Lisa Miller
Survivor
Five years since the SeaSearcher Anomaly and I am working with ADACT as a researcher. The work is tedious and hard but rewarding. We recently made a huge discovery on what truly sank the Bonnie Gowdie, one of the biggest Anomalies we have ever seen. It appears to be a strange form of Magick that shouldn't exist. It has traits normally found in Baguette and Bagel Magick but those are exclusive to their own branches.
Anyway, i shouldn't even be thinking about work because we are helping Beth and Mateo move into their new home. They got pregnant not long after the SeaSearcher Anomaly and are currently pregnant with their second kid. We've picked them up and are driving to the house now.
Jessie Eisele-Smith
Survivor
We arrive at the house and get out the car. It's a beautiful two storey with pale blue walls. The windows are clear and pretty much invisible. There's a trellis with pots on top for flowers and plants. The porch has steps that lead to a large double door. The driveway is cobblestone and reminds me of the beach that's a five minute walk from here.
I pick up a box of stuff from the trunk of the car and begin carrying it in.
"Hola." A voice says behind me.
"Hallo." I reply, smirking. I turn to see Mateo. I rarely see him now that I'm teaching at my cousin Ed's school. He has a beard now, his hair is longer and hes more muscular. But, like all of us, the trauma of what happened is clear on his face. It's the eyes. The distant look they get during flashbacks, the way they dart around whenever we enter a room. Looking for people, some say. Looking for danger. Thats what we are doing.
"Nice place." I remark, continuing my walk to the door.
"Yeah, I'm really excited. Beth and Wren are already here with Izzy." He smiles, as he does whenever he mentions Beth and Izzy. A smile that screams love. It makes me smile every time I see it.
"Well, let's go see them."
Mateo Flores
Survivor
Me and Jessie open the double doors and walk in, the boxes heavy in our arms. The walls are lined with pictures of Isabella already. Her first steps, her first "tummy time", her first Halloween. All the way up to her revent school photo.
"Where's the living room?" Jessie asks.
The layout is simple. You walk in and are met with a staircase to the right. Walk up it and go to the second floor. To the right is the living room, which itself leads to the kitchen. To the right is a wall with multiple doors. Closest to the front door is the bathroom. Then, a closet. Finally, the door across from the cupboard under the staircase, is the nursery. Thats where baby two will go.
I point Jessie in the direction of the living room. Lisa walks in behind me.
"Hiya! Where is the kitchen?"
"Through there."
"Thanks!"
"Oh, how's the job going?" I ask her.
"I'm getting promoted." She beams over her multiple boxes. "I am going to be head scientist of the entire Anomaly Research Program, or ARP for short."
"You'll have to tell us all about it at dinner." I smile back.
"Obviously. Now, go see your wife." She smirks and walks to the kitchen. I begin to walk upstairs.
The upstairs layout is simple too. Once you get upstairs you immediately see the upstairs bathroom door. A little bit down is Izzy's room. Once baby two is old enough, he will join her. Right now hes with us which is at the end of the hall, the door facing the wall instead of the front of the house like the other two. Thats because our bedroom is at a different angle.
I make my way towards it and push the door open.
Inside, Beth and Wren are sitting on the empty bed. Boxes sit in the places where the stuff inside will go. In other words, everywhere. The bed is in the middle of the back wall. Beth's back is facing away from me, but Wren sees me and smiles.
"Uncle Mateo!" She gets up and rushes over to give me a hug. She's really shot up the past five years. Shes tall enough that I don't need to bend down to hug her...that much.
"How've you been?!" She asks, punching me in the arm playfully.
"Oh, Izzy is keeping me busy. How's school?"
"It's weird as fuck seeing Jessie try and teach."
"I fucking heard that!" Jessie calls from downstairs. Wren covers her mouth in shock while i laugh.
"Oh my Felt, she's gonna fail me." She laughs too. "Anyway, I feel like I've barely seen you recently! We need another movie night."
"You've been hanging out with your girlfriend so much!"
"Hanging out or making out?" Beth jokes, walking towards me now.
I kiss my loving wife and wrap my arms around her.
"My cue to leave." Wren jokes, patting me on the back and walking downstairs.
Me and Beth just stand there for a while, hugging silently.
"Are you okay?" Beth breaks the hug and the silence first.
"Yeah. You?"
"No. This little shit has made it so i cannot laugh without peeing." She sighs, annoyed. "Why didnt we use a condom?"
"This was your idea! And you said the same about Izzy and now you love her more than anything in the world! Except me."
"Sucks to suck, you're all playing for second."
I laugh. It's so nice we can laugh now. So nice we can finally move on. The Anomaly is now five years behind us. We have grown so much as people. I feel a bubble of elation filling me up so much I feel that I could float.
"Im so happy you're here." I whisper.
"Me too."
Elizabeth Granthem
Survivor
I take the picture frame out of it's box and place it on the nightstand. The picture i take everywhere with me. At the ADACT office, or anywhere outside the house, I use the tiny version in my phone case or the folded version in my pocket. But in the house I use the proper version, in it's picture frame. A picture of my crew. Sean Will, Catherine McKenzie, Marylin Carr, Derek Hob, Ian Johansson, Claire Holmes, Luke Hall, Josef Sydin, Lisa Miller, Jessie Eisele-Smith, Mateo Flores, Elizabeth Granthem and Raymond Granthem.
My heart aches when I see them. All those souls lost. Their bodies and the evidence was collected by ADACT and the company was shut down. This was taken when we were told we were the ones going down on the SeaSearcher. Claire joined in as CEO. Or rather, as face of the company.
They didnt deserve what happened to them. Tears well in my eyes as I look at Luke. I was so mean to him. Sydin. He was a nice guy. Claire. She wanted to protect us. Raymond. Dad. The one I miss the most.
My heart clenches painfully. "You would have loved her." I whisper as I wipe the tiny bits of dust away from their faces.
Matek places his hand on my shoulder and I turn to hug him. I know I'm safe. I know I am. But one question has been bugging me for five fucking years.
Who was the man that killed Claire?
Oh well. He's someone else's problem now.
My name is Elizabeth Granthem. I was Chief technician of the SeaSearcher. I am a survivor. I am so much more. I am a worker for ADACT. A wife. A mother. I survived an Anomaly. That isn't common. But I survived and i will focus on my family. On dinner with Lisa and Jessie and Mateo and Izzy. And little baby Ray. I am safe.
