by Urban, Ami
ALERT! The Center for Disease Control has issued a global relief alert. For more information, please visit our website at cdc.gov.
“Holy shi—” Before I could finish my curse, all three phones began to ring. Lisa’s sounded like an old rotary phone. Lexi’s was some pop song and mine just beeped incessantly. I was so annoyed I smashed the side button just to shut it up. Lexi answered hers, then put it on speaker as Lisa emerged from the bedroom.
“National alert. District of Columbia Center for Disease Control has issued an Emergency Action Notification. A global outbreak of rabies has been contained and is no longer a cause for alarm. You may now resume usual activities. It is now safe to go outside. National alert. District of Columbia Center for Disease Contro—”
The call disconnected, ending in three succinct boops. And you should have seen the look on Lexi’s face when she met my gaze again. If a side-eye could kill. I was surprised there wasn’t a smug little smirk on her mouth.
“Deus Ex Machina.”
Unknown Date – Jack Reynolds
“We’re sorry, we can’t process your custom calling request at this time. Please try again later.”
I hung up the phone. Well, that sounded promising. What was the point of having cellular service if I couldn’t make a phone call.
“Anything?” Lisa emerged from the room, carrying a few bags of things we’d collected in the bunker.
“No.” I shook my head, then dropped my arm to my side. “I hope Raychel’s okay.”
She put the bags down and approached me, touching my arm. “I’m sure we’ll have more answers soon.”
“Rex…” Lexi’s voice floated out of the small room, her tone exasperated. Kid must have been stalling.
“No!”
I looked at my wife who rolled her eyes. “I suppose.”
With Lisa, those two words said more than a book. She approached the door to the bedroom as soon as the kid began to screech. Lexi had clapped both hands over her ears, her eyes shut tight.
“Rex.” Lisa pointed her index finger at his nose. It hovered a few centimeters away. He stopped howling and looked at her, but his face was still purple. He was ready to go again. “Listen to me.”
“I want—”
“No.” She stopped him, keeping her finger pointed at him. “We need to leave, Rex. We need to go outside.”
“No! Outside. No!” He pounded his fists on the floor with each word. Thump, thump, thump. “I want inside!”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Choice!”
Lisa shook her head, her dark hair falling over one shoulder. “No.”
“Choice! Choice!”
Lexi, whose hands were now at her sides, just sighed like she’d never see the blue sky again. “We can’t go, can we?”
“No go! Inside.” The kid sniffed, tears cascading down his ruby cheeks.
My wife glanced at me. “We’re getting out here whether he likes it or not.” She straightened her back and left the room. I watched her go with a strange fascination. That was kinda sexy.
Lexi and I exchanged glances, confused as to what was transpiring. But when Lisa came back with a dirty old box, we knew what she had in mind. She’d found one of those covered wagon type things that parents would hook up to the back of a bicycle to keep their kids shaded. It was genius. He stood up and ambled over to Lisa. She set the box down in front of him.
“Let’s get to work.”
***
It was going to feel so good getting that rusty old padlock off the bunker door. Fuck that thing with a cactus. It mocked me every day. Except that day. That day, the key slipped into the lock, turned and tumbled open without a complaint. I allowed it to fall onto the concrete steps, thunking down two of them before stopping at the bottom.
Through the small, rectangular hole of a window, snow blanketed the grass in white sheets. What few green stalks that’d broken free of it blew in the wind, bending at awkward angles. The temperature in the bunker was likely far more than it was outside, but my hand still shook on its way to the handle.
“Just do it!” Lexi whined behind me.
I turned to give her a look. “Don’t rush me. It’s my first time.”
“Gross.”
I grinned when I turned back to the door.
“And we both know that ain’t true,” she added after a moment.
I faked a gasp, which gave me the strength to grip the locking mechanism to the bunker. I took a deep breath and pushed. The metal screamed in our ears. The kid let out a yelp. When the first sliver of icy air rushed through the crack in the door, it was almost as if it revitalized us all. A sudden electrical current ran through me. My whole body rushed with adrenaline.
“I want!” The kid began to fidget in his felt prison. “I want snow!”
I think at that point, we all looked at him. “Are you kidding me?” Lexi rolled her eyes as he fumbled with the zipper, trying to get out. After a while, he gave up and started clawing at the mesh.
“Relax, kid.” I knelt down to look him in the eye, but as usual, he looked right through me. “Hey.” When I pointed at his nose, he went cross-eyed focusing on my finger. “You…” I pointed at my own nose. “And me are gonna go play outside. You know…down? We’re going to go down.”
He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Still close. “Down! Snow!”
I nodded. “Yup. But!” He stopped bouncing up and down when I pointed at the ceiling. “You have to chill, man.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Chill man.”
“Exactly!”
“I want chill!”
Lisa and I exchanged glances. “It’s something,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
I turned back to him. “You can get chill. But you have to…” I pushed a finger against my lips, then used both hands to pretend I was pressing down on something invisible. He watched me with a curious gaze.
“I chill.”
Score. I stood, my knee creaking. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“Where’ve you been all my life?” Lisa joked, patting my forearm.
“Across the street from your best friend.” I pretended to misunderstand her joke.
“Oh, my God. Can we go?!” Lexi stomped her feet impatiently. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Subtle lines in her face told me she’d put on makeup that morning. Why? Ugh. My blood pressure spiked every time I thought about her growing up.
“You know, there are super models who’d kill to be as thin as your patience.”
She sneered at me. “Ha, ha. Let’s go.”
The first step outside was epic. Remember when you got your wisdom teeth out and had to force feed yourself instant mashed potatoes for two weeks? Then, when you’re finally able to eat real food, that first bite of a Burger King Whopper is like heaven. Like the sky opened up and angels just started singing your praise.
Yeah, it was like that. The crunch of hard-packed snow under my boot sent endorphins flooding into my brain. It was like the perfect seven-course meal.
Am I hungry?
The crisp air stung my cheeks and nose. I reached for my wife, pulling her and the kids closer together for warmth. A chill wind whipped around us, causing Lexi to shiver. Did I mention I fucking hate snow? Do you know how many people die of heart attacks shoveling snow every year? Neither do I, but I know it’s up there. Lexi unzipped the kid’s carrier. Lisa tossed them a half-hearted warning about keeping warm as they ran ahead of us, flinging white powder behind them.
“You’d think they’d never seen snow before.”
I kicked a clot of it that’d landed on my boot. “Meanwhile, in Canada…”
Lisa let out a puff of air. “It’s not that bad.”
“Hey, as long as we find a car with a working heater, I’ll be golden.” Grabbing her hand, I lead her farther away from the bunker. I tossed one last glance at it, hanging open. The heavy door screamed against the concrete as wind rocked it back and forth. Flurri
es of snow curled into the breeze.
Ahead of us, snowy mountains rose into the sky, creating a jagged sort of city-scape. Patches of blue sky peeked from behind precipitation-heavy clouds. Every once and a while, a light breeze would kick up the snow.
I spun around to face the inconspicuous bunker. Behind it, highway 285 stretched out in either direction. The quiet road was covered in white powder. It didn’t look like anyone had driven through that winter. A quarter of a mile down, a solemn farmhouse stood against the bright backdrop.
“I guess we can start there,” I said, pointing to the red roof. My wife nodded, and we began the trek. Thankfully, we hadn’t gone too far from our original destination. When we reached the outcropping of three buildings, I pulled out my phone to check once more if I could contact my sister.
But it was no use. The calls seemed to connect to the rest of ours, but nothing outside of that. We tried dialing information and got zip. Hell, we even tried 911 and got a busy tone. I sighed, my breath forming a murky cloud in the frigid air. The kid began running back and forth imitating it while making dinosaur noises.
The door to the farmhouse stood open. Snow had invaded the entrance, covering the floor in a delicate white sheet. The absence of footprints and electricity made me come to the conclusion that no one was home.
“You know… The phone people said it was over. Why is no one around?” Lexi kicked the top step, causing some snow to dislodge. It fell to the ground with a soft plop.
I chuckled. “The phone people…”
“They did say there were resources in major cities.” Lisa stooped to pick up her son, then balanced him on her hip. He was getting too big for that, but I held my tongue. “Maybe we should figure out where the nearest one is.”
“We could try Braycart again.” I shrugged. “Maybe there are some people left.”
Lisa nodded. “Maybe my research is still there.”
Searching around, my gaze landed on a Ford truck sitting half buried in snow near the road. I made a beeline for it. It was a 450. That work horse could run for decades. Upon finding out the thing was locked, of course, I wheeled around to my family.
“Need to find the keys.”
Everyone followed me into the open farm house. But immediately, I had to pull the collar of my shirt over my nose and mouth. The horrifying and sickly-sweet smell of death washed over us. Lexi coughed.
“On second thought… I’m staying out here.” She fell back. Lisa seemed to agree, setting the kid down.
“Do you need my help?” She asked.
I turned before checking the lay of the land. “Stay with them. Holler if you see something. Or someone.”
“Okay.”
Next to the door, a plaque to hold keyrings was hung neatly on the wall. But there were no keys hanging there. Nor were there any in the bowl underneath.
I looked up, wondering if I could find a hanger. I decided to ascend the wooden staircase ahead of me. When I tried taking in a breath halfway up, I realized the smell was worse the closer I got to the second story. My stomach lurched, but I’d grown accustomed to keeping it down. With each step, my knee groaned. The pain was getting worse. Pretty soon, I wouldn’t be able to walk on it.
At the top of the stairs, I pulled open the first door I saw. It was a small closet. Score. Empty hangers swayed in the light breeze caused by my action. I needed a somewhat thick one, so I used my fingers to touch them as I went.
“Find anything?” Lisa’s voice floated up the stairs to me.
Got one. I snatched it off the rack just as I was going to answer her. But before I could, something in an open bedroom caught my eye.
“Jack?”
“Just a second.” I didn’t even know if I’d said it loud enough. But I didn’t care. I figured out where the smell was coming from.
The master bedroom opened into a wide-windowed space. The decorations were baroque, but I liked them. Reminded me of simpler times, ya know? The couple who’d lived here took good care of the house.
How did I know they were a couple? Because their long-dead corpses were huddled on the bed in front of me. All that was left were bones and a vile smell. Well, that and some chunks of half-preserved flesh clinging to their skeletons. Bits of fuzzy hair were stuck in some kind of fluid that coated the sheets under them. Two orange prescription bottles were clutched between the bones of a hand. Couldn’t tell which.
On the bedside table were the keys to the Ford. I snatched them. And even though I’m not religious, I performed the sign of the cross to the couple. “Thanks for the truck.”
***
“Hey, I found this for you.” I handed my wife the red leather journal I’d picked up inside the farmhouse. She looked at it for a moment before taking it. Then, she rifled through the pages. I placed my hand back on the wheel.
“Thank you.”
I smiled at her. “You know it.”
We pulled off the highway at the exit for Johnson Village, CO. The once high steel and brick walls of Braycart were nothing but rubble now. The entire town just looked like a burnt-out shell of its former self. Homes and office buildings were no longer standing. We passed by the manufactured home park we’d lived in while there. All that remained were a few burst pipes, shooting dirty water into puddles.
“What happened?” Lisa asked, her voice wistful.
“November Alpha Papa Alpha Lima Mike?” I shrugged while slowly pulling the car through rubble toward the correctional facility.
“Perhaps.” Her head turned back to look out the window.
The correctional facility was, of course, still standing. Although not well. Half of it was crumbling into the ground. Stripped wires sparked, sending showers of light through the air. Broken glass littered the ground. The snow seemed to fade to black where the explosion had warmed the earth.
“After you.” I extended my arm, so the others could go in ahead of me. Yet, we all cautiously climbed the steps. Just inside, the place was a disaster area. Fluorescent lights hung from the ceilings like broken teeth. Bulbs had shattered, coating the ground in a sparkling white shine.
We headed for the stairs in silence. No doubt the elevator was not going to be working. Shit, I wouldn’t have taken it if it was. On the way to the opposite end of the facility, we passed by open cells. I peeked into a few, wishing I hadn’t. As we shuffled along, I made sure to avert everyone’s eyes from the charred and twisted corpses of people who hadn’t made it out in time.
The stairs were almost as treacherous. The roof had fallen into itself, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling. Flakes of snow mixed with ash drifted lazily on the wind as they made their descent. An odd smell enveloped everything. It was like burnt candy.
“Race you to the top.” Lexi beamed down at the kid.
“Kids—”
“Race! Top!”
Before either of us could stop them, they bounded up the staircase, taking them two at a time. Lisa called after them, but they didn’t stop.
“Be careful!” She tried one last time. A faint affirmation from Lexi floated down a few flights to us. A heavy door scraped open somewhere. As it screamed closed, the walls shuddered. A loud bang reverberated off the stone walls of the facility.
Something above us dislodged, creating a fault-tine crack in the wall. With a great rumble that almost sounded like a hungry giant, a large piece of concrete came sailing down from above. Thinking quickly, I got in front of my wife, shoved her into the wall, and blocked the debris as it smashed into the landing we were on, bending the railing with a metal shriek.
After the rubble had cleared, we heard Lexi’s voice. “Aunt Lisa? Uncle Jack?”
“We’re okay!” I called back. Then I looked at my wife whose face had turned a ghostly white. “You okay, Babe?”
The weirdest thing happened then. A tingle pulled at the center of my gut. The smell of her shampoo leaked into every crevice in my brain. My dick hardened.
“What—?” But I couldn’t finish the sentence be
cause Lisa was kissing me. And I totally let it happen. Hell, I didn’t even stop her when she unzipped my jeans and slipped her hand inside.
“It must be a Pavlovian response,” she said between short, quick bursts of air.
“Don’t care.” Who the fuck would when they were smashing uglies with this beautiful creature? Not me. Nope. I went with it. Wrapped her legs around my waist and all. And by the way she was moaning, it appeared she didn’t care either.
About five minutes later, we broke apart. And after staring into each other’s eyes for a good thirty seconds, we both burst into laughter. It was ridiculous. Nine months of quickies and our brains had grown accustomed to the deed – including everything leading up to it. All it took was shoving her into a wall and I was ready. Her too, apparently. I held out my hand, smiling. I kinda liked this discovery. At least it meant I didn’t need Viagra.
We ascended to the lab’s floor together. Upon entering, we noticed the kids waiting for us. Lexi was leaning against a wall, watching Rex draw shapes in the dusty floor. “Took you long enough.”
I glanced at my wife. “You have no idea.”
From the desk of Dr. Lisa Reynolds – February 3
Before I begin, I’d just like to thank Jack for returning the gift of writing to me. He said I should write down more of my internal thoughts. Apparently, he thinks they’re humorous. But I’m not a comedian, so I have no way to judge.
I’ve no idea what happened to my last diary, but I suspect it’s long gone. In any case, I’ll continue on with this one. I haven’t written anything in over nine months, so I’ll need to gather my thoughts.
I don’t know what happened to Braycart. Jack suggested [REDACTED], but I don’t see how that could do so much damage to this specific area. The entire town and a mile radius was smoldering in the ground. The correctional facility was still standing, but the hospital had been destroyed.
As I stood in the doorway to Dr. Holmes’ office, I wasn’t sure what to think. The room hardly existed any longer. There was no roof and just a partial floor. I walked over to the hole and peered down through six stories of broken building. And I shivered.
