by Geo Dell
“A cat that big has to eat well. If it has to work too hard to get itself fed here, or it considers it too dangerous it will move on. Makes sense, Josh,” Bob finished.
Josh nodded. “But in the meantime we'll have to watch for his mate... If he had one.”
“Is it any good for anything,” Mike asked.
“We're going to skin it,” Tom said.
“The pigs will eat it,” Bob added. “Pigs will eat anything at all.”
As they were talking Beth walked up from the pathway through the valley onto the slope that lead up to the cave where they all stood looking down at the cat.
“There she is now,” Bob said with a smile.
Beth flushed red.
“Good shooting,” Josh said.
“I'm going to skin it and cure the hide for you, but he's yours, Beth,” Tom told her.
“Will you show me how,” Beth asked.
“Of course... You have time now?”
She nodded.
“Well,” Tom said. “Best get started right now then.”
~
As the sun began to sink behind the mountains in the north, almost everyone gathered at the stone wall along the ledge that fronted the cave and waited for darkness to fall. One by one the sodium arc lights came on and slowly brightened. By the time it was full dark, there was a small river of light running down through the middle of the valley.
The mountain top above them shone, the ledge they stood on was well lit too. The small park and cemetery below them. The guard posts were also wired for light, but only small lights within them, not the big sodium arc lights, but there were sodium arc lights near each post to discourage night predators and unwanted visitors. The big lights would come on automatically at dusk from now on and shut off automatically at dawn.
Mike said his good-nights and walked off down the lighted path to the valley floor and his way home. Candace had a hard time doing anything lately. Steve Choi had even talked about moving her up to the cave to make it easier for her to get around. She was small woman and she was huge. Her legs gave her trouble. She couldn't lay flat on her back without pain, lying on her side was about the only position she could tolerate for long periods of time. Even then, sleep was sporadic. She seemed to spend more time awake than she did asleep. Amy was taking care of her, but Amy was getting big herself. Soon it might be wise to follow Steve's advice, Mike thought. If he could get it past Candace, that was.
Mike opened the door and stepped inside the little stone house. The lights were on in the living room. It caught him by surprise for a moment. He supposed soon it would all be taken for granted once more. Candace lay on her side on the floor, her head in Amy's lap.
“Hey, Babe,” Mike said He squatted beside her, leaned forward and kissed her.
“I got tired of the bed, Honey,” Candace said. She looked up into his eyes and smiled.
“Aim,” Mike said.
“Mike,” Amy returned.
Mike laughed. For a while Amy had called him Michael, now it was Mike. She poked him in the side and he smiled.
“No better,” he asked Candace.
“No worse. Four or five weeks, Honey, and we'll be there,” Candace answered. Her belly arced out into the space in front of her. A life of its own, Candace thought.
“You ready to take over, boss man,” Amy asked.
“You betcha,” Mike agreed. He peeled off his jacket and tossed it onto the couch.
Candace lifted her head and Amy kissed her cheek. “I love you, Candace. I'll be back in the morning.”
Candace kissed her cheek and hugged her, Mike helped Amy to her feet, hugged her too, and shut the door behind her. He walked back, dropped to the floor and took Candace's head into his lap.
Amy breathed deep of the night air as she stepped outside. It smelled like snow, she told herself. She was none too small herself at this stage, so she was careful as she walked down to the next house in line where she and Ronnie lived.
~
The big cat paced the ridge for well over two hours. Her mate had not returned and she had traced his scent to this valley, but he was not here. She could smell his blood though, something had happened to him. She nosed the air once again, stopped her pacing and headed down into the valley.
Tom watched from his post. He had been watching the big cat for well over an hour now. He had no idea how long it had been there before that. He was downwind, in a closed shelter, and he had been very careful to make no noise, most likely the cat had not smelled him or sensed that he was there.
He was positive that this was the mate to the cat that Beth had killed earlier in the day. She was nearly as big, seemed to be searching, and she was agitated: Sniffing the ground, sniffing the air, staring down into the valley at the place where the other cat had been shot. Tom didn't know how much scent could tell the cat, but it was clear it was enough so that the cat could follow the other cats trail. The cat stopped suddenly, nosed the air, and then started down into the valley. Tom slowly rolled the window down on the modified cab, staying as silent as he could. He laid the barrel against the door-sill top and then aimed through the scope. The cat stopped part way down the slope, lifted its head to sniff the air, and then looked directly to where Tom sat in the cab of the old truck. Tom pulled the trigger just as the cat tried to leap away. The huge cat did a back flip into the air and then crashed down onto the gravel strewn slope: She slid a few hundred feet toward the bottom before she stopped.
Tom pulled the phone from his belt, pulled the list from his pocket and punched in the number six. The phone trilled into his ear.
“Hello,” Bob said.
“Got the mate,” Tom told him.
“Ah, heard it, hoped that was it,” Bob said. “Down by the post?”
“Nearly outside,” Tom agreed.
“Be right down with the little pickup,” Bob told him. He hung up.
Tom looked at the phone for a second and then replaced it. He opened the door, closed it behind him, stretched his legs, stiff from sitting so long, he told himself. He started down the slope to where the body of the cat lay.
~
Two hours before dawn, just as Arlene Best was getting ready to end her own post, the snow began falling in earnest. Twenty minutes later when she was relived by Bonnie and started on her way to home, she was walking through a blizzard: Six inches of snow had already fallen. She made her way home following the glow of the Sodium arc lights.
ELEVEN
The Nation
November 30th
Steve Choi's notes
Saw A.B. today and examined her after Jessie did. We both agreed that she should let us take the baby now. It is too dangerous for her to carry it to term. She refused. We talked it over afterward, but there is nothing at all that we can do. This is one of those times where it is tough to be someone who has the knowledge to help someone and they won't allow it. It is so frustrating. Jessie has been through it a few times and is handling it better than I am.
I saw both K and A and they are doing very well. Everything looks good. Any day now.
November 31st
Mike's Journal.
It's been quiet all day long. It snowed pretty hard yesterday and delayed school starting down in the valley until Tom had cleared the paths with a team of oxen and a rigged up plow system. The plow worked well enough, and school was only a little late. Shovels for snow. Another simple thing we didn't think of.
Spent part of the day with Candace and Amy yesterday afternoon. They are both hanging in there, watching old movies, I guess they are all old movies now, and keeping up each others spirits.
Helped out most of today with Chloe and Debbie, hauling rock and mixing cement. Ronnie, Tom, Bob, Cindy and Craige. Jessie and Brad jumped in too. Josh and Shar ran wagon loads of rock. They are building in the space next to Jess and Brad.
We managed to get the entire space closed in. The openings set for a door and two windows: One of which I thought was pretty clever. They wide
ned out an old fissure in the rock. Made it into a widow, and so they have a view out into the valley. It's closed off right now, but Bob is making a window to fit it. They will have a nice view once it's in.
Steve and Joe took one of the stone houses we built last spring. We thought we would never use them all; really most of them were going to be used for other things, not living space, but they're pretty nice. Candace and I like ours, and it's easy enough to add on to if you need to. Ronnie and Amy like theirs too.
I am waiting to meet our children, Steve says any day now.
December 2nd
Jana's Diary
I guess I will catch up on news first:
Tom and Beth decided to stuff their Lions. Tom has been practicing, he has a book on taxidermy that Lilly dug up for him. His recent work has been very good. Lilly says she can use the Lions to teach, like a museum exhibit.
Candace and Amy are ready any day. Everyone is waiting. Every day that goes by makes me wonder when the real day will be. I guess that is news caught up.
Bob and I loaded a sledge, hitched up a team early this morning and drove it to the lake. It was slow because we took the Oxen. Bob says they are better for the heavy work, not as fast as horses, but steady.
We got there in the early morning, chopped a hole through the ice and fished into early afternoon. Black Bass, Lake Trout and a mess of them too. Bob liked to ice fish up home and he was sure he could do it here. He was right.
When we got back we started cleaning fish and by the time we were done we had lots of help. Susan made some cornbread and batter for the fish with a little flour, milk and egg. Jessie and Brad, Sandy and Susan, Steve and Joe and a few others came up and we ate together. It was nice, a perfect day, until afterwards when we sat down to talk things out.
I think I way over stepped when it came to Bob. Sandy swears that I promised that Bob and I would be on board for renaming the Nation the Fold, changing the council. Really it sounds like overthrowing everything we have worked for. I never agreed to that or said that Bob would agree to it. I agreed to equality. That the Fold should be represented. This sounds like something else. Bob smiled and listened and said he would think about it, but I know him. He went to bed angry, and would not speak to me: As if this is somehow my fault. I don't understand how we ended up here. I truly believed that what I was becoming involved with was a plan to make sure that everyone received equal recognition. This is nothing like that. The perfect day ended so badly after such a nice start. I'm unsure what to do.
December 6th
Main Cave Clinic
“I thought so too, and I'm sorry it wasn't the real thing,” Jessie told Amy.
“It felt like the real thing,” Amy said.
“That I don't doubt,” Jessie said, “and it's even the correct time frame, but it's been almost eight hours since you last felt pain... No dilation, your lower back feels good?”
Amy nodded.
“I can't see it being more than a few more days. In fact we'll probably encourage it along if it has not decided to stop playing peek-a-boo by this time next week. You and Candace both,” Jessie said.
Amy nodded again. “Another week. I am tired of being pregnant,” She said.
“I can sympathize,” Jessie said with a smile.
The door opened a crack and Sandy peeked inside. “Okay?” She asked.
“Yeah, let them in,” Jessie said.
Ronnie came in followed by Candace, who wasn't really walking anymore. It was something between a waddle and a shuffle.
“False alarm,” Amy said.
“It'll be soon,” Ronnie said.
“How's the mothership?” Amy asked.
“Ugh. Feels like I could be popped with a pin,” Candace said. “Honestly, Aim, it does.” She eased herself down into a chair that Sandy hurried in behind her.
“Me too, but it's a no go, at least today,” Amy said.
Ronnie helped her down from the table and back to the ward which consisted of only Candace and herself.
Arlene and Annie were sitting waiting to go into the clinic to see Jessie. Annie barely showing, Arlene nearly as big as Amy already.
“Well?” Arlene asked.
“False alarm,” Amy answered.
“It can't be too much longer,” Annie said.
“Jess says any day now, no more than a week, so that's something to shoot for,” Amy said.
Candace came along behind her holding her swollen belly as she walked.
“How much longer for you, Arlene,” Amy asked as Candace came up beside her.
“About a month... Month and half, but like you two I've been grounded, and I'll probably be right up here with you in a couple of weeks.” She told them.
“I better be gone by then,” Candace said. “I can't imagine a couple more weeks of this. If Aim gets to bail in a week then I'm bailing too,” she joked.
“How you feeling, Annie,” Amy asked.
“Okay, but they're keeping an eye on me. I've been spotting, but only a little,” Annie said anxiously.
“Honey, even a little is not good,” Sandy said as she walked up. Arlene nodded.
“Ready. Arlene,” Sandy asked. She reached down and pulled her to her feet.
“Ugh,” Arlene said.
“Hey! We know that one,” Candace said. “That's cave girl talk for 'I can't believe I let Grog stick that thing in me.'”
Arlene laughed. Sandy, Amy and Candace joined in with her.
“You are big,” Amy said. “You got a lot bigger since just a few weeks ago.”
“Yeah,” Arlene agreed. “And lower, like the kid dropped down a little.”
Sandy frowned. “Come on, Honey, it's time to see the doctor.”
Annie looked worried.
“You going to be okay, Annie,” Candace asked her.
She smiled, but it was strained. “Yeah, I'll be okay,” She told her.
Amy and Candace told her goodbye and wandered down the corridor to the ward, which was really just a big room with six beds in it. Mike and Ronnie had mounted a flat screen TV on the wall with a built in DVD player. They had been binging on all sorts of movies.
“Movie,” Amy asked.
“Yeah, but it's my turn to pick,” Candace said. They both laughed as they turned into the room.
Herkimer New York
Bear and Beth
The day was fading as they came to a small town in ruins. There was a shopping center that was picked over, but they managed to find a few items before dark began to settle in. A mile down the road they had found a small garage, pulled the truck inside and locked down the doors for the night. They had seen no one at all, but the smell had been on the air, and the lack of bodies in the little town bothered all of them.
Billy worked with Bear to board over the windows. Nothing fancy, a few drilled holes through the plywood so they could see outside, screws to attach it, the job had been over in just a few minutes.
Bear had fallen silent over the last week since Weston had died. He had passed in the night, dead at first light, and he didn't come back. Bear had seemed to change right then. Suddenly it was a serious thing, a thing that would be done, not a thing that might be done.
Billy was positive he would bounce back, but right now he was carrying the weight of an enormous responsibility on his shoulders. They were too far out to speak to anyone back in the Nation, Bear was on his own, but the decisions he made would affect everyone in the world. They had all backed his decision completely, but that hadn't made it any easier for him.
“You okay,” Billy asked now as they worked in silence.
Bear nodded, and Billy was sure for a moment that, that would be it. A second or two later he spoke. “Quite a way to go,” He said as they finished with the windows. They were walking the outside of the building, looking for weaknesses. The dead were no joke, the smallest of cities were now over run with them, and they were smarter than ever, They seemed to be gaining some sort of intelligence as the virus progressed
in them, mutated and then mutated again. It was better to be over-prepared than under-prepared in any way.
“One place I've never been inside of... Camped outside for a few months, as you know: Talked to people inside. Made supply runs all around it, but not down into Manhattan itself,” Billy said. “A week or so should have us there.”
“I hated it,” Bear said. “Going back, well, it's... It's bringing stuff back that I thought I was done with, you know?”
“No,” Billy said. “I don't mean that I can't empathize, but if I've learned nothing I've learned that no man has a clue at all about the man standing next to him, and... You're a closed book, Bear. No blame there, just no information... So I don't know, but I hope it's not too bad... Not too bad, I guess all this shit is bad,” Billy said as he tossed a leftover scrap of plywood side-handed out into the field next to the garage. He turned back to Bear who seemed lost in thought.
Bear looked up and nodded. “Lived in Harlem,” He said slowly. “Wife, baby on the way, lost all of that to these fuckers. It's not like I could face it head-on and use strength to defeat it. That's what is so bad about this. It doesn't care who you are. Big, small, man or woman, hell, child. It will take you, they will take you. Got out of Harlem intact, gangs taking over there, made it to Manhattan and it was okay for a few days. They left us be, both the gangs and the dead. And the dead? We didn't really know about them then. We thought everything moving at night was gangs. It wasn't until later on that we began to see how it really was.”
Bear paused, dropped to a crouch and pulled out his pouch. He rolled a cigarette, offered one to Billy who refused, and then stood from his squat and began talking as he smoked. He spit small pieces of tobacco out into the light breeze that had kicked up. Blue smoke flooded from his nostrils and Billy relished the smell of the burning tobacco.
“That's pretty much it,” he said. “When I met you I had been through several more losses. I know we have all lost, I know that, but I wasn't as equipped for it as I thought I was. Then Beth.” He took a deep drag from the cigarette and let the smoke drift from his mouth.
