Real

by Dena Nicotra

  “We’re trying…but it’s not likely. More than sixty percent of her primary partition is damaged. Her vital parameters are there, but with this sort of information loss, the personality syntax suffers.” He shrugged, as if this was obvious.

  “That’s why she’s…different?”

  “Naturally,” he said.

  “Naturally,” I echoed. No wonder Giz liked this simp. The front door opened, bringing a gust of chilly wind with it. Giz pushed the door closed and lowered the hood of his red sweatshirt. Turning, he saw me and his lips formed into a tight line. I could see the muscles in his jaw working as he debated what to say to me. “Go on, let’s get this over with, Giz. Say whatever it is that’s on your mind and let’s move on, because I’m not changing my mind on this. He has to pay for what he’s done and you’ve got to know that.”

  “You left me there to deal with Maude. Thanks for that!” he spat, his voice arcing higher on the latter. I’d fully expected him to tear into me with his conjectural reasons why we should stop the execution, but he didn’t. He was just irate because I’d left him to deal with Mic’s aunt. Meanwhile, the little simp had disappeared back into the room, his faint keyboard clicks serving as an indication that he’d lost interest in our discussion.

  “Well, leave it to me to be insensitive. At least there’s nothing new there, right?” He clucked his tongue and glared at me. “You have no idea.” he said, flipping me off.

  After checking on the progress that Isaiah had made, he filled me in on how he’d left Maude…or rather, how she’d left him. Inconsolable, she’d gone down to the jailhouse to try and plead with Ross to stop the decision. It’s an odd thing that happens to a person when they’re all out of fucks to give. “Good luck with that,” I stated flatly.

  “It must be liberating to be such a cold bitch,” Giz said. I considered this for a second, and then smiled half-heartedly. “Guess you could say that,” I whispered. We talked for a while about how Mic had once been, or at least how Giz had perceived him. The hard part for me was realizing how much Giz had been changed by all of this. He’d devoted himself to stopping the virus, and he’d believed in his mentor.

  After a little more than an hour of discussion, we left Isaiah to continue his code work and went back to my place so that Giz could see his family and get some rest. Recognizing that he needed some time to talk to Alice and explain things, I offered to watch the baby, which surprised and delighted Alice. For the first time, I found myself enjoying her little noises and facial expressions that reminded me so much of Giz. I bounced her on my knee and laughed as she giggled until she began to hiccup. Alice returned a short while later and took her from me without a word. Clearly, she hadn’t taken the decision well.

  Resolved, I headed to the one friend that wouldn’t argue. Pouring the equivalent of two large shots in my glass, I stepped out on the porch and lit a cigarette. When this was over, I made a promise to myself that I’d give up both. For now, my vices served me well. It had started to drizzle and I focused on a pine tree, blowing gently in the breeze. It was peaceful and quiet until a single shot resonated in the distance. Several black birds dispersed from the tree and scattered in opposite directions. I dropped my glass. The sound had come from the end of town, where the jailhouse was. I flicked my cigarette toward the street and took off running.

  Dallas and several others joined me along the way. “It came from the jailhouse!” Someone shouted. The drizzle had turned to a full downpour by the time we reached the jail. The door was open and I could see that Ross was lying face up in the doorway. There wasn’t much left of his face. His silvery hair was soaked in a crimson pool that arced out around his head and seeped into the weathered planks of the walkway. The cell door stood open and empty.

  Giz pushed his way inside and came to stand beside me. I turned slowly toward him. “Oh Jesus, he said.”

  “Bruce kept a shotgun by the side of his bed,” said Dallas. My mind was racing. “They couldn’t have gotten very far,” someone said. A sense of horrific dread filled me and I whirled around to face Dallas. Seeing the distress in my eyes, he gripped my wrist and uttered one word. “Momma.”

  The rain pelted my face as I ran, and although I could hear Dallas and some others right behind me, I had never felt so alone. I should have shot him! My legs couldn’t move fast enough and all I could think about was Idella. I stopped short in the gravel driveway. Mic was standing on the porch, Maude and Janelle on either side. He had his arm wrapped tightly around the old woman’s throat. I clenched my fists at my sides as the full reality of the situation sank in.

  “Don’t you dare hurt her, Mic!” I shouted. His grip seemed to tighten and I automatically lunged forward. “Stop right there, Lee!” Maude raised the shotgun and aimed it at me. Despite my instinct to rush forward, I held my position. Dallas groaned behind me, and I could hear the sound of others backing up and taking cover.

  “I told you I would not allow this, Lee, and you pushed me too far! I didn’t want to shoot that man, but you gave me no other choice. Now it’s time for you to make a choice. Let us go and we’ll let her go. You’ll never see any of us again, and no one else has to die. If not, we take her as a hostage and leave. Either way, you decide!”

  “Your nephew has to be held accountable for what he’s done!

  “And you think I’m just going to hand him over to you and this backwards community to hang him from a tree?” My eyes darted around for options. We were out in the open and they had every advantage. Defeated, I raised my arms out to show I wasn’t going to try to fight. “All right, you win! Let her go and you can leave.” The rain continued to hammer down as I turned to Dallas. “Get them a vehicle so that they can go,” I commanded. Uncertainty immobilized him. “Go now, Dallas! It’s the only way!” Reluctantly, he headed away to do as I’d asked.

  “We’re getting you a vehicle, just stay calm and don’t hurt her!” I yelled. A slow smile spread across Mic’s face and I watched as he pushed Idella back inside the house. Janelle followed him. Once the two were inside, Maude backed up slowly, keeping her gun trained on my head until she was over the threshold and then the door closed. I dropped to my knees in the rain. How did I allow this to happen? I stayed there staring at the house, willing the situation to be different until someone extended their hand to pull me to my feet.

  Looking up, I realized it was Deraline. “You’re not safe here. We need to go.” Her synthetic eyes met mine as I took her hand. She put her arm around my waist and led me away from the house toward the safety of some rusted sea containers that served as storage facilities. Giz was standing in the distance, his legs spread shoulder width apart.

  Two stepped out from behind one of the containers. Her bowed head raised and, even from this distance, I recognized something in her expression. Or should I say, I felt it. She strode forward, eyes fixed on a point beyond me, and then she began to run. She passed me and Deraline before it even registered in my brain.

  I whirled around just in time to see her kicking in the door and the next thing I knew she was dragging Mic out by his hair with one hand. The shotgun was in her other hand. Maude was screaming my name and begging. I instantly realized that she had mistaken Two for me. The screen door slammed and I caught sight of Janelle making a run for it. I reached for my gun, but before I even had a chance to grab it, Deraline was whizzing by me. The way she snatched Janelle up made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. She had her by the back of the neck faster than a simp could talk.

  The rain stopped just as Dallas came barreling up in Ross’ truck. He jumped out and ran around towards me. “Please tell me my Momma is still alive.” I realized then that Maude had disappeared inside and that meant that she had access to Idella. “Stay here,” I instructed. Now it was my turn to run. Maude had a bad hip and no weapon, but Idella was older and, as desperate as auntie was, there was no way to know what she was capable of.

  I crossed the threshold with my weapon in hand, but quickly realized it w
asn’t necessary. Maude was sprawled out on the floor, and she was out cold. Idella was rubbing and alternately shaking her right hand. “Damn that hurt!” she said matter-of-factly. I couldn’t help but laugh. This was a woman I deeply respected, and to see that she could hold her own made me respect her even more.

  I asked Idella to get some rope and together we tied Maude to a kitchen chair. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with her, but she’d proven she couldn’t be trusted and I’d had enough of that. If I had to, I’d shoot her myself. She came around just as we were finishing up with the ropes and I leaned in close as her eyes fluttered open.

  “I’d suggest you keep your mouth shut if you want to live.” She flinched and did just that. Dallas came rushing in, his face flushed. “Momma, are you all right? Did they hurt you?” She waved her hand to dismiss his anxiety. “I’m fine boy. I was raised in this desert and I’ve got the backbone to prove it! I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.” Dallas pulled her in to his arms and held her tightly against her protests. I stood there for a minute, just watching him. His mother was the one thing he lived for, and I was thankful that she was still here.

  Images of my father impaled on the fence flooded my mind as I collected myself. “Keep an eye on her, Dallas. She’s more deceptive that she looks, so don’t let her out of your sight.” Dallas gave me his word, and I felt sure he’d keep it as I stepped outside. The rain had moved on to better places and the sun was peeking through the clouds. Everyone had dispersed, with the exception of Deraline, who stood like a sentinel in the front yard. I approached her slowly. I guess it would take me a while to get over seeing her with that head…

  “Where did everyone go?” I asked.

  “The church. They’ll be expecting you. I will stay here. I’m not welcome.” I knew she was right and it hit me hard. I was torn between the urge to console her and my own need to see this through. “I am not human, Lee. There is no reason for you to waste your time conversing with me.” The depth of her words hit me as I turned and walked away.

  Chapter 9

  The old church looked commanding beneath the rays of sun that shot out fiercely through the remains of the passing storm, and I took great pride in ringing that bell. It was time for the remaining population of Redburg to exact revenge.

  Inside, I observed that several people had already gathered. The wooden pews were filled by at least a third. The bells would bring the rest. I walked down the center aisle. The old boards creaked beneath me in protest. Mic and Janelle were seated on two old wooden chairs near the pulpit. Although neither of them were tied up, Two was standing close enough to curtail any thoughts of escape.

  Giz met me near the front and pulled me aside. “Are you okay?” he asked. His hair looked like someone had put him through the spin cycle, and he was asking me. “Never better, buddy. Where’s Alice?”

  “She chose to stay back at your place. This is all a bit too much for her and in her condition…”

  “Say no more, I get it.” We stood in silence as the remaining population of Redburg made their way into the church. Dallas and Idella entered last and as she made her way to the front, you could have heard a pin drop. Even I found myself standing a little straighter. She took her place at the pulpit and placed her weathered hand on either side. Catching Dallas’ eye, I mouthed, “Where is Maude?” He mouthed, “Jailhouse.” A part of me wanted to go get her so that she could see this, but I decided against it as Idella began to speak.

  “My community. I have helped birth a number of you. I have watched you grow, live, and die in this little town. Together, we turned away from the progression of technology in the modern word and together, we watched it destroy civilization. We chose to strike out on a different path out here in what most folks would call the wastelands of society! We knew better. Still, the hand of technology found us.” She shook her head slowly. “It wasn’t kind. Many of our own have died and many of us are suffering from those painful repercussions tonight. I pray that you have some level of peace as you witness justice tonight. With the help of one of our own,” she pointed to me. “We have eradicated the very root of this evil, and the last of it sits before us waiting for judgment, tonight.”

  The ragged remains of the residents of Redburg applauded as Giz and I took a seat in the front pew. Dallas, ever vigilant, stood at his mother’s side. As the applause died down, Idella took her opportunity to acknowledge the fallen. She clasped her hands and lowered her head. “Please bow your heads and join me, as we pray tonight for every citizen of Redburg that has lost a loved one through the unspeakable horrors we have endured.” While everyone bowed their heads, I kept my eyes open, trained on Micah Keenan. He glared back at me with equal defiance. “Lord, as we make decisions tonight, we pray that your wisdom will be upon us. We pray that you will smite the hand of evil and end this. We pray that you will smile upon us and give us the justice we deserve.”

  As she concluded, Lee stepped forward. Without any prompting, she pulled Micah Keenan to his feet and placed her hands on either side of his face. It was a slow gesture, which almost seemed romantic, were it not for the fact that I could see Mic straining. Every vein in his neck bulged and his face was a deep shade of crimson as she held him still. He opened his mouth as if he were attempting to speak, but I recognized it was more a reflex reaction from the pressure she was applying. For a moment, I was certain she was going to pop his head like a balloon. Then, without further hesitation, she turned his head quickly to the right. It was inhumanly swift and violent. Mic dropped to the floor with a dull thud. A part of me wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. My volatile, heartless other half had just killed my former lover, who was an equally heartless beast.

  Realizing her accomplished counterpart had just met his maker, Janelle began to scream at a pitch that should have shattered the glass in the windows. The entire congregation sat silent as Two pulled the woman to her feet. “No! No! Please, wait!” she begged. No one came to her aid. Her silence followed immediately as Two stepped forward and twisted her head, snapping her neck with a detached quickness. As she fell to the floor, my eyes focused on the dead woman’s senseless choice of shoes. So much for the benefits of who you know. Two turned around slowly. Her face was a blank canvas, void of emotion. “The devil is no longer in our midst,” she said. A chill ran down my spine as she returned to her position at the side of the pulpit.

  There was nothing left to see or say and the people of Redburg filed out to return to their homes. It was hard to say if they felt avenged, or perhaps just relieved to know that there was no way Mic or Aaron could ever hurt them again. Either way, it was over and they would have to find a way to move on.

  Now there was only one aspect of this nightmare left. Aunt Maude. I waited as everyone filed out of the old church. I couldn’t help but notice that Two stood like a soldier. Her eyes were completely blank. Once everyone was gone, I made my way to the pulpit. Dallas looked somber, but nodded his head at me as he focused on assisting his mother around the lifeless bodies and down the aisle toward the doors. It would be a while before he would feel comfortable enough to leave her side and I understood that. I looked down at Mic’s lifeless body and felt a strange contradiction of emotion. I had hated everything that he stood for, and still I had allowed him to infiltrate my heart. I want to say that I should have known better, but I think every human being on the planet can say that about something they’ve lived through. Sometimes we ignore our gut instincts and it turns out for the best. Sometimes, we just wish we had listened.

  My memories flashed back to a night we’d shared a lifetime ago. A stupid bowl of soup we’d shared that had led to a night of lovemaking and my commitment to allowing him to create a genetically matched replica of myself that would carry my DNA…and my personality. Mic had never seen anything “special” in me. I was just in the right place at the right time for him. I possessed the right qualities of human genetics and I was readily available. If I ever truly meant anything to him…I’d nev
er know. In the end, I had to accept that he used me to further his agenda. Janelle may have meant more to him than I ever had, but I’d never know that either. Now that they were all gone, the only thing that really mattered to me was that the people of Redburg were safe.

  I walked out of the church feeling downright emotionless as the cold December air ripped through my clothes. I tucked my head against the wind as I headed back to my small cabin. An old song my father used to sing filled my head as I walked. The lyrics said something about life, love…and peace on earth. Maybe, just maybe, we could experience a little of that now that the monsters were all gone. I knew that there was one way to be sure they would never return, and that meant I needed to go to the Bay one last time.

  I closed the door behind me and went immediately to my room. I could hear Alice and the baby in the next room as I quietly pulled my closet open and began pulling out clothes and throwing them on the bed. A pair of sweats, my red flannel, a sweatshirt, and two pairs of jeans. I closed the closet and went to my dresser and grabbed some underwear, socks, two bras and a black beanie. Next, I pulled my oversized duffle bag out from under my bed and began shoving everything I’d thrown on the bed into it. Once I’d done that, I went to the bathroom and collected my toothbrush and other essentials and threw them haphazardly in with the other things. Finally, I gathered my ammo stockpile and tucked it in carefully before zipping it closed.

  Running my hands through my hair, I took a moment to look around the room. My mind ticked off the list of important items one needs before a long trip. Realizing I had forgotten something, I went to my nightstand and retrieved the slingshot and sack of ball bearings Two had given me back in the hospital. I opened the paper sack and stuffed a handful of the metal balls in my front pocket and then shoved the slingshot into the left back pocket of my jeans. Then, I put the sack with the rest of them in my duffle bag and sat on the edge of the bed. Running my hands over the handmade quilt that covered my bed, I focused on the frayed carpet and the water stains on the ceiling. It wasn’t much, but I loved everything about it. I’d found myself here, and as much as I didn’t feel comfortable with people, this was as good as it got. I hadn’t felt this close to anything since the nightmare started. I didn’t know if I’d ever return to this little cabin, or this town, but I prayed that someday I would see it again.