Resonance by J. B. Everett (books for 7th graders .TXT) đ
- Author: J. B. Everett
Book online «Resonance by J. B. Everett (books for 7th graders .TXT) đ». Author J. B. Everett
He picked out the old school compass, shaking off fantasies of the days when he could swear at everyone around him. When they were all associate faculty, not physicians. Or better yet, students - students whose degrees depended on his good graces. David looked at the houses they were wandering past, just a few blocks beyond the high school. Some with pretty flowers in pots and window boxes. Some with peeling paint.
And some with both. It was eerie with the absence of people.
He feared seeing the faces of the dead peering at him, as transparent as the windowpanes of the empty houses. He pulled his gaze to the needle which had stopped jumping although he wasnât sure when. With a snort at himself for forgetting, he tossed a flag back a handful of yards. Close enough.
âYou know, the paperwork this morning showed another bubble.â Jillian didnât look at him, so he simply grunted, staying focused on his compass.
âItâs up toward the north side of town. And itâs growing pretty quickly.â
He grunted again, then decided that if he was going to shut her up interrupting was really the way to go.
He didnât need chitchat. âWhat street are we on?â
She looked up, not pointing out that he could easily have tilted his own head and read the sign his damn self. âPomona.â
He made her write it down, pulled out another meter and read the strength of the field off to her. But it didnât shut her up.
âThe bubble at the edge of town is really near the fence.â Her mouth moved as fast as the pencil recording everything he spouted at her. âTheyâre afraid it wonât respect the cityâs boundaries. That it will cross the gate.
Weâre not sure what to do then.â
âHm.â He tried to leave it at that.
âThere were fifty people reported down this morning. New since last night. And another hundred with stomach upset.â She paused to inhale and let it out, and it still didnât sound like natural breathing to his ears, but he decided not to mention that. The compass needle in front of him jumped a little. He checked the field strength. Stepped into a front yard and popped a meter that looked remarkably like a meat thermometer into the ground.
He didnât even get to read it before Jillian started babbling again. âYou know, our numbers have shown that of those hundred down, ninety to ninety-five percent of them will actually have it. The other five plus percent are just your standard G I trouble with a dose of panic.â
David flattened the sigh before it escaped him. His eyes narrowed on the meter, but Jillianâs voice cut through again.
âDavid?â
Becky didnât even look at the greenery around her, just jumped ship off the tiny Cessna and ignored the pilot as he pointed the way to Oak Ridge. The blue sedan waited, parked casually just off to the left of the three midsized hangars that made up the Clinton Airport. If it could be called that. Trees scraped the bottoms of the planes at each end of the runway. Grass grew up through cracks in the barely paved âlanding stripâ. And nothing bigger than a tour plane had ever come through to the best of her knowledge.
But Becky just smiled and waved a thank-you to the pilot and waited barely long enough for Leon to close the sedanâs passenger door behind himself. From the looks of him he had been hoping to drive, but she ignored that and hit the gas before he even had the seat adjusted. With a grunt he pulled his seatbelt across him and slapped it into the buckle. Becky wasnât sure if that was meant as an insult, but she didnât care.
Since they were driving to her house, she didnât see where she needed to sit in the passenger seat and give directions and be polite about missed turn-offs and that squinting and head-shaking thing people always did when driving in an unfamiliar area. She was through with being polite and worrying about other peopleâs feelings.
She ran two stop signs, ignoring Leonâs outstretched finger both times. There werenât even police out this way, just the County Sheriff Office. And the deputies would just smile at her and nod if they wound up pulling her over. She knew them all.
Finally she came to a complete stop at a red light that was collecting cars waiting on the empty crosslane.
Her fingers tapped impatiently on the wheel. Her foot hovered, barely holding the brake down, itching to ride the non-existent clutch. Her right hand grabbed for the gearshift hoping to slam it into second. But she consciously pulled her fingers away, knowing that throwing an automatic into low gear wouldnât help her one bit.
Her lip took some abuse from her teeth, and just as she squealed the tires out into the crossing she heard the distinctive synthetic music of her cell phone. Grabbing for it at the clip on her belt she tossed it to Leon.
âCheck the ID, would you?â
With one hand making a graceful pass, he swiped the phone from the air before it arced in the careless direction it had been sent and saved it from colliding with the dash. Nimble fingers he oriented the slick silver thing and he read off the name, âDr. Overton.â
âDonât answer.â She took a hard left at the next light and out of the corner of her eye, Becky saw Leonâs fingers reach for purchase then tuck themselves away out of sight. She didnât say anything and he didnât either. He simply sat, huge and silent, and looking very uncomfortable, never mentioning that he was surely aware that they were going the opposite direction from where they were supposed to be. Or that they were going the wrong way like a bat out of hell.
She was grateful when, at last, she hit the old road that led to her parentâs house. But it was too narrow and full of cracks from winter and grass from summer. She was forced to slow down too many times. But Becky couldnât really get mad. She knew all the people going by. They waved and she waved and drove on before they could get the windows down and tell her how nice it was to see her back from school.
The barbed wire fences gave way at last to the old sagging split rail that lined her yard. Melanie was out front with a spoon digging under the old tire swing, the first thing that had brought a smile to Beckyâs face this whole day. She was probably digging up worms or such to dissect. The little geek.
âThat your-â Leon started the question then cut himself off.
âWhat?â Becky finally looked him in the face, taking in his long blond hair, again pulled back away from his sharp jaw, somehow always bearing about two days worth of stubble. His blue eyes matched the early winter sky in understanding and bleakness.
âNothing.â He looked the house up and down. âIâm sure this is a required stop on our way to Oak Ridge.â
He finished his sentence and sealed his lips not once making eye contact.
Becky nodded. âIâll just be a few minutes.â
Melanie was already running toward the car, having recognized her sister only after raising her hand to her red bangs to see who was driving the strange car that had pulled so boldly onto the gravel driveway. Becky caught the imp in her arms and swung her around a few times. She sucked in the air, knowing full well that it might already be in the reversal. Even though, by her own calculations it shouldnât have come this far. Not yet anyway. But she knew she had to stop and take deep breaths. To smell her yard and the air, and really look at it, because it may very well be the last time.
In a practiced move, she swung Mel with a quick change of grasp that both sisters were familiar with. Melanie was riding piggyback by the time they passed through the front door, spoon and worms forgotten momentarily. She yelled right next to Beckyâs ear. âMom! Look who I found!â
Her mother rounded the corner from the laundry room. âHey, Baby.â Her face lit up at seeing her oldest daughter so unexpectedly.
She slid Mel down her back until her sisterâs small sneakered feet hit the hard wood floor and Becky rushed to hug her mother.
Her mother hugged back just as fiercely before pulling away and looking Becky in the eyes.
âWhatâs wrong?â
With a deep breath that took in the pine cleaner and open country, and a quick look at the old furniture, covered with throws and battered pillows, she turned to deliver the news. âI canât tell you whatâs happening. Just that itâs bigger than me.â
Her motherâs brows knit together. âAre you in some sort of trouble?â
Becky shook her head. âBut I am with the CDC now, so you figure it out.â Another frown from her mother and another deep breath of the smell that was her home. âI can tell you this: you need to pack up the kids and Dad and go visit Aaron for at least a week. Call me before you return.â
Her mother leaned back, a hand absently reaching for the washer to steady herself. âIs Aaron in trouble?â
âNo. But you need to go visit him.â Becky stared at her mother, hoping she would take the message and quit.
âIs something happening here?â Her motherâs voice shook, just a little, but she straightened up, standing firm on her own two feet.
Becky did the only thing she could do: she nodded her head while speaking. âI canât tell you that. All I can say is that this would be a great time to go visit Aaron. Maybe get out of the house by tomorrow morning at the latest.â
Her mother leaned forward looking for one last out. âAre you sure?â
âAbsolutely.â She reached forward giving her mother a hug. âIâm not supposed to be here. I have to go.â
Turning, she spied Melanie wide-eyed behind her, having heard the whole conversation. She scooped her sister up even as the words began flowing out of that little mouth. âThis is about those frogs isnât it?â
So Becky did it again. She nodded, contradicting her voice. âI donât know.â
âSomething is wrong there.â Melanie paused, leaning back, âand itâs coming here.â
âI always knew you were a very smart girl. And Momâs going to listen to whatever ideas you have. Because youâre probably right!â She yelled for Brandon, hoping he would make his way out to see her. She could hear the time ticking away in heartbeats.
With a last thought she turned back. âYou donât tell anyone about this. Do you both understand me? If you start a panic thereâs no telling what will happen.â
Both the Sorenson women nodded back at her and she turned to go. âI love you.â
Brandon showed his face in the hall right as she reached the front door. She tried to scoop him up but he was too heavy, and from the looks of it, three inches taller than the last time she had seen him. Blinking back tears, she kissed his cheek and went out the front door.
The wood planks of the porch showed wear at the front door and down the steps. The grass had disappeared in a trail to the end of the drive, where the CDC sedan sat - with one very nonchalant Leon squeezed into the passenger side seat, looking anywhere but at her.
Becky walked up to his side and tapped on the window, startling him from his glazed over look. He opened the door to her and she smiled, holding out the keys. âDo you want to drive?â
âHell, yes.â He didnât look at her mother or her sister in the front doorway. He didnât acknowledge her brotherâs whoops that they were going to go visit Aaron. Just calmly walked around and situated himself in the driverâs side, lifting the lever and sliding the
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