Meg, Paul, Ash, and Johnny were sitting in Ash’s room together. It was the first time the four of them had been together since the night at the hospital. Ash and Johnny were sitting on her bed, while Meg was sitting in a computer chair and Johnny was leaning against the wall by the window. Ash had called them all over, but there had been an awkward silence since they arrived. Even Johnny, for once, seemed like he didn’t know what to say. Meg looked especially uncomfortable. Her right leg was bouncing up and down as her eyes quickly darted around the room.

            Paul decided to be the one to break the silence first. “Right, we all know what we saw. There’s no sense beating around the bush, so I’m just going to say it. What the hell?”

            “Finally!” Johnny screamed. “I thought I was going to go crazy! So that wasn’t just some effed up hallucination, right? We all nearly got our throats ripped out by the crazy nurse from hell?”

            “If I remember correctly, the only one getting their throat ripped out was you,” Ash said. “But man, she was strong. It took everything Paul and I had just to drag her off you.”

            “Yeah, and then she grabbed that needle and made a beeline for Meg,” Paul added. He shivered, imagining the infections that thing must have been carrying. “Is that about how you remember it, Meg?”

            The distracted Meg recoiled slightly at her name being mentioned. “Yeah, um, that sounds about right,” she said evasively. She still looked a little jittery.

            “It’s okay, Meg,” he said. “We’re all scared right now, but as long as we’re all together, we can keep each other safe.”

            “Thanks, but it’s not that,” she said. “It’s just… I’ve never actually been invited into someone else’s room before.”

            Johnny’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. “That’s what you’re concerned about?!” he exclaimed.

            Ash erupted into a fit of giggles. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. You really know how to lighten the mood, Meg,” she laughed. “She’s even more chilled out than you, Paul.”

            Paul sighed, apparently disappointed that his pep talk went unnoticed. “I’m glad you can all be so carefree. Can we get back on topic, please? Whoever that lunatic is, people are going to get hurt if she’s still out there.”

            “Do you think we should go to the police?” Ash asked.

            “I don’t think so,” said Johnny. “My grandpa always warned me never to trust the police. It’s one of the things he was most serious about.”

            “Johnny, I love your grandpa, but I’m pretty sure he’s not totally sane,” Ash retorted.

            “Guys, don’t you all think we’re missing something important here?” said Meg. “However you spin it, that woman wasn’t normal. I mean, who even was she? There’s not that many people in this town — somebody would notice a person like that sneaking around. And the things she did… you guys didn’t see it, but she sucked her own eyeball out and didn’t even flinch. How can a normal human do something like that?”

            Johnny picked at the windowsill nervously. “Are you saying she wasn’t human? Like a ghost or something? Come on, Meg, I know I like to get excited about that kind of stuff, but the supernatural isn’t real. There has to be an explanation.”

            “No,” said Paul. “Based on the information that we have, it’s the only explanation that makes sense. That woman was not human. She was some sort of creature, possible one that has never been discovered.”

            “Besides,” Meg interjected. “Aren’t you always going on about how weird and creepy this town is? Just the other day, you were telling me about all these disappearances that have supposedly been covered up.”

            “Oh, come on,” Johnny argued. “You need more proof than that. If you seriously think –”

            “Hold on, guys,” said Ash. “I think I just remembered something.”

            They all looked at her quizzically. “What’s up?” Meg asked.

            “When I was in the library last week researching Jefferson Hospital, I remember seeing something really weird. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but didn’t the 1956 Contagion start in that hospital. Like an infection or something?”

            “That’s what everyone says,” said Johnny.

            “Exactly! A huge disaster that everyone knows about, but there’s almost no record of.”

            “What do you mean?” asked Meg.

            “There’s almost no information on the Internet regarding it. Aside from some passing references, there’s no records or death counts, not even newspaper articles. I thought I must have been missing something, so I asked the librarian, but she told me to forget about it. Also, isn’t it weird that the infection never passed to any neighboring towns? I mean, I know we’re isolated, but people do come and go occasionally. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

            “So what, you think there was some sort of big coverup or something?” said Paul.

            “I know that there’s no real basis for believing this, but… don’t you all think it’s possible that these two things could possibly be connected?” said Ash. “It’s been almost fifty years exactly since then. Doesn’t it just seem all too convenient?”

            “Now that you mention it,” said Paul. “All the old folks in this town have a strange look about them. Almost like they’re trying to forget something. Have they known all this time?”

            “If that’s the case, then what does it matter if we figure out the truth? What do you think they’ll do to us if we know?” said Meg.

            “The situation is worse than that,” said Ash. “Last time, in 1956, dozens of people were killed. If those two incidents really are connected, then things are about to get a lot worse. The ‘missing person’ cases that have been happening up until now might have just been it testing the waters, gathering its strength. Once it decides to attack for real…” she gulped.

            “Lots of people are going to die,” realized Meg. And if we’re not careful, we might too.

            “Not if we stop it first,” said Paul. “Based on what we know, we can assume that the hospital is its den or something to that effect. If we go there now, while it’s still weak, maybe we can kill it.”

            “How?” exclaimed Ash. “We don’t even know anything about it. If we even wanted the slightest chance, we’d need a lot more information, and there’s no one in this town that we can trust outside the four of us.”

            “That might not be true,” Johnny interjected. “There’s one person that we can trust. On top of that, he lived through 1956. If we go to my grandpa and tell him what we know, I know he’ll help us.”

            “Are you sure?” asked Paul.

            “It’s our only chance.”

***

            The wheels of Johnny’s BMW rustled in the dirt as he slid to a stop in front of his house. The four friends had all crammed themselves into his car as they raced towards their destination at top speed. As they piled out and ran towards the front of the house, Meg noticed another car, slim and black, that she didn’t recognize.

            “Who does that belong to?” she asked as they ran.

            “No idea,” Johnny shouted back. “I just hope my grandpa is okay.”

            At that moment, the front door opened, and Grandpa Tuesday emerged, hobbling down the steps as fast as his legs would allow him to. Behind him was a man in his 30’s, with close-cropped hair, and a well-fitted suit.

            “Gramps!” Johnny yelled.

            “Johnny, Meg, thank goodness you two are here.” He motioned to the man behind him. “King, you need to move. Quickly, now.”

            “Uncle Tuesday, hold on,” said Meg. “There’s something we really need to talk with you about.”

            “There’s no time,” he said impatiently as he looked westward into the sky. The sun was already beginning to set. “Meg, this man works for the government. He’s going to get you out of town and someplace safe.”

            “What?! I can’t leave now; I have to stay and help.”

            “It’s too dangerous, Meg. Trust me. This is for your own good.”

            “Sir, we know about 1956,” interjected Paul. Tuesday gave a start at that statement.

            “We just want to know the truth,” said Ash. “Please let us help.”

            Tuesday closed his eyes. For an instant, he looked as though he was about to start crying. “The three of you, get inside the house, quickly. Meg, this doesn’t change anything. You need to leave Ether Green, before it’s too late.”

            The man called King put his hand on her shoulder and directed her towards the car. Why was it now, at the worst moment, that she was being forced away from them? They had only just met and yet she felt such a powerful sense of responsibility to stay by their side, even if it meant she would be in danger.

            “Guys!” she shouted. “Please be careful!”

            “Don’t worry about us, Meg. We’ll be okay!” Ash shouted back.

            King hurried her into the car and floored the gas pedal all the way to the main road. With tears in her eyes, Meg looked back at the disappearing house. Please be safe, guys, she thought. I… really want to be able to see you again.