A BLACK VAN DROVE IN A LONELY, dusty side-road littered with scattered broken frond — it was the same path with tall trees where Laura had encountered the Boeing plane earlier that week. The government registered vehicle now passed by a lone stalled tractor in an open cornfield, before reaching the Jensen's farmhouse.

The van, with darkly tinted glass, then it stopped...

The side door had a printed sign — US National Guard.

The doors opened and three men in full-faced, Hazmat chemical suits alighted.

The front door of the farmhouse opened, the xenophile natured Martha stepped out, and tagging behind her was Laura and Roberta...

They witnessed the men present outside from the porch — the strangers were in some unaccustomed outfits.

The man, with the clip file, spoke up...

"Is this the Jensen's property?"

"Yes, we are the Jensens," Martha replied.

One of the other, Hazmat guards was coughing severely inside his covered suit.

The guard, with the clip file, acquainted...

"We are from the National Guard Division, Ma'am, how many of your family members are still surviving at this very moment?"

"Why? What is this regarding, Mister?"

The curious mother asked — the man got terse after his dozen visits that hot afternoon in Wellsville in the suit...

"You probably know there have been chemical attacks in the country? Now, there is going to be a mass evacuation all over the state of Utah."

The parochial Martha nodded...

"Yes, the Medusa Virus, we heard it on the TV..."

It was actually Laura who explained to her the entire virus situation after the twins' funeral. Even, Roberta felt slightly culpable for the pillory on Laura — and not believing her sister's story earlier, about the virus.

"Yes Ma'am, it is best for your family to evacuate soon, because we don't know what will the further cause and effect of this virus will be like — so there is a group leaving at ten tomorrow morning from the meet-up point in the City Hall in Logan — there from Logan, they will all drive and join up with the other convoys, that are heading to Ohio, where it is safe zone over there...

"If you are coming, please pack light with only some essentials."

Herbert came barging out from the front door — and he pointed a shotgun at the National Guards.

"Nobody is damn leaving anywhere! You can't force us out of here — this is our land!"

Martha started protesting by calling out her husband's name loudly.

All the guards pulled out their sidearm pistols and pointed back at Herbert...

"Whoa Mister — nobody is forcing you out anywhere," assured the clip file guard.

"So this is how you people trick us to give up our lands to the bank, by staging some hocus-pocus government experiment!!? Now get out of here!"

Hebert reproved and cried out before he got into his coughing fits bout.

"Calm down mister, we don't know what you are talking about. We are just doing our jobs by coming here to inform you folks, about the evacuation tomorrow morning — but, it is entirely your choice if you wish to stay back — or make the decision to come along to Ohio."

Laura stepped up, and she held Hebert's shotgun barrel...

"No, Dad! No."

Her father now respired in ease, and he slowly lowered the rifle.

Martha stepped to the edge of the porch...

"Help us please, my husband is very ill."

The guard elucidated...

"Yes, Ma'am, and so are hundreds of others — but, we can only help those who will join us at Logan tomorrow — we have a medical team stationed there to help you if you would only come."

Martha replied back to the roseate option to her family's survival predicament...

"Thank you, Sir, we will be there."

Herbert then protested to his wife's easily agreeing to the stranger's decisions ...

"Martha, we can't leave the farm!"

But Laura firmly explicated on her mother's behalf, in array to him...

"Dad, we have to!"

"The virus is real — Johnny and Jimmy are gone because of it — and you are not well either...

"...we can't lose you too, Dad...."

The coughing National Guard at the rear suddenly collapsed — and the other suited guard went to his aid by helping him back into the van.

*

It was dawn when Martha and her two daughters were saying their silent prayers, at the grave-plot of their deceased sons and brothers under the oak tree. They were dressed to leave the farmhouse. Roberta placed some flowers down by the elegiac cross that was raised on the ground just days ago...

At the front of the house, Herbert was looking under the hood of his old sedan.

He was breathing hard with respiratory problems, while he also noticed the rest of his family in the field, under the oak tree.

Hebert in brevity, looked away — he refused to step into the field to visit the graves of his buried sons — his abnegation was still strong — and he could not accept the reality — that his boys were already dead and gone...

Martha too had a sudden anxiety attack from her grieving, she then felt terrified at that moment. The woman dropped on her knees and started sobbing out mawkishly — while both her daughters watched her in the heartbreaking state...

"I can't do it, I can't leave my babies behind — I just can't — Johnny...Jimmy!"

Laura and Roberta held onto her back.

Laura comforted her...

"We have to Mum — Dad is very sick too — we have to do it for him. Come, Mum, we have to go now."

The girls both helped their finally acquiesce mother back on her feet -- before the three of them slowly walked wistfully away from the graves...

The old Buick drove away from their farmhouse...

Laura was in the car, looked at their house for one last time...

She vowed in her heart that she would someday return back to her home.