The Longest Night

Night had fallen. She could barely see anything but she could feel the vehicle turn down another road and slow.

The bus rolled to a stop, and the soldier sitting at the front with the driver stood and walked briskly to the back to open the door. A flashlight beam flooded the bus from outside and hit her square in the eyes.

A man from outside spoke to the soldier rounding the van. “Fort McMurray?”

“Yeah.”

“No shit.”

He turned off the flashlight and clicked it into place on his belt. “Come on,” he muttered softly to the woman sitting across from Catherine. Nothing moved for an uncomfortable amount of time until the refugee tentatively grabbed his hand. He helped her down out of the bus as if she were breakable. Catherine gently folded the letter together again and stuck it into her pocket. The soldier was helping a little boy out of the van when she slipped out on her own.

It was new moon, the darkness oppressing. A single street lamp lit up a small portion of the yard, revealing an outpost.

“Welcome to Wood Buffalo National Park,” Ackermann said from behind her. “Your new home.”

I haven’t been home in years.

“Just wait here a second until we get everyone gathered,” he said to her from over his shoulder. “We’ll show you where you can sleep for the night.”

She turned to observe the other part of the facility. As the last person stepped off one of the vans it was driven forward into a garage, passing the other vehicle. Two men stepped out from the back of it carrying her tarp, her blanket thrown over it to cover his face. They placed him gently on the ground. She wanted to see him again but soldiers gathered around and blocked him. She started to imagine that they would pull back the covers, as if to prove everyone wrong by revealing his waking, very alive, eyes. Except that they talked amongst one another before picking up the tarp and carrying the body inside the outpost. Everything throbbed.

Ackermann approached but her eyes stayed glued to the spot where the soldiers had disappeared. “Come on, Catherine.” Reid must have told him her name. “We’ll get you set up.” She felt his firm grip on her shoulder again and he led her with a gentle forcefulness. She craned her neck to keep the structure in sight. He brought her into the garage without even noticing, not even knowing just what he was taking her from. How could he not know?

There was a line of people walking through the garage, stumbling over their feet even as they looked to their shoes. There was a man holding the hand of his son, a little blonde boy, who constantly snapped his head around like danger was coming from every angle.

At the very back was a storm door. A soldier opened it for the line, and another led the people through. There were lights on in the hallway beyond. There were lights. They had electricity. She heard weeping.

As she crossed the threshold a grinding groan caught her ear and heat embraced her. The lights were a pale, sickly blue that caused them to look dead and rotten. They were led through a doorway near the end of the hallway to a large hall filled with cots, blankets neatly folded on the end of each. A soldier came down the line with a giant garbage bag and began handing out water bottles and wrapped food to everyone. “This is only temporary,” he called out over everyone’s heads. “We’ll be moving everyone into their own individual rooms tomorrow.”

The man who handed her a sandwich made her jump but she tried to accept it like nothing had happened. She took it into her hands, her skin relishing the feeling of the heat and the aroma of the meat inside. The soldier then passed her a water bottle, and she took it, muttering thanks as he attended the next person. Within minutes, the water was gone. A rush of shame accompanied it. Ration, ration, ration. But she knew she wouldn’t have to. Not anymore.

“Everyone, grab a bunk, they’re up for grabs,” Reid announced, walking into the room. A few people flinched. He was so loud. “If any of you require assistance, there will be two men posted at this door at all times.”

A timid silence followed. No, not again, she thought. The RCMP, the school, the community league, the internment. This gripped her until she looked to the soldiers he had mentioned. They smiled. It was foreign to see.

Then the man with the little blond boy sat down on the nearest bunk to help him eat. The rest followed suit, some collapsing in exhaustion. Catherine looked upon the nearest open cot with tired eyes and sat, opening the paper foil of her food package. Had roast beef always smelled this way? She took a hungry bite and forced herself to chew slowly, appreciate every moment. And so she did for a grand total of forty seconds. She crumpled the paper package and put it in her empty pocket.

No one was talking but the sound felt like a concert hall. One or two others had already fallen asleep. How could anyone sleep after this? There was too much there. Except when she touched the blanket on her cot she felt the pull. Before she had draped the blanket over herself properly she was asleep.

It could have been five minutes or fifty, but eventually the lights flickered out with a loud clack. She opened her eyes. Though she could see nothing she could hear everything. Deep and even breathing. Wheezing. Crying. Sounds that summoned memories of the last few days. Each moment was small, seemingly insignificant, but she clung to them desperately, despite the new pain it caused every time she thought upon them.

He knew her name and he kissed her back.

She balled her fists against her mouth and she bit her lip, trying not to sob out loud. Tears spilled out the corners of her eyes, making her face ache; so many tears had been spilled, but they would not stop. Catherine thought they might never stop.

Time felt compressed as she lay on the cot, for it felt like mere minutes had gone by. Suddenly there was a mechanic and rhythmic beep that filled the room.

“Midnight,” a soldier whispered quietly to the next. Hours had passed since Fort McMurray.

“Merry Christmas, man,” the other replied.