Uprising (3 page)

“Sure.” He drags me to the corner of the commons room. “What is it?” I ask, wanting to push his hand off but he looks so serious I can’t seem to be too agitated.

“Well. I wanted to make sure you were ok with everything. With me. About earlier, I’m sorry. I really thought it would work and it did work but, I would have never kissed you had I known you were married.”

I give him an amused look.

“Cain. It’s fine, really. We’re alive, that’s what’s important right? I promise. No harm done.”

“Ok. Good. Well, there’s more. Um...about that little girl, I know the people who had her. Her parents. I’ve seen them come into the store with her before and believe me, she looks way cleaner and less...um...bruised now than she usually does.”

“What?” I say but the tears in my throat choke out the force behind the effort.

I glance over to see Merrick looking at me, checking to see why I seem to be so agitated so I just send him a reassuring smile, half hearted.

“Yeah. And there’s still more. The people they’re with are big Crandle supporters. Like rally starting, hideout burning, resistance killing kinda people. You better hope that they didn’t recognize your guys or follow them. It would be very, very bad, for all of us.”

“Ok. I can’t believe this. Who would-” I grab my chest and blow out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll let them know to be on the lookout. And hey...thanks. For coming with us, and for saving me back there,” I say and roll my eyes at him to show I’m joking as I go on. “As awkward as it was, thanks. I know you meant well.”

“Anytime. I mean...no problem, Sherry.” He says looking bashful, making me want to laugh in spite of myself. “Really. Now let’s go tell your boys that they better watch their backs next time they head into town.”

The Lily of the Valley

Now these days. It’s all about Lily. That little girl is toted, tickled, carried piggyback and any other way she’d prefer, bathed, entertained, kissed, played with, sang to, fed and cooked for, and any which way you put it, it’s all about Lily. Spoiled rotten by the underground resistance non-conformists misfit gophers.

I admit that she is the most precious thing I’ve seen since My Little Pony. But we can’t hardly even get any work done down here anymore for people wanting to cater to that sweet little face and her every whim.

Trudy has taken the grandmother role and she’s serious about it. You must go through Trudy before you interfere in any way with that child. It’s absurdly hilarious!

Lily does like me an awful lot though. I’m just likeable I guess though I never seemed to be that way before. Pre-apocalypse I was an invisible unlikable heap of a mess. Post-apocalypse everyone wants to be my new friend...or date me, whatever. It’s a switch, but it’s growing on me.

We give everyone a couple days to cool off and settle in and then we call the meeting. Lily and I had been pretty much inseparable unless Trudy or someone else was trying to tote her off. She was a talkative little thing and very smart and articulate for her age.

We settle down for the meeting with Cain. The most fascinating thing to the Keepers is that Cain is a Special, but yet he is working everyday and yet has had no run-ins or problems because of it. Lighters can sense Specials when they are near them and spend a great deal of time to find them so for Cain to be immune to the Lighter speak and be undetectable is a big deal, though they have absolutely no idea why he would be that way.

Lily sits in my lap during the meeting with Cain, as he explains all about the world today. I can’t help but touch and braid her hair. So soft and sweet smelling.

I was never much for dolls growing up and even if I had been, mom wouldn’t have allowed that one. Barbie was a political conformist with an unhealthy body image. You know.

“Shawwy?” Lily says as she always says my name. “I wish my hair was bwown wike yours. Den we’d match and you could be my new mommy.”

Somehow, even though there was talking going on everyone heard her comment and stopped what they were doing to stare at the innocent girl who spoke her mind so freely. My heart wrenched and twisted in my chest. Then she hugged me as she spoke.

“Maybe you could be my mommy, you do things wit me. My wast mommy didn’t do things wit me.”

I could feel her need to feel real love pouring out of her, begging. I couldn’t help myself, wedged in between the couch arm and Trudy, with Lily facing me on my lap and no where to go with my heart breaking for her. I started to cry. Right there in front of everyone.

I hated it, because I could see everyone else wanted to break down the same as me but her comment hadn’t been directed at them, and a few understand that I’ll never had kids of my own, because I’m sterile. I’ll never hear that word ‘mommy’ for myself.

I could feel Trudy’s hand on my back and Merrick’s thoughtful eyes on me as Lily spoke again.

“Shawwy. Why are you cwying? I cwy when I’m sad, when mommy leaves me alone.”

Again with the gut wrenching. So painful. The audacity of people to have children then treat them this way!

“Lily,” I spoke though my tears, as Danny handed me a tissue and some of the others began to simulate a sense of business so as not to stare. “I’m sorry that your momma did that to you. That was wrong of her. But you’re safe now. Me and Jeff, Trudy, Miguel, Merrick. We won’t let them hurt you anymore, ok?”

“Is dat why your cwying? Are you scarwed of dem, Shawwy?”

“No, I’m not scared of them,” I said through my sniffles. “It’ll be ok. We’ve got a lot of big strong men down here to keep us safe. Look. You see Mr. Cain’s muscles?” I pointed and he made a show of playfully flexing his arms and making faces at her which she laughed whole heartedly at. “See? You’ll be safe. Don’t worry about those people anymore, ok?”

“Ok, Shawwy. I’ll tell Miley not to be scarwed too.”

“Ok. That’s a good idea.” And she yawned and leaned her head against my chest as thankfully, Jeff and Cain started the meeting again.

All I could do the rest of the meeting, was lean back with her and try not to cry anymore.

Jeff thought it best to give Lily his room, the one next to mine and Merrick’s so he moved down to the new hall and showed all the newbie’s where everything was down some of the new ‘tunnel halls’ as they were affectionately called.

I tucked Lily in to her new room as she continued to yawn. I wasn’t sure she’d even sleep in her own room by herself, but tonight she didn’t put up a fight at all as she seemed exhausted and fell right out. The first night here she slept in Trudy’s arms on the couch and the next night my arms on the same couch with Merrick at my feet.

We decided to try it and it worked so we turned in too, cracking her door and watching for a few minutes like two worried parents of a newborn. It was fantastical. So this was what it was like to be a mommy. Somewhat. A glimpse. And it was wonderful.

Merrick didn’t speak as we laid down to sleep. I knew what he was thinking but he knew I didn’t want to talk about it. Nothing to talk about really. I’ll never have kids and that was that.

He just laid behind me and feathered reassuring kisses over my neck and shoulder as his arms circled me. I was entirely grateful to him for being so perceptive and understanding of what I needed. And as his warmth surrounded me I drifted into a sound sleep.

The morning was strange. Everything seemed to be blue. No walls, no floor. Like a cloud or water. Baby blue. And it was so quiet. Too quiet.

I looked over and Merrick wasn’t there. In fact. I’m not even in our room. I’m outside on the grass and there’s sunshine and clouds all around me. But the grass is green and all the grass I’ve seen is dead now.

I’m wearing some kinda odd off white silky nightgown down to my ankles and my hair is braided over my shoulder. As I look around I see someone coming. Merrick?

No.

But someone handsome and wearing a white button up shirt with tan khakis and no shoes.

He’s somewhat tan and his smile is blinding. His short dark brown hair is spiked to the side stylishly and his green eyes are piercing. The closer he gets I realize he looks familiar to me but can’t place him. He reminds me of a movie I saw when I was younger and I thought the man would be my dream husband one day.

And then I see Calvin come out from behind him with a gleaming smile and bouncing around happily. They sit in front of me on the grass.

“Hello, Sherry,” the man says deeply as he plucks absently at blades of grass, his long legs stretched out beside me.

Up close I see Calvin’s hair is combed neatly too and he is looking at me expectantly. Oh right. I’m supposed to say something.

“Hi. Who are you? Calvin? What’s going on?”

“Who I am is not important, Sherry. Calvin is here. He is important to you, no?”

“Yes, of course he is.”

“I’m here to show you what it can be, Sherry. What you can have. Do you find me attractive?”

“What?”

What the...?

“I know that you do. And Calvin? Do you not love him, as a son?”

“Of course I love him, but what does this have to do with anything?”

“I want to show you your life. With me,” he says, then little Lily pops out of nowhere from behind him and jumps in my lap.

“Pwease Shawwy! Say yes!” Lily squeals wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Say yes to what, Lily?”

“To our new life, Sherry,” the stranger answers for her. “You can be the mother you always dreamed of and be somewhat of a queen as well. A leader. Come. Take my hand. Be with me. With us. Be a mate to me, mother to the children and inspiration to the world. I can always be this to you, Sherry, look this way if you so chose it. This can be your fantasy come true. Come,” he pleads and extends his hand to me.

For the moment, I ignore it but...

He is so soothing and everything is so calm and the blue everywhere seems to flex and swirl around me like wind but I can see it. The swirls and lines in the air.

Calvin and Lily look happy and excited and I’m tempted by this mans offer for a split moment but then remember where I’ve seen him, though his appearance has been modified some to seem less abrasive.

I gasp and as soon as I do it all turns black and the wind whips, blowing my hair around my face. Everything is black. The sky, the grass, him and the children. Everything. Nothing.

The Taker is in my head yet again and this must be another dream. It’s not real, Sherry, I think to myself as I stare at blank darkness. Then he appears before me out of nowhere, inches from my face, back to his longer black haired, harsh and choppy, black eyed Lighter self.

“Awww. Sherry. Why oh why must you fight me, love?” he says, very deep and seductive.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you. I know all about you. You and your Keeper lover. The children and all the others in your safe home. Trying to pull the wool over my eyes. If it’s power you want, Sherry, I can give it. If it’s children you want, we can have them. If it’s love you want,” he says as he shifts so fast I don’t even see him move. He sweeps my hair across my shoulder and he licks my neck from behind as I cringe. “I can give you more than you can handle. Come to me, Sherry. Be with me and let the children live a life more than starving underground, waiting for death.”

“What are you talking about? Why do you want me?”

“Calvin is very Special. And Lily is too. They are both vital to my life force. Pure. Peaceful. Lily with her spirit of peace through tribulation. Oh I know she’s young but she’s been through hell. And Calvin’s spirit of thoughtfulness and unselfishness. Both so pure, innocent. And you, my dear. You tie us all together. You have a spirit of love and forgiveness. You forgive under any circumstance. You’ve even forgiven Phillip. Yes, yes. I know all about it. And you love everyone and everyone can’t help but love you. Just like your Keeper,” he said as he snarled the last word like it was a cuss. “I need you, Sherry. To complete my mission.”

“That’s a pretty lame pick up line...Taker,” I said carefully, trying to show him I can stand up to him but not anger him.

“Ah. So you are aware of me. I wasn’t sure you remembered me from the store that day. If I had realized who you actually were, and not just an extremely intriguing beautiful human woman, I would have snatched you then. Why don’t we go with the pleasantries and you call me Crandle. Hmm?”

He continued to circle around me. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even see our feet or feel anything but the black wind around us and his gaze that never left my face. I see his body is about thirty or so.

“Whatever you say. This isn’t real anyway. Just a dream that I wish I could wake up from.”

“No, it is not a dream. This is a visit, of sorts. A visit to your subconscious. It’s easier to come to you when you’re asleep but you’re not dreaming. And I’m afraid this is all very real.” He comes back around to face me, closely and speaks with a low voice. “You see. I am drawn to you, as everyone else is by your love and affection.” He grabs my hips and rubs his hands up and down in a slow exploration. He moves closer. I can feel his breath on my neck as he sniffs my hair, but I can’t move. Physically, I can’t move. “Even your Keeper mate is so drawn he came to earth to find you. How sickening sweet. But he can’t give you what I can. He’s weak. It’s time to stop playing around and get serious, Sherry. You’ve seen what I can do. You’ve seen what I can make. I can always be the image of the man I was before in your eyes, if you prefer that. The handsome groomed gentleman you find so appealing from your memories. Like your Merrick or Matt I should say,” he says glancing at the scar on my arm and it starts to glow red. “I want you and you will come to me and bring the children. This is no coincidence, Sherry. This was meant to be. Come to me and let’s be together. I can fulfill every wildest fantasy.”