In the Aftermath: Burning of the Dawn Read online

  For many hours Daniel spoke on many things. When he ran out of subjects to discuss, he began telling stories. They were not originals. Daniel was an avid fan of classic films about ghosts and hauntings, so he imparted a few of them to Vita. He hoped that she didn’t scare too easily; though a mere ghost would likely seem pretty paltry after coming face-to-face with a Sayona. Daniel made it through The Haunting, The Innocents, and The Uninvited before he finally gave Vita, and his voice, a short break.

  Nearly five hours had passed before Clarissa began to stir from her slumber. She was still in pain, but the hydrocodone had made it more tolerable. She stood from the mattress, tender as to not wake Maria, and walked around the room a moment to ease away her drowse. Clarissa then made her way to the storeroom.

  “Are you hungry?” Daniel asked as soon as she appeared. “There’s still some stroganoff left. It might be a little cold, but you could warm it up if you want – or you can eat it cold if you don’t wanna bother with it.”

  “You do it for me,” Clarissa replied groggily. “I’ll take over for Vita.”

  “Yeah, okay,” said Daniel; he then looked down to Vita and imparted, “Your mama’s back now; she looks better, too… thanks for listening to me, kid.”

  Clarissa traded places with Daniel and promptly settled back into her role as Vita’s caregiver. Daniel headed into the kitchen and commenced boiling water once again. As the water was boiling, he took a moment to glance outside to grasp how long the sunlight would remain. It would be about ninety minutes before the sun set and another twenty to thirty minutes before the Sayona went active. Daniel was concerned about the impending night. Normally, the chances of his house being found and inspected by two or three roving Sayona were very slim. Tonight, however, could be different. There would not be just two or three Sayona searching for potential victims, there would be dozens. If a communiqué being spread amongst the Sayona had made its way to Cincinnati that there was a killer of their kind somewhere in Western Pennsylvania, then Daniel’s hiding place would undoubtedly be exposed. The Sayona were not just vicious and tenacious, they were also dogmatic and superstitious. He might not have fully realized it, but Daniel wasn’t just a target for revenge anymore. He was now a legend – the figurative White Whale of the Sayona world. Killing him was not just an objective, it had become an obsession.

  As soon as the water reached its boiling point, Daniel poured it into the remaining stroganoff. He drained the water, procured a fork, and returned to the storeroom with the stroganoff.

  “You want me to take over while you eat?” Daniel asked as he set the can of food down next to Clarissa.

  “No, I’ve got it.” Clarissa answered stoically. She did have it; she ate with one hand while maintaining Vita’s breathing with the other. Daniel sat down in the storeroom doorway and then posed another query.

  “How’s your pain? You think you’ll need any more pills?”

  “Not tonight,” Clarissa answered. “I’ll take another in the morning.”

  “Okay.”

  “What are you doing about tonight?”

  “Tonight, you and Maria are in here with Vita. I’ll be right outside keeping an ear to the nighttime world.”

  “You really don’t sleep much, do you?”

  “No, I don’t, fortunately.” Daniel ended that answer jestingly, but there were definite tinges of truth laced within his wit.

  “That doesn’t sound healthy.”

  “I get a few hours here and there every week, just enough to keep the madness away.”

  “That’s not what I meant… still good to know though.”

  “Only the dead sleep well nowadays,” stated Daniel. “Lucky bastards.”

  “I sleep pretty well.” Clarissa added. “Not much at night anymore, but there are few compunctions to keep me from sleeping during the day, if my surroundings are safe enough.”

  Daniel believed every word of that. It must be nice, he thought, to sleep with such immunity to the devils of the mind. It was not a luxury he would know anytime soon. “I guess you’re stronger than I am,” stated Daniel.

  “In a way.” Clarissa concurred. The painkillers and the long rest had noticeably improved Clarissa’s condition and Daniel was glad, for the most part, to see that her clearly indifferent and slightly unsettling persona was still alive and strong. He decided to risk a bit more conversation.

  “So, you’re from Italy; were Vita and Maria born there, too?”

  “No.”

  “Oh… you must’ve been pretty young when you left. Did you ever go back and take your daughters to see their motherland?”

  “No, I didn’t… and I never will.”

  “Right, sorry; that was stupid of me.” Figuring that his conversation attempt had failed miserably, Daniel decided it would be better if he let Clarissa eat her meal and tend to her daughter in peace. He intended to do just that when she promptly responded.

  “I left Italy because I hated it there. I never had any intentions of ever showing it to my daughters.” Clarissa’s response was cold and vindictive, but Daniel was happy to take a spiteful response over a nonresponse. Clarissa continued her harangue, “If there’s any place on this planet that’s deserving of a Sayona conquest, it’s Cattolica, Italy – my happy hometown. May the monsters choke on the crude bones of my wretched mother.”

  “That’s a little harsh,” proclaimed Daniel. “Though I’m sure your anger is justified.”

  “I’m not angry,” Clarissa calmly replied. “Just exceedingly disappointed.”

  “Your daughters never had any interest in seeing where you came from? Or maybe meeting their grandparents?”

  “My husband has… had a very extended family, including grandparents, who my daughters would see every summer when we all visited Ireland, together. My side of the family was neither necessary nor wanted.”

  “Ireland in the summer: that sounds nice.”

  “It was nice. My husband came from a decent family; an entertaining bunch… Vita and Maria fit in so well. My girls might look like me, but they’re definitely their father on the inside, thankfully.”

  “How’d you fit in there? With your husband’s family?”

  “Well enough; they never threw me out.”

  “Maybe you’re more tolerable than you think.”

  “Maybe I am; maybe I’m not. The opinions of others have never meant much to me.”

  “Can’t blame you for that. The world was full of very stupid people.” Although Daniel might not have blamed Clarissa for ignoring the feelings of others, he still didn’t completely agree with her worldview. Nevertheless, he had no desires of debating the merits of togetherness, or lack thereof, with Clarissa. She looked stronger now, but Daniel was still concerned about the injuries she had sustained. “Besides your side, how’re your other wounds?” He asked.

  “They’re fine.” Clarissa answered conclusively at first, but a moment later she added, “The scratch on my head might need… something.”

  Daniel was up and examining the Sayona bite on Clarissa’s head immediately. The gashes were prominent, but they would heal in time. Daniel offered to stitch them for Clarissa, but she declined the offer, at least for today. She did, however, allow Daniel to apply more iodine and antibiotic ointment to the wounds. It was painful, the same as before, but Clarissa showed no signs of distress. Daniel was not surprised.

  “Good, so long as we keep it clean all shall be well.” Daniel spoke as he capped the iodine and the ointment and placed them back onto the shelf.

  “It’s appreciated.” Clarissa aloofly retorted.

  “Don’t mention it…” Daniel somehow managed to reply. Clarissa’s show of gratitude, though clearly insincere, nearly left him speechless for a moment. When that moment was over he spoke again, “I’ll be back soon.”

  Daniel left the storeroom and then left his house by way of the backdoor. He retrieved an item from the garage and promptly returned. It was Clarissa’s shotgun. Daniel obtained a handhe
ld gearbox from his weapon room and brought it into the kitchen. The gearbox contained cotton wipes, steel rods, a small canister of three-in-one oil, and various bore mop and wire brush attachments. It was a kit for firearm maintenance. With these various items, Daniel made Clarissa’s M4 shotgun nearly pristine in its appearance. Normally, he wasn’t very keen on shotguns (they were only effective up close against humans, and not effective at all against Sayona), yet Daniel was very impressed by Clarissa’s weapon. It had a macabre sort of beauty to it. He had unloaded the weapon during the cleaning process, and now he was loading it back. The M4’s magazine held seven slugs and Daniel loaded it to its capacity; though he did not chamber any shells.

  After letting the shotgun air out for a few minutes, Daniel then took the weapon to the storeroom to deliver it to its rightful owner who had thoroughly murdered two people in order to gain possession of it. It was well-earned in Daniel’s view. He presented it to Clarissa.

  “I’ve brought back your beast,” he proclaimed. “I thought you might be more comfortable with it nearby.”

  “It smells.” Clarissa responded as Daniel placed the shotgun against the corner wall nearest to her.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. It was a little dirty – needed a shine job.”

  “Right… you’re the expert I guess.”

  “So claims me at least. It’s loaded, but no shells are chambered – just a heads up.”

  Daniel left some extra shells with Clarissa and then headed back to the kitchen to tidy up the miniature mess he’d left behind. Once Daniel was clear of the storeroom, Clarissa looked over to her shotgun sitting in the corner. It looked good; Daniel had done it well. In much discomfort, Clarissa reached from her spot and took hold of her weapon. She placed it next to her on the floor. Its presence was, indeed, comforting.

  As the day came to its end, Daniel returned to the storeroom once more. Night was nearing and he would soon need to be closing the Hannigans into their hiding place. Maria was still in the living room sleeping soundly upon the mattress. Daniel gently woke her and kindly persuaded her to join her mother and sister in the storeroom.

  “What’s wrong?” Maria inquired, groggily.

  “Nothing,” Daniel answered. “It’s almost night; you need to move into the storeroom now.”

  “Okay.” Maria replied. She rose from the mattress and walked wearily into the storeroom and sat down next to her sister. She looked from her sister to her mother and then over to Daniel and then spoke, “What about you?”

  “I’ll be right outside your door, not too far away.”

  “Why don’t you just stay in here with us?” Maria asked and then stated, “There’s room enough.”

  “It wouldn’t be very comfortable. Plus, I need to stay out here to keep watch.”

  “Why? What’s watching gonna do?”

  “I doubt we’ll be found way out here, but just in case we are I need to be prepared.”

  Maria was not sufficiently satisfied with that answer, but she said no more. Daniel knew what he was doing and he was doing it for her and her family; she could not fault him for that, for now. Daniel switched on the LED lantern that was sitting near Clarissa.

  “You can leave that on for about another twenty minutes,” Daniel spoke. “Will you be all right in the dark? I have the night-vision if you need it.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Clarissa ensured. Daniel then departed from the storeroom. As he was closing the door behind him, Clarissa spoke again. “Hey,” she called to Daniel. “Thanks for looking after us.”

  “You’re welcome, Mrs. Hannigan.” Daniel closed the heavy storeroom door. That show of gratitude from Clarissa almost seemed genuine this time. Daniel was content; maybe she would not end his life over the tracking device after all. Daniel made a quick run through his house to make sure all was sealed up tightly. He had fortified his home extremely well, but how long it would hold out against the vindictive Sayona was beyond his estimations. The path leading up to the front of his home was on a slope covered with loose gravel and the other three sides of the house were enclosed by trees, making it difficult for the Sayona to launch any charging attacks. If the beasts were going to get in, they would most likely have to push their way in through one of the barred windows. If it came to that, Daniel would not make it easy for them.

  “Thanks, mama.” Maria whispered in the quiet of the storeroom. “That probably meant a lot to him.”

  “You can sleep some more if you’re still tired,” Clarissa offered. “I can take care of Vita for the night.”

  “I’ll rest for a while more; I’m still a little sleepy.” Maria spoke as she lay down beside her sister, taking Vita’s hand into hers. “Just wake me if you need me.”

  “I will.”

  “You think Daniel will be all right?”

  “Yes, he’ll be fine. I think it’s the monsters that’ll have to worry if they ever find this place.”

  “That’s probably true.”

  Maria smiled and closed her eyes; soon she was back to sleep. Clarissa was not tired yet, and she was sure that she wouldn’t be throughout the entire night. Her pain would keep her conscious. She reached over and switched off the lantern. The storeroom was shrouded in solid darkness. The night before last, Clarissa had been lulled into sleep by the placid breathing of both her daughters. How different things are now, she thought. Her thoughts on Daniel were conflicting with one another. His planting of the transmitter in her car enticed her towards rage. On the other hand, Daniel’s little act of espionage did save her and her daughters from a terrible fate.

  Throughout the night, Daniel made alternating trips from the upstairs bedroom to the living room downstairs. Although the upstairs room provided a better view of the area, Daniel was hesitant to stay for too long. He wanted to be able to hear the Hannigans in case they needed him for anything. The house was very dark and it was difficult for Daniel to see, but he knew his home well and navigated it with little trouble. The night itself was extremely quiet; no sounds anywhere in the outside world. Daniel was upstairs when the dark finally began to fade. He waited another twenty minutes before heading downstairs. Once back on the first floor, Daniel pulled back his dreary curtains to let in the light of the dawn. He then headed over towards the hidden storeroom.

  Daniel knocked upon the bookcase and softly spoke, “Morning’s here.” As tenderly as he could, he pulled open the storeroom door. Both Clarissa and Maria were awake; both were glad to see the light of impending day.

  “Hi, Daniel,” greeted Maria.

  “Good morning.” He replied. “Everyone okay?”

  “We’re fine,” answered Clarissa. “Anything happen last night?”

  “Nope. All quiet on every front.”

  “That’s good, right?” Maria asked.

  “That’s very good. How ‘bout Vita? Any change? Any movement at all?”

  “Nothing yet,” replied Clarissa. “Her pulse is still steady.”

  “That’s good enough for now; it could be a while still. You want another pain pill?” Daniel could hear the weariness in Clarissa’s voice again.

  “Soon,” she answered. “I’ll wait a little longer. Maybe you could make my daughter breakfast first.”

  “Said daughter seconds this idea,” seconded Maria.

  “It’s a plan then,” Daniel switched on the lantern. “Pick your delicacy and I shall make it happen.”

  Maria selected the freeze-dried eggs and bacon breakfast that Daniel had made for her and her family two mornings ago. Daniel gladly fixed Maria her meal and joined her for a bite of breakfast. Again, they saved a decent serving size for Clarissa. As the morning progressed, so did Clarissa’s pain. It wasn’t long until she was requesting more of the hydromorphone. Maria took over attending her sister while Daniel led her mother into the kitchen. Like before, Daniel removed a single tablet from the container and placed it on a piece of cloth for Clarissa. She eagerly consumed the pill. She also had a spot of breakfast before returning to the sto
reroom with Daniel.

  “I think I’ll rest for a while,” Clarissa spoke to Maria as she tenderly lay down next to Vita. “Will you be okay looking after your sister?”

  “Yes I will.” Maria replied; glad to be of help. “Rest as long as you need to, mama.”

  Daniel wondered as to why Clarissa had opted not to use the mattress just outside the door. “The mattress here might be more comfortable,” he suggested. “Or is it not?”

  “That’s for you.” Clarissa replied.

  “For me? Right now? I’m fine; I’m not tired.”

  “You still need to sleep,” proclaimed Clarissa. “You have anything better to do at the moment?”

  “I guess not.” Daniel responded somewhat despondently. He did not like sleeping, especially when around other people. It wasn’t that he did not trust the Hannigans; he trusted them completely. He did, however, have issues with nightmares and had little trust in his unconscious self. Daniel might not have felt tired, but he had little doubt that if he closed his eyes and relaxed long enough, sleep would eventually overtake him.

  “She’s right, Daniel.” Maria spoke with a smile. “We’re all safe. You can rest now.”

  Maria’s intentions were good, but the idea of sleeping perturbed Daniel more than he cared to admit. Still, the Hannigans were right: he could not go without sleep much longer. Doing so would endanger not only himself, but the Hannigans as well. If the Sayona were coming, he would need all of his strength and his wits for the possible fight ahead. Daniel ultimately agreed to a short rest. He headed upstairs first for a change of clothes and a quick wash. The new clothing he selected was not much different than what he was wearing now: a long-sleeved fleece shirt and military-cargo pants. Once in the upstairs bathroom, Daniel acquired some rags and a towel and then wet the rags in the sink. The Hannigan twins had cleaned off the mirror when they’d showered in this bathroom two nights ago. Daniel preferred his mirrors smudged and grimy. He removed his shirt and saw the now clear reminder of the unpleasant times from his recent past. Beginning on his upper left forearm and continuing upwards to his shoulder and further incorporating a large section of his left side, front and back, was a massive amalgamation of scars – the remnants of a severe burn. It was mostly healed, but it was still delicate to the sunlight. Daniel was fine with keeping it covered; he didn’t like looking at it anyway.