Monument 14 2.5 - What Mario Scietto Says by Emmy Laybourne Page A

leave! I can’t just sit here anymore. Who cares about the shelter and the upkeep and how well it works? It served its purpose and now I don’t want to sit around no more. This story’s over.
     
    Protein shakes and bars, flares, matches, emergency blankets, first-aid kit, some oatmeal packets, two gallons of water, chlorine tablets, iodine drops, extra socks, and the handgun. Pack’s heavy, but once I drink the water, it’ll lighten up.
    Can’t bring a tent. Too heavy. One night sleeping out won’t kill me and if it does, then there’s that. Got a face mask, too, but that’s just for barter. Or I can give it away, if I have call to. How’d they come up with that nasty idea about the blood types? Sick business, Annette. Look what it wrought. Supposed to be used on an enemy and now their chemical weapons tossed us into hell itself.
    Walking sticks, two of them, for stability. Last thing I need is to break a hip! I’m slow, I know. But I’ll make it if I just put one foot in front of the other. We all do, don’t we?
    Two headlamps and a lantern.
    And yes—maybe, maybe, I’ll meet up with the kids. That would be a good surprise. Maybe they’ll be resting and I can find them.
    Goddamn hope. Makes a fool out of old men who should know better.
     
    Goodbye, my darling. I’m all ready to go. I guess the whole bunker will be your grave, Annette. I am burying you, burying you here, in the shelter we scrimped for and saved for. I guess we loved each other pretty good, when you add it all up. I don’t think we could have loved each other more or better.
    I never guessed I’d be having any more adventures, in my life, at my age. But it turns out I am. Goodbye, my wife. I’m sure I’ll see you soon enough. I love you my sweet old girl. Goodbye.
     
    Hey! Now! Who’s there? Who is it? I have a handgun. Be warned, you.
    (grunting) ’Wayaway!
    Wait now . . . You’re the girl. Jessica! No . . . Jamie. Josie! Wait!
    Way! Away!
    I will. I’ll stay away. But, hey, Josie, I have a note for you. Niko left me a note for you. You put on this mask, here. Wait, I have it. This mask. It will filter out the poison. Poison in the air’s what’s making you feel so crazy.
    You put on the mask, I’ll give you the note.
    Do it! Put on the mask. You’ll feel better if you do. Don’t go!
     
    Oh, Lord—hey, honey, I’m back! I know. It’s embarrassing—I just left! But that girl’s up there. She’s was digging in the trash. The girl Niko was so torn up about. O type blood so she’s just about feral, now. She’s the one that killed Brad Landry.
    Dear God, my heart’s beating fast. Gotta sit down a second.
    Gonna make some hot cocoa. Try to lure her down here. Yep.
     
    Josie! You smell this? Mmmmm. Hot chocolate! And I got more downstairs!
    Are you there, girl? Come on. I’m old. I can’t wait forever. It’s real good! Hot cocoa!
    I put the cocoa on the ground, here, Josie. I’m nowhere near it so you’re not going to hurt me. There!
    Lord. All right. All right. That’s the way.
    Say, now, all you have to do is put on that mask there. You take it and put it on. Then I give you more. More yummy hot chocolate. All you want. Food, too. I got lentil soup and other stuff. And that note I told you about before.
    Grab it up. Go on. Do it. Grab up the mask and put it on. Then you get more. Do it. Go on, now.
    Good. Good. Okay, now breathe. Breathe in long and hard. You’ll see. You’re going to feel better.
    I ain’t going nowhere, girl. Just breathe.
    Niko and Max and Alex, they all stayed with me. Right in the shelter downstairs.
    It will take a few minutes, but the mask will filter out the poison in the air. The warfare chemicals. Remember about all that?
    God help me.
    There, there. Okay. Stop crying now. It’s okay. You’re all right, Josie. It’s going to be all right. I’m Mario Scietto and I’m your friend. Niko and the other kids trusted me and you can trust me, I guess.
    I got a bomb shelter downstairs and