Were trapped up here too. They might not be able to find us down there, and you need to eat.
We wont know if they come in and were down there! I protested hotly. I hated the unreasonable panic already beginning to build in my chest at the mere thought of going down there again. I cursed this weakness, and cursed my susceptibility to it.
It will be fine Bethany, well leave the door to the room open so we can hear them if they come in.
I was frantic, desperate not to return to those awful, dark depths, but there was little I could do about that. I couldnt stay up here, it was too risky, and I was starving. I also didnt want anyone else to know about my weakness. Certainly not Bret, he already thought I was fragile, already thought I was someone that always needed protecting. Even when I didnt.
I tried to choke back my panic, but there was little strength and courage left to draw upon. Those resources seemed to be quickly drying up. I clung to my pride as I relented enough to be pulled back down the stairs. I didnt look back at Cade, I couldnt. I didnt want to see the displeasure over being interrupted, or the pity I was certain was burning within those dark eyes. He knew, no matter how hard I tried to hide it, he knew about my terror and he pitied me for it. I kept my attention focused on my feet; I concentrated on simply breathing in and out as Cade closed the door behind us.
We stepped off the steps and into the darkness. Someone had been waiting for us as the light immediately clicked on at the bottom. Aiden stood beneath the bulb, string in hand as he surveyed the three of us. His clear mahogany eyes, so similar to Abbys, were still swollen with sleep, but he was alert.
Whats going on up there? he asked softly.
Its quiet, for now, Cade responded.
Aiden nodded, his hand slid off the string. The door to the secret room creaked open and Abby poked her head out. Can we eat now?
I told them to wait until everyone was here, Aiden explained. Yes.
Abby ducked back into the room, she reemerged with the bag of food. My stomach felt empty, I needed nourishment, but my appetite was gone. Is there any change in them? I inquired softly about Peter and our mom.
No.
Abby handed me a thing of peanut butter crackers, I could only stare dumbly at it. Will they ever wake up? she asked softly.
My gaze drifted toward Cade as thoughts of the man from the street flashed through my mind. He had woken up. He had come back to life, either because the pain had been so excruciating, or because there was something about those suckers that reawakened their victims. Or maybe it was the aliens themselves that somehow triggered a reawakening in their victims. Maybe the aliens enjoyed watching people struggle, and suffer, before they died such an awful death.
I shuddered, the crackers crunched in my clenched hand. Bethany, Abby scolded lightly.
We saw one wake up, Cade said slowly.
When? What? How ? Jenna squeaked in surprise.
Cade held my gaze for a long moment, but I wasnt
going to explain about the mans reawakening. I couldnt. He turned away from me. He told them what we had seen, and how the man had come back to life. And then he told about the mans death.
The silence that followed his statement was thick and heavy. No one made a sound, no one moved, I was fairly certain that no one even breathed. So extreme pain, or those creatures, maybe even the aliens themselves, can wake people up.
It could have just been that one man that was able to wake up again, Bret pointed out.
I tossed the crushed crackers back to Abby. We could not afford to waste any food, no matter how destroyed it was, and I was not going to eat it. Well how do we find out which one it is? Jenna asked quietly.
The answer was obvious; no one wanted to say it. The old man Aidens voice trailed off when Cade stiffened, bristling slightly.
What would we do to him? Abby asked breathlessly.
A muscle in Cades cheek jumped but he didnt offer any protest. I dont know, Bret responded.
Who would do it?
No one answered that time. I shuddered; nausea was boiling back through me. We would have to deliberately hurt Peter, deliberately be cruel to him in order to see if he would come back to life. The intentions were good, but carrying them out would not be. I also knew who would be the one to do it.
Cade would not look at me now, he stared into the darkness of the cellar, his jaw clenched tight. I wanted to tell him that it didnt have to be him, but I knew that it would do me little good. And I could not lie to Cade, I could not offer him false words; everything inside of me was against doing such a thing.
I wont be long, he said softly.
I took a step toward him, hating the haunted look on his face and the pinched set of his mouth, but he had already disappeared into the room. Bret tried to stop me as I turned away, but I shrugged his hands off. Biting on my bottom lip I struggled to keep my tears from spilling over. I didnt hear anything from the room, I didnt know what Cade was doing to him, but the smell of burnt hair suddenly drifted toward me.