Page 101 of Into the Mist

“No,” Stella said. “We’re just teachers.”

“I’m definitely not a therapist,” said Ford.

Mercury noticed he did not offer up the valuable information that he was an electrician.

“Oh, there’s nothingjustabout teachers!” Amber gushed. “The surviving children will certainly need you.”

“We’re always happy to help children,” said Karen.

Mercury and Stella said nothing.

As they continued down the hall, Mercury studied the doors to the classrooms. The glass pane in each door had been painted black. They passed two sets of double doors on their right that also had the glass blacked out and were chained and padlocked closed.

Mercury paused. “Amber, why are all the windows painted black?”

Amber halted and looked around as if she was confused. Then she smiled. “Oh, I see what you mean. Notallof our windows are painted—just the doors to the classrooms. It was a school ordinance passed by the Board of Education some time ago because of the tragedy of school shootings. Not that we’ve ever had anything like that happen here. We’re a godly town, but it’s best to be safe.”

“Amen!” Karen said.

Mercury pointed at the padlocked double doors to her right. “Are there classrooms on the other side of those doors? And why are they chained and locked?”

“No, those lead to the courtyard, which is where we have extensive gardens the children tend, though it’s early in the year and they’re a mess. Someone must have accidentally painted over the glass, and I hadn’t even noticed they were chained. But you ladies are teachers. You know the importance of controlling the entrances and exits to our schools.”

“I smell fresh paint,” said Stella.

“Yes, well, it was just spring break. No doubt many little touch-ups happened during that week. Now, shall we continue to your—”

The door to the classroom they were standing near opened, and a middle-aged woman stepped into the hall. She had long, thick dark hair that was streaked with silver. Her eyes were ebony and glinted with anger. The tawny brown skin that stretched smoothly over her high cheekbones was flushed with two dots of angry mauve.

“Amber! I thought I heard your voice. As I said this morning, I am more than ready to return to my ranch. I have goats to milk.”

Amber took the woman’s elbow and attempted to return her to the classroom, but the woman shook off Amber’s hand and planted her feet.

“You’ve avoided me all day. I won’t be dismissed any longer.”

Amber’s cheerful smile was gone like she’d flipped a switch. Her green eyes narrowed and her voice hardened. “Moira, now is not a good time. Our new arrivals are exhausted, hungry, and wet. I need to show them to their rooms.”

Moira crossed her arms over her chest. “Then I will wait right here for you. You cannot put me off, and I will not stay away from my ranch for one more day. Had I known it was this difficult to get out of Madras, I would’ve remained on my property.”

“All right then, just let me get these good people settled. I’ll be back to speak with you in a moment.”

“I’ll be here—though here is absolutelynotwhere I want to be.” Moira leaned against the door to the classroom and stared unblinkingly at Amber.

Amber’s cheery smile was strained as she turned her back to Moira and continued to usher them down the hall.

None of the four of them spoke, but Stella and Mercury shared a looked that telegraphed “What the fuckery?”

Just before they reached the end of the hall, marked by signs on the concrete walls that said “Girls Restroom” and “Boys Restroom,” Amber stopped, opened a classroom door, and walked into the dark room. “Hang on just a sec so I can find the lamp. We want to save as much energy as we can, so we’re only using a very few of the florescent lights in the hallways, cafeteria and gym. It’s a blessing that our light fixture store is always closed Sundays, so all of the lamps were turned off, and those that didn’t fall over and break in the quake still work.”

There was a click and yellow light glowed from a floor lamp to illuminate a modest classroom where the desks had been replaced byfour cots, each neatly arranged against one of the four walls. Tacked to the ceiling in front of each cot were long, floor-to-ceiling drapes. They’d been tied back, but could be easily closed to provide some privacy. She turned to the four of them, motioned for them to join her in the classroom, and closed the door softly behind them.

“Before we continue, I really must apologize for that little scene with Moira.”

Stella spoke immediately. “Why can’t she go home?”

“It’s sad, really, and under normal circumstances I wouldn’t share this with strangers—though I mean no offense in calling you that.”

“No offense taken,” Mercury said. “We are strangers to you—just like you are a stranger to us.”