Susan Pfeffer - Shade of the Moon

No. Jon. No.

Jon Evans sat upright in his bed. It was Gabe, he told himself. Gabe must have had a bad dream. He listened for Carrie, Gabes nanny, to calm the little boy. He waited to hear Lisa run down the hallway to soothe her son.

But Carrie was quiet. Lisa was quiet. The house was quiet.

It wasnt Gabe hed heard. It was Julie.

How long had he known her? A month, six weeks. But hed been haunted by her for two and a half years.

Jon knew better than to believe in ghosts. Billions of people had died in the past few years. Thered be no room for the living if all the dead were ghosts. And if there were ghosts, there were others Jon would prefer to be haunted by. His father, who died of exhaustion and hunger on the way to Sexton, Tennessee. Jon would welcome his ghost.

But it was Julies voice he heard in his sleep. Julie who cried out to him in panic, in anger, her accusations too real, her death too unforgivable.

If the moons orbit hadnt been pushed closer to the earth, Jon would never have met Julie. Hed be a senior in high school, living with Mom back in Pennsylvania. His parents had been divorced long before, but Dad and Lisa and Gabe would be in Springfield, close enough for the occasional visit.

But the moons orbit had changed, and the world as everyone had known it had changed in horrific ways. Billions had died from tsunamis, famine, and epidemics.

Dad was one of those billions. His death came a hundred miles before Jon and his family had reached Sexton. They were all half-starved by then, and had neither the strength nor the tools to bury him.

Julie hadnt died like that. Julie died because of what Jon had done. Of the billions of dead, only Julie was his own. Only she would haunt him.

Jon got out of bed and walked to the window. It had rained all day, and the wind was from the south. The volcanic ash, which ordinarily covered the sky, had thinned as it sometimes did when rain and wind cooperated. Jon could see the pale outline of the moon, ominous and engorged, dominating the night.

Tomorrow, Jon hoped, the air would be clear enough to see the sun. And one day, the sun might appear on its own, not dependent on rain and the direction of the wind. He would wake up, the world would wake up, and the sun would be warm and glowing. Nothing would be so bad anymore.

But the billions would still be dead. Dad would still be dead. And Julie would still haunt his dreams.

Jon didnt know what time it was when he woke up, but it didnt matter. It was still nighttime, hours to go before he ordinarily awoke.

Sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, hed go downstairs, knock on Vals door, and tell her to get up and make him something to eat. He might not even be hungry. It was more the comforting sensation of knowing there was food; there was always enough food. Even after two years of living in Sexton, Jon still needed the reassurance. And Val, a grub just like Carrie, would know better than to complain. Without her job as a domestic, thered be no food for her.

But this time, Jon went downstairs to the kitchen by himself. Maybe a glass of goats milk would be enough, he thought. He still hadnt developed a taste for it, but it was better than nothing.

To his surprise, he saw Lisa sitting at the kitchen table. She looked up and smiled. Couldnt sleep either? she whispered.

Jon nodded. I thought Id get a glass of milk, he said. Is there enough?

Quiet, Lisa said. Vals sleeping. She got up, found him a glass, and poured him some milk. Theres enough for our breakfast, she said. Val can pick some up at the market tomorrow.

Jon sat down and drank the milk. You okay? he asked.

Lisa nodded. Im glad we have this chance to talk, she said so softly Jon almost couldnt hear her. Its the evaluation.

Do you have a date yet? Jon asked. Everyone in Sexton got evaluated regularly. Those who werent pulling their own weight were made to leave the enclave. The rest were allowed to stay for another three years.

Not yet, she replied. Jon, Im not supposed to know this, so keep this to yourself, but Gregory Hughes is in charge of my evaluation.

Tylers father? Jon asked, and Lisa nodded. But thats good, right? he said. Tylers my friend. Thats got to help.

I think so, too, Lisa said. Its like what your father used to say. It never hurts to be friends with the boss. Not that Tylers your boss. Of course he isnt. Its just, well, dont pick any fights with him. Just go along with whatever he says, at least until the evaluation is over. Promise me, Jon.

No problem, he said. I dont fight with him anyway. I promise.

Thank you. Lisa sighed. I know I must sound crazy, but I dont know what Ill do if I fail the evaluation.

You wont fail, Jon said. Go to bed, Lisa. You need your sleep.

So do you, she said. Leave it for Val to clean up. Shes the only one who gets enough sleep around here.

Sexton University, where Jons high school was located, had been built to withstand tornadoes. No one had worried about earthquakes, but it turned out the buildings could withstand them also. A good thing too, since in the two years Jon had been in Sexton, there were no tornadoes but a dozen or more quakes.

At the first rumble they all knew what to do. The students and teachers in the various grades left their classrooms and sat on the hallway floor. They were supposed to cover their heads with their arms, but no one bothered. Even the teachers looked relaxed.

But the new girl, Sarah, was clearly upset. This was her first day at school, and from the looks of it, this was her first earthquake. At least her first one in Sexton. Jon didnt know what the earthquake situation was where she used to live.

He inched over to her. Its okay, he said. We get them all the time. Itll be over in a minute.

All the time? she asked.

Well, not all the time, he said. My little brother, Gabe, doesnt like them either.

How old is he? Sarah asked.

Three, Jon said.

Great, she said. I have the maturity of a three-year-old.

Jon laughed. Hes a very mature three-year-old, he said.

Rise and shine, Mr. Chandler, their chemistry teacher, said. Earthquake over.

Class period is over, too, Tyler pointed out.

All right, Mr. Chandler said. Go to lunch. Ill see you all tomorrow.

Ordinarily Jon ate lunch with Tyler, Zachary, Ryan, and Luke. Hed had lunch with them ever since hed made the soccer team, two years ago. But Sarah looked like she could use the company, so Jon walked to the cafeteria with her.

Hey, Jon, Luke called, but Jon shook him off and sat across from Sarah.

I know your brothers name, she said. But not yours.

Jon Evans, he replied. And youre

Sarah Goldman, she said. That was my first earthquake. And my last, I hope.

Dont count on it, Jon said. Were near the New Madrid fault line. The geologists think the tremors are a good thing, letting pressure off. Youll get used to them.

I dont want to, Sarah said. She took a bite of her lunch, then put her fork down. I dont want to get used to this lunch either. The vegetables are fresh. Why are they cooked so badly?

The woman in charge of the cafeteria was a tax lawyer, Jon said. Her brothers on the town board. Thats how she got the job.