The Mesmerized by Rhiannon Frater

her side-swept
bangs. “Acting like…”
    “Zombies,” Arthur offered.
    “They’re not attacking people. They’re not
eating us,” Minji said defensively, hugging Ava lovingly.
    “Yet.”
    Simone rolled her eyes at Arthur’s
comment.
    “They’re still alive. Jake has a pulse. So
does Ava. It’s like they’re sleepwalking or something.”
    Arthur shrugged. “The terrorists must have
put something in the air. Maybe in that plane that crashed.”
    Simone dismissed this comment with the shake
of her head. “I doubt that, Arthur. That plane crashed after the
massive pileup. My driver slipped into a trance and it appeared
everyone else driving did, too. No one honked, no one slammed on
their brakes. They just drove into one another. Then the plane
struck the Luxor.”
    Bailey quieted, letting out a pitiful
sniffle.
    Minji lifted her hand so Bailey could grip
it. The young mother definitely sympathized with her baby daughter.
The sights and sounds of the day were overwhelming to her as an
adult. She could only imagine how terrifying it was for Bailey.
Gazing at Ava, Minji was torn. Was it better that Ava wasn’t aware
of the terrible events unfolding? Yet, how could her transfixed
state be something good? When would she awaken? At least she wasn’t
attempting to follow the others anymore.
    Faint patches of sunlight pierced through
the thick, dark cloud as it gradually dissipated while the heavier
fragments settled to the ground and the hot desert wind brushed
away the lighter particles.
    “We should be able to leave soon,” Minji
said, though she wasn’t really sure she wanted to venture
outside.
    “Maybe we should stay here?” Simone glanced
toward a body near the check-in counter. “On second thought...”
    “We should get some masks out of the
ambulance,” Arthur said. “The...uh...mesmerized people with the gas
masks are already gone, so we’ll have to settle for those surgeon
ones.”
    “The mesmerized?” Simone tried the word out,
and then nodded. “A very good description of them.”
    Rolling her shoulders, Minji tried to relax
the knot forming at the base of her neck. The other woman noted her
discomfort and gently pulled Ava from Minji’s arms.
    “You’re doing too much, Minji. Arthur, we
need to help her out more. Get the diaper bag. I’ll take care of
the little girl.”
    “Why should I—”
    “Do it,” Simone said, her voice firm.
    Grudgingly, Arthur took the heavy diaper bag
from Minji.
    A sigh of relief escaped her lips. “Thank
you.”
    Simone clambered to her feet and hoisted Ava
onto her hip. Ava’s head immediately swiveled toward Minji.
    “Is she waking up?” Minji gasped, pulling
herself to her feet.
    Ava’s head tilted to follow Minji’s face,
but she didn’t speak or give any indication of awareness.
    “Ava, do you want to go to your mommy?”
Simone asked.
    The five-year old continued to stare at
Minji, but there wasn’t a hint of recognition in her eyes.
    “Try moving over there,” Simone suggested,
gesturing with her chin toward an archway.
    Nearby Arthur watched nervously. “I don’t
like the way her eyes look. They’re all spooky.”
    “Arthur, you need to be quiet,” Simone
commanded.
    Minji took a few steps to one side, removing
herself from Ava’s immediate view. Her daughter’s head swiveled to
follow. Joy burst to life in her heart and her first smile since
the disastrous event flitted across her lips. Ava had to be
awakening.
    “Ava, can you hear me? Can you hear
Mommy?”
    The redhead faced Minji, but her eyes still
weren’t clearly focused on her mother. Again, Minji scuttled to one
side. Ava twisted in Simone’s hold to track her mother’s path.
    “What does it mean?” Arthur demanded. “Is
she waking up?”
    “Maybe,” Simone said cautiously. “Or maybe
it’s not affecting her as much as the others. Her mother and sister
are immune. Maybe she has a limited immunity.”
    “Then why is he doing it, too?” Arthur
asked, indicating