EVOLVED

by Jessica Gomez

  Mason moves to nudge him, and I stop him seconds before he makes contact. “Don’t.”

  “You’re not going to wake him?” He pauses, arm outstretched.

  “No. What if he’s dreaming about Lil?” We both stare at him, watching his tense features flinch. “It’s the only way we’ve been able to get any information. If it wasn’t for these dreams, we’d have nothing to go on. He’ll wake up on his own.”

  After the last word leaves my mouth, James sits straight up, gasping for air, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His left arm is stretched out in front of him, as if he were reaching for something, or someone. “No, Lil!” His eyes flash around the room, confused, looking for a landscape that’s no longer present. His hand closes into a fist. “Where is she?” His voice is panicked.

  I kneel next to him. “What’s happened? You were dreaming. Was it Lil? Is she okay?” My questions are set to rapid fire.

  His gaze is fixed across the room, the cave wall the center of attention. “I didn’t make it to her in time. None of us did.” He looks at me, his face ashen. “Before she fell.”

  Chapter 18

  Lillie

  Several days pass and their routine remains the same. They continue to collect food, mostly fish, and stack it in the snow. They pile it high, near the exit, keeping it as cold as possible with the chilly air. I’m still not allowed outside. Fresh air is elusive, the entire cave repugnant. If my sense of smell still worked properly, I’d vomit anytime I moved, when the stench wafts up to my nose.

  My belly stretches with the size of my Sweet Pea. I’m guessing on the duration of my pregnancy, but I think he’s close to eight months, already beating Azami in size in terms of belly size. She was only about half this size. Of course, even though I live with a group of infected, Jeff keeps me stuffed on fish. Eating fish constantly isn’t ideal, but at least it’s food. With Azami, there were several days in a row that I’d go without finding anything.

  I’m humming and singing quietly under my breath. Even though Elvis Presley is long gone, his music still lives…at least before the Flash. My foster mother played his songs every evening when she cooked dinner. I enjoyed their house. She’d cook and I’d do my homework. I spent every night humming along with her. The memory was warm, one that wasn’t tainted by her illness.

  I hum along to “Love Me Tender” as I rub my belly, feeling him stretch his feet against my skin. I lightly push back, smiling down at the thump I get in return.

  “Hey, you doing okay?” Asher asks as he layers up another load of fish and snow. Jeff took Abbey and him out earlier this morning. They’ve been in and out all day, adding layers to our food supply. Snow, then fish. Snow, then fish, over and over. We eat several layers a day with all the mouths to feed, but they’ve been catching more lately.

  “Good. Singing to him. How’s it looking outside?” The last couple times Asher’s come in, Jeff’s been with him, snuffing out any questions.

  “Most of the snow’s gone. I’m collecting this snow from the forest where it’s shaded. It’s still damn cold out, though.” He continues to do chores while speaking.

  “Where’s Abbey? Why hasn’t she come back in with fish or snow?” He’s come and gone several times, but I’ve not seen Abbey since this morning.

  “She’s with Jeff, hunting. He’ll use her to carry the game back to the cave. He doesn’t trust her. She’d run if he didn’t keep an eye on her.” He wipes his hands on his pants, then holds them to his mouth to warm them.

  “And he trusts you?” I ask, disbelieving.

  He smirks. “Absolutely not. I’ll kill him the first chance I get.”

  “I wonder why he’d watch her and not you?” I ask myself out loud.

  He moves to warm his hands by the fire in front of me. “Isn’t it obvious?” He smiles, knowing I have no idea. “He knows I’ll never leave you behind. That’s why I wouldn’t run, not without you.”

  A lump grows thick in my throat. I try to swallow around it before I speak. “Asher…” I cough the emotion away. “If you get a chance to run, you’ve got to take it.”

  “Don’t. Never suggest it,” he growls.

  “I told you where my cave is. Go there and bring them back for us.”

  “No, and that’s the end of it. I’m not leaving you.”

  I shake my head, not agreeing with his answer but understanding his outrage. If our positions were reversed, leaving him behind would rip my heart out. The difference between our situations is that he’d force me to run to save the baby. And I know I’d have to, but in doing so, I would doom him to death. He’d never stand a chance if I left him behind. Jeff would explode when he discovered me gone.

  His warm palm cups my face and he leans in. “We’re going to get out of here somehow. I promise I’ll get you back to your family.” His voice is steady but his eyes are sad, missing his own family. He rarely speaks of them, only small snippets here and there.

  “When you do, we’ll help you find yours.” I cup my hand over his, adding my promise to the pile.

  Hope fills his expression and he takes a deep breath, removing his hand. “I better get back out there before he comes looking for me.”

  “Be safe,” I whisper to his retreating back.

  “Always am.” He throws the words over his shoulder when he glances back at me before exiting the tunnel.

  Hours later, shuffling draws my sleepy eyes toward the entrance. Abbey stumbles, jaw trembling, when Jeff shoves her back to her pallet and locks her ankle down. She glares in my direction, daring me to antagonize her. I decide to keep my mouth shut, choosing to watch Asher stack another layer of snow and fish. When he finishes, he picks up the remaining seafood and begins to clean them quickly and efficiently, tossing them individually into the fire once they’re clean. Asher stands and makes eye contact with me, then leaves the cave again. Jeff pays Asher no mind and tosses a handful of raw fish to the unintelligent infected in the back of the room, not caring who eats and who doesn’t.

  He turns, locking eyes with me. He peruses my body from head to toe, checking for grievances. “Mine. Okay?”

  Instead of answering through our connection, I nod.

  He checks me again, making sure I’m not lying, then leaves the cave.

  “You’re pathetic,” Abbey says through her chattering teeth.

  I’m tired of her always being nasty toward me. I’ve never done a thing to draw her negativity and I’m tired of her hateful words. “I’m trying to survive, save my baby, return to my family. I’ll do anything I can to get back to them.” I turn around, leaving her with my words.

  Moments later, Asher brushes my arm to gain my attention. He’s concerned, but I wave him off. “It’s nothing.”

  He allows me to redirect him without question. “I brought you something.” His eyes are gleaming now.

  “What?” I look around and see nothing besides our normal depressing surroundings.

  “Then you’re not looking hard enough, young grasshopper.” He holds out a small dish of steamy water and a rag.

  My eyes grow large. “You brought me a bath?” Diving into this small bowl is all I wanted, but since I’m not microscopic, I’ll take a sponge bath instead.

  He nods his head, laughing at my reaction.

  “Thank you!” I wrap my arms around his neck, grateful I can wash away the stank shortly.

  He chuckles, tugging my body into his. “You’re welcome. You were complaining the other day about how stinky you are. I wasn’t going to say anything, but—Ow!”

  I slug him. “You deserve it,” I giggle. “Never tell a woman, a pregnant woman at that, that she smells, even if it’s true.”

  “No touch!” Jeff spits at Asher and shoves him out of the way.

  I try to defuse the situation and tell him why we were together. “He brought me water to wash with. It’s not healthy for the baby if I’m dirty all the time.” Which is technically true.

  Concentration wrinkles his brows. “
Baby okay?”

  “He’s okay, but I should wash up, stay clean.” I motion toward the water cooling in front of me.

  He looks between me, Asher, and the water. He grunts and tilts his chin toward Asher, telling him to move away. Jeff brings the bowl closer, grabbing my ankle, and gently drags me in a circle. I spin slowly on my rear until my back is to the fire. Jeff removes my chain and I immediately groan and rub the tender flesh.

  “Thank you.”

  He grunts again, setting the bowl down. He reaches over and pulls the shirt from my body and tosses me a different one. My arm is held to cover my bits when I reach into the dish to grab the rag. The water has cooled, but is still plenty warm enough to elicit a groan. Jeff watches me for a moment, studying my belly, before leaving me to stoke the fire, but he continues to watch me through the flames. Goose bumps scatter across my skin after every swipe. Long ago, I lost my modesty. We’ve all bathed like this one time or another in front of each other.

  Once I’m finished, sleep claims me easily. I’m eagerly awaiting the next clue to my puzzle of escape. The darkness takes over almost immediately, engulfing me within a new scene.

  Asher and I rush through the forest, running from the infected. They’re behind us, I can sense them—a horde. We’re coming up the flowering hillside when I trip, steps away from my family. Somehow, I know they’re right over the hill, waiting for me. Asher helps me up as I send a blast of emotion radiating toward Ian, asking for his help.

  “Lillie!” His voice echoes off the mountains.

  “Ian!” I yell back, signaling our location.

  We collide, magnets finding each other over miles of terrain. We cling to one another, the need to feel him against me so strong, I might collapse.

  “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you. You’re safe now. You both are.” He places his hand on my belly, possessively.

  As much as I want to melt into his arms and let him lead me out of here and back home to my family, I can’t. “They’re coming,” I breathe heavily. How I’m still on my feet is an utter surprise. “They’re chasing us, Becky and Jeff. Both are coming.”

  His eyes grow, looking over my shoulder. By this time, I can hear the cracking branches and grunts growing closer. He pushes me behind him and opens his mouth to speak, but the scene blurs as if on fast-forward, leaving the flowering hillside in the dirt.

  We’re standing at the end of a cliff, Ian on one side and me on the other, separated by the chaos. The infected attack our group from all angles. James and Deagon are surrounded by several unintelligent infected, fighting them off with handheld weapons. Luke spends his last bullets, plugging three infected in the heads, dropping them next to the others that lay at his feet. Mason is fighting off Big Bully, who is twice his size and twice as evil, when he slams him to the ground.

  I cover my mouth and screech. Movement catches the corner of my eye, pulling my attention away from Mason.

  Becky.

  Her teeth are bared, staring directly at me as she runs at full speed. She’s zeroed in and I have nowhere to run. I’m surrounded by infected and a cliff blocks my escape from behind. My heart is pounding, panic gripping my chest as I suck in an anxious breath.

  Several voices yell my name in warning, echoing off the forest with their desperation.

  In seconds, she’s on me, clawing at my skin. I fend her off the best I can, but she’s much stronger than me, causing me to step back.

  That’s when I fall.

  Chapter 19

  Ian

  “What do you mean she fell?” I pull James close to me.

  His eyes glisten in the fire, as Mason leans closer to hear. “We found her, ran right into her. They surrounded us on a cliffside, cornering her away from us, and Becky went after her. Then she fell. Becky took her over the edge.” He visibly swallows around the lump in his throat.

  “Okay, okay, take a deep breath and calm down, and then tell us again,” Mason says.

  I’m in shock. The panic on his face tells me this dream is serious. He gathers himself before speaking, and recaps in more detail. “I’m only catching glimpses. The hillside with flowers is the first thing I remember. We approach it and you stumble, overwhelmed with emotion. She’s broadcasting to you so strongly, you’re knocked back. Once you gain your ground, you head directly for her and we follow.” I open my mouth to speak, but James cuts me off, holding his hand up. “Let me finish before I forget any of the details.” I nod for him to continue. “You run right into her, almost knocking her down. The reunion doesn’t last long. We hear the infected heading through the woods, chasing them, and this is where it gets fuzzy. We run, but I don’t know how we make it out onto the cliffside. Several of us are fighting…” He squints his eyes, trying to remember. “There’s someone else with her, but I can’t see who. The infected come at us from all sides, separating us, purposely secluding her. Then Becky charges from the forest. None of us can make it to Lil in time. Everything moves in slow motion and then…she goes over.”

  “No. Fucking. Way. There’s no way it’s going to end like that,” Mason snaps.

  “I don’t want to believe it either, but that’s what I saw.” He wipes a hand down his tired face. “I’ve bene wrong before, or the dreams have deviated. Not often, but it happens. Fate’s not set on one track.” He reaches over to grab a cup on the floor next to his bed and drinks, with some of the water dripping over the rim of the cup and down his shirt.

  Words elude me, but it’s abundantly clear we need to find her. These premonitions are usually preludes only days before the actual events. There’s a good chance we can find her in the next couple weeks. With the help of this new information, we’ll design a plan of execution, one that will rewrite fate, because we’re not losing her.

  ~~~~~

  Mason charges forward and organizes our recruiting. Luke, Mason, James, Jere, and myself will take the journey. We’re attaching a trailer to the back of the quad that we’ll travel on and store our supplies for the trip.

  I spend the afternoon speaking with Naveen about watching Azami. I’m hoping that her time with Gage will ease any anxiety she may feel while I’m away. Naveen and Sophie agree to keep Azami busy over the next few days, putting my mind at ease. I know she’s in good hands.

  We decided to load up and leave in two days; there’s no time to spare. Lil needs us. Loading the small trailer with our gear and food takes most of the evening, each of us arranging a personal backpack on top of our group supplies. There’s always a chance that one of us may get separated and it’s best to be prepared. We’ve had this rule since we first began raids. Predicting alternate scenarios is the best way to survive.

  I spend the next day with Azami and James. We play a couple card games and laugh the afternoon away. We snack on trail mix while we play in the pool. In the evening, after dinner, we take in a quiet night, coloring in our room. James has drawn amazingly well his entire life, Azami coming in second, and me pulling in third with my stick figures. The kids spend a good hour laughing at me and making fun of my drawing, before Azami turns to me, smiling.

  “Daddy, is Mommy coming home soon?” She rubs her eyes and pulls her blanket closer.

  “I’m going out to look for her again, so I’ll be gone a few days. You get to spend the nights I’m gone with Gage, Naveen, and Sophie.” I pull her over to her side of the bed and straighten out her blankets.

  Her smile grows. “That’ll be fun.” She yawns. “I can’t wait to see Mommy.” She pats my side as she begins to fall asleep. The same sensation wraps around me as it does every time Azami uses her gift on me, trying to pull her answers from our touch. She’s getting stronger, delving deeper through the blockers I’ve put in place.

  “Are you going to tell her before we leave?” James asks.

  “No, of course not. She’s too young to process Lillie’s predicament, and I’m still banking on her coming home. We have a lot of the pieces to the puzzle this time. We know what’s coming. Most of it anyway.�
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  “We can change it.” He’s determined to change fate’s layout.

  “Get some sleep. Dawn comes early.” I pat his shoulder as I pass him to stoke the fire.

  He’s quickly pulled under and snoring on his mattress. Watching them sleep is comical. Their facial features are replicated, mouths hanging open. Once the fire is good, I watch the flames dance across the ceiling, my heart pounding. Anticipation is coursing through me. I’ll have her in my arms in a few days and I’ll never let her go again. We’re going up against the elements, two different breeds of infected, and fate herself.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  ~~~~~

  Mason agrees to drive most of the way, switching off with Luke and me. We loaded the utility trailer last night. All that’s left for us to do in the morning is eat and grab our last minutes. Azami and I said our goodbyes earlier this morning before I dropped her off with Naveen. She’d fallen back to sleep as soon as I handed her over. My heart melts and speeds at the same time. I can’t wait to bring her mother home for her, for all of us. The vibe around the cave since she’s been gone is mediocre at best. There’s no singing in the morning to off-pitch tunes, no random haircuts by the fire, and the laughter that follows her everywhere has dried up completely. We’ve lost many people since the Flash. It hurts even more when we lose the ones we have left, especially when they’re full of light and goodness.

  “Ian.” Luke nudges me. “You ready?”

  He watches me with concern. “Yeah, sorry.” I shake my head, clearing my mind.

  He grips my shoulder hard. “It’ll be all right.”

  I nod, pushing the emotion away. “Thanks, Luke.” I slap his arm as I walk by him.

  “Are we ready?” Jere asks.

  “We’re loaded and ready. Thanks again for agreeing to come with us, Jere.”

  “No problem.”

  “Stop standing around like a bunch of girls. Let’s go,” Mason huffs, starting the four-wheeler.