by Robert Brumm
Soo pulled into an open slip, the spotlight tracking their movement and never letting up.
Emily sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Soo muttered. “Why am I so nervous?”
“Don’t worry. Everything is fine.” Howard was nervous as well but tried his best to appear calm. “Let’s just see what they want.”
They exited though the stern of the boat and walked out onto the narrow passageway. Before the operator of the spotlight saw them, Howard made out two men standing on either side of the car. The driver operated the light and his partner held a shotgun or rifle. A second later, the light hit them again, blinding them. Soo stood next to Howard with Emily behind them.
The cruiser’s PA system squealed into life. “That’s far enough.” The man’s voice had a slight Southern accent. “How many people aboard?”
“Just us three!” Howard stepped aside, placing a hand on Emily’s shoulder.
“Do you have any weapons aboard?”
“No.”
There was no response for a moment as the men at the car exchanged words.
“Tie off the boat,” the voice boomed. “I want to see hands the whole time. Nice and easy.”
Howard glanced at Soo. She looked scared but gave him a nod. The three of them walked up the length of the yacht. They tied the yacht to the pier and the voice commanded them to walk toward the car.
As they approached, the spotlight was finally turned off. A heavyset man in uniform stood next to the driver side door, one hand on his holstered weapon, the other on the flashlight he pulled from his belt. He turned it on but pointed it at their feet. The guy on the other side, a kid barely out of his teens, held a shotgun pointed at the sky.
“Howdy,” Heavyset said. “Now what in the blazes are you folks doing out on that thing at 4:30 in the morning? You ain’t from around here are you? Don’t recognize any of you.”
Howard cleared his throat, conscious of where his hands were. Heavyset still hadn’t taken his hand off his gun. “We came all the way from Jamaica. We saw the lighthouse.”
The two cops exchanged glances. “Jamaica? You shittin’ me? You sound American. Y’all on vacation or something?”
“Something like that.”
“What’s it like down there?” the kid asked. “How many survivors?”
“Not many. It was pretty bad.”
Heavyset clicked off his flashlight and finally took his hand off his revolver. “Sorry for the third degree but we ain’t used to seeing any boats out after dark.” He held out his hand. “Jack Phelps. That’s Tom Weslow.” They took turns shaking hands and exchanging names.
“Most survivors come in on the road,” Jack said. “but we’ve had a boat or two lately. Not as many as we’d like to see, but…”
Soo looked around. “How many people are here?”
Jack clicked his tongue and looked at the sky. “Mmmm, last count was eight hunerd and…seven, weren’t it Tom?”
“Sounds ’bout right.”
Jack smiled. “Guess it’s up to 810 now. Assuming y’all are staying.”
“Are there any other towns like this?” Soo asked. “Can you communicate with other cities? Are there phones?”
“Where you folks from originally?” Jack asked.
“California,” Soo said. “He’s from Wisconsin.”
Jack and Tom exchanged glances. “I’m afraid you folks are standing in the only functioning city, relatively speaking, in this part of the state. As far as your neck of the woods, there’s no way to tell.”
“There’s a guy in town, used to a be a pilot for United,” Tom said. “He took a Cessna up a few times before the fuel let out. Flew as far as Jacksonville to the north. Orlando and Tampa to the west.” He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“We still get survivors tricklin’ in from time to time,” Jack added. “Most see the lights at night, like you folks. We have a broadcast goin’ out on shortwave too.”
“How do you still have power?” Howard asked.
“Got lucky as all hell. The plant manager at the Bay Beach nuclear plant up the road lives here in town. He’s been working there since high school and could run that place by himself if it was possible. Seems like he trained half the town to help keep the place running, and we’ve had steady juice ever since things went south.”
Jack squatted down to Emily’s level. “And you, little Missy, you ain’t so lucky. We don’t have any of that Internet or cartoon channels on the TV, but we still got school.”
“Do I get to wear a blue dress like Jackie and use a back-a-pack?”
Jack laughed and stood up with a groan. “I reckon you can wear whatever you want to school. The subjects may have changed some,” he told Soo, “but Miss Johnson’s been doing a darn good job with the kids. That’s our future, like the song says, ya know?”
Howard took Emily’s hand. “That sound great.”
“We should get back on patrol,” Jack said. “If you folks are squared away on that fancy rig of yours, I can pick you up in the morning to meet with the town council. They’ll help find you a house and assign you a job. What line of work were y’all in?”
“I’m a nurse practitioner,” Soo said.
“Great! They could definitely use some more help down at the clinic. How ’bout you, Howard?”
He put his arm around Soo and thought for a moment before answering. “I’ve dabbled in a lot of things. Antarctic explorer, medical guinea pig, tropical explorer, alien hunter, and most recently…first mate aboard an Italian yacht.”
Soo cracked up and so did Howard. Emily didn’t get the joke but laughed anyway at the contagious giggling. Jack and Tom exchanged curious looks before saying good night and driving off in their squad car.
Howard and his two girls, his new family, walked hand in hand back to their boat to get some sleep.
Epilogue
He had braced himself for a smell that might be much worse than what he was expecting. The air was stale, dank, and anything but fresh, but all in all it wasn’t too bad. He untied the bandanna he had tied over his nose and used it to soak up the sweat on the back of his neck instead.
Of course, it was a distinct possibility that he’d simply grown immune to the stench of death and didn’t notice it anymore. He had worked on a dairy farm the summer after his freshman year of high school. The first week or so was brutal. He felt like the stench of cow and pig shit had absorbed into every pore of his body and permanently seared his work clothes. By the end of the summer he didn’t even notice it anymore.
Room 342. He worried he would forget the number and end up searching every room on the third floor, but it all came back to him as if he’d left earlier that day. The drapes were pulled shut, just like he’d left them, just a small sliver of light illuminated the bed and the form underneath the covers.
He pulled the chair up and sat next to her, enjoying the stillness and peace of the room. He reached to pull back the sheet but stopped, gently placing his hand on the contours of her face instead. He closed his eyes and slowly ran his fingers across the thin, yellowed sheet, imagining her face, and relieved to find he could still picture it.
In his mind, he could see her clear as day, still remembered what she looked like the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her. Not hard do to since she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his twenty years on the planet. He and his buddies had driven up to San Clemente, trying to find a bar without so many boots looking to get laid or get into a fight. She sat in a corner booth with her friends. By the end of the night he had her number and, a year later, her hand in marriage.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered. “You know I ain’t much for words. I don’t know how many times you hollered at me for not talking about my feelings.” He picked up a brochure sitting on the bedside table and wiped the thin layer of dust off the front. The Bob Marley museum. Not something he was even remotely interested in seeing, but she was a huge fan. They had planned to che
ck it out on the last day before they went home.
“Well, wherever you are, I hope you’re happy. Don’t you worry about me. I’m doing just fine. I love you, babe.”
He rose and picked up the water bottle he’d set on the dresser when he came in. He unscrewed the cap and slowly poured the contents around the outline of his wife’s body. He ripped a match from the book in the ashtray and lit it, holding the flame to the gasoline-soaked bedding. He placed the matchbook, proudly stamped with the logo of the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, into his pocket. He’d always have a need for matches.
The flames finally died down by the time dawn broke. He had started out watching the blaze while leaning up against a car across the street, but had to move back three time due to the intense heat. He kept his handgun close and his eyes open all night, half expecting the sudden fire to attract attention. He wasn’t too surprised when nobody came. Fellow survivor sightings were becoming an increasingly rare event and he hadn’t seen a single alien since leaving Montego Bay. How far would they travel, searching for food?
The sky opened up with an early morning shower, trying to kill the already dying fire. He reached into his backpack and put on his cap to keep the rain out of his eyes. He started his bike and put the old Honda into gear as the rain stopped as suddenly as it started. A good day for riding. Dave glanced at the ruins of the hotel one last time in the mirror before he turned the corner, continuing on his journey to the east.
A circle made of ink on the crumpled map in his pack marked the end of his journey. It wasn’t much on paper, maybe less in person, but it was the fortress Soo had dreamed of. Navy Island. Just half a mile wide, 64 acres in all, but only two hundred yards off shore from the city of Port Antonio. Dave learned of the island in a guidebook he’d found while scavenging in Negril. Apparently, it was once owned by Errol Flynn and had seen its share of wild Hollywood parties over the years. Sounded like the perfect spot to spend his retirement.
It might take a while, but Dave had no doubt those creatures would eventually roam the entire country. Unless they started taking swimming lessons, he’d be safe on his private island and spend the rest of his days living in peace.
Epilogue, Part Two
Every time I sit down to write lately, I find myself staring at the blank screen. I’m sure I have an equally blank expression on my face but, mercifully, this laptop has a non-reflective screen, so I can’t be sure. Maybe it’s writer’s block, or maybe I’m just not ready. Maybe the problem is this stupid laptop and, subconsciously, I know I shouldn’t be depending on it. It’s not like I can drop it off at Best Buy if it breaks. And electricity is plentiful now but who knows what the future holds? The battery is only good for a few hours. If I were smart, I’d probably switch to longhand, or at least use a typewriter. There’s got to be one tucked away somewhere in this town.
I suppose I should be glad I’ve gotten this far. I’m new to this writing thing after all, and the story I’ve spun so far is pretty good, if I do say so myself. Then again, all I’m doing is basically writing down everything that happened to me after the plane crash. It’s not like I have to be creative or anything.
I got as far as me passing out in the back of the pickup truck and that’s where I ran out of steam and stopped. So I sat down tonight and figured I would write about something else, just to shake off the rust and get the literary juices flowing. I’m already a few hundred words in and I can feel myself getting back into the zone. Without further ado, I shall tell you about my day today.
The front door opened with such enthusiastic vigor, followed by frantic footsteps, it could only be one person running down my front hallway. I turned the corner and lifted the cup of hot tea over my head, just barely avoiding catastrophe as she slammed into me.
“Whoa. Easy there, kid,” I said. “Where’s the fire?”
“Mary an’ Emma invited me to sleep over tonight! Can I go? Pleeeease?”
“What’s that, Emily? Well, I’m doing just fine and I had a great day. Thank you so much for asking. And how was school today?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Hello, Howard. How was your day?”
“Uh…I already told you it was fine. Why are you making me repeat myself?”
“Stop harassing the poor girl.” Soo descended the stairs, one at a time. “Can’t you see she’s excited?” She held on to the railing with one hand and her belly with the other. Her eyes were puffy from sleep and her hair was a mess yet somehow she managed to look prettier than the first day I saw her.
Emily impatiently hopped up and down on one foot. “So can I go? Can I go?”
“Yes, you can go,” I said.
She barely let me finish my sentence before she was out the door. I shouted for her to behave but I’m sure she didn’t hear. At least give me half a parenting point for trying.
Soo looked at the cup in my hand. “Have you started drinking tea or is that for somebody I know?” She stopped on the third step. I handed her the cup and kissed her distended belly in front of my face.
“How’s he doing today?” I asked. “Still kicking like a karate champ?”
“Feels like a drum solo on my spinal cord. And it’s he or she, remember? Why do I feel like I tell you that every day?”
“Just wishful thinking. If I say it’s a boy often enough, maybe she’ll magically sprout a penis.” I took Soo’s hand and helped her down the last few steps.
She looked at the front door. “I’m so glad Emily is finally making friends.” She paused midsip and lowered the teacup. “Why are you home so early?”
“It’s Friday, remember? They always let me off early because it’s our day for the market.”
Soo groaned and shuffled to the kitchen. “That’s right. I’m such a scatterbrain these days. Isn’t it enough that I’m a fat cow and disgusting? My brain has to turn to mush too?”
I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her chest. “You, my dear, are about as disgusting as that view.”
We faced the patio door in the dining room, which overlooked the beach and our postcard perfect view. Like almost half of the other residents in Jupiter, we live in Jupiter Inlet Colony. It’s a nice neighborhood of over two hundred homes, and we were lucky enough to snag an oceanfront unit after the previous owner passed away. Apparently he was some big shot author who wrote postapocalyptic sci-fi novels. I guess he couldn’t handle the real deal and took his own life. Maybe that’s why I can’t write for shit these days. His ghost probably put a spell on me. Haunted or not, it’s a great home. Three bedrooms and right on the beach. I’m sure it would have fetched well over a million bucks back in the “old world,” as people now called it.
Soo turned around to face me. “You sure have a way with words, Mr. Bell.” She kissed me on the nose and ran her hand down my chest. “Now go to the market so your family doesn’t starve to death.”
I rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, looking for our reusable grocery bags. “Did you hear there’s an opening on the town council? Susan Dietrich resigned. Said she wasn’t cut out for politics.”
“Oh, yeah?” Soo absently twirled her hair with her fingers. “Hey, see if you can trade for another ration of milk. I’ve been craving it so bad!”
“I’ll see what I can do. I heard they’re still having problems with the cows they brought down from Lafayette County. They aren’t producing as much this far south or something.”
Soo made her famous pretend sad face, complete with puppy dog eyes. “Tell them it’s for the baby.”
“That rarely works, but I’ll give it a try.” I gathered the bags and stole a sip of her tea. “So what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Town council,” I said. “I was thinking I might run.”
“What do you know about politics?”
“As much as the next guy. It beats working down at the water treatment plant, and I feel like I need to do more to help out the community.”
“It’s not a full-time j
ob, Ding Dong.” Soo took her empty cup to the sink and rinsed it. “You’d still be knee-deep in sewage six days a week down at the plant.”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s something. I feel like this is my second chance and I want to make the most of it. I mean, your destiny is sealed. Can you imagine ever doing anything besides being a nurse? I want something like that.”
She wrapped her arms around me and put her head on my chest. “Then I say go for it. You’ll be the best ex-con, alien-hatching councilman in history. Now go get mama some milk.”
I wheeled my trusty Trek DS out of the garage and started peddling toward the market. Bicycles are the main form of transportation for most folks in town. One of the salvage teams just found a full gasoline tanker out west last week but only priority vehicles like the cop cars, delivery vans, and garbage trucks get to use it. It’s only a matter of time before it runs out completely, I suppose. We’re a pretty capable town but I don’t see oil refining in our immediate future.
But I don’t mind, I’ve always enjoyed biking. With my handy trailer I can haul just about any food or supplies we need. Not to mention our family bike rides are always the highlight of my day. Soo is too far along to get on a bike these days, but Emily and I still get out most nights after dinner and explore the outskirts of town.
I left our neighborhood behind and turned onto the South Beach Road bridge, waving at a couple of kids fishing on the river bank below. The market is just on the other side of the river in the old Concourse Village Shopping Center. The council assigned each family a weekly shopping day where we can go to the market and pick up our weekly rations.
I know Soo is just humoring me about running for town council, but I’m serious. The current form of government in town could best be described as communism. Despite living relatively comfortably in nice homes, my fellow survivors and I are still just that – trying to survive. The council makes sure everybody gets the basics, like food, shelter, and medical care, and I don’t have a problem with that. But if we continue to thrive, take in more refugees, and give birth to future generations, that’s going to have to change. A utopian society where everybody shares equally sounds great on paper, but it rarely works in the real world. The Soviet Union was proof enough for me.
