The light was pushing its way inside the house from between the curtains. There was sweat on my brow and I could tell it was going to be another hot day.
“Morning,” I said groaning at the aches in my back as I got to my feet. Sleeping on the floor hadn’t been comfortable but it had been better than sleeping outside.
“Morning,” Nick said without turning. It looked like Molly was trying to send him a telepathic message. Probably reminding him not to tell me what had just happened.
“Hot as hell in here,” I said trying not to sound like I was complaining.
Peter nodded. “Hotter out there I’m willing to bet.”
I could feel Molly’s eyes on me but I ignored her gaze. It hadn’t been that long since her injury but I knew she was curious if I was going to try to head out on my own.
I sat down on the sofa next to Kellan. His head was tipped back and his eyes were closed. It seemed as though he hadn’t gotten enough rest.
“Here,” Amber said holding out a styrofoam plate. “I know it’s not much but I did my best.”
“No, it looks great,” I said smiling at her. It was a large pile of dried fruit sprinkled with nuts. It really did look tasty but it didn’t look like much. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Amber said turning to Kellan. She kicked his foot and his body jerked. “Want some?”
He blinked several times. “Huh?”
“You want something to eat?” Amber asked sweetly.
Kellan looked at the plate in my hand. “Sure. Thanks.”
After she walked away, he bumped his elbow into my arm. “So,” he said hesitating briefly as he looked around the room. “Are we going or not?”
Fifteen
I shook my head and looked down at my hands. “Not yet. Tomorrow.”
“I thought you were in a hurry? Why wait?” Kellan said narrowing his eyes.
“I don’t want to cause any problems. Her ankle hasn’t even had twenty-four hours of rest.”
Nick looked at us from across the room. I smiled and looked back down at my plate.
“It’s going to need more than that,” Kellan said. “And they’re never going to give you their blessing to leave. You’ll have to make the decision on your own.”
“I know.”
“Maybe we should just go,” Kellan said lowering his voice even more. He leaned close to my ear. “I don’t even need to tell Peter.”
I hated the fact that I was considering it… considering leaving my brother without telling him. And without saying goodbye. Could I really do that?
Amber brought Kellan a plate and walked over to Molly. I could hear her asking how she was doing and if there was anything she could get for her.
“I’m fine, thanks,” Molly said doing her best to hide her annoyance.
Amber placed her hand on Molly’s shoulder. “You just let me know if you need anything.”
“Yeah, okay. I will,” Molly said.
Amber clasped her hands behind her back and went back into the kitchen. “We should get some more water from the well.”
“Wait,” Nick interrupted. “Water from the well?”
“Yeah, out back,” Amber said.
Nick shook his head. “You can’t drink water from outside… it could be contaminated.”
“We’ve been drinking it for,” Amber said tapping her chin. “Since like this all started. There haven’t been any problems whatsoever.”
“We’ve been boiling it,” Peter explained.
“I wouldn’t think that would be enough,” Nick said. “It’s not like we know what kind of poison they’re launching at us.”
Peter shrugged. “I understand your concern but we’ve been drinking it and we’re fine. No sickness. Nothing at all.”
“Look,” Amber said pouring water from a jug into a green plastic cup. She placed it to her lips and chugged it down. “Not even a little worried.”
“We don’t know that water was from your well,” Nick said with skepticism oozing from his eyes.
“Come with me,” Amber said. “You can help me.”
Molly grabbed Nick’s hand. He squeezed it tightly and let her hand fall away. Nick pushed his shoulders back.
“Show me,” he said.
Peter walked over to a wood-burning stove near the sofa where Kellan sat. He tossed a log into the fire and turned to look at us.
Peter’s lips curled upward at the ends. “It’s going to get hot in here.”
“It’s already hot in here,” I said.
“Do we really need to do this today?” Kellan said. “It’s gotta be at least eighty-five degrees in here.”
“Water keeps us alive, brother,” Peter said turning away from us. “Go outside and sit in the shade. Or better yet, get started on your journey.”
Kellan didn’t say anything and with the sourness that was bubbling up the back of my throat, I greatly appreciated that he hadn’t. Molly was listening and even though I wasn’t brave enough to even flicker a glance, I knew her eyes were on us.
“Is this water safe enough to clean up with?” I asked.
“Once it’s cooled down, sure,” Peter asked. “If it’s good enough to drink, it’s good enough to use to wash your face.”
The temperature in the room felt like it was rising and Peter hadn’t even started the fire. I didn’t want to upset Molly but I was worried the heat was some kind of attack.
Neither Peter nor Kellan seemed to be concerned about it. If they were, they didn’t mention it.
But if the heat was some kind of attack, it would be too late for all of us. We’d been out there traveling… exposed to it for days. There was no point in worrying Molly or the others.
I wasn’t sure how long Nick and Amber had been gone but I was tempted to go check on them just as the door opened. Amber had her top knotted just under her breasts and her sleeves rolled up.
“Whew!” she sang. “It’s hot out there, baby.” Amber stopped abruptly, her hair swinging behind her in her loose ponytail. She looked over at Peter, her mouth squished up to one side. “Actually, it’s hotter in here.”
Amber brought a pail of water over to Peter as he set a large black kettle on top of the stove. She disappeared into the kitchen. There were some soft thuds before Amber returned carrying several plastic bottles.
“I need to get some air,” I said standing abruptly. Nick moved toward me but I stepped outside and closed the door behind me before he could say anything.
I walked over to the first tree hiding in the only slightly cooler shade. It wasn’t even a minute before I heard familiar footsteps behind me.
“Hey,” Nick said doing his best to make sure he didn’t startle me.
I turned and squinted at him through the bright sunlight. The look of concern made his face appear longer than it was.
“I already know what you’re going to say,” I said holding up my hand.
“Really?”
“Yes, you’re going to tell me to give it more time,” I said.
Nick shrugged. “Will you?”
“Another day,” I said even though the words prickled my tongue.
Nick exhaled his relief. He took several steps around the area—the bottoms of his shoes scratching the dirt as if someone was shaking a box of cereal. There was so much debris lying around I was afraid he was going to trip on a rock or an old log.
“That wasn’t what I was going to say.” Nick pressed his fingertips into his forehead just above his eyebrow. It was as though the words in his brain were causing him physical pain he needed to massage away.
“Oh?” I said gnawing on my cheek.
“I was going to tell you that maybe….” Nick shook his head. “Jesus. I was going to tell you that I understand why you want to go.”
I opened my mouth and he held up his hand to stop me from speaking. He hadn’t finished.
“And maybe, you should go,” Nick said lowering his eyes as he finished his sentence.
“What changed y
our mind?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Just thinking if it was Molly out there. I’d go. I wouldn’t have even waited for your approval.”
“Thanks,” I said letting my lips curl at the end.
“That sounds terrible, I know,” he chuckled. “I’d rather tell you and hope that you understand which is why I’m saying this. I know how much you love him.”
“I do,” I said nodding as my heart pulsed so hard, I wondered if Nick could see it pressing against my chest. But after a moment my stomach dropped. “I’m not sure I can do it.”
Nick cocked his head to the side. “Oh, you can. I don’t have a single doubt in my mind.”
“What if he’s not there?” I asked swallowing hard at the thought.
“Then you’ll stay there and wait for him,” Nick said. “It won’t be long before we’ll join you. Molly and I will be with you in a few days. You won’t have to wait long.”
I nodded but when I looked into Nick’s eyes, I couldn’t help but feel the aching in my heart. All the pieces my heart had been shattered into, each one of them, suddenly filled with the sadness of never seeing Nick again. After everything we’d been through, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
He’d changed over time. Sure, he’d made mistakes, many of them, but the man in front of me was a good man. He was my brother. My family. The only family left.
“I know you can do it, Gwen. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to go but I understand why you want to… why you should,” Nick said.
I nodded even though doubts were floating through my mind. But I shouldn’t have had doubts. I shouldn’t have let them into my thoughts. After all, if the situation were reversed, Bronx would have already left.
“Okay,” I said sucking in a breath of the hot air. “Yeah, I can do it.”
Nick grabbed my shoulders and shook me lightly. It seemed as though he could see my inner struggle.
“You can. You will,” Nick said pulling me in for a quick hug.
I hugged him back and pulled away before tears started to stream down my cheeks. “What will you tell Molly?”
“Don’t worry about it. I can handle Molly,” Nick said.
“Can you?” I teased.
Nick looked down at his feet and chuckled. His eyes flicked back up. “When will you leave?”
I looked up at the sky and rubbed the sweat from my brow. I lightly touched the tip of my finger to my lower lip as I swallowed hard.
My voice threatened to fail to work. “Tomorrow morning.”
Sixteen
Nick had given me his knife. I held it in my hand feeling the cool handle against my hot, sweaty palm. It looked sharp and I didn’t know the first thing about using it but I tucked it away, hoping I wouldn’t have to.
Peter and Kellan had worked to fill Nick’s backpack with supplies. They were giving us enough food and water to last a couple of days just in case we were delayed.
There had probably been days we’d put in fifteen miles of walking but it wasn’t something we could manage every day. My feet were still sore from walking the hilly terrain and my calves aching from the sweltering heat.
We said our goodbyes quickly. Nick and Molly both gave me a quick hug, wanting to be supportive but I could see the sadness in their eyes.
I knew that if I didn’t turn away from them, I might not be able to make my feet move at all. I was desperate to get to Bronx but I never imagined I’d have to do it on my own.
As we walked, I imagined what it might be like to see Bronx again. My heart swelled at the idea. He’d probably scold me for leaving Nick and Molly behind.
I shouldn’t have allowed myself to think about seeing him again because chances were slim that I would. There were so many things that could have gone wrong on his way to Winnipeg. Maybe he hadn’t even gotten away from the men that had kidnapped him and Nick back when we’d been hiding at Carol Ann’s bed and breakfast.
“You okay?” Kellan asked looking at me over my shoulder. I hadn’t realized it but I was dragging my feet.
“I’m sorry,” I said trying to walk quicker. “It’s just so damn hot out here I can barely think straight.”
“Tell me about it,” Kellan said wiping his hand across his forehead. “I much prefer the negative temperatures and even several inches of snow to this.”
I shook my head, almost shivering with delight at the idea. “I’d love to cool down but I don’t think I’d enjoy trekking through the snow.”
Kellan and I didn’t talk much over the course of the next several hours. It had been more than an hour since he’d last said anything. He’d told me that we were making great time. And it felt as though that may have been because of the lack of talking.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like Kellan, it was just that I didn’t have anything to say to him. My mind was focused. I was trying to keep my wits about me, so that I could be constantly aware of my surroundings. There was a good chance that Kellan was doing the same.
There was an eerie howl in the distance and that was when I’d noticed that it would be night soon. The horizon in front of us glowed a bright nearly neon orange but behind us, the navy blue was deepening with each passing minute.
“Stop or keep going?” Kellan asked without slowing his pace. He dug inside the pack and pulled something out. There was a soft click and the ground in front of me lit up. “Peter packed a flashlight.”
“Um,” I said looking around. The howling animal had made me nervous but the moon above glowed with hope. “Let’s keep going, at least a little longer.”
My feet were numb but I didn’t care. I was being fueled by something I could quite explain.
“How many miles do you think we put in today?” I asked as the shadows grew around us.
The darkness of night wasn’t something I’d ever get used to. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but feel as though I was being watched.
The ghosts of my past came out at night but so far all they did was watch me. Haunt me. Spook me. That seemed to be enough to satisfy them and I hoped it would stay that way.
“I need to stop for a minute,” Kellan said halting so abruptly a shiver ran down my spine.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” I asked speaking so quickly my words mashed together. I was tempted to pull out the blade Nick had given me although I wouldn’t know what to do with it.
“Everything’s fine,” Kellan said placing his hand on my shoulder. “Need to piss.”
I exhaled but my shoulders didn’t relax. “Oh. I guess I will too then.”
“Here,” Kellan said handing me the pack.
I took it already reaching for the roll of toilet paper Peter had packed for us. “Which way to the ladies’ room?”
“I’ll go left, you go right?” Kellan said. That was the way we’d always done it.
“Sounds good.” I looked over my shoulder watching Kellan disappear into the darkness. I could hear the rustling of his footsteps but that didn’t provide me with much comfort.
My heart raced as I quickly used the bathroom. Indoor plumbing was something I missed dearly. I missed it much more than TV, the internet… electricity.
Kellan was waiting where we’d separated by the time I got back. I couldn’t read his expression in the darkness but his sagging shoulders told me he was exhausted.
“Ready?” he asked.
It was less a second that I considered telling him that we could stop for the night. “Ready.”
We didn’t use the flashlight unless we needed to. The moon lit the way highlighting the world around us in a pale white glow. It provided enough light for us to see where we were going unless there were trees along the way.
The river was noisier than I had expected it would be. It mostly drowned out the noises from the insects and the night critters. Although there was a very persistent owl that had managed to hoot its call louder than the raging waters.
“I think I’m going to need a break soon,” Kellan said.
The moon seemed to be dropping giving us less light. I yawned knowing that stopping wasn’t a terrible idea. Resting would allow us to keep up our speedy pace come morning.
“A little more,” I begged.
“Sure,” Kellan said pointing at a particularly dark area in front of us. “Those trees up there. They’ll provide us cover too. Just an hour or two. It doesn’t need to be the whole night.”
I appreciated his suggestion. “We both need the rest.”
“Are you sure? I know how important this is to you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. It’ll be okay,” I said. “Besides my feet are killing me.”
“I think I have a blister on my big toe,” Kellan said. “Although I think it may have popped a mile or two back.”
I looked over my right shoulder as I listened to the river as we kept walking. It was a bit strange to hear it as if it were right next to me, but not be able to see it. With each step, the noises seemed to be getting softer.
The sound of clanking rocks made me turn my head to the left. Kellan dropped out of sight with a grunt.
Before I could make sense of what was happening, I was falling… falling. Then darkness.
Seventeen
The smell was a deep, earthy mildewy scent that reminded me of strong black coffee, only this scented didn’t invigorate me, it made my stomach churn. A bitterness filled my mouth which I was struggling to swallow down.
A quick breath burst out of my nostrils as I placed my hand out to the side. All I could feel was the bumpy, gritty bits of dirt underneath me.
My head ached as I lifted it up to look around. The muscles in the back of my neck pulled as if I’d slept on it the wrong way.
There wasn’t anything there except for the pitch blackness and a pale glow from the moon above that struggled to light anything around me. It seemed as though I’d fallen into my own grave.
I felt around with my hands. A scream was building up inside of me aching to be released. I held it in as if my life depended on it as I tried to make sense of what had happened. My memory was gone but it felt like it was right there, just a bit out of reach.
Yellow Heat - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Red Sky Series Book 6) Page 8
