Uprising

  Cain has looked back over his shoulder to check on me several times but hasn’t spoken. Probably just thinks I’m scared of the massive Lighter Battle Royale that is about to ensue, and I am. Scared out of my wits.

  Cain has no idea about Phillip, who he was or what he did and I’d prefer to keep it that way so I don’t explain. I just let him assume away.

  I push all that old crap aside, all the uncomfortable feelings and images and put the present right in front of me.

  Sherry? You ok, honey? Wave to me if you’re ok.

  I lift my arm in a couple long swoops in the air and see him return it.

  This is about to get really bad. I want you to listen. I need you to run like you’ve never ran before when the fighting starts. Do you hear me? And I mean it, Sherry. No playing hero. Wave if you hear me.

  He commands firmly and I wave but I know I’m lying. There will be no running on this leg but there’s no way to explain that to him so I lie with a wave and hope I get the chance to explain later. I hope I live long enough to get yelled at and berated for being so stupid as to come out here in the first place. I hope Cain doesn’t die for it. I hope no one dies.

  I hope.

  I hope.

  I glance at Cain and he has a furrowed brow and squinted eyes. I realize, someone is talking to him in his mind too. He looks frustrated.

  “What is it?” I ask anxiously.

  “Your hubby and Jeff won’t stop talking to me at the same time. They are trying to tell me what they got planned. It’s a lot of info, especially with Merrick threatening body parts if I don’t get you back to him safely.” He smiles at me sideways, obviously hoping to help calm me down with his joke.

  Surprisingly it works. I smile despite our current condition. He continues on to tell me that they are gonna let the Keepers go first and in a fast, furious wave. Then the rest can come in all at once after a half minute to allow for time of surprise. Hopefully they’ll all be engaged and won’t be paying attention to the lowly humans.

  “I’m gonna leave you here, Sherry, when I take off. You just stay here and stay low. I’ll be watching to see if anyone comes close to you.” He hands me the shotgun and says he’ll grab another weapon from one of the others.

  I don’t like this idea one bit, especially Cain leaving me with his only weapon. But, I’m not in any position or mood to argue. I nod to suggest I understand and he waits for Merrick’s signal. Then I hear someone else, someone not wanted. And though he’s all the way across the field, I can hear him, just like he’s standing next to me.

  “Hello, Sherry. Might I say you are looking ravishing.”

  The Lighter formerly known as Phillip. I realize that Phillip no longer resides in that body, but it’s still too much to have that face staring at me.

  “Who is that?” Cain asked turning a circle to look all around us.

  “Lighter,” I answer.

  “We didn’t come here for you but here you are. What a nice surprise. Come on out and meet us in the middle and we’ll spare your little friends from a very painful and long death.”

  Oh, God, help me. He knows me somehow. He knows I’ll do it even if I know I can’t trust him. I can’t take the risk, but I can tell he’s lying.

  Come on Sherry! There’s only eight of them and a whole heck of a lot more of us. This will be a...piece of cake. Besides, Merrick will freak and lose his focus if you just stroll out there to him and then, get himself killed.

  I must have caught him off guard, him thinking I would cave and obey easily and immediately.

  “Sherry is actually thinking of saving herself? My, my. I have to say I’m proud of you and thoroughly impressed. Not at all like the sweet selfless Sherry that was in Phillip’s mind. Though I have no use of you personally, you’d make a better ally than I ever thought possible. Crandle is going to be very pleased with your...what do you humans call it? Spunk? You and him can raise those little bastards of yours and live happily. Ever. After.”

  I flinch at the contempt and disdain dripping in his voice. I push back the memories.

  “You know him?” Cain asked but I kept silent.

  Kept focused on Merrick. I stand my ground and pray I’m doing the right thing. If someone were killed because of me, I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

  They’ll kill them all anyway.

  Then, as quick as that, the blurs of inhuman speed start. I can’t tell for sure who moved first, Keepers or Lighters. I see a few figures go down, some not for long, I can’t tell between them though.

  I hear faint yelling and curses and grunts. Then I see the rest head in, weapons raised. Cain starts to move but hesitates and looks back.

  “Sherry. Shoot anything that comes close. I’ll be watchin-”

  Before he could finish Phillip is there in a blur, hitting Cain with a rock over the head and pushing him to the ground instead of letting him fall.

  He’s squeezing a cold hand around my neck before I can think or move. He twists the gun from my grasp, making me cry out from the pain in my wrist, and pulls me closer to lick a long stroke up my cheek with his freezing tongue that is now black, from my jaw to my temple.

  I shudder in disgust and try to pull free but he tightens his grip on me, forcing a choke and grunt from me, as he speaks against my ear and he tosses the gun aside.

  “I only wish we could finished what you and old Phillip started that day, Sherry. Maybe we can remedy that now. Though Crandle probably isn’t into sloppy seconds. Or would it be thirds now?”

  He continues to nip at me and squeeze my arms and neck, degrading me with his filthy gestures. His sickening sweet breath on my face.

  The amount of enjoyment the Lighter is getting out of my fear and pain is enough to make bile come to my mouth. Maybe Phillip’s vile and vulgar nature added to the evil in the Lighter that consumed him.

  I can’t help but wonder what the point of all this is. What does he gain for breaking my spirit? Is that how Crandle needed me delivered? Broken and sobbing? Why doesn’t he just get it over with and take me to the Taker.

  “Oopsy. Look at that. Sherry’s got a boo boo,” he said, glancing at my leg and smiling widely.

  He sets me back down to the ground, but still holds my neck. All of a sudden he rears back a foot with a grunt and brings his boot bottom down square on the wound on my shin.

  Now my leg is broken, I have no doubt. I crumple and scream, my ears ringing and he yanks me back up with his one hand, brutally on my neck.

  I can’t help but shake and writhe, trying to swallow the sobs that I know will only satisfy him more. He’s holding me only inches above the ground now, letting me dangle from his grasp. I feel like I’m gonna pass out. The sky above turns gray and my eyelids start to flutter.

  I reach out in one last attempt to free myself and feel my nails scrape across his face. Light trickles out of the wounds in spurts before his skin can close.

  “Ah! You’re gonna pay for that you little-” but he stops mid sentence and glances behind him.

  Though the noise behind him starts to dissipate, I can’t see around Phillip to see what’s going on. Cain starts to stir and just as he gets up, he halts, cocks his head like he’s listening to something and then lunge forward, snatching me with all his might into his arms, almost throwing us to the ground with his momentum.

  Then a bright light that hurts to look at flashes and a quick blaze of fire and smoke and a rush of cold wind which is so strange combined with the flash of lightning that shoots up into the sky from the spot where a club went through the Lighter’s body. I know Phillip is gone.

  I see in Phillip’s place now is Merrick, headless iron golf club in hand.

  I can barely breath as I try to leap to him but my leg fails, I scream and tumble. Cain catches me up just in time to pass me to Merrick as he steps forward to accept me into his arms.

  His arm immediately wraps around my waist to support me while the other hand goes to the nape of my neck, tilting my head back with his
thumb. He kisses me with such force, roughness and desperation like he’s never shown before in all the time I’ve known him.

  I cry and cry, not able to stop the hot tears of pain and happiness and relief on my cold skin. Some sobs escape in between breaths but most, Merrick’s takes into his mouth as he continues to hold my lips with his. Tasting the tears as we move I try to clear my mind and not think of the pain or what’s going on behind us. I can hear the slight tings of metal hitting. The sand blowing furiously around us. But right now, Merrick is here and I’m safe.

  The brutal kiss turns softer. All the love he has for me in so evident in this kiss. Then barely a kiss at all, just him moving his lips over mine, back and forth in a desperate motion. All I can think about is how warm and safe he is and I don’t want him to let go. Ever.

  He breaks away suddenly, gasping and glares at me, his face bright in the orange light of the dawning morning.

  “Why don’t you listen? I told you to run. You never listen! Don’t ever do that to me again. I thought I lost you...for real this time,” he whispers the last part against my lips, then pulls back to look me over, head to toe, then grunts angrily. “Sherry! What happened to your leg? And your neck?”

  I say that Phillip did it and leave it at that, that’s why I couldn’t run. He can see my leg’s broken and that’s all that matters right now. I wasn’t about to tell him I was attacked by three Lighters, so far.

  He looks at me with a broken expression. One of hurt and pain on my behalf. He hates the fact that I’m hurt and he wasn’t here to stop it. He touches my cheek softly with his hand and pulls back like he hadn’t noticed me being cold before when he was kissing me.

  “Gah, baby, you’re freezing. Here.”

  He removes the jacket he’s wearing and helps me shrug it on. It’s so warm from him wearing it that I actually sigh out loud. Merrick doesn’t feel the hot or cold like we do, and I’m so grateful that even with all the chaos, he still managed to remember my needs and bring a coat for me.

  He lifts and cradles me in his arms and turns to walk back to the store and the waiting crowd. I don’t speak and neither does he for a few minutes. I bury my face in his warm neck and continue to cry and breath heavy in pain. He is careful not to jostle my leg but it still hurts and throbs and my hiccup crying isn’t helping anything.

  He kisses my hair and rubs his scruffy chin over it murmuring to me.

  “I’ve got you. You’re safe with me.”

  Our peace doesn’t last for long. Merrick quickly picks up the pace and I refuse to lift my eyes and look. My mind and stress level with lack of food and warmth can’t possibly handle another assault.

  He whispers to me.

  “Hang on. I’m sorry, this’ll hurt.”

  I know he’s about to do the inhuman blur run, which won’t feel great on my broken leg so I grit my teeth as I feel the wind pick up around us, cold sand blasting my face and bare broken leg.

  Murmurs, shouts, clanging and grunts I can hear behind us and around us. I ask Merrick what’s going on and he explains that a Lighter can only be killed by being completely run through. Light releasing on both sides from inside his body. So the ones we shot, didn’t die and are now back for more.

  A chill runs through me thinking about the Lighters running off to tell the others where we are. But they seem to be hanging around to finish the job instead.

  Merrick feels me shivering.

  “I’m trying, honey. I’m trying. Almost there,” he whispers in my hair.

  We reach the middle ground between the cave and the store. And then further still in a blur until I feel a slow descent of movement as Merrick pulls us to a stop but doesn’t release me.

  I hear more gunshots and Pap near us, yelling and shouting about ‘gettin him some’. Actually sounds like he’s enjoying himself, which grates on my nerves.

  I can also hear and make out Aaron and Miguel yelling and grunting.

  I open my eyes and see Merrick’s warm and blood shot green eyes watching me wearily. Then I find myself looking into a another pair of worried and relief filled eyes.

  Jeff’s.

  “One of these days, Sherry, you’re gonna give us a heart attack.” His words were firm and reprimanding but his eyes nor his words could lie to me.

  He squeezes my hand before glancing back behind us and ordering Merrick to take me inside. They will finish this he said. I try to glance back too but Merrick says no.

  “Don’t look, Sherry. You don’t need to see this.”

  I close my eyes and press my head down but then I realize that I do want to look. In fact, I need to look, because I caused this. If I hadn’t ran out in the dark after a voice instead of waking someone who could better handle the situation, this wouldn’t have happened. Cain could’ve ran faster without having to carry me to safety.

  The thought brings tears to my eyes and my throat locks down in a knot of overwhelming regret. I clench my fists and prepare myself for a vision of slaughter and blood. Whoever is hurt, whoever is dead, whoever is still out there fighting - it’s my fault.

  I gasp and clench my eyes shut in shame. That quick look over Merrick’s shoulder told me more than I never wanted to know. There are bodies on the ground. Who’s? Theirs or ours? The fighting is still going on. Blurring figures and then hard slams. Fist and legs. Swinging makeshift weapons. Gunshots.

  I can’t help but heave and sob. My body refusing to cooperate with my silent internal plea to stop. Merrick doesn’t speak, just squeezes me tighter. Must assume I’m crying because I’m afraid and in pain. He can’t know my shame. My embarrassment and guilt for being so stupid and reckless. My conscience is beaten and affecting my coherency.

  I know we are inside now but I can’t move, can’t speak. I feel the bounce of the stairs. Then the worse thing that could possibly happen, happened.

  I hear Merrick’s swift intake of breath and halt in steps. I look up, then down, following his gaze and see Mrs. Trudy, Lana and Marissa lying on the floor, all three of their faces spotted with blood.

  Then the world goes black.

  Merrick - The Blame Game

  Chapter 3

  No! They set us up. This was all a set up, a game. They knew someone would hear them and come outside to help. They knew we’d go after them. They knew we’d go after Sherry. They knew we’d take the strong and leave the weaker ones here.

  I lay Sherry on the couch, she passed out after seeing Trudy, Lana and Marissa on the floor. I throw an afghan on her and then check her and the others pulses. Oh, thank you! They’re alive. Where is all this blood coming from?

  Immediately I remember why they had been left down here. To guard Calvin and Lily. I run to Lily’s room. Not there. I blur across the bunker to Trudy’s room. No one.

  I glance in Paul and Kate’s room, Trudy’s old room. Somehow, they both and the baby are asleep on the bed still. Must not have been much of a commotion. A quick look in Laura’s room and I see the same. All three asleep. No one in Lana’s room either.

  I check everywhere. Our room. Jeff’s room. Bathroom. I call out their names, out loud and in their minds, though I know Lily would be scared if she could hear me that way. Nothing.

  It hits me what Crandle told Sherry in her dream. That he wanted her and the children to come to him. I can feel the blood drain from my face. I can feel my heart slam painfully in my chest. I can see the blurring and double vision from shock.

  They took Lily and Calvin.

  I blur my way back into the commons room and hear a few others coming back down the stairs from outside already. I grab a few towels from the hall and go to see what damage has been done to them, hit on the head with something blunt. All three need stitches it looks like. How had they gotten the drop on Marissa? Must have surprised them and hit her before she had a chance to touch them.

  I see a meat mallet in Trudy’s hand and a knife next to Lana’s. Good girls. They at least tried to put up a fight.

  Ryan and Cain are beside me
now. They said it’s over. The Lighters are dead. They are asking what they can do to help and what happened? I can see that Cain’s head is bleeding too but he insist he’s fine for now.

  I focus through the gasps and questions and chatter to handle what needs to be done. I instruct Ryan to hold the towel to Trudy’s head and Cain to do the same to Marissa while I put one under Lana, who seems to have the worst wound of all. She has a huge gash above her eyebrow and another one in the back. Kay will return soon, I hope, and she can stitch them up.

  I push someone aside, Margo I think to get back to Sherry. Danny is beside her and must see some fury or desperation in my face because even he moves aside when he sees me coming. I just can’t focus. I can’t care about anyone’s feelings right now. Too many other things matter. Sherry matters. She passed out. It’s all too much for her.

  I take her and lay her down in our room to rest in the quiet while we sort this out. I wrap her up in the sleeping bag and zip it tight leaving on the jacket I put on her. I light a flashlight on in the corner so she won’t wake up alone in the dark.

  Making my way back into the commons room, most everyone is back inside now. Jeff and Ryan are tending to everyone best they can. Kay is already working on Trudy with Danny and Cain’s help, though Simon is yelling that Cain get his head looked at immediately.

  “How’s Sherry?” Miguel asked.

  I can see a bright red and bluish semicircle under his left eye already.

  “Her leg’s broken.”

  “I can help. I got half way through an EMT course before I dropped out. Couldn’t take all the blood and gore. Where is she?”

  I take him to her. I unzip the sleeping bag and pull back the blanket. He sucks in a breath through his teeth at a glance at her leg. Then leaves to get medical supplies. We don’t have a splint, I know. I wonder what he can do for her.