I took as much time as possible drying myself off and putting pyjamas on. Having something physical to do meant not focusing on the memory of Connie disappearing into the forest. I was exhausted, but there was no way I could go to bed, I simply wouldn’t sleep. The door to Connie’s bedroom was attracting my attention, as if she might still be there, but I did my best to resist the quiet urge to enter. I was tidying things in the living room and then went into the kitchen–where have the landlords been, anyway?–to make myself a cup of tea I felt no desire whatsoever to drink. But it warmed me up at least.
I was still half expecting it all to be just a bad dream I was about to wake up from. My mind kept turning back to the news talking about a highly infectious virus, and Connie’s illness. When I had connected these two things in my mind, I felt a stab of fear for the first time. But that had nothing on the conversation in which my daughter admitted to her involvement in The Collective. I remembered their video very well. Even back then I’d known that we would hear from them again. Now my fears had become reality, and I couldn’t believe that Connie could have anything to do with them! My only daughter… Infected, dying… This couldn’t be real!
I’d run out of ways to keep myself busy, and the immense wave of thoughts was hurling my way. I didn’t even realise what I was doing and my hand was on the door handle. I opened the door, entered the bedroom where Connie used to sleep, and turned a lamp on.
My eyes immediately went to her suitcase. Until this morning it had been shoved under the bed and as far as I knew, she didn’t need to reach for it at all, because soon after our arrival at the farm she’d become bedridden. She hadn’t even changed pyjamas. Now the suitcase was lying open in front of the bed and its contents, previously carefully organised, were lying in it in complete disarray. Was she looking for something before she’d left the farm? But then I noticed the letter.
There was a thick white envelope lying on the bed, its colour blending in with the sheets. It had no name or address, but I assumed it was for me. Was this supposed to be a goodbye? My throat tightened.
I didn’t know if I had the strength to read whatever my daughter wrote me. But that didn’t mean much, since I also didn’t have the will not to read it. I opened the unsealed envelope, took out several sheets of paper and, to my surprise, two heavy brass keys. I dropped them onto the bed and focused on Connie’s letter.
Dad,
I never imagined that we would be separated, at least not for long. I thought, actually I took it for granted, that we’d spend our whole lives together. The last few years were tough, my cancer and surgery, Lewis’ accident and the way it paralysed you, it was a lot to deal with. It was hard, but we were together and always managed one way or the other.
Obviously, everyone has to die eventually, but us? I assumed that was a very distant future. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think that our time together would amount to just a few weeks.
The events taking place in the world right now have very little and yet, everything, to do with me. By the time I got swept up in it, all the steps had been planned out and things were already in motion. I was just a pawn in a huge game of chess that The Collective, a sister of the Animals and Environment Protection Association, was playing. They would have been just fine without me, but when I’d found out all the details of their plan, I had to join.
It sounds pretty unbelievable, but The Collective had decided to get rid of all human population, so that people couldn’t keep hurting anybody. Everything in me was fighting against it, and yet I couldn’t help but agree–we both know that there has been more than enough suffering already! But not everyone was supposed to die. A representative of The Collective had assured me that they would spare some people, those who are worthy of a second chance. So no wonder that you and Ruby made it on their list. And that’s where I came in, because my part was to ensure your safety.
I’d been comforting myself with the fact that the world–the whole planet, just imagine!–will emerge from the plague in absolute peace, and that you and Ruby will be allowed to survive to see it. I had to make sure that nothing goes wrong, and that you two are as safe as possible.
I need you to follow my instructions like your and Ruby’s lives depend on it. After everything I’d been through in The Collective, I couldn’t bear it if your chances of survival were threatened in any way.
The Collective has set up a shelter for the survivors to wait out the chaos, panic and looting caused by the infection. Your shelter is on a farm owned by people called Darlene and Hugh, and as far as I know, they have no idea it’s there. It’s a remodelled basement with a secret entrance–you’ll find it behind a bookcase in the living room. You just have to move the bottom panel and you’ll see an entrance to a short corridor.
What…? I stared unblinkingly at the letter in my shaking hand.
You’ll have everything you need to survive there. Water, food, all kinds of provisions. There is a calendar on the wall right next to the entrance, it’ll show you the day when it’s safe to leave the shelter. All I know about the virus is that it’s lethal and that nobody without a vaccine will escape
