by Brian Quest
“My mother was proud. She died about six months ago. She didn’t have access to the medications they needed and slowly died.”
Feeling his pain, Andrew replied, “We lost my Sandra the same way. I can’t believe that Emma didn’t say anything. Does she know?”
“She knew it was going to happen eventually, and she made me promise not to say anything to her. She wanted just to go on believing that Mom was safe and healthy and living happily. So, we never talked about it again. I’m so sorry about your wife. It must be tough raising four girls on your own.”
“I have these fine men helping me, and Debbie and Connie are older, so they have stepped into the mothering role…especially Debbie.”
Daniel’s face lit up when Andrew mentioned his oldest daughter. “She is really something else.”
“Yes, she is.” Andrew wanted to change the subject, so he said, “Tomorrow we will do some rearranging of rooms so you have a place to stay. For now, you can take the couch. I hope that is okay?”
“That’s more than fine, and don’t go to any trouble for me. I can take the floor, too. It doesn’t really matter to me. As long as my grandma is comfortable, that’s all I need.”
Thomas interjected, “It’s silly for me to have a room when I never sleep in it. I have grown very close to my recliner. You can take my room.” Thomas rubbed the soft fabric on the arm of the recliner, much the same way a man would rub the soft skin of his love’s shoulder.
“I don’t want to impose. The couch is just fine. Thank you.”
“I won’t hear another word about it. Come on, I’ll show you which room it is.”
Stewart stood as well and said, “I think I’m gonna try to get a few winks myself. You comin’ bro?”
“I sure am,” Keith answered. “I’m exhausted. We have a lot to do today, so a few hours of sleep will be just perfect!”
Soon, only Andrew and Thomas were left in the living room. They sat for a while, not saying anything. Then when the silence became too much to handle Andrew finally opened his mouth. “Can you believe this, Thomas? It’s gone…It’s all just…gone.”
“It’s definitely a lot to take in, that’s for sure. I honestly don’t know what to think or say about it. One minute we’re ready to move back to the house and then the next minute…well, you know.”
“Yeah. You know what? I was positive the lightning started the fire, but after Emma said she heard someone outside her cabin, it got me thinking. What if it was a person…or worse yet, an entire gang of people?”
“You would think that if it were people, they would want to stay in the house and not burn it to the ground.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too, but what if it was someone who knew those four thugs from last fall?”
Thomas pondered that thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know, Andrew. That might be reaching a little bit. I know I can’t tell you to stop thinking about it, because that would be impossible, but try, just for a few hours. Get some rest and then we’ll take a ride out after lunch and have a look around. The girls can stay with Emma and Daniel at Emma’s place while we check things out.”
“You’re right. Sitting here worrying isn’t helping the situation.” Andrew tossed himself on the couch and pulled one of the throw pillows under his head. He closed his eyes and prayed for sleep to find him. Instantly, visions of flames reaching for the sky filled his mind. He could hear heavy breathing, like someone was in a panic, and when he was startled awake, he realized the breathing he was hearing was his own. He slammed his eyes shut again, determined to get some rest, but each time he did, he saw the fire. With each dream, the fire grew and grew until it consumed the whole ranch all over again.
After waking up about four times, Andrew had had enough of trying to sleep and went into the kitchen to make some coffee. When he went through the entryway to the kitchen, he saw Debbie sitting at the table, sipping a cup of tea.
“What are you doing awake?” he asked her.
“Emma. Her snoring is totally obnoxious! I haven’t slept one minute.”
Andrew laughed and said, “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Listen, we all are going out to her place tomorrow to look around and then check on the ranch. If things look clear, they likely will stay there, but if not, then we will make sure Emma has her own space. Okay?”
“She’s fine where she is. She didn’t snore the last time. So maybe she has a cold or something. She was out in the rain for a while.”
“Why don’t you go to Beth and Amy’s room and try sleeping in there? You really should get some rest.”
“You too, Dad. Promise me you will lie back down?”
“I promise. Go on, now. Get some sleep.”
Debbie kissed her father on the forehead and squeezed his shoulder with her hand. Then she headed off to her sister’s room to try getting some rest. For the next few hours, the house was silent…aside from Emma’s snoring. Somehow, though, Andrew found the sound comforting and he was able to close his eyes and sleep.
Chapter Six
Later that day, after everyone had had a few hours of sleep and got some breakfast in them, they all set out on horseback to see what carnage the raging fire had left behind. First they stopped at Emma’s cabin.
“Well, Emma, do you see anything out of place?” Thomas asked.
“No, no. It doesn’t look like it. That’s weird, I was sure I’d heard someone near the cabin.”
“Grandma, when you were outside, what direction did you hear the noises come from?”
“Oh, Daniel, I don’t know. I was too concerned about the fire.”
“Just think about it, Grandma. Try.”
Emma pointed east and said, “That way, in the trees over there. I’m nearly deaf in my right ear, so they must have come from that way.”
Andrew looked at Keith and said, “You and me and the girls will head to the ranch. Stewart, you and Thomas take a look around here with Daniel.” Andrew then turned to Emma, “Do you think you can keep an eye on Amy and Beth in your cabin for a little while?”
“Of course, Dear. We’ll be just fine.”
Emma and the girls went inside and sat down to have some tea. Emma liked tea parties and it had been so long since she’d had one…she was excited to spend some time with the young girls. While they were inside, Andrew led Connie, Debbie and Keith to the burned-out remains of what used to be the ranch, while Stewart, Thomas and Daniel checked the perimeter of Emma’s cabin.
“Look, over here!” Daniel said to Thomas in more than a whisper but not quite a shout. He didn’t want to startle the girls inside, and he definitely didn’t want his grandma to come out.
Thomas looked where Daniel was pointing and saw two different types of footprints on the ground outside of the cabin. One set was right up against the house and one set was about ten feet away from the outer walls. “Emma has a problem. She is lucky last night wasn’t her last night alive!”
“Is that bear?” Daniel asked. He had been to the cabin throughout his life, but was, for all intents and purposes, a city boy. Bear tracks were not something he saw regularly.
“The ones farther away are, but the ones right next to the house, they belong to a wolf. If she heard someone nearby and it was a wolf or a bear, then she got really lucky!”
“Wow. I guess I never thought about the fact there would be wild animals out here! Deeper in the woods, sure…heck, all the way back by the mountains, of course. Grandma shouldn’t live alone all the way out in the woods like this.”
“Believe me, Andrew has tried many times to get her to move in with all of us, but she is …”
“One stubborn old broad?” Daniel asked, sounding like he had experience with her personality.
“You said it, not me!”
“Grandma has been independent for as long as I’ve been alive and even before then. She is stubborn, and if she had known I was planning a trip to check in on her, she would have told me not to waste my time or money. I guess this is one time I can say I am thankf
ul I wasn’t able to call her first.”
“Well, it’s maddening sometimes.” Thomas paused for a second and then said, “Did Andrew tell you what she did last fall?”
“No, but I imagine it was something interesting!”
“She decided it would be fun if she started moving rocks around by the front gate. We thought someone was messing with us, trying to catch us off guard. It was a mess, and the girls wound up sneaking out trying to catch the person in action! When we found out it was your grandma, we almost wrung her neck!”
“That’s Grandma for you! She always was a practical joker!”
“Yeah, well, her practical joke damn near got her shot!”
The two men laughed and kept on searching the area. When they were sure it was clear of human threats, they went to join the others at the ranch. Last night, as horrible as the fire was, didn’t prepare any of them for what they saw when they rode up on the main house and all of its outbuildings. The only building standing was the barn, and that obviously had sustained a bit of damage. Yet it was still functional, so they all put their horses in the stalls and then began walking toward the house.
“Dad, it’s gone. It’s all gone,” Debbie said in no more than a whisper.
“It is.” It was only a two word sentence, but it spoke volumes.
Debbie and Connie walked, hand in hand, directly to the house and began looking around. Everything was gone. Most of what they owned was burned to nothing but ashes, although some things were left, charred but still recognizable. The cast iron frying pan and stock pot sat on the ground in what used to be the kitchen, and the chimney stood tall, the old stones holding strong. Just off to the side of the fireplace were the burned but still noticeable workings of Thomas’ recliner.
“Andrew, you may want to take a look at this!” Keith yelled.
Andrew moved to the area of the house that once was the front porch, and there on the ground was a pile of beer bottles and beer cans. It was obvious someone had been there, and it was likely that whomever enjoyed the alcohol also enjoyed setting the place on fire. It was bad enough when Andrew thought that lightning had started the fire, but now that it seemed to have been started by human hands, it added a sting that wouldn’t go away easily. He thought he had prepared himself for that possibility, but it still hurt.
“None of that was there yesterday. I would have noticed that mess,” Debbie said when she rounded the corner and saw the pile of burnt glass and aluminum. “We had this whole area clean before we left to go back to the shelter.”
“I know, I would have noticed, too,” Andrew replied. “They must have come right after we left. I can’t believe it. What good does burning the place down do?”
Daniel spoke next. “Well, from what I’ve seen in my travels here, people break into houses, no matter if the people are home or not. Then they take what they want and usually trash the place or burn it to the ground.”
“But why?” Connie asked.
“There really isn’t a reason; maybe to show people they mean business, or maybe because they feel they can do whatever they want.”
“Well, I think it’s mean and destructive, and they better hope we don’t get our hands on them,” Debbie said, her anger coming to a boil. “After what happened last time, I’m ready!”
“Do you think it was the guys from before we went to the shelter?” Connie asked. “You know, the ones with James?”
Knowing that the four men who were with James were dead, Andrew answered, “I’m sure those guys are long gone.”
“But, how do you know?”
“Because it doesn’t make sense for them to come all the way back here this long after they broke in. It’s probably just some kids looking for a good time.”
“Well, whoever it was, they don’t deserve to have any more fun!”
Andrew sent Thomas and Stewart to look around and see if there was any sign of people lingering around. Andrew and Keith went with the girls to check out the fence line, something the girls hadn’t been allowed to do since the EMP. The sorrow that came from seeing everything burned and broken seemed to melt away as they walked in the spring air, the sun shining on their faces. They didn’t talk about rebuilding, but instead talked about the changes they would make in the shelter to accommodate two more people. Daniel headed back to his grandma’s cabin, keeping a close eye on his surroundings, knowing he had to watch out for more than just crazed men…now he had to be aware of bears and wolves.
Daniel went into the cabin and quietly filled in Emma on what they had found outside of the cabin. He also let her know what they had found at the house. “I think it’s best if we go with them to the shelter, Grandma.”
“Nonsense. We can stay right here.”
“Grandma, don’t make me get angry with you. They have the room and they want us there. Come on…stop being so stubborn!”
“Please, Miss Emma! Please come to our shelter! We would love to have you!” Beth said to the elderly woman.
“Yeah,” Amy started, “and Debbie would love to have you, Daniel. I think she likes you!”
“Amy! Shhh! I don’t think she would like you saying that to him!”
Daniel said, blushing slightly, “That’s okay, I won’t say anything if you won’t.”
“Okay, I suppose. But she shouldn’t be saying things like that.”
“Like what? I saw her staring at him while we were riding out here. She was all googly-eyed.”
“Enough of that talk, Missy,” Emma said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to stay at the shelter for a little while, especially if there are men running around and bears and wolves.”
“Grandma! Now who’s saying things she shouldn’t?” Daniel scolded his grandma.
“Ouch. I’m sorry.” She looked at the worried faces of Beth and Amy and said, “I’m just being silly. You know how I can be; making things worse than they really are.”
“There are men out there?” Amy asked.
“Well, sure there are! Keith and Stewart are out there, and so are Thomas and your dad!”
“Oh.” She knew those weren’t the men Emma was talking about, but didn’t really feel like arguing or begging for a real answer.
The girls helped Emma pack up some of her most prized possessions and load them into the sled that would be pulled behind Daniel’s horse. By the time they were done, the rest of the group had returned to the cabin, and in just moments they all were headed back to the shelter. Andrew was pleased that Daniel was able to talk her into coming with them. He hated the idea of having to keep trekking through the woods on a regular basis to check on her; it was going to be hard enough to check on the cattle in the back field.
The ride back was full of mixed emotions. The girls wanted so badly to be able to return home, where they grew up and where they planned to raise their own kids someday, but Andrew almost was relieved they would have to stay in the shelter. He knew how dangerous the outside world had become, and every measure he could take to keep his daughters and the rest of the family safe was worth it to him. Keith and Stewart were perfectly happy wherever they were…they just were relieved they had somewhere to go. Thomas, well, he was very set in his ways. So as long as he had his recliner, he didn’t care where he was.
The sun was beginning to go down, so they hurried along to the shelter. The last thing they wanted was to come face to face with wolves or a bear. So they kept their eyes focused and their ears trained for anything out of the ordinary. They made it back to the shelter safely and soon were inside, sitting around the table, eating a dinner of stew that had been made a couple of days before.
While Connie, Amy and Beth played a board game with Emma, Andrew went to the container that housed not only the bathroom, but the battery bank. He had been working on a project, and he almost was ready to test it out.
“What are you doing, Dad?” Debbie asked.
“I’ve been working on this for a few months now. It’s a radio. Hopefully I’m not the only one out here trying t
o find other people.”
“A radio? Like a CB?”
“Something like that. I have an antenna that I need to put up. Would you like to help?”
“Yes!”
Together, Andrew and Debbie went outside and raised a pole that was just taller than the trees. Attached at the top was the old antenna from the house. They secured the pole to the closest tree to the shelter and then led a cable back in through the front door.
“We’ll figure out something a little more practical for this cord, but for the time being, it will have to do. Now all we need to do is attach it to the radio and see if we can tune into someone else’s transmission.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if there were others out there like us? You know, good people just trying to survive?”
“Well, we know there are people out there, we just need to find them. Keep your fingers crossed,” Andrew said with hope as he plugged the cord from the antenna into the radio and then plugged the radio into the power supply.
Andrew turned the knobs on the radio, trying to find any sign of another person on the air. At first there was nothing but static. It took what seemed like forever to find a channel that wasn’t filled with the sound of an old TV after station signoff, but all of a sudden, in the silence of the shipping container, Debbie and Andrew heard a voice.
“This is Walter Johnson. Hello? Is there anyone out there? Again, this is Walter Johnson.”
Chapter Seven
“Did you hear that?” Debbie asked her father excitedly.
“I did.”
They stood there in front of the radio for a moment and then the static returned. Andrew turned the knobs again, but the voice never returned to the radio. “We will just have to keep trying, Sweetheart. We’ll find it again. If someone is on there, they will keep trying in hopes of hearing a voice talk back. He’ll be back.”
“I hope so. Wouldn’t it be great to actually talk to someone out there with some kind of technology?”
“It sure would. Let’s go tell the others.”
