Reduced

by Robin Tidwell

  Go north? Or south?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  They went north, of course. The sun was just peeking over the smoky horizon when Abby and Emmy climbed through Clarice’s window. The old woman was sitting in the chair, Frank’s chair, waiting and watching.

  “I knew you’d come,” she said, not turning, still staring out the window at the remains of the city. “Did that boy die?”

  The girls went to her, settling on the floor at her feet. “Yes,” said Emmy.

  They sat in silence for some time, then Clarice spoke again. “I tried to fix him up, but there was something broke on the inside. He wouldn’t stay, said he had to send you a signal. And he left. Such a young boy.” Tears rolled down her wrinkled cheeks.

  Abby picked up a pair of field glasses from the windowsill. She looked out toward the Arch. Still standing. She panned as far in either direction as she could, taking it all in, bit by bit.

  A loud boom shook the building. Abby nearly dropped the glasses, and Emmy jumped to her feet.

  “We have to go, now!”

  Clarice refused to budge. “I’m staying right here. Frank’s gone, everyone is gone. Nothing to run to. You girls get on out of here. My time is up, that’s all there is to it.

  “Go on now, hurry!”

  Emmy kissed her cheek and ran after Abby who was holding the window open. She went out and tumbled down the fire escape; Abby took one look back at Clarice, still in the chair, still watching, and dove through the window herself. The girls hit the ground running.

  After their initial dash, Abby and Emmy found their stride and continued running at a steady pace. The booms became more frequent, but not louder. Not yet. Within an hour they were running through Affton, a whole lot less worried about encountering any people than they were about the explosions that were creeping closer.

  “Abby, stop!” called Emmy, bent over, panting. She held a hand to her side. “I have to walk for a minute.” They continued on, looking over their shoulders, walking rapidly.

  Boom! A building not 300 yards behind them collapsed into rubble. Boom!

  “Come on,” yelled Abby, grabbing Emmy’s arm. “Run!” And they did, the pain in Emmy’s side forgotten as adrenaline kicked in. They veered off to the west; Abby remembered a cemetery nearby. Surely they wouldn’t aim for that—no one there to kill, anyway and, even if they did, well, it was a good place to be she guessed.

  She boosted Emmy over the stone wall and they both collapsed on the other side, exhausted and scared out of their wits. They clung together, shaking, as the explosions continued all around.

  Finally, the noise stopped but the ringing in their ears did not. It was a good hour before the dust began to settle and either one of them could hear anything at all.

  Abby pulled Emmy to her feet and they began to walk. There was nothing to run from, for now, and visibility was low from the combination of smoke and dust. Abby thought they must be near Grant’s Farm and she remembered, from years past, that there was a pond near the entrance. She hoped that memory was correct.

  They crossed Gravois Road; it was buckled and warped, almost melted. On the other side of that, beyond a split rail fence that was somehow mostly intact, was the pond.

  The girls limped through the fence to the edge of the woods. Suddenly, Emmy burst into laughter. It was quite near hysteria, so Abby waited a moment before asking, “What’s so funny about this, Em?” She was a little annoyed, actually.

  Emmy pointed at Abby. “Your face!” Abby reached up and swiped at her cheek. It was hard to tell, since her hands were so filthy, but apparently she looked as silly as Emmy did. She hadn’t actually looked at her for quite some time, they were both too intent on running away.

  They washed up in the pond, after filling all their water bottles, and lay down under the trees. They fell asleep within minutes, and would have continued well into late afternoon, if it weren’t for an inquisitive squirrel.

  Abby woke up swinging but stopped abruptly when she saw the furry culprit. Feeling rather foolish, she woke Emmy and they shared some jerky and trail mix and discussed their predicament.

  They were at least 12 miles from the camp. Maybe more. It was just two o’clock, so sunset was quite a few hours off. Abby didn’t think there would be an issue with being spotted and wanted to leave right away. Emmy was hesitant. Abby made a decision.

  She left Emmy resting under the trees and walked south about three miles. She wanted to climb up on the 55 interchange and see if she could get a good look at the area. It was the highest point nearby that she could think of. She could certainly see the buildings around her had been flattened, but she wasn’t thinking straight. She climbed up the embankment and turned to the north, searching the skyline.

  Except it wasn’t there.

  Abby rubbed her eyes. She blinked. It was gone. The entire city of St. Louis, and most of the suburbs. Gone. Flat. Even the Arch. She turned slowly around, still searching. Nothing.

  Then Abby cried.

  She cried for hours, it seemed, until she could cry no more. She cried for herself, for Emmy and Juliet; she cried for Deb and Sam and Cal and Meg, all those who’d died and yes, those still surviving.

  Emotionally wrung out, Abby lay curled up on the pavement for a long time. At last, as the smoke drifted off across the river, she forced herself to get up and return to Emmy. Her eyes were red and scorched, her hair stunk, she was filthy from head to toe. But she was still alive.

  She led Emmy out of the ruins and back home. Yes, she could call it home now. It always had been, of a sort, and now, after nearly three years and with nothing left to return to, it was the only home they had.

  As they reached the 55 interchange, Emmy wanted to take a look so they climbed to the top. Just then, a formation of choppers flew overhead, banked, and turned back to the east. The girls watched as they disappeared.

  One was different.

  Colonel Barton, Abby presumed. Flying away to lick his wounds. The question, of course, was would he return? And when? Abby shook her head to clear her thoughts and focus on the task of getting home.

  They began to walk, easily, without fear. The sun wouldn’t be setting for hours and they’d stop then, relax a bit, and finish the journey in the morning. Abby and Emmy linked arms and trudged onward.

  When they arrived at the site, Cal herself was waiting at the bottom of the hill.

  “I thought I’d meet you here. As long as you were gone, I knew it couldn’t be good news.

  “We saw the smoke yesterday,” she added.

  “They blew up the whole city, Cal,” Abby said wearily. “We were there. We ran.” She really didn’t want to relive that, but she owed Cal a full report. As full as she could manage.

  “Henry’s resistance failed. Well, maybe not failed, not entirely. The troops pulled out. We saw them leave, and there’s nothing for them to come back to anyway.”

  Emmy shrugged. She had nothing to add. Nothing. She might not ever want to talk about it.

  “All right,” said Cal. “Let’s go on up. We’ll have to make plans.”

  They held a memorial service for Brad, as well as the others who’d died in the rebellion. Abby talked about Henry and Frank and Thomas and Samuel. Cal said a few words, and it was over. They lingered around the fire afterwards, milling aimlessly, speaking quietly.

  At last, Pops asked everyone to take a seat.

  “Here’s the deal,” he began. “It seems that we are truly alone now, at least in this immediate area. It also appears, from what Abby and Emmy told us, that this same area is now secure, or at least from government interference.

  “So I’m asking now if any one you want to strike out on your own? Maybe start rebuilding . . . something. I don’t have any real ideas, just letting you know that the danger seems to have passed and that there are options. We don’t necessarily have to continue as we are, but we sure can. Nothing says we have to make changes, I’m just throwing that option out there.

  �
��But,” he cautioned. “Just because ol’ Colonel Whatshisname has taken his flunkies away, doesn’t mean he won’t be back.”

  Noah cleared his throat. “I’d like to add that the danger from VADER has passed. We haven’t known, of course, much about this…disease, for lack of a better word, and even though there are still a lot of questions, I can say that no one is at any risk from it.”

  Martin stood up, as did his wife and daughter. They were the last of the families who had joined them at the beginning. He looked around at each of them, before he spoke.

  “We’ve been thinking about this for a while, wondering if things would ever change, if we were going to be up here forever . . . or until we died.

  “My wife and I have been talking. We’d like to maybe take a look around the area . . . not far, necessarily. Maybe find us a house that’s still standing, have a little garden. Maybe even see if there are any other people around here somewhere.

  “Not,” he hastily added, “That we’re tired of you all or anything.” That brought a laugh, and Martin blushed. “Come on, you know what I’m talking about!”

  He turned to Cal, “Cousin, we’re forever in your debt, and we’re very, very grateful for all you’ve done. Everyone,” he clarified. “But I’m ready to see what else is out there and my family agrees.”

  Cal smiled for the first time in a long while. “Martin, I’m sure we can all appreciate what you’re saying. But please don’t forget that you and your family were all a big part of this, a big reason we have survived. And I think many of us feel the same way you do.

  “For myself, I like it here. I have no desire to go exploring, but I think I’ll move down off this hill. My knees are starting to ache from the climb and I’d like to see some open sky.

  “Abby, I’m sure you can point Martin toward some suitable homes; you’ve done the most exploring outside camp.”

  Abby gave a quick nod. She knew where she was headed, along with Emmy and Juliet. But she wasn’t saying. She wasn’t entirely convinced, as Cal was, that the danger had passed.

  The others were noncommittal. Ted was restless and thought he might take a hike into the city, to see what he could see; Noah suggested going with him. He could always use more supplies, if he could find anything usable. He announced, too, that he’d be staying somewhere nearby in case anyone had need of medical care. Martin agreed that he and his family would not be leaving the immediate area.

  Then there was Pops.

  “Well, I’m glad everyone has been doing some thinking. It all sounds good. As for me, I’m gonna stick around here. Lived here all my life, and I’m too old to make many changes. Well, any more than I’ve made in the last few years!

  “So, I’m hanging with Cal. We’ve kinda gotten used to each other. Abby, you haven’t said much—and Em, what about you? I’m assuming Juliet will go with you two; but I’d sure miss seeing her on a regular basis and all.”

  Juliet, sitting on Abby’s lap of course, piped up, “I’m going with Abby! And Emmy . . .”

  “Well,” said Abby, “We haven’t really talked about it, what with everything else going on . . .”

  “Yeah,” Emmy added, “We need to figure out some things.” She exchanged glances with Abby. “We don’t need to decide right away.”

  “That’s right,” said Pops. “I’m thinking that we should all make our plans, talk to each other, get our bearings. It’ll be enough to be able to move around and get used to not watching the sky all the time and having to duck!

  “How about tomorrow we get some maps out here and Abby can give us all some pointers? And we can talk about divvying up the supplies we have here and breaking camp. I figure it’ll take us a few months or so to find our spots and get moved and all.”

  Cal spoke up. “Pops, and everyone, I know we’re all anxious to move on and out and whatnot, but winter’s not that far off—just a few months, really. Maybe we should sit tight and plan on spring?”

  “I was kind of hoping to get us settled before then,” said Martin. “That way we could get a fresh start come spring. Of course, there’s no harm in talking a little more; Cal, you might have a point.”

  “Let’s adjourn until tomorrow, then,” said Pops. “We’ll start looking and planning then and see what comes up.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Fall was soon upon them and winter followed closely behind. The first snowfall came early, mid-October, and swept in from all sides. The meadow where they’d initially set up the camp site was buried in drifts.

  Nestled against the hill, the old infirmary was warm and cozy. All of them had moved in there shortly before the snow arrived, except for Martin and his family. They’d gone up behind the camp, off Marble Springs Road where Abby had showed them several intact homes and barns.

  It was a lot easier now, especially since one of the first things they’d done was get the trucks back in running condition. Martin had taken one, and there were three sitting out back. Gasoline was available at one of the convenience stores in town; it took Pops the better part of a day to rig up the pumps. They took advantage of that, and filled up every acceptable container they could find.

  Ted and Noah were gone at the moment. They’d already made one successful trip into St. Louis, confirming that the city and suburbs were a total loss. They’d brought back some supplies as well as food, even some treats no one had seen in months or years.

  This last time, they’d left just before the snow hit; no one expected to see them until the weather cleared.

  The winter dragged on and November came. They tried to keep busy; fortunately it wasn’t very cold, but the snow kept coming. Ted and Noah still hadn’t returned by early December. Still, the adults tried to be cheerful for Juliet’s sake, although she seemed to be handling things better than anyone else.

  There was a warm spell in early December. Surely, now, Ted and Noah would return. Days passed, and still nothing. Abby was more worried than she let on, or so she thought.

  “You miss him, don’t you?” asked Emmy.

  “Who?” said Abby.

  Emmy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Whatever.” She gave Abby a sad smile and went on with her work which, at the moment, was trying to keep the old woodstove going. Abby had been pacing from window to window.

  Juliet came running in. “Is it Christmas yet?” she asked, for the umpteenth time.

  Abby sighed and reminded her about the calendar on the wall in their living area. “Oh, right!” She skipped off to the other room. Abby joined her.

  They’d put up a tree earlier that week. Juliet had even convinced Cal to come with them to find one. Naturally, cedar trees were plentiful and they’d had a nice choice. Juliet had saved all the decorations from her first Christmas here, and had carefully decorated the little tree. She’d already hung a sock, too; she used one of Pops’, because, she told everyone, it was the biggest.

  Two more days, thought Abby. Then, if the weather held, she’d go looking for them. And that’s when she heard the truck.

  She opened the door and Juliet ran out. They both stopped dead in their tracks and gawked. It was one of the black trucks, all right, but it was decked out in greenery and tinsel. Two Santa Clauses stepped out. Two? It even gave Juliet pause.

  For about three seconds.

  Then she ran to Noah and jumped into his arms. “Where have you been?” she demanded. “And Ted, what took you so long?” She squirmed around in Noah’s arms to look at Ted. Then she jumped down, landing in a snow bank.

  “Humph,” said the little girl. “Everyone knows there aren’t two Santas.” And she flounced back inside.

  The two men looked crushed. Abby laughed at the looks on their faces, in spite of herself. “Come on in, you two. Everyone will be so glad you’re back!” She smiled shyly at Noah. “Hurry up, it’s cold out here!”

  Cal decided they should have Christmas the next day. “Does that mean Santa comes tonight?” asked Juliet. Everyone assured her that it did. “I mean the real S
anta,” she declared. Yes, yes. He’d come that night.

  “Well,” she said. “Okay then.”

  Dinner that night was festive. Ted and Noah kept them all entertained with stories of their trip, from one escapade to the next. They’d even seen another group of people, off in the distance, but there were no incidents and they mostly ignored each other except for a few half-hearted waves.

  Juliet was sent to bed at her regular time, protesting every step of the way. When Emmy went to make sure she’d brushed her teeth, Noah pulled Abby aside.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Noah, really, I . . .”

  “Not that,” he said impatiently. “I don’t want anyone to hear this but you. Tomorrow morning? After Juliet opens her presents?”

  “All right,” Abby said, reluctantly.

  “Merry Christmas,” said Noah, kissing her cheek and quickly turning away.

  Juliet was thrilled with all her gifts; this year, the adults even managed to exchange a few small presents. It was a lot easier to make merry when you weren’t worried about hiding and trying to keep basic needs met. And shivering in the outdoors all winter long.

  After breakfast, Abby went with Noah on the promised walk. Emmy saw them leave, but said nothing.

  They walked over near the Cathedral, where they’d had the first funerals three and a half years ago. They sat down on the large rock at the base of the hill. The sun was warm, the breeze still for the moment; temperatures still, however, remained chilly. “Abby, we didn’t just see a group of people, like us, wandering around scavenging.”

  Abby immediately became tense. Her hands shook, but she tucked them under her arms before Noah could mention anything. “And? Come on, Noah. Don’t drag this out. Are they back?”

  “Yes.”

  Abby bit her lip. “All right, tell me everything.”

  Noah and Ted were just about ready to head back to the camp when the snowstorm hit. They’d holed in up north, near the old barracks or, rather, where it used to be. He said they had a good time, just shooting the breeze, found a deck of cards and played some poker. They felt pretty safe, even though they knew everyone would be worried.