In Times Like These Boxed Set by Nathan Van Coops

Author:Nathan Van Coops [Coops, Nathan Van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skylighter Press
Published: 2018-07-21T22:00:00+00:00

27

“One of the sweetest blessings of time travel is getting to see people who have passed away and also meet those not yet born. Treasure those moments, but use them sparingly. There is a reason we learn to let go, and a reason we let live. Sometimes love thrives most in our absence.” –Journal of Dr. Harold Quickly, 1983

A small square of fabric under the woman’s right breast is still clean. Lavender. She’s wearing a lavender sundress. The rest of the dress is covered in filth and tattered, but that one patch of color has survived her years of wandering in this forsaken place. As she stands at the top of the stairs with gaunt cheeks and knotted hair, her mouth opening and closing below hazy, yellowed eyes, I can’t help but wonder what she was doing on her last day as a human being that caused her to put on such an outfit. Did she have a date?

Jettison and Cliff both notice the intruder at the same time, but it’s Cliff who steps over to deal with it. He raises his shotgun and shoves the barrel into her face. The creature opens its mouth at his approach, her eyes widening, and gets the muzzle shoved between her teeth for her efforts. Cliff’s movements are angry: sharp and forceful. I drop my eyes back to that single clean patch of color on her chest and wait for the blast of the gun. It doesn’t come. As Cliff watches her chew on the gun muzzle like a teething child, his angry expression softens a little. His rage seems to melt into resignation and maybe a bit of sadness. He yanks the gun muzzle out of the woman’s mouth, leans back and kicks her. His heavy boot connects with the tiny square of lavender and the woman flies backward. Her fingers and toes, reluctant to follow, hang in front of her as she’s launched free of the earth and out into the void. For one distinct moment, tangled hair, yellowed eyes, and the once-lavender sundress dangle in midair before they succumb to darkness and gravity.

Cliff stares over the edge for only a second, then turns back to the rest of us, clustered around the time gate. “They can have this goddamn hellhole, and they can have the next one. Once we get back to the proper planet, we’re out.” He slings his shotgun over his shoulder and looks from Jettison to Genesis. “I told your dad I’d do my best to keep you two safe out here, but none of us ever thought that meant putting you through this. He’d want us to pull the plug.”

Jettison’s jaw works a little, but he doesn’t argue. He hands Genesis her pack and shoulders his own, then he turns to Milo. “Where we’re headed, facing the Zealots, what’s the situation going to be like?”

Milo consults one of his tablets. “We’re looking at a sector seven district, Northwest America . . .”

The dog lets out a whine and my eyes fall on Harrison, slumped against the wall.

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