Surviving Rage | Book 1

by Arellano, J. D.

  “Sounds good.”

  Daniel made breakfast as Serafina walked around the yard, admiring her roses. Surprisingly, the cats didn’t want to go out, though, which was really uncharacteristic of them. They usually pushed their way through the sliding screen door before it was all the way open. Today, though, they each sniffed the air, then turned and headed back inside, looking back towards the yard in disdain before heading upstairs. ‘Weird.’ Daniel thought, as he placed the plates and napkins on either side of the small table in their breakfast area.

  Coming back into the house, Serafina’s eyes got wide as she saw the food on the plates. Daniel had taken great care to make sure the food also looked appealing, which he knew was important to her. As usual, she took a picture of the food before digging in.

  “Mmmm, so good.” She closed her eyes, relishing the taste.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Oh, before I forget, don’t forget you’ll need to take the girls to school on Wednesday. I have that super early meeting.” Normally Serafina took them to school and Daniel picked them up. This made him think about how much gas he had in his Jeep. Their third car, a little Honda Civic, got much better gas mileage than the Jeep, so he used that in the afternoons and let Ashley handle the drive home (she had her learner’s permit, and the Civic would soon become hers), but on the mornings he had to take the girls to school, he found himself stuck in traffic, and the Jeep had all the extra comfort features that made the annoyance of traffic a little bit easier to handle.

  After breakfast, he went into the garage and turned the Jeep’s ignition into the first position without starting it. Slightly more than a quarter tank. On a normal week that would be OK until Thursday (his work was really close), but Wednesday’s drive alone would take more than that, so a fill up was in order. He stepped back inside and grabbed his wallet and called out to Serafina. “Honey, I need to go fill up the gas on the Jeep. Gonna run down to Costco real quick.”

  “You sure? Can’t you get it in the morning?”

  “No time.”

  “Okay.”

  Returning to the garage, he punched the button to raise the garage door, got in his vehicle and drove down the hill to the nearby Costco.

  Arriving at the warehouse store, he noticed that the main parking lot wasn’t as full as it normally was on a Sunday (one of the reasons he and Serafina avoided it on the weekends). The line for gas appeared to be longer than usual, but Daniel took it in stride, listening to old school hip hop on the Jeep’s satellite radio as he waited. Because they were shorter, he chose one of the lines where the pump would be on the right side, knowing the shape of his vehicle, combined with the placement of the gas tank, would make it easy to pull the hose around.

  Finally, it was his turn. He pulled up close to the pump, jumped out, and went around to enter first his Costco card, then his credit card to activate the pump. He pulled the hose around and easily entered the nozzle into the gas tank.

  He heard a voice behind him. “Excuse me.”

  Looking behind him, he saw a man of medium height, with sandy blonde hair, looking over. “Hey, how ya doing?”

  “OK, thanks. Where did you get your Jeep?”

  “Up in LA. Much cheaper buying up there.”

  “It’s really awesome.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you like having it?”

  “Hell yeah. I always wanted one, and finally the time was right. I frickin’ love this thing.”

  “Awesome. Do you do much off-roading? How does it handle?”

  “Fairly frequently. I try to get out once a month, if my work schedule isn’t too busy. As far as how it handles, I’m the one that feels more challenged than the vehicle does. I’ve literally never felt like the Jeep couldn’t handle anything I threw at it. This sucker’s a beast.”

  “Really cool. I’m thinking of buying one.”

  “Cool. That Subaru looks new, though.”

  “Yeah, screw it. I’ll trade this thing in.”

  “Alright. Well, hey, there’s a Jeep group that goes out together for fun. When you get one, look us up. SoCal Jeep Group.”

  “I’ll do that. Thanks.”

  “Alright man, I gotta go. Take it easy.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  As he started the Jeep and pulled away, he saw the man go back and get into his Subaru, clearly thinking about their conversation. ‘Yeah,’ Daniel said to himself, turning out of the parking lot, ‘a Subaru is no substitute for the real deal.’

  Driving up the hill to his home, he noticed a couple stopped on the sidewalk. As he continued up the hill to his street, he briefly looked in the rear view mirror. The man was bent over, coughing with intensity. The woman was leaned over next to him, checking on him to make sure he was okay.

  ‘This bug is everywhere’ he thought, turning onto his street. After carefully backing the Jeep into the garage he closed the door and went inside.

  Serafina was in the kitchen, working on her laptop.

  “This flu thing seems to be everywhere.” He walked past her and grabbed the remote to the TV.

  “Yeah? Did you see someone you know or something?”

  “No, nothing like that, which is probably good. I wouldn’t want to get close to anyone that’s got it.” He told her about how eerily quiet the street was the night before and the couple he’d seen coming up the hill. Once the TV started, he selected the Hulu app, then a local news channel.

  Two news anchors, a good looking white man with short hair and what was obviously a spray tan, and an attractive black woman with a bright yellow dress, appeared on the screen.

  The man spoke first, “I’m Michael Huntley, in for Jon Herschel, who is out sick.”

  “And I’m Michelle Williams, in for Carol Anunciado, who is also out sick. From all of us here at News 8, we hope you all feel better soon.” The man nodded in agreement as she continued. “As odd as it may seem to be entering flu season in May, it does seem to be going around, and with that in mind, we here at News 8 thought it would be good to share tips to help avoid the spread of the virus.” A graphic came up on the screen behind her, bullet points appearing as she ran through the list.

  “First, wash your hands often. Germs can spread easily, and washing with soap and water will help reduce the likelihood of spreading them to others.

  Second, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze, preferably with a tissue.

  Third, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs can easily enter your system this way.

  Lastly, if possible, avoid contact with those who are sick. We realize that this can be especially hard for families, but if it isn’t possible, use the first three tips to minimize the risk.”

  The man took over. “Thank you, Michelle. For those who are currently sick with the flu or feel like they’re coming down with it, these tips may help:” The screen changed to list the items as he read them off.

  “Stay home and rest. This will not only help you recover, but it will also help stop the spread of the virus.

  Hydrate. Drink lots of water. Herbal teas with honey are also helpful, but avoid caffeine and sugary drinks.

  Sleep as much as possible. Your body needs rest to fight off the infection.

  Treat your fever. Your body’s heat will increase as it tries to combat the flu. Acetaminophen, Naproxen, or ibuprofen will help.

  Add moisture to the air. A humidifier may help ease your breathing. This is especially true in Southern California, where the air is relatively dry.

  Stay tuned to News 8 on your television, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more tips and updates.”

  Daniel turned off the TV. The fact that it was May and so many people were coming down with the flu was strange. Moreover, something just didn’t seem right about the whole situation. Was there more to the story? He looked at Serafina.

  Concern showed on her face. “Weird,” she said, chewing her lip slightly.

  “Yeah. Seems like there’s somet
hing different about this. I mean, it’s frickin’ May. Something’s off.”

  “I agree.” Serafina paused, thinking. “Maybe we should clean this place up a bit.”

  “OK.”

  With that, they got to work. The dishwasher was loaded and started. Their cloth napkins were washed on the washing machine’s ‘sanitary’ setting, which used the hottest water. Clothes were gathered and staged for their turn when the machine became available.

  The two of them spent the remainder of the morning washing clothes and going through their normal routine in preparation for the work week. As Daniel blended smoothies, he began wondering whether or not going to work was the right thing to do.

  “Honey, do you think it would be better if we teleworked tomorrow?” Daniel’s work was incredibly flexible regarding the use of telework, and he made sure they never second-guessed their teleworking policy. He was always on time with his deliveries, managed his program well, and was readily available regardless of where he was working.

  Serafina thought it over. Mondays were usually filled with meetings, but she could easily dial into those from home. Nodding, she agreed. “Okay.”

  “Thanks. Just don’t like the sound of this thing.”

  “Me neither. I get the upstairs office, though.” Their upstairs office was quiet and had a great view of their yard, which had been professionally designed. A large waterfall flowed into a massive Koi pond, which was surrounded by small trees and shrubs. A small bridge crossed the pond, leading to a large tea pavilion in the back part of the yard. The view from upstairs allowed a person to take it all in.

  Daniel chuckled. “No worries. I’ll work at the dining table. The girls will likely take advantage of the day off from school by sleeping through half of it. When they do wake up, they’ll probably stay in their room on their phones.”

  “No kidding.”

  As if on cue, the front doorbell rang. It was Ashley and Brenna. Glancing at the clock, Daniel saw it read 12:30. ‘Dang, someone’s in a hurry to see her boyfriend,’ he thought, walking to the front door and opening it.

  “Hi Dad.” Ashley was the first one in, her backpack slung over her right shoulder, her left hand holding her cheer bag and cheerleading shoes. With long, dark brown hair, and features that were a mix of Asian and Hispanic, she was rapidly turning into an attractive young woman. At five three, she was taller than her mother, and her years of cheerleading had given her an athletic build.

  Brenna followed, wearing her backpack on both shoulders, holding a cup of boba tea in each hand. Her basketball shoes were tied to her backpack, swinging side to side as she walked. “Hi Dad.” Brenna’s hair color (lighter brown) and skin color (also lighter) were different than her sister’s, but she shared a similar height and build. Like her sister, she was also rapidly growing into a beautiful young woman. Rather than cheerleading, though, she preferred basketball and volleyball, both of which she was doing very well at. To Daniel, all that mattered was that they did some kind of sport. It was his belief that the discipline, teamwork, responsibility, and trust that being part of a team sport instilled were important for growth.

  “You girls are here early, and you have boba tea.”

  Ashley set her shoes in the garage, then came back into the house. “Yeah, she insisted on leaving at eleven forty-five, since they have to be on the cruise ship by four. When we saw how early we’d be here, I talked her into getting us boba.” Looking over Daniel’s shoulder, she smiled at her stepmother. “Hi Auntie.”

  “Hi girls.”

  Brenna came in from the garage, handing Ashley her drink. “I guess she really misses her boyfriend. She was telling us all about how he got them a room with a balcony and how it’s going to be sooo classy.”

  Serafina smiled encouragingly. “I’m sure it will be nice for them. I’m surprised they’re going so soon after he was sick, though.”

  Brenna came over and hugged her stepmother. “I know. My mom said he was totally out of it for like a week, but then today he felt better and wanted to make it up to her.”

  The four of them made their way to the kitchen. Daniel came over and rested his hand on Ashley’s shoulder. “So, girls,” he began, “we’re keeping you home from school tomorrow.”

  The girls were surprised. As Program Managers in the Defense Industry, Daniel on the government side and Serafina a defense contractor, they both worked a lot, and if any schedule changes occurred, it was typically about dropping them off for school early and/or picking them up late. Many times both of the girls had been told during the day that they wouldn’t be picked up until after 5 pm. If they didn’t want to go and wait at the nearby Starbucks, they’d have to find a friend to hang out with after school until one of the two of them showed up.

  Ashley turned to her father, upset. “But I’ll get a mark on my attendance record.”

  Brenna chimed in. “Me, too. I’ve done well this year. I don’t want a mark.”

  Daniel remained firm. “Girls, you know how sometimes I simply tell you, ‘this is how it’s going to be’? This is one of those times. I’m not going to discuss it, and there’s no sense getting upset. This flu that’s going around has both myself and Auntie very concerned, and I’m playing it safe. It’s my job to take care you, and this feels like the right decision. I’ll call the school and tell them you’re already sick so you won’t get marked on your attendance records.”

  Brenna and Ashley looked at each other. They both knew their father rarely used the ‘this is how it’s going to be’ position, but when he did, he simply stood fast, no matter what their argument was. It always involved safety, and he didn’t abuse the categorization just to use the position. Additionally, they also knew that the flu was bad. Literally all of their friends were sick. Starting on Friday, Snapchat had been cluttered with their friends’ posts about feeling like crap and being stuck in bed, but over the last 24 hours, the app had gone strangely quiet. Brenna deferred to her sister.

  “Okay.”

  Their father nodded. “Good. Thanks. I’m really worried about this thing.”

  Serafina chimed in, “We’re actually working from home tomorrow, too, so we don’t want you to think this is just about keeping you home.”

  Brenna’s eyes widened. This never happened. “Really?”

  “Yes. Your Dad asked me to, and after some discussion, I agreed. My customers will have to deal with hearing me over the phone.”

  “Wow. You never work from home.”

  “I know.” Looking at the clock on the wall, a thought occurred. “Have you girls eaten lunch?”

  The girls replied that they hadn’t, having left in such a hurry. Serafina told them to give her about 30 minutes and she’d make everyone lunch. The girls headed off to their room, while Daniel continued cleaning and straightening the place.

  25 minutes later, Daniel helped his wife put a large plate of cold tofu salad made of baked tofu, cilantro, and noodles, all covered in a light peanut sauce on the dining table, along with four bowls of steaming hot miso soup.

  The four of them ate their meal, chatting about the usual topics, school, their extracurricular activities, and a bit about Daniel’s and Serafina’s work.

  As they ate, they heard sirens close by, but they could tell that the emergency vehicles must have continued down the hill as the sound faded before eventually stopping. No one associated the sirens with the flu that was going around.

  After all, it was just the flu.

  That night, Daniel stepped outside and looked up and down the street again. Although not totally certain, it did seem that there were fewer lights visible than the night before. The lack of light, of life, gave the neighborhood an eerie feel that he didn’t care for.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Michael Worthington was an asshole.

  Everyone knew it, and he knew it, too. The bottom line, though, was that he simply didn’t care what people thought of him. When he needed to, he could fake it well enough to make people think he was a nic
e guy, and to him, that was an important skill to have. It helped him get the things he wanted in life - his job, his condo, his monthly stipend from his parents, and, most importantly, women. He’d charm them long enough to sleep with them, then when he got bored, he’d simply stop trying. Within weeks they’d leave, which was fine with him. Not only did it free him up to find another woman, it also ensured that he didn’t have to spend too much money on them.

  What pissed him off, though, were women who thought they were too good for him. The ones that looked at him with disdain, judging him before they even knew him. If anything, he was too good for them . He had money, a nice car, a great condo, and a decent job (even if his father had needed to make phone calls to get it for him).

  In fact, it seemed ridiculous that any woman would think she was too good for him. He was a Worthington, for crying out loud. He came from a very wealthy family.

  His grandfather had invested in the oil industry back in the early 1900s, and managed to keep his wealth through every economic downturn. Even now, with all these stupid liberal hippy fucks trying to push so-called ‘green energy’, his family made sure their ‘friends’ in Congress knew where they stood. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are nothing when you’re worth tens of billions and in a position to make more. It was smart to ensure that someone is protecting your interest, even if it cost a pretty penny. ‘The environment can take care of itself’, his father loved to say.

  Being a Worthington definitely had its perks.

  That bitch ‘Britney’ was the latest to piss him off. What she’d done was basically entrapment, he told himself. She was the one who wore those tight blouses and sexy outfits. Clearly she wanted men to look at her, but when he did, she recorded him and told HR! Who the fuck did she think she was?

  And then, BECAUSE OF HER he had to go through the stupid HR training on workplace behavior, reviewing the ridiculous ‘green’, ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ behavior. When he joked that eventually a red light changes, the joke fell flat, and the look he received from the HR rep told him the company was growing tired of his behavior. Even though he knew he would never be fired - his father knew the CEO of the company personally - he still despised the fact that he had written counseling in his personal file. They’d even made him sign it!