by J. R. Tate
Glancing up at the sky, Jake noted the position of the sun. It’d be night time soon. He had to work fast. Their goal was to set out toward Dallas as soon as the sun came up in the morning. Having the travois ready would help them get a head start.
***
It took a while for Alice to calm down after her encounter with Ed. Working in the ER provided her with enough experience to know how much evil was out in the world, but now that the area was pretty much a catastrophic zone, she wanted to think that the good would come out in people and they could help each other. She thought about Crystal and how she had died - what was the back story with her and Ed? She was better off not knowing and she tried to find comfort in the fact that the little girl was no longer suffering. The pain she must have felt from her injuries sent a chill down Alice’s spine and she cringed at the thought of Ed kidnapping her for extremely malicious reasons.
She had to refocus on her initial plan - she needed to get back to the house and find Dylan. He was the closest to her and once she knew he was okay, she could focus on Sophie and Jake. She had enough water to make it home if she rationed it and didn’t stop. It was still a good trek but doable. The biggest issue was it was getting dark - if she ran into danger in the daytime, she shuddered to think what she might come across after the sun went down.
Her body ached and begged for her to stop. Blisters were forming on her heels due to being on her feet for so long. She lost track of time, not even realizing how long it had been since she got any good amount of sleep. Her adrenaline was serving much like caffeine normally did for her but even it was wavering. Sipping on the water, Alice swished it around in her mouth. The dusty haze that had been present since the chaos had hit hindered her from being able to see much of the sky. She wanted to see the location of the moon to get an idea of what time it was but even that wasn’t coming through the blanket of destruction that lingered over what was left of the area.
Out of habit, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and tried to turn it on. Nothing happened, and a sinking feeling of pessimism fell hard in her stomach like she had swallowed a pound of bricks. The good thing was, there weren’t that many people around. That also could be construed as a bad thing. Alice felt like she was being watched - shadows around the corner, though she wasn’t sure what could be casting them. The streets were dark and there was nothing from the moon. Maybe it was just her imagination driving her crazy - she had seen one too many crime movies, not to mention end of the world movies where there was one sole survivor, left on their own to try to make it.
She reminisced about those movie nights wit her family - they always asked each other the hard question of what they would do if they were stuck in that very situation. Alice always claimed if she was the last person on earth, she’d just want to die. What would be the point of trying to make it when there was no possible way to replenish the population and there were limited resources for food and water? It was a painful and slow way to die, knowing each day the person was running out of things to keep them alive. It was a hard question to answer - a person would have to be put in that situation to truly know how they’d act and what they would want to do.
Alice laughed to herself. She wasn’t the last person on earth - there were others, including evil people like Ed who she hoped had finally bled out and died on that gas station floor. She couldn’t put her finger on how many had died and who still remained. Without knowing exactly what had happened to put the area in this position, it would be hard to know about casualties. The high number of cars that had crashed and the lack of people around was a bad sign. Those lucky enough to have made it through were left to either help each other or run around like criminals, looting businesses and houses just because of the lack of law enforcement.
Where exactly were the people who always had the answers for the public? The ease of turning on a television when something big was happening was gone - just a few days ago the local news would spout off what was going on around Dallas, and even some information that wasn’t relative. And now, nothing. Poof. The world was changed in a matter of seconds.
Alice hugged her midsection, shivering from the chill of the wind. Dry air replaced the normal humid climate of Dallas and cold swept through, matching the mood. She reached another freeway that needed to be crossed - a freeway she sometimes took on her way to take Dylan to school. It was the same story as the freeway near the hospital - crashed cars, fires, and this time, more people than she had seen since she left the ER. Her first instinct was to head toward the family that was camped out by their crashed SUV but she stopped herself. Immediately trusting strangers is what got her in the mess with Ed. She tried not to make eye contact and told herself to stick to her task - it was about Dylan and her family. Everyone else would have to fend for themselves. No more helping strangers. The world was different now. Her duties as a charge nurse in a busy emergency room were gone.
Hurrying across the asphalt, she heard the woman’s voice in the distance, muffled by a gust of wind. Alice fought hard not to look over her shoulder. If she looked, it would commit her to listen to what the woman was saying. If she continued to walk, pretending she didn’t hear, a few things could happen. The family could follow Alice and pursue her or they could just chalk it up to Alice not wanting to help. Alice hoped it was the last option, but the yelling got louder, this time, the man’s voice deeper over the windstorm.
“Hey, excuse me!”
Alice closed her eyes. Maybe if she kept them closed, the urge to turn and look would go away. Heavy footsteps came closer and Alice began to run, but she wasn’t fast enough. Fingers dug into her bicep, stopping her, the grip strong enough to finally get her to turn around. When she saw who it was, her heart skipped a beat. Finally, someone she recognized.
“Tom?”
Her brother nodded, his face masked by a trail of blood that appeared to be coming from a wound on his forehead. “I…” he trailed off, his eyes darting to the ground. “What the fuck, Alice?” The tone in his voice made her jump and she took a step back. He was family - estranged family, but still, a relative that she cared about, even if he didn’t believe it.
“Who’s the woman?” Alice pointed in the direction of their wrecked car.
Looking up again, tears welled in his eyes and he shook his head. “She’s my wife, Alice!”
“Your wife?” Alice rubbed her temples, her brain unwilling to take any more bombshells in. “I guess that’s what we get for not talking for years. I didn’t know you got married. I’m so…”
“Sorry? Yeah.” Tom bit his bottom lip. “You were just gonna leave us here and keep walking? I guess I’m more of a black sheep to the family than I thought.”
“No, that’s not it, Tom. I didn’t realize it was you. I promise. Your face is covered in blood and it’s dusty. I’m sorry. Truth be told, I’m happy to finally run across someone I actually know.” Know was a strong word. It had been at least five years since she had any interaction with her younger brother. She really didn’t know him at all. What she should have said was it was nice to see someone she recognized.
“What the hell is going on, Alice?”
“Let me guess. You and your wife were driving and then suddenly your car just stopped working?”
“Yeah. Same story for everyone, as you can see.” Tom spread his arms to motion toward the freeway and the massive pileup behind them. “I don’t understand.”
“Me either. I’m headed home to see if I can find Dylan. Y’all are welcome to come with me, though I don’t have much in the way of food or water.” Alice hoped she wouldn’t regret the offer. Tom was a thief - the main reason they had fallen out of touch was his multiple stints in prison for robbery. She couldn’t leave him behind, regardless of his mistakes. There was strength in numbers, even if she couldn’t completely trust her own flesh and blood.
“Sure. Let me go get Randi and our things out of the car. We’re right behind you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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nbsp; Sophie’s legs ached. She was in pretty decent shape having to walk everywhere at school but she had never conquered the distance she and Danny had covered without stopping. Her body longed for nutrients - a big glass of water without having to worry about how much she was drinking and a huge plate of spaghetti would be like heaven on earth. It was like when she carb-loaded before a race. Her body needed carbohydrates from the extensive physical demands she was putting on herself.
They had made it past the urban areas surrounding Boston to the outer county. Buildings were more spread apart now, houses on more acreage, and highways without that many crashed cars like they had witnessed on the freeways miles back. There were a few groups of people heading in the same direction they were going but no one said much to each other. The silence was good and bad, and Sophie wondered where everyone else was going. Did they know what was happening? She couldn’t take any more conspiracy theories or speculation - dealing with that was almost as exhausting as the long hike they were enduring.
Stopping along a wooden fence, she pulled her water out and sipped on it. Her body longed for more than a few gulps but she reminded herself that rationing was important. Her stomach growled, another reminder that nourishment would probably make her feel better. The sun was going down, the darkness unsettling against the unknown future they were facing.
“You okay?” Danny asked, nudging her arm. He seemed energetic, like none of this was bothering him. Or maybe he was just really good at hiding it.
“Gonna have to be. What other option do I have?”
“We should probably find a place to stop for the night. We need to rest and you know…” Danny trailed off, looking past her into the distance.
“I know what?” Sophie knew exactly what he was referring to. It was exactly what she feared - people were up to no good after dark. EMP or not, that’s when the bad guys came out to rob, rape, and plunder.
“We should probably just find a place to rest off the radar.” Danny side-stepped her question and that was fine - he knew how freaked out she could get and it was avoiding drama.
“Where do you think we should go?” Sophie looked around. Some people continued to walk, some were following suit to camping out for the night.
“There are some houses back off of the road. The only question is, are there people there?”
Danny walked toward a driveway and Sophie followed, her feet hurting, her body longing for a chance to just collapse where she stood. The first house they came across was nice - two stories, a three-car garage, and a big garden in the side yard. Sophie jumped at the sight of it - most of the plants weren’t in their mature producing stage yet but a tomato plant had small, unripe fruit that would still provide some nutrition. She was so hungry at that moment that she could eat the plant itself.
Both of them dug in, searching each plant for anything edible. A small bell-pepper, cherry tomatoes, and black-eyed peas that Sophie didn’t even bother to shell. It didn’t even occur to her that someone could be in the house - things were very competitive now. They could easily lose their lives over a couple bites of vegetables without the owner even thinking twice about killing them.
Stopping, she patted Danny’s arm to get his attention. “Danny…”
He bit into a green tomato and winced, but finished it. “Yeah? What’s wrong?”
“What if someone lives here? What if they’re watching us from the window?”
Danny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked toward the closest window on the side where the garden was. It was dark enough that they almost couldn’t see the house now - with no electricity, there were no street lights to aid in seeing anything. The dusty haze overhead also hindered the light from the moon to help.
“I don’t think anyone is here,” Danny assumed, taking her hand in his.
“What makes you think that? I can’t see anything.” Sophie’s voice shook. She usually wasn’t such a baby about things but people were fighting over bottles of water now. Survival seemed to be bringing out the best or worst in people, both on the extreme side.
“They would’ve been out here by now. Come with me. If it’s vacated, this will be the perfect place to get some sleep.”
He tugged at her hand and led her through the garden, closer to the house. She could feel his pulse against her palm, which didn’t help her calm down. His clammy skin was another indicator that he wasn’t so sure that his assumption of the house being vacant was accurate. She followed him, mainly because she didn’t want to be alone.
The patio was closed in and unlocked. Danny motioned to a far corner where several bicycles were. “Transportation! It won’t get us there as fast as a car but it’ll sure as hell beat walking on foot.”
Sophie smiled at the find - a bike would also be better on them physically. None of it mattered if the owner of the place met them at the door with a gun to their face. The patio had a screen door that was shut, but the main door leading into the house was wide open. She wanted to yell out to stop but she followed Danny inside. Her gut instinct was to reach for the light switch. She felt like a moron - they had been without electricity for days now and still, she wanted to flip on a switch like it would magically come on.
Everything in the kitchen was in its proper place. Looters hadn’t gotten to it yet. There was also no indication that anyone was home unless they were upstairs sleeping but who would do that in this situation? A place this nice would need to be guarded on the ground-level floor. Sophie’s nerves began to relax as they went from room to room, discovering that it indeed was vacant, just like Danny had predicted.
“I guess this is our hotel for the night,” Danny replied, locking each door. “I’m not sure if it’ll keep anyone out to do this, but better safe than sorry.”
He opened the refrigerator - all of the food inside was spoiled and a rotten smell permeated the kitchen. Sophie backed away, her ravenous appetite quickly gone from the rancid food that had sadly gone to waste. Backing away, she checked the pantry for non-perishable items that would still be okay. Crackers, bread, and peanut butter were the first things that caught her eye. She slipped them in her bag - finding the peanut butter was like hitting the lottery. It was nutritious and would help hunger pangs better than anything.
“Sophie, come upstairs!”
She glanced toward the landing above her. She hadn’t even realized Danny had left her alone and went up to meet him. Motioning toward the large bedroom, he pointed to the closet. Padding toward it, Sophie’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the open gun safe. Her father had guns in the house and she had shot handguns but they still made her nervous. Right now, it meant added protection.
“Oh my God.”
“Looks like we chose the right house to stay at tonight. Bikes, food, and guns.” Danny’s smile made him look like a young kid on Christmas morning.
“Where are the people who live here?” Sophie asked. Finding the items they had was great but there was still an eerie feeling around them.
“I don’t know, Sophie. Maybe they were at work and never made it home.” Danny pulled out a shotgun and ran his hands up and down the handle. “Look at this. It’s a beauty!”
Edging away from the closet, she shrugged off her backpack and sat on the edge of the bed. It was perfectly made with a floral bed set - someone had been there right before the EMP hit, preparing for the day ahead, not realizing they’d never make it back home. The same could be said for Sophie - she didn’t know she’d never walk back into her dorm room again. She may never make it back to her home in Dallas. Having a pessimistic attitude wouldn’t help them but it was a grave situation.
The bed dipped beside her, pulling her from her daydream. Glancing to her side, Danny sat beside her and put his arm around her. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes but it was a comfortable silence. Sophie took in the sounds throughout the house - the only noticeable thing was the wind blowing right outside the window by them. She was scared to even look in that direction. What i
f others were trying to get in too? What kind of fight would they endure if everyone got news of guns and food in the place, not to mention the garden outside?
“We should probably get some sleep,” Danny said, breaking the silence.
“Yeah.” Nodding, Sophie scooted backward, pulling the covers down. It was a chilly night and without electricity, it’d get colder, depending on how well insulated the house was.
Danny slid in beside her, hugging her from behind. She imagined they were back at her dorm, safely in her bed, and none of this had happened. For a split second, with the feel of his body up against her, it almost seemed real. It almost felt like she had dreamed up all of this and she couldn’t wait to tell everyone what her imagination had come up with. The dark, unknown house was a stiff reminder that this was beyond what dreams were made of.
***
Jake woke up early the next morning, having never truly fallen asleep. The sun wasn’t up yet but he spent time double checking the travois he had made. Four total - one large enough to carry Colin and the other three would be used for the children and supplies. They couldn’t make more than that so people could trade off dragging them. It would take a lot of energy, especially as far as they had to go. He hoped along the way they would be able to find something that would aid in travel. Cars were pretty much out of the question - though he wasn’t sure what the criteria was for something to stop working, if his assumption of an EMP was true, anything newer than around 1970’s would be out of the question. Most people were driving much newer vehicles than that.
For those who weren’t dragging a travois, they could pull a suitcase. They wouldn’t be too heavy and would be another added benefit to hauling the supplies that they didn’t want to leave behind. The more food and water, the better, and pulling a suitcase wouldn’t be so bad with the new fancy, three-sixty wheels that a lot of luggage had. Going off road and on rugged terrain might prove to be challenging but the plan was to get on a main highway headed south toward Texas.
