Chapter
13
A Serialized Story of the
Not So Distant Future
July 11, 2005
Part Thirty Five
Sam went for a bike ride after Robbie left, burning off some of the tension from the fight. When he got home, he heard his cell phone ringing from the bedroom. He missed the first call, but it started ringing again almost immediately.
Sam picked up the phone: "Hello?"
"Stay away from Misty." The voice said.
"Dodge, is that you?" Sam said.
"Yeah, Sam it's me. Listen, Misty's got problems and you're not helping her."
"Look, Dodge I'm not interested in Misty like that, I'm already seeing someone."
"Yeah, I know your seeing Dawn, but you and Misty have been talking. I can't say any more Sam but for her own sake you've got to stay away from her."
"Yeah, well I know you like her, but really I'm not trying to take her from you."
"That's not what I mean, man. You know what, forget it, just don't call me when the shit hits the fan." He hung up the phone.
"Yeah, no problem." Sam said to the empty receiver. He had almost forgotten about meeting Misty, their conversation seemed like ages ago.
Sam called Dawn, he thought it was only fair that she knew in advance about him seeing Misty, especially in her apartment.
"Hello."
"Hi Dawn."
"Hi Sam, I was just going to call you."
"What's up?" Sam asked.
"Nothing really, I wanted to see how you're doing."
"Well, I've had a visit from my brother this morning, he chewed me out and threated to send me away to foreign prisons."
"Nice."
"And I just had a call from Dodge warning me to stay away from Misty."
"Misty?" Dawn's voice changed tone.
"Yeah. I'm supposed to meet her later to talk about some stuff. Things that I didn't want to talk about on the phone."
"Oh."
"Look, I'll cancel the plans if it bothers you, I'm not interested in her or anything."
"No, it's ok." Her voice clearly indicated that it was not.
"Dawn, I would appreciate it if you're honest with me. You know, you could come with me tonight."
"Uh, no. Misty doesn't really like me very much, and to be honest I'm not too crazy about her. I don't want to sound like a jealous girlfriend, but she's kind of nuts Sam."
"Can I see you this afternoon?" Sam asked. "I want to tell you about some things but not on the phone."
"Yeah, ok. I've got my Mom's car, I'll come over there."
"Cool." Sam said. "See you soon."
Sam got off the phone and practically ran to the shower. He wanted to at least be clean when Dawn got there. He finished and dressed with 15 minutes to spare before she knocked on the door.
The first thing he noticed was that she had shaved the rest of her head, she was now completely bald.
"Wow! Check you out!" Sam said.
She grinned, "yeah, my hair was pretty damaged from all the dyes and spraying, I'm going to let it grow in a little, but don't get your hopes up for a traditional hairstyle."
"Wouldn't even think of it." Sam said kissing her.
"So, are we safe talking here?" Dawn asked.
"Crap, I forgot about that. Maybe we should go for a walk."
"Don't sweat it, I brought my Dad's jammer, it uses ultra frequency pulses to overload microphones. I just have to get it out of the trunk." She went out the door and came back with a plastic bag.
They plugged it in, and Sam could hear a slight sound coming from it. It was barely noticable, yet he felt his scalp and neck getting tense in reaction to it.
"Geez, that thing is kind of annoying."
"Yeah, it doesn't bother me too much, but a lot of people can't stand them."
"Can I get you a drink?"
"Am I going to need one?" She asked smiling.
"I think a soda at least, but this is going to get really weird." Sam said, "I think I can prove it to you though, I mean that it's real and that I'm not nuts."
"I promise Sam, I won't think you're nuts."
So Sam got them each a glass of soda and brought out a bag of potato chips. He sat next to her on the couch and began telling her everything that had happened to him since his awakening. He left out a few of the more defense related subjects in case her jammer wasn't working, but he did tell her about Gaby and the rest of Chapter 13. He finished by telling her about the first time he had really seen her, and his following her into the city.
"I'm stunned Sam, I really am, but how does Misty fit into all this?"
"She's been having dreams in which she has seen me with my friends. She asked me about it the other day, and I didn't want to lie because she's got this knack to sense lying."
"Yeah, she does have that." Dawn said. "I can see why you didn't want her talking about it on the phone. I have to say though, it's a little freaky to think you were following me and I didn't even know you were there."
"I swear, it's not like I was stalking you or anything." Sam said.
"It's ok, it's just a little weird. I gotta tell you though, I've got kind of a secret life too."
"Oh?" Sam said.
"Yeah, it's nothing now, but a couple of years ago I got into some trouble with Fix." Dawn looked down towards the floor.
"Oh?" Sam said.
"Yeah. Back when I was still in the public school system, I gave Fix passwords to the computers in the schools where I worked. He didn't do anything terrible, he just changed the sex of all the students to read 'female' so they wouldn't get drafted."
Sam chuckled, "that's pretty good."
"Yeah, the Hosers didn't think so though. They gave Fix a year in jail because he wouldn't give me up as his source. I never got charged, but they suspected me of course."
"That was good of him, were you guys ever..."
"No- actually I liked him, but he's not, well let's just say he wasn't interested."
"I appreciate you telling me." Sam said, "I just hope you don't find my double life too weird."
"It seems a little unreal." Dawn said, "I've never really been into this psychic stuff, so it's kind of hard to really believe."
"Actually, I wasn't either. I mean, I was curious about it but I never expected to be experiencing this kind of stuff. I've gotten used to it, sort of."
"So, can I tell everyone that my boyfriend is a superhero?" Dawn teased
"Of course not, remember my secret identity! Hey, can we turn that thing off now, it's really making me tense."
"Oh sure." Dawn unplugged the unit, "and that's the recipe for my Mom's ultra secret Chicken Kiev!" She said loudly across the room.
"Hmm," Sam said with amusement. "I just realized, I haven't eaten, do you want to order a pizza or something?"
"Add mushrooms on it and I'm all yours." Dawn said. "Hey, have you seen the news this morning?"
"No, I never got the chance to turn it on."
Dawn looked around for the remote control, flipping on the TV. There was only weather on at the moment though.
"Those workers in Ohio are abandoning their homes. They're just packing up and moving, they say it's better than dying of cancer."
"Wow." Sam said, after calling in the pizza.
As the news came back to the top stories, there were pictures of a highway crammed with cars.
"This has been the scene around the cities of Graton, Moss River and Blake's Falls Ohio this morning. Authorities, fearing another riot like yesterdays had rolled in National Guardsmen to protect the US Gannon Corporation weapon manufacturing facilities in the Graton area."
The scene changed to show National Guardsmen standing at alert alongside personel carriers, but no other signs of life at the Novacorps plant.
The reporter's voice continued in the background. "Instead, residents I've spoken to have decided that fighting is a lost cause and that their homes have been permanently contaminated. There is no one coordinating the evacuation, but despite the crowded highways the movement has been orderly. One person I spoke to said that he was heading to Kentucky to work in one of the many clothing factories that have blossomed in that area."
"The management of the Novacorp plant has offered Amnesty to all but the organizers of yesterdays assault, promising that almost everyone could have their jobs back and even be paid for yesterday. However, only a handful of employees actually showed up this morning, I'm told that even some managers quit, having been too upset by yesterday's events."
The scene shifted back to the newsroom: "Alicia Sawyers had promised to reintroduce her bill calling for a government investigation of the harmful effects of Depleted Uranium, and promises that if she is elected, she will reinstate the environmental "superfund" to clean up the Graton area and properly compensate the residents for the loss of their homes."
"Now that's what I call a tax and spend liberal, eh Diane?" The newscasters chuckled.
"Do you think she has any chance of getting elected?" Sam asked.
Dawn just scoffed, "not while the majority of state's are using Diebold! Don't get me wrong, I think she's a great candidate, but there's a reason that the more senior players won't run in these elections. There hasn't even been a major Democrat running yet, I think their all scared after what happened to John Edwards."
Sam searched his memories, but his activities in the non-physical had focused around disasters and emergencies, not politics. "What happened to Edwards?"
"He had some kind of nervous breakdown. Halfway into the campaign he started imagining that people were trying to kill him. He became totally paranoid and his campaign was ruined. People suspected that he had been poisoned with LSD or something similar, but no one was able to prove it. After that, the Democratic party just seemed to fade."
The pizza came, and Sam was gratified to see that it looked fine. "I guess Nunzio's doesn't discriminate." He said.
As they ate, Dawn said "so what time are you supposed to meet Misty?"
"After my Tai Chi class, around 7:30 or so."
"I'm supposed to be rehearsing, but I could drive you there if you like."
"Uh, sure, but I don't want to interrupt your day."
"It's alright," Dawn paused. "I'd be lying if said that I wasn't a little worried about what she has in mind."
"Yeah, well I won't let anything happen, I promise."
They snuggled on the couch, watching TV, there was nothing on but they really weren't paying attention anyway. Sam gently stroked her arm as she shifted on top of him.
"This is nice." Dawn said kissing his neck.
"Mm, hmm." Sam said, running his nails lightly down her back.
After a what seemed an eternity, Dawn shifted up a bit. "My mouth is actually tired."
"Mine too." Sam said.
"Thanks." She said, resting her head on his chest.
"For what?"
"Not pushing things. I really like it like this."
"Me too." Sam said. "I'm not in a rush."
Eventually, Sam had to get ready for his Tai Chi class. They drove over together, the afternoon sun was unusally hot, it must have been at least 90 outside.
"I don't think Alex will mind if you sit in." Sam said.
They entered the building which was blissfully air conditioned. Sam introduced Dawn to Alex, who offered to let her participate if she wanted.
Dawn adapted fairly well to the moves, Sam found himself envying her grace, he still felt stiff and awkward as he went through the routine.
"You did great!" Sam said.
"Thanks, I took a semester of modern dance in college, I learned how to mimic moves fairly well. My legs feel like rubber though, moving slowly like that is really tough"
"So it's not just me?" Sam said. "My legs feel like they want to fall off, even though I always feel really energized afterwards."
"I've got the perfect cure for tired muscles," she said parking the car in front of a Ben & Jerrys.
"Excellent." Sam said.
Fifteen minutes and two scoops of Phish Food later, they were back on the road towards Misty's apartment. She lived fairly close to the Red Eye, in an apartment over a 24 hour Newsstand. There was a delivery truck taking up the parking spaces in front of the store so Dawn parked across the street. The sun was setting in the distance and shining directly on to the shaded windows of Misty's apartment.
"I'll try not to be too long." Sam said, kissing Dawn as he got out.
The street was crowded with people and cars. The neighborhood was poor, but alive with activity, the stores were all open and the atmosphere was pleasant as the day's heat started to fade.
There was graffiti on the door to Misty's apartment, most noticably a pentagram drawn in black marker, Sam wondered if Misty had added that feature herself.
He rang her bell and was buzzed in without being asked. He entered the hall which was unbearably hot and stuffy. He felt a little dizzy as he walked up the steps probably due to the heat. He knocked on her door but there was no answer. He knocked again and this time heard a distant "come in" from the other side.
He turned the knob and opened the door. The apartment was dark except for the light of two candles burning in the kitchen area. There was a small round table that looks like it may have come from a restaurant. It was covered with a red vinyl tablecloth, and Misty was sitting facing Sam with two glasses and a bottle of wine between them.
"Hi Sam, come in and have a drink."
The apartment seemed unusualy dark, Sam sat at the kitchen table and said, "um Misty I'm not sure what you have in mind..."
"Just some conversation Sam, I like to create a little atmosphere though. Why don't you tell me about your friends?"
"Are you sure this place is safe?" Sam said, we might do better taking a walk."
"Don't worry, your perfectly safe here." She looked at him with her big brown eyes, which were reflecting the light of the candles in her pupils.
"Well, you know I was in a coma for ten years right?" Sam sipped his glass of wine slowly.
"Yes."
"During that time, I was out of my body most of the time, and I spent a lot of time with my girlfriend Gabrielle."
"Tell me about Gabrielle." Misty took a sip from her glass.
"Gabrielle was in the accident with me... she didn't make it."
"So she is a ghost now?"
"Yeah, I guess." Sam took another sip of wine and he realized that Misty was wearing what looked like lingerie under her mesh shawl. He found himself getting uncomfortable again.
Misty shifted her shawl as if to cover herself a little better, she said in her half whisper: "Not all your friends have passed on though, some are alive, like you?"
"Yeah." Sam said, "some of them are alive."
"The old woman, she's alive isn't she?"
"Uh, why do you want to know anyway?"
There was a long silence, and Misty took a large sip of wine.
"I miss it Sam."
"Miss what?"
"Being in the light, I want to go back."
"Misty I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll come with me. We can go together." She rose up from her chair and sidled along the table. Sam could see that underneath the shawl all she was wearing was a black teddy.
Sam took another sip of wine and stood up before she could get any closer. "Misty, I don't like where this conversation is going." He tried to put the wine glass down as he stepped away from her, but it wobbled and crashed to the floor.
"It's too late Sam, I spiked the wine."
"What!" Sam realized that his body was reeling, he sweared that it was the room itself that was spinning around him.
Misty picked up a shard of the broken wine glass and sliced it lengthwise down her wrist. "Come, join me Sam."
Sam grabbed her and tried to stop the bleeding. There was a dish towel hanging on the oven door, Sam grabbed it and wrapped it around her arm.
"I knew you cared!" Misty cried. "Oh Sam, it will be wonderful together! You've been there you know how wonderful it is! I need you to help me make it this time!"
Sam remembered that Dawn was waiting across the street, he pulled Misty with him and tried the door, but the knob spun uselessly. Misty laughed, almost a cackle. Sam shoved her away and ran over to the window.
He pulled up the shade to reveal the darkened street below, he looked for Dawn's car, but he couldn't be sure... He glanced backward and saw that Misty was advancing on him with a rather sinister looking knife.
"Wait a minute, this isn't real." He said, dodging Misty's attack.
"Oh it's very real Sam, there was enough Demerol in your glass to knock out an elephant. You'll be unconscious very soon."
Sam felt a wave of dizziness again, like the one he felt when he first entered the building. Misty leapt at him as the world seemed to lose visual cohesion.
He closed his eyes and swung, his fist hit struck Misty sending her back towards the window.
With my eyes closed, I'm not really dizzy. He realized, and opened them briefly to see that the room itself seemed to be rocking, the effect was very disquieting, like being in an IMAX theater.
"Wake up!" He said.
"WAKE UP!"
Misty began moving towards him again, he grabbed the coffee table and flung it at her with incredible force.
"Nice try, but this dream is OVER!" Sam said "Wake up, wake up WAKE UP!"
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