by J. Thorn
The three children stepped back to the middle of the patio. Papa Midnight was standing there, staring at the sky and smiling. He was chanting again. Dax looked down at the kids.
“Ignore him.”
Dax drew a deep breath as he grabbed the wrought-iron railing. The foundation of the building next door was red brick. It had blue doors and shutters. The balcony sat slightly lower than the one attached to the house they had stayed in for the night. That gave him at least a small advantage in the leap.
He put one foot on top of the railing and closed his eyes.
“What the hell are you doing, Dax?” Monica asked again.
I don’t fucking know.
He opened his eyes and lifted his other foot onto the railing. Letting go with his hands, he stood, barely keeping his balance.
Dax bent his knees slightly, leaned forward, and jumped.
He stretched his arms like a bird as he floated through the air.
As he wrapped his arms around the top of the railing of the adjacent house, his knees crashed against the wrought-iron. He cried out, but managed to keep hold.
“Dax!” Monica yelled. The boys shouted.
“I’m all right,” Dax assured them.
Other than the fact that I’m about to projectile vomit Jack Daniels.
He shook off the pain and looked down. The edge of the boat stuck out from under the balcony. He eased himself down until he could hook the side of the boat with his boots. He pulled the boat closer, then let go of the railing.
The boat shook, and his knees ached. Dax grimaced as he sat down, resisting the urge to clutch his knees. He didn’t want the children thinking he was injured. And the sooner he ignored the pain, the quicker it would pass.
He sat next to the motor and pulled the cord. It took several tries, but the small motor sputtered to life. Dax sighed. Finding fuel for the boat was almost as important as finding food for the kids. Dax turned the throttle and steered the boat back under the balcony of the House of the Rising Sun.
He looked up at Monica. “Guide Papa Midnight over the railing first. I want you to help him over the rail so he can climb down. I’ve got him from there.”
Monica nodded and locked arms with the blind man. She took his cane and his bag, handing both items down to Dax. Then she helped Papa Midnight over the railing. Dax grabbed the old man’s legs and guided his feet to the bottom of the boat.
When Papa Midnight was sitting down, Dax looked up to Monica again. “The boys next.”
Each boy climbed down—Kevin first, followed by Darius. Then Monica climbed down, and Dax caught her.
With everyone securely inside the boat, Dax turned the throttle and started down St. Louis Street, towards North Peters Street.
Driving the boat through the dark streets had cast a shadow over the destruction. But in the daylight, the sun bared the remains of a once great city. Bodies floated in the water. On Royal Street alone, Dax counted half-a-dozen dead bodies floating in the toxic water. Nobody in the boat said a word.
When they were passing Charles Street, though, Dax heard a disturbance off to his left.
Outside of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, two gators rolled over the surface of the water that was now several feet above the top of the front doors. Dax turned in time to see a human body flip over, both arms missing from the corpse. A hand protruded from a gator’s mouth.
“That’s gross,” Kevin said, his voice shaking.
“You shouldn’t be looking at this.” Dax thought that the gators and snakes may have been more resilient than humans when it came to the toxins in the water, but even those hardy reptiles would die off. Maybe that was why they hadn’t bothered feasting on floating corpses—poisoned food.
“This is how it is now,” Monica said to Dax. “You can’t think that they’ll be fine if they don’t look at the bodies.”
“They’re kids. I don’t want them to see this.”
Monica shook her head. “Ain’t your call no more.”
Dax opened the throttle to speed past the scene. The sound of the gators fighting over the mangled corpse soon faded, and he turned onto North Peters Street.
It was still odd to see this part of the city abandoned. The intersection of North Peters and Decatur had always been bustling with people, tourists shopping at the nearby stores or socializing at one of the many nearby restaurants, bars, and cafés. The French Market had always been one of the main attractions of New Orleans.
They had seen glimpses of others, but not in large numbers. Dax had to believe that Screamers had gotten to many of the city’s residents, and those who had survived were remaining inside and hidden—at least until their food and water ran out.
Dax continued down North Peters until they reached Canal. Hotels and several tall buildings appeared to be perfect places to scavenge for food, but hotels would also be an ideal lair for Screamers. Instead, he stuck with the original plan and cut over to Poydras, then onto Convention Center Boulevard.
The children didn’t speak again until they pulled up in front of the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas.
“You don’t think there are sharks in this water, do you?” Kevin asked Dax. “I’ve been to that aquarium, and there’s some scary stuff in there.”
Dax remembered the stories he’d read after Katrina. The animals in the tanks depended on the pumps to keep running to survive. And with the flood waters rising inside the place, he doubted if any of the aquatic life inside was alive.
“I think we’re safe from the sharks, buddy.”
The Riverwalk Mall sat next to the aquarium. Water covered the railroad tracks in front of the building, but had risen only to the floor of the shopping mall.
Dax pulled the boat to the far end of the parking lot, on the other side of Julia Street—the end of the mall with the food court. He drove up to the bridge, which crossed over the railroad tracks and would’ve normally been twenty feet high. The glass windows that lined the tunnel bridge had been smashed. Dax tied the boat off on the railing and killed the motor.
“All right. Let’s get out.”
Monica took the boys by their hands and exited the boat with them first. Dax then retrieved Papa Midnight’s cane and bag, and handed them to him.
When they were on the bridge, Papa Midnight pulled away from Dax and started towards the entrance of the mall. Darius knelt down to tie his shoes.
“Hey, wait up,” Dax said.
The blind man kept walking. “You’ll have to catch up with me.” He laughed.
Dax shook his head.
Crazy ass old man.
Chapter 7
Glass covered the ground. The bruised and battered storefronts did little to mask the empty shelves and product displays that had been destroyed. The debris spilled out into the main corridor now, creating a low wall for the group to climb over.
This place looks like it’s been abandoned for years.
Papa Midnight continued to move forward, seemingly unaware of the trash on the ground in front of him.
“Let’s stay together,” Dax said.
The blind man ignored Dax. He used his cane to push the debris out of the way before walking around the trash. Under his breath, he mumbled in Creole French. Dax shook his head.
Crazy bastard.
Ahead, the corridor widened, and the group stepped into the food court.
Just as Dax had remembered, the mall’s large windows lined the back of the room. Sunlight came through the clouds and into the middle of the food court.
Much like the retail stores, the food court lay in ruins. Tables had been upended and broken chairs littered the floor. Many of the windows along the back wall had been broken—leaving chairs and shattered glass covering the Riverwalk which looked over the Mississippi.
This place is a disaster. Surely all the food has been looted. What the hell was I thinking?
“I’m hungry.”
Dax wasn’t sure which of the boys had said it, but he looked down to see both f
rowning and clutching their stomachs.
“We’re going to look for some food now. All right?”
Dax led them to the center of the food court, to a spot where sunlight covered the floor. He set an overturned table upright, then grabbed four chairs.
“I want you all to stay right here while I go look for food.”
“But I thought we were going with you,” Monica said.
“It’s better if I go alone.”
Papa Midnight stood about ten feet from them, staring off into the back of the room and chanting.
“Please don’t leave us alone with him,” Monica said. “He creeps us out.”
“He’s fine,” Dax said. “Ignore his stupid chanting.”
“What if Screamers come?” Kevin asked.
“You see this?” Dax pointed to the sunshine on the tile floor. “This is going to keep you safe from them. Nothing can harm you as long as you stay in the light.”
“What if they aren’t Screamers?” Darius asked.
“Yeah,” Kevin said. “What if people show up and come after us?”
Dax had considered the possibility after they’d arrived at the mall. And as he thought about it again now, he found it odd that they hadn’t seen any people. Obviously, they had been here at some point because the place had been looted and raided. A mall was the perfect refuge.
But where was everyone? Still, they needed food. He shook the question off.
“Look, I’m not going to go far. I’m going to check out some of these restaurants over there for food. If you see anything—or anyone, call me. All right?”
“Just hurry,” Darius said. “I might eat my hand if you don’t.”
Dax smiled. “I promise I’ll be right back.”
Before going for food, Dax went over to Papa Midnight. He placed his hand on the old man’s shoulder, startling him and pulling him out of his ritual.
“Sorry.”
“What do you want, son?”
Dax stared into the blind man’s empty eyes, which appeared much creepier in the light.
“What I want is for you to cut it out with all this voodoo shit. There are three kids over here, and they’re already scared enough without all your fucking mumbo jumbo.”
“Mumbo jumbo, huh?” Papa Midnight laughed.
“Look, man. Chill out for a little bit, all right? If it weren’t for me, you’d have been taken by Screamers.”
“Is that so?”
Dax sighed. “You know what, man? This is—”
“I will stop if it is scaring the children.”
“Thank you.”
Papa Midnight turned around and walked toward the table Dax had set up. Dax guided him into the empty chair. The boys stared at Papa while Monica crossed her arms and shook her head.
The voodoo priest smiled. “How are you kids doing?”
“Good,” the boys mumbled in unison.
“Who wants to play a game of ‘I Spy?’”
Kevin and Darius laughed at the blind man’s suggestion. A smile stretched across the old man’s face.
Sensing that the kids would be fine with Papa Midnight—for now—Dax turned away and headed to the line of restaurants fronting the food court.
He scanned the different signs, seeing typical restaurants you’d see in most malls across America. But there was one that caught his eye.
Dax walked over to a fast food restaurant called Illegal Burrito. Beans were packed with protein, and a casual Mexican restaurant would always keep a surplus of them on hand. Furthermore, they’d be canned. Yet, looking around again, he wondered how likely it would be that the kitchen hadn’t been raided.
He hopped over the counter.
The cash drawers were open, and the tills had been emptied and dropped onto the floor. Dax thought of all the people he’d watched when he’d first arrived in downtown New Orleans after the Blackout… idiots stealing electronic devices and other pointless crap. He shook his head and moved to the double doors leading to the kitchen of the restaurant.
Dax peeked through the tiny window. It was too dark to see inside, so he put his ear to the door instead to listen.
He heard nothing.
Removing the flashlight from his pocket, Dax clicked it on and shined it into the room. Boxes lay all over the floor, but he didn’t see any people or Screamers.
So he pushed the door open.
Dax propped the door to keep it open. He kept his flashlight on for extra light. Standing in the doorway, he cursed as he studied the room.
The kitchen had been ransacked, likely soon after the Blackout. Along with the empty boxes on the floor were empty cans and containers. Still, Dax had to be thorough and make sure nothing had been overlooked. There were several other restaurants in the food court, but he assumed they would have been raided, as well, so he might as well check here first.
Dax rummaged through the debris, becoming more frustrated with each empty can he threw aside. He was even more infuriated by all the food that had been spilled onto the ground. Canned beans and corn lay in a mush in the middle of the floor with ants feasting on it.
After several minutes spent rummaging through the trash on the ground, Dax stood.
Fuck this.
As he turned to leave, though, he noticed something nearby. Next to him was a pantry, and he shined the flashlight inside.
You’ve gotta be kidding me.
Two cans sat on the shelf—unopened cans. One of them was black beans, and the other was pinto beans. He took the cans from the shelf and smiled as he looked at the labels. They had pull tabs on the top, so he didn’t have to search for a can opener.
“Maybe today is going to be a better day.”
Dax exited the kitchen. Near the register, he saw a stack of paper plates. No one had cared enough to take those, apparently. He grabbed them and hopped back over the counter.
The kids ignored him as he first approached. They were laughing now, and so was Papa Midnight. Dax smiled again, happy to see the kids taking to the strange blind man. At first, Dax had thought the dude was worrisome, but he’d turned out to be not such a bad guy, and he knew far too much about the Screamers to leave him behind.
“Hope you kids like beans,” Dax said as he slammed the cans down onto the table.
The kids’ eyes sparkled like it was Christmas morning.
“I’d eat anything right now,” Kevin said. “Even asparagus. And I hate asparagus.”
Dax laughed. “Well, I’m pretty sure any asparagus we’d find would be spoiled, so eat the beans.”
The two boys reached for the cans, but Dax grabbed each boy by the wrist.
“Look, we have to share. These two cans need to feed all five of us. I’m going to portion it out for us.”
He put a plate in front of each of them and then popped open the cans. At first, the smell of cold beans made him gag, but he was too hungry to be picky. As Dax poured beans onto each plate, Papa Midnight pushed his away.
“Please, give the children my share.”
Dax furrowed his brow. “But you need to eat.”
“I will be fine.”
“I’ll take his if he doesn’t want it,” Darius said.
Monica punched him in the arm, and he rubbed it as he scowled at her.
“We’re splitting it all evenly,” Dax said.
The boys shoveled beans into their mouths with their hands as soon as they hit the plate.
“Slow down,” Dax told them. “Eat slowly. You need to give your stomach time to tell you it’s full. If you eat that fast after not having had a lot of food, you’re going to get sick.”
They both glared at him, but then the boys slowed down. When Dax shifted his gaze to Monica, she was staring at her plate.
“Go ahead and eat.”
The girl drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She clasped her hands together, keeping her head bowed, and then opened her eyes after several moments. She then grabbed a few beans and began eating.
Everyone was fina
lly focused on eating except for Papa Midnight, who stared up at the ceiling.
“Will I ever see my mommy again?”
Dax slowly lifted his head from his plate. Kevin, the youngest of the two boys, was staring at him. Dax stopped chewing for a moment, deciding how to answer the kid. He swallowed the beans in his mouth and cleared his throat.
“Well, buddy,” Dax began. Monica and Darius were looking at Dax now, too. He nodded. “Yeah, I think you will.”
“I want to go find her today.”
Dax wasn’t sure what to say to the boy. Kevin had been at the daycare for several days after the Blackout. Any mother would have stopped at nothing to get to her children in that situation. The only thing that likely could have stopped her was death. And Dax couldn’t tell the boy that his mother was most likely dead. Chances were, all of the children’s parents were gone. Monica was mature enough to realize it, and had even hinted to Dax that she didn’t think her parents had survived. But the boys…
Unsure of what else to say, Dax nodded. “Yeah, buddy. We’ve got to try and find some more food and some gas, but then we’ll try and get to your house. All right?”
The boy smiled.
“Now, finish your beans.”
Chapter 8
When they’d finished eating, Dax stood. Outside, the sun was fading as clouds filled the sky. He still wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in the mall when night came. While they had yet to see people or Screamers, the shopping complex was huge. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Screamers could be hiding in one of the hundreds of places in the mall where there was no sunlight.
They couldn’t stay, he realized. But before they left, they needed to search for more food and also for fuel. Dax wasn’t immediately sure where they’d find gasoline in a shopping mall, but he couldn’t leave without at least looking.
“We’re going to search the mall, and then we’re going to leave.”
“Why can’t we stay here tonight?” Monica asked.
“Yeah,” Darius said. “This place is safe. And it’s so cool!”
“We don’t know for sure that this place is safe. There are hundreds of places that people or Screamers could be hiding. We need to find a hideout where we’re sure we’re alone.”
