“Were you considering killing him?”
“I’m hungry...but no, no, I can’t do that...”
He started to chuckle. Shannon looked at him, anger welling in her.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s not really funny...I considered killing you... not him. I’ve developed trust issues.”
His laughing continued. Shannon tried to be angry but realizing what he meant she couldn’t help but join him.
“Well, at least I can trust you around my dog, just not me.”
That comment made him laugh harder. He finally subsided and took a deep breath.
“Thanks, I needed that. It’s been a while since I laughed. Maybe we should get some sleep and in the morning we’ll see if we can find some transportation to get us out of here.”
Shannon nodded and picked up her backpack. She followed Josh into the kitchen and they both climbed under the chef’s tables. Max climbed in after her and curled up in a ball, his head on her arm, the backpack tucked behind her legs against the wall. She was soon sound asleep.
“Hey...Shan...Shannon...wake up.”
Shannon’s eyes opened to see Josh hovering over her. She stretched and groaned; hard metal was not easy to sleep on. She looked down to her chest, Max wasn’t there.
“Max! MAX!!”
Suddenly she heard the tapping of his toenails against the hard floor and he poked his head around Josh and covered her face with a wet tongue. Josh stood up and sighed.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you about Phil’s dog.”
“Maybe.”
“There was a round up committee before dawn, so I took him into the basement with me in case he barked. You slept right through.”
“Huh, I must have been exhausted.”
Shannon reached up her hand and Josh took it, pulling her up. She slipped and he caught her, holding her against him. She felt her stomach leap as she grabbed his arm with her free hand. She looked up into his eyes and felt herself flush, yet again. He smiled.
“Yeah, these things aren’t exactly made for sleeping.”
She smiled and stepped back, although she didn’t really want to. She noticed he didn’t let go of her hand.
“I wonder why these “roundup” folks don’t roundup during the daylight.” She said.
“Yeah, I’ve been wondering that too...it’s weird.”
“Well, I guess we should get going and start looking for a car or something. I’ve only got enough rations for about 2 more days...maybe less. And water, just a few more bottles.”
“Water we’ve got. They had bottles and bottles in the back. We might be able to find some canned stuff somewhere. There’s a store a couple of blocks away. They might have something...but then again, most of these places are either picked over or had fresh food that’s all rotted now.”
“Ok, let’s get going. The sooner we get away from town, the better we’ll feel.”
The three of them checked the front door and seeing everything clear, moved into the street. The early morning light was almost white as Shannon’s eyes had to once again adjust to the brightness. Now knowing what dangers were out there, she kept Max near her at all times.
The store was two blocks away from The Blue Turtle and had mostly been picked over. They were able to find a few cans of soup and a box of saltines, but no more food. As they were leaving, Shannon noticed a rack of seeds. They had been knocked around but some of them were fruit and vegetables. She grabbed as many as she could and shoved them in her pack. If they were going to the woods, she could plant a garden, if there was still a forest to go to.
They wandered through the streets looking for vehicles that were still upright and when they were lucky enough to find those, they checked the engine. All were undriveable.
“I can’t believe we’ve been out here for half a day and we can’t find one driveable car!” Josh exclaimed.
Shannon took a deep breath and felt her stomach rumble, then looked at Max.
“You hungry?”
He wagged his tail and sat in front of her. She smiled as she took out another ration.
“How about you...want some?”
Josh walked over and smiled.
“Sure.”
She broke the brick in half, wrapped up the other half and broke it again. She handed Josh the one half and kept the other, snapping off pieces to give Max, and then taking a bite herself. Josh watched her, then broke off part of his food and gave it to Max.
“That’s for you,” she said.
“I didn’t notice last night, but you’re giving me your food and you feed him before you feed yourself...I can share too.”
Shannon smiled.
“Thanks.”
Josh was about to speak again when he looked past her, his face dropping.
“SHIT!!”
Shannon turned to see several giant trucks with giant wheels rolling towards them. The deafening, rumbling and crunching noises of the night before moving in on them.
“RUN!!” Josh yelled. “C’MON!!”
He grabbed her hand and they ran down streets and alleys, turning and twisting, the noise from the trucks never seemed to fade away. Shannon felt the hot, dusty air scorch her throat and her lungs seemed to constrict as she took in as much air as possible. Her legs began to throb and then sting. No matter where they went, the sounds kept coming. Max always no more than a few feet before them, Josh constantly called after him in case he went too far ahead. Her head was swimming as her stomach began to churn. She felt a tug on her hand as Josh led them down an alley and into a building. He turned and let go of her hand, slamming the door after Max jumped through the doorway. Without a word he grabbed her hand again, pulling her through the hallway and down a flight of stairs. They stopped before a door. The light blue paint was peeling off the edges and the letter B hung at an angle.
Josh reached into his pocket and fished around, looking over his shoulder. He finally pulled out a key chain and began to fumble with the keys. He took one and placed it in the lock. The door swung open and he ushered Shannon and Max into the room, quietly closing the door behind them. Then he ran to the narrow windows against the wall and looked under the blinds that held out the sun. Shannon took deep breaths as she turned to assess the small basement apartment. A small chair in front of a small TV, lots of books and pictures, most of them black and white, from the 30’s or 40’s she thought, and a few of a little boy. A little boy with light brown hair and laughing brown eyes. She noticed Max, panting next to her, and she pulled the backpack from her shoulders. She took out a bottle of water and poured it in her hand. As he drank the water, she looked back at Josh.
“Where are we, Josh?”
He turned and walked over to them. Petting Max as he knelt down, and then placing his finger to his mouth.
They listened in silence as the rumbling slowed, then eventually passed. She handed Josh the water and watched him drink as he handed it back to her. She swallowed in large gulps what was left in the bottle.
“This was my grandfather’s place. He died like five months ago but I haven’t had the heart to come and pack everything up. I had actually forgotten about it until the RC showed up. Bet there’s actually food here...”
He stopped and looked at a picture of a little boy and an old man at a lake.
“Is that you?” Shannon asked.
Josh nodded. He picked it up and smiled, then put it back as he forced his sadness away. He walked into the kitchen and started to pull cans out of the cabinets, checking dates and tossing items that had apparently expired. Shannon watched for a moment then took the picture of the boy with laughing eyes and the picture of Josh and his grandfather and slipped them in her backpack.
“We need another bag for all this.”
“Do you want me to find one?” she asked.
“Naw, I know where one is...I’ll be right back.”
Shannon put her backpack on the floor and wandered around the small room. She reveled in the ric
hness of the sepia photos, the mood of the black and white images. She smiled as she remembered her own family, then felt the pain in her chest spread to her face. Tears streaming down her cheeks as her heart began to pound. She had not once allowed herself to think about those she loved: her brother, Andy, who had been stationed in France with his wife, Kris, and their two girls, Lisa and Kelly. She had talked to him only two days before. He was thinking of coming home for a visit, and her best friend, Janeen, in Nevada, her other friends and family...gone. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she sobbed, long retching sobs to match the pain of her breaking heart.
Max began to whine as Josh ran from the back bedroom with a duffle bag in his hand. He stopped short and dropped it as he fell to his knees and without a moment’s hesitation grabbed her and held her to him, gently rocking her back and forth. After a while, Shannon’s sobs quieted and she sat up, Josh’s fingers moving her long curly tendrils back over her shoulder.
“Thank you,” she whispered between hyper breaths.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled.
“I need a tissue.”
Josh laughed and helped her up. Then held up his finger and disappeared into the back, only to return with a box of tissues. Shannon smiled and nodded her appreciation as she took the box.
“You found it.”
“The bag? Yeah, and a few other things. I feel so stupid for trying to avoid this place. Look...”
Josh opened the duffle and inside were three fishing poles, two rifles, ammunition, a machete and three hunting knives.
“Wow...Grandpa had the arsenal.”
“Yeah...like I said, I should have some here first.”
“Maybe...” she said. “But then we might not have met, then Max would most likely be dead cause some freaks were hungry and they might have killed me...or well, other stuff...or I would be the latest version of a Stepford Wife...”
Josh smiled.
“Yeah, you’re right...it would have sucked not to have met you.”
Shannon looked up at Josh, wiping away the last remnants of her breakdown. She felt the heat rise in her chest, replacing the pain of only a few moments ago. She looked into his eyes, realizing they were green, deep green like leaves on a tree. Shannon felt her breath catch, but before she could speak, she felt his hand behind her head, pulling her to him. The warm softness of his full mouth against hers as the stubble of his beard pressed against her face. She felt her arms wrap around him as her fingers pressed into flesh and hair, wet lips twisted together. She felt herself being lowered to the floor, and the weight of him on top of her. She let go of her pain, her loneliness and allowed herself to be carried away; the sadness and trauma of the last twenty-four hours being wiped away with his kisses and his hands. They pulled at each other’s clothes, the feel of their hands on one another, skin against skin, wet mouths on flesh, his hands on her face, fingers knotted in her hair and he entered her. Moving together, harder and faster until they climaxed. Their breathing hot and frantic as they tried to catch their breath.
Shannon opened her eyes and held Josh’s face, her thumb lightly tracing his bottom lip and she smiled.
“God, I’ve wanted to do that since last night,” he said.
She kissed him.
“I want to do it again right now, but I think we need to get out of here before dark,” she said.
He looked down at her body and groaned, then kissed her chest and began to rise. Once standing he held out his hand and helped her up.
“You’re right. Let’s get dressed and get going. Oh...sorry, Max.”
They looked down at the dog, who raised his eyebrows and then looked away. Shannon laughed.
“Poor traumatized dog.”
His tail thumped against the floor. They both dressed quickly and packed the duffle with as much as they could carry. They each picked up their bags and Josh looked briefly out the window and nodded. Shannon opened the front door and started into the hallway, when suddenly she felt a hand cover her mouth and something sharp in her side as she was pulled away from the door.
Josh had stopped just inside the door and grabbed something from a table, slipping it into his pocket, and then he walked into the hall and closed the door. Max was growling and when he looked over, he saw a large man with a knife holding Shannon. Then he felt cold steel against his temple.
“What’s this, Joshy? Keeping all this trim to yourself? And a nice feast with the beastie here,” said the man with the gun.
Max snarled at the man, who grabbed Josh by the hair and kicked Max in the side. The dog yelped and flew against the wall. Shannon felt the rage begin to fill her.
“Don’t!” Josh yelled. “Leave him alone!!”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to give any orders here, kid!! You should have brought the bitch and the dog to us!! Good thing we saw you at the store...now...now, I guess we’ll just take them.”
“I left you crazy bastards a week ago!! Let them go!!”
Josh began to struggle, but slowed when the man holding him put the gun to his jaw, digging it deeply into his flesh. Josh winced. Then he saw the guy holding Shannon move his hand lower and grab her breast through her shirt, smiling and smelling her hair.
Shannon’s anger could no longer be contained. She reached into her backpack and felt the cool metal against her fingers.
“You think you’re man enough to fuck me, you ugly son of a bitch? Bring it!”
The men laughed, and the one with the knife grabbed her by her hair with his free hand and spun her around to face him. He slammed her against the wall and then raised his knife. She stared at him, never flinching, as she heard the jeering encouragement of his comrade. He brought the knife forward and stuck it in the wall next to her head. She smiled and he blinked.
“Dumb fucking asshole!!”
The backpack fell from her grasp and she brought her knee up full force and connected with his groin, knocking the wind out of him, which caused him to lose his grip on her and step backwards.
“BITCH!”
He looked up, but before he could utter another word, she slammed the end of the L Bracket into his chest. He looked down as she pulled it out and had only time to gasp as she jammed the end of the bracket up through his chin. In a split second his eyes grew dark. She pulled the weapon from his head and turned. The other man pointed his gun at Shannon. He snarled and just as he pulled the trigger, Josh pushed his captor’s arm away. The gun went off, a bullet streaking down the hallway, stopping in a wall. Shannon was already moving and without hesitation plunged the bracket through his eye. She slowly pulled it out and watched as he fell to the ground limp. She looked down at both of them, and then she heard Max. He was whimpering.
“Oh, God, Maxie...no, sweetheart.”
“C’mon, Shannon...I’ll carry him...we have to go!!”
“You knew them?”
“Part of that group I told you about...come on...please, baby...we gotta go!!”
Shannon got up as Josh gingerly picked up Max. She picked up her brackets and placed them in her backpack. Then she grabbed the duffle and shouldered her pack. Josh started to walk up the stairs and took a door that led to the street. She followed him several blocks when he stopped in front of a repair shop.
“My left pocket, there are keys in there...grab them, please.”
She placed her hand in his pocket and let her finger curl around a key chain and pulled it out.
“That one...with the blue hat thingy on it...unlocks the chain there on the garage door,” he said.
“What is this place?”
“My Grandfather...his friend owned this place and he always had a key...he kept his car here when he couldn’t drive it anymore. I can’t believe it’s still standing.”
Shannon put the key in the lock and turned, allowing the arm to pop from its chamber. She lifted the lock from the chain and let it fall and pulled the door to the right, sliding it along its track, and then the other. There s
at a pristine blue four-door sedan. Josh moved into the garage and motioned to the back door. Shannon tried to pull it open, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried harder.
“Babe... the key...”
“Stupid...” she hissed under her breath.
Josh tried to hide a smile as she unlocked the car and then opened the door. Josh gently laid Max on the back seat and then turned and ran into the office. Shannon dropped the duffle and backpack and knelt down next to Max, stroking his head. He seemed alert, just in pain.
“My poor baby...”
Josh reappeared carrying a big blue box. He slid it onto the floor of the back seat and grabbed the backpack and placed it next to it.
“Get in the car, Shannon...c’mon!!”
Shannon stood up, consumed with worry, and gently closed the back door and opened the front passenger side and slid in. Josh had grabbed the duffle and placed it in the trunk, then opened the driver side and slid in.
“Keys, please.”
Shannon handed him the keys and looked at him. He gave her a quick smile and then grabbed her face, kissing her deeply. He turned his attention back to the car and closed his eyes.
“Please start...”
He placed the key in the ignition and turned. The car sputtered, then roared to life. He pulled out slowly, and drove around the wreckage and debris of the city. Then he gave it gas and headed toward the mountains. The roads were fairly clear and soon they were out of the city and racing to the forest. Shannon watched the dark and sparse destruction they had once called home slowly disappear as the green of the forest loomed before them.
They had been travelling for about an hour when they pulled over to assess Max’s injuries. He was able to move now and he could breathe and eat. They assumed he must have cracked ribs. He winced when they touched his side. Shannon taped him up as best she could and gave him some water.
The sun hung low in the sky as they hurried deeper into the forest. The orange and pinks of the impending sunset danced against the clouds. As they drove, Josh finally looked over at Shannon.
“I never would have given you to them...I hope you know that.”
She smiled.
Shelf Life Page 2
