The Aliveagainers

11 - Solace

And then she's gone.

All I see is the corn risin’ up high, straight and true, pointin’ to the sky. I can see a few stars, just a handful. And I can see sleet fallin’. And I’m freezin’ and suddenly tired and I lay my head back and feel blood fall on my face.

I shut my eyes, countin’ in my head, waitin’ to sink into the earth itself. They can come seal the ground and place my stone.

“Kayla!!”

Késhaun is yellin' and screamin', grabbin' at me and tryin' to lift me up. I groan then open my eyes, rubbin’ at my head. My ears are stingin’ from the noise and I clamber up to my feet, my heart still thunderin' in my chest, and I feel like I'm about to puke.

But he pulls and pulls and gets me up. The jets have long gone and in their absence everythin' seems darker and quieter than ever.

"Let's go, Kayla," he says and I follow him.

I can't shake her from my mind, can't not see her face starin' at me. It's been years since I last saw her, when I left her with Trent after it all went down. I can feel the memories ready to flood back and I do all I can to hold ’em in place. I can’t have that now, can’t go back.

"Hold up a second," I whisper and my voice is gluggy. I realise I've been cryin'.

We pause, lost in that giant field, but I take a moment then jump up. I get a glance of the field rollin' far away and the woods in the background. I turn ninety degrees then jump again and for a second I see a flash to my left. I turn and jump again and there it is, the house up on the hill, its light still burnin'.

"This way." 

We walk through the corn and I just push it down and away from me. We're movin' up and after a little while I can see the glow of that light through the stalks in front of me. I push myself on, castin’ thoughts away, puttin' up walls in my head. I can feel Késhaun right behind me and then we burst out and onto a wet patch of grass. 

Ahead of us the house stands, big and grand. A deck runs along the side facin' the cornfield and I can see rockin' chairs set out there. All the lights are off 'cept for the one upstairs, in a corner room.

"Let's go, but be careful," I say.

We run across the grass and I look around me as I do, tryin' my best to make out anythin' in the dim light. I think I see an old truck parked a little way down, and it kinda looks like the driveway ain't too long, leadin' to a road that winds away downwards past the field.

I hope whoever's inside ain't got a cold heart. More so, I hope they's awake so we don't scare 'em too much. No doubt folks out here have guns and, with all that's been goin' on, I wouldn't expect them to hesitate to use 'em. And after that shit-ton of noise from the air force, people are just about likely to be shoot first, then shoot again, then ask questions.

We walk up to the deck and move up a few wooden steps, treadin' as quiet like as we can. I grab Késhaun's hand as we go to the front door. He’s breathin in big, gulpin’ breaths. The lights within are off and it's almost as dark as the night inside. Should I bust in? Or… Or should I knock? I see a doorbell.

I reach down and grab at the handle, prayin' that the door is open. I twist and it turns easy in my hand, the door silently opening'. I bundle Késhaun inside and then shut it, feelin' a crazy sense of joy. Késhaun is movin' about and makin' some noise and I lean down and grab him, puttin' my hand to his mouth, wonderin' what he's up to.

Then I feel and I know that he's takin' his shoes off. It makes my lip tremble a bit and I'm glad it's dark. I reach down and grab my own shoes, all muddy and filthy and I slip 'em off. I'm about to move in further when I pause and look at the door behind me. I can barely make it out in the darkness but I reach down and grab for the handle, then feel about and twist the lock shut.

I lower my hand to Késhaun's mouth, a single finger held to his lips. I feel him nod his head and we move in slowly. There's carpet on the floor but I can feel there's wooden boards beneath and I don't want to make any noise to scare off whoever – or whatever – might be here. 

"You're safe here."

The voice makes me literally jump and I fall back, crashin' into a table and then tumblin' down to the floor. A glass or somethin' shatters with an incredible noise.

"Kayla!" shouts Késhaun, reachin' for me in the darkness.

"Be quiet," comes the voice again and I recognise it.

I sit up and reach to my right elbow to feel a stingin' pain. I rub my hand and feel a fragment of glass, and the slickness of blood. It ain't too bad though, I can tell.

"Priya?" I say, quietly.

She sighs. "I don't know why you keep calling me that."

I get up and move forwards into a room that's not quite as dark as the hallway. I can see it's a lounge room. At the opposite wall a TV screen glimmers just the slightest bit, facin' a coffee table and a bunch of fancy lookin' chairs. 

She's sittin' in one of the chairs.

"This is Ryan's house, and he'd welcome us here," says the woman who used to be Priya.

"You know him?"

She gives a little sarcastic laugh and turns away. I see that she's just sittin' there on the couch, a glass in her hand, holdin' what looks like wine.

"Kayla, I need to go pee," says Késhaun.

"Bathroom is upstairs. Why don't you go on up?" says Priya.

Késhaun looks a little nervous, but he moves off. "I'll come in a moment," I whisper.

He goes and I take a step forward.

"Thank God old Ryan always had a good selection hidden away," says the woman and she takes a sip. "Care to join me?"

"Uh, sure," I say, "I'll just see to him though first."

"Fine," she says and looks out the window.