The Town of Ruins

Chapter Six

     We walked door to door for almost an hour before we finally got an answer. "Ask Sammy. He's just down the block by tha' ol' Esso. Always is, looking around fer summat bad happenin'. Tell 'im abou' it, he'll know what ter do." An old Scottish man said once we asked him about dad. "Okay, thank you so much for your help, sir." I said to him. "Oh it's no pro'lem, helpin' a lovely fam'ly like yours."
    We walked down to the Esso gas station that the old man was referring to. When we got there, we saw a man who must have been Sammy. He was wearing a black uniform with red lining, and golden buttons. He had a white belt, and a white hat with a black brim. His chest was decorated with assorted medals and patches. His skin was the color of cocoa powder, and he looked no older than eighteen. His eyes were as pale blue as clear water, and his hair poked out of his hat in defiant little brown curls. Sammy was a decorated Marine Corps officer. There was nothing that we could do but ask him. We had to find out where my father was, so I did the only natural thing. I went and said hello to him.
    "Excuse me, sir? Hi, we are looking for my dad. He left for work a few mornings ago and hasn't come back. We're very worried and we aren't exactly sure where he might be. Could you help us?"
    "Of course. Tell me your father's name, where he works, what he does, and your address so that we can locate him and bring him home to you." Sammy said. I wasn't sure how to respond, but thankfully Simon saved me from having to spill every secret in the book just to find my father. "His name is Tyler Williams. I'm not sure where he works or what our address is. We only just moved here last week, and our father is very protective of us. He says that us kids should never go outside without an adult with us, and my mother caught a cold during the move so she has been on bed rest. He never really told us where he works or what he does, or even why he moved here. We only know that he left a few mornings ago and hasn't come back yet. We would love to just have our father back, we are all very worried." He told Sammy, the Marine. "Hmm, Tyler Williams? I don't recall ever clearing anyone with that name to come into the town. What are your names? I'll write them down and be sure to notify you all when we find him. We can just look at your address, ages, work and school locations and assignments in the system." Sammy said to us. I wasn't too keen on that idea, seeing as how our addresses were all different, all underground, and none of our work or school assignments would be in the system because no one even knew we existed. Sammy saw the hesitation in all of our faces, and let me tell you it is very scary when a Marine thinks you're hiding something from him. "Well? Your names. If you want your father and husband found I'll need them for my search." He exclaimed. "Okay, there's really no reason to get upset here. I'm Lisa Williams, Tyler's wife. These are our children Simon and Cassie." Lisa said to him. After a moment of staring at us in a very unhappy manner, the Marine nodded and pulled out an electronic notepad and pen. He wrote down my father's name, and looked very surprised at what popped up on his notepad. He looked at us with an even more unhappy expression, which I didn't think was even possible. He wrote down Lisa, Simon, and I's names and glanced up at us very confused. He scrolled through two pages, and then stopped on the last. Something must not have been right, because his notepad was lighting his face up red. "Is Cassie short for something?" Sammy asked. "Yes, Cassiopeia." I replied. "Spell that for me." He commanded. "C-A-S-S-I-O-P-E-I-A."
    When he finished writing that down, he took one look at each page and then looked at each of us. "Come with me. We know where your father and husband is." He said with the straightest face possible. By looking at my companions faces, none of us liked how he said that at all. Alas, we followed him anyway.
    He brought us into the Esso, and out the back door of the old gas station. There was a Hummer running, and he opened the back door for us. We took this as a sign that we had to go a very long way to where my father was. I looked at Lisa and Simon, and they gestured for me to get in first. I let go of Simon's hand to get in the car, and then Lisa followed me in. Simon was about to step in the car when Sammy pulled him down. So many things happened at once, it was extremely hard to keep track. The car started, then sped off down the road. Sammy restrained Simon and held him down until another Hummer pulled up next to them. Two people popped up from behind Lisa and I, and put white cloths over our mouths and noses. I held my breath for as long as I could, and tried to stop my attacker, but it was no use. He was too strong and I couldn't hold my breath and fight at the same time. I saw Lisa go limp right before I blacked out myself.