Uprising (2 page)

“Well son, we are at war. We need all the help we can get. Ya’ll come on in, now,” he said as he got up and waved for us to follow him inside.

It was blazing hot in the cabin. Not because lack of A/C but because of the unnecessary roaring fire in the fireplace in the middle of the day. The sun was actually shining here too making it a beautiful and warm day.

The other two men and one woman were sitting at the kitchen table right in the middle of the main room. They didn’t seem alarmed at our presence either. The woman was reading a book and the men were playing chess. From my point of view there wasn’t a TV or radio or anything else electronic in the place. The only light was the windows and an oil lamp on the table.

“Maggie, Frank, Simon. These here folks are here to ask for our help in the resistance,” Pap said as he went over to sit in the rocker by the fire.

The one Pap pointed to as Simon comes over to hug Merrick. He has a pile of dark red curly hair and a huge scar across his face, that’s about all I see as I look away trying not to be rude. I understand that this is traditional between Keepers to hug brotherly with fist pounding backs but everyone else kinda looks a little weary at it. I remember that they don’t know Merrick is a Keeper. Then Simon walks back over to resume his game, wordlessly.

I lean over to whisper to Cain.

“Uh...What’s with all this resistance talk?”

“Just let him go with it. And he’ll pretend that he’s helping you instead of the other way around. Just get used to it. These type of people have too much pride to accept charity from strangers,” he whispers as I nod my understanding.

“So Simon is your Keeper?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t talk much and his body is sixty years old or so I think, so he’s kinda sluggish,” he said and winked. “He’s withdrawn. I haven’t really needed him much since he’s been here. I think he feels useless.”

He leans forwards and speaks louder to Maggie.

“Mrs. Maggie, this is Sherry and Merrick,” Cain told her and she rose from her chair.

“Well! Goodness gracious! I am so happy to see there is another woman in this world that ain’t a zombie!” She cackled. “I was beginning to think I was the only one left wit’ sense. Come on in here and sit yorselves down. I’ll make you up some sweet tea.”

“Maggie. You know good and well, she ain’t the only woman left in the world now. Don’t go exaggerating. Exaggerating is just lying’s ugly cousin, now,” Pap said as we followed Cain to sit on the couch.

“Now, Pap! I never said she was the only woman left in the world. I said the only one left wit’ sense. Don’t go puttin’ words in my mouth you old grump. And exaggerating ain’t nobody’s cousin. You call lying was it is...old coot...dang it all... always trying to...” She kept going even as Pap started his own rant back at her as she began to make the tea.

It was a battle of wits and volume and it was slightly hilarious and took all I had not to laugh out loud.

Cain leaned over and rolled his eyes, yelling over them about how they always do this and just ignore them. That they’d been married for 53 years and this was nothing new.

I wondered if they were his grandparents. I also thought his statement must be true because the other two men kept on playing chess as if nothing was going on at all.

We drank our extremely strong and sweet but delicious iced tea and chatted back and forth with introductions and intentions. And I finally got a really good look at Cain as he went to stoke the not needed fire.

He was nice looking. Very nice looking. His hair was brown and seriously short. His eyes were blue green, like seawater. He looked very much like he was maybe ex military.

He was built very nice under his tan ‘Got Coffee?’ t-shirt and blue jeans. I’m sure that the shirt is his work uniform. I didn’t see Cain as the funny t-shirt kinda guy. And I was thrilled that I hadn’t even noticed how hot he was until now. Not even when he kissed me.

I wanted to tell Merrick “See! A hot guy kissed me and I didn’t even care because I love you so much!” But then I remembered that probably wasn’t a very good idea seeing as how I did want Merrick to like Cain.

As stupid as Cain’s kissing diversion was I understand he was trying to keep me and him safe and under the radar. The other guy would’ve asked me what I was doing in their stock room. I get it. But I still didn’t like it. However, Cain had been nothing was polite in a very natural easy way every sense.

As we talked and it began to get darker, I felt I could hold off no longer on telling them that Merrick was a Keeper, as well as my husband, especially with their whole honesty and lies and cousins bit from before.

So, I gradually and casually listed the Specials in our group and their gifts, which they knew nothing about the gifts and were very intrigued, and then I listed the Keepers.

When I said Merrick’s name last Cain’s eyes went wide for a second and then adjusted, but it took the rest of them a minute to catch up. I just smile, nod and hug Merrick’s arm like I always do and wait for the downpour of negativity pointed right at us.

Oddly enough, I could see the recognition show on their faces but no one says anything until Maggie.

“Honey, I completely understand. Anymore you have to look elsewhere’s for a good man. God knows all the men left here on this earth, present company excluded, ain’t worth the price of a wooden nickel in a lumber yard.”

A slight pause, then I burst out laughing, my hand over my mouth to try to stifle it, followed by everyone else. I love this woman!

They all agree that we need to stay together, so they go and pack their things. Merrick tells them they only need to bring one vehicle, as we already don’t know where we are gonna put them all if this keeps up. They pile, arguing loudly about who’s going to sit where, into Cain’s Dakota and we’re off.

They follow us through the hills and out of the outskirts of town. They brought most of their supplies with them. Food and tools and a whole mess of shotguns, bless them.

Cain said he never stopped working at the coffee shop this whole time since the invasion. He has a familiar face to the town and must be immune to the Lighters speak because he’s been forced to listen to it daily at the shop and never fallen under the spell.

He said he watched as people’s eyes literally glazed over and that was it for them. After that it was ‘Keepers are evil’ and ‘Crandle will save us’. I remember that I never got a chance to talk to him about Crandle. I have a suspicion he is the Taker I saw that day.

He was certain, as he’d been doing it for months, that he could start doing the grocery shopping for us if we wanted him to. He could make up some story and was pretty sure they’d buy it as to why he needed so much. That is until the need warehouses, which per Cain would be in about two months. After that came to be, we were all up the creek without a paddle.

Jeff and Miguel are pulling in behind the store just as we are from the store and supply run and to our surprise, they have someone with them too.

A gorgeous little girl, looks to be about three or four years old. The blondest hair in ratty pigtails and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Her baby blue dress was torn on the bottom hem and her white shoes were scuffed and dirty, one sock pulled up higher than the other. She’s clinging to Miguel’s leg and has a doll in her hand with a missing leg.

My heart immediately jumps and I run over to see what in the world is going on as Merrick starts the introductions with Jeff and the rest.

“Hey, Miguel. Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend?” I say as I squat down in front of them to be eye level with the disheveled cutie.

“Sure, Sherry. This is Lily. Lily, this is Sherry. This is the nice lady I was telling you about.”

I look up at Miguel and see that he has a very strange expression. Something I don’t know him well enough to read yet.

“Well. Lily. Gosh, that’s a pretty name. How old are you?”

“Free,” she whispers as she tries to lift three fingers together, having to hold down two of them with her other hand, almost dropping her doll in the process.

“Three! Wow! Big girl. What’s her name?” I point to the mangled doll.

“Miwey. Miwey cuz of my Sister wuvs Miwey Cywus...She watches her on...on...TV. She use to,” she stammers through her explanation.

“I know who Miley is. That is very neat. Um... Lily? Do you think you might wanna come inside with me and get some milk? Maybe we’ll ask Mrs. Trudy about putting some chocolate in it too. That’s my favorite. What do you think? You wanna come with me?”

She looked up at Miguel and he nodded and smiled. She reluctantly let go and grabbed my pinkie and ring finger from my outstretched hand in her little grasp, all the while looking back at Miguel to make sure it was still ok.

I look back too and he looks at me with that same look as before and mouths “later” to me as I nod and head inside.

Later that night after everyone was getting situated and introductions had been done, Lily had her milk in the kitchen with Mrs. Trudy. Trudy was in a upheaval of emotions over the little girl. First she look excited, then distressed as she accessed the little girl’s appearance. Then changed to intrigued at possibilities, then flabbergasted as to what we were going to do with her.

I peeked out in the commons room and saw that everyone was already loving the new people.

Pap and Maggie are a big hit and everyone is rolling laughing at something one of them has said. I can already hear them start to bicker back and forth. I laugh to myself at the amount of entertainment we’ll no doubt gain from those two.

Simon and Max are already hunkered down in a corner, telling Keeper stories no doubt. They seem to be the more serious Keepers of the bunch.

Then I hear Merrick calling my name in my mind, then Jeff. I found him and Jeff both talking to Miguel and Cain by the stairs.

“Hey, Sherry. I hear ya’ll had an exciting day,” Jeff said but he sounded so drained and upset, not like Jeff.

“Yeah we did. From the looks of it you guys did too. What happened? You both look terrible. Are you alright?” I say, glancing them over.

“We’re fine,” Miguel said and Jeff said, “We’re ok.” Both answered at the same time. Then Jeff again, “Don’t worry about us, Sherry. We’re fine.”

“What’s up with the little girl?”

“Sherry. I’m not sure I want to tell you. It was pretty...” he swallowed, “...awful.” Jeff looked at me with such a look I knew I better take his word on it.

“Ok. Don’t tell me, then. So, she was alone?”

“No. Not alone. She was with... The Lighters can’t control babies and small children so...the humans were using her as a fetch girl. Getting them drinks and food from the kitchen, cleaning up their messes. That’s all I’m gonna say about it. Miguel snatched her up and we ran out of there. We did manage to get the food first though.”

I tried to keep my expression under control. A ‘fetch girl’? Cleaning? What the heck was that? She was only three years old.

“What happened to her parents?” I asked but regretting it as soon as I say it.

Sherry...don’t. You don’t want to know this.

Merrick warned me in my mind and I knew that he had seen what Jeff was referring to in his head and knew I would want no part in knowing about it.

“Those were her parents, Sherry. She had a sister too but...” Jeff stopped and him and Miguel both winced, then Jeff changed the subject. “And the worst part is, she’s a Special. I have no idea where her Keeper is.”

Jeff stopped and blew an exasperated breath. I think that they must not have seen much human suffering either as Keepers. Always looking after their charges. Miguel stepped in to finish the explanation.

“She was eating out of the trash behind the boozer, the uh club, in town near the grocery. When we found her, she looked worse for wear so I asked her where her parents were and she told me they were out having a blue.”

I’d learned from previous conversations with Miguel that a blue meant fight. He continued.

“Anyway. She was so dirty and alone in the alley and there were dead rats and... She said she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday so we-”

“Ok. Ok. You’re right. Don’t tell me more. So she’s gonna stay here with us right? There’s nothing else to do. We can handle this. We can handle a little girl. She is awfully adorable...” I shake my head and clear my throat. “So. Anyway, I see you’ve met Cain. He’s pretty useful with all his knowledge of the way things are now. The town and things like that. He works at the coffee shop. This here is the guy you need to speak to.” I said, mock punching Jeff in the chest. “Jeff’s our main brain in this joint.”

I was trying in vain to steady my voice, thinking about the little girl...and what would make them wince about her sister. No! Stop thinking about it.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Cain, maybe you can tell everyone later of some of the things going on that we might need to know about. Fill us in on the way things work now. Some of us have been locked up down here for quite a while and no idea what’s going on anymore,” Jeff asked.

“Yeah, sure. No problem. Um...Sherry? Could I talk to you a minute?” Cain said, immediately grabbing my elbow and pulling me away before I can even answer.