The Last Handful of Clover - Book 3: The Stone in the Stream

3.10 Parakeet

June 16, 6:38 am

Howard Gunderson stood in the hall outside of Keith Woo's bedroom. He glanced in, but he did not disturb the man, who was sleeping under an enormous pile of blankets despite the summer heat.

If Keith is sleeping, then he's the only one, Howard thought.

The truth was, nobody in the house had gotten much sleep overnight, least of all himself. Pil and Michelle were curled up together on the couch downstairs, but he didn't believe they were sleeping. And Howard had been as nervous as a cat all night, thinking that every little noise he heard signaled Justin's return. Or perhaps something even worse.

It had been a long night. But, however slowly, the hours had eventually passed. They were all still alive. And for the first time in hours, as he looked at the snatch of blue sky visible through Keith's window, Howard allowed himself the fantasy that maybe, just maybe, they would get out of this somehow.

Michelle had convinced Keith to lie down around 2:00 am, but before that, the four of them had huddled together over the kitchen table, and Howard had told them everything he knew. He told them about Justin, and about how he'd learned what was truly happening to him, and to the city. He watched as Keith leaned forward, his eyes wide and hungry, as he talked about what little he knew of Richard Pratt. Keith asked dozens of questions and seemed frustrated that Howard could answer so few of them. But even with the little that he could tell the man, it was clear Keith felt his hope had been validated. Keith wanted nothing more than to know for sure that what he had been sensing was true—that his dead husband had been watching over him.

After Howard was finished, and all three of the friends had exhausted their questions, Michelle became adamant that they need to do what Richard told them to do, and flee the city. She wanted to drive to her parents in Ogden first thing in the morning. Even though the news had said that the city was under quarantine, she was absolutely certain that getting out was their best option for survival. And none of the three could believe that the army would actually shoot civilians, who only wanted to find safety. Howard wasn't as sure of that as they were. But reluctantly he had to agree that, barring some fresh development with the light of day, getting out was their best chance.

That was, as long as they actually left.

Shortly after Keith left to lie down upstairs, Howard had overheard Michelle and Pil talking in quiet voices in the kitchen.

"My big fear is that when we wake Keith to tell him it's time to go, he's going to say no," Michelle had whispered. "He says he knows we have to go, but is he still going to feel that way in the morning? What happens when it really sinks in that leaving here also means leaving Richard?"

Howard had slipped back into the living room, his anxiety reaching a crippling level. It was no wonder that he couldn't sleep after that.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the memory. Keith was still asleep in the bed, and the light was growing in the window, getting brighter with each passing minute. All those worries had been part of last night's terrors. There was nothing he could do now except to shake them off as best he could, and be ready for whatever awaited them.

Surviving the night has to mean we still have a chance, doesn't it?

Howard crept away from Keith's door and returned downstairs. Michelle and Pil were both up now, and Michelle was heating water for instant coffee on the gas burner. If it had not been for the dark circles under all their eyes, it would have been easy to mistake this for just any normal morning, in any suburban household in the city.

They both looked at Howard as he entered, and he had the uncomfortable impression he had just interrupted their conversation. It was clear that Pil still didn't trust him, despite Michelle's insistence the night before. But seeing him, Michelle quickly crossed the kitchen and gave him a hug. She guided him to the table and put an empty coffee cup in front of him that matched the one in front of Pil.