by Hayden James
Rachel continued on Route 31, riding as fast as she could. The highway was mostly open, with her as the only person on it, and not one stalled car on the road. Her adrenaline had worn off from the incident with the cyclists and she began to breathe deeply once again. The muscles around her diaphragm no longer tightening, allowing her to fully take breaths and to calm down.
A couple of miles ahead from Rachel, she could make out something white and stopped on the horizon. It had been the only object she seen on the road other than trees and bushes. As she road closer she saw that it was a stalled white, early model, hardtop Ford Bronco on the side of the road with the driver’s side door open.
Approaching the vehicle with caution she expected it to be an ambush. Those cyclists had found a working vehicle and had driven ahead of her to wait for her to catch up to them. Rachel had no choice but to continue on in the direction of the Ford Bronco.
As she came closer to the vehicle, her heart raced, and she felt a numbness in her hands and fingers that gripped the handlebars of the bicycle. The impending encounter with whatever this vehicle held nearly brought Rachel to the brink of despair.
With tears streaming down her face and hyperventilating from terror at what this white Ford Bronco held, she felt as though she was going to pass out as her bicycle coasted toward the SUV. Expecting the cyclists from hours ago to pounce on her, she was relieved to find that no one was in or around the car. The car was abandoned! Not one person was around, let alone the two menacing cyclists.
What a relief! Rachel was prepared for those two cyclists to come rushing from the other side of the car. At least this time, she was wrong. Perhaps there was an opportunity to secure a weapon of some sort from this vehicle?
Braking her bike to investigate further, she decided to look through the vehicle to see if there was anything worthwhile for her take on the remainder of her journey. The tone of the people she had encountered since leaving Louisville had been hostile as their anxiety grew over what type of disaster this was.
Rachel dismounted the bicycle and parked it on the side of the road while she explored the abandoned car. After rustling through the front and back seats, Rachel found the car to be completely empty. There was nothing she could take with her.
She walked around to the backside of the Bronco and unlatched the tailgate which was already unlocked. After opening the tailgate up, it seemed to have been picked over already. After looking at the sides of the rear compartment and going over the sides with her hands, to her surprise, she found a tire iron. It was not much, and not at all what she had hoped for with this inspection and search for useable items, but it was better than nothing.
Rachel placed the tire iron in her pack and kept riding. Fearing the cyclists would catch up to her, especially with her stop at the Ford Bronco, she attempted to keep the brisk pace she once had, but her body was resisting the physical and emotional turmoil she endured. Each time she pedaled it was as if she used all of her strength to push through the fatigue in her legs.
Her mind was also reacting to the anxiety and confusion brought on by the threat of the cyclists. Her pace was not only slowed by the physical strain but also her mental and emotional unrest. Her progress had slowed since she looked over her shoulder constantly, waiting to see the cyclist come over the horizon.
She never saw them. Perhaps she never will again, or perhaps they are still following her. The sky fell dark, and Rachel did not feel safe riding during the night. Her physical and mental fatigue had set in and she needed to stop for the night. Rachel had made it to Scottsburg, and she decided to stay the night there.
Exiting Route 31, she entered Scottsburg and found a corridor of hotels. Riding by each of them, Rachel concluded that none of them were open since they did not have power. All of their lights were out and they must have exceeded passed their generator capacities.
After coasting through the parking lots of the hotels, she found crowds of people camping in the parking lot of the hotels. Families had pitched tents and several families gathered around camping stoves as they cooked their dinner. The smell of roasting meat filled her nostrils. Despite the dire state everyone was in, the children played in the parking lot while their parents conversed with one another. This sight was reminiscent of what she had seen in Louisville, and it took some of the edges off of her complete and utter despair that she felt not knowing if her family was all right.
Rachel rode her bicycle close to where families had made their makeshift tent city and joined them. She found a spot close to a family of five. The mother and father sat in folding chairs and held hands while they watched their three children play tag. They had a tent set up and blankets and sleeping bags around their campsite.
Wanting to feel safe, Rachel set up her solar blanket next to their tent. She figured that there would be safety in numbers. Rachel also felt the warmth that this family had for one another and it was reminiscent of the relationship she had with her family. One of the girls playing even resembled Natasha, whom she missed desperately. Even being close to this family brought solace to Rachel’s mind. She longed to have this once again, and that was what she was working toward with every pedal of the bicycle.
Rachel looked around the parking lot and saw other families and people traveling by themselves staying the night and sleeping on the concrete. Some had tents, others had only sleeping bags, but there was a sentiment of connectedness in this parking lot. For the first time since Rachel left Mischa’s home, she finally did not feel alone, despite not saying a word to anyone while she laid on the ground and wrapped the solar blanket around her and used her pack as a pillow.
With the anticipation of seeing her family the next day, she peacefully looked up at the stars and allowed her mind to empty. This was the first time her mind became completely blank. She had been in survival mode ever since the run-in with the cyclists.
As she rolled on her side, a thought came to her mind. She did not suspect that those men on bicycles from Sellersburg were still following her, but that entire experience had brought her to her knees. Rachel had never feared for her life before, at least not like that. She had never felt hunted, but now she knew what it was like to feel like prey.
This was a feeling that she vowed she would never experience again.
Chapter Eight
William Conner
Franklin, IN
7:55 PM
“Common girls, try to keep up,” shouted William over his shoulder to his two daughters. Maddy was waiting for Addy who was pulling Regis for this stretch of the journey. Natasha was asleep in the bike trailer pulled by William.
“We are going as fast as we can,” Maddy shouted, defending her twin sister. She turned to Addy and said, “Pedal faster. Common, we have to find mom.”
“I’m going as fast as I can. I’ve been tired of the last few miles. How much farther do we have to go?” Addison asked.
“I’m not sure. Let me go talk to dad and see if we will be resting for the night.” Maddy pedaled faster, leaving her sister to get to her dad. “Dad, how much longer?”
Frustration filled William as he had no clue where his wife would be. The only thing he knew for sure was that they had to keep traveling. To where? He didn’t know. For how long? He couldn’t even fathom. William was not even sure if his wife was traveling on Route 31. That was making this expedition even more difficult.
In a way, he doubted his choice to leave the home and to search for his wife. At the time, it seemed like the best decision. He knew himself and he could not wait at home while all lines of communication were down, only to sit and wait. As a soldier, he was trained to work as a team, to take initiative, and be prepared for any situation. William was good at making decisions in chaotic situations. He was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 1st brigade and served in the 2nd Battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment. He participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 where the regiment’s most notable achievement was crossing over the Euphrates and seizing t
he Baghdad International Airport. However, this situation was different.
“We will rest soon,” William said to Madison. “Let your sister know.”
“But what about mom?” Madison asked. “We can’t rest, we have to find her.”
“We can’t find her if we are tired. First and foremost, us four must stick together. We would be useless if we got separated,” argued William. “Now let your sister know that we will be setting up camp soon and to hold on for a little longer.”
Madison stopped her bicycle to wait for Addison to catch up. “We are stopping soon,” she said as Addison’s bicycle passed by hers.
“Good, I need a break,” replied Addison.
“We need to find mom. What if something happens to her? I would never forgive myself,” admonished Maddy.
“You’re right, but we do need to take a moment and regroup. At least for the night,” relented Addy.
Travel for William and his daughters had been at a very slow pace. William hoped that their pace would pick up after they rested. He realized that this was a lot for them to take on, and he admired their willingness to rise to the challenge.
William and the girls passed by a local grocery store. The town’s grocery store had closed since it was no longer running off of its generator, but people were camped in the parking lot. “Girls, let’s set up camp here,” William said as he slowed down his bike.
The girls did not respond but followed William’s lead. They slowed their bikes, coming to a stop by another family’s shelter. William said to his twin girls, “It’s dark and I don’t want to travel at night. Let’s make our shelter here and rest. Make sure you two eat something. We will start back up again before dawn.”
The two girls nodded and unpacked their backpacks. Madison and Addison took Regis out of the bike trailer and led him on his leash. William took out blankets from his pack and folded them, making a bed for Natasha. He then took her out of the bike trailer and laid her on the blankets. He made his bed right next to her.
When the girls came back, the three dined on peanut butter, crackers, and sardines. Addy fed Regis her sardines as she did not like the way they tasted. “Girls, get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I’m expecting tomorrow that we will run into your mother. She should be coming up Route 31, the same highway that we are traveling down,” explained William.
Madison and Addison trusted his judgment, so they did not question his assumptions. However, deep inside, William was hoping that he was right. Not much time had passed before the girls made a bed out of the blankets that William brought for them and they rolled up sweaters for pillows. Regis fell asleep in between them.
The twins were closest to Regis because they were both small when Rachel and William decided to get their family a dog. Regis had been their protector, tirelessly watching over them. The twins took most of the responsibility for Regis as they got older. Making sure he got his morning walk in before they went to school.
William put a protective arm around Natasha as she slept. He would make sure she ate in the morning since she fell asleep before she had dinner. From the day of bike riding, all four of them were exhausted and they all fell asleep immediately.
In William’s dead sleep, abruptly he was started. Growls coming from Regis came crashing to his awareness. He shot up, sitting on his blanket, taking in his surroundings and quickly trying to decipher the threat.
He saw Regis, his hair standing straight up on his back, teeth bared, and giving a warning growl as he stood between the twins. Then Williams saw the cause for the alarm. Two men, with black masks over their faces, wearing all black, and black gloves stealthily hovered over each of his sleeping daughters. One had his hand just over Addison’s mouth as he was going to muffle her screams before taking her away.
“Hey! Stop! Get out of here now!” William shouted at the two men.
The two men not adhering to William’s words of caution still were by the twins, both of them pulling the girls’ arms. “Stop! What is going on? Stop!” Madison shouted as she was awoken by the man pulling her. Addison screamed at the top of her lungs.
Immediately, the door to the VW camper van close by where they set up camp flew open. A man with a stern voice shouted, “Get out of here now!” The man raised the barrel of his Remington 700 firing off a warning shot into the sky. The man pointed the rifle at one of the men and shouted, “Next one has your name on it.”
The two men ran as fast as they could, sprinting into the neighborhood that was across the street from the grocery store. The disturbance awoke several other people in the camp, most were unable to rest with the rush of adrenaline with the gunshot that had interrupted their slumber.
William comforted his daughters who were both crying hysterically. “Girls, it’s all right. Nothing bad happened,” he whispered in their ears as he held both of their heads close to his chest. They calmed down enough to stop the sobbing.
“Daddy, someone was trying to nab us,” Maddy said in between sobs.
“Shh. Honey, it’s all right. Nothing happened. We were all here to protect you,” William attempted to comfort her, realizing his wife was much more suited to this type of attention. “Girls, wait here, I’m going to thank the kind gentlemen that came to our rescue.”
The two girls held each other and Regis, still shaken, while William went over to the VW van.
“Hey man, I don’t know how to thank you,” William said as he extended his right arm to shake the man’s hand. “My name is William.”
“The name’s Ron,” the owner of the VW van replied as he grasped William’s hand. “Think nothing of it. I’m just glad those two ran off and I didn’t have to shoot them.”
“Glad you didn’t have to shoot them either. Any idea what is going on?” William asked.
“Yeah, I have an idea of what’s going on,” Ron answered.
“Well, what is it?”
“I heard over the ham radio system that this here phenomenon is affecting the whole country,” explained Ron.
“The whole country? How is that even possible? I don’t believe it. There’s no way,” countered William.
“Well, believe it!”
“Don’t you think the ham operator is exaggerating?” William asked. “A ham operator couldn’t communicate with the East and West coast.”
“I know it sounds outlandish, but the original operator has a powerful setup based out of Oklahoma. He’s able to receive signals from the East and West coasts. It’s true. The whole country is affected by this disaster.”
Still skeptical, William replied, “Interesting.” He paused for a moment and then said, “I better get back to sleep. I’ll need my rest for the morning.”
“Yeah, get some rest. We’ll have the same trouble in the morning. No sense in taking it on with little to no sleep. Good night.”
“Good night,” replied William as he headed off back to his camp. He checked on his twin daughters who were sleeping closer to his area and Natasha’s. Regis still in the middle of them. They held each other’s hand as they slept.
William sat on his pile of blankets awake. He was too tense to sleep in case those men returned. William stayed vigilant the entire night, waiting for the sun to rise.
Chapter Nine
Liam Conner
Mrs. Grandy’s House
Nashville, TN
9:03 PM
“Well, we better be heading out,” said Liam to Mrs. Grandy. “I’m sure those guys are long gone now, and thanks again for selling us this gun. Not to mention, it’s getting late. We must not keep you anymore.”
“It was my pleasure dear. I would feel horrible if I had heard something had happened to you. Please be safe,” replied Mrs. Grandy.
Prue and Liam both got up from the patio table and started down the street. Both of them still on edge from the encounter with the men. Thank goodness Mrs. Grandy sprung into action and scared the men away. Despite Liam being now armed, he did not want another run-in with those
guys.
“Looks like those guys are completely gone,” Prue said, interrupting the silence as they walked down the street, both constantly looking over their shoulders.
“Seems to be the case,” confirmed Liam. “I keep thinking they are going to dart out from behind one of these houses, but they seem to have totally vanished.”
“Let’s hope that’s the case,” replied Prue. “Hey! You know, something that I’ve always wanted to do, but never learned was to learn how to shoot. My dad said he’d teach me one day, but he never got the chance to before I left for Nashville.”
“Oh! That’s fantastic you want to learn how to shoot. If we run across some spare ammo, I promise that I will teach you once we get the chance. When we make it to my grandpa’s I could for sure teach you then,” replied Liam.
“I’d appreciate that,” responded Prue. The two fell silent once again as they continued to walk down the streets of Nashville. Prue broke the silence once again and said, “You know, I’ve been thinking.”
“Yes?”
“After hearing what you and Mrs. Grandy were talking about before we left, I’m beginning to think that maybe that DJ we heard over that AM station we found when we powered up your grandpa’s wind-up radio was right.”
“Why do you say that? What changed your mind?”
“Well, it’s been almost two days now, and we still do not have any power. That guy may be on to something. Then when Mrs. Grandy started quoting the Bible, that seemed strange at first but after she finished the verses, it made sense of what was going on now,” explained Prue.
“Yeah, it’s been on my mind as well. I was always taught about the end times in Bible study, but I never thought I’d actually see it. They taught us that the end times were near according to their calculations, but I thought it would be after my lifetime. It’s been on my mind ever since I heard the DJ talk about it,” said Liam.
