Away From the Sun

by Jason D. Morrow

She nods at me in response as she reaches for one of the grenades. I’m about halfway down the ladder when the explosion nearly makes me lose my grip. Once on the floor, I start pulling the box of rifles to the top with the rope. There’s another explosion that drops clouds of dust from the top of the hatch all over me. Once the box is to the top, Ashley pulls it away almost immediately. Not long after, another explosion goes off.

  The rest is like clockwork. Magazines, grenades, rocket launchers, pistols, and knives all make it into the back of the truck. When I finally get to the top of the hatch again, it looks like there are nearly a thousand greyskins on top of us. Ashley runs to the front of the truck and turns on the engine.

  I grab three grenades from the crate before getting into the front seat. I roll down the window and lean outside the truck. With as much strength as I can gather, I throw the first grenade into the middle of the greyskins. With a bright flash and a loud blast, a path is cut through the middle of them. I don’t have to tell Ashley to take it. She already knows. Every time the path starts to close in, I throw another grenade, and the greyskins splatter.

  We’re out of Marion in less than a minute. When I look at the town behind us, I can’t help but wonder how there could have been so many greyskins. I wonder why this place is always so deadly.

  Any time I run into them like this, I start to question my beliefs about the outbreak being a good thing. Perhaps humanity didn’t deserve this. This just might be too extreme. There has to be some end to it soon. But what will that end be?

  With the greyskin disease, there spreads a more deadly virus than anything else: the disease of fear. I can feel my limbs shaking and I wish they would stop.

  I look back again, this time my eyes glancing at the weapons in the truck. Shadowface is the one that should be infected with fear, now. I welcome an attack. We might not be able to win the fight, but he won’t be expecting this kind of firepower.

  Chapter 8 - Waverly

  It has been over a week since we came to Elkhorn and there is no indication of an attack. However, I still locked the vial of blood in a small, tin box that Ethan and I found because I wasn’t very comfortable carrying it with me. It rests secretly under my cot in my room.

  I think that either Shadowface doesn’t know about me and the vial of blood, or he no longer cares. If I were in his shoes, I would have attacked by now. I’m okay with either scenario, but Jeremiah seems convinced that Shadowface is just biding his time. The wait hasn’t stopped Stephen from arming his men and letting Mitch, Ashley, and Jeremiah train them how to use the new supplies.

  Ethan and I have skipped out on the training sessions. Neither one of us is interested. Not only that, but we aren’t exactly comfortable being around a lot of people with guns. We don’t want to invite a scenario where Ethan finds himself walking alone down a street in a town full of armed men. A stray bullet could pass through him. I try to remember what his surroundings looked like in the vision, but the street escapes my memory. All I can envision is the look on his face as he is dying. He suggested that I take another look, but I told him it wouldn’t do any good. He didn’t seem to understand, but I didn’t expect him to.

  I know that if I touch him to see another vision of the future, I will see something else. The first time, I saw him dying. The second time, I saw us kissing each other. I don’t really care to see any more. Since we’ve been spending every moment together, Ethan and I have talked a lot about it—in secret, of course. And we decided on something. We decided that I am going to use my new Starborn power for good. I will use it purposefully; not by accident.

  I expressed to him that I don’t like knowing the future. It confuses me, and makes me wonder if sometimes the future is caused because I saw it. Would I kiss Ethan if I hadn’t seen myself kissing him? I assume so since it’s just a vision. (I didn’t mention this particular vision to him.) But I think about the time I came face-to-face with Scarecrow. In the vision of Scarecrow, I saw myself attacking him and falling over into the crowd of greyskins below, but because I had seen the vision, I was brought to the situation and was able to make a different decision. If I had not seen the future, would I have known to make a different decision?

  “And that’s what makes me a Starborn,” I said to Ethan while we were playing a game of checkers. “Jeremiah had mentioned that Starborns gained their powers because they were meant to protect themselves. And for the past week, I haven’t been able to see the use of mine for myself. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more it starts to make sense.”

  “How so?” he asked, staring down at the board.

  “Maybe I first saw the future when I was sitting next to Lucas, because my power—my ability—was showing me that I should do what I foresaw.”

  He looked up at me with downturned eyebrows. “I don’t follow.”

  “Like the time I grabbed your hand on that first day,” I said. “I saw you kill the greyskin and you were safe afterwards. Well, I think it was to confirm that I shouldn’t do anything. Seeing Lucas die in my vision, confirmed that I shouldn’t have moved, I think. If I would have tried to reach up and pull him down, Scarecrow might have killed both of us.”

  “Wow,” he said.

  “Doesn’t mean I don’t wish I would have tried something,” I said.

  He smiled at me. “That confirms it though.”

  “What?”

  “You have nothing you should regret. Your future showed that you would survive if you didn’t move when Lucas confronted the raiders. If you tried, you would have died, too. And maybe the rest of us as well.” He reached out his hand, but I didn’t take it. He pulled back quickly, realizing his mistake. “You did exactly what you were supposed to do. The futures you see show you when you should take action or when you should stay put.”

  “That’s just it,” I said. “The vision I had of you has me nowhere in sight. All of the visions up to this point, have involved me in some way. In the vision of you, I see nothing. Why would I not be present in the future where you die, but present in all the others?”

  “Maybe your power is growing,” he said. “Maybe the more you use it, the more you can go beyond yourself.” He shrugged. “Or maybe you being in all the visions is just coincidence. Maybe not every future you see has you in it. That would explain why you aren’t there when I get shot.”

  I wasn’t sure, and I’m still not. I would like to think my power is growing so I can control it. I would like to be able to touch someone’s hand without thinking I would see a future that I was supposed to fix.

  That’s when the idea came to my head. “What if…” I shook my head.

  “What?”

  I took a deep breath and thought for a moment. I didn’t want to do what I was about to propose, but it could potentially help everyone here.

  “We’ve been sitting here for about a week,” I said. “And nothing has happened.”

  “Yeah,” Ethan said, his arms crossing his chest.

  “Well, I have the ability to see into the future,” I explained. “Wouldn’t it make sense if I went around to everybody and started touching them to try and get a glimpse into the future?”

  “I thought that was what you didn’t want to do,” he said. “I thought the idea terrified you.”

  “It does. But if I can touch everyone and see many futures, then surely something of the next week or so will come up. There’s Jeremiah, Mitch, Ashley, Stephen, Gabe,” I shook my head. “Everyone. Surely if there is going to be an attack, I will see something.”

  “Don’t forget your sister,” he said.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” I turned my head away sheepishly. “I’m not sure I can handle seeing her die of it came to that.”

  “But if you can help prevent it, wouldn’t that be better?” He was leaning forward, his elbows on the table. He seemed excited by this prospect.

  “I guess.”

  “Would you still keep it a secret?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

 
; “Then you’re going to have to come out of your shell a little bit,” he said. “You’re too stiff. You need to loosen up and talk to people. Act interested in what they have to say. You’re going to have to become a toucher.”

  “A what?”

  “A toucher,” he said with a smile. “When you engage in conversation, you’ll need to be flirty. If Gabe makes you laugh, reach out and grab his hand. If Stephen tells you something sad, reach out with a sympathetic hand; act shocked. You know…a toucher.”

  I had never been the flirty type. The thought of acting that way just depressed me. I don’t like the idea of chatting it up with all these people, but if it can save their lives…

  The mission will take a few days. If I want to keep my power a secret, then I can’t just go around touching everyone on the same day. Ethan and I decided that after each person, I will write down everything I can remember seeing. Then, when we’ve got it all together, we will look at all of them and see if we can find a pattern.

  It’s a week and a day since we came to Elkhorn, and I’m now ready for my first guinea pig: Stephen. Ethan and I stand outside his office door. He’s talking to someone about food supplies and how they have been running low ever since the new arrivals. Ethan stays back a few feet as I knock on the doorframe and give a short wave.

  Stephen and the man next to him look up at me and are silent for a long moment. I suppose they weren’t expecting me, and given that I have barely spoken a word to Stephen since I got here, I’m sure he’s curious as to why I would be visiting.

  “Come in,” he says slowly. I clear my throat and take a step forward. I don’t know why I’m nervous, but I am. I don’t wish to see his future, but this is important isn’t it?

  “I was wondering if you had a moment to speak alone,” I ask him, nodding to the man next to Stephen.

  Stephen looks at me, almost as if to say, ‘what in the world do you want’, but he smiles briefly and asks the other man to leave.

  “Have a seat,” he says, motioning to a chair across from him. I sit, though I feel like I’m too far away from him to actually reach over and touch him naturally. He leans back in his chair and keeps his hands close to his sides on the armrests. “What can I do for you?”

  “I uh…” for some reason my mind draws a blank. This was supposed to be natural. We weren’t supposed to be sitting so far away from each other. I search for the words I’m supposed to say to him, but I can’t remember. Something about how he…Oh! Yes. “I was just curious about how you came to be here.”

  His eyebrows instantly furrow at me and I know that this sounds forced. He shakes his head. “What do you need?”

  “I just…I just want to get to know people here a little better,” I stutter. “I figured I would start with the leader.”

  “Well,” he says with a smile, “it might be best to start with someone else, I am very busy right now.”

  “Oh, of course,” I say. I stand quickly and make my way to the door.

  I’m almost out of the room when I hear him sigh. “Wait,” he says. “I’m sorry. Come back.”

  I turn around to face him and I can see that he’s standing. He motions to a different seat this time—behind the desk and next to the wall. “Have a seat. I’m not too busy. I was just a little taken aback. You’ve been here a week and I’ve heard you speak about two sentences.” He shakes his head again. “I would be happy to talk to you.”

  I walk to the chair across the room slowly. I can already tell that I’m not displaying the personality of a touchy person, so I’ve got to step up my game. “What a crazy world we live in, huh?” What a dumb thing to say.

  “You can say that again,” Stephen smiles. He bends over and reaches for something under his desk and comes up with a bottle and two glasses.

  I sit down about a foot away from him and he swivels around and hands me a glass. It’s already in my hands and he’s pulling away before it even occurs to me that I could have used this moment to touch his hand. I bite my lip in frustration.

  “Moonshine,” Stephen says, “all the way from Kentucky.”

  “How did you get it here?” I ask.

  “I’ve had it since before the outbreak,” he says, pouring me an amount that is far more than a shot. I’m already wincing at the thought of drinking it, but alcohol will be good. It will make more sense for me to touch his hand if I loosen up.

  He downs his first cup before even going into conversation. And he doesn’t start talking until he’s refilled his glass. I take a tiny sip of the moonshine and it makes my eyes water.

  “What is this, rubbing alcohol?”

  Stephen smiles. “Good, isn’t it?”

  I nod, but it’s a lie. It’s awful.

  “So you want to know how I came to be here?”

  I nod again. I take another sip. It’s everything I can do not to spit it out in front of him. When I swallow, it feels like fire just burned off my tonsils.

  “Believe it or not, I have been living in Elkhorn since I was a little boy,” he says. “I have a lot of good memories here.” He looks down at his glass. “A lot of bad ones, too.”

  “How were you chosen to be the leader here?” I ask.

  “I wasn’t chosen so much as it just happened. My wife and I were here. The settlement started because we were taking people into our home when the outbreak took place. The group became too big for our house, so with the help of everyone, we started building walls and converting office buildings into homes.”

  “I didn’t know you have a wife,” I say.

  “I did have a wife,” he says. “She’s dead now.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I say. This time I reach out a hand to touch his, but he’s still too far away. He gives me a curious stare as I hold my arm out in the air and he keeps his fingers firmly fitted on his glass. He shakes his head and takes another swig as I let my arm drop next to me, my cheeks turning crimson. “How many people are here now?” I ask, taking another drink, this time a much bigger gulp. I can barely hear his answer as the burning liquid washes down my throat and I start coughing uncontrollably. I lean forward with my head between my legs, reaching my arm out in front of me. This time, I’m not even meaning to do it.

  He sets his glass down on the desk next to him and leans forward. “Are you all right?” he asks. “I shouldn’t have given you so much.”

  I try to wave him off, but I can’t stop coughing. Can’t stop coughing…don’t stop coughing! This is my chance. The need to cough subsides, but I continue anyway. Now, I fall out of the chair and onto my knees. Surely he will try to help me up.

  I know I’m making a fool of myself when I fall over onto my side, still coughing—no, wheezing now. Wheezing is much better! Finally, I let it subside and I crawl back onto my knees.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be,” he says.

  I reach an arm up into the air for him to grab it and help me up. Without hesitation, Stephen grabs my hand and a bright, white light flashes in front of my eyes.

  There are several people huddled together in a dark room, all facing a figure standing in front of them with a rifle, ready to fire. I stare at the figure until I recognize who it is. It’s Ashley. The others are Stephen, Lydia, and…me…my future self!

  “What does she want?” Stephen asks, looking at Waverly.

  “The vial of blood,” she answers

  “Don’t give it to her, Waverly,” he says.

  Ashley speaks next, looking at Stephen. “You’re the one that will die if she doesn’t take me to it.” She is sweating, and standing slouched as if she is injured in some way.

  “Why do you need me?” Waverly asks. “You know where it is.”

  “Because if it’s not there, I’m going to kill all of you,” she says through gritted teeth.

  “Just take me,” Waverly pleads. “You don’t need them.”

  Ashley grips the rifle even tighter and pulls the door open behind her. “All of you, n
ow.”

  The three of them leave the room with Ashley pointing the gun to their backs. They walk the dark halls. They climb the bleak stairs. The only sounds are their heavy breathing and soft, echoing footsteps. The walls are cracked and crumbling. Occasionally there is a dead body lying on the floor. This was a war zone. Is this Elkhorn? It doesn’t look like it, yet they were all headed to Waverly’s room.

  I can finally see some resemblance of where I have been staying as I watch the group enter the room. Ashley points the rifle at Waverly and commands her to get the small canister. Waverly reaches under the bed and grabs the tin box that hides the treasured blood. She opens the box and grabs the canister. Ashley tells her to toss it to her, but Waverly stands, walks over to her and sets it in her palm gently.

  “You’re nothing but a traitor,” Stephen says to Ashley through clenched teeth. “You’re just Shadowface’s puppet.”

  Ashley shakes her head. She looks like she’s about to say something, but no words come. Instead, she rears back and slams the butt of the rifle into the side of Stephen’s head.

  A bright light flashes and I’m back to the present.

  I try not to let shock show on my face when I pull away from Stephen, but I don’t feel like I’m succeeding. I look away from him, but all I see is the image of him getting beaten in the face by Ashley—the one that’s going to betray us.

  Does this mean Ashley works for Shadowface? Is she walking around the settlement, thinking of the best way to sabotage Elkhorn and its people?

  “Are you okay?” Stephen asks me. He holds his hands out like he wants to help me walk, but I wave him away.

  “I’m fine,” I say. “That’s just really strong stuff.” I start walking toward the door. “I’ve got to go, I think I’m going to be sick.”

  I don’t give Stephen a chance to respond before I’m out the door and walking down the hallway next to Ethan. We hurry up a flight of stairs and make our way to my room without a word. When I sit on the cot, Ethan immediately hands me the notepad and pencil we prepared for writing the visions down, though I’m sure I’m not going to forget what I just saw.