With that last thought, Shelley closed the door to the room she shared with Claire and walked to her cot. She felt exhausted.
I have no idea what time it is. Shelley walked up to the window. It was set high in the wall, the bottom of the window at eye level for her. She looked out of the window. The world looked strange from this angle, as she looked out at about the same level as the ground. Several houses were lit up across the street, but other than that it was dark. With a sigh, and a softly whispered ‘good night’, she turned and walked to her cot.
It would take everybody staying at the Ren some time before they would fall asleep that night. Everyone replayed what had happened that day and reflected on the events leading up to this.
Shelley lay awake, worrying about her parents. They had been away, on a cruise. The last phone call she had received was six days ago now. Their ship had pulled into Port-au-Prince in Haiti.
“Hi honey, we’re fine!” Her dad had started reassuring her as soon as she had answered.
“We’re in Haiti. The cruise ship decided to dock here because there were some people getting really sick. Haiti is beautiful, by the way!”
“But dad! This HAPS thing – it’s... It’s bad, dad.”
“Ah it’s nothing! Mom’s got a bit of a belly ache, but–”
“Don’t worry the girl!” Shelley could hear her mom admonishing her dad in the background.
Shelley held the phone to her ear and closed her eyes.
Oh mom. Always worrying about others.
“Anyway, it should only be for a couple of days, until this thing passes. I’m feeling great – no problems!” Shelley could hear another muffled discussion. “Mom wants to know how you’re holding up!”
“I’m fine. Tell her I’m fine!”
Ugh. Like mother like daughter...
“We’re going to take advantage of this stop and check out the country-side. Maybe try some of that Haitian cooking that we’ve heard so much about. Maybe some of that Haitian rum too!” Her dad continued, after relaying her well-being to Shelley’s mom.
Shelley looked at her watch. The call had come at a bad time. She was supposed to be at the hospital in fifteen minutes.
“Hey dad, I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late for my shift.”
“Oh. Ah, no problem Shelley. How about we call you again in the morning?”
“Yes. Please do. Ok dad. Talk to you in the morning. Say hi to mom for me.” With that she had hung up. She had not heard from them since...
Deep down, Shelley knew that her parents were dead.
Say ‘hi’ to mom... I should have told them that I love them!
She berated herself. But the past was gone and could not be redone. Shelley eventually fell into a troubled sleep. Eventually, all the other people at the Ren fell asleep as well. Some of them slept fitfully, others more deeply. But every one of them went to sleep with the knowledge that the life that they were used to was gone and might never be back. Tomorrow, and the future, was unknown.
Shelley woke up once in the middle of the night. Without moving, she opened her eyes. She could see Claire on her own cot, outlined by the moonlight shining in through the high window. The older woman’s body shook as she silently wept. Shelley felt for the heartbroken woman. She knew there wasn’t much she could do though, so she let Claire grieve. Sleep claimed her again shortly after.
Chapter Twenty-five
Sophie
October 28, 12:15 P.M.
Sophie looked back at the bus. She could see the people on the bus staring back at her. Everyone looked scared. Sophie was scared too.
“Let’s go babe. Fuck those guys.” Dean had already rounded the corner and called back to her.
With a heavy sigh she turned from the bus and followed Dean. Her boyfriend had entered the nearest front yard and was rooting around the shrubs.
“Where the fu – Oh. Here it is!” With a grin he brandished the heavy table leg he had tossed into the yard earlier. When they heard the vehicle and ran for salvation. When they hoped that, just maybe, things would be ok.
Dean’s smile dropped when he saw Sophie’s sad face. He quickly left the yard and wrapped his girlfriend in a hug.
“Hey. It’s O.K. We’ll be ok, baby.”
Sophie couldn’t keep the tears back. “But you heard what they said. There is no cure!” She said between sobs.
“Well maybe they’re wrong. They don’t know that! They’re just soldiers!” He held her quietly for a moment as she continued to cry.
“Hey. I’m not feeling bad. I can hardly feel it. ... Are you feeling worse?”
Sophie nodded affirmatively into his chest.
“Hey.” He said as he held her at arms length so he could meet her eyes. “You trust me, right?”
Sophie nodded.
“You know that I will protect you, right? I’m not going to let anybody hurt you!”
Sophie was regaining her composure now and nodded again. She had seen Dean take out several silent screamers first-hand.
Sophie had coined that moniker when she got her first good look at some of them. She had heard all kinds of names thrown around on social media; Infected, zombies, undead... To Sophie they looked like they were perpetually screaming, without the accompanying sound – so to her they were silent screamers.
“Ok. So, we go with our original plan.” He smiled at her. “Hey. It’s probably for the best that we couldn’t go with those folks, anyway. I’m sure Sam will know what to do.”
Sophie blinked the last tears out of her eyes and pulled an arm free to wipe her cheeks.
“Ok.”
“There’s a good girl.” He smiled. Then hesitated as he looked over her shoulder. A determined frown replaced his smile.
“Get behind me.” Was all he said. Sophie knew exactly what was happening. It wasn’t the first time today.
Dean rolled his shoulders once and stepped past Sophie.
One of the silent screamers was less than half a block away, just coming up to the intersection
