The infected stumbled trying to make it up the incline to the road. Easton took the opportunity and ended her with a downward chop of his bat to her skull. She fell, truly dead at his feet. He stood for a moment and looked down at her. He said a silent prayer to whatever God existed to hold the woman close. Turning back to Candace, he left the old woman where she fell.
“How’s the ankle?” He asked, bending down to peer at her injury.
“Still hurts,” Candace replied.
Easton unwrapped the bandage he had put around it. The ankle was turning slightly blue in some areas. He really hoped it was just a sprain and not a break. Her toes were a normal color and she could wiggle them, so he guessed those were good signs. He carefully wrapped the ankle back up, and helped her put her boot back over her foot.
“We only have a few more hours before the sun is going to go down. Do you think you can make it?” Easton asked, his voice filled with concern. He knew it had to be painful to use the crutches for a long period of time.
“I’ll make due,” Candace said softly, positioning the crutches under her arms again.
As the sun began to fall toward the horizon, Easton began to panic that they wouldn’t find somewhere safe before nightfall. The sound of night animals and insects were starting, indicating night wasn’t far off. Walking a little faster, Candace breathed heavy trying to keep up with him.
Easton suddenly stopped, and walked back a few steps. Through the trees, he could see a building. He would have missed it completely if he hadn’t been looking for a place to stay. It was well hidden, and he didn’t see an actual driveway from the road they were on. He waited for a moment, watching quietly. Deciding there wasn’t any movement around, he motioned toward the building to Candace, who had crutched to stand next to him.
“What do you think?” He asked her.
“Looks quiet,” Candace whispered.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Easton replied hesitantly. His instincts felt off after the storage facility. He had a feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do.
“Then let’s go look,” Candace started toward the trees.
“Wait. I’m not sure...” Easton trailed off. His uncertainty keeping him from moving forward.
“Easton, we need somewhere to sleep. Let’s just go check,” Candace urged him forward, beckoning with one crutch.
“Maybe you should stay here, just in case,” he said.
“So I’m easy picking for anyone or thing to come by? No thank you. We go together,” she replied.
“I’m just worried. I need to protect you, Candy.”
“And you do. One bad group of people doesn’t mean you can’t protect me, East. It wasn’t your fault.” She always seemed to know where his mind was at before he was able to tell her.
“I just want it to be safe,” he responded.
“Well then let’s go and find out if it is.” With that she began crutching down the shoulder of the road. Easton caught up with her and helped her down so she didn’t face plant trying to navigate the hill on the crutches.
They walked slowly through the trees toward the small house. Partly because Candace couldn’t go very fast with the obstacles on the forest floor. But also because Easton was surveying every angle to make sure they weren’t attacked by surprise. He noticed a few places where it looked like trees had been chopped down. Firewood maybe, he thought to himself.
When they reached the house, Easton saw they were at the back, with no door on that side. The windows were without curtains, so he slowly approached one from the side, and peered carefully over the ledge. Inside looked sparse. He didn’t see any signs of anyone moving around inside. He motioned to Candace to follow him around to the front door.
The old wooden door wasn’t locked, and swung open with a creak. Easton had pulled his knife, ready for anything that might jump out at them. The cabin looked to be a small hunting cabin. The thin layer of dust lay undisturbed across most surfaces. Candace came in slowly and surveyed things.
“No one has been here for a long while,” she remarked.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Easton replied. He took a small dishcloth and wiped the dust from the side table that also served as a kitchen table. He then wiped off a chair and Candace flopped down into it.
Easton went to the door, and surveyed their surroundings one more time. Convinced they weren’t followed, and there weren’t any immediate threats he closed the old door. Engaging the lock, he doubted it would stop much. At least if anything tried to come through it, they would be loud about it.
Candace was sifting through their remaining food supplies, pulling things out and placing them on the small table. The sight of food seemed to give Easton’s stomach a reason to growl. Candace looked at him and smiled a little. He just shrugged his shoulders. He had been feeling hungry for a while, but his nerves prevented him from stopping them to eat.
He began to sort through some of the supplies left in the cabin. The layout was like a studio apartment. He discovered that the couch was a fold out bed, which took up much of the empty space in the room. Against one wall, he found a metal storage box. When he pulled it open, he whistled under his breath.
“What?” Candace asked.
“Well, there’s more food. Someone was prepared to be here for a bit,” Easton replied, as he looked down into the trunk full of canned goods. “Maybe whoever came here to hunt did it on impulse sometimes and needed to know there was food.”
He pulled out three small cans containing small sausages. They needed the protein, so he checked the expiration date on them. He was relieved to see they were good for another year at least. When Candace saw what he pulled out her nose wrinkled.
“I know it’s not the supplies Alex had, but it’s something more than cold beans,” he said in response to her face.
“I know,” she sighed. She hopped awkwardly over to the cooking area, which was really just a wood stove with a burner on top that could be used to cook. She opened the door and peered inside.
“Do you think a fire would be unsafe? I’d love to make us something warm to eat,” Candace asked, her face almost inside the stove.
“I don’t think smoke would attract anything but the living. And with Scooter....gone....well no one is coming after us now,” Easton said lightly.
“Can you start it? I’ll get some things ready. We’ll need to boil some water too,” she said, as she turned the tap on the kitchen sink, and water flowed. They had no idea if it was safe to drink, or what the source was, so boiling would be their best choice.
Easton went outside to gather wood, and found a small stack of firewood that must have been cut prior. When he entered into the cabin again, Candace had pulled out all of the pots and pans she could find. She had a filled kettle on the top of the stove, waiting for it to boil.
Using his utility knife, Easton remembered the lesson from Alex about creating tinder and starting a fire. He carefully put the tinder in a pile inside the stove. Using a match from the box of matches they had found, he carefully struck it and lit the tinder. He added small pieces of wood first, letting them catch before trying to add larger pieces.
The process of building the fire was nice, and calmed him. He sat back on the ground, watching the fire flames leap around the inside of the stove. Candace broke his gaze, as she closed the door of the stove, to keep the heat inside.
“We could probably stay here a night, maybe two, until your ankle is feeling better,” Easton remarked from his place on the floor. She sat watching the stove herself, her hurt foot elevated on another chair. She hadn’t complained about the pain or traveling by crutches, she just did it. Easton admired her for being so tough about it.
“Maybe,” she said softly.
The water boiled for twenty minutes before Candace pulled the kettle from the stove. She then cooked the sausages in a pot, before then cooking green beans. She served them, all while hopping around on one foot. Easton offered to carry things, or cook
while she sat, but she was very clear on doing what she could to help.
The plate placed in front of Easton had double the amount of food as Candace’s. He looked at the plates and then looked at her.
“Are you going to eat enough? I don’t need all this.”
“Yeah you do,” Candace laughed.
“I’m serious, Candy. You need to eat,” Easton made to scoop sausages to her plate but she stopped him with her fork.
“I have plenty. Now eat before it gets cold,” she said.
Easton of course finished every bite. He insisted on cleaning up, as they were still debating staying two nights in the cabin. He stood at the kitchen sink and rinsed the plates. Looking out through the window in front of the sink, he was surprised to see two infected wandering through the woods. They didn’t seem to know they were there, just randomly stumbling through their area. Easton didn’t want to leave anything to chance, and grabbed his bat and knife.
Candace watched him through the window, as he quietly snuck up on the infected pair. She couldn’t help but feel surprised in the way her brother had taken to the outbreak. He was always a responsible teenager. But in high school he had never fought with anyone. If anything he was a peace maker. Now he was learning to handle his own. Against the dead, and the alive. The crunch of the infected skulls under Easton’s bat were audible through the glass of the window.
Chapter 10
Two nights off her ankle was what Candace had needed. The second morning, after eating a decent helping of canned fruit and sausages, the teens packed up the remaining supplies. Easton helped Candace wrap her ankle tight. She didn’t want to use the crutches, as they slowed her down. The swelling of her ankle had almost completely disappeared.
They left the cabin in silence, no movement around them. Easton estimated they hadn’t made it quite halfway, the days they did walk. Candace pushed herself to a grueling pace, never complaining about pain. When the sun was directly overhead, Easton suggested they sit in the shade of nearby trees and eat lunch.
Lunch was peaches and green beans. Easton was pretty sure he would never want another green bean after this trip. While they sat, eating and sipping water, a noise came to them. Easton froze, fork in his mouth, which was full of food. He quickly chewed and swallowed, glancing up and down the road.
The noise was definitely a motor. Easton’s first instinct was to panic and hide. But Scooter was gone. His men didn’t want to come after them. It was probably someone just passing by to get to the place they found safe. A few moment passed, and a car could be seen coming on the horizon.
“What do you think?” Candace asked.
“Not sure. We aren’t threatening, so we’ll just sit here,” Easton said.
The car visibly slowed as it got closer to the teens, the driver noticing them quickly. The vehicle was a small station wagon, headed the same direction they were walking. Easton sat with his back to the road, watching the forest behind Candace, while she watched the open road. He craned his neck to watch as the car came to a stop near them.
The front window rolled down and Easton could see there were three people in the car. The man behind the wheel waved at him cautiously. Sensing they weren’t leaving until they spoke with the kids, Easton showed his open hands and slowly stood to face the car. He put himself between the car and Candace, in case shots were to come from the car.
“Hey. It’s ok. We aren’t going to hurt you,” the man behind the wheel called. He wore wire framed glasses, his eyes obscured by the reflection off the lenses. Easton just nodded at him, keeping his hands clearly visible to not spook the man.
“Are you kids all alone?” The man asked.
“Currently,” Easton replied.
The man cocked his head to one side, studying Easton. A soft feminine voice could be heard from inside, and the man turned to look at the passenger next to him.
“My name is Louis. My girlfriend here is Ava. Her son, Luke, is in the back. Are you walking somewhere?” Louis asked.
“Yes,” Easton replied vaguely again. His levels of trust for anyone were very low at the moment.
“Could we give you a ride somewhere? Are you going the same way we are? There’s not much out here,” Louis said.
“We, uh,” Easton trailed off, unsure of himself. They were driving the same direction that the kids needed to go. A ride to the four way stop they started at would be a great help. From there they would have to figure out where the RV had been.
“East,” Candace whispered from behind him. He turned his head slightly to acknowledge her, but didn’t take his eyes from the car.
“East, maybe we should,” she continued.
“I’m not sure,” Easton whispered back.
“I know, but my ankle is hurting, East. I didn’t want to tell you, because I didn’t want to slow us down. Getting a ride for at least a few miles could be a huge help,” she said. Easton glanced back at her, and saw she was massaging her injured ankle. He went to her side, crouching down to look at her ankle.
Easton’s head whipped up at the sound of a car door opening. A beautiful woman was rounding the front of the car, her hands up in the air.
“Ava,” Louis warned.
“Is she hurt?” Ava asked in a sweet voice. She was a small petite woman, with blonde hair that was in a long braid. When she got closer, Easton could judge her to be in her forties. Easton stood and watched her cautiously. She didn’t seem to have pockets to hide anything dangerous, and her hands were held in the air.
“I sprained my ankle a couple of days ago,” Candace replied.
“Oh my dear. You should let us drive you then. Where are you trying to go?” Ava said. She was on the side of the road with them now. Louis didn’t exit the car, just watched intently.
“There’s a four way stop about thirty miles down this road I think. We need to get there, then we will know which direction to go,” Easton replied.
“Thirty miles is a long way to go on a hurt ankle,” she said.
“Yeah,” Easton grudgingly agreed.
“Come with us. I promise we aren’t going to hurt either of you. We will get to that four way stop, and you are free to go on your way,” Ava said with a soft smile. Easton studied her. She didn’t set off any warning bells in his head. Louis seemed non-threatening as well. Easton glanced down at Candace, and found her looking back at him. She nodded slightly, giving her go ahead.
“Ok. We would appreciate that,” Easton replied finally. He bent down, and grabbed Candace by the arm to help her to her feet. She leaned against him heavily, and he again felt bad for not realizing how much pain she was feeling.
Ava lead the way back to the car, having no trouble turning her back on the kids. When she got back to the passenger door, she called to her son inside to move to the third seat. Easton and Candace slid into the backseat behind Ava and Louis.
Glancing back, a boy of about ten sat in the third seat. He didn’t smile or talk, just stared out the window. Easton could relate to the boy’s distance, he himself wanted to shut down and be inside himself. But he couldn’t. He was responsible for his sister and he wouldn’t let her down.
“Thank you. My name is Candace. My brother is Easton,” Candace said as Louis began driving down the road again. Easton noted that he kept both hands on the wheel and the vehicle at a safe speed.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Louis said, glancing at them in the rearview mirror.
“How did you end up out here?” Ava asked, turning around in her seat to look at them.
“It’s kind of a long story,” Easton started.
“We have thirty or so miles,” Ava prompted with a smile.
“We were with....our family,” Easton said, hesitating and looking at Candace when he said family. She looked at him with a small smile, but her eyes were sad.
“Were? Oh no, you poor dears. Did they get killed?” Ava whispered the last part, for Luke’s sake Easton assumed.
“No. We were separated by a hoard of the
infected,” Easton replied.
“Oh goodness,” Ava said, her hand coming to her throat.
“We were walking to try and find where we were with them last. But we ran into some trouble with a man trapped by the infected. We stopped to help. Then the man asked for help getting back to his bunker, which was a storage complex about ten miles that way,” Easton said motioning behind them.
“We saw that place I think,” Louis chimed in. “There were people everywhere, we were going to stop, but decided against it.”
“Probably a good decision,” Easton replied.
“What happened there?” Ava asked.
“Nothing good. We had to run, so we did,” Easton said. He didn’t want to talk about Scooter or Declan. He didn’t want to talk about what he was forced to do. What would these people think of him? He knew Alex would understand and even comfort him for what he had to do. But not everyone understood what had to be done in this world.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ava quietly replied.
They sat in quiet for a while. Ava turned and looked back out the windshield. While they drove, Easton looked around the car. He couldn’t see in the back well, but he didn’t see a lot of supplies out in the open. He pulled his pack into his lap, unzipping it to look at the cans they had brought from the cabin. Pulling cans out he made a small pile on the seat between he and Candace. He was going to leave these people with some provisions for driving them, even if they didn’t ask for payment.
Around thirty minutes later, Louis slowed the car to a stop at the four way stop. Easton looked around, trying to get his bearings. He was pretty sure they needed to take the left road to get back to the place they last saw the RV, and the Duncans.
Thanking Louis and Ava, the teens exited the car. As Easton had surmised they were low on provisions, and they were grateful for the cans the kids could spare. Ava tried to give them back, but Easton insisted they were well stocked for the distance they had to go. The station wagon pulled away after they said their goodbyes. Easton let out a deep sigh, so glad that the ride didn’t go badly.
Sundown Series (Novella): Alone Page 6
