by Mark Mathews
“Okay, little girl. What exactly were you guys talking about in that van? Why did he want you to check to see if the lakes were a good choice?” Emily straightened her shoulders as much as she could, and lifted her chin. She decided she finally was going to have a backbone, and she wasn’t going to tell this man anything.
He sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if I need to slap you around a little to get an answer out of you, then I will.” He raised a hand threateningly, and Emily flinched despite herself.
The crooked smile on his face made her think that the man they’d seen last night was only a part he’d played. Kind and down-to-Earth definitely was not the way he was acting right now. Emily bit her lip. He wound up his hand and slapped her. It rocked her head back and something in her neck popped from the force. She bit down hard enough to stop any sound from coming out of her, but a tear trickled down her cheek. It did nothing to change the look on his face. He growled low in his throat, and Emily shivered. His hand raised again, and this time, Emily broke.
“Stop!” He raised an eyebrow at her, and the grin he gave her was more feral than the pack of dogs that had chased them to Wade’s cabin so long ago.
“Are you ready to talk now?” She nodded, and he waited for her to start. Taking a deep breath, she told her story.
“I have a sixth sense when it comes to danger. I can tell if something bad is going to happen before it does. I can’t see what it is, and I can’t tell you when, but I can get a good sense of where. Sarah wanted to go to the lakes, but Wade didn’t, so they asked me what I could read about it.” The man stared at her like she was crazy. When she steadily looked back at him without a smile or a laugh, his expression changed to incredulity.
“You don’t expect me to believe that bull, do you?” His voice was rough, and she could tell that he was angry. His hand moved, and Emily flinched, ducking away as best she could without falling off the stump.
“It’s the truth. We don’t talk about it much because it gets this kind of reaction, but it’s saved us a few times so far. I swear it.” He still looked at her like she must think he was stupid if she wanted him to believe it, and it scared Emily. This was the truth, and if he didn’t believe her, she had no idea what he would do to get the answer he wanted out of her.
“Okay, so let’s say that on an off-chance I believe you. What kind of messages do you get? Do they come from a person? Are they words you can read in your mind? Or are they just feelings that are very vague?” Emily tried to think about each question in her mind. She felt as though she knew the answers to all of them, yet didn’t quite know how to express them. She swallowed.
“I don’t know how to answer some of your questions, because I don’t have the words for them. I think the messages I get are more like warnings. I think Sarah said it best. It’s like the messages from nature that animals get when they know it’s just time to leave and go somewhere else. I don’t think they come from a person, exactly, more like the voice of nature. It’s like the world has gone to hell,” she blushed as she said the word, but she felt that in this case it was alright to say.
“These messages I get are what is pulling us toward survival so the planet can be repopulated. So the world can start over almost.” He burst out laughing.
“You’re trying to tell me that you feel like this is the next phase of our lives, like after the dinosaurs disappeared, and other animals started to take over the world?” Emily shrugged. In a way, she supposed that was how she could explain it, but she really hadn’t thought about it in that way before.
“I guess I am. I don’t know if it’s going to be the end of the world, but I definitely think we’ve been set back a few centuries, and now we have to start over. We must find out what happened to technology and electricity and find a new way to recreate it to get to where we were before. It might be that the Earth can’t sustain the lifestyle that we’ve had so far, and it decided to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.” The words coming out of her mouth almost sounded like they should come from a withered, old oracle in Greek mythology.
What she was saying was way too deep for a child her age. She should have never even known anything like this. Her life should have been school and dolls and tea parties. When he looked at her, he saw a maturity and an ancient soul behind the wide eyes that stared at him. Should he believe it? What she was saying was strange, that much was certainly true, but was it more or less so than the feelings he himself had had about the lakes and the way things were going? He didn’t know what he wanted to believe right now, and he didn’t want anyone pestering him about his choices, especially if he decided to make his decisions based on the little girl’s feelings.
“And you swear that this is the truth?” Emily looked at him and saw some vulnerability in his face.
Maybe his boorishness was just a cover. What if he was scared? He had a big group of people to protect, and when you had that many people relying on you, it had to be hard. She felt a little sorry for him. He was trying to make the best decisions for everyone, and she was glad that that sort of responsibility never would be on her shoulders. Well, at least not for a long, long time. If her hands had been free, she would have put a reassuring one on his shoulder, but as it was, all she could do was sit there and look at him imploringly, willing him to believe her and to treat them kindly.
“Yes. I promise that everything I tell you is the truth. It’s gotten us out of a few scrapes already, and it’s been a bit of an early warning system in our travels.” He sighed heavily and got to his feet.
Emily watched him as he started walking back and forth, pacing as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and he had nowhere to put any of it. Emily sat there, silently, trying to let him figure out things for himself. He finally put his hands up in a motion of surrender, and pulled her up on her feet. Emily’s legs were numb, and she stumbled a little. They’d been sitting there talking for more than an hour, and she hadn’t even realized it had been that long. He caught her, helping her walk slowly and gingerly until the feeling came back. She winced a little with every step. It was as though dozens of pins and needles were stabbing into her legs, making it hard to walk. Eventually, they got back to the van, and he helped Emily get inside, slamming the door behind her.
“What happened? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Sarah was all over Emily as soon as she got back into the van.
“No, I’m okay. He just wanted to know what was going on with us and what we were talking about. I told him about my feelings and how they’ve helped us get through the trip here so far.” Wade stared at her, trying to come up with a way that that information would help the gang against them. He didn’t get a chance to say anything else, though, because a huge thump threw them all a little off-balance. They groaned as they did whatever they could to catch themselves. The door opened again and two men got in.
“What happened? Did you guys bash the van?” It was April, finally speaking up for the first time since their capture. The man looked at her as if he couldn’t believe she’d just asked that.
“No. We added a trailer with the leader’s motorcycle in it.” His voice was blunt, and he rolled his eyes. That was odd for April, and now Sarah wanted to start asking questions. The door opened again.
“Which one of you morons has the keys?” The leader stuck his head in the door. One of the men handed over the offending keys with his cheeks burning a bright red.
“Thanks.” He made to slam the door again, then locked eyes with Emily. He stopped.
“I guess I didn’t tell you, but we’re going to be travelling together toward the lakes from now on. I’m going to pay attention to what you’ve told me. From now on, I’m going to be driving this van, and we’ll be traveling together.” With that, he shut the door.
Sarah swiveled around to look at Emily, but with the goons in the car, there was no way she wanted to talk about Emily’s gift. The van fell into silence as the front door slammed, rocking the back and everyone in it. The engi
ne roared to life, deafening them all, and then the van jerked into motion. Sarah fell against Wade, who used his body to try helping her get back into a sitting position. Sarah tried to ignore the rush of warmth that flooded her body as she hastily straightened up. Now was not the time to try for romance.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The situation was awkward to say the least, and even though the van had some room to it, it wasn’t enough for them to move around comfortably. The motorcycle gang leader was coming to check on them one last time, and Sarah decided it was time to make a request.
“Hey! If we’re going to be going to the same place, can we have a little bit of trust between us? How about untying us? And maybe getting something a little more comfortable to travel in?” Her voice was calm, but carried some steel in it.
The man looked at her, letting his eyes roam all over her before striding off. She cringed at the lewdness that was implied, but she stood tall, waiting for him to answer. About ten minutes or so later, she heard the rumble of another car. The engine was turned off, and when the leader came back, he had a smile on his face and a knife in his hand. Sarah’s heart jumped into her throat, and her pulse started racing.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you guys. I’m going to cut you loose. Come here one at a time, and I’ll cut your ropes. Then you get in this paddy wagon. I don’t want any more arguments, okay?”
Sarah didn’t want to push her luck, so she just nodded, getting out first since she was closest to the door. She jumped out, the leader steadying her a bit as she stumbled, then she held her arms as far away from her body as she could, considering they were tied behind her back. He cut her loose, then looked at her expectantly.
“I’d like to make sure the girls get through okay, if you don’t mind.”
He shook his head like he didn’t care, and turned to help Emily. She came willingly enough, locking eyes with Sarah for strength, then crawling into the paddy wagon and squeezing herself into the back corner so she was out of sight and out of mind. Next came April, and she had a disdainful look on her face. No matter what was being shown to her, she still refused to believe the world had changed. This was still America, and in America, you had rights. Like the right not to be imprisoned. The man cut her loose, then waited for her to follow Emily. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
“I’m not getting into that truck.”
It was the most vehemence that Sarah had heard from her since they’d met. On the one hand, she was proud of the girl for standing up for herself, but on the other hand, now was not the time. She’d seen too many operations go wrong because someone decided to get noble or grow a conscience. Unfortunately, this felt like one of those times. Her gut was saying that things were about to go horribly, horribly wrong.
“April, get in the truck. Emily’s already in there, just go sit down with her.” Sarah was trying the gentle approach.
April stomped her foot. Even though she was in her early teens she now looked like a petulant toddler, even puffing out her cheeks a little. Sarah would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so serious.
“No! This is America and I have rights. One of those rights is that no one can imprison me! I’m not getting in that truck!” If she didn’t do as she was told, Sarah was afraid the man would lose his patience and hurt her.
“Listen, things aren’t the way they used to be. Right now, you need to listen to me and get into the truck with Emily.” The urgency in Sarah’s voice was meant to be infectious, so April would comply, but she wasn’t budging.
“April, please! Just come sit with me, okay? I’m scared and I need you to come hold my hand.” Now it was Emily who was pleading with her, doing what she could to help. A surge of pride swept through Sarah, and she knew Emily was going to survive this. April just shook her head.
“No.”
The man was getting irritated, and Sarah didn’t know what he would do. She opened her mouth to coax April again, but the man beat her to it. That gut feeling of impending doom washed over her again as she tried inserting herself between the angry man and April. He put an arm out to keep her back, almost unconsciously, like she wasn’t even worth his time.
“Do you really want to stay here?” Every alarm bell in Sarah’s head was going off, telling her this was some sort of a trap. She gave April a curt shake of the head, telling her to say no. April ignored her.
“Yes, I do want to stay here. I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” The man had a scary smile on his face now, and Sarah was afraid of what would happen next.
“Well, I think that can be arranged.” In the blink of an eye, he pulled out his pistol and shot April in the chest.
The look of surprise on the girl’s face would be forever frozen there. Emily let out a shriek and burrowed into the corner of the truck, crying uncontrollably. Sarah knelt down next to her, trying to prop up the girl in her arms. She wanted the girl at least to die with a friendly face in front of her, but it was too late. She was staring up with unseeing eyes, and her chest was immobile. Tears leaked from Sarah’s eyes, and she wanted to choke the man to death. She laid April down gently, then got into the paddy wagon.
Emily needed her now, and she was going to make sure she was there for her. She cuddled Emily as best she could, but the poor girl was inconsolable. Wade came into the paddy wagon, throwing threats and insults toward the man who had shot April. Sarah wished he just would shut up. She didn’t want him getting shot, too. Emily’s body was shaking with fear and the strength of her sobs, and Sarah held her tightly, trying to let her know she wasn’t alone. The door of the paddy wagon slammed shut behind them, and then it set into motion. The three of them were alone in the back, but they still didn’t feel safe.
“It’s going to be okay, honey. I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Emily nodded, but Sarah knew she probably didn’t believe her.
She’d made the same promise to April, who now lay on the cold ground, dead. A small part of Sarah’s mind was a little relieved. She’d worried that April would get them into trouble later on because of her ideals and the way that she still believed that the world worked. Now that was one less worry on her mind. She felt horrible for thinking it, but it was true. The three of them alone would be able to get through things because they understood what really was going on.
The more she thought about the way things just had happened, the more she thought she saw some understanding in the way the world was working. It felt as though she was on the edge of a breakthrough, but not quite there yet. She wanted to push herself a little further so she could get the answers she was looking for, but she didn’t know how to get there. The feeling of a breakthrough started slipping quietly away. She did her best to grasp it with the tendrils of her thoughts, but it slipped away, off into the abyss. She cursed herself for not being able to get through. She only could hope that she’d make that breakthrough before it was too late.
“Why would he do that?” Emily’s voice was thin, and Sarah almost didn’t hear her. She started rocking the little girl. Sarah could feel Emily’s hot tears on her arms, and she hugged the little girl tighter.
“I don’t know, honey. Some people in this world are just bad people. We don’t know what made them that way, but they are.”
Those words unlocked something in her head, and she felt that breakthrough feeling again. Maybe talking to Emily could get them to that breakthrough so they would know a little more about what was going on.
“Do you think there will be some bad people at the lakes?” Her words made a string of thought vibrate in Sarah’s mind, almost like a zinging sensation. Was that it? Could she put her finger on it? Or did she need a little bit more information?
“I’m sure there will be. The lakes are pretty big. But I bet there are some good people at the lakes, too.” She hugged Emily, and the little girl shivered.
“Do you think the good people and the bad people will fight?”
There
! There it was! It was a showdown at the Great Lakes! The good versus the bad. That’s what it had to be. The epiphany hit her like a ton of bricks. She needed time to talk to Wade about it without Emily overhearing, because she already was terrified enough and didn’t need to face the reality of a cosmic showdown just yet. Maybe they even could hide out somewhere to avoid it completely. She shook her head. Making plans for the showdown was completely useless right now because they had to escape first to get anything done.
“I think they will. But if we’re on the right side, then I think good will win. What do you think?”
Sarah waited for the little girl to answer her, but Emily had gone still. She wanted to shake her to see if she still was awake, but she got the feeling that Emily was trying to use her gift. She was trying to reach deep down inside of herself to get the answers they were missing. So Sarah just held the little girl, rocking her gently, and thanking her lucky stars it wasn’t Emily who now lay cold and dead in the middle of the forest somewhere. If the man had shot Emily instead, well, then Sarah would be dead, too, because she would have rushed him to kill him with her bare hands. Emily stirred, and Sarah instantly pulled herself out of her reverie to see what the little girl had to say.
“Somewhere on the lakes, there’s a big fight. A big fight between the good guys and the bad guys. I don’t know where, or if we’ll get there, but I know it’s going to happen.” The little girl’s words only confirmed what Sarah had thought herself. The pull that everyone felt to go to the Great Lakes was to give the world one last showdown between good and evil. It was a last chance for good to prevail, she felt.
“Then we need to escape. We have to get out of here if we’re going to find this war and make sure we’re on the side of good.” It was the first time Wade had spoken since he’d climbed into the paddy wagon.
