red hill - jamie mcguire

voice. “I don’t know.”
Six days after the blast, we were all feeling the effects of being stuck inside. The kids were
arguing, and the adults were quick to anger. Without being able to hunt, we were forced to make a
significant dent in the precious few canned goods in the pantry.
I stood in the basement, holding three cans of black-eyed peas, and let the tears flow. Ashley took
the cans from my arms and leaned her cheek against mine.
“It’s going to be okay, right You’re just frustrated, but it’s going to be okay.”
I nodded and wiped my eyes, taking back the cans. “Yes. We’re going to be fine.”
“Good,” Ashley said, breathing a sigh of relief. I wasn’t exactly convincing, but she wanted to
believe me, so she was easy to fool.
We walked upstairs together, greeting the kids who were already seated at the dining room table.
Nathan took a second look at me, knowing right away I’d been upset. I pulled the can opener from a
drawer and began spooning out the beans into everyone’s bowls, noting the absence of our usual
cheerful dinnertime discussion—or any discussion at all. The girls were staring down into their
bowls, looking lost, but Skeeter and Nathan didn’t have any more comforting words to offer.
“When it’s clear outside, we’re going to have to finish Jenna’s birthday party,” I said, joining
everyone at the table. “She’s been working really hard to beat you, Skeeter.”
Skeeter forced a small smile. “Oh yeah, Jenna”
Jenna didn’t look up from her bowl. She didn’t speak. The hopelessness on her face broke my
heart.
“Baby” I said quietly. Her doe eyes rose to meet mine. “This won’t last forever. I promise.”
Jenna slowly turned to the living room to look out the window. Her eyes widened, and she stood
up. “Mom!”
For the first time in nearly a week, ashes weren’t falling from the sky. I looked to Jenna, and then
to Nathan. Everybody stood up at the same time and rushed to the window, and then sighs of relief
and laughter filled the house.
Elleny put her hand on the door, but Nathan stopped her. “Not yet.”
“What do you mean Why not” Jenna asked, her eyes instantly filling with tears.
Nathan began to answer her, but stopped. The pause that followed was filled with a distant,
repetitive beat.
“What is that” Ashley asked. She listened again. “Is that what I think it is”
A black helicopter passed over, and then made a wide turn. We watched in awe as it returned,
hovered over the road for a moment, and then lowered, landing just beyond the mouth of the drive.
Four men with guns filed out, and suddenly I was more terrified of them than I was of the ash. They
jogged across the lawn to the porch, and we all jerked at a banging on the door.
“Elleny, take the girls to the basement,” I said, keeping my eyes on the door.
“But,” she began.
The door opened, and Nathan stepped in front of me protectively.
The men weren’t military. They looked more like SWAT, black from head to toe and helmets with
large, clear facemasks. The man in front glanced back to his cronies, just as surprised to see us as we