Deadland: Untold Stories of Alice in Deadland (Alice, No. 5) by Mainak Dhar

all made the choice
together, and nobody had imagined that so many Biters would materialize so
close to their settlement without warning.
    Their excitement for the day had not ended when the Biters
had been defeated. All day they had heard Zeus choppers buzzing overhead like
angry hornets. No doubt they had found the crash site and discovered that their
supplies had been taken. For a few hours, some people at the settlement had
been worried that Zeus would come calling, but on this count, Gladwell's
judgement was proven right—Zeus was not in a mood to seek out a fight.
    Then Gladwell said that with all that had happened, they
might as well enjoy what they had recovered, and people excitedly gathered
around to see what had been collected. Cans of food were passed around and
several people talked about stocks of medicines, antibiotics and bandages that
they had found. Alice was more keen to see the rifles that they had captured,
but before she could move in for a closer look, she felt an arm around her
shoulder. It was Junior. As long as Alice could remember, he had never ever
really been nice to her, so it was a visible struggle for him to say the words.
    'Thanks, Alice. I heard about Dakota. I owe you big time. Do
you want to sit and have dinner with me and my pals?'
    As he walked by, Alice smiled and was about to join him when
her Dad came to her.
    'Come here.'
    She hugged him tight. She wanted to tell him how scared she
had been, how she had missed with her first two bullets, how she had come so
close to losing Dakota, but none of that seemed to matter now.
    'I'm so proud of you, Alice.'
     
    ***
     
    The next morning, Alice went over to their classroom, where
Sheila was supposed to hold her classes. They waited for Sheila for more than
ten minutes. Sheila was never late, so Alice was beginning to wonder if she was
sick when she showed up. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked visibly
tired. Sheila went through the motions, but Alice could see that she was
troubled and more than once she faltered.
    Alice was herself not in much of a mind to pay attention.
She had always found these classes a bore, and after the events of the previous
day, she was convinced that all the kids should be learning how to shoot
instead of solving riddles on the board. When Sheila asked Alice to read
something out on the board, she said aloud, 'It must all be a riddle.'
    The other kids laughed, and Sheila sent the kids home early.
As Alice was about to leave, Sheila asked her to stop.
    'Alice, wait.'
    Alice wondered if she was in trouble, and decided that she
might as well apologize before being made to do so.
    'I'm sorry I said that thing about the riddle.'
    Sheila sat down next to Alice, and she could see a sad smile
on her face.
    'No, Alice, no more riddles.'
    She took out the handgun at her belt and looked at Alice.
    'I never paid much attention when I was being taught to
shoot, and I regret it. I was there a few feet behind you, but I was too scared
to do anything. I barely slept all night, as I kept thinking of how scared I
was and how I was unable to help despite being right there behind you.'
    Alice didn't know what to say and Sheila continued.
    'I just froze. I could see the Biters right there in front
of me. I could see Dakota standing there, and I knew that she was seconds from
being bitten. I knew all that, yet it was as if my hands wouldn't move. I had
the gun with me, but I hesitated, and I felt so terrible that because of me,
that little girl could have died. If I ask for you for something, will do it
for me?'
    Alice nodded, though a bit uncertainly. It was unusual for
her teacher to ask something of her, and Alice wondered what Sheila wanted of
her.
    'Alice, I don't want to be afraid again. I don't want to
freeze again like that. I've seen you practice more than any other kid, hell,
more than anyone else around here. Can I join you when you practice? Can you
teach me how to shoot like you do?'
     
    ***
     
    MY