Sharon's Interview

TOPEKA, KANSAS, USA

 [Sharon could be considered beautiful by almost any standard—with long
red hair, sparkling green eyes, and the body of a dancer or a prewar
supermodel. She also has the mind of a four-year-old girl.

 We are at the Rothman Rehabilitation Home for Feral Children. Doctor
Roberta Kelner, Sharon’s caseworker, describes her condition as “lucky.”
 “At least she has language skills, a cohesive thought process,” she
explains. “It’s rudimentary, but at least it’s fully functional.” Doctor
 Kelner is eager for the interview, but Doctor Sommers, Rothman’s
program director, is not. Funding has always been spotty for this
program, and the present administration is threatening to close it down
altogether.

 Sharon is shy at first. She will not shake my hand and seldom makes eye
 contact. Although Sharon was found in the ruins of Wichita, there is no
 way of knowing where her story originally occurred.]

 We were in church, Mommy and me. Daddy told us that he would come find
us. Daddy had to go do something. We had to wait for him in church.

 Everybody was there. They all had stuff. They had cereal, and water,
and juice, and sleeping bags and flashlights and…[she mimes a rifle].
Mrs. Randolph had one. She wasn’t supposed to. They were dangerous. She
told me they were dangerous. She was Ashley’s mommy. Ashley was my
friend. I asked her where was Ashley. She started to cry. Mommy told me
not to ask her about Ashley and told Mrs. Randolph that she was sorry.
Mrs. Randolph was dirty, she had red and brown on her dress. She was
fat. She had big, soft arms.

 There were other kids, Jill and Abbie, and other kids. Mrs. McGraw was
watching them. They had crayons. They were coloring on the wall. Mommy
told me to go play with them. She told me it was okay. She said Pastor
Dan said it was okay.

 Pastor Dan was there, he was trying to make people listen to him.
“Please everyone…” [she mimics a deep, low voice] “please stay calm, the
 ‘thorties’ are coming, just stay calm and wait for the ‘thorties.’” No
one was listening to him. Everyone was talking, nobody was sitting.
People were trying to talk on their things [mimes holding a cell phone],
 they were angry at their things, throwing them, and saying bad words. I
 felt bad for Pastor Dan. [She mimics the sound of a siren.] Outside.
[She does it again, starting soft, then growing, then fading out again
multiple times.]

 Mommy was talking to Mrs. Cormode and other mommies. They were
fighting. Mommy was getting mad. Mrs. Cormode kept saying [in an angry
drawl], “Well what if? What else can you do?” Mommy was shaking her
head. Mrs. Cormode was talking with her hands. I didn’t like Mrs.
Cormode. She was Pastor Dan’s wife. She was bossy and mean.

 Somebody yelled…“Here they come!” Mommy came and picked me up. They
took our bench and put it next to the door. They put all the benches
next to the door. “Quick!” “Jam the door!” [She mimics several different
 voices.] “I need a hammer!” “Nails!” “They’re in the parking lot!”
“They’re coming this way!” [She turns to Doctor Kelner.] Can I?

 [Doctor Sommers looks unsure. Doctor Kelner smiles and nods. I later learn that the room is soundproofed for this reason.]

 [Sharon mimics the moan of a zombie. It is undoubtedly the most
realistic I have ever heard. Clearly, by their discomfort, Sommers and
Kelner agree.]

 They were coming. They came bigger. [Again she moans. Then follows up
by pounding her right fist on the table.] They wanted to come in. [Her
blows are powerful, mechanical.] People screamed. Mommy hugged me tight.
 “It’s okay.” [Her voice softens as she begins to stroke her own hair.]
“I won’t let them get you. Shhhh….”

 [Now she bangs both fists on the table, her strikes becoming more
chaotic as if to simulate multiple ghouls.] “Brace the door!” “Hold it!
Hold it!” [She simulates the sound of shattering glass.] The windows
broke, the windows in the front next to the door. The lights got black.
Grown-ups got scared. They screamed.

 [Her voice returns to her mother’s.] “Shhhh…baby. I won’t let them get
you.” [Her hands go from her hair to her face, gently stroking her
forehead and cheeks. Sharon gives Kelner a questioning look. Kelner
nods. Sharon’s voice suddenly simulates the sound of something large
breaking, a deep phlegm-filled rumble from the bottom of her throat.]
“They’re coming in! Shoot ’em, shoot ’em!” [She makes the sound of
gunfire then…] “I won’t let them get you, I won’t let them get you.”
[Sharon suddenly looks away, over my shoulder to something that isn’t
there.] “The children! Don’t let them get the children!” That was Mrs.
Cormode. “Save the children! Save the children!” [Sharon makes more
gunshots. She balls her hands into a large double fist, bringing it down
 hard on an invisible form.] Now the kids started crying. [She simulates
 stabbing, punching, striking with objects.] Abbie cried hard. Mrs.
Cormode picked her up. [She mimes lifting something, or someone, up and
swinging them against the wall.] And then Abbie stopped. [She goes back
to stroking her own face, her mother’s voice has become harder.]
“Shhh…it’s okay, baby, it’s okay…” [Her hands move down from her face to
 her throat, tightening into a strangling grip.] “I won’t let them get
you. I WON’T LET THEM GET YOU!”

 [Sharon begins to gasp for air.]

 [Doctor Sommers makes a move to stop her. Doctor Kelner puts up a hand.
 Sharon suddenly ceases, throwing her arms out to the sound of a
gunshot.]

 Warm and wet, salty in my mouth, stinging my eyes. Arms picked me up
and carried me. [She gets up from the table, mimicking a motion close to
 a football.] Carried me into the parking lot. “Run, Sharon, don’t
stop!” [This is a different voice now, not her mother’s.] “Just run,
run-run-run!” They pulled her away from me. Her arms let me go. They
were big, soft arms.