The Last of Us

by D B Bray

  Jasmine turned around. “Come on, boys, there’s nothing down here that can hurt you,” she said.

  Jasmine lit a torch and descended the crumbling cement stairs. Jack snatched Toby’s hand and led him down the stairs. She pressed the torch into a holder, and every few feet, a candle would light up. Jack stood mesmerized as he watched the domino-like illumination. As the room grew brighter, he saw storage bins of food, ancient paintings, weapons, armor, and bottles upon bottles of water.

  Jasmine walked over to a lopsided shelf and picked up an ancient thick red leather book with a broken spine. With a crack, the binding opened, and she blew the dust off. Toby sneezed and almost fell over.

  Jasmine chuckled. “Sorry about that. Haven’t read this in a while,” she said.

  “Jasmine, your rich. Where did all these books come from,” Toby asked excitedly. He read some titles out loud, “War and Peace, by Tol, Leo Tol…”

  “Tolstoy, Leo Tolstoy, a Russian. Yes, we have all the classics.” She walked by some of her favorites. “Treasure Island, Shakespeare's Sonnets, the Harry Potter series, Stephen King, Harry Turtledove, Franz Kafka, Anne Frank, and thousands of others,” she said, opening her arms wide. “Yes, oh yes, we have tons of books.”

  She scrutinized the book she had in her hand. “Now, let’s get down to why I brought you down here.”

  She talked to herself as her fingers traced the lines of text until she found what she was searching for. “Now, I remember.”

  She read a passage of the book: There will come a boy who will help unite us. He will come when all hope is lost, and we fight amongst ourselves for the last pieces of land. I have carefully written down information only Truth Seekers will know.

  You, Jasmine, are a Seeker, you must help him in whatever he needs. The first document you need is The Constitution, the Madison’ s, were the Keepers of it.

  We need to find other Truth Seekers who will travel the wilderness to find the long-lost documents to help us remember the past and help others find their way to the truth. Our ancestral Truth Seekers died from radiation poisoning, and we couldn’t recover what they were searching for.

  The Keepers are families who have been chosen to protect the documents. I was told as a boy, what ones must be found. The Constitution will show you how to govern, and the Emancipation Proclamation will teach you no man should be a slave to another. The Declaration of Independence is about the core beliefs of why “we” as a country declared independence from Britain would be out there as well.

  Once these documents are found and restored in a city called Washington DC, a new government shall be set up by the tribes, for the tribes. Do you know what the most significant human attribute is in life, Jasmine? Jasmine smiled and then whispered, “Love.”

  She closed the book. “So you see, I must help you find your way. I will help you with food and supplies and whatever else you need to get to Philadelphia,” she said.

  “Why not come with us?” Jack asked.

  “I wish I could, but I must help my people here. When you find all the pieces of the Constitution, bring them back here for safekeeping,” she said, leading them out of the cellar.

  “You boys will spend the night and will pack you up for your journey in the morning.” She waved Bill over. “Show our guests to their room.”

  Bushwick led the boys to a small shack that was only large enough for one of them. “Sorry about the tight quarters, boys. If you need anything, I’ll be in the tower.”

  Jack and Toby squeezed in the room, both jostling for the bed.

  “Jack, I’m sleeping here,” Toby said, biting his hand.

  “Ouch,” Jack said.

  Jack let Toby have the bed, and before he could count to ten, Toby was sound asleep.

  Jack sat for a moment and re-read the letter.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Jack and Toby woke up the following morning. “Get up, Tob,” he said as he stretched.

  “Five more—-”

  Jack yanked Toby’s blanket off. “Up, you lazy bag of bones.”

  Toby grumbled and got out of bed. They packed and walked out into the sunlight. Bushwick walked up to them with a broad smile. “You boys sleep well?”

  Jack rubbed his neck. “Guess so.”

  Bushwick chuckled and handed each of them some dried beef. “Here ya go, boys. I hope my place wasn’t too cramped for you.”

  “Your place?” Toby asked.

  “Yeah, I slept in the tower. You looked like you needed a rest,” Bushwick said.

  Toby glanced at Jack and then back to Bushwick. “Thank you, Bushwick.”

  Bushwick patted Toby on the head and walked into the shack.

  Following Jasmine’s directions on how to reach Philadelphia using the safest route was a little easier said than done. After riding most of the morning, the pair came to a massive rusted suspension bridge.

  Looking over his shoulder, Jack scanned the hillside. It felt like something was following them. Finding nothing, he examined the map and then the bridge.

  “What’s it called?” Toby asked, gazing at the massive structure.

  “The Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Must have been someone really important,” Jack said.

  “I’ll say,” Toby said, holding his arms up to gauge its size.

  “Let’s get going,” Jack said.

  They led the horses to the bridge. Some of the suspension cables had snapped off, and there were areas with significant gaps in the blacktop. Vines grew over the edge and along the wires throughout its length. Abandoned cars of different styles sat scattered throughout the lanes.

  “Whatever you do, Tob, don’t panic on this bridge. It doesn’t look all that safe,” Jack said, nudging the bridge with one foot.

  They heard a howl behind them that chilled their blood. They turned around and saw a pack of rabid white wolves emerging from the foliage, the very same ones from earlier at Fort Camden.

  “Toby, lead the horses across the bridge,” Jack said.

  “What about you?” Toby asked.

  Jack pulled his rifle from its scabbard and checked the scope. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t look back,” he said, shouldering the gun.

  Toby looked at the wolves, eyes wide, then grabbed the reins of the horses and tried his best to navigate through the cars and holes in the bridge. Jack leaned over a taxicab and laid his barrel across the hood. He stared down the scope, his lips moving as he said a prayer.

  God, make me an instrument of your will. Allow me to help Toby escape. Give me the strength.

  The recoil from the shot stung his shoulder as it kicked. The wolf closest to what appeared to be the alpha yelped and fell over.

  That’s one.

  Jack expelled the casing, loaded another bullet, and then slammed the bolt action shut. The other wolves followed the alpha as it sprinted toward Jack. They were gaining ground, their starvation driving them to desperation.

  Jack glanced over his shoulder and shouted, “Run, Toby, run!”

  Jack dropped another wolf and then ran behind Toby. He caught up with him halfway down the bridge. With a stutter step, Jack threw Toby onto the smaller horse and slapped its rump.

  “Ride, and don’t look back,” Jack shouted.

  He snugged the rifle back to his shoulder and took a step back. A wolf came into view, and one of Jack’s bullets kicked up dirt in front of it.

  Damn

  The wolves weaved behind the cars, closing in on their prey. Jack mounted his horse, swung it around, and shot at another one.

  He heard Toby scream as his horse misstepped and threw him from the saddle. The horse tried to regain its balance, but it was weighed down by their supplies. It hurtled down into the Delaware River and didn’t resurface. The supplies emerged on the top of the river and floated away with the current. Toby rolled over the side of the hole and disappeared.

  Jack leaped off his mount and sprinted to him. Toby was holding onto a piece of rusted rebar, his fingers sl
ipping.

  “Don’t move, Toby!” Jack said.

  Toby screamed as he glanced at the icy waters below.

  Jack stared at him and said, “I said, look at me.” He searched for something to pull Toby up as his fingers slid a few more inches.

  Toby screamed out again, his voice an octave higher. “Jack!”

  The re-bar gave a loud groan as it bent from his weight.

  “Jack, please help me!” Toby pleaded.

  Jack searched around him as Toby’s screams grew louder. A white wolf approached from behind a yellow taxi growling. Its fangs stained pink from its last meal. Jack raised the rifle back to his shoulder and pressed the trigger; it clicked.

  Oh no. No, No!

  He scrambled to a nearby vine, yanked it down, and fed it down the hole. Toby dangled by one hand, his shoulder muscles taught. The vine snaked its way down as Jack tied it around his own waist and pulled with all his strength.

  Toby’s hand slipped from the re-bar as he snatched the vine passed to him. He kicked his feet and swung out from the bridge. Jack screamed as the vine pulled him toward the hole, burning a ring around his waist. Drawing on the vine, he snuck a peek over his shoulder at the wolves as they closed in. Sweat dripped from his brow as he rolled the vine over his hand.

  “Hold on, Toby, hold on!” Jack said, his feet sliding closer to the hole. The wolves made their move as Jack’s back was turned.

  Chapter 3

  Jack heard the growling wolf behind him. He clamped his eyelids shut and pulled the vine as hard as he could out of the hole.

  Please go away, please.

  The wolves howled low at first, then louder as they crept nearer to the hole, smelling his fear. Jack heard his horse neigh and then paw the bridge, its nostrils flared wide. Jack turned around and made kissing noises trying to get its attention. The horse ambled over to him, eyes on the advancing wolves, and nuzzled into Jack's back.

  “Hang on, Toby!” Jack shouted, getting back to his feet. He tied the vine around the worn saddle horn and stood facing the wolves, legs shoulder-width apart.

  The wolves closed their circle and howled, urging each other on. Jack noticed a large jagged rock by his foot. He picked it, yelled at the top of his lungs, and threw it end over end. It landed at the wolves' paws with a loud thud. The alpha male took a step forward, but another rock hit him. Jack noticed the alpha male was missing an eye, his white coat mangy and dirty. He grabbed a stick near him and hit the horse on the rear.

  The horse’s front legs rose through the air as it leaped forward. The vine grew taut as the horse pulled with all its strength. Jack threw more rocks at the wolves, driving them back.

  This isn’t working. I need bullets.

  He felt around in his pocket and found a single bullet. He racked the round and slammed the bolt action down.

  Only one bullet, only one. Time to go. Don’t waste it.

  Jack slung the rifle over his shoulder. He threw small rocks, large rocks, and pieces of blacktop at the alpha wolf and the others until they retreated. The horse finally pulled Toby out of the hole and drug him a few feet. He was pale; the color drained from his face. Shivering, his eyelids fluttered, and he smiled.

  “Thank you, Jack,” he said.

  Jack scooped him up and ran to the horse. He threw him over the saddle, climbed up, and jammed his feet into its side. As the horse cleared the bridge, the wolves returned for the chase. Jack hugged the horse’s neck, pressed his ankles harder into its flanks, and urged him on.

  He noted a dirt trail winding up a hill on his left. He pulled the reins hard in the direction of the path, and the horse followed his lead. Several of the wolves gave chase and nipped at the horse's hooves. Jack leaned back and swung his rifle like a club and knocked several of them off balance. He smiled as he heard their yelps as they tumbled back down the path.

  Finally, after cresting the hill, he saw a log cabin. He urged his mount forward, its saliva wetting his pant leg. The horse raced to the cabin, and Jack spared a quick glance over his shoulder and into the valley. The wolves circled and howled a few more times, then disappeared into the underbrush.

  Jack wiped his arm across his brow and sighed. He pulled the horse's reins back and lowered Toby off the saddle. After he dismounted, Toby walked up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

  “Thank you, brother. I thought I was a goner,” he said, his voice cracking.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Tob.”

  The two stood in front of the log cabin. It seemed that every breath they took, the cabin sank further back into the earth.

  How is this place still standing?

  Pieces of the roof had collapsed in several locations, and spider webs covered the broken windows and door frame.

  “How old is this place?” Toby asked, stepping behind Jack.

  “Old enough. Go and sit on that log, I’ll be right back.”

  “I hate when you say that, Jack,” Toby moaned.

  Jack smiled. “Don’t worry.”

  He walked over to the cabin door and tried the handle. It creaked open and swung inward. As he stepped through the doorway, a giant crow buzzed him. He stepped back, tripped over his feet and fell back on the rickety porch. He brushed himself off and walked back over to the door, the light from the afternoon sun illuminating the interior as he edged his way in.

  Let’s try this again.

  The cabin showed no signs of life, except for the creaking in the floorboards that sounded like a dead man’s moan. It had been abandoned for some time, and whoever left it did so in a hurry. The cobwebs seemed to have a mind of their own as he explored the cabin further. Toby walked in and swiped at them as he tried to follow Jack.

  He crept behind Jack as he made his way around the room, never more than two inches away from the soles of his feet. The room was sparse with only a dresser in one corner, a mattress in another, and an old oak roll top desk in the center. Toby walked over and touched the ridges. He heard scratching coming from inside. His hand went to the handle, his fingers twitching.

  “Toby, no!” Jack shouted.

  Toby stuck his fingers under the roll-top, lifted it up, and a raccoon pounced on him. He screamed as it knocked him to the ground and then scurried out the door. Jack walked up to him and yanked him up by his collar.

  Getting to his feet, Toby said, “Sorry.”

  Jack looked him over and then led him to a chair and sat him down. “Stay.”

  Jack searched for anything they could use. Digging through the trash, he found a few rifle cartridges and a rusted metal striker to start a fire. He opened the dresser drawers and pulled out anything useful he could find.

  “Doesn’t seem like there’s much here,” Jack said, taking his pack off.

  “Kind of figured that. We got anything to eat?” Toby asked, pawing his stomach.

  Jack opened his pack and pulled out a glass container of pickled herring. He opened it and smelled the contents.

  “We lost the supplies Jasmine gave us. All we have left are these tins of pickled herring and some dried beef from Bushwick. But it should be enough to hold us over until we get to Philadelphia,” Jack said.

  Toby wrinkled his nose at the fish. “Can I have some beef, please?” he asked.

  Jack smirked, handed him the beef, and then pulled out a piece of pickled herring and chomped on it. He turned his head so Toby wouldn’t see him gag.

  “How is it?” Toby asked, happily chomping on the beef.

  “Oh good stuff, excellent stuff,” Jack said, walking around the room, trying to hide the sound of clearing his throat.

  “What do we do now?” Toby asked.

  “I’m going to take care of the horse. Stay here,” Jack said.

  Jack walked outside and rubbed the horse’s flank.

  I can’t thank you enough.

  He went in the saddlebag and pulled out some oats. After the horse finished, he poured some water in the tin bowl and held it for the hors
e to lap it up. He led him inside the cabin and closed the door.

  Something in the corner, propping up the desk caught his eye. He kicked the object out onto the floor and watched it slide to the center of the room.

  “What is it?” Toby asked through a mouthful of beef.

  “Not sure,” Jack said, picking it up.

  He blew the dust off it and ran his finger over the hardcover spine. “It’s a book,” he said, opening it.

  “A book, what kind of book?”

  Jack rubbed the grime from the cover. “The Holy Bible,” he mumbled, flipping through the gold leaf pages.

  “What’s a Bibble?” Toby asked, swallowing more of the dried beef.

  “Bi-ble.”

  “Yea, that’s what I said, Bibble.”

  Jack walked over to him and handed him the book. A howl in the distance brought them back to reality as the sunset. Toby hid behind Jack and pulled at his shirt.

  “Don’t worry, Tob. I’m going to go set a few traps out front and see if I can find us something to eat,” Jack said, grabbing the shovel from his pack. “Stay with the horse.”

  He slung his rifle over his shoulder and went outside. He worked as the retreated, the orange glow staying on the horizon for several hours before the moon came up. After digging a trench line in front of the cabin, he pulled some saplings to the ground and set snares. He loaded the last five bullets he had into his rifle and slammed the bolt action closed.

  Man, I hope six bullets will be enough.

  He put the scope to his eye and scanned the horizon. Not seeing any new danger, he walked back to the cabin. He sat down on a pile of rocks outside the door and glanced over the valley below.

  In the distance, he could see the ruins of numerous buildings in the city of Philadelphia. A large church in the center of the town caught his eye. He pulled the map out of his pocket and traced the route to the city.

  I sure hope this works, he thought, going back inside.

  Dawn came faster than expected. Jack felt like he had just fallen asleep when a ray of light hit his eyelids. With a loud groan, he got to his feet and stretched.