Growing Wildflowers | WLW

Jacob's Ladder

The city isn't on fire, like I'd expected. It's empty besides the occasional newborn who looks at the car with growing curiosity as we speed past. Their senses are heightened. Even more than mine or Sophie's. John told me it's to keep the newborns alive before they get the hang of things. They can smell blood from miles away. Luckily for us, they're slow to respond too. By the time they realize there's a human in the car with me, we're long gone.

I understand the article I read in Sophie's office now. The Author was portraying this as the beginning of a post-apocalyptic world, almost like zombies are taking over instead of vampires. But I get it now. The way the newborns are standing with twitchy fingers and glowing red eyes... I'd think it was a zombie apocalypse too if I didn't know any better. Leroy is working with the city to keep everything on the downlow. New stations have been ordered to discontinue coverage on the matter and whenever someone posts a video of their own on the internet, it's taken down for community guideline violations.

The Coast Guard is supposed to be here before morning. I only hope they can take Parker by surprise. My anxiety tells me this is much worse than any of us think. Regardless, if I let myself get lost in 'what ifs' I'll freeze. So, I stay focused on the task at hand and keep moving.

I don't stop for anything. Not the flashing traffic lights or stop signs. Not the newborns who try to pass themselves off as human and wave us down. My chest clenches thinking about how many humans believed the newborns were in distress and tried to help.

"This is pretty bad," I say, daring a glance at Jamie. She'd asked for a second when we left the warehouse. Right after she told me that she'd never been so mad at someone before. I know I shouldn't be talking to her, but I hate the silence. Hate the distance between us.

"Mhm." She's looking out her window, refusing to make eye-contact with me.

I let out the breath I was holding in my chest and continue up the winding highway toward John's cabin. Jamie still isn't speaking to me as I pull the car into John's old parking spot in front of the cabin. I rush to open her door, but she hardly looks at me as she pushes to her feet.

"Thank you." Her voice is soft.

"That's very 'Jamie' of you," I tell her as we take the creaky steps to the porch.

She sighs. "What are you talking about?"

"Being cordial with me even though you hate me right now." I push the cabin door open and my heart clenches. It's warm and smells like dust. The place I called home for a little over a year.

"I don't... hate you, Gwen." She's looking at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I sit on the twin-sized bed in the corner, the one I used to sleep in. My bedding is still here, sloppily tossed over the mattress. Straightened just enough to be considered 'made'.

Jamie shrugs, but her arms are still crossed over her chest. "I don't know what to say, Gwen. You finally did it. Congratulations. You finally succeeded at pushing me away."

"Whoa." I push to my feet. "That's not what I'm doing."

Jamie rolls her eyes. "Sure thing," she says sarcastically. "That's why you're suddenly working with my mom to get me out of town?"

"Jamie, I'm trying to protect you." I'm louder than I should be. I know that but I need her to believe me.

Jamie's shoulders fall. "Bullshit, Gwen."

"Jamie—"

"That's bullshit and you know it." Jamie's matching my tone now and I want to take it all back. I want to go back in time and change my conversation with Mrs. Vanderbilt. If I knew things were going to turn out this way, I would have hung the phone up and handed it back to Jamie. I've never wanted to hurt her. "Just admit you don't want me around. You've been trying to push me away since day one. Just admit it."