Chapter Text
SCENE ONE
Sfx. The sound of rain.
Alexis is in her house. She has been cooped up for days. She is restless but not concerned. She’s been through hurricanes before.
Alexis
There is a category two hurricane outside my house, and it has been there for the past three days. Power is still on, I’m well stocked on peanut butter and jelly, and I’m bored out of my mind. So, let’s do this.
Claire at work suggested using my cell phone to take notes, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m hoping? To write a memoir? Maybe?
I don’t know. That involves ‘putting myself out there’, and I’ve never been great at that. I’m still not out at work. One silver lining of Covid: I’m full time work from home now.
Okay. Basic facts. My name is Alexis Barrett. I’m thirty-one years old.
Sfx. Clap of thunder.
Alexis
Urgh. Maybe I should have evacuated. But I wasn’t able to figure out which shelters were trans-accepting. And, okay, if I’m going to do a memoir, I’ve got to talk about the difficult shit, don’t I? So here goes.
When I was twenty-six, I came out to my parents. I didn’t mean to. At that point, I was leading the classic double life; a man at work and a woman when I was out and about. This might not be the biggest town in the world, but I don’t run into coworkers at the grocery store, so I figured it would be fine. Or at least, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin.
So I’m out with this woman – it didn’t work out between us because it turns out she’s allergic to cats, and while I don’t have one at the moment, I did at the time – and anyway, we get our picture taken. And this isn’t some seedy blackmail scheme or anything. Just some thoughtless person who put the picture up on Facebook. I didn’t even know at first, since I don’t use it, but I get autotagged. And my parents – well, my mom, mostly – do use Facebook, and dear old mum sees me in woman’s clothes, and I get ambushed the next time I’m over for Thanksgiving.
Mom cried. Dad didn’t because he’s got that whole ‘men don’t cry’ bullshit going on. He screamed. And then I swear I thought he was going to cry. He didn’t, but his voice started to break. And he looks at me with this perfect heartbroken sincerity and says, “Alex. I hope you can imagine how proud I was when you were born and the doctor told us you were a boy. Finding out I had a son was the happiest moment of my life. And it’s like you’ve gone back in time and taken that from me.”
Of course, the fucker says this right in front of my two older sisters. Like they might as well have not even been there, right? God!
I still talk to them. But I haven’t been back to see my parents since, which means no big family get together. And that’s why I couldn’t ask to evacuate to their place, even though they live in Orlando and it would probably be safer.
But, like, it was only supposed to be a Cat 2. I thought it was going to be over by now.
Which...I am going to have so much work when this is done. I’m in IT, and everything’s going to be down after this. I work at–
Alexis is interrupted by another clap of thunder.
Sfx. Clap of thunder.
Alexis
Damn it. The power just flickered. I’ve got this damn storm outside, and now all I can think of is that Thanksgiving. Maybe I should have held off memoir recording for when I could go for a walk and clear my head afterwards.
I wish I could say I had some scathing comeback after my dad’s little speech, that I’d said something to stand up for myself or even just my sisters. But the truth is that I just stood there.
And then I did the rest of Thanksgiving with just this hollow, glum expression on my face. I thanked my mom for the sweet potato casserole and complimented my dad on the turkey – he’d managed to fry it without setting the house on fire – and acted like everything was fine.
It was only after I went home for the night that I decided I wasn’t going to do that again.
My oldest sister said I broke Mom’s heart when I said I wasn’t coming to Christmas that year. But she also said she didn’t blame me, and she sent me a tech store gift card as a present in the mail.
Sfx. Crack of thunder.
Alexis
You know what? I’m going to stop for now to conserve battery power.
There is a break in the recording here. It resumes some time later.
SCENE TWO
Sfx. More intense rain.
Alexis
The situation has gotten worse. Alexis is trying to stay calm, but she is beginning to panic.
This is for insurance. My name is Alexis Barrett, and there is water coming in from under the door. Oh, God, my house is literally flooding.
And this is for Amy or whoever finds my…
Her words are interrupted by the threat of tears. She gets a hold of herself.
Alexis
Just, in case anyone needs to know what happened to me. I have this wooden canoe. I got it at a garage sale. Real artsy. But it floats! And it’s not too heavy. I’m going to put provisions in it now, and if the water gets too high, I guess I can float in it. I have an umbrella. And, um, I’ll need a bucket to bail out the rainwater.
She speaks confidently.
But I’m not going to die in a damned category two hurricane!
There is a break in the recording here. It resumes a short while later.
Sfx. The sound of rain on a tarp.
Alexis
I am on the roof. I am in my canoe on the roof. I found a tarp in the garage, and I’m using it to keep the rain out. It works better than the umbrella. Really hope that I don’t get struck by lightning.
The water level has risen by, oh boy, hard to tell. Two feet, maybe? It’s all murky. I can’t see the grass on my lawn. I can only see the tops of my bushes.
I tried calling emergency services, but I couldn’t get through. Not sure what they’d do, though! I’m stranded on my roof in the middle of a hurricane. Not like they can send an ambulance!
Nothing to do but wait, I suppose.
Another break in the recording. It resumes an hour or two later.
Alexis
My windows are covered by water. If I hadn’t evacuated to my roof, I’d have drowned. Oh God, I’m looking around, I don’t see anyone else on roofs. And if they don’t have canoes, it won’t matter if the water gets much higher.
I hope all my neighbors evacuated.
Break in the recording. It resumes an hour or so later.
Alexis
The water is at the roof line.
This isn’t right. There shouldn’t be this much water. Not in a single day. Not from a Cat 2.
Sfx. Clap of thunder.
Alexis
Shit!
Break in the recording. It resumes a couple of hours later.
Alexis
The sun’s going down, and I’m pushing off. Only the tip of my house is visible. Only the tips of all the houses are visible. Everywhere I look, all I see is water.
But I have a boat. I have provisions. I’m going to head West. That should keep me out of the ocean because... The water has to go down eventually, right?
I’m sure rescue services will find me.
Another break. It resumes a few hours later.
Sfx. The sound of lapping water.
Alexis
It’s night now. I was hoping to last until dawn, but I can’t. I need sleep.
God, I wish I had an anchor.
Hopefully I’ve gone far enough West that I won’t end up at sea.
I thought I would have hit land, or at least been able to see more than the tips of houses by now.
Is the whole island under the water?
It’s too dark for me to tell.
SCENE THREE
Alexis
Something- something just happened! It’s so dark, but there was a sound. I woke up and there was, I don’t know, fire in the sky? Like there was an explosion? But what explodes in the sky during a hurricane?
There’s still a little light from it. It’s like glowing debris is falling from the sky. Was a satellite scheduled to burn up during reentry? I didn’t think that they did that here. I thought they just launched them to the north of here.
But I don’t have cell service anymore.
A break in the recording. It resumes half an hour later.
Alexis
Shit. Which way is West? It’s too cloudy for me to see the north star. And the light from whatever that explosion was has faded.
Oh god.
Please don’t let me drift out to sea.
SCENE FOUR
Alexis
Fuck. I’m at sea.
It’s morning. The storm has passed. But I don’t see land anywhere.
At least I know which direction is West.
Okay, Alexis, time to paddle away from the sun.
Need to conserve battery power, so if anyone finds this and this is the last recording, well, I guess I drowned.
There is a break in the recording of a few hours.
Alexis
Good news! I didn’t drown. And I see the shore! It looks like the sea surge has gone down. That, or the entire barrier island is still covered, and I’m actually in the river. But the current isn’t pushing me South, so I think it’s the former.
Break of half an hour.
Alexis
I see beach! That definitely means that the sea surge has gone down. Oh, thank goodness. I could kiss the sand. I might kiss the sand.
SCENE FIVE
Sfx. The sound of waves crashing.
Alexis
I am standing on solid ground! We’ve gone from memoir notes to ‘in case I die in a hurricane’ recordings back to memoir notes. So note to future self, I did not die at sea, and I’m very relieved. That said, I’m not really sure where along the coast I am.
But there are dunes! God, I’ve never been so happy to see dunes! The storm surge went down in the night. I just need to find a boardwalk, and I should be at the road. I might have drifted, but there should be neighborhoods around here. Maybe someone can help me. Or at least I can find some more supplies until disaster relief gets here.
Sfx. The sound of rustling in the bushes.
Duende
Quick!
Alexis
Hey! What the hell? What are you doing? Is that a permanent marker?
Sfx. Sound of a permanent marker being opened.
Duende
Yes, but tell no one. Your life depends on it.
Alexis
The fuck?
Duende
You’ve survived sea and storm. Don’t let your life end now. Here, take the marker. Hide it. Reapply the marks every morning. Do not let anyone know you have done so.
Alexis
What? What marks?
Duende
The mark of the tulip. You’ll see shortly.
Alexis
Who are you?
Duende
Duende del Piélago.
Alexis
Duende del...that’s…goblin of something? Oh, look, she’s running into the ocean. Because of course she is. Hey, I’m Alexis, by the way! Nice to meet you.
Sfx. The sound of splashing.
Chastity
Hello? Is someone on the beach?
Sfx. The sound of feet on sand.
Chastity’s tone is more relaxed.
Chastity
Oh, you’re one of us. This way. And you might as well put your phone away. God’s judgment is upon us, and cellphones don’t work anymore.
SCENE SIX
Sfx. The sound of birdsong.
Alexis
There is now a roof over my head, but I’d rather be back at sea.
Okay, backing up. The squeaky voiced girl introduced herself as Chastity Chester. I’m not stupid. I don’t know what was up with Duende, but I didn’t blab my mouth and ask, “Hey, what’s with the mark on our foreheads.” Because, yeah, Chastity has one, too. Except I don’t think hers was done in permanent marker. Something very strange is going on here. Something dangerous.
I didn’t realize that right away because Chasity said, “It’s okay. The storm is passed, and there’s a safe place for us.” And then she discreetly looked me up and down. But not so discreetly that I didn’t notice, and that made me lower my guard. Stupid.
No one here knows I’m trans. If they did, I wouldn’t be here any longer. If they did, I wouldn’t be...just, I’m glad I got facial hair removal surgery. And thank god for the voice training I’ve done.
The mark on Chastity’s forehead was bizarre, but it wasn’t the only bizarre thing. Chastity had on makeup. Not a lot; she was going for the ‘wearing enough make up to make it look like she isn’t wearing makeup’ look. But it struck me as odd. We just got hit by a hurricane. Who has time for makeup?
Alex takes a shuddering breath.
I used to love makeup, back when I was young and it was the forbidden fruit. When I started to transition socially and it became mandatory, I started to see why Fiona resents it. But I’m not wearing any right now because there was a hurricane.
Maybe this isn’t important. But it was just, her curly blonde hair was brushed. Her clothes were clean. She walked with her hands clasped in front of her. It just seemed a bit odd at first, but now I don't think she can do anything to step out of line.
We walked across the street. There were no cars about. Everyone who didn’t evacuate...I don’t understand how these people didn’t drown! I can’t have drifted far, and the storm surge was enormous. It should have covered the whole area. But Chastity said that they rode out the storm inside.
When I asked, she just said, “The Lamb protected us, silly.” And then she added, “It’s okay. You’re where you’re supposed to be now.”
There’s an abandoned military base on the other side. There were men with guns guarding the entrance. That freaked me out, but I was dragging my canoe behind me. It’s not heavy, but I can hardly run very fast while dragging it. Certainly not faster than bullets. But without it, where can I go? I don’t know how far we are from the closest causeway. I thought, in the moment, that my best bet was to play it cool and leave as soon as I could.
I was so focused on the guards’ guns that at first I didn’t notice that they had the same marks on their forehead that Chastity has. I’d only just started to process that when we went through the gate, and I discovered that everyone inside has the same mark.
It’s a tulip drawn with five points.
And it’s the same mark that Duende drew on me with the permanent marker. I wasn’t able to confirm it until I got here and was able to look into the mirror in the bathroom, but by that point, I knew. Just as I know that I’m going to need to reapply it every morning until I can get out of here.
Because while I don’t know what the mark means, I know what it means when everyone in a place has something that identifies them as belonging. When the people here look at me, it’s the first thing that they see. I think that might be the only thing they see.
Chastity took me to a room in what had previously been the barracks. She said to just leave the canoe outside, and I took the supplies I brought with me in.
Thankfully, I did pack my phone charger, and the military base has power. I think I passed some generators on the way.
Grimly.
If I survive, this message is for my memoir. And if I don’t, I want people to know what happened to me.
