I licked my lips nervously. My body thrilled at the fact that I could still taste him upon me. Swallowing heavily, I tried to wet my parched throat. My heart thumped with terror and joy. He had to come back, he just had too. Whats that? I managed to croak out.
If Bret isnt frozen, hes going to be pretty upset and pissed.
My mouth parted, I inhaled sharply as shock slammed through me. It was the first time I had thought about Bret in a long time. The first time Id thought about my wonderful, sweet, loving boyfriend who was nothing but kind and unfailingly faithful to me. How could I possibly have forgotten about him? Guilt and horror filled me; I slumped limply to the bed. I had forgotten about Bret, but if he was still moving, I knew that he had not forgotten about me. Not even for one small second would he have forgotten about me. In fact, if he was still moving I was certain he would be arriving here as soon as he could, with his best friend, my brother.
***
Abby and I struggled to move our mother onto the piece of plywood I had uncovered from behind our decrepit shed. Originally we had wanted to transport her in our old red wagon, but there was no way for us to maneuver it safely and quietly through the woods.
The plywood was four feet long and three feet across and it was difficult to get our mother onto it. I hoped that Abby would be able to hold up her end; she was strong for her size, but not used to physical work.
It was going to be a long walk back to the antique store if we didnt have help.
Tears slid slowly down Abbys face as she stroked our mothers hair for a brief moment. I was captivated by the striking similarities between them. Even if our mother was gone forever (a fact I didnt even want to consider right now), she would live on in Abby far more than she would in Aiden or I.
For as long as I could keep Abby alive, anyway, I realized with a pang of longing. Abby was my responsibility now, and I had to keep her safe, no matter what happened.
I moved to the window, slowly pulling back the curtain. It was eerily quiet out there. The street lights, on a timer, had come to life a couple hours ago. Almost all of the houses on the street were dark. A few owners had accidently forgotten to turn off lights on their way out the door this morning, or perhaps they had left them on in preparation for their return home tonight. A home that none of them appeared to have come back to. No new ones turned on, none of them turned off. If there were other people out there still moving about, they were keeping their presences as secret as we were.
It was so lonely, so dark and frightening out there. I shuddered, trying hard not to let my fear show to Abby. Its been an hour, Abby said softly.
Hell come back. I replied more for my benefit than for hers. Stay here Abby.
She bolted from the bed, staggering toward me. Where are you going?
I need to pack some things. Just stay away from the windows.
Bethany
I left the room before she could protest further. I felt bad leaving her there, but I needed some time alone to think, and attempt to sort this whole mess out. Not like that was going to be possible. I made my way swiftly to the bedroom that Abby and I shared. Whereas I was a complete neat freak, Abby was the exact opposite. It was difficult to make out the mess of clothes on the floor by her bed, or avoid tripping over them. I had not seen or heard any movement for hours, but I felt as if the slightest noise would be heard all the way to the moon if I made it.
I dug out my school backpack and dumped the contents on the bed. For the first time I did not bother to place them neatly. There was no need; I did not think I would be returning either here, or to school. I quickly gathered my clothes, shoving them into the backpack along with shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. I wished that I could pack more, but I had to keep things as light as possible, especially without being able to drive anywhere. I grabbed Abbys backpack and began to shove clothes inside for her. I knew she would want to pack her own things, and would take an excruciatingly long time to do so. I was nipping that little problem in the bud right now.
I carried both backpacks, with their meager contents, out to the hall where I placed them by the door for later. I moved swiftly downstairs, feeling my way through the dark. Creeping into the kitchen I pulled a trash bag from beneath the sink. I packed only a few perishables. We would have to eat them right away, but I wanted to bring as much food as possible and there was not much in the way of canned goods. I topped the bag off with paper plates, spoons, and forks before tossing in a can opener. From the pantry I pulled a case of water out before grabbing some Gatorade and a few sodas. In the end I put the sodas back, Abby would want them, but they would only weigh the plywood down more.
I placed the bag by the backdoor. Pressing my hand longingly against the glass, I stared out at the silent night. Thankfully the moon was not bright tonight, but the stars shone in the sky, lighting the darkness. For a brief moment I allowed myself to dream of the time before the aliens had come, a time when I had looked to the sky and wondered if there was anything else out there.