Two Summers Ago, the World Went to Shit

Chapter 10: German Guess

Chapter 10: German Guess

     Bailey's eyes were almost as wide as mine as the cafeteria grew quiet and stared at me intently as I'd caused quite the commotion. He jumped to his feet as we'd both gotten down on the floor to try to clean up the mess I made. While we were inches apart, I looked up at him because he hadn't said anything. I expected an excited reaction with hugs and joy, but he was acting strange, like he didn't recognize me.
"Bailey," I began as he immediately interrupted me with a sense of urgency in his voice.
"Sammi, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. I have been hoping I'd see you again, but you can not act like you know me. This place—it's not what it seems. Do you understand," he said quietly, sternly.
     Before I could respond, Jackson and Caleb had hurried over to my side. They sat their trays down at the table and began assessing the situation, looking around for napkins to wipe up the soup and other food on the floor. Jackson grabbed a wad of napkins from a table close by while Caleb kneeled down beside me.
"Are you okay? What happened," Caleb asked worriedly.
"I'm fine; I just lost my grip on the tray," I said easing back up from the floor. I put my hand on my back as it ached from carrying a baby inside of me.
     Bailey stood back up as I did, looking down at my belly with a warm look in his eyes. I could tell he wanted to smile, but for whatever reason, we couldn't act like we knew each other. I wasn't sure what he meant by what he said, but I trusted him. I would do anything he told me to do. Jackson handed Caleb the napkins, and he began wiping up the mess.
"I'll get you another tray," Jackson offered, making his way back to the line.
     Greyson sat down beside Bailey's tray, and then Bailey joined him to try and act like he had been helping and nothing more. Caleb continued cleaning up the spilled food while I walked around to the seat facing Bailey. Everyone else had finally gone back to their conversations while I sat silently, waiting on them to return. Several minutes later, Jackson sat my new tray in front of me. Once they'd grabbed their trays from the table, Caleb sat to my left, Jackson to my right, and we all ate in silence.
     The two of them had never met Bailey or seen him, so they had no idea who he was. I was internally thrilled to see him; it was like I was being reunited with the love of my life. All these months I'd thought he was dead or gone forever, but the whole time he'd been eight miles away from the motel. I kept catching myself staring at him, but I'd have to remind myself to act normal. It was hard. He looked good, great actually. But he didn't look happy. I'm assuming it had something to do with what he'd told me while we were squatted down.
This place isn't what it seems.
What did he mean? How could I talk to him in private without someone seeing us or catching on to our prior history? I had to figure out what he was talking about.

"Have you been here long," Jackson asked Bailey.
I was taking small bites of food as I listened to their conversation.
"I've been here a while. I kind of lost track," he said dryly.
"Oh, we've been staying at a motel a few miles down the road for several months."
"The four of you," Bailey asked.
"Yes. This is my girlfriend, Sammi. That's my best friend, Caleb, he's Sammi's brother, and that's Greyson; he's like our adopted apocalyptic son," he said jokingly.
     Bailey's expression grew empty, like his heart had dropped. I was trying to keep our relationship on the down low because I didn't want him to see that I'd moved on because clearly he hadn't. I wanted to remind him that I'd chosen him; he was on his way to me before this all happened. How was I supposed to admit to him that I thought he was dead?
     In a perfect world, Bailey would've made it to me. All of us would've escaped. Jackson could've remained a good friend to me while I was together with the father of my child. But, when people were being murdered or eaten alive by the dead, I needed a companion, someone who could take care of me and this baby. I didn't want to be alone, and I did love Jackson, so much.
     What was I supposed to do now? Confess to Jackson that we'd been sitting with Bailey at dinner, and I wanted to be with him or sneak around with Bailey to figure out what he even wanted now that he'd found out I moved on? Or was I just supposed to ignore the fact that this baby's father was here, alive, where we couldn't even be in the same room together because we weren't married? It was all so much to think about. I wanted to stay together with Jackson, but I also wanted Bailey. I knew I'd need to make a decision now that they were both here. I just didn't know how to make the right one.
I put the spoon back down on my plate because suddenly I'd lost my appetite from thinking about everything. Caleb could sense that there was more going on inside my head that contributed to that tray dropping earlier. We could always have silent conversations just by looking at each other; it was like our superpower. I could tell it was bothering him, but he chose not to dwell on it in that moment.
We'd finally finished our meals in silence after the short conversation shared between my two love interests. Bailey remained seated when we all stood up one after the other and took our trays to the counter for the dishwashers to clean them up. Jackson and Greyson sat their trays down before me and Caleb. The two of them walked out into the hallway while they waited on us. Caleb finally had me alone other than the stragglers left in the cafeteria. He grabbed my arm gently to get my attention, stopping me from walking out.
"Sammi, what's going on?"
"What do you mean," I asked, seeming oblivious.
"What happened for you to drop that tray? You looked, I don't know. You just seemed shocked or surprised," he said, watching me avoid eye contact.
I remained silent. I was trying to think of a lie to tell him, but I couldn't figure out what to say. He could always tell when I was lying anyways.
"That was Bailey wasn't it?"
I pursed my lips before confirming.
"Yes."
"What does that mean for you?"
"I don't know. Please, just don't tell Jackson. I have some stuff to think about, and I want to be the one to tell him," I said looking back up at him.
He nodded and patted my shoulder as we headed out to where Greyson and Jackson were.
I was observing every aspect of this place, how it operated, and what the people were like. I wanted to uncover the secrets behind Bailey's insinuations earlier, but I didn't even know where to begin. He'd been here for a long time, so I trusted his judgment and opinion of this place.
Based on the people I'd seen in different areas here, it seemed like they'd given jobs to some of the people here. I guess you kind of had to; otherwise, who would do the things like cooking and cleaning? A place with this many people needed structure, I guess, and it just made me wonder if they'd be giving us jobs, too. I was sure we'd have to earn our keep or contribute somehow. A place like this had to be going through supplies fairly quickly, so contributions needed to be made to keep this place running.
     Once we were out in the hallway area with Jackson and Greyson, we prepared to go to the chapel to have our "entrance counseling" as Lucy called it. She said they'd tell us everything we needed to know. So, after leaving dinner, Lucy met us once again. The cafeteria was cleared out from most of the people as they'd went back to their rooms. A couple of men and women began wiping down the vacant tables, sweeping the floors, and emptying the garbage cans. They seemed to be content with their roles at this place; everyone was suspiciously easygoing and happy, except Bailey. He had always been genuine with the way he was feeling no matter if it was good or bad.
Lucy took a moment before taking the four of us to meet her "lustrious" leader.
"Follow me, and I'll take you to the chapel where Brother Gabe will go over all of the rules. He's the leader of everything here, and he ultimately makes the decisions," she said as she began walking.
     She took us back towards the front entrance of the building as she made a special effort to bring attention to her leggings with each step she took ahead of us. Beside the double doors we'd come through earlier, there was a short hallway to the left side that led to the chapel. She carefully pushed through the right side door as it creaked loudly. We slowly followed her inside where we saw a man standing at the altar, getting closer to him as we walked towards the front pews.
The chapel had brown carpeted flooring with wooden, cushioned pews in three columns across the room. There was an American flag behind him with a beautiful glass stained mosaic in the center. He had dark hair with hints of gray distributed throughout the strands. He was dressed in all black with a haunting look on his face, and I'd say he had to be around fifty years old. We all hesitantly took a seat in the front middle pew as he acknowledged us.
"Welcome. I'm Gabe, and this is Opfer Temple. This meeting means that you have decided to come live here. We're glad you've joined us. In joining us, we ask that you follow our rules at all times."
I looked at Caleb and Jackson as they looked at me and back to Gabe.
"We are a faith-based facility. There is no cussing, killing of those alive or dead, weapons, fornication, or being in a room alone with the opposite sex unless you're married. We also ask that you abide by our curfew of ten o'clock, and we ask that you do not go out into the back courtyard as that is where some of our members go to pray in private or to mourn those who have died. We like to know where every member is throughout the night, so that we are sure you're safe, and we want everyone to be respectful to those who have gotten permission to go into the courtyard."
"You don't allow killing the zombies or using weapons," Caleb asked in a concerned manner.
"Thou shalt not murder. They are still people, and weapons make our members feel uncomfortable and unsafe. We've confiscated the ones you've brought with you for everyone's safety," he said sternly.
I glanced over at him and raised my eyebrows as Gabe continued with his speech.
"If you're here, that means you have access to our facilities like water, power, food, and clothing. In a democracy, those things are paid for. Here, those things still have a price to be paid. Each person is assigned a job to help contribute to the smooth operations here. You two men will help with scavenging trips for keeping up our stock of supplies. Since you're pregnant, I will not be giving you a job yet. That means these two will have to work extra to pick up the slack. Any questions so far?"
"What do the children do during the day," I asked quietly.
"We have a nice playground around the side of the facility that we just finished putting up a couple of weeks ago. They have access to that, and there are also several classes that our teachers hold throughout the day. We have a library beside the clothing room if you ever get bored too."
I nodded as Greyson smiled in excitement.
"Jobs start at eight o'clock in the morning, every morning, starting tomorrow. You report to this chapel to meet the others that will be working with you. We also have several members that do checks throughout the facility to make sure everyone is where they should be and following our rules."
"What happens if we break a rule," I asked reluctantly.
"I wouldn't break the rules," he warned.
I nodded suspiciously.
"We also have two doctors here that can check you out during your pregnancy if you'd like," he added.
"Sammi also takes medication. She's almost out, and Lucy mentioned that you guys had a medicine supply that would have what she needs," Caleb asked as I looked away uncomfortably.
"Ah yes, I think I remember her telling me that."
He grabbed a small notepad and pen, walking down to hand it to me.
"Write down the name, and I will get Lucy to bring that by your room tomorrow," he said nicely.
     I scribbled the name down and gave it back to him. After this, he dismissed us for the night. We'd gone back to our rooms and went to sleep. It took me several hours to finally fall asleep because even despite being in this seemingly safe environment away from the zombies, I almost felt more unsafe than I had in a while. I was starting to dissect every single thing I noticed here to figure out what they were hiding. I quickly became obsessed with it.
     The following morning, Lucy came by my room with an orange prescription bottle of pills. I peeped inside to see the pills they'd dispensed. Once I'd seen they were a different color and had a different imprint on the tablet, I asked her what the medication was because it didn't match the medicine I'd been used to taking. I didn't trust her, but she didn't hesitate to answer which made me think she wasn't lying.
"The doctor here said we didn't have the same manufacturer in our stock. That's the same exact medication, it's just made by a different company, so it looks a little different."
I nodded as that was a legitimate thing in the pharmacy world; I didn't question it any further.
     While she was here, she took Greyson to the classes they had for the children. He'd hardly been able to sleep the night before because he was thrilled to finally be around other children again. It was no surprise that he was up bright and early with pure joy. He couldn't wait to make friends and go to the playground. It was all he talked about while we laid in bed last night.
     I hadn't had much time with Caleb or Jackson, but I knew they would be busy jumping back into helping out and working jobs. After Greyson went with Lucy, Caleb and Jackson had gone downstairs for breakfast before going to their jobs. Since I'd have most of the day to myself, I decided that I'd go by the library to find some books to read while Greyson was gone.
     I walked down the first set of stairs to the second floor. When I was at the top of the next set, I could hear talking. I took the first steps quietly as it became clear that Lucy was in the stairwell taking to Jackson and Caleb, smiling and having a conversation with them as she stood beautifully in front of them. I could see them down at the bottom of the railing hanging on to her every word.
     She started laughing and placed her hand on Caleb's shoulder during their exchange. Jackson had a look of disappointment, like he was jealous. I could tell he liked her. I could tell both of them did, and I wish it didn't bother me as much as it did. It clouded my brain and preoccupied my mind in a way that affected my ability to think clearly and be happy. Seeing the three of them here and now just did something to me. I was flustered.
     I took the next step down so distracted that I completely missed, tumbling down the rest of the steps that ended right before the set that Caleb, Jackson, and Lucy were standing by. The three of them looked up at the back of the alternating staircase confused as to what'd happened. When I'd landed, I'd hit my head on the floor so hard that it was throbbing with pain. I touched my fingers to my head, feeling a warm, wet wound that was dripping blood. They all rushed over to the commotion instantly.
"Oh my god, Sammi, are you okay," Caleb asked, panicking.
"I'm fine; I wasn't watching where I was going," I said.
"Let me take you to the doctor. It looks like you may need stitches," Lucy suggested as I looked down at my bloody fingers.
"I'm fine, seriously," I insisted wincing in pain as I moved.
     I was beginning to feel lightheaded thinking about the blood leaving my body. Even being a nurse didn't help with my ability to tolerate blood and injury. I could tell I'd done a number on myself with this fall, but seeming this weak, this vulnerable in front of Lucy wouldn't help my case at all. It would only prove that I constantly needed saving, and that Jackson and Caleb were better off without me here to burden them.
I couldn't remember much of what was going through my mind as I sat up between the sets of stairs. With each second, the room was spinning just a little bit faster. My whole body ached, and I was afraid that something was wrong with the baby. My eyes teared up from the pain and embarrassment I was feeling. Jackson worriedly ran over to my side and grabbed my hand to comfort me.
"You need to get checked out by the doctor, Sammi," he said.
I took a shallow breath and closed my eyes as a small tear released from my eye and ran down my cheek.
"Did you hit your stomach," Jackson asked.
"I don't know. I-I don't think so."
"You two go on, I'll get her to the doctor. You don't want to be late for your first day of work," she said.
"I'll check on you in a bit, okay," Jackson said sweetly before standing to up.
I half smiled as Lucy turned to Caleb.
"There is a wheelchair in a closet close to the entrance if you want to grab that for me."
He nodded and hurried out of the stairwell back towards the front as Lucy and Jackson helped me to my feet and down the last of the stairs. Lucy opened the door that led out into the main hallway where we all stood as we waited. A few moments later, Caleb returned with a maroon, leather wheelchair that squeaked with each rotation of the wheels. I sat down and gently placed my hands on my belly before I exhaled deeply.
"Take care of her, okay," Caleb said to Lucy while half smiling.
"I will," she said in a flirtatious manner.
If my head hadn't been spinning, I would've rolled my eyes, but I didn't have the energy. I was just ready to get in and out of the doctor so I could get back to my room and lay down.
     The two of them began walking towards the meeting area for their new jobs as Lucy prepared to wheel me to the doctor. Eventually, we'd gone the short distance to a big room set up as a clinic or small doctors office. She parked the wheelchair in a small waiting area before going back to talk with the doctor.
     I looked around the room that was painted a calming light bluish green color. There were a couple of chairs sitting around the room and a small table with a stack of magazines in the corner. For a moment, things felt normal, like this was a typical appointment before shit hit the fan.
     I waited for a few short minutes before Lucy came back out and told me that they'd come out shortly to check on me. She left the room, and I sat alone in silence while I waited for them to come out. I heard footsteps behind the door right before it opened, revealing a friendly brunette man wearing khakis, a polo, and a white lab coat. He looked at me with a smile, and I instantly felt comfortable and safe. I don't know how to explain it, but I could tell he was a good person.
I sat up, returning a smile as he walked over to me.
"Hey, Lucy told me you took a fall. Do you want to stay in the wheelchair or do you want to try and walk," he asked calmly.
"I think I can walk," I said.
I stood up from the chair, pausing for a moment in hopes that the dizziness would clear up after several seconds.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," I insisted as my sight became clear.
     I followed closely behind him while we went back into a room that looked like an examination room. I sat down on the bench/bed thing that doctors always had with the paper crinkling underneath me. I anxiously picked at the skin around my fingernails before he spoke.
"So, what's your name," he asked sweetly while he put gloves on his hands.
"Sammi," I said.
"I'm Ryan."
I smiled.
"How far along are you," he asked taking several steps towards me, taking a closer look at the laceration on my head.
"Um, I'm about 7 months, I think," I said looking down at my belly.
He paused.
"Sammi," he repeated quietly as if thinking intently.
"Oh shit," he said quietly.
Wasn't cussing against the rules? Oh well, who was I to judge. I cussed like a sailor.
"You're Bailey's Sammi," he said stepping back and looking at me.
"Uh," I said worried that I'd already caused trouble.
"It's okay, I know it's supposed to be a secret. He's my best friend here, so we tell each other everything, including the infamous Sammi that he fell in love with instantly in Nashville."
I tried to hide my urge to smile, but hearing this made me so happy. Finally, someone else was in the circle of secrets.
"To find him in the midst of this, a world for the dead, it gives me hope. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I didn't think he'd ever get to meet his child," I said sadly, looking down at the tile floor.
"I bet his mind is racing right now."
I frowned.
"How is he," I asked.
"He's tired, mentally. This place, it's, draining," he said in a roundabout way.
"So, I'm assuming you know what he meant when he told me that this place wasn't what it seemed," I said questionably.
He expression changed.
"People go missing, Sammi. They just vanish. We don't know what happens to them, but one day, another person is just gone. We ask questions, and people lie to us. They finally got mad that we cared so much, so we had to back off, turn a blind eye to avoid being next."
"Where do you think they go?"
"Honestly, I think they take them off somewhere and kill them."
     I swallowed the lump in my throat as the clinic door shut in the distance. We both heard it from the exam room, so Ryan grabbed some supplies, and began cleaning the gash on my head when Gabe entered the room, no knock or anything. He crossed his arms and meticulously watched the two of us as if he suspected something. I was extremely anxious. Had Gabe been eavesdropping? Did he hear us?
"I heard about what happened and just wanted to make sure you were alright," he said dryly.
"I'm fine, I just fell down the stairs," I said, wincing as Ryan touched the wound.
     Gabe nodded and remained in the room until everything was finished almost like he was supervising us. I definitely got the feeling that he wanted to ensure that Ryan didn't say anything to me about this place. I wanted him to leave so I could continue my conversation with Ryan, but it was like Gabe knew. I don't know. It was an eerie feeling. I felt like my safety had been compromised.
     Ryan took care of the laceration on my head and checked on the baby who seemed as healthy as ever. Once he'd finished, I decided to go back to my room for the remainder of the day trying to figure out what to tell Caleb and Jackson, and how to get time alone with Bailey. I needed to get all of us out of here. I didn't even know where to start, and I didn't think my brother and Jackson would be on board with that, at least until I had evidence.
     Sometime while I was being examined, Caleb and Jackson went out into the big scary world for their new assigned jobs with a group of several others. I couldn't help but fear for Caleb and Jackson's lives. We didn't know these people. We didn't know if they'd protect us like they'd protect themselves. They weren't allowed to carry weapons or to kill the zombies which was just delusional for them to think it was possible to just what, walk around them? The bastards could damn near run if they wanted to. What if they were trapped in a bathroom like before? Were they just supposed to accept their fate? Were they all just sacrifices? Was all of this worth it? Those questions crossed my mind continuously, living rent free inside of my head.
     That afternoon, they'd returned and chatted about their day at dinner. Caleb said the zombies looked like they were decomposing, and the smell of them was horrible, way worse than before. One of their members was bitten, and the leader of the group told them that he had to be left behind. This scared me more than anything because what if it had been them? I wouldn't have even gotten the chance to say goodbye.
     I continued to keep Bailey a secret as well as my new friendship with Ryan. I kept my doctor visit very vague leaving out most of the details even though I wanted nothing more than to confide in them with this weight I was carrying around. But, I was worried they were beginning to adapt to the ideals and rules we were being taught. I think they honestly wanted to do everything they could to make this work and to comply with every aspect. If I took that little hope from them, I was afraid they would resent me.
     I think Greyson was probably the only one of us that had a good day; I was happy he had that opportunity, honestly. He hadn't been able to be a kid for a while, so allowing him to learn and play reopened a door into normalcy again. He told us the many things he did and the friends he made  while we sat in the same seats as the day before in the cafeteria for dinner. We all ate dinner before returning to our rooms. We prepared for the next day, and then the next day, and the next.
     Each day started and ended the same way for the most part. Wake up, eat, school or work, eat, sleep, repeat. I tried to be respectful to their extreme rules, and I worked very hard not to break any of them, including being alone with Jackson or Bailey. For a month and a half, I did everything just as I was supposed to so I could avoid any consequences.
I did.
I did.
I did.
But it wasn't enough, it never was, and it never would be.