4.21 Uneasy Reflections

Stepping out of the taxi Emmaline scowled at her surroundings. If they had come here the year before she would have enjoyed it. Now it was a ridiculous luxury. What did she need here that she couldn't get at home? She heard the old guy who drove the taxi mutter something about teenagers. If he only knew all the things she had seen and done.

When their luggage had been unloaded Emmaline grabbed her bags and followed her mother down a path towards the water. "What's that monstrosity?" she asked pointing.

"That's our houseboat" Drew informed her "that's our house for the next couple of weeks."

"No freaking way" Emmaline dropped her bags "I'm not getting on that thing."

"Why not?" Drew asked "it's just like a house except on water."

"It's too...." she closed her mouth telling herself she wasn't in the future anymore. She didn't have to fear mutant attacks or needing to live behind fortified walls.

"It's too what? Open?" Drew asked giving her a flabbergasted look.

"I know I'm not there anymore," Emmaline cried "I can't change how I think about things."

"I don't expect you to," Drew said quietly "I thought" she bit her lip deciding on a different route "tell me what you see?"

"I see a trap" Emmaline looked at her surroundings "it's too isolated. If we get over run by a horde of mutants there's no other viable hiding place to take cover in."

"What makes it a trap?" Drew asked interested despite herself.

"There's only one exit from the boat," she shrugged "it could be easily over run once the mutants got on the boat."

"Would it make you feel better to know I planned on going out to sea once we got our stuff stored?"

Emmaline gave her mom a quizzical look "yes it would. Mutants can't swim. I watched one sink once. Out to sea would be good."

"You won't mind hanging out with just your old mom, will you?" Drew asked.

"No mom" Emmaline blew air out her nose relieved "I was afraid you'd want me to socialize with the islanders or something."

"I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with," Drew said

Smiling for the first time since they left Sunlit Tides Emmaline asked "did you rent any scuba gear?"

"What kind of mother would I be if I forgot the scuba gear?" Drew asked with her own smile.

"A very bad one," Emmaline retorted picking up her bags and walking towards the houseboat.

Once their gear was stored and Drew made sure they were well stocked with food they were ready to set sail. "Mom" Emmaline said.

"Yes honey?" Drew stopped what she was doing to look at her daughter.

"You know what I said about you being a bad mom was a joke right?" she asked fiddling with her fingers.

"I know" Drew acknowledged.

"Good" Emmaline muttered "I thought that maybe...with the way I've been acting." She let out a loud sigh "I didn't want you to think you were a bad mom."

"Oh honey" Drew cried hugging the girl tight. She could feel the stiffness in her body before she reciprocated the hug. Drew went to pull away only to have Emmaline cling to her tighter "please hold me" she begged  "we weren't able to display our feelings for each other."

Drew held her little girl while she spilled her heart out about what she had experienced in the future. It was enough to break your heart. No wonder she reacted the way she did to things. The nightmares. If she could Drew would hug her until all the pain and fear disappeared.

***

How long had it been? Andrew pulled his legs beneath him. A wave of vertigo swept through him once he was standing upright. Leaning heavily against the cold clammy wall he closed his eyes. He was becoming weak, ill he needed to eat preferably not human. Could he afford to be picky? The baby kicked him as if in protest.

A timid child approached his cell. A hard lump of something clutched in his small hands. As he passed the cell he dropped the lump within the cell without looking in Andrew's direction. The child kept walking limping painfully past. Andrew shivered. The child appeared mutant in color but it's eyes were human. That's what his future children would look like if he didn't figure out how to escape.

He sniffed the air drawn to the lump deposited inside his cell. Grabbing it he looked around making sure his actions hadn't any undue attention. Scurrying to a corner he crouched down inspecting his gift. It was hard, crumbly but edible. Bread. He took a small bite then another as he devoured the entire thing. His stomach rolled over content at last.

Feeling better than he had in a days Andrew searched his surroundings. There were other prisoners mostly women in various stages of pregnancy. They had dull lifeless eyes as if they had given up hope and accepted their fate. There was  cell full of angry yelling humans. Andrew looked away with a shiver. They must be future meals. Only the progenitors had their own semi private cells. He could feel the hate and pity radiating from the eyes of the captives.

The baby kicked him again reminding him he had a purpose. He had to set the beacon. Then this future could be changed. Turning his back on the captives he wrapped the filthy blanket around himself. He brought the beacon out inspecting it. A small green light shone brightly. According to the instructions that meant it was within acceptable parameters of the target set point.

That was one less thing he had to worry about. He didn't have to figure out how to get out of this cell to set it. He felt somewhat safer behind the bars then he would on the outside. Glancing around the bare cell his heart plummeted. There didn't seem to be any place to conceal the beacon. The green light would attract too much attention if left out in the open. He didn't want some mutant or human captive to find it and unset it once he left this place.

He inspected the clammy brittle brick what made up part of his cell walls. Could he dig into the brick far enough to conceal the beacon? He cautiously put a hand out feeling the wall testing it's integrity. It crumbled satisfactorily in his hand. He made a small indentation in the wall so he could find it later by touch once the lights were out.

He tossed a couple of discarded bowls over to the corner he had been in. He could use the bowls to dig and protect the beacon within the wall. He hoped it would be ok once he packed the brick dust around it. The hole would need to be low near or at floor level to be less conspicuous.

There was a loud clanging noise towards the bars of his prison. Turning he was dismayed to see the burly behemoth that had carried him into this place. The mutant appeared to be smiling at him. Afraid to draw attention to what he had been doing Andrew approached his visitor. Deep guttural grunts emanated from the huge beast. Was it angry? Happy? From the nasty hooting and whistles from the captives Andrew thought it more likely a form of mating call.

***

Charlie paced the small house. It had been 2-3 days since Quinn had left erecting some sort of force field around the house protecting him. Without Andrew the house felt lonely, cold, eerie. At least when Quinn had been around he could voice his fears and complaints to someone. He hated being alone. Maybe it was a hold over from being an only child or maybe he had become too used to having Andrew around.

He sat on the floor the dog lying beside him. Charlie's mind drifted recalling memories of him and his dad. He was about eight years old when his dad became seriously involved with Tiffany. She had been blond, pretty, giving the impression of an airhead. Charlie hated her.

He remembered how she would call with some earth shattering emergency that only his dad was able to handle. Always in the middle of something important to Charlie. Charlie had the starring role in his third grade play. It had been all he talked about for months. His excitement grew when he saw his dad sitting in the audience a proud father expression on his face. His excitement faded to abject misery and rejection watching his father talking on his phone. Watching helplessly from the stage as his dad got up and left. Devastated at seeing his dad walk out on his play Charlie's mind went blank forgetting all of his well rehearsed lines. The audience erupted into gales of laughter. Standing in front of so many people, heart heavy he ran from the stage blinded by tears.

It was later when Zayne came back with Tiffany giggling in the front seat that Charlie found out what happened. He sat in the back seat seething with anger listening to her halfhearted apology for making his dad miss his performance because of her stupidity. Yeah, no she wasn't as stupid as she appeared. There was a calculating look in her eyes as she explained how she had locked herself out of her apartment. Even Charlie knew she should have called the landlord to let her in or even a locksmith. She did it on purpose. He knew and she knew it.

Another time Charlie had a little league game. His dad had taken the time off to watch him play. Charlie had been so excited knowing his dad was going to be there. He was going to see him play for the first time after missing every other game Charlie had ever played.

Charlie remembered his disappointment as he looked out into the crowd of proud parents and his dad wasn't there. Half way through the game his dad still hadn't arrived Charlie knew something had come up. He tried to convince himself that it was work related. Some big case that only his dad could solve but deep down inside he knew it was Tiffany.

When the game was over and everyone but him was cheering over their win. Charlie slumped off the field dragging his bat behind him. He walked towards the bus stop wanting nothing more than to be at home where he could cry alone. Stopping he looked around the parking lot. That's when he saw them. Tiffany and his dad kissing like nothing had happened. Something broke inside him as he ran up to his dad screaming "you missed my game because of her" he pointed at Tiffany disgust and disappointment written all over him.

"I know you're disappointed in me son but that's no reason to take it out on Tiffany. She really wanted to be here to watch you play."

"You promised you'd be here," he screamed stomping his feet.

"I know and I'm sorry. But there will be other games," Zayne said reasonably.

"That's what you said last year and you never came" Charlie shouted. He could feel tears of anger flowing down his cheeks "this was the last game of the season and you missed it." Words failing him he did what he had seen several older kids do on the bus. He flipped his father off.

To give his dad his due he didn't get angry and lecture him about what he had just done. In a way it made him feel worse when he apologized "I'm sorry" Zayne mumbled "Tiffany needed to run some errands. It took longer than we thought it would. I'm sorry." Zayne pulled his son close giving him a hug.

Pulling away from his dad Charlie glared at Tiffany "yeah and I bet you paid for everything too." Charlie rolled his eyes shaking his dad's hand off his shoulder "open your eyes dad. She's a blood sucking bitch out to get whatever she can. She doesn't care about you or me."

That was the first time Charlie had ever made his dad truly furious with him. It didn't matter that he had been right about Tiffany. He knew he had deeply hurt his dad. He had felt bad for months afterwards and he often wondered if he was the reason why his dad never dated much after that. Was he the reason why his dad never remarried?

Shaking his head he tried to quiet his troubled thoughts but he couldn't help but wonder if something happened to him if Andrew would remarry. Of course that would mean they had to survive this nightmare in order to get married.

***

After Randy had come to get his things Indira made a desultory attempt at cleaning up the mess she had created. She had expected Randy to see the mess and offer to stay clean it for her or at least help. Instead he had left after insulting her. Would a prospective employer really care how she kept her house? She hadn't given it much thought of course she wouldn't want her boss seeing the mess she lived in but would that actually influence her promotions or the jobs she were offered? She always expected by the time she hosted her boss at her home she'd have people to cook and clean for her so all this self reflection was for nothing.

She could still hear Randy telling her she was putting the cart before the horse. She shook her head it was good to know where you wanted to be. Picking up the clothes from the floor she attempted to separate the clean ones from the dirty. Her mind wouldn't quit replaying Randy's harsh words. Was she really a hypocrite? Did she really have double standards? She thought image was everything. She felt like he had shaken her beliefs. No one had ever done that before.

She gave up on cleaning. Walking over to her unmade bed she pulled out a sweat shirt from beneath her pillow. Hugged it to her chest breathing deeply. It still had his scent on it. She sat on the edge of the bed holding the sweat shirt to her face. Should she go after him? Beg him to stay. She wanted him to stay. She wanted someone around to remind her to get out of her own head. When she was with him she was a better person.

Dropping the sweat shirt she knew she couldn't chase after  him. She didn't have to change for him or anyone no matter if her opinions were unpopular. Most women in power positions were bitches at least everyone thought they were. She wouldn't allow sentiment or family sway her from her course. Family would always be there waiting when she wanted them but her future might not be.

***

Andrew watched the little girl who had been deposited into his cell with him. She held a ragged doll to her chest. Her eyes large with with fear. She looked somehow familiar. "Hey sweetie what's your name?" Andrew asked his voice low hoping to gain the girls trust.

She stared at him clutching the doll in her hands. Andrew wondered if she was the behemoth's daughter.She didn't appear to be mutant or even partial mutant. He wished he could ask someone why she was put in with him. All he could surmise was she wasn't soup meat otherwise she'd be in with the others.

Sometime later a tray of old bread with a few recognizable vegetables was slid into his cell. The wide eyed girl squealed with fright as they approached. Huddling close to Andrew she clutched at his pants leg with one hand. Once the mutant set the tray down and pushed it through the slot towards them Andrew grabbed the crusty bread nibbling on it.

He looked down at the little girl wondering what he was going to do with her. When he set the beacon he didn't want to leave her behind if he could believe Quinn would send him and Charlie home. "What's your name sweetie?" he asked again.

The only response he received was her pointing at a carrot type vegetable on the tray. Smiling he handed it to her. He watched her nibble on it while she silently watched him. He munched on a carrot himself wondering about the changed menu. Had they figured out he wouldn't eat human flesh? Were they actually catering him?

Just in case the menu switched back to human soup Andrew saved a few vegetables and half the bread for later. He stretched out on the floor for a nap. He could feel the little girl imitate him stretching out beside him. Her added warmth beneath the rank blanket helped him drift off to sleep quicker than usual.

***

As the day turned to night Andrew crawled to his corner using the bowls as scoopers. The scraping sound the bowls made as he dug echoed off the cell walls. He hoped the sound would go mostly unnoticed. He didn't have to dig much.

Gradually the cells grew more and more quiet as the imprisoned humans fell asleep. A light flashed through the cells causing Andrew to stretch out on the floor where he was pretending to be asleep. The light stayed on him longer than usual. He forced himself to remain still like he was asleep. Most nights he didn't even know they searched the cells. He heard the little girl start to sing to her dollie. The light swung to her than passed on the to the next cell.

Once it was still and dark again Andrew sat up resumed his digging. He felt around the hole trying to imagine the circumference was large enough to hide both the beacon and the bowls. Without light to see he relied on his sense of touch. He thought it was large enough to conceal what he needed it to.

Taking a deep breath he felt for the button he needed to set the beacon before placing it inside one of the bowls. Setting the bowl with beacon inside his hole he placed the other bowl over the top. He hoped that would be sufficient to protect the beacon from being jostled around and from dirt getting inside it when he covered up the hole. He filled in the hole hoping there would be little evidence of what he had done. He curled up on the floor to get some much needed sleep. He felt the little girl crawl beneath the blanket with him.