Buried in Sunshine (23 page)

“I’ll do it for you,” Emma says as she slowly
raises her head.

“Do it for you,” Elizabeth says as she
smiles.

“You’re stronger,” Emma says as she notices the
change in Elizabeth’s personality. “You are more confident
now.”

“Anything I am,” Elizabeth whispers as she
kisses Emma on her cheek. “It is by your grace that I have
strength.”

Justine pops her head into the room. “I hate to
be a bother, but there is something really strange noises coming
from downstairs.”

“We’re finished,” Elizabeth says as she
nods.

“Where can I find Alexis?”

“She’s very angry—she’s going through the same
realizations as you are. I would imagine that you should look where
your anger would lead you…”

“Come with me?”

“This house is my place,” Elizabeth says as she
looks out the window. “Don’t worry about me, Alexis can’t hurt
me—not as long as I remain in this room.”

“If I pinch one of you,” Justine chimes in as
she looks at the unusual pair. “Do you both feel it?”

“Doesn’t work like that,” Elizabeth says as she
shakes her head and widens her eyes as though she is confused by
Justine’s curiosity. “You’re taking this extremely well.”

“I’ve seen stranger,” Justine says as she nods.
“We won’t get into that though.”

“Be back here on the sixth day,” Justine says as
she smiles at Emma and places her hand around the glass sun charm.
“Bring the others, if you can.”

“I will, take care.”

“You too…”

Emma looks back once and shuts the door to the
attic room behind her as she leaves.

“Does this really mean we only have a few days
left before the earth is destroyed?” Justine asks as she follows
Emma down the stairs.

“Wait…what?” Ethan adds.

“I don’t know,” Emma responds as she follows the
strange grinding noise coming from the bottom of the stairs.

“What the hell is that sound?” Ethan adds. “End
of the world?”

“It’s a lot to explain,” Emma says as she
continues her descent. “I’ll fill you in later.”

As the three reach the bottom of the stairs, the
floor begins to tremble beneath their feet. To Emma it is like one
of her nightmares. She begins to head for the door; cracks in the
wooden floor beneath her appear and spread out like branches of a
winter tree. Ethan trips and stumbles to the ground.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Ethan says as
he gets back up to his feet and turns to look at the destruction
behind him.

“The floor is breaking away,” Emma says as the
group huddles in the hallway by the front door. The red walls
around her begin to crack, pictures of Emma and her mother come
crashing down to the ground. The old phone falls to the floor and
breaks into pieces.

“Is this an earthquake?” Justine asks.

“I’m going to wake up at some point here right?”
Ethan adds.

The rumbling stops and the floor groans one last
time as all the pieces have fallen into place. A makeshift,
meandering, staircase made of platforms of broken wood lead down
into the basement.

“That is strangely convenient,” Justine says as
she marvels at the way that each platform is perfectly spread out.
“Instant basement access…?”

A knock on the door catches Emma’s attention as
she turns away from the strange sight and places her hand upon the
door. She begins to wonder if perhaps it is the police, coming to
do some investigation in the house—she wonders how she will explain
what exactly just happened here. As the second rapping comes at the
door, Emma opens it up.

“And now there’s a little version of you,”
Justine says as plainly as though she had half expected it.

“Hope…” Emma says as she kneels down and places
her arms around the small girl.

“It’s not time to go down…” Hope says softly as
she places her arms around Emma. “Not yet.”

“Okay,” Emma says as she follows the girl
outside. Justine and Ethan follow closely behind, each dividing
their attention on the strange sights both in and out of the
house.

“Thank you for bringing Elizabeth back,” Hope
says as she places her hand in Emma’s.

“I promised I would do it.”

“I knew that you were nice,” Hope says as she
leads the group away from the house.

“Is there anything that I can do for you?” Emma
asks.

Hope gestures for Emma to come close. Emma
kneels down and allows Hope to whisper something into her ear.

“Is that all?”

“That’s all…”

“I’m pretty sure we can do that,” Emma says as
she smiles and nods.

Emma leads Hope to the back of her car and helps
her in.

“You want to follow us?” Emma asks as she turns
to Ethan who is standing near his truck in a semi-state of
shock.

“What…yeah…?” Ethan says as he rubs his forehead
and climbs into the truck.

Justine climbs into the passenger side as Emma
pulls her seatbelt over her chest. Justine looks to Emma, and then
looks over the seat behind her to the small girl seated in the
back. “So it’s like I’m sitting beside you, and in front of
you.”

“Are you alright?” Emma asks as she attempts to
stifle an uncomfortable fit of laughter.

“I’m intrigued,” Justine says as she looks back
to the girl once more. “Is this the one that you see at the pier
near my apartment?”

“I have a name,” Hope objects.

“Sorry…” Justine says as she reaches a hand over
the seat. “I’m Justine; it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“I’m Hope,” the little girl says as she takes
Justine’s hand and shakes it meekly.

“So you are an artist?”

“That is very astute of you,” Justine says as
she nods. “That I am.”

“What does that mean?”

“Which part?” Justine asks.

“Astute?”

“I don’t really remember at this moment because
my mind is all…farting—it sounds nice though doesn’t it?” Justine
adds as she shrugs her shoulders.

*

Back at Justine’s apartment, Justine brings out
a small easel and a handful of paint and spreads it across a
newspaper covered floor.

“Now brush choice is important,” Justine says as
she holds out a few different sizes brushes for Hope to pick
through. “You don’t have to choose just one, but for what you want
to paint—you should choose a few that would fit.”

“So…” Ethan says as he nods his head. “So
that’s…that.”

“I’m afraid so,” Emma says as she bites her
bottom lip. “I’m going to stop it—everyone tells me that I can’t. I
believe that I can though.”

“So after tonight,” Ethan says as he lets out an
exhaustive sigh. This day has definitely taken its toll upon his
already distressed mind. “Only two days?”

“That’s what they say,” Emma says with a
nod.

“I’m staying in a hotel,” Ethan adds as he
places his hand into Emma’s. “Would you like to come and stay with
me?”

Emma looks over to Hope and Justine as they both
paint, seated on the floor and laughing. She thinks about taking up
Ethan on his offer—spending a night with him. However, something
holds her back. Although she still cares deeply for Ethan, it no
longer feels quite right. “I…I really can’t. I have to fix
things.”

“Things are different now,” Ethan says as he
looks saddened. “Things are strange now between us, aren’t
they?”

“I don’t know…” Emma says as she looks away. She
feels too many different emotions to pinpoint it to one single
one—there’s so much guilt, fear, and confusion. The uncertainty of
everything makes her feel hopeless. “Right now they are.”

“I understand,” Ethan says dejectedly. “Can I
see you again?”

“Today is Saturday isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“I’m going back to the house on Monday…the day
before…well, you know. I know that you’ve been through a lot, but I
would really like you to be there in the end. I mean, if you can.
If you don’t show up, I’ll understand completely.”

“I’ll try,” Ethan says as he embraces Emma. “I’m
sorry that things had to turn out this way.”

“So am I… I really am.”

“I’ll try and be there,” Ethan says as he places
his hand upon the door. “I don’t know if I can watch you die—I
don’t know if I can stand to see the last person I care about
leave. I suppose I’ll be dying as well, but…regardless. I don’t
know how it will end, I rather face it alone.”

“I can respect that,” Emma says calmly, her
voice shakes a little as though she is attempting to hold back a
deluge of tears that threaten to break her down. “If I don’t see
you, then I am happy we met. Regardless of what happens…”

“Same here,” Ethan says as he coldly opens up
the door and shuts it behind him.

Emma begins to weep softly as she places her
hand upon the door. Justine notices Emma’s state and gets up from
the floor.

“You just work on that tree for a moment… that
is an awesome tree.”

“Thank you,” Emma says as Justine approaches her
and places her arms around her.

“You could have gone with him,” Justine says as
she squeezes Emma tightly. “I would have been fine watching the
little you—it’s kind of like I’m babysitting you.”

Emma attempts to hide a laugh but fails due to
the absurdity of the statement. As she wipes away tears from her
eyes she replies, “I can’t… I just can’t see myself with him
anymore. With everything that has happened, I just do not feel like
I belong with him.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be forgiving
yourself?”

“I am…” Emma says as she looks at Justine
curiously.

“Well I was closer to the door—“Justine says as
she realizes she has been caught. “I couldn’t help but overhear a
few things….sorry.”

“It is fine,” Emma says as she lets out a small
laugh once more. “Thank you for letting Hope paint, and hang out
here…”

“It’s all she wanted?”

“Yeah,” Emma says as she looks to the content
little girl painting on the floor—little stains of color have
covered parts of her white dress. “I guess she just didn’t want to
be alone.”

“I feel like we should get her some pizza and
ice cream at least,” Justine says as she looks sadly at the girl.
“Maybe a pony…”

“She doesn’t eat…” Emma adds. “They don’t
eat.”

“Well nobody would eat a pony,” Justine adds
with a grin on her fox-like face. “That’s just terrible.”

“How can you joke with…all this negativity?”
Emma asks as she smiles. “I mean, I appreciate it—but, aren’t you
afraid?”

“Of course I’m afraid,” Justine says as she
watches Hope play. “I just choose to believe in a different
ending—if I’m wrong then I’m wrong. If I’m right then there was no
sense in worrying to begin with.”

“That’s a great way to look at it,” Emma says as
she shrugs her shoulders. “Wish I could be that way.”

“I’m coming by the way…”

“What do you mean?”

“On Monday,” Justine adds as her tone turns
serious. “I’ll be by your side.”

“Are you sure you want too?” Emma asks. “I have
no idea what will happen that day. It might be better if—“

“If I just waited it out here and died? That
doesn’t sound fun. I mean, mysterious staircase to the
basement—clones of yourself all together. I’m coming if you want me
to or not.”

“I appreciate it,” Emma says as she playfully
slaps Justine’s shoulder. “Besides, the more crazy we have—maybe
the better things will turn out.”

“Oh I will bring my fair share of crazy.”
Justine says as she laughs. “Count on that…”

*

“She’s out like a light,” Justine says as she
gestures to Hope who is fast asleep upon the seafoam and wood
couch. “She shows a lot of potential as an artist. I guess…you show
a lot of potential as an artist.”

Emma looks to the window and sees that last
light of the sun is fading away into darkness. “It’s good that
she’s asleep…”

“What do you mean?” Justine asks as she places
two dishes into the sink and begins to wash them.

Emma forgets that she has not informed Justine
of what happens to her clones when nightfall hits—the terrible
transformation that they make into burning ash, the pain that the
endure, and the horrible way it leaves her feeling. “You should
just look away—“

Despite Emma’s warning, Justine turns just in
time to see Hope turn into a twisting pile of burning ash. As
glowing embers float through the air, she drops a plate into the
sink, shattering it. “What happened to her?”

“I don’t know,” Emma says as she refuses to
watch the terrible sight she has seen too many times before. “They
don’t know where they go—but it scares them. They come back in the
morning.”

“You’re right, I should have looked away,”
Justine says as she stands glued to the spot and watches the final
ember disappear into thin air.

“I should have warned you earlier,” Emma
sighs.

“It’s been a hell of a day,” Justine says as she
lets out a short yawn. She then heads to the living room and picks
up a painting off the floor. She brings it into the kitchen and
tapes it to the fridge. “Is it strange that I feel like a proud
parent?”

“That is a nice tree…”

“I like that she went with a winter landscape.
Leaves are a pain in the ass to paint. Although when I asked what
all these green dots were, she said ‘fireflies.’

Emma laughs as she looks at the painting. “I was
a strange kid.”

Justine heads into her bedroom and switches on
the TV, the local news is on.

“When it gets dark, I don’t like the quiet so
much—not that you’re too quiet. I just like background noise,”
Justine says as she sits on the couch and rests her head against
the cushioning and lets out a heavy sigh. She kicks off her sandals
and rubs her bare feet with her hands. “I hate shoes…did I mention
that?”

“I don’t believe so.”

From the sound of the television Emma can make
out the news reporting stating that the excessive heat has already
caused sixteen deaths across the city—and that they advise that
everyone stay indoors until the oppressive heat wave finally comes
to an end. Emma looks out the window at the blackness beyond. She
can’t help but feel responsible.