Susan Pfeffer - Shade of the Moon

They walked another block in silence until they saw a child’s body on the pavement. Mom shook her head. “Why would anybody do that?” she said. “Slaughter a little girl.”

Jon pulled at her sleeve. “We have to keep going, Mom,” he said. “We can’t stay here.”

There were lights on in the clinic and two guards stood in front. Jon showed them his claver ID badge. “This is my mother,” he said. “We’re friends of Dr. Goldman.”

“We’re not supposed to let anyone in,” one of the guards said, pointing his gun at Jon.

“Put that down,” Mom said. “Hasn’t there been killing enough?”

“Mom,” Jon said. “Don’t argue with the guards. Sarah! It’s me, Jon!”

Dr. Goldman opened the door. “Jon,” he said. “Laura. Guards, it’s all right. They can come in.”

The guards stood aside, and Jon and his mother walked into the clinic. As Dr. Goldman closed the door, Sarah raced into the room and threw herself into Jon’s arms.

“I was so scared,” she said. “I was so afraid for you.”

“Laura,” Dr. Goldman said, “Jon. Sit down. Sarah, get them some potka.”

“No,” Mom said. “We don’t need any.”

“Yes, you do,” Dr. Goldman declared. “I’m sorry I don’t have any brandy, but the potka will suffice.”

Sarah left the room and returned with two glasses and a bottle. She poured a tiny amount into each glass. “Drink,” she said. “Doctor’s orders.”

Mom took a swallow and grimaced. “How can anybody drink this stuff?” she asked. “It’s rotgut.”

“I don’t see Jon having a problem with it,” Dr. Goldman pointed out.

They turned to face Jon, who had finished his glass in two swallows.

Mom sighed. “It’s a different world,” she said, and then she burst into hysterical laughter.

They laughed so hard, one of the guards came in to see if they were all right. “It’s the potka,” Dr. Goldman told him.

“I could use some myself,” the guard said.

“I’m sure you could,” Dr. Goldman replied. “But not while you’re on duty.”

“Yes sir,” the guard said, and went back out.

“I hope it’s okay we came,” Jon said. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You did the right thing,” Dr. Goldman said. “What happened, Jon? All we know is we were ordered to keep the door locked and not let anyone in. I’m sure there are people who need assistance, but the guard said he’d shoot me if I left the building.”

“There was a riot at the soccer match,” Jon said. “Then the clavers decided to go into White Birch. Everyone went crazy. I saw a lot of bodies, fires everywhere.”

“They killed my neighbors,” Mom said. “I should have tried to stop it, but I hid instead.”

“You couldn’t have stopped them, Laura,” Dr. Goldman said. “There’s no point feeling guilty.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty either, Daddy,” Sarah said. “If you’d gone out, you would have been killed, too.”

“Well, we’re here,” Mom said. “What happens next? When can Jon and Sarah go home?”

“Not until tomorrow,” Dr. Goldman replied. “I called the depot to see if we could get a driver, and they said no one’s allowed in or out of White Birch tonight. No, we’re here for the night. I’ll call again tomorrow to see if they can get Jon and Sarah out.”

“If you stay, I stay,” Sarah said.

“No,” Dr. Goldman said. “We don’t need guilt and we don’t need nobility. You and Jon will go home together. Meantime, this is as safe a place as we can be. We might as well get some sleep. Laura, why don’t you sleep on the examining table? The rest of us can use the floor.”

“I can’t do that,” Mom said.

“Don’t worry,” Dr. Goldman said. “You’ll be just as uncomfortable as the rest of us.”

Mom climbed onto the examining table. “You sure this is all right?” she asked.

“Mom, go to sleep,” Jon said.

Mom sighed. “A son’s love,” she said. “Nothing sweeter.”

They all laughed. Then Jon, Sarah, and Dr. Goldman stretched out on the floor.

Jon reached out and touched Sarah’s hand. They were safe, he told himself. They were protected. Whatever had happened, whatever would happen, for this night at least, they were safe.

“Wake up, Jon.”

Jon sat upright on the floor. His body ached all over. He was hungry and, for a moment, confused.

“Is everyone okay?” he asked as the memories flooded back in.

Dr. Goldman smiled. “We’re fine,” he said. “But it’s time for you to get up.”

“He always was a late sleeper,” Mom said. “Even when he was little.”

At least Mom acknowledged he wasn’t little anymore. “What’s happening?” he asked. “Does anybody know?”

“Things are better,” Sarah said. “Calmer.”

“For the moment, anyway,” her father said. “I called the depot. They’ll send a private car for us this afternoon. I said I preferred to stay, but they’re insisting I go back with you.”

“They’re letting the fires burn themselves out,” Mom said. “But this section is safe, and there are guards on the streets. So it’s time for me to go home.”

“Not alone,” Jon said. “I’ll take you there.”

“You and a guard,” Dr. Goldman said. “He’ll escort you there and back, Jon, and you’ll wait with us for the car.”

Jon nodded. He excused himself and went to the bathroom. When he returned to the office, Mom was ready to leave.

Dr. Goldman walked out of the office with them, telling one of the guards what to do. There was still smoke in the distance, but Jon only heard one gunshot, and that seemed far away.

They walked in silence back to Mom’s apartment. The three murdered women were still lying in front of the building.

“I heard they’ll start moving the corpses tomorrow,” the guard said. “Meantime, stay in your apartment, ma’am. A siren will ring three times, then stop, then three times again to let the grubs know they can go out again. Don’t leave until then or you might get shot.”

“Thank you,” Mom said. “I’ll stay in my apartment until I hear the sirens.”

“I’m going upstairs with my mother,” Jon said. “I’ll be a few minutes. Wait for me here, all right?”

“Yes sir,” the guard said.

Jon and his mother walked the flight of stairs to her apartment. “Wait here,” he said, “while I check things out.”

“Don’t be silly,” she replied, promptly walking ahead of him. “You must be famished. I know I am. I’ll get us something to eat.”

“I’m okay,” Jon said. “I’ll eat when I get back to Sexton.”

“You’ll eat right now,” Mom said. They walked to the kitchen and saw it had been ransacked. Mom checked the cupboards, but all her food had been stolen. They looked around the apartment, but whoever had stolen the food was gone.

“Are you going to be okay?” Jon asked.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Come here.”

They walked to Miranda and Alex’s room, and Mom opened the closet door. “Our hidden stash,” she said, pulling cans of food out of an emptied pillow on the closet shelf. “Alex’s paranoia can come in handy.”

Jon checked the supplies. “That should last you for a few days,” he said. “Besides, they’ll start getting food to you in a day or two.”

“I’m not so sure,” Mom replied. “They’ll feed the workers in Sexton. But I don’t think they’ll send food to White Birch. They’re not putting the fires out. They closed the clinic when it’s most needed. I don’t think they’re going to send us any supplies until they think we’ve suffered enough.”