our cat too. How do you have a dog?” Katie said it so loud that the kids at the tables around them stopped to listen. Alyssa elbowed her sister.
"I don’t know why she’s still alive. She belonged to my Grammy. She’s just a little dog,” Mindy said. She felt strange-as though she’d done something wrong. “I’m sorry your dog and cat died,” she said to Katie and Alyssa.
"It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Alyssa looked at her sister and they nodded in agreement.
Mindy relaxed and started eating her dinner. She slipped several pieces of meat into a napkin for Baby Girl.
When they were done eating, they all got up from the table and took their trays to the garbage stand. They emptied the paper goods into the trash and put the trays in a dishwasher-like contraption. After they were done, they walked out into the town square.
The sky was getting darker. The angle of the lighting had changed to reflect the setting sun. The girls asked Mindy if she wanted to watch a movie. Mindy said she would love to, and they all went to Maria Elena’s house. Mindy felt the glow of companionship for the first time since Grammy had left her. It felt good to hear human voices, female voices, and to sit with girls and laugh at nothing.
