“Think you can handle the place for two days?” Max looked to Thomas and asked.
“I’ll keep the lights on. Be safe.”
“For sure. I’m gonna see if I can figure out our comms problem while I’m out. Keep checking the radio to see if anything comes through.”
“Will do.”
With that, Craig and Max turned and started to leave the room. Wiping her face, Melinda jumped up from the table and followed after them.
“Craig,” she called out.
He paused.
“Craig, I—I just wanted to tell you thank you. I appreciate it.”
CHAPTER 21
LIFE IN THE SHALLOW
“So, how long have you lived down here in this pit?” Alistair asked. “How did you survive everything that happened?”
“The Shallow,” the blonde-haired girl corrected.
“What?”
“We call it The Shallow.”
Alistair scrunched his eyebrows and tried to suppress a laugh. “Oh, sorry,” he said. “How long have you lived in The… Shallow?”
Persephone, a twenty-year-old girl that was probably voted Most Likely to Win back in high school, was his, Moses-appointed chaperone. She was thin, with pale skin and knotted hair that touched the middle of her back when it wasn’t twisted into a torturous bun. She dressed like everyone else there, dingy clothes with armor plating and boots that were mismatched and caked in red dirt. But she had a look about her, something was different and while everyone else looked like they belonged in that pit, Persephone looked like she was visiting an estranged uncle.
She stopped and turned to face Alistair. Her eyes were narrowed and she had an exhausted expression on her face. “Moses said I have to give you a tour,” Persephone snapped. “This isn’t an interview.”
“I—I was just making conversation.” Alistair sunk his head then started back up the winding trail.
The air was hot and muggy, but Alistair had grown accustomed to it. Dense fog and clouds blocked out most of the sun, giving everything a bleak appearance. It reminded him of a scene from a movie with glittery vampires and he cracked a wide grin. It was the first time he’d thought about his old life in a while and it helped take his mind off everything else that was going on.
They moved through the quarry at a steady pace. The idea was for Alistair to get accustomed to the place, to learn about the people and their way of life. It was bullshit, Moses just needed his people to believe that he was making every effort to accommodate the man they saw as a prophet.
Alistair begrudgingly agreed, he needed a chance to get some of the residents alone. A chance to find out which ones were crazy and which ones were just trying to stay alive. So far, that plan was failing.
“Two years,” Persephone said after they’d been walking for some time. “I was alone before that.”
“Alone? Like completely alone? What happened to your family?”
Persephone took a shallow breath and looked away. Alistair felt stupid for even asking. Everyone had lost, he knew that feeling well so when she shook her head and didn’t answer, he knew better than to push it.
As they walked, he thought about what it would’ve been like to be completely alone. He’d been stuck in the egg for five years surrounded by people, even when he wanted time to himself. Sure, there was space, but he was never really alone, never far from a friendly voice.
He’d spent years underground, protected from everything. He’d never once thought about the billions of people they’d left to die on the surface. He assumed the worst and counted his blessings that he wasn’t one of them. Locked away from the devastation, it was easy to forget the world he’d left behind.
But the few days he’d been topside seemed like an eternity. The silence in the wind, the dull drained life, the desperation in everything that went on. He could see how years in that environment would drive you to believe anything.
“We thought everyone was dead,” he mumbled as they reached a clearing that overlooked the quarry. “I didn’t expect to find anyone up here.”
“If it hadn’t been for Moses, I certainly would’ve died…he saved my life. He’s…he’s a blessing from God.”
Alistair took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. “You don’t believe all of that, do you?”
“All of what?”
“Moses and his bullshit. You know that guy’s a phony, right?”
“What?”
Alistair flashed a crooked smile. “I’m just saying, I know a place, a safe place. Not like this, where…where it’s still normal.”
Persephone contorted her face and glanced from side to side. Covering her mouth, she took a few steps back. “You shouldn’t speak like that,” she said in a stark voice. “You can’t ever question Moses’ word and no one can leave The Shallow. No one. You shouldn’t speak like that.”
“Sorry.”
“I should get you back. We shouldn’t be here.”
Without another word, Persephone turned around and hurried back down the trail. She didn’t speak again until they’d reached Alistair’s room.
“Moses would like to see you all tonight for the ceremony,” Persephone told him as he opened the door.
“The ceremony?”
“Yes, you’re one of us now. You need to be accepted, you need to pledge your loyalty.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out tonight.”
With that, Persephone walked off, leaving Alistair to dwell on her cryptic message. When he walked back inside, Daniel and MJ were huddled together whispering and Cindy was laying on a cot with her eyes closed.
“How was your date?” Daniel asked without looking up.
“We have a ceremony tonight.”
“A ceremony…for us?”
“Yes, and I don’t’ think it’s a good thing.”
MJ stood up and walked toward him. “What exactly did she say?”
“She said we had to be accepted, and we have to take some pledge.”
“This place is so fucking crazy,” MJ mumbled.
“What were you working on?”
“A way to get the hell out of here,” Daniel answered.
“A way out?”
“Yeah, if this whole take-over thing doesn’t work. We need a plan b and it doesn’t sound that good by the way you’re talking about this ceremony.”
“Whatever we do, we need to do it soon. We’ve been here too long already,” Alistair said and took a seat on a nearby chair.
“Yeah, we were thinking tonight.”
“What? Tonight? I didn’t mean that soon.”
“They must be almost out of air back home, Alistair,” MJ said. “We have to get back to them, I have to get back to Grayson.”
“If we try to escape tonight and it doesn’t work, they’re gonna kill us and we’ll never get back. I’m sure Craig will open the airlock and take them outside before they ever run out of air. Max has probably figured that out already.”
“It’s not just that. You want them to find out about the rain or those badger things, or about this place? We have to protect them.”
Before Alistair could respond there was a knock at the door. It swung open and Moses slowly walked in, dragging his robe across the floor behind him. He turned to face Alistair and grinned.
“I hear Persephone informed you about the ceremony tonight.”
“She did.”
“Good…good then. Dress nice, we’ll likely bury you in it.”
“Get the fuck out, Moses,” MJ growled. “Whatever shit you have planned for tonight, we’ll deal with it then.”
“Mama bear is still snapping. I like it. Just remember, whenever you’re tired of babysitting you can come to my place, work off some of that frustration.” Moses winked then turned and left the room.
“I’m gonna kill that fucker tonight.”
“If we are still alive,” Alistair said. “This whole ceremony…something’s not right with it. Tell me about t
his escape plan.”
Daniel looked at MJ then smiled. “It’s simple,” he said.
“And simple means easy,” MJ finished.
“Okay, so let’s hear it.”
“Maybe I over sold it a little bit. We’re just gonna walk out,” Daniel mumbled.
“Walk out? Like… like just walk out? That’s not a plan at all, that’s suicide.”
“Think about it. Thanks to you, we can go anywhere we want to around here. If we get to the top we just run.”
Alistair looked to MJ, hoping she’d be the voice of reason. She shrugged then held her hands up like that was their best option. Cindy was still pretending to be asleep, so Alistair turned to her.
“I know you’re awake, Cindy. You’re okay with this?”
Shocking everyone, Cindy sat up and swung her feet onto the floor. She made a grumbling noise then leaned over and pushed her face into her hands.
“Why does it matter?” she moaned through her fingers. “We’re never making it back.”
“You know,” MJ started. “I’ve had about enough of you.”
“Well, bitch, I’ve had enough of you!”
Cindy jumped to her feet and started toward MJ. Alistair stepped in between them and held out his hands.
“Both of you, calm down. Please.”
“I’m calm,” MJ said in a tone that made Alistair’s skin break into goosebumps.
“What is your problem with me?” Cindy snapped.
“My problem? You’re the one with a problem. I told you to stay your ass back there, but you insisted on coming for whatever stupid reason, and running away from whatever, you have going on with Max. Now you’re out here, probably gonna get us all fucking killed.”
Cindy didn’t reply. She gave MJ a scornful glance then looked away.
“After Jacob died you’ve been rolled up in a ball like nothing matters. It matters to the rest of us, so you may not wanna make it back to Max, but I’ve got a son and they’ve got families.”
“It matters to me,” Cindy mumbled. “I—I…it was a lot to deal with.” She sighed and looked around the rambled shack. “What do you need me to do?”
“Just keep up.”
Suddenly, the door swung open and Barnaby and two other guards walked in.
“It’s time,” Barnaby said sternly.
“What? Now?”
“Yes. You need to be prepared before the ceremony.”
They shared confused looks, but didn’t move. Barnaby moved further into the room then raised a rifle and leveled it at MJ.
“I said, it’s time to go!”
CHAPTER 22
TURNING THE TIDE
“What is this place?” Alistair asked.
“Undress,” Barnaby replied sternly.
“I thought we were going to the ceremony?”
Barnaby rounded on him and rammed the butt of the gun into Alistair’s stomach. “Prophet or not, you’re gonna learn respect. Now, undress!”
Alistair cast him an angry stare as he started to pull his shirt off. Fuming, he looked around the room and suppressed a gag. It was disgusting, even by their standards. The smell of feces and death rolled through the air like a flock of birds. The floor and the walls were covered in dried blood and decayed bits of flesh. It was a slaughterhouse, and a voice inside his head screamed for him to run.
“What now?” MJ asked angrily.
Barnaby stepped to the side as a line of women walked in. They were carrying five-gallon buckets filled to the brim with a dark, chunky liquid. Seconds later, another woman walked in with a bucket of red dirt.
“Line up against the wall,” Barnaby ordered. “Hurry up!”
Reluctantly, they moved across the room toward the grime-stained wall wearing nothing but anxiety. Alistair tried to keep his eyes straight ahead, MJ was practically his second mom. But Daniel had no problems beaming at Cindy with his mouth wide open. Cindy stared back at him and he grinned then turned his head to face Barnaby.
“What is this?” MJ asked again. “What the hell are we doing?”
Barnaby glared at her then waved his hand and the women stepped forward. In unison they heaved the contents of the buckets onto them. A wave of blood and chunks of human remains mixed with human waste splashed over them and rolled down their faces. Daniel immediately vomited as Cindy collapsed to the ground.
“Dust them!” Barnaby screamed.
Before they could react, another lady dumped the rust-colored dirt over their heads. Barnaby laughed as they spat and groaned then grabbed a handful himself and tossed it in their faces.
“Now you stay. You stay here until the ceremony starts.”
Satisfied, Barnaby and the women left the room and he bolted the door shut behind him. The sound of the bolt fastening was chilling and just like that their freedom had been yanked away. For a moment, the abruptness of everything left them in shock but the stench brewing inside of the tiny room had a sobering effect.
“This is blood and shit! Actual shit!” Daniel gagged and rubbed his hands against each other. “What the hell?”
The more he tried to wipe the muddy concoction off the more it stuck. The smell was unbearable and when they weren’t choking from the rancid scent, they were puking onto the concrete which only made things worse.
Daniel rammed his shoulder into the door again and again. The building might have looked flimsy but the door didn’t budge. He used his body like a sledgehammer and all he got for his troubles was blistering pain.
“Get this off me!” Cindy hollered and beat her fists against the door.
MJ echoed her and for once they were in agreement. For the next half-hour they hysterically kicked and battered at the door. They tried desperately to rub the gore away but nothing worked. Eventually, they conceded then stood around with hopeless looks and defeated faces. Moses had broken them.
Hours passed and no one spoke. They sat on the floor facing different directions, occupied with their own feelings of shame and disgust. There was nowhere to hide, no privacy, only filth and embarrassment. The only silver lining was after enough time had passed, they became numb to the putrid smell.
After what felt like a lifetime of silence, there was a rattle at the door. With a jingle, the lock opened and the door creaked as someone pushed it inward.
“Hello?” Persephone’s voice called.
Alistair looked up then turned away, ashamed to be seen. “Don’t come in here,” he warned.
“I know what they did. They did it to all of us.”
“Just don’t come in here.”
Persephone stopped. She leaned in just enough where her voice could only be heard inside. She turned her head toward the wall and frowned as the smell came to life in a wave of nausea.
“Moses…” she gagged. “Moses is on the way. I just—I just wanted to know if you meant what you said.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About the place you said, where it’s safe. Is that real?”
“Yeah, it’s real.”
Suddenly the door burst open as Moses pushed past Persephone and walked into the room.,
“Preparing our guests already, Persephone?” Moses asked.
Persephone jumped in surprise then quickly recovered and flashed an oblivious grin. “Yes, Moses. They are ready.”
“Very well. Go fetch their robes and meet us at the pit.”
Persephone nodded then turned and hurried out the door. Wrinkling his nose, Moses walked a bit further into the room and stopped.
“I didn’t want to do it like this,” he said in a mildly sarcastic tone. “You know, I would’ve killed you quickly, then let the Vees have you. Now…now I have to make an example. Now I have to prove to MY people that you are not what you claim to be. You forced my hand.”
The door opened again and Barnaby and several other guards walked inside. Moses let out a loud, grumbling sigh and turned to face him.
“I have half a mind to put you with them, Barnaby,” he snapped. �
�Late as usual.”
“Sorry, Moses, I ran into a little trouble getting what you wanted. We had to come back for more water.”
“I assume everything is situated now?”
“Yes, yes, Moses, it is,” Barnaby replied and handed Moses a heavy, silver flashlight.
Moses tucked the light into his holster and grumbled. “Then move them to the pit.”
Barnaby nodded. “On your feet!” he roared.
With the help of the other guards, he forced Alistair and the others out of the cramped shack and back down the quarry. The pit was surrounded by Moses’ followers and from their chants and shouts of praise, Alistair was still on their good side, for the time being.
As Barnaby marched them up the platform a line of women splashed them with water and scrubbed their bare skin with bristles that felt like steel cables. They were happy to finally be free from the gore that had dried onto their bodies but they’d practically had layers of skin rubbed off.
“Put these on,” Persephone said and handed them some bundled rags.
Alistair looked at her skeptically as he took his clothes. She lifted her head and their eyes met for a moment then a guard shoved him in the back and he kept moving.
“Hurry up!” the guards ordered.
MJ gave the burly man a contentious look but behaved, for the time being. She was waiting for her moment because she had no intention of staying in the pit much longer. So, without much resistance, they all dressed themselves then stood huddled together on the platform.
“It is time,” Moses announced. “It is time we accept these four strangers into our home and under the umbrella of the Earth God.”
“Praise the Earth God,” someone shouted from the crowd as they erupted into cheers.
“Yes, yes praise the Earth God,” Moses repeated. “And praise the prophet he has sent.”
Moses raised his hands then turned to face Alistair. He took a few steps forward until they were standing face to face. With a devious grin, he reached out, wrapping his arm around Alistair’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 95
