D Carpenter - Infertile Grounds

Mr. Goldteeth scanned the moonlit, shadow filled grounds as he squatted on the narrow ledge of roof. Outbuildings, trees and woods lurked in every direction – each a potential hiding spot. The crunch of tires on crushed stone drifted through the air.

“They’re here,” he whispered. “We got to go.”

The old man turned and moved nimbly down the eve. Chris didn’t hesitate. He had been looking for a way out and here it was. He climbed out onto the ledge, shut the window, and followed. What was going on? Why did the old man want to help him?

At the corner of the lodge, the man stopped and motioned for Chris to look.

He peeked around the corner – two people were in the lot, one of them was in his car going through the glove compartment. His escort turned with a wide, maniacal smile. Even in the dim moonlight his gold teeth glistened.

“I told you,” he said as he tapped his chest. “They need to find out who you are, then they’re going to shut you up. Permanently.”

Chris tried to process what was happening. Following this guy was his only real option right now. They climbed from the roof of the main house onto the roof of a little shack. From there they jumped down to the ground, ran across the back yard, and into the dense woods.

After a few minutes of trotting along a trail, Chris tripped over a rock hidden in the shadows and tumbled to the ground. He lay there for a minute collecting himself. Goldteeth came back and stood above him.

“Who are you?” Chris asked as he rubbed his ankle, which was tight – probably a slight sprain.

“Name’s Alby Fournier,” he replied in a comical accent. He sounded like that French prospector on Bugs Bunny.

“Why’re you helping me?”

“They think I don’t understand. They think that all Alby’s good for is splitting wood or gutting deer, but I understand it all. Those people, they’re all crazy. She got ’em brainwashed.”

“Brainwashed? Who?”

He held out his hand to help Chris up and said simply, “Sarah.”

Chris shuddered as he repeated the name that seemed to be dogging him at every turn. First David, then Stu and now this guy. Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Who was this Sarah Burns and what was she doing?

“You’ve got to explain this all to me, Alby?” Chris said as they started walking again. His ankle loosened with each step. “Who is Sarah Burns and what is she up to?”

“Trying to save the world,” Alby replied over his shoulder. He said it the same way Chris would have told his wife he was going to the store to pick up some milk.

“Save the world from what? What the hell is going on here? Did she kill David Rose this morning?”

“Dunno if she killed him. Wouldn’t surprise me if she did,” Alby said as he hurried on ahead. “She’s gonna kill you, that’s for sure.”

Chris lurched forward, grabbed Alby’s shoulder and spun him around. “Why’s she going to kill me? I haven’t done anything. Jesus Christ, I was—”

“Don’t you use the Lord’s name in vain,” Alby said.

“What?”

“I won’t have it.”

Chris didn’t know what to say but he knew instinctively that Alby was telling him the truth and, apparently, a true believer. “Sorry, Alby. I’m just stressed out. I’ve never been hunted before.”

“Sure. Fine. But don’t be bringing Him into your problems.”

“What can I do?”

“You’ve got to get out of here and don’t come back. She’s on a mission. Nothing’s going to stop her.” Alby shook free of Chris’ grip and started trotting down the trail again. Chris followed silently for a few minutes until Alby came to a halt at the side of a logging road.

“Is this something to do with a virus? David mentioned a virus this morning but I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. He said I had to stop it,” Chris said.

“This is where we split,” Alby said. “Go down this road for a couple of miles, you’ll come to a logging camp. You can get a ride out there. If I was you, I’d get the hell out of Aroostook County. Go down to Bangor or Portland and find some help there.”

“But what about this woman, Sarah?” Chris said. “What about this virus? I need to know what’s going on.”

Alby scratched at his chin for a moment and then said, “You don’t need to know.”

“No, I do.”

Alby shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Is this virus real?”

“It’s real alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, Alby replied. “Sarah thinks she’s saving the world. She thinks she’s God. She ain’t no God and I can tell you straight up, I don’t want to be around to see the results of what she’s trying to do.”

“Look, if there’s some kind of virus about to be released, I want to know about it!” Chris said. “After what I saw this morning and now being on the run for my life, I deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

“You think you deserve it? Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, you don’t.”

“Come on, Alby. Stop it with this bullshit. What the fuck is going on? Who the hell is Sarah?”

“I only know what I’ve overheard.”

Chris was exasperated. Trying to get information out of this guy was like pulling teeth. “And what was that?”

“They’re like a cult. Not religious. None of them’s ever held the Good Book, let alone read it. It’s a cult of her, a cult of Sarah.”

“A cult of Sarah,” Chris echoed this line, trying to wrap his head around what it meant.

“She’s smart, smarter than anyone should be but she runs that place with an iron fist. Don’t take no shit and she knows what she wants.”

“What does she want, Alby? What is it?”

“She’s a bitch and a devil too.”

“But what does she want?”

“To play God.”

“I know, you said that already but what does it mean? Stop dancing around it and just tell me.”

“Like I said, I only know what I heard. Sometimes people talk around me thinking I’m not listening or that—”

“I get it, you already said that too. What does Sarah want?”

“Far as I can tell, she’s come up with a way to stop unwanted pregnancies.”

“What?”

“That’s what the virus does, makes sperm stupid, so they can’t do what they’re supposed to do. Abstinence would be—”

“Impossible,” Chris said. “That can’t be!”

Alby looked Chris squarely in the eyes and said, “It can be and it is. Exactly that.”

Chris stared at the man in shocked disbelief. He had so many questions but his mouth, and brain for that matter, was frozen by the incredible plot Alby had just explained.

Alby continued, “The whole lot of them believe overpopulation is going to lead to the end of the world.”

Chris shook his head. This was too much to take in. “This doesn’t make any sense? Where is she going to release it? How could she have possibly created this virus? How do we know it works?” Chris needed answers, but he had far too many questions.

“I don’t know none of that. Engamy worked and now they’re ready to let it out.”

“Jes—,” Chris caught himself. “It’s unbelievable. We’ve got to do something.”

“There’s nothing you or I can do.”

“There’s got to be something. We can’t let it happen!”

“All I know is you need to get out of here, right now if you know what’s good for you. Head south as fast as you can. Don’t trust anyone from the County,” the old man said before disappearing into the dark forest.

“Hi, Stu,” Seth said as the door swung open. Sarah lurked behind him.