Parish

by Nicole Murphy

  Parish

  Nicole Murphy

  Copyright © 2016 Nicole Murphy

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN:

  ISBN-13:

  For Carrie-Ann and Elijah

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  3

  1

  Chapter One

  9

  2

  Chapter Two

  15

  3

  Chapter Three

  28

  4

  Chapter Four

  36

  5

  Chapter Five

  46

  6

  Chapter Six

  54

  7

  Chapter Seven

  63

  8

  Chapter Eight

  72

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  82

  91

  102

  114

  131

  140

  150

  159

  167

  PROLOGUE

  “We have a very exciting story coming up for you after the break. It seems as though a medical team from UCLA has discovered what they are calling a miracle. Stay tuned for the story after this.” The middle aged man whose teeth were too perfect and too white gleamed from behind his glossy fake wood desk. An annoying commercial for a local pizza place blared across the television showing an overly happy family that seemed too damn excited to be eating the cardboard they called pizza.

  “Dad!” Wren screamed from the living room. “Dad, they’re going to talk about Mom after the commercial!”

  “Alright, dammit you don’t need to scream like that. I’m right here.” Jack DeLasalle strode into the living room holding his can of beer as he yanked his tie from his neck.

  “I bet they say her name wrong.” Wade chucked as he scrolled on his phone, the light from the screen illuminating his acne covered face.

  “Why don’t you shut your mouth, Wade? God you’re so annoying.” Wren curled her lip at her twin. They were both tan, but Wren was blessed with their mothers golden blonde hair. Wade’s hair was dishwater blonde, almost gray like their fathers. They both had piercing blue eyes. No one knew where they came from. They were fifteen and beyond wanting to spend any time together.

  “Jamie, sit down! I can’t see through your big head!” Wade cried out as he threw a through pillow at the youngest of the siblings. It struck him in the back of the head and made him stumble.

  “That’s enough, Wade. All of you quiet down so we can hear.” Jack commanded motioning to the television with his half-empty beer can.

  “We already know what they’re going to say. I don’t get why we have to make this a family affair, Mom isn’t even here.”

  “She’s going to ask if we saw it.” Jack sighed.

  “So?” Wade retorted turning his attention back to his phone.

  “Shut up, it’s back on!” Wren jumped up to the edge of the couch, leaning forward to listen closely.

  “Welcome back, I’m Kent Monroe and you’re watching WVPQ at five. If you’re just joining us we have amazing news coming out of UCLA where a medical research team has claimed to have discovered a miracle. Any moment now we will take you to an undisclosed location where the head of the project, Doctor Emily DeLasalle, will give a press conference concerning the very nature of this miraculous discovery. The conference is expected to start any moment now so we will take you live to the site of the location for more. Please stay tuned following the conference for expert analysis by your WVPQ team.” The man looked orange as he spoke, his blindingly white teeth bared in a creepy smile as he nonsensically fixed the pile of papers in front of him.

  The shot of the news anchor cut away showing a blank podium on an empty stage. The audio was on broadcasting the buzz of the reporters just off screen.

  “When is mommy coming on?” Jamie turned and looked at his father. He had large brown eyes that seemed to provide a very window into his tender soul.

  “In just a minute, buddy, promise.” Jack replied peering over his glasses at the five year old.

  “Shhh! Here she is!” Wren waved her hand to shush her father. A petite woman with short brown hair walked up to the podium. She was smiling despite the worn look that was hanging to her features. Camera flashes seemed to momentarily blind her as she motioned for everyone to compose themselves.

  “Thank you all for coming.” The woman smiled bashfully, her voice as small as her stature. “My name is Doctor Emily DeLasalle and I am the head of the research team here at UCLA medical. We have asked you all here tonight to share our very exciting news. For ten years the team here, made up of more than twenty of our best and brightest in several fields, have been working to find a cure for genetic diseases. Tonight we are here to tell you, we have succeeded.”

  The crowd of reporters buzzed, hundreds of questions poured towards Dr. DeLasalle, the camera’s flashing again. She held her hands up to quiet them.

  “I know this is very exciting news, and that it also leads to many questions. First allow me to elaborate. We have just finished our fifth round of human testing. All told, with the volunteers from all five rounds have totaled more than a hundred thousand participants. Half of those who volunteered were given a placebo or just a regular saline solution. The other half were given what we have named Nazarene. Nazarene is a genetically modified virus that is injected into the body. Once inside the body it goes to work on the molecular level, turning off the bad genes that cause heart disease or cancer, any bad gene that causes hereditary illnesses. Of the fifty thousand injected with Nazarene, all are perfectly healthy. Not one person had been diagnoses with any medical condition. Far beyond that, those who were injected with Nazarene who already had a diagnosed illness were cured.” Emily DeLasalle gripped the podium. “We have cured illness.”

  “Does it bother you to play God, Doctor?” A random reporter shouted out from somewhere off camera.

  “Sir, we are not attempting to play God. But we are not representatives of any religion, we are doctors and scientists. We set out to cure human suffering, and that is exactly what we have done here. We have submitted our findings and look forward to seeing Nazarene being available for anyone who wants it.” Emily grabbed her lab coat and straightened it.

  “Does it prevent death?” Another reporter cried out. Everyone began laughing, including Emily.

  “No, we have not found the fountain of youth here. We are hoping that no one will ever die from something that can be cured by Nazarene, instead to die simply of old age.” Emily smiled.

  “What’s behind the name? Nazarene?” A female reporter asked.

  “Well, we chose the name to honor the man who was known to perform miracle cures, Jesus of Nazareth.” Emily nodded.

  “If you are not representative of any religion, why choose a name with religious connotation?” The woman pushed for more.

  “It was put before the scientists and doctors who worked on it, and it was voted on democratically.” Emily squirmed.

  “Are there any side effects?” Two reports asked in unison.

  “Absolutely none, and that is a second miracle Nazarene can claim.” Emily shook her head. “We will provide a press packet to each of you following the conference. Thank you all for coming and we look forward to what comes next. Thank you.” Emily moved out of the shot.
<
br />   “Wow, did she really cure everything?” Wren asked, her jaw slack.

  “Yep.” Jack nodded and stood up adjusting his pants.

  “Is she coming home now?” Jamie asked turning around to look up at his father.

  “She’ll be awhile, but for now it’s time to eat. Come on, all of you, Rosie cooked dinner for everyone tonight.” Jack sauntered out of the living room leaving his three children.

  “This is going to blow up in everyone’s face, just watch.” Wade pressed a button on his phone before shoving it into his pocket.

  “Why do you insist on being such an ass, Wade?” Wren asked as she fixed her long blonde ponytail.

  “Aww…I’m telling Daddy you said ass!” Jamie whined.

  “You just said it too, idiot!” Wade shoved Jamie back onto the ground.

  “You’re fifteen Wade, you can’t push him around like that! He’s a little kid for crying out loud!” Wren reached down and helped Jamie up from the floor.

  “I said it’s time to eat!” Jack yelled from the dining room.

  “We’re coming Dad!” Wren replied before turning her attention back to Wade and lowering her voice. “Stop being a dick. Just because you’re a miserable excuse for a human being doesn’t give you the right to try to pull everyone else down to your miserable level.”

  “Yeah, okay. Thanks for the advice mother.” Wade rolled his eyes before turning and walking out of the room.

  “Are you okay, Jamie?” Wren stooped down to look at her little brothers’ elbow. He was clutching it.

  “Wade hurt my elbow.” Tears welled up in the little boys large eyes.

  “Let me see, buddy.” Wren gently pried his fingers away and inspected the red mark. “You’re alright, it’s just red, no blood.”

  “Wren, are things really going to blow up?” His little face upturned to look at her.

  “No. Wade is a jerk. Mom and the people she works with worked really hard on this and for a really long time. They are going to help a lot of people.” Wren smiled kindly as she stood up and took Jamie’s hand, beginning to lead him to the dining room.

  “So, mom’s like a super hero?” Jamie asked, his little brow furrowed in contemplation.

  “I guess, yeah, she kind of is a super hero.” Wren laughed as they turned the corner and walked to the table.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Wren, god dammit, I’m not telling you again! Sit down and eat those green beans!” Jack slammed his fist on the table.

  “If you like them so much, you eat them!” Wren screamed as she grabbed a handful of the beans from her plate and hurled them into her father’s face. “I hate this place! I hate you! I want to go home!”

  “This is home now, Wren.” Wade interjected as he pushed his overcooked chicken around his plate.

  “I want to go back to LA! I hate this place so much.” Wren’s exuberance seemed to fade as she sunk in her seat, her shoulders slumping and big fat tears began to pour from her eyes.

  “There’s nothing we can do about it right now. Ever since that damn drug got so damn popular…no.” Jack sighed as he pulled green beans out of his collar. “Look, this is where your mother was transferred and we just have to accept it. Besides, I’m from here. New Orleans is my home. You guys remember me telling you, don’t you?”

  “About a thousand times.” Jamie mumbled from the other end of the table. “You’re not a very good cook, Dad.”

  “I know.” Jack laughed. “If Mom has to work tomorrow night, we’ll order out. Deal?”

  “Deal!” All three of the DeLasalle children replied. Suddenly the music that was previously filling the air disappeared and was replaced with the piercing shriek of the emergency broadcast system.

  “We interrupt our programming at the request of the White House. This is the Emergency Broadcast Alert System. All normal broadcasting has been discontinued during this emergency. This is B23.4. This station will continue furnishing news, official information and instructions for the New Orleans area. If you are not in the New Orleans area, you should tune to stations providing news and information for your area. It is important that you listen carefully to announcements from the station in your local area.”

  “Dad?” Wren swallowed audibly.

  “Come on, let’s turn on the news.” Jack stood up, his chair dragging across the tile of the kitchen floor. The three kids all followed, sprinting into the living room. Jack fumbled with the remote, turning on the local news as fast as his fingers could move.

  The emergency broadcast alert was scrolling across the screen, the siren blaring every few seconds. Suddenly the system cut away showing the president sitting in the oval office.

  “My fellow Americans. I’m coming to you this evening because an event unlike any other has befallen this great nation. We are getting reports from across this nation of a mass epidemic that has stricken the very core of our land. While we do not know its cause, we know that this plague is swift moving, causing death within hours of infection. The exact number of those who have perished are unknown, as well as the numbers of those infected. Initial estimates puts both numbers in the millions. We are working tirelessly to prevent further infection. To do this, I have declared a national emergency. Martial Law will be in effect until further notice. We ask you to get to a safe place, and stay there. If you do not have a safe place to go, please stay tuned after this broadcast and your local authorities will direct you to the nearest safe places that are being set up at the local level. It is important that we remain calm. Please do not put yourself or your loved ones at risk. Stay away from anyone who is acting strangely or showing aggressive behavior.” At this point someone’s hand appeared from off screen, handing the president a piece of paper. He read over the words written before turning his attention back to the camera. “My fellow Americans, it is my duty to inform you that those who have perished in this epidemic have appeared to, reanimate. I appreciate that this sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but it appears as if we are in the midst of a zombie epidemic. We will overcome this, we shall prevail. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been infected. God help us.”

  “This is some kind of prank. It has to be!” Wade jumped up from the sofa, his blue eyes as large as saucers. “Zombies! I mean come on!”

  “Wade, the president wouldn’t address the nation with a prank!” Wren continued to sit, her eyes glued at the television screen.

  “Yeah, but, seriously? Come on, zombies? Really? They don’t exist!” Wade’s voice grew louder. Suddenly the telephone rang, causing all of them to jump. Jack reached over and grabbed the cordless house phone.

  “Hello?” He scratched the back of his head. “Honey! Yes, we just saw it. We’re all here watching the news. Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Is she coming home?” Wren reached over and grabbed Jamie, pulling him to sit next to her. Jack held his hand up to silence her.

  “Yeah, I understand. Don’t worry, Emily. No, don’t worry. Okay. I love you too. Bye.” Jack hung up the phone and turned slowly to address his children. “That was your mother. The president was telling the truth. We can’t leave here.”

  “Is mom okay?” Wade asked, thundering towards his Dad.

  “Yeah, yeah, she’s fine. It’s uh…it’s at the hospital though.” Jack swallowed hard, plopping his weight down onto the couch and running his hands through his graying hair.

  “She needs to leave!” Wren shrieked. “What are we going to do?”

  “Relax!” Jack cried. “We have to stay here. We’re safe in the house. Your mom told me we need to stay put. She’ll catch a ride with the National Guard once they get the hospital secured. We’ll be alright, guys. We’ll be alright.”

  “What are zombies, Dad?” Jamie asked, looking up from under Wren’s arm.

  “A zombie is a person who is dead and then comes back and eats people who are alive.” Wade spat out.

  “They EAT people?” Jamie’s eyes grew large as his lip began to
quiver, tears followed soon after.

  “Why would you tell him that?” Jack pushed by Wade to stoop down in front of Jamie.

  “Hey, guy.” Jack reached out and took both of Jamie’s’ hands.

  “Dad, are they going to eat us?”

  “No, buddy. I would never let anything bad happen to you or to your brother or sister.” Jack shook his head slowly as he removed his glasses. “We’ll be okay, we just have to follow the instructions that the police and military are going to give us.”

  “All the good guys? They’ll protect us too, right?” Jamie began to chew the skin of his thumb.

  “You bet, bud. All of the good guys will be out to fight the monsters and to keep us safe.” Jamie threw his arms around his Dad’s neck and hugged him tight.

  “Whoa, guys you should look outside. I guess people decided they shouldn’t listen to the president.” Wade had the curtain pulled back from the window and was turning his head flush against the glass in an attempt to look both ways down their street.

  “Get away from the window!” Jack hollered. He was staring down at his feet as he lifted his glasses and rubbed the palm of his hand over his face. “I just have to think for a minute.”

  “Dad, shouldn’t we, like, I don’t know cover the windows or something?” Wren asked. She was sitting on the edge of the couch, her arms wrapped around Jamie who had his face buried in her shoulder.

  “Yeah, cover the windows. Okay, damn…with what?” Jack began to frantically look around.

  “It’s bad, just use the dining room table and stuff, tear the doors off the hinges from the doors in here and nail them up.” Wade turned from the window and looked back at his family. “Even if the zombies don’t get us, we have to defend against looters.”

  “Alright, good plan son! Come on, help me. Wren, you and Jamie gather up all the candles and flashlights. Uhh…fill the tub and sink with water and gather up batteries, well, just grab anything that you think we can use.” Jack ran to the closet in the hall, violently pulling out his beat up hunter green tool bag.