shortly with a propane powered heater.
“I couldn’t get the cap off.”
Kyle nodded and took the heater from her. With a
little encouragement he was able to twist the cap off and attached the propane
canister. He set the heater on the nightstand and turned it on low. Within
minutes the room was toasty warm. McKenna shed her parka and boots revealing a
scrawny frame.
“Oh that’s wonderful,” she beamed. “I haven’t had heat
in months. My first heater ran out and this was the only one I could find over
at V&G’s Feed store.” She pulled two sleeping bags from off the bed and
handed one to Kyle. “We can sit on these.”
Guessing by her height Kyle thought her to be ten or
eleven, which meant she’d been eight or nine when the white mass moved in. And
she’d survived all this time. Kyle was floored and somewhat embarrassed at his
previous behavior. Once situated, McKenna waited for Kyle to speak.
“Um. Well...so what was it you were playing on the
piano?” he asked.
“Bagatelle in A Minor,” she replied with a wave of her
hand. “Fur Elise. Beethoven.” She went on to Kyle’s blank expression.
“Ah Beethoven.” Kyle recognized this. “You’re pretty
good.”
“I practice every day.”
“Did your mom teach you?”
“No. I taught me.”
“You did?”
“Yep. Mom didn’t like the piano. She wanted me to play
the guitar and become a country music singer. I like the piano.”
Kyle was impressed. “Are you...is anyone else...”
“I’m the only child the aliens didn’t take,” she
jumped in. “They took most of the adults. Except old crusty Trooper Riggs. They
killed him in the street later. I was glad. I mean, not that he was killed, but
you know, he was kinda crazy and he didn’t know I was still alive.”
“I understand. Have you seen them? The aliens?”
“Yep. They are big and ugly like a fierce gargoyle,
but uglier than that and bigger. They are as tall as my house and have long
pointy nails on their hands and feet. And their teeth are long and sharp. When
they killed Trooper Riggs they opened him up like a book. From the middle” She
demonstrated. “He was old and mean anyway.”
Kyle didn’t know if she was making this up as she
went or she’d really seen such things. They’d speculated about aliens having
arrived on the planet, but no one wanted to believe it.
“How come they didn’t take you?” she asked, stretching
out on her sleeping bag.
“I was in Germany.”
“The aliens didn’t go to Germany?”
“No.”
McKenna yawned. “Do you think they will?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you come here?” Her eyes fell. “Why didn’t
you stay in Germany?”
“I’m need to find my mom and sister.”
McKenna didn’t respond and Kyle was sure she’d fallen
asleep. He turned the light down low. As easy as he was able, he picked her up
and laid her on the bed, covering her with the quilt.
“Mr. Kyle,” McKenna mumbled, laying her hand on his
arm.
“Yes.”
“Don’t leave me here.”
“I...” Kyle fumbled. “I won’t.” Of course he wouldn’t
leave her behind. What kind of shit head would he be if he left her here all
alone?
“Promise?”
“I promise.” He laid his hand over hers, only moving
after certain she’d fallen asleep.
Outside an object, thrown by the wind, hit the side of
the house. Kyle jumped a little, but being in the presence of this brave little
girl made his former doubts subside. If he couldn’t be brave on his own, he could
and certainly would be brave for her. Reaching to turn down the lamp, he noticed
the calendar on the night table. Half of the days of October were crossed off.
Kyle flipped to November, where Thanksgiving Day was circled. He flipped to December.
Christmas was circled in red with a big black X marking out the day. It was the
saddest thing he’d ever seen.
9 Christmas & Planes
Madison sat alone at the diner counter. The rest of
the bunker residents were still sleeping. She sipped on
“I couldn’t get the cap off.”
Kyle nodded and took the heater from her. With a
little encouragement he was able to twist the cap off and attached the propane
canister. He set the heater on the nightstand and turned it on low. Within
minutes the room was toasty warm. McKenna shed her parka and boots revealing a
scrawny frame.
“Oh that’s wonderful,” she beamed. “I haven’t had heat
in months. My first heater ran out and this was the only one I could find over
at V&G’s Feed store.” She pulled two sleeping bags from off the bed and
handed one to Kyle. “We can sit on these.”
Guessing by her height Kyle thought her to be ten or
eleven, which meant she’d been eight or nine when the white mass moved in. And
she’d survived all this time. Kyle was floored and somewhat embarrassed at his
previous behavior. Once situated, McKenna waited for Kyle to speak.
“Um. Well...so what was it you were playing on the
piano?” he asked.
“Bagatelle in A Minor,” she replied with a wave of her
hand. “Fur Elise. Beethoven.” She went on to Kyle’s blank expression.
“Ah Beethoven.” Kyle recognized this. “You’re pretty
good.”
“I practice every day.”
“Did your mom teach you?”
“No. I taught me.”
“You did?”
“Yep. Mom didn’t like the piano. She wanted me to play
the guitar and become a country music singer. I like the piano.”
Kyle was impressed. “Are you...is anyone else...”
“I’m the only child the aliens didn’t take,” she
jumped in. “They took most of the adults. Except old crusty Trooper Riggs. They
killed him in the street later. I was glad. I mean, not that he was killed, but
you know, he was kinda crazy and he didn’t know I was still alive.”
“I understand. Have you seen them? The aliens?”
“Yep. They are big and ugly like a fierce gargoyle,
but uglier than that and bigger. They are as tall as my house and have long
pointy nails on their hands and feet. And their teeth are long and sharp. When
they killed Trooper Riggs they opened him up like a book. From the middle” She
demonstrated. “He was old and mean anyway.”
Kyle didn’t know if she was making this up as she
went or she’d really seen such things. They’d speculated about aliens having
arrived on the planet, but no one wanted to believe it.
“How come they didn’t take you?” she asked, stretching
out on her sleeping bag.
“I was in Germany.”
“The aliens didn’t go to Germany?”
“No.”
McKenna yawned. “Do you think they will?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you come here?” Her eyes fell. “Why didn’t
you stay in Germany?”
“I’m need to find my mom and sister.”
McKenna didn’t respond and Kyle was sure she’d fallen
asleep. He turned the light down low. As easy as he was able, he picked her up
and laid her on the bed, covering her with the quilt.
“Mr. Kyle,” McKenna mumbled, laying her hand on his
arm.
“Yes.”
“Don’t leave me here.”
“I...” Kyle fumbled. “I won’t.” Of course he wouldn’t
leave her behind. What kind of shit head would he be if he left her here all
alone?
“Promise?”
“I promise.” He laid his hand over hers, only moving
after certain she’d fallen asleep.
Outside an object, thrown by the wind, hit the side of
the house. Kyle jumped a little, but being in the presence of this brave little
girl made his former doubts subside. If he couldn’t be brave on his own, he could
and certainly would be brave for her. Reaching to turn down the lamp, he noticed
the calendar on the night table. Half of the days of October were crossed off.
Kyle flipped to November, where Thanksgiving Day was circled. He flipped to December.
Christmas was circled in red with a big black X marking out the day. It was the
saddest thing he’d ever seen.
9 Christmas & Planes
Madison sat alone at the diner counter. The rest of
the bunker residents were still sleeping. She sipped on
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