Revival Ch 2.0: Taste of Departure (Part 1 of 2)
Despite any earlier confidence Casey couldn't bring herself to use her key on the door. If he answered she knew he was okay. And if not, well, that she couldn't think about. Even with all that had happened Casey knew she could deal if Grayson was okay. But if he wasn't then even the simplest things she knew would be shattered and she felt closer to the breaking point the longer she knocked on the door. Her mouth was metallic with the taste of her own tongue, her knuckles throbbing on the wood but she banged again.
It seemed a decade later the door pulled back to reveal a somewhat agitated looking ten year old. Sulkily he looked up to his older sister. “Where have you been?” he complained, his expression shifting as he took notice of the others. “What's going on?” His tone jumped nervously. Casey gently pushed him out of the way, giving him a hug once they were all concealed by the apartment. This only worked to further worry him.
“Is it Dad? Why didn't he come home? Is he okay? I called Mom but she didn't answer and- and.” “It's not Dad,” said Casey. “Lock the door,” she added to the others. Jade had automatically moved to pull the drawstring on the blinds, not daring to take a look out at the world outside. Casey hesitated on the words, how did you gently tell a ten year old the world he knew had ended? That Dad might never come home? She found herself stumbling, fantasizing about a treatable mental breakdown that had brought on this entire hallucination, waking up tomorrow with everything okay. But there was no waking up, no waning of the new reality. She had to tell her brother, there was no avoiding it. “Things are different,” she said lamely. “Something's happening and-.” She looked to the others, Mel and Jade collapsed onto the couch. Bruce had shut himself in the bathroom, Jordan neurotically monitoring the peep hole. “People are dangerous right now. So Dad can't get home. And the phones are down so Mom can't answer. But it'll blow over, maybe by tomorrow. Just right now, things are crazy. Do you remember when Allen was doing all those drugs? He couldn't control himself? It's like that. It's just – I think it's contagious, so we have to stay inside. Where it's safe.” It was the most she could do to soften the blow and still it wasn't enough.
Mel couldn't listen anymore, she couldn't shoulder any more feelings on top of her own. Wordlessly she looked to Jade, needing no other signal she followed in her best friends footsteps. They moved into the first door to the left, a small boyish bedroom. “Do you think Jade keeps clothes here, for when she stays over?” Mel said numbly. She pulled open the closet doors displaying racks of long sleeved boys clothes, shuffling through the hangers until she came to a small selection at the back.
Strangely being fully dressed didn't make Jade feel better, it made her feel strangely out of place instead. Maybe it was the act of quite literally taking off her costume but everything happening suddenly seemed so much more real than it had minutes before. She reviewed the moments in her head numbly. Reed, they'd left Reed, had they even thought twice? She couldn't really remember now, everything was blurring and it made her feel strangely tired. Even when she thought of her parents it was through the same haze of exhaustion. Her heart hurt but she couldn't put words to the idea, simply scenes and sensations happening without her.
Bruce's breathing came in short frantic bursts, his pulse in his chest was erratic, his mouth tasted strange. These were the things he could not stop thinking about, flashes of the stabbing pain in his aorta, the sweat running down his temples, and with each compulsive tremor came a series of rapid-fire thoughts. What if it's happening to me? What if Reed did something to me? What if his sweat got in my wounds? His blood got under my skin? What if it's happening to me? The air in Bruce's lungs dived painfully just to jerk his diaphragm back up in painful spasms, his head spinning, the room darkening with all the air pulled out of it. Do they breathe? Will I breathe? He brought his head up against the wall, hoping to make the pain his focal point. Stop, he told his racing heart. It's not happening, stop. He closed his eyes against the intangible lines of the room. You're panicking, he told himself. It wasn't unfamiliar His sister Dana used to have panic attacks all the time, over things that seemed so little now, but the symptoms were the same. He thought of what he used to tell her to calm her down. Closed eyes, deep breaths, think of something still.
Bruce opened his eyes, the room stilled, something he knew to be true even before he was aware of his surroundings again. His heart continued its frantic jog but that wasn't all that startling. Things were back in place, somewhat. His panic over Bruce felt a little more clear-headed, but a lot more exhausted. Trying to think in terms of actions he decided he would simply try the phones again, he paused at the door to listen and be sure Casey was done attempting to explain things to her younger brother.
“I know it doesn't make much sense,” confessed Casey to her brother, feeling somewhat helpless. “It doesn't make any sense,” he responded tensely. He kept looking to her as if she were about to confess to some cruel practical joke but Casey had never been the type to poke fun because she could. And her friends, they looked just as worried as she did. “Well, what do we do then? Just sit here?” “We ride it out,” said Casey carefully. “And what about Mom and Dad?” jumped Grayson. “What if they're in trouble?” “They're smart Gray, you know that, they're just waiting it out too.” “Dad should have been home hours ago. And Abby. Abby should've been here way before that.” Casey sighed, moving to repeat herself again, Grayson reluctant to believe the things she was saying.
“Do you think he understands?” Mel looked away from the condensation on her water glass towards Jordan who was sifting through the contents of the fridge. “Do we even understand?” he responded ambivalently. “I think I got something,” he said his voice a little more controlled, he cleared his throat removing a package of ground beef. “This seems wrong,” she said quietly, the words issued to her glass. “Too normal. What we saw today, what happened-.” “We can deal with it when this is all over,” said Jordan, his tone more washed out than controlled. Before this Mel and Jordan had probably exchanged no more than stingy dialogue, now there was the matter of life and death, the impossibility of what they had seen and what they had let happen to Reed. Things Jordan couldn't deal with, not now. “Maybe you should wake Jade up,” he added before Mel could probe any further. She gave him a cool look before removing herself from the kitchen with a huff.
“It was nice of Casey to let us take the bed.” Jade was wound tightly under the blanket, as worn as she was she felt far from sleep. “Well, she wants to be with her brother,” said Mel dismissively. “You sure you want to sleep in those jeans? They're not gonna see us in here, especially under the blankets, ” she continued, her voice almost teasing. “I'd rather keep my pants on around my brother, thanks Mel.” “Suit yourself,” she shrugged into the bed besides her, nestling by her best friend as if it were just another sleep over instead of a strange bed, a strange apartment, a very strange world.
“You really think things will be better in the morning?” Bruce looked to Jordan for a clear answer, his voice flat and telling. “Does it matter much what I think? We need to believe in something, don't we? I'm not ready to think about the other way things could happen. Maybe if not better there will be more answers.” “Or more of them.” Bruce's words were ominous, hanging in the air. Jordan saw Nate in the kitchen, the woman in the road, the man who had torn apart a classmate. “And if there are? Then what Jordan? I just think. We need a plan. For us, for the girls. I want to know my sister's okay.” “Look,” Jordan didn't mean to sound so short, he took a breath and tried again. “We'll check the radios in the morning, and go from there. Let's just get some rest, either way we need it.” Bruce nodded hollowly, Jordan didn't wait for an elaboration laying back against the sofa bed with nothing else he could think to say.
Grayson went out like a light, confident besides his sister. Despite all that was happening listening to Grayson's rhythmic breathing relaxed Casey, she was asleep soon after he was. The hours filtered by and she was blissfully unaware, they all were, momentarily saved from the thoughts of what was happening outside, what tomorrow might bring.
“As of right now all major cities are in quarantine, no one can get in or out of these areas due to how little is right now known about the infection and how quickly it is spreading in these heavily populated areas. Evacuation Center have been set up in the main Burroughs for all those visibly non-infected but otherwise there is no leaving the cities at this time. Little is known about the infection or impact in other areas.”
“All we can advise you and your families to do at this time is to avoid contact with others and stay in your homes. Infected people are extremely dangerous being both highly contagious and behaving violently, isolation is the safest way through this pandemic. The evacuation centers are at the following locations as of October 30th...,” The news woman went off though most of her listing was abolished by the spark of conversation “Gossmer High is right over here,” spoke up Casey. “Dad could be there!” said Grayson. “Guys,” chided Bruce. He was waving a hand towards the news woman who was finishing with a vague prayer and some words of good-intent. She suddenly clipped and began again. “It's a loop,” pointed out Bruce.”October 30th was yesterday. How do we know those places are still safe?”
“Are you saying we shouldn't go?” spat Mel rounding on him. “I'm not saying that,” said Bruce quickly putting up a hand to defuse her. “I just don't think we should go like this.” “Like what?” laughed Casey, the look he'd given her way not lost on him. “We supposed to leave my little brother here? Just in case? Much safer, right?” “I'm not being left anywhere,” argued Grayson defiantly. “We're not leaving anyone behind,” interrupted Jordan as the voices jump. “Bruce never said we were,” added Jade cautiously. “Look, we're all on edge, we need to talk this out.” “There's nothing to talk about,” said Mel her voice sharp. “If there's a chance our parents could be there – our families, then nothing's going to stop me. And it shouldn't stop any of you either.” Casey was nodding in support. “I'm not saying we're not going!” Bruce started, his voice rising. “I'm just saying we should think about it first. Come up with a plan. If we go all the way out there and it's not safe then what? How do we get out alive? What if we can't get back here?” His inquiries left everyone silent. “So we'll plan,” said Jordan after a pause. “We'll plan to go.”
A meager stock of supplies had been gathered but instead of any sort of relief Casey just felt more on edge. There were gray clouds rolling across the skyline which felt to her like a bad omen. Casey's grandmother had been a stickler for bad omens, her father had sworn a neighbor supposedly giving them the evil eye had prompted their move from Greece in the first place. She knew it was silly but she couldn't shake the feeling that the brewing storm meant something. Then she looked to the road. What she didn't see was the problem. “Jordan,” she called her voice caught in her throat. “Jordan!” she said with more urgency.
“The car's gone,” she said, though it was unnecessary at that point, she knew by Jordan's expression when he looked to the street. “How could this have happened?” he brought a hand to his forehead. “Some one must've taken it,” Casey confirmed, stepping back from the window dissuaded. “What's going on?” called Mel from the kitchen, Jordan took a deep breath and moved to the others, still outlining the plan to get safely to the High School, even with the car it had seemed risky. Now it was nothing short of impossible.
“We can't go like this,” relayed Jordan flatly, looking to Jade for reassurance. A giant spring in the room seemed to snap, all the hope invested in this squandered. Before a voice could crack though, Grayson's rose, loudly. “This is screwed up!” His voice was angry but his revere cracking as he furiously wiped tears from his face. “If my parents are alive they're there! If your parents are alive they're there – we can't just not go!” “Hey, I didn't say we weren't going,” said Jordan trying to sound collected when he felt so unstable. “We just need to work out a new plan.” “We're still going,” said Grayson, it wasn't a question. “Of course,” said Jade, stepping in to drop a hand on his shoulder. She matched her twin's expression, looking then to Bruce for defiance. “Nothing will stop us,” she avowed.
“I can't believe we're doing this,” said Bruce. He had been clutching to the bat all afternoon, a security blanket against a world on fire. It wouldn't do much and it was the best of what they had, alongside a flashlight and exceptionally meager stock of supplies. There was nothing with real fire power, nothing to take down a Heath or twenty. If that was in fact what they were going into. It could've been hundreds, they could've been faster, these were the turns the conversation kept coming back to. “Back roads are the best answer,” said Jordan, leaning forward to trace the already highlighted route. “Yeah, if the question's how slowly can we all get ourselves killed. This is a suicide mission, we need wheels,” she said again. It was a point she'd come back to a dozen times. “Unless you happen to know exactly where a functioning car is, I say you drop it Mel,” snapped Jade bitterly. The situation had everyone tense and Mel's constant reminders that the car was gone did little to boost Jade's confidence. “I'm just-,” started Mel. “We know,” cut off Jordan. “Back to the question at hand- security of day or the cover of night?” he rose his eyes to the group. “We'll vote.”
“You really agree with this plan?” “Doesn't matter, we all voted.” Jordan took the flashlight from her stowing it in the outerpocket of the knapsack. “And you vouched for morning. Like me.” “Majority rules – it doesn't matter what we think.” “Even if it costs us our lives?” Jade found herself biting at her tongue. “It just seems stupid to put something so consequential to a vote. This could kill us Jordan, all of us.” “It won't,” he said, but his voice was quiet, all but reassuring. He zipped the pack shut, shaking his head when Jade opened her mouth to speak again “Jade, it doesn't matter. There's a consequence either way, at least this way we're sticking together.”
Jordan slid into the alleyway side-lining the coffee house quietly, after a beat Casey fell into position behind him with her little brother clutching tightly to her back. Bruce, nearly tripping over his own two feet followed. His hands on the bat felt sweaty and betraying, he was too aware the weapon he'd refused to let go of gave him a responsibility for the group that no one else could even shoulder. Yet somehow Jordan managed to look collected and okay, even with his hands empty. He examined the streets mutely, waiting for everyone to file slowly behind him, his hand gripping a nearby water pipe tightly enough to stem the shaking. The memorized line of the map was skeletal to the true image of the city. Jordan was glad to step away from the chaos of the streets even if it meant treading closer to the long shadows of the back alleys. The group twisted between buildings in steps that were too loud, Jade's eyes teared incessantly and Chandler had taken to unconsciously gnawing on his sister's hair. Bruce kept twisting a slick palm around the bottom of the bat, sure he would have to spring into action at every blind corner. Finally the group paused, dead-ended by the solid wall of a building, left to the mercy of the streetlight. It was time to leave the safety of the alleyway, cross the road.
The street was blocked by a collision. Only Casey was able to keep her eyes down, clutching tighter to Grayson's sneakers as they passed the wreck. The others couldn't keep their eyes away. Jade found herself stunned, she could swear it was her own face smeared with blood laying across the backseat. Mel's hand brushed her arm, drawing her back to the real world where she had been stopped in her tracks by the idea. Stepping away she could see it was just a daydream but the thought was impossible to shake even as they slipped into the shadows of the bordering buildings.
“Here,” Jordan offered up his arms towards Casey without needing to be asked, she slipped her brother over with a wince. “Thank you, he's getting heavy.” Grayson offered no complaint, resting his chin passively on Jordan's shoulder. It was unusual for him, Casey knew as much even if the others hadn't. She wondered what he had seen, if he had peeked while she'd veered away after the quick shock in a glance. The glance had been enough to print it on her mind's eye forever, if Grayson had seen it she could see why he seemed to have shut down now. She held to the hope it wasn't true, even if there was far worse things he could see-would see. It wasn't anything she wanted to think about, as naked as they all were out here. “You okay?” Jordan looked to her and she gave a lying nod, his eyes sweeping the group. Mel scoffed and shook her head, nervously she kept jockeying from one leg to the other. “Who's okay? What's okay?” “Not here,” reminded Bruce. “Guys?” Jade's pitch brought their attention back around.
”Blood,” she said simply, her voice devoid of tone. “It's still wet.” “Oh god.” Mel's words were a hot whisper but seamlessly stitched together the panic they were all feeling. “Shhhh,” Jade stepped back from the puddle of blood, collecting her friends hand, her heartbeat filling her ears, her breath loud and erratic. The slight skate of Bruce's bat against the ground had all his friends eying him wildly, Grayson loped his arms in a near choke-hold around Jordan's neck. Bruce rose the bat, drawing their attention to a smear of blood on the wall, they all eyed the cavity that bled out into the street. A low guttural moan froze them, the figure hidden behind the edge of the building mere feet away. Jordan drew back their attention with a jerk of his head, stepping decisively away from the noise. The group followed at a near run, the catcall of their footsteps a dinner bell. Jordan looked over his shoulder to reveal a blood-soaked pursuer, something straight from the grave. The nightmare was complete when he looked forward to see they were completely blocked off, the alley ending at a chain link fence.
The creature moved like nothing Bruce had ever seen, stiff and awkward yet somehow composed despite the blood loss. With every unsteady lurch it left behind a significant amount of blood, yet never turned to assess the path behind it. It had one thing in mind, something universal in the dilation of its pupil, hunger. “H-how,” stammered Mel. “How?” But how didn't matter, why didn't matter, all that mattered was stopping it, keeping it away. Bruce clamped his tongue between his teeth, the spark of pain bringing him to attention. The bat felt heavy and unsteady in his hands, an instrument more than a weapon, but it was all they had. And it was in his hands as much as their lives were. Wavering, he stepped forward with a confidence he never knew he had, bringing the bat back decisively.