by G Sasaki
“I’m just reading…” How could Alex describe it to anyone? Especially Laura, who was only half-there. He settled on, “…riddles. Just reading some good old-fashioned riddles.”
Laura gently swayed as she stood, desperately holding on to her balance. “Riddles? I like riddles. Do you need help solving them?”
“No, I think I have it figured out… How are you?”
“I thought you would never ask…” Laura paced in a circle. Like a dog looking for a spot to go to the bathroom, Laura examined the tiled floor. She did this for several seconds until finally, her back banged against the wall next to Alex. She practically slammed against the wall. Laura bent her knees and her body dragged down until she sat directly next to him. She smirked oddly and focused her one good eye into Alex’s. Her breath smelled like rotted fish as she spoke. “I was separated from my son. He’s somewhere in the hospital. I need to find him.”
Alex responded, “I’m sorry to hear that. I was separated from someone too. But I don’t know where she is.”
When Laura spoke, it seemed like she constantly gasped for air. “Who is it?”
The mere mention of her name both lit up Alex’s eyes and pained his heart. “My girlfriend. Her name is Hailey.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
Alex fidgeted with the pages in his hands. “Yeah. It is. She’s a special girl. That’s for sure.” His heart had raged with anxiety since that night… since Hailey’s panicked phone call. He could only pray that somehow, she was still alive.
Laura slapped her hand on Alex’s leg, uncomfortably close to his crotch. Laura slurred, “In a couple days, when everything quiets down, we can go look for the people we’re missing.”
Normally, Alex would agree. But he couldn’t wait anymore. He was going to find Hailey. After that, if what the journal said was true, he would get to Nicole’s safe and find a way to reverse everything. If it meant cutting open someone’s heart, he’d find someone who deserved such punishment and a person twisted enough to perform the task.
Alex said, “I have to leave tonight, Laura. I’m going to find Hailey. Then there’s one final riddle I have to solve. This one is far away. All the way at Pirate’s Cove. So I can’t waste any more time. If this goes well, I can save all of us, everybody.”
Laura’s blank face gazed at him as she absorbed his words. She removed her hand from Alex’s leg and rubbed his face in slow circles. Awkward… but what was Alex supposed to do? She mumbled, “Of course I’ll help you, Alex.”
Hours later, Alex and Laura stood in front of the metal wall. Alex whispered, “I’m going to lift the door. As soon as I leave, I’m going to close it back down. You need to take the latch and close it back in. Make sure you lock it. Got it?”
Laura echoed, “Sherlock got it.”
Alex wasn’t sure what that meant. Those drugs were really messing with her. “Good enough. Here we go.” Alex bent to one knee to unlatch the barrier.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice yelled.
Within seconds, the survivors emerged from nowhere and formed a half-circle, pinning them against the thick metal wall. The doctors, the nurses, and the patients stared with dozens of blank expressions glared in his direction. Alex opened his mouth to respond, but Laura spoke first. “We’re leaving. I’m going to find my son…”
Alex glanced at her. We’re leaving?
Laura continued, “…And Alex is going to solve a riddle at Pirate’s Cove and find Hailey, who is going to save all of us.”
Alex winced. Not even close. She combined everything he had said into one mess of a sentence. “Actually…”
A voice from one of the survivors shouted, “Is that true?”
Alex asked, “What part?”
“Yes!” Laura shouted. “Hailey is a special girl! If everything goes well, she will save us!”
The faces of the survivors glowed with excitement and some of them even smiled. As banter escalated, one of the male doctors, Frank, scowled. The ultra-serious doctor had assumed a leadership position in the cafeteria and all the survivors trusted his judgment. To Alex, he seemed like more of a drill sergeant than a doctor. His wrinkled face stepped forward and came uncomfortably close to Alex’s. Soft enough for only Alex to hear, Frank said, “You think we’re all a bunch of idiots?”
“No.”
“Some of them may be looking for any glimmer of hope but you can’t feed us bullshit like that. You’re not leaving. That gate is not opening.”
Alex could feel his breath pulsing on him. Alex preferred to avoid a fight but if that’s what Frank wanted, then there would be no choice. Alex looked sternly in his eyes and growled. “I am leaving. You can’t keep me here.”
Alex stepped back and removed his face from Frank’s. Alex looked at the survivors. The mere mention of someone who could save them visibly lifted their spirits. The room had transformed from a tense place of despair to a place with shades of hope. Alex could feel the difference crawling in the air. So as a way to build it even more, or maybe just as a way to stick it to Frank, Alex announced, “Everyone, I’m leaving to find Hailey Hill, the one who will save us… the Chosen One…” Alex glared at Frank as he said it. “…She’s the only one who can turn everything back to normal. And soon, she will. So keep believing. Don’t ever lose hope.”
Laura held her hands to her face and shook with excitement. “Hailey Hill… the Chosen One…”
Alex again stepped forward and reconnected with Frank, who had lost control of the mindset of the group that was too busy relishing in the prospect of a Chosen One. After what they’d experienced, why would anyone doubt it? Alex stared deep into Frank’s eyes and whispered, “There’s nothing wrong with believing in something. They need it. We all need it. You’re a doctor. You have a team of people here. Do what you can when things clear out. There is still hope. I believe in you.” Alex held out his hand. Now the choice belonged to Frank. He could let Alex go, or he could fight him.
Frank glared at his hand. And begrudgingly shook it. “Good luck.”
Alex nodded and their hands dislodged. He bent down, unlatched the metal wall, and slid it open. As it rested above his head, Laura slipped under and left the cafeteria with him. Alex glanced at Frank and said, “Thanks for everything.” Without a chance to respond, Alex slammed the metal wall shut.
The dark hall reeked of death. Almost all of the lights overhead had been shattered. Laura was already pacing away and fading into darkness. “Laura!” She turned around and smiled at Alex, who asked, “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
She walked forward and grabbed Alex’s hands. “Don’t worry about me. I have to find my son. He’s the reason I live. Just tell Hailey thank you. For saving us.”
Under the strobing light, Alex leaned forward and hugged Laura. “Find your son.”
46
The sun shone through the closed curtains, softening the room with a pink glow. Alex stared at the empty bed. The ruffled sheets covered the floor. A streak of blood smeared over them. Her schoolbooks rested haphazardly on the floor. “Hailey,” he uttered, “Where are you?”
Alex stood in the hallway of Hailey’s house and stared into her room. She was nowhere to be found. Defeated, he paced down the hallway. An unseen clock ticked away. Tick tock, tick tock. Every second seemed to echo through the house. His head throbbed and his heart grew heavy.
He had checked all the rooms and even found Sammy’s dead body amidst a pool of blood. The only positive he could take away from a missing Hailey was the remote chance she was still alive.
With that, hope still permeated.
Alex held his breath to avoid the stench and walked out the front door. The daylight offered him a clear picture as he took slow steps on the grass. The house across the street was gone, reduced to nothing but burnt rubble. As he gazed down the street, the remnants of madness spread everywhere. Bodies lay contorted and homes sat glaringly vacant. Cars rested alone and howling wind teased his ears.
The smell of death and decay seemed to linger no matter where he went.
When he emerged into the middle of the street, he planted his feet and yelled as loud as he could, “Hailey!” His voice soared through the neighborhood and the overwhelming silence taunted him. He screamed it again, scratching his throat. “Hailey!” The ghost town stared at him.
Alex pulled the crumpled journal pages from his pocket. He had read them so many times, he practically had them memorized. He had to go to the safe. But not yet. As far as he was concerned, the world was over and there was nothing left to save. When he looked down the street and saw no living creature roaming, it only reiterated his belief. With an unlimited supply of time, he would check every house in the area. If there was even a chance he could find Hailey, he would look.
So he did. Alex went from house to house, from one horrific sight to another and searched for Hailey. He witnessed brutality he couldn’t fathom. Walls painted with blood. Children carved open, blasted away. Their red organs spilled on the floor like spaghetti. The zombies that created this mess killed without prejudice. Anything that lived was swiftly executed. Every house he traveled to dampened his hopes. His heart couldn’t help but cry out in agony, not just for Hailey, but for everyone. Many of the bodies were left in seemingly peaceful positions: some sat in chairs watching TV, some laid reading in bed with books propped in their hands, and some families even sat together at a dining room table. In these cases, he couldn’t help but wonder how many of them actually died in these positions and how many were put into them after death. That thought chilled his spirits.
As the days passed, Alex ate food from various kitchens. He ignored the smattering of blood and awful stenches that accompanied every meal. He simply didn’t care anymore. He used to think he was lucky to be alive, now he wondered if the dead were the lucky ones.
Under the night skies, Alex would nestle outside where it wasn’t so gruesome. One night, under the cool air, he couldn’t help but think of his grandparents. When his Mom and Dad died when he was little, his sweet Grandma and slightly stricter Grandpa raised him. He could practically smell Grandma’s lasagna and see the smile she wore every time she clunked that heavy glass container on the dinner table. He could hear his Grandpa’s endless lectures to ‘be humble’. The memory of being with them was comforting to re-live and helped him eventually fall asleep… but he couldn’t bring himself to even try to look for them. They had grown old, frail, and slow. He couldn’t bear having to see them massacred like the people in this neighborhood. The hope of finding Hailey was all he had left.
He lost track of how many days he’d been in Hailey’s neighborhood. It had been at least a week and his wildest guess would be his best. Even after searching every nook of the neighborhood, he stayed, hoping Hailey would arrive. Through that time, he barely noticed his transformation. Now, he looked like the woman in the hospital: no longer human and covered in fur. Hell, he even had wings. The pages in the journal were right: he had become a Ropen.
Alex again stood in the middle of the street, like he had when his search began. His heavy eyes glared at the emptiness, at the lack of anyone. Now that he had changed, his eyes were the only part of him Hailey would recognize. He tried to yell, “Hailey!” but all that came out of him were high-pitched screeches.
Alex finally accepted it: he was never going to find Hailey.
Hope was dead.
Alex pulled his furry hand to reach for the pages in his pocket but his tight shorts restricted them from coming out. His muscles had grown considerably in size since he started to change. Screw it. Like the woman, he had no need for clothes. Fur covered him up anyway. Alex ripped the clothes off his body and he stood completely naked. He pulled the pages out of his shorts and gripped them.
61 Andrene Avenue. He knew the way; he’d been to Pirate’s Cove plenty of times. Now it was just a matter of getting there.
For the first time, Alex spread his wings. He watched them fold out from his shoulders and spread wide. How is this supposed to work? He lifted them slightly and thrusted them down. That little bit lifted his feet off the black cement. Is it really that simple? That barely took any effort at all. Alex flapped his wings again, this time harder, and went higher in the air. He flapped again and again until finally, he was flying.
He soared through the air and headed straight to Pirate’s Cove.
When Alex arrived at Nicole’s childhood home, he went into the office and stood in front of the safe. The shut door and a digital panel taunted him. The numbers from 1 to 9 waited to be pushed. He gripped the pages of the journal and pushed the numbers he knew to be the combination. The buttons beeped as he pushed them.
3-2-9-9
Click. Alex swung open the door of the safe. Right in the middle, it sat alone: a tiny leather pouch connected by thick twine. He had formed a picture in his mind of what it looked like. Now, after reading so much about it, it sat in front of his eyes.
From behind, Alex heard a series of shrieks, much like the ones that came from his voice. To his surprise, he could comprehend their meaning. The female voice said, “What are you doing?”
The voice startled Alex so much, he dropped the pages of the journal to the floor. He grabbed the pouch out of the safe and his eyes dashed to the voice. At the doorway, a transformed woman stared at him. He gazed into her eyes, and since he analyzed them earlier, he recognized her: the woman who gave him the journal at the hospital. Her wings had grown out and her transformation completed. Alex tried to speak, but responded with high-pitched shrills. “I’m taking this.” The pouch sat in the palm of his hand.
“You’re the boy from the hospital.”
Alex stared at her, unsure how to respond. She said, “My name is Nicole.”
“I’m Alex.”
“So you’ve read my journal. I guess you know what that pouch is for?”
“Yes.”
Alex tied the twine around his neck, allowing the pouch to rest against his chest. Nicole appeared relaxed, content with him possessing it. She said, “I told someone I wouldn’t consider using that until hope was dead. Is there no hope?”
He took a deep breath and responded, “Hope no longer exists in this world.”
“Then you can help me. We’ll have to cut open someone’s heart. Someone will have to suffer.”
“I know.”
Nicole said, “We have to find someone who isn’t infected.”
“I’m more worried about finding someone willing to cut open another person. I don’t think I could do that.”
“I know. I couldn’t either. But don’t worry about that. I already found him. He’s someone I used to know. When he changed, something went wrong. And now he’s a huge Ropen. But he wants to go back. And he’s willing to do it.”
Alex was taken aback. That was good news he supposed.
“There can’t be many people left. But all we need is one.”
47
Hailey woke to the sound of heavy breathing. A deep breath in. A deep breath out. It was the sound of her breathing. She opened her eyes. A dizzy feeling surrounded her. Confusion. Where am I? Her chest grew and shrunk as she inhaled and exhaled. A soft fluffy feeling rested under her torn back. As her world came into focus, Hailey moved her head and examined what little she could see. She was in some kind of dark room. A few feet away, the thick shades of a window sealed shut. A slight orange light bounced around. She smelled the sweet aroma of vanilla. She looked to her left and saw a candle flickering on top of a dresser. No… there were a couple candles. She was on a bed… in a bedroom somewhere.
Hailey’s hands rested above her head. She pulled her arm to lift herself up but for some reason, she couldn’t. Her hands wouldn’t budge. They would move a few inches then halt against her wishes. Her feet were stuck too. What’s going on? She noticed a cool breeze tingling on her body. Hailey lifted her head to get a better glimpse and, to her horror, she was almost completely naked, tied to the bed. Her underwear was left on but other than
that, not a shred of clothing remained on her body. Thick ropes tightly snared around her wrists and ankles.
Hailey slammed her hand into the air, but every time, the rope just burned into her skin. Her feet kicked to no avail. She flailed her body against the bed, like a fish on land, desperately trying to escape. The bed rocked and her back pierced against her, still sore from the beating she took from the Unstables. Out of breath from her attempts to break free, she said, “Hello?! Can someone help me?”
Hailey rested and stared at the ceiling. She took deep breaths as the light from the candles danced around and menaced her with glee. Then, she remembered. Alex was hurt! He’d been shot by Victor. She needed to get to him and find out if he was alright.
A male voice shot through the silence, “I wanted you to be awake for this.” The deep voice stabbed straight to her heart. No. Hailey’s head shot forward to locate the man, and leaning in the doorway was Victor. He stood naked and shamelessly faced her. On his pale face, he wore a big smile and a horrifying glimmer rested in his eye. Fine hair covered his chest and his belly fell with weight. When Hailey noticed what dangled between his legs, she furiously pulled on her wrists, ignoring the dull pain that rubbed against them.
Victor asked, “Have you ever had sex before?”
Those words sent a tremor of terror throughout Hailey’s naked body. She screamed, “Help! Someone help!”
“This will be easier if you have.” Victor stepped into the room.
The ropes wouldn’t let up. “Help! Please someone!”
Victor stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Hailey’s flailing naked body. “Will you shut up? They don’t care about you.”
Hailey halted her struggling and looked at Victor’s face. She wanted to cry but felt too panicked to do anything but pant. “Why are you doing this?”
