The Shelter

CHAPTER SEVEN: They say total paranoia is perfect awareness�

CHAPTER SEVEN: They say total paranoia is perfect awareness…


I knocked on the steel door with the butt of my shotgun, after a couple of minutes the red light turned green and the door opened. My shoulder pounded to the beat of my heart—the pain making my vision swim. Quickly, I entered and the door automatically closed. I climbed down the ladder—the agony in my shoulder making sweat bead across my forehead. At the bottom of the ladder, Ben and Melissa were waiting for me.

“What happened? Did you see her?”

“My God, Ben, look, he’s hurt!”

My vision whirled and I collapsed in their arms. “He’s burning up with fever. Let's get him inside.”

“Stay with him, Mel. I’m gonna get Mack and one of the cots—we’ll use it as a stretcher.”

I heard footsteps echoing down the tunnel—then I was jostled as they moved me onto a cot, the stabbing pain made me scream out, and then there was darkness.

I awoke to the laughter of little children. As I opened my eyes, I saw Randy and Toby chasing each other around the shelter with their little wooden swords. Mack was sitting next to me in a folding metal chair.

“Hey…how ya doing—finally back from the dead?”

I tried to smile but my mouth was too dry.

“Let me bring you up to speed. Your shoulder is broken. Ben set it as best he could, and Mrs. Travis has been injecting you with antibiotics for the past 48 hours—that’s about all we can do—the rest is up to you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Mack. How’s your dad?”

“Keeps to himself, mostly. I’m really worried about him. I overheard him talking—something about, ‘the next turn….’ When he saw me, he just shut up and glared. I’ve never seen my dad look at me like that before. It creeped me out.”

“Is he armed?”

“Afraid so, he’s been stockpiling the ammo too.”

“Shit. You better get Ben over here fast.”