by Brad Manuel
“You’re a lot smarter than most 17 year olds, you know that Matt?” Emily smiled at him.
“I might be the only 17 year old in the world, but thanks.” He smiled back. “I feel like I have ownership of the plan to round up people, and I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You gave me the courage to bring up stopping in each city. As long as we are sight-seeing, let’s find people too.”
“Is there anything keeping us here?” Todd asked. When no one had a good response, he suggested a new departure date. “Let’s plan on leaving in a week.”
Jay, Brian, and Craig were the most excited about the proposed adventure. They envisioned two days of boring drive time to New Hampshire. Now they had high hopes of meeting other people and seeing interesting things.
Matt created a lesson plan for the kids. They made a trip to the library to check out books about New York and Washington D.C. He talked to them about Camden Yard and Yankee stadium. He showed them pictures of the monuments they were going to see. He had so many books about New York City, he began to get excited about the trip too.
“There is one big rule the three of you have to follow. It’s the number one rule.” Matt and the parents had a lot of rules for the kids. “Seriously, I have to follow this one too, okay?”
Craig, Jay, and Brian nodded.
“We are going to meet new people on this trip.” Matt paused. “Well, we hope we are going to meet new people.”
“Yeah, we know that.” Craig responded. He was less in awe of Matt than the two younger kids.
“Yeah, okay. Well, the one rule you need to follow, no matter what, you should never be alone with any of the new people. Ever. Don’t let them get you alone. I’m not allowed to be alone with them either. We are always in pairs and one of the pairs is always an adult. No exceptions. Do you understand?”
“What if the new person is a kid, like us, are we allowed to play with kids by ourselves?” Brian asked. Surely a kid was not off limits.
“No, you always have one of us there. If you are ever caught alone, you’re in big trouble. This is a dangerous trip, you need to stay with us, never get alone with anyone other than your family. Never.”
The kids nodded again.
“We’re going to have a great time, don’t sweat the rule too much, we just want to make sure we all have fun, and we all stay together. These cities are big places. We don’t want to get lost. Stay with one of us, and you won’t.”
It was the first conversation of many Matt and the parents had with the three younger Dixons. Taking on new people meant preparing for potential issues.
John continued to have fantasies about encountering evil hoards of survivors. “If we come across hostile gangs, people who are starving and want our vehicles and food, I am just going to drive. We hop in the RV and the truck and we just drive, fast.”
Todd acted sincere when he listened, but he did not share his brother’s bleak world view. If his family, with a six and a seven year old, could survive comfortably, it meant other families or people probably did the same. He wondered if entire families survived like his and John’s, or if people were one off survivors like Paul and Hank.
After one more week of preparation and planning, Todd was about to find out if there were any survivors. He, Emily, and the three young kids piled into the RV with Hubba. They pulled out of the cul de sac early in the morning. The kids watched a movie. Emily sat shotgun.
Todd and Emily said goodbye to their house and neighborhood the night before. She turned to him as they pulled away. “This was a great place to raise our family. I’m sad that we won’t ever see it again.” She doubted Raleigh would be their final location choice. It was too far from the Ocean.
“I liked it here. We had great friends, and a great community, but it died last year. We’ll build our life in a different spot.”
John and Matt drove the SUV, pulling a livestock trailer filled with chickens and goats.
It was only a three hour drive to Richmond. Emily made the commute several times a year for business. She recommended the Museum District off the highway as their first campsite.
The highway was empty. Todd feared bridges and overpasses would be destroyed, but they made an uneventful drive north on US 1, merging onto US 85 North, and again merging onto US 95 North, the road that would take them all the way into Boston.
Emily pointed to their exit, and Todd pulled the behemoth house on wheels off the highway. He drove a few blocks into the suburb, and came to a full stop in a town square. He laid on the car horn for a full minute. Hubba barked loudly. The kids held their ears and screamed.
John and Matt were out of their car pulling a metal trash barrel to the center of the street and filling it with debris. There were dead leaves covering the ground. The town was unkept and abandoned.
“I don’t hold out much hope. There are only 300,000 people in this metro area. The idea that we could attract the one or two survivors, well, it’s a speck on a needle in a haystack.” John continued his role as group pessimist. Statistically he was correct, there should not be a survivor in Richmond. “Besides, if I lived here, I’d bolt for the Chesapeake as soon as I could. That is a much better resource for food than anything around here.”
“There’s nothing that says we have to stay here an entire day. Let’s light the signal fire, have a picnic lunch in this square, see if there are any supplies we can take, and move along this afternoon. We’ll leave the fire burning and hang a sign with instructions to our next stop.” Todd knew they had time to burn, but having idle time did not mean he wanted to burn it sitting around the empty city of Richmond, VA.
“I’ll make some sandwiches, and we’ll hang out for a few hours.” Emily announced after listening to John and Todd’s exchange. “Why don’t one of you blow an air horn a few times, maybe two or three bursts in each direction, throw some wet leaves on the fire?” She ducked into the RV to make lunch. Hubba stuck his head out, jumping down the steps. He waddled over to the center of town and used the facilities.
Todd turned to John. “One good thing about the end of the world, no leash laws, and I don’t have to pick up dog poop in public places.”
John nodded, but did not acknowledge the weak attempt at humor. He walked a few paces and blew the air horn, holding the button for a three count. Hubba went crazy, barking loudly and bee-lining it back to the RV, up the steps, and out of sight.
John blew the horn three more times. Thick black smoke rose from the trashcan fire. Survivors had three hours before the caravan pulled out of town.
Two hours and two horn blasts later the boys were playing soccer in the square, and the adults were peering into a few of the local shops. A car engine hummed in the distance. John yelled for the kids to get into the RV, and he pulled a gun from his waist. He ducked into one of the stores.
Emily and Todd walked towards the RV and saw a small red car driving towards them. They started waving in a friendly fashion, wearing big smiles on their faces. “Is your crazy brother really hiding with his gun pulled out, waiting to pounce on this person?” Emily said through her smile.
“I guess. It’s not a horrible idea, but it’s not the most welcoming approach either.”
“Matt’s got the kids in the RV. I think we are a go.” Emily was nervous. Finding and engaging new people was her idea. She hoped it went well. The red car drove cautiously down the road towards them. Emily could make out one figure in the driver’s seat of the small luxury coup. The car pulled up short of the waving Todd and Emily. A young woman rolled down the driver’s window and stuck her head out.
“Oh my god you are actual people, real people. I thought I was alone, but you are real people. Are you broken down? Do you need help?” The woman had a slight accent, Latino, Italian, or Spanish. Emily could not be sure. The girl had a dark complexion, jet black hair, brown eyes, and was attractive.
Emily and Todd decided if they met a woman or a child, Emily would engage. If the new person was a man, Todd would lead.
Emily stepped forward. “No, we’re doing well. My name is Emily Dixon and this is my husband Todd. There are seven of us and we are headed north to find family members. We are trying to find other survivors to join us.”
“It has been months since I have spoken to someone or heard another voice.” The girl did not cry, but tears welled in her eyes. She gripped the steering wheel to maintain her composure.
Emily continued. “We’re nice, normal people. We even have a dog. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat or drink? Again, my name is Emily, this is my husband Todd. What is your name?”
The woman turned off the car and opened the door. She stood and fell into Emily’s arms. “I am so lonely. At first I was scared, but now I am lonely and bored. I cannot believe you found me.” She cried. Emily held her, patting her back, and telling her, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Todd waved to the small faces looking through the windows of the RV. The door opened and the boys spilled out with a barking Hubba. The dog trotted to the new girl and sniffed her feet and legs.
“You really have a dog? I thought all the dogs were dead?” The girl was calm. She backed out of Emily’s arms to bend down and pet the dog. Hubba was indiscriminant about scratches. He sat and enjoyed new person. He was panting from the short burst of energy displayed jumping from the RV and jogging to the new person.
“That’s Hubba.” Jay the chatterbox told her. “He’s the first dog of North Carolina. My mom rescued him from a mansion. My name is Jay.” The six year old walked to the girl and stuck out his hand.
The young woman stood and took Jay’s hand. “My name is Solange, but my friends call me Sol.” She sniffed in her tears. “Because you are now my friend, you may call me Sol. Very nice to meet you, Jay.”
Solange was young, 28 or 30 was Emily’s guess. She was thin with an athletic build, and normal height for a woman, maybe a little taller. Now that Solange stood in front of her, Emily realized the woman was not just attractive, she was drop dead gorgeous.
Solange turned to Emily. “Nice to meet you Emily, I am sorry I lost control for a moment. I have been alone for a long time.” She leaned in to give Emily another hug, and a formal greeting.
Jay decided, since he was Solange’s first friend, to introduce her to the group. “Sol, this is my brother Brian. He’s seven.” Jay held Solange’s hand and walked her to the other children.
Brian was shy when he met new people. He stared down at his feet and mumbled a soft “hello.”
“He’s kind of shy when he meets new people, but he’ll warm up to you. This is Craig, my cousin, he’s ten.” Craig shook hands and said hello. Craig tapped Brian on the shoulder, said “tag,” and ran off to play soccer. Jay decided soccer was a better option. He dropped Solange’s hand, and ran off, yelling over his shoulder, “and that is my cousin Matt, he’s like 17 or something like that!”
“Hello Matt, very nice to meet you.” Solange shook his hand and walked back to Todd and Emily. “And very nice to meet you, Todd.” She leaned forward and hugged a surprised Todd. “What a nice young boy you have, young boys I should say.” The introductions sent the group into a pre-rapture paradigm. Solange stood silent, waiting for the adults to speak.
“My brother in law, John, is somewhere over there, waiting to see if you are friend or foe. He is Matt and Craig’s father, and should be out at some point.” Emily was embarrassed, but believed candor was the best policy.
“I understand. In this new world, it does not make sense to be too trusting.” Solange spoke controlled and proper English. “My full name is Solange Wright. I am an exchange student from Ecuador studying at VCU. I was enjoying my summer semester when the sickness began. I had no way to get home to my family. Travel to other countries was halted after Brazil. I have been living near the VCU campus. I had nowhere to go.”
Solange shrugged her shoulders. “I stayed in the dorm until it became cold. I hid from the police. When everyone was gone, I found a house and have been living by myself. I have plenty of food, and I am excited to talk to you, to meet all of you. As I have said several times, I am lonely.” She wore jeans that were loose on her waist and legs, a gray t-shirt with gold VCU written across the front, and a long sleeve flannel shirt, unbuttoned and hanging loosely like a jacket.
“Do you know if your family survived? Do you know anything about Ecuador?” Matt stepped forward.
“The internet stayed up longer than the phones, and I followed my family until they were taken by the rapture, or el encantado as we called it. My family, my parents, my two brothers and one sister, all died. It is just me. It is why I stayed here. I really do not have a place to go. I waited to see if the government would arrive. It appears you have come in its place.” She smiled.
“Have you seen any other survivors?” A voice said loudly from across a street. John emerged from the store. He walked up to the new woman and held out his hand. “Hello, I’m John Dixon.”
“Solange Wright, very nice to meet you, sir. As you can see, I am not a threat, just a young woman who has not seen a single survivor in months. I have driven around Richmond trying to find another person. I have not seen anyone.”
Todd extended an invitation to Solange. “Sol, if I can call you Sol, my family has been living in Raleigh, North Carolina for the last seven years. John’s been in Charleston, South Carolina for the last ten years. We have two brothers that are meeting us in Hanover, New Hampshire this spring. John has a son who is trapped at a boarding school, much like you were trapped at VCU. We kept in touch with them until late September. We are positive they survived el encantado. We are driving to New Hampshire, seeking out survivors and inviting them to join our group. We aren’t sure we are going to settle in New Hampshire, but wherever we do settle, we’d be happy to have you join us. We have some livestock, and plenty of food. We can stay in Richmond for a few days if you need time to consider coming with us, but we welcome you with open arms.”
“New Hampshire is cold, right? Very cold?” She replied.
“Yes, which is why we probably won’t settle there. John and I grew up in Hanover. When we had to pick a meeting spot during the chaos, our families decided on a place we all knew.”
“I do not have to think about it. I would like to join your group, if you will have me. I will work hard to become a strong member. I do not have many belongings, but I would like to get my clothes and my family pictures. If you will give me some time, I do not live far from here. May I come back in a few minutes?”
“Absolutely, take your time, we will wait. Welcome to the family, Solange.” Todd said with a smile.
“Do you need any help?” Matt offered. “I could come and help you pack and carry.”
“No thank you, Matt, I can pack quickly on my own. I will be back shortly.” She turned and jumped into her beautiful two-door, cherry red, Mercedes Benz. She slipped it into drive and sped away, much more quickly than she pulled up to the Dixons a few minutes earlier.
“Matt.” John said to his son. “What’s the first rule? Were you about to get in a car with a stranger? I know you haven’t seen a girl in six months, but let’s keep your head on, okay?” He rustled Matt’s hair. “I’m also counting that as a ‘denied.’ So, ouch.”
Matt hung his head with a smile. “That was not a play to meet her, I swear. I was just trying to make her feel welcome to the group.”
“Uh, huh, like you helped me pack, or anyone else pack for this trip.” Emily razzed. “You just got sacked, player QB. Take a seat on the bench.” The adults had a good laugh at Matt’s expense.
Jay ran over from playing soccer. “Where’s Sol? Is she gone already?”
“She’ll be back. She’s going to come with us.” Emily told Jay.
“Sweet! Hey guys! Sol is coming with us! I call her on my team!” He ran back to Craig and Brian.
“What do you think?” John asked Todd and Emily. “I know my son’s opinion.” He looked at Matt with a smile.
“Be
st case outside of a person with needed skills, although we did not ask her about engineering. Maybe she is an electrical or mechanical engineer, and can help us get things running again.” Todd said back.
“She has great taste in cars.” Emily said. “That’s a good sign.”
John looked down the empty street. “I don’t think anyone is that good an actress, but just in case, Matt and I will hide until she gets back. If she was a scouting party, we may be sitting ducks. She got all of our intel.”
“Intel?” Emily repeated. “Seriously?”
John ignored the comments. “Matt, grab a rifle and find a building on the other side of the square, just until she comes back alone.” Matt nodded to his father before walking towards the Suburban to find a rifle. John made his way to a new hiding spot on the square.
Todd and Emily clasped hands and went to supervise the soccer match.
Solange drove back to her house a half mile from where she had met the Dixons. When she arrived at her cape cod just off campus, she sat in the car and cried.
She wiped her tears and ran into the house to pack. She stuffed her tablet into a brown leather purse, threw her clothes into a Louis Voutton rolling bag, and jogged back to her car. Solange kept family pictures and videos on her tablet, charging it through the car’s cigarette lighter. It was all she had of her family and country aside from memories.
Surviving a plague alone in a foreign country, unable to be with her family as they died, earned her this new start with the Dixons. They did not need to know about her past.
