Children of the After: The Complete Series: A Young Adult Postapocalyptic Action and Adventure series (31 page)

Turning, she led her companions out of the silo and to the one directly across the clearing where her people had gathered, giving the humans some space. There were nineteen of her people here. Though mostly men, there were two women, a teenage girl, and a young pair of twins, one a boy and the other a girl. They had started off at nearly two hundred several months ago, but now were down to nineteen. It was a sad reality, but out of her own group, Tammy was the only survivor so far as she knew.

Approaching the door on the silo, Tammy knocked respectfully and waited for the door to be opened from within. Only a moment passed and one of the women opened the door, permitting them to enter with a greeting. Though there had been several conversations held in the silo when they stood outside the door, entering the place, it grew silent. Looking to her friends, she watched them enter nervously behind her. None of them was in danger here, but it was a curious thing, bringing aliens from another planet into the place you were calling home. She supposed the feeling was probably mutual on both sides. Turning to the room, she sought out the face of Photus and greeted him, telling him that her friends had hoped to find company and share food in her native tongue. Immediately the conversations in the room picked up once more as people began pulling out what stores they had. It was not long before several cots were stretched out to serve as a long table, and everyone sat around them on the ground, eating what everyone had to share. It seemed her people had made good use of the corn contained in some of the silos to produce small cake-like breads and even a drink that was both bitter and sweet. To that they added meat from the crows they often hunted, and Tammy could tell that Will was enjoying it more than the others. Her human friends donated some pickles and pickled eggs, but it wasn’t until Jack turned to her that she realized there was still much to be said.

“Tammy,” Jack began. “How technologically advanced are your people, compared to ours? You’ve read encyclopedias, do your people have a lot of technology?”

“We do,” Tammy replied. “I suppose technologically, our cultures are very similar. We had pocket-sized communication devices, automobiles, satellites, aircraft, and lots of other things that would be comparable to yours. We used different power sources and fuels than you do, and I admit that our designs are far different than yours, but all in all I would think our civilizations about equal in that respect.”

“What about in other ways?” Jack questioned further.

“Our planet was failing. Every year it grew further from our sun and we were suffering. Our crops struggled to produce and our herds starved. Many people were starving too. As malnourished as we were, there weren’t many babies being born. Our scientists sought a means to find a new home or save the one we had, but they sort of all knew that it was coming to an end.”

“And then you were abducted?”

“Yeah. I was actually born on one of the ships that brought us here. It was a long journey, but I have heard a lot about our home.”

“It’s sad you never saw your home, but maybe better that you never saw it like this,” Jack said, gesturing to everything around him.

Tammy thought about it a moment and decided that she wasn’t certain. Truth be told, she was a person without a world to call home. She had spent infinite more time on Earth than her own planet, so it was just as much if not more her home than where her parents were born. Either way, she left Jack’s declaration unanswered.

Jack pondered Tammy’s description of her people late into the night, even long after returning to the silo where he and his siblings were lent a place to rest. Sleeping most of the day, he found he was not tired now, and instead of sleeping, laid awake listening as both Will and Sam fell asleep. It had become evident early on during their meal that all of Tammy’s people thought them to be the foretold saviors of their religious prophecy, but Jack was still more or less uncomfortable with it. Abilities or not, he had never thought of life as a straight line. If choices and decisions didn’t mean anything, then what was the point? If their lives and purposes were predetermined, then it really didn’t matter what they did… did it? He could practice his so-called ability or not and it wouldn’t change a thing if it was already decided. He could stay here or lead his siblings away from the religious people that he was somehow destined to save and just keep running like they had originally planned. Either way, if it was destined to happen, he would find himself at some predetermined point in time at a predetermined place to perform a predetermined action, whether he liked it or not. Staring up into the black depths that was the silo’s interior, Jack felt just as empty as it was. He didn’t like looking at life that way. For a long time he pondered what he thought was an unfair aspect to life until he realized something he hadn’t thought of before. What if life wasn’t so much about how and when, but more about who and why?

Even if everything in life was predetermined, maybe that wasn’t what mattered. Maybe it was about the people close to him and the connections and relationships he had with them, and why he decided to do things as opposed to what things he would do. He knew that at least for now his purpose, and the only thing he wanted to do, was keep his family safe. He loved them and they were all he had aside from Tammy. If the four of them were to stay together, then
that
was what was important. It didn’t matter
if
he took up this prophesied quest to save the people if it was already determined, it mattered
why
he chose either to do it or not to do it. Jack knew in that instant that he would do it. Not just for Tammy’s people’s belief, but because it was the right thing to do. If it could end the invasion, then it was the only way his siblings could have a semi-normal life again. That was what was important. It wasn’t about fate or destiny or becoming a hero or even glory. It was about love. In order to give not only his family, but every family on earth a chance, he had to do his best to be one of the star children. He had to take it seriously and carefully weigh out the decisions presented to him and how they might affect not just him, but the future of his family and friends.

It was a lot to take on, a big burden to bear in the dark confines of the silo, but Jack knew it was the right thing to do. Dad had told him once that the right thing was always worth doing, though seldom the easiest. He wished Dad was here now. They had butted heads enough times in the past, but Dad always had the answer, always knew what to do.

Rising from his cot, Jack carefully crept to the door and unlatched it. Slowly pulling it open, he slipped through and out into the night beyond. Turning, he secured the door closed once more before walking out and away from the silos to look up at the sky. With only a few wispy clouds it was mostly clear, and in a world filled with darkness he could see more stars than he ever fathomed before. When he was little he had often wondered if anyone was out there looking back, but that question, it seemed, had been answered all too completely. It was odd that in his current predicament, on a world where alien races had for some reason or another congregated, it still felt so empty and he, alone.

Finding a tree stump to rest against, Jack sat in the grass, letting his head fall back to again reveal the stars above. Brushing something with his hand, he picked it up, revealing a long black feather. It was then, when appraising the feather, that he noticed movement between the silos. Straining his eyes to see better, he rose quickly, staying low as to not be spotted himself, and crept back towards the deeper darkness between the metal structures.

Crouching and moving, almost on all fours, he silently stalked the shadow moving in the darkness until he could make it out better. Peering through the black veil of night, he could see that it walked upright, and moved cautiously, towards the silo where both Sam and Will slept. Fearing the worst, Jack sprang to action, sprinting ahead. Hearing his sudden movement, the figure turned around as he lunged, wrapping his arms around it and dragging it to the ground with a thud. Twisting and wrestling against him, the figure fought him but in seconds he had it pinned to the ground beneath him, each of its wrists in one of his hands.

With his heart pounding and a surge of adrenaline in his veins he grinned mockingly at the figure beneath him as his eyes focused.

“Easy there, Jack. I like you and all, but there are nicer ways to get a girl alone,” Tammy teased him from the ground. “I had hoped you might be awake so we could talk.”

* * * * *

Although Tammy couldn’t see his face very well in the dark, she assumed he was blushing when he quickly released her and practically jumped to his feet. Taking his offered hand, she was pulled back to her own feet and quickly brushed herself off. He did the same before reaching down to retrieve something from the ground and she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“That looks like it will be perfect,” she said.

“What, this?” he asked, holding up the feather.

“Yeah. I’ve been talking to my people and they want to help however they can. They’ve offered supplies, or even to travel with us when we leave. But they also said they would help you as best as they were able to train you to use your abilities.”

“Train how?” Jack asked.

“Well, a good start would be to see if you could lift that feather with your mind. If you can throw a man, then that should be easy enough.”

“But I don’t know how I did it,” Jack replied.

“Then I guess we’ll just have to figure it out,” Tammy said, trying to be encouraging.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s find a place where we can see a little better, and we’ll work it out together.”

“OK,” Jack said, turning to walk back the way he had come.

Tammy followed him out across the grass to a large stump. There were thick roots thrusting up from the ground in all directions, hindering the growth of the grass, and so the ground was quite clear. Seating herself beside Jack, she plucked the feather from his hand and placed it on the stump.

“Now try and move it,” she said, turning her eyes to his.

She watched on for a moment as he seemed to focus, but the feather refused to budge. His expression changed then and he leaned forward as if really concentrating, and closing his eyes he held his breath and strained his muscles. Tammy watched as his body actually began shaking but still the feather remained untouched. After a few seconds more Jack stopped and took a deep breath.

“It doesn’t work.”

“Guess you’ll have to try a different approach then,” Tammy suggested.

“Like what? Blow on it?”

“No. Instead of trying to make it move, maybe close your eyes and imagine that it is moving.”

Again Jack closed his eyes and Tammy took turns looking at him and then the feather, but after several minutes nothing was happening yet again. It seemed this was going to be harder than she thought. The first time he had used his ability had been by both necessity and by reaction alone. He hadn’t planned to invoke the power, it had just happened. Maybe the trick was not thinking about it at all. Then again, maybe it was the scenario. He had used his power to protect her, maybe he just needed the right motivation.

“This isn’t working either,” she finally told Jack.

Standing up, Tammy had a plan. If it worked, great. If not, then she would likely have a headache and some scratches. Either way, she had to try.

“You go over there,” Tammy said, pointing a short distance off and watched as Jack complied.

Stepping up onto the stump, Tammy looked all about its base for the softest looking area and stepped to the edge, turning her back towards it.

“Jack. I’m about to fall backwards and bang my head on these roots and probably be covered in bruises unless you can stop me from falling.”

Without delay, Tammy leaned back past the point of no return and began flailing her arms as she toppled over backwards. Down she fell, gaining momentum, though she managed to hold in a scream that sought escape.  Everything moved in slow motion, but even so it seemed he would not catch her in time. With light exploding before her eyes, her head slammed into the knobby roots as promised as she bounced off the ground, pain erupting in several different locations. As she hit, however, she thought that for just an instant she felt a tug, though couldn’t be sure.

Reaching up to feel the back of her head, she found no blood and slowly rose to a sitting position. Jack was already at her side and helped her back to her feet.

“Are you OK?” he asked. “That was crazy. You know I don’t know how to do it, why put yourself at risk like that?”

Stepping forward, Tammy wrapped her arms about him. Hugging him close, she felt his arms return the gesture before she again pushed herself away.

“OK. Go back. Let’s try again,” Tammy ordered.

“I can’t do it, Tammy, stop hurting yourself!” Jack demanded.

“You
can
do it. I’ve seen you do it. And you will do it.”

“Let’s try a different way, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Then catch me,” Tammy said, as she climbed back atop the stump. “Now go back to where you were,” she pointed.

It took him a moment to give in, but reluctantly Jack walked back a distance into the night and turned to watch on. Rubbing her sore elbow and shoulder, Tammy stepped back to the edge and turned around. Without warning she again leaned back as her toes lifted off the surface of the wood. Over she fell and down she came, flailing her arms again, fighting the urge to catch herself. For an instant she could feel his power, like gravity had been suspended, but her momentum was too great and his reaction too late and she slammed to the ground as the air rushed from her lungs.

Coughing, Tammy rolled and pulled herself up to all fours. Keeping her jaw clenched and eyes closed tight, she fought the urge to cry with the pain that came from falling. Rising, she turned a determined face to Jack, pointing him back the way had had just run. Again, Tammy climbed atop the stump.

“Tammy, please don’t do this.”

“Too late,” Tammy replied and turned her back to the edge again.

Tammy leaned.

“No!” Jack yelled and Tammy was thrust forward back onto her feet.

She leaned back again, this time faster.

“No, Tammy! Stop!” Jack yelled.

Tammy thrust herself backwards and felt Jack push back. It wasn’t enough to stop her fall, but she hit the ground lightly, slowly, as Jack laughed in disbelief. Laying on her back amidst the roots, Tammy smiled into the night sky. Together they could do this. Together they could save them all.

As Jack’s grinning face blocked out the sky above her, she couldn’t help but smile bigger and reach out to take his hands. Back on her feet she hugged him again, and then again she pointed him away.

“Tammy, c’mon. That’s enough for tonight. Look at your arms, they’re all scraped up.”

“So don’t let me fall.”

Tammy turned and approached the tree trunk. Lifting her leg she found it sore, but worked through the pain and pushed herself to climb it yet again. Reaching the top she stood and walked to the edge. Suddenly, as if falling, but not, she was jerked off the top of the stump and flung through the air to halt so suddenly her teeth rattled, just inches away from Jack. Though he smiled, she could see that he shook from the effort as she was slowly lowered to the ground.

“Is that enough?” Jack asked, panting.

“Yup. That’ll do it.”

* * * * *

Sam reached up to brush something away from her nose and smacked herself so hard she awoke with a start, looking this way and that as if attacked in her sleep. Hearing several snickers, she sat up to find Jack just a few feet away covering his mouth. Knowing if looks could kill that he’d be dead, she could see no reason for him to be grinning between his fingers. At least until the feather brushed across her cheek and up her left nostril.

“Cut it out, Will!” Sam nearly shouted, turning to find nothing but empty space behind her.

As if carried upon invisible wind, a black feather floated out of the air above and hovered just a few feet in front of Sam. Looking from the feather to Jack and back again, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Had he already learned to use his ability? How could he have possibly figured it out already? He was barely a C student. It didn’t matter. If he had figured out his ability, then she could figure out hers. It was just too early to be happy about anything yet.

Reaching out Sam plucked the feather out of the air and felt as all the hair on her head suddenly stood up.

“OK, showoff. I get it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool and everything, but did you really have to wake me up?”

“Who else was I gonna show off to? I needed someone to share it with.”