Parchman, стр. 18
This was more like the confession of a man on death row. A man who wanted to get everything off his chest before departing this mortal coil.
She walked back over to the fire and looked down at the walkie talkie.Nothing. Chuck was laying on his bed looking at the stars and NathanialMathers was still sat by the fire, deep in his own thoughts.
‘Mr Mathers, do you think there is something more out there?’ she said.
‘What did he say to you Tallulah?’ he replied, not answering her question.
‘No, it’s not him. It’s just, well, before The Cure we had illness anddisease, but the world just kept on turning. Since The Cure the world hasgone to Hell. What if we could go back to how things were before TheCure?’
‘How things were? You mean a world of cancer, heart disease, AIDs? Things weren’t better, they were justdifferent. If any of those things didn’taffect you then yes, you could say things were better. But for those whowere affected then I’d have to say no.
My brother George and his wife had a son. This was years before Loganwas born and years before The Cure came into existence. They loved thiskid. I mean he was their whole life. They doted on this boy. Then oneevening they were around our house and he was playing with my wifeBrianna when she noticed a small lump in his stomach. You could hardlyeven notice it.
My brother worked for one of the big pharmaceutical companies and hadsome knowledge of biology and he knew that it needed to be checked out.We thought it was a hernia though, nothing serious.
Next day my brother took him to the hospital. Even after scan after scanthey couldn’t believe it when they took my brother and sister-in-law intoa side room and told them he had a tumor and stage four cancer.
The cancer he had was treatable,but they hadn’t found any new drugs tobe used on children’s cancers in the past thirty years so the drugs they diduse were meant for adults and as a result highly aggressive. They ravagedhis tiny body and we watched him lose his hair and become skin and bone. Even with my brother’s contacts in the medical profession there wasnothing they could do.
It was bad enough for us watching our nephew go through that, but it wastoo much for my brother and his wife. At the end we were all there to holdhis hand when he passed away. There is absolutely nothing positive tocome from illness and disease. Nothing.
Eventually my brother and wife split up. He never fully recovered. Shemoved back south to be with her parents and then one day we got a phonecall to say that my brother’s clothes had washed up on the beach. He hadnever ever got over it. Not just hisson’s passing, but the months ofwatching his boy slowly fade away to nothing. I mean, if that was me, I don’t think I could have coped with what he went through. What they bothwent through.
So do I think there is something more out there? I hope so. But I don’tbelieve that something would have wanted a world of illness and disease.I believe that something is within each and every one of us and whensomething like The Cure comes along you can ignore it, or you canembrace it.
Some people like McGregor and my brothercouldn’t cope with life beforeor after The Cure and it affected each one of them differently. It was nevertheir fault and life is unfair. I truly feel sorry for the man and the factwhatever he went through pushed him to where he is now. But Tallulah, Ican never forget that he is the that man went after my son to kill him.
He may have got into your head, but if I get even half a chance to kill himIwon’t stop to think whether it’s right or wrong. I won’t consider if hereally deserves it or not. I will end him.’
CHAPTER NINE
Next morning Tallulah awoke from a restless night of tossing and turningin her bunk worrying about Logan. Her gaze went straight to the walkietalkie but there was nothing. She propped herself up in her camp bed andrubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. Before she could even swingher legs around onto the floor Chuck came bounding over with a look ofhorror in his eyes.
‘Quick Tals, you got to come and see this,’ he said.
‘Yeah ok Chuck, calm down. I have to clean my teeth first. A lady has tolook her best for the dayyou know,’ she joked.
‘No, I mean you really got to come now,’ said Chuck panicking.
The look on Chuck’s face scared Tallulah, and she jumped out of her bunkand straightened herself up. ‘What’s happened Chuck? Where are wegoing?’
‘Just follow me,’ he said.
Tallulah followed him all the way to the far edge of the camp and awayfrom where the group’s beds were locatedand away fromwhereMcGregor was chained to the tree. Had McGregor escaped? Was Loganback? She let herself get excited for a second, and then she saw a group ofthe rest of the community stood around talking. She pushed through to thefront of the crowd where she saw Nathaniel Mathers and Chad Carlgren deep in a heated conversation. Looking past the two men she saw what itwas they were