by Eli Constant
“I’m sorry. That was a bad word.”
Megan nodded her head. With her arms crossed, she looked very grown up. Kara looked confused for a moment, but then she made the mental link between what I’d said and why Megan was upset. Kara’s mouth stretched into a devious grin.
“Damn… damn!” Kara giggled when Megan hushed her and told her not to say that word.
“Kara, that’s a bad word! Don’t say that word!”
“Damn… damn… damn!” Kara looked so triumphant. It’s funny how the world can change so much, but still be the same in many ways. Toddlers love to push the limits. Megan started to hush Kara again, but I intervened.
“Kara, listen to your sister. If you keep saying that word, you’re going to lose the privilege of watching another movie. We still have two new ones.”
I could see Kara’s little mind working at high speed. She could keep saying the word or she could be rewarded for listening. When I flashed the cover of Puppy Daze, Kara yelled ‘doggy’ instead of ‘damn.’ Both girls fell asleep halfway into the movie.
Even Allison was asleep, curled up against Michael’s side. He was very protective of her. It was sweet, but also sad to see a kid looking so adult.
Jason was still driving. I offered to switch off with him. Instead, Jason told me to get some extra sleep. I glanced again at Michael.
“Hey Michael, want to ride up here for a while?”
Michael glanced at the brunette head resting on his shoulder then looked back at his father. I thought for a moment Michael was going to refuse again and shy away from re-learning how to be a son, but he surprised me. He nodded.
Jason stopped the van and Michael and I exchanged seats quickly. Allison was leaning against the van window now, still sleeping peacefully. She looked younger in her sleep.
Before settling into the rear seat beside her, I ran my fingers through Megan’s beautiful hair and kissed Kara on the cheek. I worried about them sleeping upright so awkwardly. Maybe we could find another big truck next so they could stretch out on a mattress.
It was pretty late now. My body felt spent, but my mind was antsy. I could feel tension radiating from the front seat. The van wasn’t moving yet.
Father and son were struggling to break the proverbial ice. Jason finally reached out a hand and laid it on Michael’s shoulder.
“I’m so… I’m so, so sorry I didn’t get to you. I’m so sorry I didn’t find you.” Jason’s voice was brittle, cracked porcelain on concrete. His face lay cradled in his left palm.
“Dad, let me drive for a while.”
And Jason didn’t fight his son. They exchanged seats quietly and quickly just as Michael and I had done moments earlier.
When the van began to move again, the gentle vibrations and white noise of the road acted like tryptophan; my waning energy finally extinguished. I dozed in and out of sleep, picking up on pieces of conversation.
“… was screaming. I should have helped her, but I ran.”
“Michael, I know you feel like you are all grown up, but you aren’t. You couldn’t have saved your mother. I am so, so proud of you. You survived. You’ve helped that girl survive. You…”
I was dreaming about the night the girls and I ran.
***
It was four nights after the lone undergrounder attacked our home.
When David hadn’t come home from his evening patrol, I knew- in the very center of my being- that David wasn’t coming home ever again. My girls were still asleep; the evening hours were coming to an end.
Everything was already packed. We’d been prepared, just in case.
I carried my angels from the house- one supported in each arm and wrapped in blankets. It was about four-thirty in the morning, the birds were starting to sing, our front lawn was damp with early dew, the first blush of light flowering over the horizon- the world really seemed normal. Kara stayed asleep, but Megan woke up as I buckled her into the back right passenger’s seat of our Volvo.
“Mom…?” She rubbed her eyes and then became quite alert. “Mom… where’s dad?”
“Baby, daddy’s going to meet us later, okay?” Just relax, Elise. “Here’s a book.” I handed her one of her childhood favorites.
She was ahead of her reading level. It wouldn’t take her long to finish it, but it would keep her occupied for a while. I hated lying to her, but I couldn’t deal with her pain and my pain at the same time.
When I came to terms, I’d give her the reality. She must have seen something in my face though. She nodded her head and averted her eyes. I put up a wall of denial.
I’d lie to myself now that Megan was an oblivious child. I was such a liar. I felt the moisture build, race down my cheeks in wet release.
Leaving life behind, leaving David, it made me physically ill. The tears continued to fall as my body expelled the pain. I vomited yellow, acidic bile.
***
The dream was so vivid.
My face felt wet, my hand wiped across my right cheek instinctively. My eyelids fluttered and cracked open. For a minute, I was trapped in the crashing wake of the dream. Then I heard male voices. “How did you get out… how did you get here?”
“Pure luck. Colorado Springs was supposed to be another safe zone. The government broadcasted it for all citizens with a hundred mile radius…” My eyes began to close again, then open “… bloodbath. One moment a person was standing next to you; the next moment he or she was gone and all that was left was a pool of blood.”
“And Allison’s brother?”
“The same. Allison was holding his hand and she was still holding it after he was taken. She looked over to say something and he wasn’t there… she was holding on to his hand… just his hand…” Michael’s voice was toffee brittle, crumbling at the edges. His sobs were quiet and full of pain.
It was a good thing he wasn’t driving. When had Jason started driving again?
My eyes closed once more and this time I stayed asleep until morning.
I woke to early sky. Whimsical strata traveled slowly across the pink. It was picturesque, but you know what they say- ‘pink sky in the morning, sailors take warning.’ Today could turn out to be very good or today could prove that axiom correct.
Then again, since we were driving and not boating, maybe we had nothing to worry about. Yeah… right. Every day was apple pie and I had ice cream in my ass pocket.
Michael was driving again and Jason was taking his turn in night-night land. Michael glanced in the rearview mirror.
“Morning.”
“Morning to you. Whereabouts are we?” I looked out at the shifting landscape.
“I’d guess an hour or so outside of Spokane.”
“You guys made great time. Jason usually drives slow.”
Michael chuckled. “Yeah, Dad’s always been a bit of a grandma behind the wheel. After the hour or so of congestion outside of Billings, the road was pretty clear. We re-fueled in Missoula.”
“I slept through you guys stopping?”
“By the sound of your snoring, you were pretty exhausted.” Michael grinned at me and I could see, just for a moment, the child. Jason stirred. “Dad, go back to sleep. I’ve got an hour or so of driving left in me.” Jason didn’t listen though. He was stretching, back arching away from the seat. He groaned softly.
“I’m fine. Trust me. Three hours is more than I normally get. ‘Sides I slept a hell of a lot better than I have in a long time. You’re here.” Jason reached out to Michael. He squeezed his forearm. It wasn’t to comfort Michael. I think Jason just needed to confirm he was real… a pinch in a dream to make sure his mind wasn’t entangled in trickery.
We passed a sign: Spokane Riverfront Park, 45 miles.
The girls could use another reality-break.
“Jason, care for one more detour? Who knows when we’ll be able to have a little fun again? I doubt safe-zone planning included entertainment.”
“What do you have in mind?”
I smiled at his
response.
When we got into Spokane limits, it took us a few wrong turns to get to the park. Thankfully, the city government had posted multiple signs to lead tourists.
The collective excitement of our little group grew as we studied the large, wooden park map posted outside the visitor’s center: The world’s biggest radio flyer wagon, a clock tower, mini golf. Even Michael had dropped his adult masque and was showing a touch of childish excitement.
Megan pointed excitedly to the merry-go-round. Leaving the park wasn’t an option. There’d be no living with Megan and Kara if they didn’t get at least one round on the carousel.
It was, by far, the best day we’d had in the past six and half months. Save for the absence of David, it was the best day I’d ever had with the girls. There was so much to do and practically everything in the park worked. Jason figured the park must run off of independent generators.
We played mini golf, climbed into the giant wagon, gazed at the falls. At the carousel, Megan chose the tiger and I stood by Kara, supporting her as she clung to the reins of a white horse. Even Michael and Allison rode; they were adorable, sitting on the heart shaped bench, holding hands. It was beyond wonderful.
It’s funny how ‘wonderful’ can turn into a steaming pile of crap so quickly. Life never fails to kick you in the crotch and call you a fool for believing.
We’d been at the park for five hours without any sign of trouble. Megan and Kara’s cheeks were pink and healthy from the exertions of the day. Jason and I figured we should quit while we were ahead, but Megan saw a picture of the sky ride. “Mommy, Look!” She was so excited. And then Kara was excited. And once again, I couldn’t say no.
The sun was past noon now. Still plenty of light. Why did I still trust the light? No freaking idea.
It took Jason ten or fifteen minutes to get the ride up and running. The mechanics were a tad noisy, but were nothing compared to the giggling and raucous laughter that had trailed us throughout the park during our hours of entertainment.
Despite the lack of park authority, we followed regulations exactly. Six people maximum for a fifteen minute joyride. It could have been miserable, but the little heater in the cabin still worked. Our faces warmed up and so did our spirits. We were suspended over the water, moving slowly, and gawking at the Spokane Waterfalls, when Allison started screaming.
The ear-splitting sound of her scream was jarring. It didn’t make sense against the scene-scape of our pleasantries.
Michael slapped his hand over her mouth. “Allison, quiet.” His hand only muffled her screaming. It still seemed so loud. “Allison… shut up!”
We were so confused and focused on Allison’s screaming that we failed to devise the reason for her screaming.
We were riding in the front most of the cabins. Since the cabins were simultaneously mechanized, fourteen more cabins trailed behind. There were four… no five undergrounders leaping from cabin to cabin.
I wanted to yell, protest. NO. That’s against the rules. The sun is still up. Cheaters! But I knew the beasties were quickly adapting to light; I should have already accepted that the sun was an unreliable safety-valve, on the verge of overload and disappointment.
Still… I was mad that our day of normality was ruined by the monsters. Once again, we’d have to fight to live. Life unfair? Check mark.
The closest undergrounder was perched on the third cabin in line. It regarded us, its head jerking from side to side in a reptilian fashion. The others trailed behind. This attack was coordinated, deliberate. Had they been watching us all day, waiting?
Allison was finally quiet with Michael whispering in her ear softly. Jason stood with his weapon pointed at the nearest undergrounder. We had three guns total. Allison wasn’t comfortable with a sidearm, so Michael became our third fighter.
Megan and Kara were sitting on the floor of the cabin. Kara was very cozy in her big sister’s lap. I could tell by Megan’s wide eyes that she was terrified. Kara could sense something was wrong, but she was tired from the day and sleepily leaning her head against Megan’s body.
My eyes turned away from them and re-focused on our big problem… our five… really big… really intimidating problems.
We had at least five minutes left on the ride- suspended over the falls with nowhere to run. It was going to be a long five minutes.
Parked-Out
The sky cabin was small, confined. There wasn’t going to be much room for maneuvering in a fight. But we had to fend them off long enough to finish the ride and get back on solid ground.
We. Had. To.
The closest undergrounder leapt to the cabin directly behind ours. Maybe it understood our intentions and had the opposite idea. We were easy targets now. It wasn’t going to let us make it off the ride and out of the floating kill-box. The four other undergrounders advanced forward also- two per cabin. Smart, cautious beasties. They had no weapons though, thank God.
It was apparent in that moment that the undergrounders did have leaders- they weren’t just a collective. They were adapting further, forming social orders. The front most beastie stared menacingly: General to the attacking minions.
After the initial and debilitating insta-fear had passed (well, not passed really, but faded to a manageable level), I examined our attackers closer. They were physically more adapted.
All five were bent over, their postures awkward. It was as if being on all fours was no longer their natural state of rest or movement. My thought was confirmed when the closest undergrounder, the General, stood erect. Its spine stretched up in perfect imitation of the human form. Now bathed in rays of light, the General’s face appeared less stretched and alien and its skin tone a deep ivory- as if its body was beginning to produce Melanin.
I thought back to the singular, bipedal undergrounder I’d encountered at the Natural Bridge- the one that fought bear-style. It had struggled to stay upright, but obviously that struggle was over. Over on a large scale.
It crossed my mind, and not for the first time, that it was ridiculously unfair that the undergrounders could evolve, become more like us, but continue to retain their dexterity and killing prowess. Throw humanity a bone! At least give us a fighting chance.
“Jesus, they look more human every time we see them.” Jason expelled the observation from his body with force, the sentence coming out angry with denial. His chest rising and falling. His face was stern, preparing for the inevitable.
The General pointed at one of the beasties behind him and motioned in our direction. The chosen undergrounder leapfrogged to our suspended cabin. Our little room rocked violently. Allison squealed. Michael shoved her to the ground.
We all scrambled to stay upright. Allison was a mess, but she had sense enough to crawl to Megan and Kara. She pushed them against a corner of the cabin and used herself as a shield. My body knocked against the wall of the cabin. Jason fell against me. Michael was the only one who kept his footing.
Sharp claws pierced the thick metal ceiling. The sound attacked our ears- nails violently running down the green of an old fashioned chalk board.
The talon sliced two parallel lines and began to work on a third, bisecting line. In moments it would have the two sides pushed downwards- opening a perfect portal into our airborne sanctuary.
Michael had his gun pointed at the ceiling.
“Michael, don’t fire! The bullets could ricochet… look how thick the metal is!” I pointed, willing him to recognize. Michael grunted in acknowledgment, but didn’t lower his weapon. The ceiling began to cave inwards. As soon as the undergrounder could be seen through the separation, Michael fired.
The bullet entered the humanoid’s gaping mouth. Like suicide by mouth-fire, the bullet exited the front high temple.
It was a .50 caliber, converted Desert Eagle- one of Jason’s toys- the bullet had no trouble forcing through cartilage and bone. The chunk of missing head was sizeable. Pieces of brain shot upwards and then rained down into the cabin opening. Michael took a face l
oad and tasted dinner-a-la-undergrounder.
I held my own gun, steady and trained upwards. My eyes focused on the General. I saw no emotion on its face; it motioned again towards our cabin, two elongated fingers extended. Two more undergrounders made their way to us.
Thinking about the damage Michael’s shot had caused, I momentarily longed for the second Desert Eagle in Jason’s arsenal. Unfortunately, Jason was holding the matching gun.
I was clutching the same sidearm that saved my girls’ lives in our family home; the same gun that I had trusted for months before meeting Jason. I’d learned how to shoot with this gun and the feel of the black metal felt like family.
We had to take the undergrounders down using as little ammo as possible.
I hadn’t given any thought to our weapon supply, but Jason had brought the waning stash of bullets to my immediate attention a few days ago. We needed to aim for the kill and not miss. Hopefully we’d be able to scavenge for more ammo later. Hopefully.
My attention had wandered for less than half a minute, but in that shortest of times, the course of our predicament had taken a violent turn.
Two undergrounders perched on top of our cabin now. They were avoiding the opening in the roof. They began to rock the suspended room back and forth, back and forth- a loose pendulum hanging from a broken clock. I could hear the creak of the hinges protesting the forced movement.
We were so close to the end of the sky ride.
If we could hold on just a minute longer, we’d be on hard ground with a semblance of a fighting chance.
All three girls were screaming. It was hard to think. Allison tried to keep Megan and Kara pinned in the corner, but the rocking was too jarring now. They tumbled back and forth. Megan and Kara were going to have bruises from hitting the seats and walls. We would all be black and blue from this joyride turned death ride.
The sky cabin was yards from docking on the platform. So close… so close.
