by Gary Chesla
“Tom, they have always gone away before,” Charlie chuckled. “Don’t get so excited. Life is hard, we know that, but we’ve also learned not to make our life any more difficult than we have too. Things have a way of working out.”
“Charlie, I hope you’re right, but will you humor me on this one?” I asked. “Will you have the men finish doing what I had assigned them before I left today?”
Charlie looked hesitant.
“I’m sure they would all like to have their fill of fresh roasted deer,” I added, making a subtle hint that if they wanted to eat that they needed to earn it.
Charlie now looked annoyed, but at this point I didn’t care. This was my life too that we were talking about and if I didn’t say so myself, I knew a lot more about what could happen than they did.
“OK, Tom,” we’ll go out and get you more ammo,” Charlie replied. “Just in case, but then we need to go back to doing what has worked for us. The things that you suggested may have worked for you out there, but here in the fort, we know what’s best for our people.”
Charlie turned and walked away.
Bill, seeing that my conversation with Charlie was over, ran over to me.
“Tom, I made you about a hundred arrows while you were gone,” Bill smiled.
“Thanks Bill,” I replied. “I honestly don’t know how you people have managed to survive as long as you have. They do know what is waiting for them out there, right?”
“Is something wrong?” Bill asked looking confused.
“I appreciate what you did while I was gone,” I replied. “But I told everyone what could happen and what we needed to do, but I may as well have been talking to myself, in fact I probably was.”
“I made the arrows you wanted,” Bill said again.
“I know,” I smiled at Bill, “but it looks like everyone else decided it was more important to take a break than do what I had asked them to do.”
“Charlie had them vote on whether or not to take a break shortly after you left,” Bill said. “But I kept working on your arrows. I voted for the break, but I decided to keep working on the arrows instead of resting because I knew that’s what you would want me to do.”
“Does everyone always vote for everything that Charlie suggests?” I asked. “Doesn’t anyone here think for themselves?”
“Charlie is our leader,” Bill replied. “He was the one that found the fort and saved us all. He has always been in charge and we all just do what he tells us.”
“I didn’t mean to take out my frustrations on you,” I sighed. “But I think if you keep listening to Charlie that you are all going to find yourself in big trouble very soon.”
Bill looked confused and I didn’t want to confuse him any more than what he was, it wasn’t his fault, so I changed the subject.
“Did you see Ed?” I asked.
“He seemed shaken up after being out with you today,” Bill replied. “He said he was going to go get some rest. It must have been scary out there.”
“It figures,” I sighed.
“Do you want me to keep making arrows for you?” Bill asked.
“Yes, please,” I replied. “Thanks, Bill, you’re a good man.”
A big smile spread across Bill’s face as he turned and walked away.
“Two more days,” I said to myself as I started to walk towards the blacksmith building. After my talk with Charlie, I knew that I had just about worn out my welcome at the fort. These people were too set in their ways and they had no intentions of changing, even if it meant that they would all die. Charlie, it also appeared, didn’t care for what he perceived as my moving in on his authority. I was sure that my attendance at the next morning meeting would be met coldly, that is if we all survived long enough to have another morning meeting. I would rather be back out there on my own in the real world than live like this for much longer. If my gut feeling was right, no one would be living in this fort in another week. These people had no idea what was coming and apparently there wasn’t anything I could do to convince them.
I walked into the blacksmith shed and was surprised to see that there were piles of dirt everywhere. Ken and Dave had apparently missed the vote taken to give everyone a break.
I could hear voices coming from the hole they had dug in the middle of the dirt floor.
A second later Dave’s head popped up out of the hole. A big smile spread across his face when he saw me.
“Hey, Tom,” Dave said. “You have to come down and see how far we got.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t out taking a break,” I replied.
“We’re having too much fun to take a break,” Dave smiled. “This reminds me of when I was a kid, it was the best time of my life.”
“Will you get your butt out of my face,” Ken shouted from somewhere down in the hole behind Dave.
“Hold your horses,” Dave grinned and crawled out of the hole.
Ken’s head appeared a minute later, he emptied a bucket of freshly dug dirt onto one of the dirt piles.
“What happened to your face?” I asked when, even though his face was covered with dirt, I could see that Ken had a black eye.
“That asshole Dave hit me with a rock,” Ken grinned.
“I didn’t mean to,” Dave said defensively, “but it’s dark down there in that tunnel, but we fixed that.”
“After Dave hit me with that rock, I made a torch,” Ken added. “I make Dave stay back while I dig so he doesn’t set me on fire, but now we can see what we’re doing.”
“How far have you gone?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” Ken replied. “It was a lot easier digging than we thought, so we’ve made good time. As rocky as the ground is around here, we thought we would be having all kind of problems, but we’ve only run into three big stones so far.”
“That is until we ran into all those tree roots,” Dave said. “We’ve been trying to get through all these roots for the last hour, I think we are going to need an axe.”
“Tree roots?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Dave replied. “The roots are really thick and it’s going to take us forever to get through them.”
“The closest tree is at least fifty feet from the fort,” I said. “Have you gone that far already?”
Dave just shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not sure.”
“It could be,” Ken smiled. “Dave can dig like a regular ground hog. I bet he could dig a hole faster than your dog.”
“What who you are calling a hog,” Dave replied. “I prefer gopher. Gophers are much better looking than a ground hog.”
“Like I said, Dave is part ground hog,” Ken laughed.
“Let’s go up on the wall and see if we can figure out how far you guys have gone,” I suggested. “If you have gone as far as I believe you have, then I think both of you are part ground hog. I mean gophers.”
We left the blacksmith shed and climbed up on the back wall look out stand. About seventy-five feet from the back wall stood a tall Oak tree. The Oak tree was out in the clearing approximately twenty feet from the start of the woods line.
“If the tree roots blocking your way is from that tree, you two have done one hell of a job today,” I said.
“Thanks,” Dave replied. “But I think it could take us another week to dig through all the roots a tree that size will have.”
“And that would be if we had a sharp axe,” Ken added. “If we have to cut through those roots with only our shovels, it could take forever.”
“Instead of fighting with all those roots, why don’t you start digging to the right for about ten feet, then after ten feet try digging to the left,” I suggested. “Maybe you can just bypass the roots. The closer to the woods line we can get, the easier it will be to get out of the tunnel without being seen, but it’s not necessary that the entire tunnel be in a straight line.”
“Damn, I told you there had to be an easier way to do this,” Dave said as he looked at Ken.
“I know, but we just couldn�
��t figure out what it was,” Ken smiled. “Thanks, Tom. Let’s go give that a try, Dave.”
“We are going to have deer roasted over the firepit in a couple hours, so don’t forget to come out to eat,” I laughed.
“Did you get another deer?” Dave’s eyes lit up. “Wow!”
“Since you joined up with us, we sure have eaten well,” Ken chimed in.
I didn’t want to tell him that he had better enjoy tonight’s feast because it might be his last, one way or another.
“I’ll come find you when dinner is ready,” I smiled. “Keep up the good work, I appreciate it.”
Ken and Dave climbed down the ladder and went running towards the blacksmith shed like two schoolboys on their way to the creek to go swimming. At least there were a few here that would stand a chance to survive with a little leadership.
That evening, after a quiet afternoon without having to deal with the dead, the members of the fort settled around the firepit for a good meal.
As I looked at the seating arrangement and the faces of the group lit by the flickering flames of the fire, the image of the painting of The Last Supper came to mind. I hoped what I was thinking was wrong, I hoped the image that had crossed my mind wasn’t an omen of the tragic events that could take place over the next twenty-four hours. But those that refuse to learn from history are doomed to relive it, and these people refused to learn from anything. The group all ate happily, it was a party atmosphere. There wasn’t a single concern showing on the faces of anyone, except mine. Apparently, I was the only one concerned that we had a problem. The girls had been forgotten, this morning’s attack by the dead had been forgotten, and the looks I saw around the firepit told me that these people felt that all was right with the world. It must be nice to be able to forget the horrors we have dealt with, and those that we still facing, so quickly. It is also the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, to put so little value on life that they could forget all of that so soon as if none of it had ever happened.
I walked up to the firepit and cut off a few more slices of meat for myself and Bear, then walked back over to the shadows to find a quiet place to sit and eat.
A moment later, Ed and Bill came over to join me.
Bear got up, ignoring his fresh meat, and went over to smell Ed. If I didn’t know better, I would have said Bear was concerned about something the way he was inspecting Ed.
“Ed, you still smell like hell, when are you going to go take a bath in the creek,” I said. “If you don’t take a bath soon, I’m afraid Bear is going to mistake you for one of the dead.”
“Sorry,” Ed replied as Bill laughed. “Since Cheryl disappeared, I guess I haven’t taken care of myself too well.”
“That’s an understatement,” Bill chuckled.
Ed sat down across from me, fortunately he sat down wind so I could concentrate on eating without throwing up.
“Bear leave Ed alone,” I said, much to Ed’s relief. “Eat your food.”
We all sat quietly and ate.
“Are we going to stand watch again tonight?” Bill asked.
“I was planning on it,” I replied. “You’re welcome to join me if you want, unless Charlie has something else that he wants you to do.”
“Good, I was hoping we were still going to stand guard,” Bill replied. “I had asked Charlie and he said it was OK with him as long as we didn’t cause another riot around here.”
I laughed and shook my head.
“So, Charlie is now blaming this morning’s attack on us,” I said. “I guess I should have expected that. That son of a bitch.”
“You don’t like Charlie, do you?” Bill asked.
“No, it’s not that I don’t like Charlie, I barely know him,” I replied. “But I’m starting to think that Charlie doesn’t like me.”
“Why not?” Bill asked. “Why wouldn’t he like you? You’re a smart guy and have helped us out a lot.”
“And we never had deer meat before you came,” Ed added.
“I think Charlie feels that I’m interfering with how things should work around here,” I replied. “He thinks a lot different than I do about how the fort should be defended and about the dangers we are faced with. He doesn’t think we have to worry about the dead out there, and well, I think we have a problem.”
“Being out near the interstate with you today scared the hell out of me,” Ed said.
“So, what to you plan to do about it?” Bill asked. “If you ask me, I think you are a lot smarter about those things than any of us here.”
“I’ve given it some thought, and I don’t want you to say anything to any of the others, but I think it’s about time for me to move on,” I replied.
“You’re leaving,” Ed said. “But why would you go?”
“I’m starting to feel that I don’t fit in anymore,” I replied. “I want to eventually go back home and see what’s left. I’ve decided to just go back up into the mountains until next spring, roam around some and see if I can find any other survivors. Maybe I’ll pay a visit next spring to see how you guys are doing.”
“Tell Charlie that things need to change,” Ed said. “Everyone here knows that you are a smart guy. I’m sure Charlie will listen to you.”
“I’ve tried talking to Charlie,” I replied. “He feels that he has the best plan for the fort and that what I saw out in the world doesn’t apply here. I know he is wrong, but I feel it would be wrong for me to come in here and try to make people do things my way. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and who knows, this settlement is yours and not mine, maybe it will work out for you guys.”
“When are you leaving?” Ed asked.
“The day after tomorrow, or the day after, it depends on what happens between now and then,” I replied. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to find out what happened to your wives. I hope you eventually find out what happened to them and I hope you find them safe somewhere.”
“Tom?” Bill asked hesitantly. “Can I come with you?”
“You know it’s a hard life out there?” I replied. “There is no roof over your head, no soft bed and the only thing between you and the dead is your ability to outsmart them.”
“I don’t have any reason to stay here since Connie disappeared,” Bill added. “Except for Ed, I don’t have any real friends here. I’ve seen how you think and how you get things done and I trust you more than I trust anyone here. Ed, maybe you can come too, that is if Tom lets us go with him.”
“If you want to come, as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and you agree to follow what I say, I don’t have a problem with you tagging along,” I replied.
“How about it, Ed?” Bill asked. “Come with us.”
“I don’t know,” Ed replied. “That would be a big change and what about our wives?”
“You know as well as I do, that we will probably never see them again,” Bill said. “I don’t want to believe it, but we know what happens to anyone that wanders too far away from the fort. They’re gone and they won’t be coming back. We need to move on and there has to be something better than being caged up in this damn fort for the rest of our lives.”
“My wife isn’t dead, Cheryl isn’t dead,” Ed protested.
“Yes she is,” Bill countered. “How many days has it been since she disappeared? No one can live out there for that long by themselves, except for Tom.”
“But I can’t give up hope,” Ed replied. “I know there has to be a way that she will come back to me if I wait and give her a chance.”
“You both are welcome to come,” I replied. “But you don’t have to come with me, it isn’t going to be easy. But you think it over and I’ll let you know the night before I leave. You can tell me then if you want to go with me then. If you decide that staying here is what is best for you, then do what you feel is best.”
“I’m coming with you,” Bill replied. “I know that’s what’s best for me. Come on Ed, you know going with Tom is better than staying here.”
> “I’ll think about it,” Ed replied, but he looked reluctant.
I looked at Ed and Bill and all I could think was that maybe I should have kept my plans to myself. Ed and Bill could be good company in this lonely world, but then I started to remember being with them on lookout and our trips outside the fort.
Maybe what I should have been thinking was, “My God, Tom, what have you done?”
Chapter 10
That night I walked Ed and Bill to their posts, mainly to make sure I would know where to find them.
The rest of the camp had turned in at nightfall.
Other than Ken and Dave, who excitedly updated me on their progress, the other members of the group stayed to themselves and didn’t say much to me. I guess they had all sensed the tension between me and Charlie and decided that they weren’t going to get involved. That was their way of dealing with a problem, don’t ask any questions and avoid anything that you don’t understand and hope that it goes away.
When I had left them at their posts, Ed seemed quiet and depressed, but Bill seemed excited at the idea of finally getting away from the fort.
I was beginning to regret my decision to let them come with me when I left the fort, but I also knew that I couldn’t change my mind now and disappoint them by telling them that they couldn’t come with me. Especially knowing what was probably going to happen at the fort in the next day or two. At least when we left the fort, it would be on my terms and my rules. One consolation was that after taking them with me on trips outside the fort, I knew what to expect from them.
I finally settled into my spot for the evening, deciding that we wouldn’t rotate our posts tonight because it was too confusing for Ed and he seemed to already have more on his mind than he could handle.
Surprisingly, it was a quiet night. I didn’t hear or smell anything, but most of all, Bear didn’t appear to be too concerned about anything.
