The Beginning of the End by Lorana Hoopes (readict txt) 📕

large commune, but it would be better than being isolated. A part of her still hoped this wouldn’t be necessary, but with the vaccines hitting the streets already, she knew it would be.

“This is great,” she said, smiling at them. “Will we be able to get some partitions and beds and maybe a few showers?”

Nathan smiled again. “Yep, I’m already working on that with some fellows from the church. Thankfully, we have a few contractors and plumbers among our congregation now, and they have offered their services.”

Raven placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “That is wonderful news, Nathan. You are doing more than you know for all of us.”

The man blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor. “Aw, thanks, but I’m just happy to be doing the work of the Lord. It’s something I should have been doing a long time ago.”

“We all should have been,” Pastor Ben said, speaking up. “I’m working with some of the parishioners who like to garden as well. We’ve got a few acres here, but unfortunately it’s going to take us a bit to have a sustainable garden.”

Raven nodded. She worried about that. So far, they were still allowed to shop, and she made sure to purchase extra items whenever she went, but she knew the day was coming when that would no longer be an option. At least not unless Gabe could work a miracle and find a way to forge their vaccination documents.

“How is our pantry looking? Do you think it will hold us over until then?”

Ben ran a hand across his chin. “It’s growing every day, but so are our numbers. If the crackdown comes too soon, I worry. We need another few months at least before I will feel comfortable.”

“We’ll pray we get that then. How about our sister churches? Have they been as lucky as we have at finding resources?”

Ben nodded. “Some more than others, but all have a pantry and a few others have secured a building such as ours. I’ll keep reminding them how pressing this issue is.”

“As will I in the next video I do,” Raven said. “I’m glad that more people are waking up, but I hope God gives us some time to prepare.”

“Me too.” The gravity in Ben’s voice mirrored the weight on Raven’s shoulders, but there was only one thing she could do. Pray.

17

“Okay, it’s weird, right?” Katie asked Lily as she unwrapped her sandwich. She was on one end of the table and Lily was on the other. Though the girls sat at a table that could hold three students, it was just the two of them today.

Lily glanced around the cafeteria and realized it did seem sparser. Were there students missing? She’d heard rumors of a few students having to quarantine, but that had only been one or two. It seemed more like ten or more were missing, so, where were they?

“Lunch or everything else?” she asked. Weird did not begin to describe everything that she was feeling. The morning had been so odd that she was having a hard time even unpacking it all in her head.

First, there had been science - another day with the creepy Mr. Dagon leaning over their shoulders as they researched and continually interrupting them with a random fact about the efficacy of vaccines. Lily was beginning to think he was on payroll with the pharmaceutical companies as much as he pushed the idea. He’d even asked them how many of them had returned their forms and were looking forward to their shots in the next week or so. Lily and Katie had exchanged a glance but kept their mouths closed. There was no need to draw unneeded attention to themselves. That day would come soon enough.

After science, she’d enjoyed a reprieve with a slightly normal English class with Mrs. Fox. Mrs. Fox was normally one of her favorite teachers, but today she, as well as the history teacher Ms. Turnbull, had seemed off. Both women were normally vivacious and chatty, but today their normal animation had appeared forced. Maybe it was the influx of new substitutes. Lily knew the teachers at this school were almost as close as the students, and not only was Mr. Higgins gone, but the math teacher had also been replaced. Supposedly, she was on a two-week quarantine, but Lily was beginning to have her doubts.

The math sub wasn’t as creepy as Mr. Dagon or Ms. Dickens, but she didn’t seem especially friendly either. Dressed all in black, her pale skin had appeared even more white, giving her the look of Morticia or Wendy Addams. Her tone had been monotonous as she droned on about the assignment and her class expectations while Ms. Owings was out.

“All of it. Like where did Mr. Higgins and Ms. Owings go? Are they really sick? If so, why hasn’t the government shut us down? I was reading the opening plan again the other night, after we met the new nurse, and it said that more than one case would be considered an outbreak and could shut us down again. Yet now we supposedly have two teachers and several students out and we’re business as usual?”

Lily bit the inside of her lip and looked around again. “Yeah, the whole thing is strange, but maybe they don’t actually have the virus. Maybe they were just exposed and had to quarantine. Or maybe they both got tired of teaching with a mask on. I can barely breathe in mine, and I don’t talk much during class. I can’t imagine having to teach with one on.” She glared at the folded piece of fabric on the side of her table. Thankfully, students were still allowed to take their masks off to eat, but they were required to put them on as soon as they finished their lunch. Lily had never been an especially slow eater, but she was finding a way to drag out her eating lately. Her face still felt hot and itchy from