helped her husband get up as well. "I'm Alice," she said.
The others introduced themselves.
"And how long have you been here?" she wanted to know.
"We just got here today," Julie replied. She told her a bit about the airplane.
Alice had a hard time believing it. "You flew here? Well, I never…"
Marianne introduced herself next. She decided to spend a little more time recounting her story because none of the people in the basement had heard it before. "My mother had changed into one of thos e thing s ," she said, "and attacked me. I was so surprised that all I could do was run into the washroom and hide. When I came out again…" She paused, reliving the scene in her head. "My mother was dead."
She told them a little bit more about her journey - how she had decided to leave her home, how she had spent the night in the playhouse in the park. The only part she left out was her encounter with the pharmacist, Darren. She didn't want to tell them that she had thought of killing herself, that she had grabbed a bag full of pills to eat from the pharmacy. That those pills were still in her purse. Those were things she figured she could keep to herself.
"And when did you find Buster?" Julie asked. The young woman was back to scratching underneath the animal's muzzle. Emily had joined.
"I had wandered into a town," she explained, "and saw a man digging into someone's body."
"A man? It wasn't one of the creatures?"
Marianne shook her head. "No, this one was a man. I don't know why he was doing what he was. He kept yelling that he could explain it to be, but I didn't want to listen. I ran into a house and that's where I found Buster."
"And what happened to the man?"
"The creatures came and chased him away."
"You never saw him again?"
"No."
They continued talking for a little longer about all they had done and seen. At first, Alice was disgusted by all that she heard. But after a while she couldn't stop asking them questions.
A little later, she turned to her husband. "How long ago did this start to happen?"
"A week."
"A week? That long ago?"
John nodded.
"And did it only happen in this area?" his wife continued.
"I don't know," John replied. He looked to the others. They all shrugged their shoulders. "I don't think so. There would've been some type of rescue by now. I'm pretty sure everywhere was affected."
"Everywhere?" A look of surprise crossed her face as she came upon a new realization. "What about the children? Have you been able to contact them? Please tell me that they're okay."
John didn't know what to say.
"John?"
He stared into her eyes. "No," he said. "Nothing works anymore. The power. The phones. They're all out. There's no way for us to know."
"So they might be okay?"
"They might be, but…" He didn't want to admit what he really thought. "I don't think we're ever going to know."
Alice raised her hands to the side of her face. "Oh, John."
Chapter 12
The day had passed quickly.
There hadn't been any more sign of the creatures, so they had been able to go up and get the rest of the food, plus the mattresses, without any difficulty.
They had all had the chance to talk more to each other as well. They talked about things they had done before the world had changed. They discussed a bit about their families, and how they wished there was a way they could contact them.
Buster had provided a lot of entertainment too. Especially for Julie and Emily. They couldn't stop petting him, kissing him, calling him over. John had even found a ball that they could throw to the dog. There wasn't much room, but they bounced it against the wall and Buster scurried after it.
Alice still had had some trouble accepting everything, but she had done better than any of them could expect. She had asked several questions. They told her what they knew. She hadn't been able to hide her surprise at their stories, nor could she stop the tears that fell from her eyes every now and again. As time passed, however, she seemed to
The others introduced themselves.
"And how long have you been here?" she wanted to know.
"We just got here today," Julie replied. She told her a bit about the airplane.
Alice had a hard time believing it. "You flew here? Well, I never…"
Marianne introduced herself next. She decided to spend a little more time recounting her story because none of the people in the basement had heard it before. "My mother had changed into one of thos e thing s ," she said, "and attacked me. I was so surprised that all I could do was run into the washroom and hide. When I came out again…" She paused, reliving the scene in her head. "My mother was dead."
She told them a little bit more about her journey - how she had decided to leave her home, how she had spent the night in the playhouse in the park. The only part she left out was her encounter with the pharmacist, Darren. She didn't want to tell them that she had thought of killing herself, that she had grabbed a bag full of pills to eat from the pharmacy. That those pills were still in her purse. Those were things she figured she could keep to herself.
"And when did you find Buster?" Julie asked. The young woman was back to scratching underneath the animal's muzzle. Emily had joined.
"I had wandered into a town," she explained, "and saw a man digging into someone's body."
"A man? It wasn't one of the creatures?"
Marianne shook her head. "No, this one was a man. I don't know why he was doing what he was. He kept yelling that he could explain it to be, but I didn't want to listen. I ran into a house and that's where I found Buster."
"And what happened to the man?"
"The creatures came and chased him away."
"You never saw him again?"
"No."
They continued talking for a little longer about all they had done and seen. At first, Alice was disgusted by all that she heard. But after a while she couldn't stop asking them questions.
A little later, she turned to her husband. "How long ago did this start to happen?"
"A week."
"A week? That long ago?"
John nodded.
"And did it only happen in this area?" his wife continued.
"I don't know," John replied. He looked to the others. They all shrugged their shoulders. "I don't think so. There would've been some type of rescue by now. I'm pretty sure everywhere was affected."
"Everywhere?" A look of surprise crossed her face as she came upon a new realization. "What about the children? Have you been able to contact them? Please tell me that they're okay."
John didn't know what to say.
"John?"
He stared into her eyes. "No," he said. "Nothing works anymore. The power. The phones. They're all out. There's no way for us to know."
"So they might be okay?"
"They might be, but…" He didn't want to admit what he really thought. "I don't think we're ever going to know."
Alice raised her hands to the side of her face. "Oh, John."
Chapter 12
The day had passed quickly.
There hadn't been any more sign of the creatures, so they had been able to go up and get the rest of the food, plus the mattresses, without any difficulty.
They had all had the chance to talk more to each other as well. They talked about things they had done before the world had changed. They discussed a bit about their families, and how they wished there was a way they could contact them.
Buster had provided a lot of entertainment too. Especially for Julie and Emily. They couldn't stop petting him, kissing him, calling him over. John had even found a ball that they could throw to the dog. There wasn't much room, but they bounced it against the wall and Buster scurried after it.
Alice still had had some trouble accepting everything, but she had done better than any of them could expect. She had asked several questions. They told her what they knew. She hadn't been able to hide her surprise at their stories, nor could she stop the tears that fell from her eyes every now and again. As time passed, however, she seemed to
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