“Stop it!” Moira shouted. “Just stop it!” She stalked toward him, and flung open Floyd’s door. She tugged on his mane, and gave the command.
“Head down.”
Floyd blinked at Valerie, but complied with the order. Moira took a flashlight and opened his mouth in her practiced, professional way. She took longer than usual, giving it all a thorough inspection. Floyd stayed quiet and cooperative.
Exasperated, Moira sighed and flicked off her flashlight. She checked under his forelock, under the feathers on all four feet, even under his tail. She stood back, her face betrayed just how baffled she was.
“There’s nothing, Val.” Moira crossed her arms. “This might be… for real.” She tossed the flashlight in the corner and sunk down against the wall. Her trembling hands covered her face. Floyd turned to Valerie.
“I think she needs a minute, but I need to make sure you understand.” He stared straight up as loud thumping started to bang against the roof. The wind had calmed down.
“Let’s take a look outside.” He whispered. Floyd and Valerie stood staring at the door for a few moments. He bumped his nose against her shoulder.
“It should be safe.”
“Is that why you’re going second?” She fumbled with the clasp holding the chain together. It was unusually cold. She pulled it out of the handles, and pressed her fingertips along the edge of the door. It didn’t budge. She took the handle as if she meant business, and pulled it open a few inches.
“What am I looking at?” She scanned the debris scattered around her property, and realized the wind was gone. She opened the door all the way, and blinked. The sky was the color of an aquarium. And there were light and dark shapes all over the place. Floyd stuck his neck out above her head.
“What on…” He stopped and took a sniff of air. “Earth am I looking at?”
“Did you just determine what planet you were on by sniffing?”
“I think it’s plastic.” He trotted past her to one of the small piles. “Most of it, anyway.”
“Plastic? Did the storm find a landfill and dump it all here?” Valerie came closer. Seeing him was difficult in the low light. He looked up.
“You know, you’re not far off.” He shook himself. It threw just a tiny bit of water on Valerie’s face. “It came from the ocean.”
“We what? We’re hundreds of miles inland!” She looked up at the sky, properly this time. It would have been so beautiful if it wasn’t thoroughly terrifying. She heard Moira gasp from the doorway. They watched her run toward one of the dark piles.
“Okay, okay…” She cooed. Valerie shuffled over to get a better look. Moira was cradling a sea turtle, with the edge of a plastic bag left in its mouth. Valerie dropped next to her.
“Tell me what to do.” Valerie tried to do as directed. She held the turtle still while Moira inched the plastic bag back out of its mouth. It was slow going. The turtle was weak as it tried to thrash its head back and forth. Its eyes seemed to convey nothing but sheer panic. Floyd stepped closer to observe.
“If I had the proper tools, it would be quicker. Plus I only half remember what to do.” Moira slowly twisted the plastic bag as she tugged it out of the turtle, who clearly did not appreciate her agonizing pace. It peed on Valerie. Floyd bent his head down to catch the turtle’s eye.
“She’ll try to relax now.” Moira froze and glanced his way. Floyd tried to urge her to hurry. “She knows you’re trying to help. Keep helping.”
Moira was silent. She focused on her task, and eventually, it started to come out easier, and faster. The turtle tried to open her mouth as wide as she could. Moira pulled the last corner from her mouth, and Valerie gently laid her down on a patch of grass that wasn’t covered by the petroleum-based certain death. The turtle looked around at her rescuers, and laid her head down. But her eyes were still watchful.
“What was that, exactly?” Valerie asked.
“It was one of those very extra large shopping bags, possibly from Target, or maybe that’s blood.” Moira unfurled the bag, and smiled. Most of the bag was still there. “It looks like we got all of it. The ink has faded, but there’s just enough to make out the words ‘thank you’.” Moira scoffed and rolled the bag into a ball.
The turtle began to shudder as if an earthquake was moving it. They all took a step back, and she began to lift off the ground. Before any of them could think to act, the turtle picked up speed and shot straight up into the sky. It disappeared into the dark blue murk that had replaced it.
“I don’t suppose you have any experience with flying turtles…” Valerie rolled her eyes in Floyd’s direction.
“Not really. Turtles don’t fly.”
“And horses don’t talk!” Moira glared at him. “So why don’t you give up the act, whoever you are?”
“You checked every inch of me.” Floyd stepped toward her. “If this were a trick, you would have found evidence. Instead, all you find is what you see now. A talking horse and a turtle lifted into the sky which has currently been replaced by your oceans…” He looked up at the sky, and watched, waiting for them to do the same. He continued. “And for some reason, it has deposited all the plastic and other pollution that humanity has tidied away into it for over a century back on land. And it’s stealing all the rest of the water stored on or inside this planet. Believe me Moira, your survival depends on your ability to accept what seems impossible because there is a fight here. But it is Not. With. Me.”
Moira swallowed and took a breath to steady herself. She nodded.
“Now, I know this seems unlikely, but we need to get ourselves to the local law enforcement office.”
“No!” Moira seemed to react without thinking. Valerie felt her suspicions were justified. There was only one reason she wouldn’t go to the sheriff.
“Travel might be difficult.” Valerie pointed out. “If everywhere looks like this place.”
“We need access to their systems. Somewhere, on one of their channels, will be instructions or information on how to deal with what I suspect are multiple crises. They’ll get it wrong, of course, you’re all way out of your depth.” Floyd glanced up at the ocean. “Sorry,” He backed away from them. “Wait a minute while I get the tools we need.” He trotted his way back to the barn. Valerie and Moira exchanged bewildered glances.
Tools?
“You should go.” Moira told her. “I… he doesn’t want to see me right now.”
“Oh, you have a connection?” Floyd came with a canvas bag swinging from his mouth. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“My husband’s name is Glenn.” Moira’s fists turned her knuckles white. “He works in the department. We had an argument last night.” She raised her chin to stare him down. “And I won’t go to see him right now.”
Floyd snorted.
“You only need to walk past the front desk. Once you’re past that, everyone will be too busy with all the riots and looting. It’ll be empty.”
“I’m sorry.” Valerie shook her head, as if to put it back into alignment. “How do you know this?”
“Your sky has just been replaced with the ocean and its wildlife, and there’s not a lot of light left. All the books I’ve read with similar scenarios were usually accurate.”
He trotted over to the fence. “Hop on. I’ll take you there.”
Moira shook her head and glared at her, but Valerie just winked and dragged Moira behind her. They went over, climbed the fence, and got themselves aboard.
“So you can read?” Valerie scooted up to hold on to his mane.
“Actually, you need to scoot back just about an inch.”
She was about to apologize, but his shoulders seemed to explode into an enormous wingspan. Valerie smothered a shriek and held on tight to his mane.
