Dust to Dust: An Apocalyptic Thriller Read online

  “Sounds like all of you should be moving on tonight,” Mr. Resnik comments.

  “I would like to, but we need the rest. We’ve had a long, hard day.”

  “Where are you headed?”

  “Pennsylvania. There’s a bunker. We can survive the invasion for a while. We only have to make it.”

  “Pennsylvania is a long way from here, son.”

  “It is.”

  “When you go, take Gabe with you.”

  “He won’t leave you behind,” I interrupt them.

  “Well, Krissy, I’ll have to convince him otherwise.”

  My heart would crumble into a thousand pieces if we leave Mr. Resnik, and Gabe, he’ll never forgive himself. He’ll wish he had done more. His conscience would eat him alive for weeks, perhaps years.

  “How are you going to do that? He’s as stubborn as you are.”

  “I have years of practice under my belt. My son can’t come close to how stubborn I am.” Mr. Resnik chuckles and looks up at the sky. “Who would have thought it would come to this? Aliens invading Earth. I always believed in them. I knew this universe was way too big for one puny water planet to have life. What does it look like out there in the world? Is it bad?”

  “It’s kind of scary,” I reply.

  “Tell me about it. I want to know.”

  “Well,” I begin, “there are different spaceships. In Richmond, there was a big one called an Octeres.”

  “Did it look like a boat?”

  “It did, but it was much, much larger. Richmond has a decent size skyline. Well, it was dwarfed under the size of the Octeres.”

  “That’s amazing. Was there more in other cities?”

  “The news said that every major city had one. Then we saw a Macemp. It’s an EMP device that looks like a club with a spinning ball on top. They stick up out of the ground, and they’re all over the place. If you touch it, you’ll get electrocuted. It’ll kill you instantly.”

  “There are probably one every twenty miles or so,” Michael adds.

  “They’re the reason the electronics don’t work and the electricity.”

  “I think the electricity isn’t working mostly because they took out the powerplants,” Michael says. “We passed by one on the way up here, close to Highway One. You can usually see the top of it over the trees. I only saw smoke in that area.”

  “Interesting,” Mr. Resnik comments. “What else have you seen?”

  “Some spaceships look like pistachios. I call them Seeds. They can turn people and buildings into dust. They use lightning to do it.”

  “I’ve seen those ships fly through every once and a while. They never attack anything over here though.”

  “They target large shopping centers and people who fire at them. Then there are the alien Cicadas that look like…” I turn to Michael for a solid description.

  “They look like cicadas,” Michael plainly replies. “They can be found in wooded areas. We haven’t seen what they can do.”

  “But you have an opinion,” Mr. Resnik says. “You’ve been out there. Seen a lot of alien technology. You must have some idea.”

  “I think they crawl into people’s bodies, through openings, and turn them to dust. But if they don’t kill you, the Cicadas leave bruises.”

  “Like you, Erika, and Krissy have.”

  “Yes, sir,” I answer. “We’ve seen a murmuration, not sure what it is or what they do, but we know they’re not starlings. We saw a Cube, the surface of it moved. We’ve seen Swarms. They turn buildings, everything that’s in it, that’s built of it, into dust, and I believe that’s it.”

  “Don’t forget the Rods,” Michael says. “They release the Swarms.”

  “Rods?” Mr. Resnik asks curiously.

  “They’re long rectangular objects. Flat on all sides. Black in color. The long end flies parallel to the ground. You can’t hear them.”

  “Weapons of mass destruction of the alien kind, and the whole time we were worried about humanity decimating itself.”

  “Humanity isn’t sympathetic to its own,” Michael responds. “It’s every man for himself out there. We discovered that the hard way today.”

  “Discovered what today?” Gabe asks, joining us on the deck.

  Erika is with him. She’s all smiling and glowing, enamored with my boyfriend. They appear way too comfortable together, more than they should, but I could be imagining something that doesn’t exist. Gabe is a gentleman and charming to all women. Of course she would be smitten.

  “We were talking about what they saw on the way up here,” Mr. Resnik answers. “It’s quite interesting and unsettling.”

  “How bad is it?” Gabe asks.

  “We won’t be coming back from this,” I answer.

  “With time we can,” Gabe says with confidence.

  “The aliens are destroying everything, and there’s no one out there to pick up the pieces.”

  “Kris is right,” Erika adds. “This is the end of what we know as normal.”

  “All of you sound like you’ve given up. This is a passing thing. The aliens will move on, and we’ll rebuild. With all of us living in this house, we can work together and make it.”

  “We’re not staying,” Michael says.

  “You got some other place to go?”

  “Yes, Pennsylvania.”

  “Your mother is up there. Okay. I can see you going, but not Krissy.”

  “There’s a bunker,” Michael reveals. “State of the art, ready to move in. It’s in the Allegheny. We can live there for years.”

  Gabe doesn’t believe him. I know how he feels. I had the same reaction the first time he told me. Gabe looks to me for confirmation. I nod.

  “Is that where you want to be?” Gabe asks me.

  “It’s our best chance of survival. The aliens are destroying homes, businesses, schools, everything in their path. Eventually, they will come to this neighborhood.”

  “How could you possibly know what the aliens are going to do?”

  “Because we’ve already seen it,” Michael interjects. “They’re not here to spread Christmas cheer. They didn’t come in peace.”

  “Let me get this straight. You, Michael, and Erika are going to the bunker in Pennsylvania?”

  “Yes, and I want you to come with us,” I answer.

  “Only if I can take my dad, and I don’t see how that’s going to happen. I would have to push his wheelchair up to Pennsylvania, and he’ll need to rest, have access to bathrooms, and be able to lay down.”

  “You’re not pushing me anywhere. You’re going without me.”

  “No, Dad, it’s not an option, and the whole idea is insane. Do you know how long it’ll take?”

  “Probably many days on foot,” I answer.

  “That’s right, and we can forget about finding a car. I’ve looked. I’ve checked. There isn’t a working vehicle for miles.”

  “Son.” Mr. Resnik shifts his wheelchair to face Gabe. “You and I both know that if you stay, you won’t make it. Krissy was telling the truth when she said that the aliens are destroying everything in their path.”

  “But that doesn’t mean I throw up my hands and abandon you. You’ll die.”

  “You stay, and both of us die. They are coming to this neighborhood. It could be within the next five minutes, or it could be tomorrow morning. It may be next month. Either way, you have to save yourself. I’ve lived my life to the fullest, and I’m good. I’m okay with moving on to the next big thing.”

  “Dad, I can’t. You’re asking too much of me.”

  “Gabriel, I’m sick. You know this. Even if there wasn’t an invasion, I’ll be gone within six months at the most. I’m telling you to go and fight to live for yourself and Krissy, and I don’t want you to look back with regrets.”

  “This conversation is over,” Gabe says, walking back into the house.

  Erika follows him. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I excuse myself from Michael and Mr. Resnik. That woman has o
verstepped her boundaries. Gabe is not within her realm or her problem to solve.

  “Erika! I got this!” I say to her just as she’s about to follow him into his bedroom.

  “Oh, yeah, right. I was only trying to help.”

  One look from me gives her a clear signal that I will not tolerate her interference.

  “Excuse me,” I say, wanting her to back away from the door.

  “Sure.” Awkwardly, she goes back to the deck.

  I enter the bedroom. Gabe leans against the window sill, looking out onto the side yard. Our conversation is going to be tough. I already know whatever I tell him will not be readily accepted and fought.

  C H A P T E R

  30

  “I love my dad,” Gabe says.

  “I know,” I reply, sitting on the bed.

  His back is to me. He sees darkness outside the window. The candle on the long dresser reflects his sadness in the glass.

  “He makes me so mad when he gives up. That’s why he’s dying. He refused to take the cancer treatment offered by his doctors. I’ve been trying to get him to just go for one day to see how it works out. He might change his mind, but he is so stubborn.”

  I think back to the conversation I had with his dad. That common trait, stubborn, repeats itself.

  “Won’t listen,” Gabe continues. “I took him to get counseling. Do you know he hit on the therapist?”

  I laugh. I can’t help it.

  “The doctor was like thirty years old, and he’s eighty. She couldn’t make any progress with him. That’s all he was concerned about was her boobs. What am I going to do with him?”

  “You support him. That’s what you do.”

  Gabe finally turns around, and it seems as though this is the first time he’s genuinely seen me since my arrival.

  “You know what will make this easier for all of us?” I ask.

  “I have no idea.”

  “I’ll stay here with you and your dad. I’ll help you take care of him, and we’ll find a way to survive this invasion.”

  “Michael wants you to go with him. He won’t accept your decision.”

  “It’s not up to him.”

  Gabe sits next to me and says, “I’m not trying to pit you against your brother. That’s exactly what he’ll think.”

  “You’re not, and it doesn’t matter what he thinks.”

  “Krissy, I must say, you’re a remarkable woman. I’m ashamed to admit that I undermined your strength.”

  “I never got the impression you undermine anything about me.”

  “It’s true. I’m guilty. I thought you coming all the way up here would only end up with you getting hurt or killed. I saw you as a fragile creature. You’re not like that at all. I mean, you walked from Richmond, Virginia, during a hostile alien invasion. Who does that?”

  “When you have something that’s worthwhile at the end, you just do it; without thought, without hesitation.”

  “I’m a hardcore guy, but I don’t think I would have pulled off what you did.”

  “You forget. I wasn’t alone.”

  “No, I didn’t forget. I just didn’t have faith in your brother. He has questionable decision-making skills.”

  “But here we are.”

  “Yes, you made it, and I’m glad you did. So, tell me what’s that on your neck.”

  “I think I was attacked by an alien device,” I reply, covering it with my hand. “I don’t know for sure though.”

  “Are you feeling okay? Does it hurt?” He pushes my hand out of the way and gently touch my neck. I’m surprised he’s not shying away from it or concerned that it could be contagious.

  “No, actually, I kind of forgot it was there.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay, love.”

  I touch his rough late afternoon stubble chin. I still see my world in his burnt brown eyes, a beacon of everlasting happiness.

  The moment I have wanted arrives. Swept into each other, Gabe and I close out the underlying danger, the settled quiet, the unrelenting darkness. He belongs to me as much as I belong to him. My future is in the present. The gift I fought days to keep. My reward for determination.

  DAY FOUR

  C H A P T E R

  31

  Michael took the first watch last night. After settling Mr. Resnik in bed for the evening, Gabe rested for a few hours and took over the next shift so Michael can get some sleep.

  I didn’t rest so well. I dreamt of the explosions in Springfield. Fiery cement rained down all around us. We dodged what we could, but Michael was crushed by the last one. The flaming cement boulder had twisted metal beams coming out of it. The alien Cicadas appeared out of nowhere and ate his exposed skin. When they finished with him, they chased me. I ran, but I didn’t get very far. I ended up falling, and just as the first Cicada bit me, I screamed. Woke up in the middle of the night. I was wide awake for a long time before going back to sleep.

  Now that I’m up, I shower and prepare for what I hope is to be a good day. Michael snores on the sofa. I presume Erika has taken the third bedroom. I find Mr. Resnik at the dining room table, stirring his oatmeal instead of eating it. Gabe got him up early, cleaned him up, and dressed him. Mr. Resnik has on a fresh shirt and slacks. He’s well-rested, yet a little grumpy. He must have argued with Gabe.

  Beside the bowl is my sketchbook. He’s staring at the drawing of the Octeres. It’s a rough image of the ship, but Mr. Resnik is captivated, going over the markings and shading, soaking it in as if it’s a mesmerizing piece of art.

  “You found my sketchbook?” I ask, sitting down next to him.

  “Michael loaned it to me last night after you went to bed. After what you told me about the spaceships, I wanted to see what they looked like. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Krissy, these are extraordinary.”

  “The drawings need to be cleaned up a little more.”

  “I honestly can’t tell. The Octeres you drew. It definitely looks like a boat. The only difference is that there are no oars.”

  “If you see it in person, the ship is terrifying and remarkable at the same time.”

  “I bet it is. Can you imagine hundreds of these ships flying towards Earth? Someone must have seen them. The governments must have known months in advance that those ships were out there and on their way.”

  “Maybe so,” I reply. “If they did, they made the right decision not to tell anyone. Mass hysteria could have broken out around the world. We would have destroyed ourselves before the aliens fired a single shot.”

  “Not to disregard your point of view, Krissy, but that is an extreme take on how all of humanity would react.”

  “I didn’t say everyone, but you can’t deny the desperation of the soul during a cataclysmic event. Fear leads to unimaginable acts of violence and self-preservation by ordinary people who’s lived by good principles their entire lives. And it spreads, quickly and unchecked. People feed off of each other. The chaos festers and becomes uncontrollable.”

  “And then you have people like me, who see the problem, understands it, and chooses not to panic.”

  “You might be a rare gem, Mr. Resnik.”

  “Jaded and lackluster.” His hands tremble. Jaundice is in his fingernails. Purple veins map to his old heart. Gabe is doing all he can to take care of him, but Mr. Resnik is no longer trying. I’m sad to see that he refuses to live, refuses to fight for an inkling of a possible future.

  “Gabe says you’ve given up,” I reply. “You refused chemo.”

  “I’m tired.”

  “There’s still a lot to live for.”

  “Is there? How is that possible? I have terminal cancer. I’m not going through treatment, and from the look of things, it’s no longer a choice. You think the aliens will come to this house and offer to save me? Do you think I’ll be cured and be able to walk again? What exactly is there to live for in my case? I failed to see the bright side of the rainbow like you have.”
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  “Gabe is the reason you should live.”

  “I already lived for him, and he’s grown. I can’t do it anymore. As I said, I’m tired.”

  “You shouldn’t let your problems defeat you, Mr. Resnik.”

  “Stop it, young lady. You’re choking me with your optimism.”

  “You need to understand.”

  “Nope,” he interrupts me, “I don’t have to understand nothing.”

  “If Gabe walks away from this house, leaving you here, he will hate himself. He can’t do it, and he’s not going to change his mind.”

  “Well, that makes him a fool.”

  “And I’m staying with him.”

  “Both of you have idealistic bullshit for brains.”

  “You being mean won’t push us away. So you can stop.”

  “What if the Swarm comes to this house? You and your brother said it only takes seconds for them to destroy it. What will you do? You can’t get me out in time. You won’t be able to save yourselves either.”

  I have no answers for those valid questions, and it scares me to death.

  “It’s suicide, Krissy, and you don’t look like the type that want to die.”

  “We’ll be fine. We’ll do what we have to do.”

  “The bottom line truth. Neither one of you will be able to do a thing.”

  “Eat your oatmeal. It’s not good cold.”

  “I’m not hungry, but I’m definitely disappointed.”

  “Why?” I ask, surprised.

  “I thought you were smarter than him.” Mr. Resnik rolls his chair away from the table and turns towards the door. “But I see idiocy is contagious.”

  “Nice,” I comment with a shake of my head.

  He rolls himself into the great room, heading for his bedroom. Honestly, I partly agree with Mr. Resnik. We should leave, but we have to take him with us. We would need access to bathrooms and be able to find comfortable dwellings where he can get the proper rest. None of it is guaranteed. The scariest part is when we run into alien technology or regular people that mean to do us harm. How will we usher him to safety? And could we do so without hurting him?