“The cat-lady’s my friend,” I said. “She can smell things really good, like a real cat. So I asked her to help us look for your mom.” At this Sally focused on my face intently. I swallowed and forced myself to be calm. “We couldn’t find her. The world changed yesterday. Did you see any of the messages? The words in the air?”
Sally nodded, her expression fearful.
“Monsters used to be made up, Sally. They used to just be in stories. But now they’re real. The cat-lady smelled one outside. I’m sorry, but I think a monster took your mom.”
“Can we go find her?” said the little girl after a moment. I felt tears trying to escape. How I held them in, I’ll never know.
“I smelled blood, too, Sally,” said Danielle, her voice breaking. “I think the monster killed your mommy. I’m so sorry.”
“I want mommy,” said Billy, who’d been silent up to now.
Samantha hugged him tight. “She’s gone, Billy. We’re going to take you to town and try to find your dad for you.” She looked at me. “Sally says it doesn’t take long to drive to her Nana’s, and you have to go through town to get to her house. She probably lives on the other side of Pigeon Forge. He may head for town first.”
“Then we need to get a move on,” I said. “Can you pack them a few things?”
“Yes,” she said, voice full of sadness.
“Okay, kids,” I said. “Samantha and Mike and the cat-lady are going to help you get ready. We’ll take you to town and try to find your dad.”
Sally started crying. This made Billy start crying. Crying kids were not in my wheelhouse. I looked at Samantha helplessly.
“I know,” she said. “There’s no time. We’ll be out in a little bit.”
Tears were streaming down Danielle’s face, making barely visible tracks in the fine fur that covered her cheeks like velvet. But she got up when Samantha did, still holding Sally’s hand.
“I’ll go look around and see if I can find any family info in the other room,” I said. “Be as fast as you can, please.” Samantha nodded.
I stepped out and started rooting around in the open kitchen and living room, looking for bills or letters. Anything with something that might help find the kids’ family, if any of them were still alive. I found a few bills in a drawer addressed to “William and Mary Atchley,” and shoved one with the names and address in my pocket.
There was no bottled water, or drinks of any kind, in the kitchen, and the pantry was nearly bare. The tiny refrigerator had half a gallon of milk and some leftovers and raw vegetables that for some reason the kids hadn’t gotten into. I couldn’t bring myself to take them. It felt… ghoulish. Not wanting the kids to come out and find me tossing their house, I stopped after a few minutes. The only other thing I took was a smaller version of the family photo on the wall. It wasn’t much, but it was something for them to remember their mother.
When I stepped outside, the mood was somber. Sheila had obviously been crying. Part of me wanted to sit down and cry myself.
That poor little girl, I thought, looking at the photo in my hand.
I wasn’t sure Billy even understood what was happening, but Sally did, at least a little. And after a terrifying day alone, she couldn’t have a single hour to mourn.
“What happened?” asked Bruce, his hand on Sheila’s shoulder.
Walking over to stash the photo in my pack, I said, “We told them. Sally understands, at least a little I think. Billy just keeps asking for her. Their dad was visiting their grandmother somewhere on the other side of town.” I stood up and put on the pack. “We’ll take them with us. He’ll have to go through town to head this way. Maybe we’ll meet him or find him there.”
I walked over and inspected the wagon. It was old, but seemed to be in good shape. Giving it an experimental tug, the wheels rolled smoothly. William and Mary had taken good care of the place.
We’ll get your kids to safety, I said silently, hoping she could hear me somehow. I promise.
“The kids are too small to walk,” I said. “We’ll have to carry them or pull them in this wagon.”
“I’ll do it,” Joe said immediately.
“No,” I said. He started to argue and I cut him off. “You’re the tank, you have to stay up front. I’ll take turns with Mike. They need to be in the middle where we can protect them.”
“That makes sense,” he said reluctantly.
“You can do more for them up front, Joe,” I said quietly. He nodded.
“I’ll take turns too,” said Bruce.
“Thanks,” I replied, “But you have your own kids to watch. If it comes to that you can help, but for now we’ll try just us two.”
After ten minutes or so, Mike came out, followed by Samantha, who was carrying Billy, and Danielle, who was holding Sally’s hand. Both children were completely silent.
I’d gotten out some of the snacks I thought the kids might eat and put them in the wagon. Pointing at it, I said, “Is this your wagon, Sally?”
“It’s mine and Billy’s,” she said in a small voice. “We have to share.”
“It’s good to share,” I said. “You want to ride in it while we go look for your dad?”
She nodded.
“I put some snacks in there. Can you share them with Billy? Make sure he eats some more?” Another nod. “Thanks. You did a great job keeping him safe. You ride with him and watch him, okay?”
“Okay,” she said in that same small voice. It was heartbreaking. I felt a surge of irrational anger from somewhere.
No. It wasn’t irrational. It was completely rational.
This is happening all over the world, I thought, the anger swelling. Billions. BILLIONS dead. And more today. The world is ending and it’s not even our fault. Not nuclear war. Not global warming. This fucking SYSTEM!
Suddenly I realized that everyone was staring at me. I could feel my face frozen in a snarl of rage, and forced myself to take a deep breath.
“Sorry,” I said. “I just… It’s a lot. And it’s everywhere. I almost lost it for a second.” I took another deep breath. “I’m okay now. Let’s go.”
Danielle led Sally to the wagon and she got in carefully. Samantha deposited Billy next to her, and fussed with the snacks a bit, opening a package of crackers and loosening the top of a bottle of water for Sally.
Then we formed up, even more ragged than before, and headed down the driveway.
Chapter 18
More Than They Could Bear
Mike took the first turn pulling the wagon. As we walked, I dropped back a little bit to give Bruce and Sheila some quick tactical instructions.
“Your ability will do to you what it did to Sheila, I bet,” I told him. “So don’t use it if you’re trying to run or about to be attacked. You won’t be able to fight or even move for a few minutes.”
“Is this that Mana sick thing you talked about?” he asked.
“Yes. You heard us talking so you know as much as we do. The System is weirdly like some of our games, but there’s no predicting which game it’ll be most like for any given thing, or if it’ll just make something up.”