The Empire

by C. L. Alden

  “So is this the table where love bloomed, hmm?” Ali teased working on her second cocktail.

  “You’re so funny. Really. You are.” Darcy responded in a flat voice, not amused.

  “See any ‘others’?” Ali asked.

  “Not that I can tell. No pirate sightings yet.”

  “I hate this waiting!”

  “Me too. We need a plan...” Darcy said.

  “I’ve got nothing.”

  “Okay, well tomorrow morning I can go back to the Empire, maybe there’ll be another meeting going on.”

  “Good thinking! I’ll go with you.”

  “Okay, what else?” Darcy said, thinking out loud. “The more that I think about it, I think that kid is connected.”

  “How so?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ve never felt anything like that jolt, except with Eddie but it wasn’t exactly the same. I didn’t feel connected to Eddie.

  “And you said with the kid it was kind of a psychic connection?”

  “ I guess. It felt like we shared something. I don’t know how to explain it. But I think he knows something, or at least more than I do.”

  CHAPTER Twenty

  Darcy went to bed that night with a purpose. She would try to remember to ask her mother about what was going on when she started dreaming. The trouble with that plan was that she was concentrating so hard on remembering, she couldn’t fall asleep. She should be exhausted after the last few days of drama, and she was, but she just couldn’t relax. At a few minutes past midnight, her cell phone rang. She knew it had to be Ali.

  “Is this payback?”

  “You’d better get up here!”

  Darcy could hear a weird siren going off in the background, a church bell and what sounded like car alarms. “What is that?”

  “It’s the old civil defense siren on the courthouse. All hell is breaking loose up here! I think the other shoe has dropped.”

  “I’m on my way.” Darcy thought of her mother’s warning that a storm was coming. Was this what she was talking about?

  When she was about a mile from the town line she noticed a few people standing in their yards looking towards Shoreton. She rolled down her window and slowed down to listen. She heard the defense siren, and underneath that, a cacophony of other sounds knitted together creating an indiscernible pulsating noise. By the time she got to the half mile mark the noise was very loud, and now she could distinguish some of the underlying sounds as car alarms, what sounded like the horn of the ferry boats and she thought she even heard the foghorn on the lighthouse at the breakwater on the other side of town. Lights were on in most of the houses at this point and driving by it looked like a pajama block party. Clusters of neighbors standing together talking as they looked towards Shoreton.

  As she got closer to Main St. it was starting to look like a great migration. Pajamaed and hastily dressed people, entire families even, were leaving their houses, flashlights and coffee mugs in hand, joining their neighbors as everyone made their way on foot towards Main St. Already she could see the lights from emergency vehicles reflecting off the downtown buildings. She hoped they were just a precaution. She dialed her dad’s number just in case. He sounded discombobulated. Good news rarely came in the middle of the night.

  “Hello?”

  “Dad, it’s Darcy.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m fine. I’m uptown. Something’s going on up here.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “I don’t know. I’m headed to Ali’s, but there’s all sorts of emergency vehicles on Main St. I thought you should know.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Not that Hank could really do anything, she thought. It was a knee jerk reaction from living in larger cities. She doubted there’d be any looting, or anything, but it couldn’t hurt to have a presence and keep an eye on the cafe.

  She turned up Village St. to avoid all the people beginning to descend on Main St. Foot traffic was worse than Festival days. As she got closer she could hear a church bell ringing. Darcy saw the police cruiser in the Historical Society parking lot, and Ali talking to a couple of officers. She parked the car and walked over, with her hands covering her ears.

  “Can you shut that bell down?” the officer asked.

  “The automatic ringer has been disconnected. It shouldn’t be ringing.”

  “Is there someone up there?”

  “I don’t know how. They’d have to get into the museum first to get up there.”

  “We’re gonna have to check it out, ma’am.” As they waited for backup that would be bringing ear protection, the officer moved his car and positioned his spotlight to shine on the belfry. They couldn’t see anyone.

  “Okay, come on, I’ll open it up.” Ali said as she walked towards the building with the officers in tow.

  “We gotta stop meeting like this,” Darcy whispered.

  Ali opened up the museum, and turned on the lights. “Do you see anyone?” she whispered to Darcy.

  “No.”

  Back up arrived, and Ali unlocked the door to the small alcove that housed the automatic bell ringer and the old ladder to access the bell tower. After examining the bell control box, one of the officers bravely climbed the ladder to the belfry, protective headgear on. He found no one up there. They tried shutting off all the power to the building, searched the premises for any back up generators that may have kicked on. Finally they gave up and moved on.

  “You wanna go up there and see who’s ringing that bell?”

  “Uh, hell no!” Darcy answered.

  “Alright. Let’s go check out what’s happening downtown.”

  They could see that lights were on in houses everywhere as they headed down Central St. Some people were standing in their yards as if they felt like they were close enough to the safety of their home, should something happen, while others were joining the throngs headed towards Main St. A couple of helicopters were now circling over the town. Darcy couldn’t see whether they were news or police.

  It was a sight to see when they hit the corner of Main St. As if someone were choreographing a ballpark ‘wave’, the street lights were going out one after another in one direction, while the lights in storefronts were blinking on one after another going the opposite direction. Back and forth, over and over. The noise level was at least a little muted by the buildings, since there were no cars parked on Main, just emergency vehicles. There were several building alarms going off, but the car alarms were on back streets and in driveways within a two block radius.

  They decided to head down to the waterfront park first, then make their way up and down Main. When they arrived at the park, they saw what looked like a rally point for emergency personnel and news crews in the municipal parking lot. The local EMA and EMS teams had erected a couple small tents, with a triage station, chairs, cots and a table of bottled water and snacks. An ambulance was on site as well. As they made their way down the hill, two canvas covered trucks and three humvees from the National Guard turned in and parked, unloading soldiers and setting up their own home base.

  From the waterfront retaining wall, they could see a fire boat and two Coast Guard boats in the harbor, patrolling. Although there was no fog, the light and foghorn on the breakwater were activated as well as what sounded like another civil defense siren.

  “Geez...Shoreton’s not messing around! Look at how organized we are!” Ali said, impressed as they watched police and fire personnel from other towns arriving and checking in with the Shoreton Police and Fire chiefs for deployment orders. The county Sheriff’s department had a team on site as well.

  “I wonder what they’ll find, if anything?” Darcy added.

  They headed back up onto Main St. The light show continued. Police personnel were walking among the crowds, trying to get people to go home. The atmosphere was peaceful. Darcy didn’t get the sense that the locals were worried, though the emergency personnel remained on high alert. The Empire marquee and building
sign were blinking on and off in a rhythm all their own, though the interior lights followed the rest of the street pattern. As store and business owners arrived, police teams were doing building by building searches.

  Several news trucks were camped out in various places around town, interviewing and polling passersby, about what could be causing everything to go haywire. On the sidewalk in front of them was a WCSH reporter and crew setting up to interview a man in a tinfoil hat. Behind him was his tinfoil bedecked family including their dog.

  Ali grabbed Darcy’s arm to slow her down. “We gotta hear this.” There was already a crowd forming. Everyone it seemed was interested in hearing what the tinfoil adorned man had to say.

  “Matt Larson, reporting live from Shoreton where chaos has ensued. Sirens, lights and alarms are going on and off for no apparent reason. Law enforcement and emergency personnel from surrounding towns and counties have come to lend a hand, but so far the source of this activity has not been found. As you can see behind me, the street is full of people and everyone it seems has a theory as to what is happening and why.” The cameraman panned to the right as the reporter turned to tinfoil man. “What’s your name sir?”

  “Gabe Parsons, and this is my family,” he said motioning behind him.

  “So I’ve gotta ask, Gabe, what’s with the tinfoil accessories?”

  Darcy noticed the man’s two kids, who looked to be about ten and thirteen were looking a little embarrassed. The oldest was rolling his eyes as he slowly moved off camera, taking off his hat at the same time.

  Without missing a beat, the man reached out and grabbed the kid’s arm, pulling him back. “Protection, Matt.”

  “Protection? From what? You don’t seem very alarmed. In fact, nobody here in Shoreton does.” The cameraman panned around them to show people strolling up and down the street, stopping in groups to talk. “All these lights and alarms. What’s your theory about why all this is happening?”

  “This is just beginning. We’ve known this day was coming for years. The signs have all been here.”

  “Are you talking about a terrorist attack?”

  “No, Matt. Aliens.”

  It was obvious the reporter knew he had found news gold. “There you have it folks, the latest theory on who is causing these strange occurrences. Aliens.” As Matt was signing off, Gabe continued to talk. “Matt Larson, live from Shoreton. Back to you in the newsroom.”

  Gabe continued talking and the cameraman kept rolling. “No, I’m serious! The government has done their best to cover up all the sightings and encounters, but we know!” Matt stepped off camera and made the sign to cut to his cameraman, as Gabe continued. “We will not be silenced!”

  Darcy and Ali moved on as Matt and his crew set up the next interview. Gabe’s protestations attracted a couple of police officers who walked over to intervene.

  “Aliens?! Cripes didn’t he just make us sound like a bunch of backwoods loonies!” Ali complained.

  “Aliens, ghosts, or whatever. Some would say the two aren’t that far off from each other.”

  “Well I think ghosts or whatever they are sounds a lot more reasonable than aliens!”

  “Really? In what universe? Neither has been proved.”

  “WE know one is real!” Ali argued.

  “As far as you know.” Darcy teased.

  “As far as I know.” Ali grumbled. “As far as you know too. YOU started this whole thing. In fact I think all of this is your fault!” She jokingly accused.

  “Ha ha—”

  “What’s all your fault?” Will asked walking up behind them with Millie, catching them both off guard.

  “Hey Will!” Ali said

  “Hi” Darcy said smiling at Will “Hey Millie.” Darcy reached down and scratched her ears. Millie sniffed her hands then let her continue scratching. “Sorry Mills, no more hotdogs.” Millie seemed to be taking the noise and chaos in stride.

  “So is someone in trouble?” Will asked getting back to his original question.

  “Nah, I was just giving Darcy a hard time about dragging me out in the middle of the night with the rest of the looky-loos.”

  “Yeah the commotion woke me up from a dead sleep. Couldn’t see anything from my house till I went up on the widow’s walk and saw all the lights going on and off.

  “This is crazy, huh?” Ali remarked

  “Totally! From what I could see, it looks like it’s only affecting streets a couple blocks around downtown. Have you heard anything about what might be causing this?” He asked them.

  “The best guess we’ve heard so far, is aliens.” Darcy answered

  “Better get my tinfoil hat ready.”

  “There’s a guy right over there that can help you out with that,” Ali laughed.

  “So where are you two headed?”

  “We’re just making the rounds.” Darcy replied.

  “Mind if we join you?”

  “Of course not.” Ali answered for them both. She glanced at Darcy to make sure she was okay with it.

  “Yes, the more the merrier!” Darcy added.

  They continued down the street. When they got to the cafe, they stopped to make sure Hank was okay. Mary was there too, already mixing up a batch of muffins.

  Hank seemed as unfazed as everyone else. “We’re Mainahs” he said. “Takes a lot to get our knickers in a twist.”

  “I love your dad,” Ali said as they proceeded up the street.

  They listened in on discussions of various theories, even some wild speculation, as they passed groups standing around. They heard everything from hooligans, to some sort of power surge to a terror plot.

  “Terrorists, really?” Will commented when they moved beyond earshot of the group they’d been listening in on. “What would terrorists gain by trying to scare the bejeezus out of small town America in the middle of the night?”

  “I know, right?” Darcy replied.

  “I’m hungry.” Ali announced.

  “Well there doesn’t seem to be anything new happening. We could go back to the cafe.” Darcy suggested.

  “Let’s go to my house. I’ll cook us breakfast.” Ali volunteered.

  As they made their way back up Central St. they could see that a lot of the lights in the neighborhood had gone out. Hank was right, it took a lot to rattle a New Englander. They were used to braving the most brutal winter weather, plus hurricanes and whatever else Mother Nature threw at them. They weren’t going to be shaken by a little noise and some blinking lights.

  ***

  The first thing Ali did was to get a bowl of water for Millie and to mix the three of them Screwdrivers. “Hey it’s got orange juice in it. It’s a breakfast drink.” Ali said when Darcy and Will gave her the eye for pulling out the vodka bottle. They sat at the kitchen table while Ali started the breakfast.

  “Can we help?” Will asked.

  “No, I’ve got this. Just relax.” she said pulling sausage links out of the freezer, and eggs, milk, bread and bacon out of the refrigerator.

  “I’m impressed! Look how prepared you are! Have a lot of breakfast company, hmmm?” Darcy teased.

  “Maybe...or maybe I just like breakfast.” Ali teased back.

  “Nice cover. Well the least I can do is to make a pot of coffee.” Darcy said getting up and heading towards the coffee maker.

  “I’ll be in charge of toast then,” Will said going to stand at his post by the toaster.

  Thirty minutes later they were sitting down with plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast.

  “You cook a pretty darn good breakfast!” Darcy said as she took a bite of crispy bacon.

  “Thought it’d be good to have a full belly. We’re gonna need it today.” Darcy shot her a look.

  “Why? What’s going on today?” Will asked, concentrating more on his food than the looks Darcy and Ali were giving each other as they waged a silent discussion about whether or not to bring Will into the circle of what was going on.

  “I think we
need all the help we can get.” Ali said.

  “He’s not going to believe it.” Darcy muttered trying to be discreet.

  “Hello. I’m right here.” he said waving his fork. “I can hear you. Why don’t you try telling me and I’ll be the judge of whether I believe it or not. It can’t be anything weirder than what we’ve seen and heard tonight.”

  “Well…” Ali said. “I wouldn’t be too quick to jump to that conclusion. Come on Darce, what could it hurt? Who told us it had to be a secret anyway?”

  “No one I guess.”

  “Did your mother specifically say anything to that effect?”

  “Well no...”

  “Wait a minute, you’re mother?” Now Will was really confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “You might as well tell him. He’s from a founding family. That seems to mean something.” Ali was clearly eager to share what was happening.

  “Okay, but let me tell him. No jumping in. I mean it!” Darcy said giving Ali a look she understood completely.

  “Okay, okay, I won’t say a word. Go ahead, you tell it.” Ali sat forward and watched Will’s expression.

  “Okay, well about four or five weeks ago...I don’t know how long ago, and I guess it doesn’t matter.”

  “No it doesn’t, just skip to the chase.” Ali said pushing her along.

  “Zip it, you!” Darcy said and then turned her attention back to Will. “Anyway, as I was saying, a while back I started having dreams about my mother and Shoreton.”

  “Okay.”

  “Well, and I know this is going to sound kinda loony, but I think my mother was trying to tell me something in the dreams. To warn me.”

  “Warn you of what? Do you think it’s connected to tonight?”

  “Well—”

  The unfolding was happening much too slowly for Ali’s taste. “Oh, I can’t stand it! Long story short, her mother warned her in her dreams that things were happening in Shoreton. She arrived, got zapped by some kid on the street—” Darcy’s eyes were like lasers on Ali threatening her with death if she even alluded to Eddie and the events at the Grand. “Ended up at Whistlin Pete’s, saw Rosie the legendary ghost, went to the Empire, walked in on a meeting of angry people only to later realize they were dead people too, then she helped me see my dead aunt Ruth, and now we’re guessing the reason all this is happening to her is that she is supposed to do something about what’s going on here.” Ali let out a big sigh of relief.