World Memorial (15 page)

"No!" yelled Maylee, climbing the ladder as fast as she could without slipping. She reached the top of the wall, her chest pounding, and looked over the side. She braced herself for the sight of a small broken body.

At first she only saw snow, piled thick against the walls. She blinked in confusion as the wind howled in her ears. The wind was getting louder and she could hear her mom yelling from below.

Several holes were punched in the snow packed against the walls, mostly from where animals had fallen during fights with the Guard. One hole, though, was moving.

"Wait..." she said, mostly to herself.

The hole shifted further and Zach crawled out. He stood and shook snow off his coat.

Maylee breathed out and turned to look down. Mom and Dalton stood looking up at her. Mom was motioning for her to come down.

"He's okay!" Maylee yelled down at them. "He landed in a snow drift and ..."

A gust of wind hit the ladder so hard she almost fell off. She corrected herself and scanned the ground. The trees shuddered and snow flew in all directions. A storm was definitely coming.

She leaned over the side and yelled down. "Zach! Get down! I'll come get you!"

Zach either didn't hear or wasn't listening. He pulled his coat closer to him and hurried toward the trees, his little feet making tiny prints in the snow.

"Dammit, Zach!' yelled Maylee as the howling wind grew around her. "Stop!"

A second blast of wind rocked the ladder. Maylee's hands slipped and she dropped two rungs before catching herself.  Zach was almost to the trees, which were shaking furiously.

"Shit shit shit!" yelled Maylee, climbing down as fast as she could.

* * *

Angie and Dalton stepped up as Maylee reached the bottom of the ladder. The wind roared around them.

"What happened?" yelled Angie.

"He hit a snow bank," Maylee answered, turning to run. Angie knew she was headed for the town square, for the gate. "He's okay."

Angie grabbed Maylee and pulled her back. Maylee turned to face her, frustrated confusion in her eyes.

"We've got to get inside!" yelled Angie.

Wind whipped overhead, rattling the makeshift buildings and sending snow flying. Guards were running in from the town square. Townsfolk too, who were carrying tools. Dunwoody was with them. He raised a hand to Angie, signaling that the gate was fixed.

"Mom, we have to hurry!" Maylee shouted. She pulled away from Angie but didn't resume running. "We can still get him!"

"It's too late!" Angie’s voice was almost lost in the howling wind.

Maylee turned for the square. She stomped through the falling snow, spitting it from her mouth.

"Dammit Mom!" she yelled.

Angie followed, grabbing Maylee’s wrist and jerking her to a halt "Dammit Maylee!"

Maylee spun around, yanking her hand away. She looked furious. Then the look broke and sadness flooded her eyes. "But..."

Angie felt like she could cry. "I know. But we can't do anything about it."

"Shit!" yelled Maylee the snow with her boot to emphasize her words. "Shit dammit shit!"

"I know," said Angie. "Come here."

Maylee resisted but Angie hugged her anyway. Angie kept hugging until Maylee's stance softened and she hugged her back. They held the position for a moment, despite the howling wind and pelting snow. Angie heard movement to her left and looked. Elton and a small group of townsfolk were watching them. Elton shook his head. It put a bad taste in Angie's mouth.

She pulled back and looked at Maylee. "Come on, let's get inside."

* * *

Maylee stood at the open gate to World Memorial. Her binoculars were pressed to her eyes, scanning the tree line. It was morning and the world seemed almost calm. The occasional breeze reminded her otherwise.

"Are you sure?" said Mom behind her.

"Definitely," said Maylee, adjusting the focus. The snow just beyond the tree line was freshly disturbed. It looked like something small had climbed out from under it. "He must have made it to the trees and hunkered down there. I can see his footprints leading into the woods."

"He can't have gotten far," said Angie. "Not on his little legs."

"I bet I can find him," said Maylee, lowering the binoculars. She let them fall against her chest, held by the strap around her neck and turned to face Mom.

Mom shook her head. Her eyes looked tired. "We'll send some other guards."

"I'm the best of all of them."

"I don't doubt that, but you signed up to be in charge, Maylee. You have to stay and be in charge."

Maylee turned back to the trees and lifted her binoculars again. "You're just using that as an excuse to protect me."

"And why wouldn't I?"

Maylee spun back, dropping the binoculars. "Because it's embarrassing, Mom! I'm an adult and I'm telling all these people where to go and what to shoot. And oh no, wait, here comes my
mom
to make me a sandwich and tell me to be careful and..." Maylee shook her head and turned back. "Never mind. Just fuck it."

Mom sighed behind her. "Fine. You want to endanger yourself to prove something, fine."

Maylee turned back, crossing her arms. Her cheeks felt warm. "I'm sorry I said—"

"No, no, you have a point. And we need to get Zach back so Elton doesn't have any more ammo against us."

"So we both have something to prove?"

Mom sighed again. "I guess we do."

"I can be back before dark."

"You
will
be back before dark, whether you find him or not. And take someone else with you. Walsh, maybe. He's quick and eager. And stay away from any large groups of corpses."

"I think I know that."

"Well, see that you remember it."

They both looked at each other in silence for a moment. There was a sadness in Mom's eyes, but . Maylee wasn't sure why.

Finally Mom spoke. "Well, it won't be morning forever."

"Right…" She and Mom stepped back into the town. Walsh moved to shut the gate but Maylee shook her head. He stayed put.

"I'll be at the house," said Mom, then limped away, balancing on her cane. For a moment Maylee felt sad and had no idea why.

She watched her mother go for a moment then turned to face the gate. Walsh stood there, looking at her expectantly. There was no way he could have heard what she and Mom had discussed, but he no doubt knew leaving the gate open meant something was afoot.

Maylee looked at him for a moment. He wasn't the best shot in the Guard but was young and uninjured. He'd be able to keep up with the quick pace they'd need to get Zach and be back before dark.

She cleared her throat and stepped toward him.

"Hey Maylee," came Dalton's voice from her right.

Maylee stopped and turned to see Dalton emerging from between two metal structures.

"Dalton?" said Maylee, crossing her arms and frowning at him. "Shouldn't you be with the doctor?"

"Maybe," said Dalton, looking around anxiously.

"I get the feeling you're not supposed to be here."

"You're not Mom, Maylee," said Dalton, looking back at her.

"And where does she say you should be?"

Dalton ignored that. "I heard you're going to get Zach."

Maylee raised her eyebrows at him. She looked to the space he had emerged from and back at him. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Dalton pressed on. "And I heard you need help."

"I see your prying ears have served you well. Now get somewhere safe." She turned back to Walsh.

"Take me," said Dalton.

Maylee turned back. "What? Are you nuts? Are you super nuts? Are you some kind of previously unknown category of nuts?"

"Come on, Maylee..."

"Mom would kill me. And you. And she'd be right."

"What?"

"You're still a kid, Dalton."

"I'm like a year younger than he is!" said Dalton, pointing to Walsh, who looked embarrassed.

"You're
Mom's
kid. And my brother. I won't endanger you."

"Dammit, Maylee. I'm tired of sitting in that room all day. I signed up for the blood tests because I thought I could help with something. And so far, squat."

"I'm sorry if you're bored, Dalton, but no. It's not happening."

Dalton opened his mouth and shut it. He glared at Maylee for a second, then stomped away.

Maylee watched him go, sighed, then turned to Walsh. "Feel like going on a little trip?"

Park came to the top of a snow-covered hill and continued down the other side. The morning sky was clear. His back hurt from sleeping against a frozen tree. He slowly picked his way between brush and over roots. Beulah was behind him. He heard her dress sliding along the snow and twigs. They had been silent since last night. Park was still digesting what he had seen her do. And what he had heard her say.

"What makes you think I have any intention of doing it?" said Park.

"Doing what?" said Beulah. Her light footsteps were barely audible.

"Killing Angie."

"Because you were meant to," said Beulah. "Things do what they're meant to do."

"And if they don't?"

"I don't follow you, Parker."

"If they don't do what they're meant to do?"

"Don't talk nonsense, Parker," said Beulah. "Things don't
not
do what they're meant to do."

"And if they do?"

"I said don't talk nonsense." Suddenly there was a pressure in Park's mind, a pressure that said it would be easier if he stopped talking. He did, but hated doing it.

They walked along in silence for a few more moments. Park ducked around a tree and Beulah followed. He heard a distant groan on the wind and looked to see a stumbling corpse far off, a small jerking dark shape against the white snow. It was too far to bother with.

"So you say you want me to do this."

"Yes," said Beulah. "Very much."

"And you say I'm meant to do this."

"Correct," said Beulah, sounding like a proud teacher. "Very good, Parker."

"So you're saying you're in control here?"

"Not exactly," said Beulah. "It's hard to explain."

"Crazy often is."

"You don't really believe I'm crazy, Parker," said Beulah, her light footsteps softly brushing the snow. "You saw what I did with the bear and the corpse."

Park shrugged. "I've seen a lot of shit the last few years." Which was true. But he'd seen nothing like that.

"Yes you have." Beulah fell silent for a moment. Trees creaked in the wind overhead.

"Poor Parker," she finally said, her voice almost soothing. Like a mother cooing over a mildly injured child. "Both daughters dead. One shot. One eaten. The shot one died in his arms."

"You can shut the fuck up any time now."

"Died in his arms,” Beulah continued, “and yet Angela Land keeps on going. Both her kids are fine."

"Dalton got bitten," said Park. "I saw him."

"You saw him alive, too."

"I had a dream I saw him alive," Park corrected.

Beulah seemed to ignore that. She continued in the same odd, cooing voice, "Wouldn't it be poetic justice if Parker killed Angela? To show her it's not fair? To show everyone it's not fair?"

Park said nothing for several moments. He fought to ignore the thickness in his throat. "So," he said after swallowing several times. "Dalton
is
alive?"

"And well," said Beulah, dropping the cooing bit.

"How the hell is that possible?"

"Remember when I told you my sister is responsible for the corpses? And the animals? And the weather?"

"You know it," said Park. "It was riveting."

"And remember when I told you that I had a plan, a pattern to fix it?"

"You're asking me if I remember shit you said like six hours ago, lady."

"So you do?"

"Shit. Yes."

"Good, good," said Beulah. "Tell me then, are you familiar with the concept of human sacrifice?"

Park snorted into the cold air. "Is this going anywhere?"

"Are you familiar with it?"

Park stepped over a large root in the snow. "Sure. Incas and shit."

"Ah, the Incas."

"Lemme guess," said Park, adjusting the strap of his rifle, “you remember them."

"They were perhaps a little too enthusiastic, but yes. You see, life is power, Parker. And when a person's life is released like that, all at once in a concentrated, ritual way, that power can do things."

"Do things?" said Park. "Well aren't we eloquent."

"Change things," she continued, ignoring him. "Can cause things to happen that otherwise wouldn't. Are you still following?"

"Fuck help me, but yes."

"Good. You're doing very well, Parker."

"Stop it, you'll make me fucking cry."

"Oh, alright then," said Beulah. "But back to the topic. Do you know what the best kind of human sacrifice is?"

"Virgin?"

She chuckled. "Close. And a common mistake. The best kind is young. The younger the subject, the stronger the life energy."

"Fuck me lady, are you talking about killing children?"

"Well, yes, that would follow from what I'm saying.” She sounded confused.

"And are you sure
you
have to follow? As in me? As in anymore?"

"Oh yes, I have to make sure you arrive."

"So I can kill Angie?"

"Indeed."

Park kept walking. He wanted very much to be away from her. But she stayed right behind him, taking her too-light footsteps and dragging her dress along the ground.

He snorted again. "I'm surprised you don't want me to kill some kids for you instead."

"Oh no, the children are very special. They must survive."

"Do you listen to yourself when you say this crap?"

"I made the children special. Each one, I gave a gift years ago. Many when they were too young to even remember. I was a nurse at the hospital they were born in, or a substitute teacher, a babysitter, anything that could get me close enough to touch them."