Authors: EJ Valson,Michelle Read
“Well, she doesn’t have any—”
“
Yes
.”
They both turned to look at me. Charlotte’s expression read ‘horror’. Azura looked satisfied, though not at all pleased.
“Very well.”
“Erin!” My best friend was clearly beside herself in shock with my quick decision. I wished I could help her to not worry so much, but I wasn’t sure what was happening myself.
Azura went to my refrigerator and grabbed two more water bottles; along with the unopened one I had given her earlier. She then took the open box of Pop-Tarts that I had left sitting out and tucked it under her arm.
“Disgusting,” she uttered. “Let’s move.”
THIRTEEN
Azura was out the door and in her Jeep in seconds, leaving Charlotte and I standing in the kitchen. We both waited in silence for the other to say something, but what was there – really – to say?
“I’m so sorry, Erin,” she choked out after what seemed like an eternity. It was more likely only seconds. I seriously doubted that Azura could have stood to wait any longer than that. Charlotte walked across the room and grabbed me. I leaned into her hug, not sure what to think. Or say.
What had I just gotten myself into? Fighting?
Protecting people that didn’t like me? Fighting
with
people I barely knew?
The Jeep honked three times, quickly and impatiently. Charlotte pushed me out of our awkward embrace and held onto my shoulders at arm’s length.
“I love you,” she whispered, though I was sure she meant it to come out sounding stronger than that. “You know that. You are my best friend, and I practically consider us sisters.” She wiped at her eyes and returned her hand to my shoulder. “When I offered you this job, I really thought it would be perfect for you. For me, as well. Having my friend back, having you around all day. For Violet, having you pop in on her often.” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes again, which were clearly becoming harder to see out of.
“And of
course
I thought you would be involved in the group. Of
course
. But not like this. I never – not in a million years,” she began trembling again, “thought we would have to
defend
ourselves!”
I reached behind me without breaking her hold and grabbed the roll of paper towels by the sink. She let go of me and pulled several sheets off, dabbing at her swollen eyes.
“I would have never let this go
on
. I’m the principal, for crying out loud! These women, their families, their well-being . . . are
my
responsibility!”
Azura laid on the horn and we both jumped. Charlotte swiped her wet face again, grabbed my purse and keys from their usual spot on the counter, and pulled me to the car, locking the door behind us.
“Where are we going?”
“
Colorado.” Azura’s quick answer frightened me. As did Charlotte’s incessant trembling in the front seat. No sound came from her for several miles, other than an occasional whimper.
I really didn’t want to ask the next obvious question.
While Charlotte stared out the window, Azura was mumbling directions to herself. I swallowed over and over again, trying to relax enough to speak. Just as I was about to, a cell phone buzzed. Azura flipped her phone up to her ear and spoke quietly and quickly.
“I don’t have
time
for that. Here.” She shoved the phone at Charlotte, who jumped.
“H-hello?” she squeaked. “Oh, oh yes. Uh—have as many children go home as possible. Right away. Yes.”
Violet.
I dove for my phone. Charlotte had put it in my purse, I was sure. I pressed the 2 so hard I nearly broke it – and waited.
“Hello?” John’s voice was surprised. Of course it was surprised. I was supposed to be at home, sick in bed. He probably assumed I would nap the day away.
“Honey?” I tried to slow my breathing, so I wouldn’t alarm him, but I was nearly hyperventilating. “Go pick up Vy.”
It would be horribly inconvenient for him to leave work early, especially since he went in late this morning after dropping her off at school. It didn’t matter, though. She needed to be home.
To be safe.
“What? Why? Is she sick?”
I was about to lie and say “yes”, but heard Charlotte saying something about an electrical fire into Azura’s phone. If that was the official story, then that’s what I would go with, too.
“Fire,” I breathed. I was panicking. What was really even going on? Was there any
need
to panic?
“The
school’s
on
fire
?” John was saying, though I barely heard him. I had leaned forward and was listening to Charlotte’s conversation.
“Erin! Are you listening to me?”
“Yes, honey. I’m sorry.”
What was the story again?
For a mother who tried to instill good qualities in my daughter, I sure was doing a lot of lying lately. “There was a small electrical fire at the school. Not a big deal. It’s being taken care of, but it was . . . uh . . . in the office. They’re just shutting the place down for the day.” Would he buy that?
Wait.
Wait.
“Hmmm. Every student is going home? That sounds like a pretty tall order.” He was suspicious. I really
was
a crummy liar. “Charlotte must be going crazy.”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” At least that much was the truth.
“Wait. Why can’t you go get her?”
Uh oh.
How do people do this all the time? One lie to cover up another? And now I had to think on the spot.
“I threw up.” I said it as if that one statement should explain everything.
“Oh, honey.” He was suddenly empathetic. I love him. For John, that one statement apparently
did
explain everything. Of course, he knows best that if I’m sick enough to vomit then I think I’m dying.
“Yeah,” I faked my best queasy voice. “I told you I was sick this morning.” Then I added, “I wasn’t kidding.” By throwing that in there, I almost believed
myself
.
“Well, I’ll finish up here then. I’ll be at the school within the hour. Do you want me to bring you anything on the way home?”
Oh no!
I’d have to think of
another
story to explain why I wouldn’t be home when he got there.
“No thank you, sweetheart.” I heard his desk drawers closing and papers being shuffled in the background. I hoped he would hurry. I couldn’t tell if I should be worried about Vy, or just about myself.
“I’ll see you in a little while. Get some rest, alright?”
“Okay.” For some reason, this awkward phone conversation – full of lies on my end – seemed a little ominous all of a sudden. Were we really in that much danger? And if we were, would I ever actually
make
it home? What if I never saw John and Vy again? I was going to call and make up some fake reason for not being there when they arrived home . . . and then not come home at all? Would anyone even know what happened to me?
I began to tremble as I thought it through. I had been so foolish to volunteer for something I knew nothing about. Sure, Charlotte was my best friend, and I would like to think that I could be of value in a fight (yeah, right). But John and Violet are my
life
. How could I chance not coming home – just to try to prove myself to a bunch of women I barely knew?
“Erin, are you there?”
I swallowed the lump that had crept into my throat. It burned.
“Yes. I’m here.”
“I said I love you.”
“Sorry.” I wiped my leaking eyes. “I love you too. Very much. I’ll see you when I get home.”
My fingers were flying just as soon as I had hung up. I quickly dialed the number to our house. Charlotte turned in her seat to look at me as I listened to the ringing, then to our answering machine picking up.
“John, it’s me.” I rotated so I could look out the window. It was hard to concentrate with Charlotte’s intensity bearing down on me. I spoke quickly and tried to sound as bubbly as possible.
“Listen, I’m sorry I forgot to leave a note—Azura came by to check on me and decided to take me out for coffee. You know how she is, I couldn’t say no.” I received a glare and a raised eyebrow in the rearview mirror. Coffee wouldn’t take very long, however. Hmmm.
“And she mentioned lunch or shopping or something as well.” I was pretty sure that Azura Dane was the last person on earth I would ever go shopping with. Second to last, maybe, after Elizabeth.
“So, call me later. Oh—but my phone is almost dead. Maybe I’ll just turn it off for now and call
you
later.”
Good one,
I thought. Hopefully that covered all the bases, and it would be a few hours before he started to worry why I wasn’t there.
What would he think when he couldn’t get a hold of me? Would we
be
more than a few hours?
I pressed the red symbol until the phone turned off, then breathed a sigh of relief. Relief of what, I wasn’t quite sure. At least now I was invisible for a while, I supposed. I closed my eyes and began to pray. For
our
safety, for the safety of all the children who would soon be filing out of school, for whatever we were getting ready to encounter. I prayed hard, and for a long time, and each request brought me closer to tears.
I was in the middle of feelings and fears that were much deeper than I had experienced in a long time when Charlotte reached back and laced her fingers between mine. When I looked up, uttering an “Amen” in my head, we both began to sob quietly.
Azura caught my eye in the mirror and frowned a little.
“Ladies, we have a long way to go. Please try not to wear yourselves out already.”
Then, not by choice, I leaned my head against the Jeep’s unforgiving window and fell deeply asleep. The last thing I remembered was feeling Charlotte’s hand slip gently away from mine.
FOURTEEN
“Charlotte . . . Erin . . .” Azura called quietly.
I was barely aware of my body, I had slept so deeply. My legs and arms were limp and felt completely rested. I kept my eyes closed as I felt my body begin to wake up. The Jeep jostled angrily, then felt like it dropped off the pavement altogether. My head bounced upright involuntarily, and as it did, I nearly yelped in pain. It felt as though I had been sleeping for hours in the most horrible position possible, and I ached very much.
“What time is it?” I heard Charlotte ask. She sounded achy – yet rested – as well.
When I finally stopped rubbing my neck and opened my eyes, I was stunned to see that it was completely—no,
consumingly
dark.
“One,” Azura answered, distracted. The Jeep bounced uncomfortably, and to my constant amazement, she looked quite natural maneuvering the rugged vehicle.
“One o’clock in the morning?” I asked.
“Yes, of course.”
The panic of several hours earlier immediately set in again. John would be worried sick. He thought I was out for coffee, not a slumber party. I dug around frantically for my phone, which I was certain I had left in my lap. But I couldn’t find it anywhere.
“My phone. My
phone
. I can’t find it—”
“Erin, please settle down.” Azura caught my eye in the mirror. “I called your families. They are not expecting you back tonight.”
“What—”
“If you don’t mind,” her voice was now full of authority, “I need to concentrate. I haven’t been here in a very long time.”
Since my eyes had finally adjusted to the black night that was surrounding us, I looked out the window. We were on a crude, narrow road flanked on either side by low, rolling hills.
Charlotte wiped her groggy eyes with the back of her hand and addressed our driver without looking at her.
“Where
are
we?”
“Colorado.”
“Wow,” Charlotte was taking in our change of scenery now. “You weren’t joking.”
“Why would I joke about something like that?” Azura snapped. She was clearly flustered. “Now where is that road?” I saw her frowning deeply in the mirror. “Aaaah,” she finally sighed.
There was nothing about the rest of the Jeep ride that said “road” to me. We spent the next half hour hanging on for dear life as we rattled our way down an acutely rough trail that would have been barely visible even in broad daylight.
On one side, now, was the same type of steep hill I noticed when I woke up. And on the other side was a sheer drop into more pitch black. I spent most of this part of the trip with my eyes closed, which didn’t look remarkably different than when they were open.
“Azura?” I finally asked when we began slowing down. “What should we expect?” My heart skipped a beat as I waited for her answer.
“Anything dear. Be ready for anything.”
I sank into my seat. For the first time, I very realistically pictured John and Violet’s lives without me.
After another half hour of driving, Azura parked the Jeep in a small cave opening that I hadn’t seen until we were inside it, and instructed us to get out quietly. Charlotte and I did as we were told without talking. We followed her to the back of the Jeep and watched her rummage around in the dark.
“How can she see what she’s looking for?” Charlotte asked rhetorically as she grabbed my hand.
Azura threw something over her shoulder and shut the tailgate. Much to our surprise – and disappointment – after all that rummaging, no flashlight was produced. Azura breezed past us, and beckoned impatiently that we should follow her. With no light, and no knowledge of our surroundings, we set off directly behind her. Hand in hand, we followed our friend – crazy and obscure as we thought she was – into the darkness.
The three of us walked for what seemed like ages
through the absurdly dark cave, feeling the rugged walls with our free hands, until we came to a steel door just big enough for a person to squeeze through. I’m not sure how Azura saw it, but there, in the middle of the rocky wall, was a small door. It looked like it had never been used, and was probably rusted shut.
Azura wrapped her thin fingers around the top edge of it and pulled forcefully and, amazingly, it
opened. There was no lock on it, which I thought might have been appropriate. I mean, a couple of adventurous teenagers could have happened upon it through the years and crawled right into it. Teenagers that were crazy enough to traipse around in a cold cave, miles from a nearly invisible opening in the rock face. Hmmmmm, I guessed the chances of that were pretty slim.
Azura pried the door the rest of the way open and crawled inside,
not looking back. With a sudden burst of courage, I let go of Charlotte’s hand and followed. We had already come this far, I sure didn’t want to rot in some invisible cave that no one knew about with no tour guide.
I heard some shuffling behind me, followed by the clanking of the metal door, and I knew Charlotte had followed also. Once we were through the door, we were able to stand upright easily
, and for the first time since I had woken up in the Jeep, I could
see
. But just barely.
Above us, I noticed a dim green light. The glow that it put off reminded me of a fluorescent bulb, only not as effective. Down about
fifty feet, I could scarcely make out another one. They shed just light enough to see where the ground was.
Azura turned to make sure we were behind her, then trotted off. Charlotte and I struggled to keep up. Azura seemed almost spry, weaving in between the large rocks that were jutting up from beneath us.
She ducked effortlessly under giant rock formations hanging from the ceiling as if she had grown up here, and swung around massive boulders as if she were maneuvering on solid ground.
While Charlotte and I labored to keep our footing
and
see where we were going, Azura leapt about with ease. There was no grunting as she jumped and crawled, she didn’t even seem to look where she was going. Our petite, odd friend simply placed each foot just perfectly enough to get her to her next step. She looked very much like a kid playing in her favorite secret spot.
We walked and tripped over ourselves at barely less than a run for a while until I finally gave in to my body. It had been begging m
e to slow down since we had crawled through the door. I had stubbed my toe about a hundred times already, and once, I very seriously slammed my shoulder into something that didn’t move.
“Azura,” I called. “Can we
please
slow down a little?”
She turned around, a youthful glow in her face, and sighed.
“I’m sorry, ladies. Forgive me. We can walk.”
We were allowed to catch our breath
momentarily, then began again. After what seemed like an appropriately long pause, I decided to break the silence again.
“Since we have the time, maybe, would you mind telling us about where we are?” I knew it was a long shot, but hoped fo
r the best anyway.
Azura pulled quickly to a halt and faced me. I tr
ied to look like an inquisitive adult who would be able to handle her answer, instead of a kid who was just looking for a good scary story. After a moment, she obviously deemed my expression acceptable and began walking again.
“Very well, then
,” she shrugged. “There’s no sense in secrecy
now
, anyway.”
Nice logic
, I thought.
“Technically,” she began – a bit sarcastically, “we are nowhere. This place does not exist.”
Great
,
if I die, no one would know where to start looking.
“By now, of course, we’re underground. You gathered that much by our slow downward progression and cooling temperatures . . .”
Of
course
I had gathered that much on my own. In between tripping, running into things, and bumping my head.
“Actually, I’ve only been paying enough attention to my surroundings to avoid falling to my death,” I mused. “I can barely see.” As if on cue, Charlotte ran into something behind us and let out a grunt.
“Ah.” Azura glanced around indifferently. “Well, the lights . . . let’s start there. The lights are an extremely low emission light system that keeps energy usage to a minimum. For obvious reasons.”
“I wouldn’t use words like ‘
obvious
’, Azura. I think you underestimate my ignorance of the situation.” She chuckled a little, at least I thought it was a chuckle.
“My apologies.” She sighed, and looked annoyed that she was having to explain something so obvious. “Lots of people, government and non, would very easily locate a facility like this if it put out or consumed a large amount of energy.”
The continued silence behind her clearly showed our lack of understanding.
“It would show up on special monitors,” she continued, speaking slower— as if she were explaining something to a couple of toddlers. And although it was dark, I could make out her air quotes around the words “Special monitors.” She was mocking us – at a time like this!
“Like a heat sensor . . . really, girls. Haven’t you ever seen a military movie?”
“No,” we answered in unison.
“Well anyhow, this is the most light available if you don’t want to be picked up on radar.”
What I was interested in was not the mechanics of the place, so I tried to speed up the conversation. I wasn’t
really sure how long we had for specifics.
“You said ‘a facility like this’—what sort of facility did you mean?”
I asked this carefully, quite terrified of the answer.
Several moments passed before she an
swered. I was sure she was devising how best to explain the horrible truth to us. I was also sure that at this point I wanted the
actual
truth. Non-sugar coated for my benefit, no matter how awful it was.
“You could consider it to be a testing facility . . . to be broad.”
The way she said ‘broad’ made my skin crawl. Like she knew first hand real horrors that I literally couldn’t imagine.
“And if I
weren’t
being broad?” I asked, shuddering.
We stepped under another green light, and it cast just enough light on Azura’s face that I could see the burning in her eyes. She really didn’t
want
to share any of her secrets with us. But I didn’t feel like it was fair that she was the only one who knew what we were up against.
“If I tell you the reality of this place, I have no doubt that you are in the right frame of mind to accept it. Everyone else, however, I would prefer to remain in blissful ignorance of the situation.”
Charlotte and I nodded in agreement without glancing at each other. Our childlike fascination with Azura Dane was growing with every painful step in this awful cave and I, for one, wanted to know her entire story. Right now.
Before
I died. Which I was certain would be the outcome of this whole ordeal.
Azura turned her back to us and began walking again.
“This is a testing facility for people like us.” People like
you
two, I thought.
“Or, rather, it used to be. Many,
many
years ago, a dreadful young man began developing technology that – in his mind – would be very beneficial. He holed up here where no one could find him, slowly gathering followers, all while staying out of reach of those who opposed him.”
“If he was holed up down
here
, how did his followers hear about him?” I asked.
“The way drug lords hear about each other, dear. These people have a way of finding each other. After working for a number of years, he eventually met someone who would change his life – and the direction of his mission – forever.”