The World That Remains (Evergreen Book 2) Page 8

  Grace followed, still chatting about her choice of job. The most sciency thing likely to exist in Evergreen would be either learning medicine from the doctors, working with the farm administrator like a botanist, or trying to learn solar panel stuff and electrician skills. However, the electrical stuff required a certain amount of ‘getting dirty’ hands on that she didn’t seem too keen on.

  Heh. Still a bit of princess in there after all.

  “Hey,” said Harper, upon reaching Mila.

  The nine-year-old looked up, her long, stark black hair draped over half her face. She elevated paleness to an art form, having even less color than Madison. Not that Harper could criticize anyone for being pale. Someone at the quartermaster’s had a dark sense of humor as they’d given Mila a cute black jumper dress with a pleated skirt and a little white cartoon skull on the chest. Then again, knowing this kid, she probably chose it herself.

  “I’m glad the Shadow Man didn’t take your sister,” said Mila in a toneless voice.

  “Thanks. I am, too.”

  Mila stared blankly at her for a few seconds. “You don’t really believe me. You’re just saying that to make me feel better. I suppose I should thank you. But, the Shadow Man is real. You’ll believe me when he takes someone, then it will be too late to be sorry.”

  “Whoa, umm…” Grace gave Harper side eye. “What happened to this poor kid?”

  “Where’d you get the talking Barbie doll?” asked Mila.

  “Mila,” said Harper. “There’s no need to be nasty.”

  “I’ll apologize when she says she’s sorry for calling me nuts. And before you say she didn’t, she implied it.”

  Grace lowered herself to sit on the grass. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to call you nuts, just… you saw some bad stuff. You’re hurt.”

  “Sorry for calling you Barbie. It doesn’t bother me to be alone. You don’t need to sit with me out of pity. You’re in danger if you stay close anyway.”

  “From what?” Harper remained on her feet, thinking she’d probably get in trouble for appearing too relaxed while on duty.

  “The Shadow Man,” said Mila matter-of-factly. “He’s coming.”

  “What’s a shadow man?” asked Grace.

  “A man. But he’s made out of shadows.” Mila’s stare said ‘duh, what else would he be.’

  Jonathan jogged over. “Hey, Mila.”

  “Hi.”

  He sat close to her, observed her for a moment, then traced a finger across her forehead, gathering her hair off her face.

  She furrowed her brows. “What did you do that for?”

  “It was over your eye.”

  “So?” asked Mila.

  “It looked annoying.” Jonathan’s hair had gotten a bit long, almost to his shoulders. “I hate it when it’s in my eyes.”

  Mila picked at a small hole in her black leggings that exposed a spot of pale skin the size of a thumbnail. “I won’t see the Shadow Man when he comes for me anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

  This poor kid. Maybe I should talk to her parents. Harper couldn’t remember if the girl still had parents or if she’d come in as an orphan. She’d have to check with Anne-Marie to figure out where the kid lived. Even though she most likely stayed in the area around the old golf course, Harper hadn’t seen her much while patrolling.

  “Carry a light then.” Jonathan gestured as if turning a flashlight on. “Light kills shadows.”

  Mila didn’t appear impressed. Something in the distance drew her attention. “Ugh. Why are more people coming? This is the exact opposite of being alone.”

  Everyone—except Mila who already faced toward the crowd—turned to look. Zach the hockey captain and one other boy, also in a varsity jacket, walked toward them. Harper shrugged the Mossberg off her shoulder and held it sideways in a ready posture, hoping to appear unapproachable. Undeterred, the boys walked up to them. Both ignored the kids, mostly focusing on Harper.

  “Hi, I’m Zach. Don’t think we’ve met, but I couldn’t help but notice you checking me out.”

  She forced herself to make eye contact, something Cliff had been trying to coach her with. If she kept looking down all the time, people would walk all over her. “We haven’t, and I wasn’t. I have to watch everyone.”

  “Ouch.” The unknown player smiled at Grace. “Hey. Where ya been?”

  “Around. Dealing with stuff.”

  Sensing the disinterested tone in her voice, he leaned back and regarded her. “Nice dress. Which designer is that? Walmart Dior?”

  “Go to hell, Kirk.” Grace rolled her eyes.

  “We did that already.” He frowned.

  “It won’t matter. We’re all going to be dead soon anyway,” said Mila.

  “Whoa. What’s her damage?” asked Kirk.

  Mila stared at him. “When the Shadow Man comes for me, no one will hear me die. But, when it’s your turn, you’re going to scream and wet your pants.”

  “Aww,” whispered Harper. She crouched beside Mila. “I’m not going to let him get you.”

  “Evergreen’s nice,” said Jonathan. “It’s not hell.”

  “I meant in general, not this town specifically.” Kirk stuffed his hands in his pockets. “The whole world went to hell.”

  “The heck is he doing here?” Zach gestured at the boy. “You come to check out what your country did to us?”

  Harper lunged to her feet and got in Zach’s face. “What did you say?”

  Jonathan scrambled around to hide behind her.

  “Oh. My. God. Zach,” blurted Grace. “I knew you were a douche, but had no idea you’re a racist, too.”

  Harper peeled her glare off Zach to look at her. “Is everyone on that team a jackass?”

  “No just the inner circle.” Grace sighed.

  “I’m not racist.” Zach held up his hands. “Just saying, the damn Koreans attacked us.”

  Furious, Harper leaned toward him, despite being eye-level with his chin. “Did he attack us? He’s ten, he’s not Korean, and I’ve had enough of people being shitty to him. He’s my brother!”

  Zach grimaced. “Sorry. Didn’t know.”

  She glared at him a moment longer, grabbed Jonathan’s hand, and stormed off, pulling him after her. He hadn’t quite started shaking, but the fear in his eyes couldn’t have been more obvious. His parents had been killed by rioters for ‘looking Korean.’ Worse even than his being Chinese—not Korean—no one really knew which country had been responsible for the nukes that fell on the US. The news had been complaining about North Korea all the time in the months before the strike, but it had sounded like more of the same… some unstable dictator running off at the mouth. Not even Harper’s father had believed he’d do anything significant. Dad didn’t even believe North Korea even had operational nukes.

  Ugh. What is wrong with people? The world’s been burnt to a cinder.

  “Assholes,” she muttered.

  “Damn,” said Kirk, some distance behind her. “Crash and burn, dude.”

  “Hey!” said Mila.

  Worried the idiots might be messing with the girl, Harper stopped and looked back—but relaxed at the sight of Grace carrying Mila over to where she stood. The small gloom queen folded her arms and scowled, looking way too much like a grumpy housecat carried against her will, but offered no real protest to being relocated.

  “Sorry about those guys,” said Grace upon reaching Harper and Jonathan. “I know I’m not really one to say this, but they’re not used to living in the real world.”

  “They ruined my perfectly quiet Sanctuary of Isolation,” said Mila. “Now I have to find a new one.”

  “You don’t have to be alone,” said Jonathan, offering a hopeful smile.

  Grace set Mila down. “Well, that was about the most disastrous attempt to ask someone out I’ve ever seen. I don’t think he’s going to bother you again.”

  “The Shadow Man is going to come for me, and he’ll kill everyone nearby.” Mila gazed off into nowhere.


  Harper bit her lip. I really need to bring this poor kid to see Tegan.

  “I’ve got a flashlight.” Jonathan stood tall. “I’m not scared of shadows. I won’t let him get you.”

  “Kid…” Grace crouched, face to face with Mila. “If the next words out of your mouth are ‘you should be,’ I’m going to legit conduct an exorcism on you.”

  Mila stuck out her tongue.

  8

  One More Time

  Once the sun started to weaken in the sky, Anne-Marie Kirby announced the communal dinner event over.

  She and her small staff, plus a few militia including Cliff, got to work breaking down the tables and folding chairs up. Children ran to their parents or caretakers with varying degrees of reluctance at having to go home. Madison and Becca stood about twenty yards away from Harper, Grace, and Mila, talking.

  Harper looked around for Lorelei, but couldn’t find the tiny platinum-haired sprite. Her heart raced with worry. All the talk of shadow men, mountain lions, and possibly someone watching children filled her head with tragic thoughts.

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Huh?” asked Grace. “Something wrong?”

  “Lori!” shouted Harper.

  A brunette girl of around fifteen who’d arrived with the hockey players looked over at her. “What?”

  “Sorry. Not you.” Harper let the shotgun hang on its strap and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Lorelei!?”

  “Lore!” yelled Jonathan. “Where are you?”

  The din of collapsing tables and conversation faded as everyone in the area started looking around.

  “Lorelei!” bellowed Cliff from across the field. “Where’d you get off to?”

  Harper’s hands shook. She advanced into the crowd, looking left and right. Seconds before total panic set in, a tiny, “Here!” rang out from the north.

  Lorelei emerged from behind a tree about 200 feet away, adjacent to the dirt road separating the ‘farm proper’ from the still-open field of Elk Meadow Park. Grinning and laughing, she raced over to Cliff, hugged him, then continued the rest of the way to Harper.

  “There’s rabbits over there! They’re so little and fuzzy!”

  Harper about melted into a puddle. Am I paranoid, over-cautious, or should I be wound this tight?

  “We found a big cat carrier in one of the houses.” Jonathan looked up. “We could put Lorelei in it so she stops wandering off.”

  Madison giggled.

  “No,” said Harper. “Don’t put your sister in a cage.”

  “She’d probably think it’s hilarious.” Madison smirked.

  Harper sighed. Yeah, she would.

  Becca walked off, heading for her parents. Madison followed. The two girls stood together, talking for a few minutes, neither in any hurry to go anywhere.

  “C’mon, Maddie. Time to go home,” said Cliff.

  Madison looked back with a desperate expression, but kept on talking until Becca’s parents called their daughter away. When the girl reluctantly walked off after them, Madison trudged over to Harper, head down and crying.

  “Hey, Termite.” Harper put an arm around her. “It’s okay. Just bedtime. You’ll see her again tomorrow.”

  “I know.” Madison sniffled.

  “You had fun playing soccer though, right?”

  “Yeah. The older kids aren’t that good. They couldn’t catch us. We won seven to two.”

  “Ouch,” said Jonathan. “You owned them.”

  Harper whistled. “Wow, seven points in one game?”

  “Yeah, seriously.” Madison nodded. “They didn’t even try to pass. And every time the ball got anywhere close to Christopher, he tripped over it and ate grass.”

  Talking soccer on the walk back home appeared to improve Madison’s spirits. Harper couldn’t quite shake the worry that something might be out there posing a threat, so she kept her attention mostly on their surroundings until they arrived at the house and went inside.

  No house in the ‘officially re-settled’ areas of Evergreen had working locks—at least the ones that had been abandoned by former residents during the evacuation—as they’d all been removed to allow new people to claim them. The majority had deadbolts at least, so once someone had gone inside, they had a little security. Another relic from days gone by had returned, a town where almost no one locked their doors.

  However, tonight, Harper wanted to flip the deadbolt… as soon as Cliff got back.

  Being sent home with the kids, ostensibly as their guardian, bothered her as much as it relieved her. Whether or not anyone on the militia from her fellow ‘soldiers’ to Walter the boss intended to go easy on her for being young, they certainly seemed to. On one hand, she liked being able to personally watch over Madison and the other two, and didn’t mind the safety of it. Of course, if anyone would ever take her seriously as a member of the militia, she shouldn’t appear too happy to be coddled. Though, actual complaining could wait a few years until Madison had more of a chance to defend herself should something happen.

  All three kids piled into the bathroom to brush their teeth. Harper paced around the living room, still holding the shotgun. Lorelei vanishing for those few minutes had her on edge and seriously contemplating giving the kid a bracelet with bells on it. Not for a minute did she believe in Mila’s shadow person, but a mountain lion had gotten in and killed a cow. Or at least, everyone believed a mountain lion had done it.

  Jonathan and Lorelei exited the bathroom together. He went to his bedroom, the smallest of the three, which the prior owner of this place had used for a little computer room. Lorelei, trying to pull her dress off and run at the same time, crashed into the wall and bounced to a seat on the floor, laughing. A few minutes later, the girls emerged having changed into their night clothes, and flopped on the living room floor to pass the almost-hour they had left until it became too dark to see.

  At first, Harper figured Madison had to use the toilet, but after a few more minutes and no sign of her, she grew worried. She slung the Mossberg over her shoulder—since leaving it in the room with kids still didn’t feel right—and went down the hall, knocking lightly when she reached the bathroom door.

  “Maddie? You okay?”

  Quiet crying from inside made her open the door and peer in.

  Madison did sit on the toilet, though fully dressed and with the lid closed, a foamy toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth. From the look of her, she’d been crying fairly hard since her siblings left the room, trying like hell to stay quiet.

  “What’s wrong?” Harper went in, pulling the door closed behind her. “Maddie? C’mon, Termite. Talk to me.”

  She looked up with a ‘leave me alone’ glare, but it melted away into an expression like an abandoned kitten. Harper took the washcloth off the tub edge and dabbed toothpaste from her sister’s face.

  “Did something happen?”

  “Nmm.” Madison plucked the toothbrush from her mouth. “No.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Madison stared at her, open-mouthed for a few seconds. “What’s wrong? What isn’t wrong? Mom and Dad are dead. People stole our house, all our stuff. I miss Eva and Melissa, and Mrs. Lopez’ dance class. I don’t even know if any of them are still alive. Our whole lives are gone, and everyone’s just pretending it’s all fine and we’re okay. But we’re not okay.” Her voice blurred with tears. “I’m not okay.”

  “Oh, Termite…” Harper sank to kneel beside the toilet and pulled her sister into a hug.

  “I’m not okay,” whispered Madison, before bursting into silent sobs.

  Overwhelmed with a sudden spike of loss for her parents and friends, Harper cried, too.

  After a moment, the Mossberg wobbled from Madison tugging at it. “You’re carrying a gun around all the time, and it’s like totally normal. No one’s even yelled at you. I hate that you had to shoot people. You can’t even kill bugs, and you’ve shot people.”

  Harper squeezed her, shuddering with guilt and grief.
“Those weren’t really people, Termite. Just bad guys from a horrible video game who wanted to hurt you.”

  “Becca is just ignoring it all happened. She won’t even talk about Eva or Melissa. Whenever I say anything about them, she just says ‘I dunno’ and talks about something else. I hate not knowing what happened to my friends.”

  Harper leaned back from the hug to look into her eyes. “We stayed home for two months. Almost everyone evacuated, thinking more bombs could fall. No one wanted to be in a big city. They probably left with everyone else.”

  “I miss Mom so much.” Madison’s face warped with grief as she struggled to keep talking past her tears. “I just want her to take me to Starbucks one more time. Or yell at me for having music on too loud just once more. I want her to yell at me that I’m gonna be late for gymnastics just one more time. I want…” She buried her face in Harper’s shoulder and bawled. “Mom and Dad aren’t gonna call me. I’m never gonna talk to them again.”

  Everything Harper thought to say sounded lame, so she just rocked her and rubbed her back, muttering ‘I miss them too’ or ‘yeah’ or ‘it’s okay to cry’ randomly. A creak near the door suggested either Jonathan or Lorelei came to see what all the crying was about, but crept back to the living room without intruding.

  Probably Jonathan. Lorelei would’ve run in and tried to cheer us up.

  Eventually, Madison cried herself out to silence, but kept clinging.

  A few minutes later, the whump of the front door closing announced Cliff’s return.

  Madison finally released her hug, head down as if ashamed of herself. “I’m just so bored. There’s nothing to do here.”

  That seemed a rather superficial thing to complain about, but her sister’s tone of voice gave away some unspoken meaning, so Harper said, “I miss video games, too,” hoping to pull more information out of her.

  “It’s not just that.” Madison wiped her eyes. “We were always rushing around, trying not to be late for soccer or dance class or whatever. This place is so slow. It’s weird not always feeling like Mom’s gonna be mad at me for not moving fast enough. And…” Fresh tears ran down her cheeks. “I was always busy or in the car going somewhere. Now, I’m just here with nothing to do and it makes me think about Mom.”