Carla’s first thought was to run down to the altar, pull Meredith out of the church, and take her home. She knew she'd have to deal with the crowd after seeing how they were affected by Meredith's words.
Instead, Carla calmly approached her sister after everyone else had left the church. She didn't say anything, but Meredith's expression took her by surprise. There was a sense of confidence that Carla hadn't seen in years...maybe ever. Her face radiated joy and something deeper.
“Carla?” Meredith asked, seemingly unsurprised to see her sister there. "I'm glad you got to see the service," she said smiling.
"What the hell was all that?" Carla asked, motioning to the altar.
"I was showing people the way," Meredith continued, her eyes dreamy, and Carla wondered if she was actually here in the present or deep in one of her visions.
"Meredith," Carla patiently said. "These visions do not exist. It's one thing to go through them on your own. It's another thing entirely to lure other people into your dream world."
"It's not a dream, no fantasy!" Meredith responded abruptly. "If anything, it's a nightmare, but a real one. It will come to pass. Don't you believe the people have a right to know what is going to happen?"
Carla moved Meredith to the side so no one could hear her. "These people are already pumped up. They have no other news, no entertainment…no hope. They'll believe almost anything." Carla said, "Let's go home," realizing that having this conversation on the church's doorstep would be inappropriate. “With the curfew, we're already pushing our luck."
* * *
"What in the world were you thinking?" Carla asked later once they were back in the relative safety of their house. Meredith started for her room, but her sister pointed for her to sit. They both sat heavily on the old sofa.
"I was thinking that people needed warning," Meredith said, evidently bored with the subject, but Carla was adamant about continuing. "They want answers, and no one but me seems willing to provide any."
"First and foremost, Meredith, you left Grandma alone," Carla chastised. "What if she'd been in an accident while we were both out? But, set that aside for a moment, you're playing with fire. You have no idea what impact this will have on the community. And by the way, we are under a mandatory curfew, one I am legally bound to enforce. You have no idea how volatile and dangerous crowds can be right now. You pervert their religion, and you will regret it."
"Oh, you're suddenly the mind reader?" Meredith grinned.
"I've seen what people can do when they get riled up," Carla explained. "You could be causing havoc by convincing them of your lies."
She suddenly regretted her choice of words when Meredith exclaimed, "It's not lying! It has happened to me! I'm doing this to protect you all! What would you prefer I do? Remain silent? That I simply allowed everyone to walk into a mass grave? Because no one would listen to me about the attacks, everyone that’s still here survived by chance. I was the only one who prepared for it."
"For the last time, Meredith, you didn't predict the missile strike!" Carla yelled before dropping her voice so as not to wake Maria. "It's purely coincidental. A strange coincidence, but nonetheless, a coincidence."
"You know what I think?" Meredith said. Her tone was dripping with disdain. "You're envious. You're used to being the golden child, and when suddenly I'm the one who gets some attention, you're wishing it was you."
Carla grumbled, wishing she could shake Meredith out of this craziness. And she probably would have if it hadn't been for the sudden sound of another voice.
"Is everything all right?" asked Joshua as he walked down the stairs.
"How long have you been here?" Carla was perplexed, temporarily forgetting her manic sister.
"I was walking by and saw her leaving the house earlier," Joshua added, pointing to Meredith, who was surprised. "I couldn't convince her to stay, so I came in to keep an eye on your grandmother." Carla started for the stairs when Joshua put a hand up. "Don't be concerned; she's fine." She's just going to bed early. I believe she needed it."
"Well, she's not the only one," Carla remarked, turning to face her sister. "Meredith, please go to bed. We'll finish this conversation in the morning."
"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!" Meredith grumbled.
"I will when you stop acting like one."
Meredith opened her mouth to speak, but Joshua interrupted her, saying, "Why don't you go up and rest, Meredith? You've had a long day."
Joshua's calming voice seemed to reach the young woman, who nodded and left without saying anything more.
"You do realize that will only encourage her?" Carla stated, still enraged. "Do you believe any of this crazy shit she's peddling to people?"
"Carla, she has a mental illness," Joshua stated calmly. "I believe in it no more than you do. But what is a fact is 'she' believes it. And nothing you or I can say will ever change it. We must recognize this without belittling it. Who's to say she doesn't have some insight as to what’s going on? I mean, have you heard some of the stories out there? Crazy shit, Carla...crazy!"
Carla huffed, "Easy for you to say!" Carla yelled. "You're not here all the time to see her meltdowns. You didn't see that church full of crazies hanging on her every word."
"I'm around here enough to get a pretty clear picture," Joshua explained. "I'm not saying I have all the answers, because I don't. All we can do is provide her with a sense of calm in the midst of all this chaos."
Carla's rage slowly subsided. "I'm sorry; here I am ranting at you when all you've done is help my family."
"Don't worry about it," Joshua said. "It's understandable that we're all feeling a little worn down."
Carla fell onto the sofa, her body spent. "I nearly killed some kids today who were trying to rob an old convenience store." She pulled a pillow up to her face and screamed into it.
"You were doing your job, Carla."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "It's more than that. It...it simply felt right at the time. I didn't give a damn about what I was about to do, just like with Jenny. I feel like I'm losing myself. Every time I leave the house, I wonder who I will be when I return. And what I'll even return to: Grandma or Meredith dead—or something else. We all live under the same roof, yet I've never felt further apart from either of them."
"You're doing the best you can," Joshua remarked, wanting to help but unsure how. He knew his prosaic answers weren't helping, but maybe he just needed to listen.
"I'm thinking about taking up Mayor Cleveland's offer."
Joshua sat down next to her on the sofa. "You do realize what that means, don't you?"
"Everyone's changing, Joshua," Carla observed. "Perhaps I, too, need to adapt. Grandma and Meredith will receive the medication they require, and folks will be fed."
"For now," Joshua murmured, grasping Carla's hand in his. "I believe you need a good night's sleep. If you're going to make that decision, you have to be clear headed."
Carla let him lead her up the stairs.