by E S Richards
“Uh, couple cans of chicken noodle, one can of corn, some chili tomatoes, and…ooh,” Chase paused, looking up at his sister and grinning before pulling out the last item. “One can of clam chowder.”
“Seriously?” Riley wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Who packed clam chowder?”
Chase laughed, knowing how much his younger sister hated the stuff. “You don’t have to eat it,” he smiled. “Who’d have thought you’d still be such a picky eater even when we’re living through the apocalypse?”
“Shut up,” Riley replied with a smile, enjoying the banter she and her brother were having. It felt like a lifetime since the two of them had laughed together. Despite being reunited for some days now, they still hadn’t been able to snap out of the serious mood that hung over the city of Houston. Now that they were so close to the end of their journey, both of the siblings felt the weight lessening on their shoulders and allowed themselves to relax just a little bit. Joking around was something they hadn’t done since being back at the farmhouse and it sure felt nice to be able to smile again.
“You guys making fun of my chowder?”
Both Chase and Riley couldn’t help but burst into laughter as Blake walked over to them and voiced his question. Their laughs were infections and pretty soon everyone had a smile on their face, the mood in the truck much lighter than it ever had been. The door was secured as best they could and there was little left for them to do except sit down and start cooking. Riley stayed as far away as possible from the pot of clam chowder that Blake so cherished.
“You know what I’m looking forward to having again?” Chase mused some twenty minutes later as they all sat in the circle in the back of the truck, wolfing down their dinner. “A real bed.”
“Aw yeah, man,” Leo agreed immediately, both of their backs groaning from the almost-concrete beds they’d been forced to sleep on in the pit. “Fresh sheets. Pillows.”
“We’ll be living like kings,” Chase declared, excited to show everyone his grandparents’ farmhouse. “Once the roof is fixed up, of course.”
“That sounds like it’ll be a simple job, my friend,” Vic nodded, Chase having told him and Blake what the issue was during their drive that day. “We can stick around and help you get it patched up again.”
“Oh yeah,” Blake agreed. “With the five of us working on it, it won’t take more than a day or two, I reckon.”
“Thanks guys,” Chase replied in acknowledgment, grateful for the help he was being offered. “You’re both really saving our butts these days.”
Blake laughed, shaking his head as a way to shrug off the gratitude. “Don’t mention it,” he smiled. “We’re happy to help out.”
Riley listened and nodded along to the conversation, offering a smile to both Blake and Vic whenever either one of them looked at her. She was still a little suspicious about the pair of them though, and couldn’t decide how she felt about having them stick around the farmhouse for a few days. It was impossible to deny how much they had helped them so far, but certain things they said and the occasional looks they gave one another made her feel uneasy about what was going on. Hopefully she was wrong, though Riley knew that until things were back to just being her and her family, she wouldn’t ever feel completely relaxed again. The things she had seen and done had changed her in the weeks away from home. She had wanted to be treated like a grown-up and now she felt like one more than ever.
The pleasant conversation continued between the group as they ate, the food being consumed quickly and the limited drinking water they’d brought with them passed around the circle. Chase worried that they hadn’t brought enough with them, knowing how limited supplies would be at the farmhouse. They had the well that he had gotten working again before leaving at least; that pump should keep the family supplied with water until the world started to recover.
No one could even guess at how far away that was. For the time being, things seemed to be getting worse before they got better, the freezing temperatures and icy winds bringing a new problem to the world. If a long and perilous winter struck, how long would it be before crops were able to grow again? Never mind the poisons and toxins lacing the soil—if they couldn’t even dig it up due to the ground being so frozen, how could anyone even begin to figure out a way to fix things?
“Do you think Mia will be home yet?” Chase murmured to Riley as the two of them lay side by side in their sleeping bags later that night, huddled closely together for warmth at the far end of the truck bed.
“I hope so,” Riley whispered back into the darkness. “She’s been away for so long.”
“She’ll know what to do about the crops and everything,” Chase told himself, his mind still focused on the lingering question of whether they had enough to survive. “She can figure it all out for us.”
“Yeah,” Riley smiled. “She’s good at all of that.”
“The best,” Chase agreed, letting his eyes drift shut as he thought of Mia. Even though she was technically his aunt and no one could ever replace his mother and father, he thought of her like a second mother now. Through everything they had endured following the loss of Brogan and Lauren, Mia had been there for them without even a shadow of doubt. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Mia had lost her brother in the crash, her sole focus seeming to be on making sure Chase and Riley recovered and managed to continue with their lives like normal children. She had adopted them fully, and it was more than just a piece of paper and a signature. It was a family and Chase felt like they truly belonged to each other. He missed his mom and dad every day; having Mia made being without them just a tiny bit easier. The pain would never go away, but with her around it was at least numbed and that was the best that anyone could ask for.
Thoughts of his family swam through Chase’s dreams through the night, causing him to toss and turn in the truck bed and not permitting him more than a few hours of comfortable sleep. The lure of the next day was too powerful for him to rest long, the teenager waking before anyone else did and feeling ready to start the day and get moving. By the time everyone else was awake, he was practically bouncing with energy, knowing that his family was waiting only a few hours away.
“Ready to get back on the road, my friend?”
“You bet,” Chase nodded in response. “Today’s the day.”
Other than Riley, no one else could understand how Chase was feeling. He just wanted to get the drive over and done with. He wanted to know what was waiting for him at the end of the road rather than being forced to hold out any longer. He hadn’t said a proper goodbye to either of his grandparents when he left to go and get supplies from the hardware store and he had regretted that every single day since. Now he was going to make up for it and he didn’t plan on saying goodbye to either of them again for a very long time.
This time the drive seemed to take forever. Chase sat in between Vic and Blake in the cab once more, calling out things that he recognized as they passed them on the highway. He varied between being unable to keep his mouth shut and stone-cold silence as Vic drove, the Ukrainian man only asking for directions when absolutely needed. Before long they took an exit off of the main road and began to navigate much smaller tracks, heading away from highways and trucking down dirt roads and country lanes. Chase recognized these much clearer than anything else, knowing that the farmhouse was practically just around the next bend.
Without realizing it, he shuffled forward on his seat, edging closer to the dashboard and peering out down the road with his eyes narrowed into slits. As always, the light never increased above twilight, but Chase found himself seeing through it much easier than he ever had before. He knew the surroundings; he knew what he was looking for.
They were so close now. There couldn’t be more than a hundred yards left. Squinting even further, Chase silently begged the haze to lift and the outline of his beloved farmhouse to appear.
“There it is!” he shouted, his voice filled with elation and delight. He couldn’t believe it. After all t
his time, they were finally home. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Chase turned and saw Riley’s head poking through the small window to the back of the truck.
“We made it,” she whispered as she smiled down at her brother, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “We’re home.”
The Shadows
The Escaping Darkness Series Book 6
Chapter 1
Waking up Riley wrapped her arms around her grandma’s waist, pressing her face into her stomach and inhaling her familiar scent. It felt incredible. She never wanted to let go; the sensation was a thousand times better than she had imagined it would be. Being back in her grandmother’s arms made her feel like everything was finally okay again. Riley felt like there was suddenly nothing wrong with the world, like everything was as it was supposed to be, and she could finally be happy again.
“Where’s Pop?”
With those two words, everything changed. With tears in her eyes, Linda wriggled free of her granddaughter’s grasp and forced Riley to look up at her. Chase stood in front of her expectantly, waiting for an answer. The door to the front room was pushed closed, meaning neither of the children could see in. They stood confused and concerned in the kitchen, waiting for Linda to reply.
Looking at both of her grandchildren, Linda almost choked. She felt the love inside of her chest expand and multiply, filling her with a warm feeling that reached all the way up from her toes to the very top of her head. She had never really given up hope that Chase and Riley would return to the farmhouse, even as she had also been forced to be realistic and push them out of the forefront of her mind as she focused on keeping herself and Jerry alive. Now her babies were back, and she needed to tell them what had happened.
“He’s in the front room, but—wait!” Linda stopped her grandson from walking in before she had made him fully aware of what had happened. “He’s not doing very well,” she quickly followed up with, seeing the expressions change on Chase and Riley’s faces and struggling to know what to say to them. “Your pop is really struggling at the moment. There’s something wrong with his lungs that isn’t getting any better. You need to be very gentle with him; he’s not the same as he was when you left.”
“He’s not going to die, is he?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.” Linda shook her head in response to Riley’s question, feeling her granddaughter shuffle even closer to her again after speaking. “Without a proper doctor, I don’t know what’s going to happen. He sleeps a lot and he’s very weak, but we can’t say anything for certain. I know that seeing the both of you again will cheer him up. I just wanted to warn you that things aren’t exactly the same.”
Riley looked across the kitchen to her brother, her bottom lip wobbling as she processed the words. Chase had said something like this might happen. He had no idea it would be related to Pop’s health, although he had said that things might be different. Riley hadn’t wanted to believe it and now she was going to have to. Shifting her gaze from her brother to the front room door, Riley found herself almost not wanting to go inside.
Chase could read the expression on his sister’s face like a book. The time they had spent together over the last couple of weeks had brought them closer than ever before. He knew how frightened what their grandma had just said made his sister, but he also knew that they couldn’t avoid seeing their grandfather. Whether he was sick or not, he was still the same man to Chase, and he needed to see him again.
“Can I?”
“Of course, darling,” Linda smiled at her grandson. “Go ahead.”
Chase swallowed and started walking toward the door. Riley curled around her grandmother’s body again, needing support more than ever. She felt like she was about seven years old again, all memories of wanting to leave home and to be treated like an adult completely erased from her head. She would give anything to be a child again, cared for and looked after by her loved ones.
Putting his hand on the door handle, Chase forced himself to smile and look confident. He tried not to think about how scared his sister was or how they had yet to update their grandma on Blake, Vic, and Leo, who all waited in the mudroom. They had all graciously offered to let the two of them have their reunion first, though neither Chase nor Riley had expected this. As he finally entered the front room Chase reminded himself of everything he had already got through so far. He could do this. This was his grandfather, not something horrifying; he had nothing to be afraid of.
Seeing his pop lying on the couch, Chase faltered for a second before walking over to him. Right away he could tell that the old man wasn’t the same. His skin was pale and clammy and there was a gleam of sweat on his forehead while he slept, a surprise considering how cold the farmhouse was. Dark bags sat under his eyes while his cheeks seemed to sag inwards, giving him a look of near starvation. Along with all of that, every time he breathed, a horrible raspy noise escaped his throat. It was like a strangled cat crying out for help, a desperate sound that Chase knew instantly wasn’t going away any time soon. It didn’t sound curable, it sounded like a sentence. An ultimatum.
“Pop?” Chase knelt down on his knees beside his grandfather and gently laid a hand on his shoulder, not wanting to startle the old man or cause him any pain. “Hey, Pop. It’s me. It’s Chase. Wake up.”
Slowly but surely, the man peeled open his eyelids and blinked sluggishly, taking a few seconds to recognize his grandson’s face. When he did, a warmth seemed to spread all over his body, his wrinkles relaxing and his mouth morphing into a smile that met his eyes in an explosion of happiness. Neither of them needed to say anything more, Chase simply leaning forward and cradling his arms around the old man. They stayed in the embrace for several seconds, breathing each other in and finding comfort in the knowledge that they were together again, no matter what the circumstances.
“Riley?” Pop asked after Chase eventually let him go, sitting back on his heels so the two men could look at one another properly.
“She’s in the kitchen with Grandma,” Chase confirmed with a smile. “We’re both fine. We’re both home. But…” he paused for a second, uncertain of how to ask his grandfather the question about his health. “How are you?”
Pop coughed as if on cue, struggling to push his body into a more upright position so he could talk to his grandson. Chase helped the old man, repositioning a cushion behind his back and lifting his aching body slightly so his head rested against it. Every movement that Pop made his body protested, his lungs screaming out for air as he gasped and spluttered, even the tiniest movement making him feel like he’d just run a marathon. Chase could see it clearly and it worried him, his grandma not explaining the extent of the illness or if there was anything they could do to save him. Looking at his grandfather now, Chase severely doubted that there was—a devastating fact for the sixteen-year-old to realize.
“Been better,” Jerry forced out with a smile, desperately trying to wipe the worried look off of his grandson’s face.
A knock came on the door to the front room then, Chase and his grandfather looking over to see Riley and Linda standing there.
“Hey, Pop,” Riley waved awkwardly, not really knowing how to approach him. “You okay?”
“Get over here and give your old man a cuddle,” Jerry whispered hoarsely, again trying to appear better than he actually was. Linda gave him a knowing look and a supportive smile, noticing already that color had returned to her husband’s cheeks with the arrival of their grandchildren. It was definitely a happy moment to have them back in the farmhouse; their family felt almost complete again. If only they could find Mia and somehow bring her home too.
As Chase moved to one side and let his sister reunite with their grandfather, he walked over to Linda and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He knew that Blake and the others were still waiting for him in the mudroom, not wanting to leave them in there alone for too long before he revealed their location. Muttering a few words of explanation to his grandmother, he quickly excused himself and went t
o find his friends, eager to welcome everyone into the house properly so they could get settled in front of the fire and share their stories. There was a lot to learn about what had happened over the past couple of weeks and Chase wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible.
“Everything okay, man?” Blake asked as Chase returned to the mudroom, the former stuntman standing up from the hay bale where he’d been sitting beside Vic and Leo. “You’ve been gone a while.”
“Yeah,” Chase replied with a nod. “My grandfather is a bit worse off than I thought. Something’s happened to his lungs. But Grandma is fine. Do you guys want to come through and settle down?”
“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that about your grandfather, my friend,” Vic replied. “Is there anything we can do?”
“I don’t think so,” Chase shook his head. “I think…” He trailed off, uncertain how to explain what had happened when he didn’t really understand it himself. Chase had barely processed being home again, and trying to get his head around his grandfather being sick was a whole other mountain he hadn’t even begun to climb yet. For the time being, he just needed to sit down and process things. He wasn’t ready to explain anything just yet.
“It’s cool, man,” Leo walked forward and put an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Shall we go through? I’d love to meet them.”
Chase looked up at Leo and smiled, appreciating his support. There was still so much more that needed to be said between the two friends, but neither of them was completely ready to talk just yet. Time would heal their wounds as best as possible and following that, they would be there for one another. It was the best either of them could wish for and both knew it was all they were going to get.
