Lastly, the buddy system was declared a must. Frank surprised the group by speaking over Paul, breaking his self-imposed silence. He had a stern look as he announced, “no one leaves alone. This is no place to venture out by yourself.” A hollowed tone overtook his voice, “this is my bus, don’t ya’ll forget that. If you leave the bus without someone to watch your back, then consider it goodbye because I ain’t letting you on again.” Then he cut the engine as if to emphasize the control he possessed. Really the man feared having enough gas to reach their destination if the wheels were ever allowed to turn again.
Chapter Ten
They were celebrities on the bridge. Any car stuck in the gridlock over the river was close enough to witness some degree of the first bus’s downfall. Seeing as the two oversized motor coaches were identical in appearance and travelled as a pair, it was logical to assume they were associated. When the first group of retreat members exited they were greeted by a converging mass of concerned motorists.
Questions bombarded them from all sides. Once their connection with the crashed bus was confirmed, kindness replaced the questioning. The other people on the bridge put their own worries aside to try for at least a few minutes in order to comfort the few retreat members before them. Jessica watched from the window trying to determine exactly what was going on. It was encouraging to see such an outpouring of support from total strangers in a time of universal burden.
“I think the people out there are nice, Mommy,” Ava innocently commented. “Can we go out together now? I’ll be your buddy.”
Jessica kissed her on the nose then answered, “you’re such a sweet little thing. We’ll go out soon. Let’s just give it a little while to cool down before we stretch our legs. And there isn’t anyone else in the world I’d want as my buddy more than you.”
An hour passed. Pairs of retreat members came and went. The doors had been opened enough that the temperature inside the cabin dropped a few degrees. Finally, after a mandatory trip to the tiny bathroom on the back of the bus, Jessica agreed to let the two of them out. Ava walked in front of her in the center aisle bouncing excitedly at the unusual chance to walk on a bridge. She gleefully asked over her shoulder, “can I look over the edge? I want to look for alligators or sharks.”
The imaginative aspirations of her daughter were a welcomed distraction. Jessica slowed her with a hand on the shoulder, “alligators and sharks don’t live here! This is Richmond, you funny little girl. Also it’s cold outside. So zip up your coat and hold my hand. If you let go of my hand while we’re out there, for even a second, we will go back to our seat. Are we clear?”
“Yes mommy.”
She tightened her grip ever so slightly. “I mean it, Ava. This isn’t a normal field trip. It’s just you and me, babe. You do not leave my sight.”
“Oh - kay!” Ava said, channeling the attitude of a teenager a decade too soon.
Frank waited until they were both at the threshold before pulling the door open. A rush of brisk air hit her in the chest like a punch. “Looks like you got the right buddy at your side, ma’am.”
Ava spun to him, “I’m going to protect her but first we’re checking the river for sharks and alligators.”
Everyone sitting in the first five rows laughed after hearing her proclamation. Frank smiled, “it’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it. I’m glad it’s you, little lady.”
Most of the well-wishers had dispersed by the time the mother and daughter exited the metal behemoth. Jessica carefully scanned the surroundings as Ava pulled her arm towards the concrete wall. The northbound lanes were fairly empty; no one dared take the path into the dying city. If the two directions weren’t isolated from each other on the passage over the water then southbound cars would have found their way over there to bypass this parking lot. Sporadic flashes of yellow from hazard lights showed all around the bridge. They were easy to spot in the gloomy light of the cloudy afternoon.
Random groups gathered near cars. She recognized several retreat members fraternizing with those that swarmed to comfort them. Not all were so quick to socialize; multiple cars were sealed with occupants inside trying to ignore anyone passing by. Jessica imagined theirs would have been one of those cars if they’d driven separately. Making new friends, hearing the stories of others and discussing rumors about the state of societal decay; it all seemed like an enormous waste of time to her. All she wanted to do was escape the city, then never look back.
Ava guided her through the three-foot space between parked cars in the lane next to theirs then passed the half-car length separating a pickup truck and a Prius in the final outside lane. Dotted along the bridge shoulder were several people leaning against the concrete wall that separated the road from the steep drop to the turbulent waters below. The closest talking groups were fifteen feet from their place on either side. It was close enough for their conversations to pause upon seeing the mother/daughter duo. Jessica gave an acknowledging nod to each group. She knew that through their smiles were thoughts of pity for a child stuck in such a place.
The wall was the same height as a regular Jersey barrier only it had a wide metal rail affixed three quarters of a foot above the top. Even on her tiptoes, Ava couldn’t see over the steel tube so instead she squeezed her little head through the gap. Jessica continued to assess the state of the gridlock while clamped onto a loop on the back of her daughter’s coat, making sure her feet remained planted. Sharing her amazement, Ava said, “the water is so far down! It’s really pretty that way. Look Mommy, a train!”
Jessica looked up river, away from the city, where the little girl directed. On the northern bank a long segmented chain of black coal cars snaked parallel to the river. It amazingly accompanied the wide rapids with what seemed like no end. Ava was right; it was quite a pretty sight to behold. Smoothed rocks emerged from the water in random clusters while mostly barren trees hugged the water’s edge as far as she could see. It was beautifully refreshing to see after witnessing the carnage in the scenery to this point.
Forgetting the mess of obstructions to her view, she curiously turned to check if the coal train continued on the other side of the bridge. Past the rolling hills of vehicle roofs she saw the massive railroad bridge. Beyond it, smoke billowed up from random spots on the Richmond-facing horizon. Seeing this brought her back to reality. The contrast between the sides was like standing before a raging wild fire, a calm before the inevitable consumption of beauty.
“Alright,” Jessica said to the girl pressed against the cold wall, “time to get back to our seat. If you’re good we can come back out before the sun goes down.” She pulled on the loop to emphasize her command.
“But Mom-my!” She whined back.
“But nothing, Ava! The last thing we need is you catching a cold from the chilly air coming off the river. We’ve stretched our legs, now it’s time to get back to where it’s safe.” The nearest group turned towards them after the minor outburst. Jessica felt so embarrassed.
Ava furrowed her brow in confusion, “but I thought we were safe?”
Jessica looked around seeing more eyes on them. A small gathering of people that were setting up a camping stove in preparation for the dinner hour all paused to watch them. Lowering her voice she answered, “we are, hon. That’s not what I was trying to say. It’s just that we can be safe and still have you get sick. I don’t want that because it would make our trip much less fun. You get one more minute looking at the water. One minute then we’re back in the bus. Okay?”
Chapter Eleven
Darkness rapidly descended on them. Dusk took hold with the assistance of smoke from far away fires. Ashy clouds hugged the sky, skewing the line between afternoon and evening. Less than half a day on that bridge felt like weeks. Streetlights that normally illuminated the passage remained unlit. Light came from random cars that risked depleting their batteries in favor of breaking the unnerving dark.
The majority of the retreat members were ushered back on board the bus.
A curfew hadn’t been discussed when they made their rules. At the time, none of them could fathom still being stuck on the bridge by then. As the hours of the day ticked on, they knew they’d be there for the duration of the night. Frank turned the engine back on for fifteen minutes to give the batteries a boost. Their hope was that the re-illuminated bus would cue anyone still outside in the rapidly fading light that it was time to return.
“We’ll have to tap into the food stores meant for the retreat site,” Frank announced out the open door, his first words since his bathroom break. “I assume you can handle that Paul?”
Paul remained at his post outside the door watching for the few stragglers still off the bus. Jessica assumed he must have saluted, or something, in response because Frank tossed a set of keys in his direction. “The far compartment on the side has the long term food stores. Pastor Doug decided to keep most of the goods on our rig; lucky for us. Don’t go too heavy on the portions. We gotta eat but we also gotta make it last.”
Conversation started up around them about trading food for use of one of the many camping stoves that popped up throughout the bridge. The retreat has a full propane setup, meaning they hadn’t planned for food preparation on the go. With some minor rationing restraint implemented their ready-to-eat fixings would last a couple days, longer if need be.
A man’s voice closer to the bathroom spoke up, “some of these people are very kind. I spent a good while talking with a family that has a two-burner stove. They were headed to a campsite in Amelia. I’m sure they would help us.”
“In return for what?” Snapped back a woman on the right side. Doubtful murmurs joined her skepticism.
“The Christian thing to do is….” started another voice before it was cut off by the skeptical woman.
She retorted, “I don’t think the ‘Christian thing to do’ matters when dead people are walking around and the whole world is falling apart.”
Ava looked to Jessica, worried from the hostility that freely flowed between the people they were stuck with. “It’s okay. Earmuffs,” she mouthed to the little girl while miming the motion.
“Jesus came back to life!” Argued the original man.
The skeptical woman scoffed, “Don’t fool your self! Jesus didn’t try to eat every damn person around him. Besides, our money paid for that food. We paid to survive this mess. We can’t trust anyone outside this bus. I sure as hell won’t share what little we have.”
Paul reentered carrying a box of edibles. Immediately sensing the tension in the air he tried to calm the group by saying, “Settle down, everyone! We’re a family here. I know we’re also hungry and tired. It has been a heck of a day but we cannot start turning on each other. If we’re still here by this time tomorrow then we can debate whether or not to reach out to our fellow bridge neighbors. For now I think it’s best to keep our affairs separate. The whole point of this retreat was to separate ourselves while this crisis settles. Let’s keep that in mind no matter where we are.”
Mumbles of agreement sounded throughout the cabin. A few passengers stood once their leader set the box of goods down at the end of the aisle. Jessica knew they were going to assist with food distribution so she decided to lend a hand, thus ensuring Ava would receive an appropriate portion. Rationing was a simpler concept for adults to grasp; with Ava being the only little one with a giant appetite.
Quiet returned to the bus as they ate a dinner of cold turkey tortilla wraps and washed it down with small bottles of apple juice. It was an eerie silence, an undeniable anxiety that felt like the calm before the storm. Jessica instructed her voracious daughter to pace herself in order to limit any chance of an upset stomach. Ava bobbed up and down in her seat feeling very content with a full belly. By now she had examined every inch of her lengthy storybook twice. She carefully opened up a box of twenty-four crayons to begin coloring a masterpiece in one of her three coloring books.
Some conversation picked up when meals were finished. The topic of their current situation had gotten old after being on the bridge for most of the day. It was practically taboo to speak louder than a whisper on the topic of the pandemic. Most in the bus still had hope of reaching the retreat. Faith remained potent enough that even talking about the tragedy of the morning was deemed taboo. They couldn’t speak of the grim surroundings because it was all viewed as temporary.
Jessica stared out the window trying to ignore the voices behind their row. On the horizon past the towering railroad bridge the horizon glowed from festering catastrophe. Death clawed through the streets of their city yet the isolation of the bridge-empowered denial. She saw it and felt sickened by the chipper denial of the others. For the first time she began to wonder if they’d ever make it off the bridge. If need be she would take Ava and they would walk. They didn’t need these other people; if they were together then the rest would be figured out.
“Mommy….” Ava said, pulling Jessica out of her thoughtful trance.
She turned to see the little girl had stopped coloring and was staring out the window just as Jessica had been. In a soothing whisper she answered, “what’s wrong baby?”
Pointing her tiny petite finger she asked, “what’s that weird glowing I see over there?”
“Um….” she hesitated, “people are probably camping out with the power being out. If we weren’t on the bridge then I’d definitely be up for roasting some marshmallows!”
Ava smirked, not fully buying her mother’s explanation. “It’s so dark outside. Why do I keep seeing that yellow light flashing?”
The girl is perpetually curious. Jessica loved that quality in her. Thankful that the conversation had moved on from the destruction that took place on the horizon, she replied, “those are called hazard lights. Cars turn them on when they are in trouble or when they want other cars to see them. I think people are trying to save their car batteries but also don’t want it to be completely dark on the bridge.”
Ever intuitive, Ava asked, “does that mean that we’re in trouble?”
Jessica thought for a moment. She knew that putting on the positive mask used by everyone around them couldn’t hold up the way things were going. If they were having this conversation in their private room at the retreat then she might try to put off the frightening truth a little longer. Now, after nearly ten hours on the bridge, she knew that she had to answer honestly. “I don’t know baby girl. Today hasn’t exactly gone as planned. What I do know is so long as I have you with me, everything will still be okay.”
A little hand fell over hers and squeezed. Jessica’s heart fluttered over the mature gesture from her precious thing. Then she sweetly whispered, “we’re partners so I know it will be good. I love you mommy.”
She brushed a curl of hair off Ava’s forehead then planted a kiss beneath it. They were quiet for another ten minutes. With it being so close to normal bedtime, Jessica thought Ava had fallen asleep. Right when she started to doze the tiny voice came back, “do you think they are hurting?”
“Who? The people in the first bus?”
“No….” her voice wandered away.
Any relaxation she’d allowed herself was gone in an instant. She waited for the girl to continue her question but nothing happened. Lightly petting her hair again she probed, “come on sweetie. If we’re partners then you need to talk to me. Do I think who is hurting?”
“The sick people. You know, the ones that turn into monsters.” Ava was barely audible, whispering like the words would get her in trouble.
“I don’t think so. By then I don’t think they hurt any more.”
“Then…” she paused trying to select the right way to say it, “why are they so angry? Why do they try to hurt people who aren’t sick?”
Jessica spoke louder to redirect Ava’s thinking, “close your eyes and try to get some sleep. I don’t know the answers to your questions. But I do know that questions like that aren’t going to help you rest. When we make it to the retreat site we can talk about this as much as you want
. Right now let’s focus on happy things.”
Paul came down the aisle then. He paused at any row that wasn’t quietly resting. “Evening ladies,” he said leaning towards them to not bother the sleeping row behind them. “Frank says we should save the battery so we’re going to go lights out. It’s close to 10 o’clock. An early bedtime will do us all some good after the day we’ve had. If ya’ll have to use the facilities just try to keep it quiet.”
Ava tucked her coloring book in the pouch ahead of her. Paul got a little close to her and whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear, “it’s Ava, right?” She nodded so he went on, “Ava I think you’re likely the bravest little thing around - definitely the bravest on this bus. You keep being brave, alright?”
He expected a smile that didn’t come. Instead an all too grown up voice answered a simple, “yes sir.”
The Reaper Virus (Novella): Sarcophagus Page 5
