~ ~ ~ ~
The first residents of Sundown to come out to meet us were those on guard duty. Then more people started to file out and press against the makeshift barricade; men and women, children and the elderly. Some faces I recognized and some I didn’t.
Eventually, the crowd stopped growing and a sinking realization swept over me. There couldn’t be more than a hundred people standing there, and somehow I knew this was all that was left of Sundown. They had been more than cut in half. I parked the truck along the side of an old, half-collapsed semi-trailer and killed the engine.
Marley rushed out of the truck to quickly disappear in the throng but Joss and I took our time, the apprehension obvious in both of us. I stared into a sea of unwashed and tired faces and had more than a few frowns returned my way. I decided it best to stay by the truck till either Vanessa or Clive came to escort us. We didn’t have to wait long.
The town-folk parted as Clive made his way through. He was loud and abrasive, but he had been the closest thing to a friend that I had here. As soon as he broke through the last line of people, he swept his arms out in a huge arc and beamed a smile at me.
“Ali!” Clive bellowed, loud enough to make me wince. I figured he was pretty confident there were no freaks around. “You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes.”
I summoned a smile, finally gaining the courage to step away from the protection of the Murano. Joss followed, glued to my side. “It’s good to see you, Clive.”
His smile didn’t hide the sadness in his eyes. Our audience made the conversation awkward. Everyone was so intent on the new arrivals to their little town. Clive shifted uncomfortably and glanced over his shoulder at everyone watching. “We’ve been through a rough patch lately.”
I cocked an eyebrow, staring up at him incredulously. His head bowed as he lost his bluster to the weariness and grief. He mumbled almost to himself, “Obviously.”
“Got a place we can talk?” I whispered, finally giving in to my nervousness.
Clive shook his head as if coming out of a trance. “Of course, of course.” He grumbled as he turned back toward the crowd. “Follow me.”
Joss grasped my hand tightly as I followed after Clive. The crowd parted for us, and as we entered the small sea of bodies, my pulse started to race. None of the looks we were getting were reassuring.
Midway through the crowd, a small voice spoke up. “Is she one of them?”
It may have come from a child or young woman, I wasn’t sure. I could only sense curiosity in the voice. There was no malice or hostility. Clive paused to look back at me, and I could tell he was stumbling for words. He shrugged apologetically. “I didn’t know you’d come back.”
I took a deep breath and pulled Joss close to me. Taking a huge risk, I answered the small voice. “Yes, I’m immune.”
A hand reached out to Joss then, old and wrinkled. I turned quickly to block but saw there was no need. The look in the old woman’s eyes was imploring as she stared up at Joss. “You too, boy?”
I wanted to answer for him and say no, but I knew his eyes marked him. He swallowed nervously as he nodded.
The old woman reached out to me then, grasping my arm tight enough to hurt. Tears were welling in her eyes and her voice was shaky when she spoke. “Will you help us then? The fire took everything. They burned it all and left us with nothing. It’s like the end all over again.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and I stared at the old woman in astonishment. This was not the reaction I had expected. Again, I looked at the faces that were surrounding me. They were wounded and beaten, struggling to survive in a world that no longer wanted them.
But there was no hostility. No malice. A lump formed in my throat.
I turned back to the old woman just as Marley materialized out of the crowd and pulled her from us. I swallowed the lump down and spoke, hoping it was loud enough to carry. “Yes, we’ll help.”
It was as if everyone exhaled at once, releasing the pent-up breath they had all been holding. It occurred to me then that if they needed me so badly, that this Nic was no longer around.
Clive’s heavy hand patted me on the back, and I looked up into his weak smile. He tilted his head for me to follow, and the crowd began to disperse around us. It seemed they had gotten the answer they wanted.
I was shaking by the time Clive led us into an old travel trailer, one of the few structures that looked to be in use. I would have rather taken on a mob of freaks than deal with a crowd like that again.
Clive’s big body crumbled down onto the built-in couch and he rubbed his face with his big hands. “Thank God you’re here, Ali. You couldn’t have come back at a better time.”
“What the hell happened?” I asked, leaning against the wall as Joss went to peer out the window at the people milling about.
“Jerald.” Clive said simply, unable to meet my gaze. Judging by the evidence around us, his story was going to be a difficult one to tell. Joss came to stand beside me, his fidgety movements giving away how nervous he was. He wasn’t willing to take even a few steps away from me. I could understand that. I offered a small smile, hoping to give him some reassurance. He returned it but was still turning back to the window occasionally to peer at the people beyond.
“I don’t get people, Ali.” Clive finally stated, turning his grey eyes up to meet mine at last. “We had a good thing going with Sundown. A real good thing. We had a shot to make it last for a long time.”
“It’s not over. We can help you rebuild.”
“And that’s appreciated.” Clive cut me off. “But did you see those people out there? They’re broken. In a way, what Jerald did was worse than when the plague hit. Seeing the evil inside someone, to see the dark side of someone’s soul… Witnessing that has stolen their faith and their hope.”
“You have to tell me what happened, Clive. Vanessa filled me in on some of it. I know about Nic. Tell me about him.”
Clive winced, the despair in his voice sinking into his posture and he slumped forward. “Poor Nic. Do you know what Jerald was before the plague?”
I shook my head as Clive briefly glanced up at me. He continued. “He was a preacher. A man of God. Somewhere along the way, the good word got twisted in his mind and you became a demon to him. It’s hard to argue against Revelations right now and he had you pegged as one of the horsemen. Disease. He thought you started it all.”
My eyes widened in shock and my voice escaped me. Clive caught a glimpse of my face and gave a wry chuckle, devoid of mirth.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe. No one was buying into it at first, and he wasn’t pressing the subject. It wasn’t until Nic stepped up did he turn into a zealot, screeching his bullshit to anyone who would listen. He gained a few followers, maybe twenty or so. I thought they were annoying but harmless. I should have paid more attention.
“He was constantly saying we needed to banish the devil from our midst or God would never be with us again. Three days ago, he took matters into his own hands and decided to purify our town. Gabriella, that little engineer graduate, you remember her?”
Still unable to find my voice, I nodded.
“She went over to his side. We didn’t know it then, but she had laced our whole town square with explosives. First thing I heard that morning were the screams. Won’t ever forget walking outside to see Nic crucified in the middle of the square and a bonfire lit beneath him.”
Clive choked up and I felt the lump return to my throat. Joss gave me a horrified look but any ability for me to give him comfort was gone. My heartbeat sped up as the feeling of safety drained away.
“Jerald’s followers had him surrounded, protecting the sacrifice from being saved by us non-believers. We couldn’t even get close. They’d doused him with some old fuel and he was being eaten alive by the flames.
“We don’t have much ammo left to spread around, so what bullets we have left are precious. Everyone knows to only use them in dire emergencies. Sean Porter did the r
ight thing when he put a bullet through Nic’s head. There was no saving him, we all knew that. He just put the poor man out of his misery.” Clive sighed, shaking his head.
Joss had clutched on to me, and I wrapped my arm around him. I wanted to ask Clive what all this meant for us, but he went on before I had the chance to form the words. “I don’t know how they had originally planned to set off those explosives, but I don’t think what happened next was what they had intended. Sean’s next bullet took Jerald in the shoulder. The third hit what was left of the fuel tank they’d used on Nic. That caused the chain reaction.
“It was chaos by that point. Some had run, others were grabbing weapons. We had Jerald’s men circled around the bonfire when I ran inside to grab my shotgun. That’s when the first explosion went off. Best I can tell, the fuel leak from the tank had spread the fire to the fuse, or whatever Gabby had concocted. That blast took out Jerald, his followers and most of the men and women that were keeping them at bay. We lost Sean in that blast. I would have been gone too if I hadn’t went back for my gun.
“The fire just kept spreading, setting off more explosions every now and then. We had no way of knowing what all Gabby had trapped, and we weren’t safe. We evacuated everything we could here. Figured it was the best place for now but we need to find a better solution soon. The nights haven’t gotten below freezing yet but that doesn’t mean another cold snap isn’t on the way.”
“Jesus, Clive,” I groaned, slumping against the wall as he finished his story. “Are we even safe here?” I glanced out the window at the camp. It was obvious the people out there were desperate for help, but I didn’t want to share Nic’s fate.
Clive grunted before he responded. “I never thought we needed to be afraid of our neighbors. I never thought they were capable of doing something like that. The best answer I can give you is that none of those folks out there harbored any ill will against Nic. All of Jerald’s followers are gone. We just need the help now.”
I looked to Joss, seeing fear in his eyes. Outside, I had promised them help but that help could mean dropping off what supplies I had left in my truck and hitting the road. I wouldn’t force Joss to be here against his will.
Then I watched as the fear dissipated from his eyes and was replaced with concern and determination.
“We can help, right?” He asked, and in that moment, his intentions became clear to me. Despite my own hesitation, I smiled at him and nodded.
Turning back to Clive, I asked. “Where do we start?”
~ ~ ~ ~
Widespread release of After – the complete Book One of The Phoenix Curse
will be available in February 2015!
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About The Author
Debra R. Johnson was born July 20th, 1976 in Oklahoma. She lived the first 30 years of her life there before moving to the Dallas Metroplex. She currently resides in Grand Prairie, Texas. Reading has been a passion of hers from a very young age, her favorite authors include Stephen King, R. A. Salvatore, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin.
Debra has three children. Her eldest son is a musically gifted genius. Her daughter is as equally gifted with her inspirational stories, and her youngest son of two is mastering the art of walking, talking, and using the big boy potty. Debra is married to a wonderfully supportive and loving husband.
They also have two carpet whales that some people would call cats.
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