“Are you and your brother doing okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, ma’am.”
“And your brother?” I ask, looking at the young boy.
“He’s fine.”
Okay, this is going nowhere. I leave the kids and walk across the clearing to my hammock. I crawl into it and spend the next hour staring at the sky, planning my exit.
* * *
Meredith
Sometimes I miss him and the moments we shared.
But only sometimes.
I miss standing on his feet while he twirled me around the large living room; dancing to the tune of some old jazz song. I would laugh, and my heart was so full I feared it might burst from all the happiness expanding within its chambers.
I thought we had all the time in the world. I believed we would be together forever, like some fairytale family who lives happily ever after. But fairytales aren’t real, and those were happy times that ended much too soon. All the dancing and happiness I had collected over the years were condensed down to a handful of sad memories to be filed away once she came into our lives.
The moon peeks at me through the trees; even though it’s not fully dark, it’s already puffing itself up big and round so small people like me can use it as a nightlight through whatever dark moments await.
I breathe deeply.
The air smells cold. Colder than it did earlier. Does that mean bad weather is on the horizon? If so, I could be in serious, life-threating trouble. I don’t have a tent. I’ve had to maintain a small footprint while following him, so I’ve been sleeping outside, relying on leaves for warmth. If it gets colder, I’ll be forced to seek more substantial shelter.
If that happens, I’ll have to find a way not to lose him.
But how?
Could I trap him? Possibly. I could trap him each night then let him loose during the day. It could work. I’ll have to find a way to protect myself, though…otherwise I risk losing myself in the process of not losing him.
Dying is not an option.
Not yet, anyway.
Not until he leads me to the cure.
Chapter Eighteen
Daniel
We're all sitting around the fire, wrapped in blankets but still shivering. When the sun is out, the cold is tolerable...you almost forget about it...but, the evening chill is a grim reminder of what's heading our way.
Sooner rather than later, if Wayne's prediction is right.
I clear my throat. "Wayne says a winter storm is headed our way," I say, for those who haven't already heard the news.
No one responds. What is there to say? It's cold. It's about to get colder.
Pretty cut and dry.
"And the tents we have aren't rated to sustain that kind of weather," Erek adds.
"We believe it's critical we look for a new camp. Somewhere we can hunker down until spring," I say.
"What if we can't find a new place before the storm hits?" Emily asks, concerned.
“We have to try. Staying put is out of the question,” Erek says.
“I don’t know, Daniel,” Emily says. “It seems risky.”
"Do you have a better suggestion?" I ask.
She doesn't. No one else says anything, either. Good. It will make what I have to say more agreeable...by all but one, that is. I look at each member of the group, before settling on Allyson.
"Erek and I believe we should head toward the farm," I say, looking at Allyson.
She sits straighter, immediately on guard. "What?"
"You heard me. What you described the other night sounded pretty good."
“It’s not good.”
“Better than here,” I argue.
"And the others already living there?" she asks.
"There aren't many of us," I say. "Surely they can offer us temporary shelter through the winter."
She's already shaking her head before I finish talking. "You don't understand,” she says. “These people can't be reasoned with, and they're not charitable. The farm isn't an option. Think of something else."
"No."
She stands, growing angry. "Are you listening? Going to the farm is a terrible idea!"
I stand, angry as well. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean, but we don't know you...and we don't trust you. You could be lying to us."
"I...look, we can find another place. A better place," she says.
"Where?" I ask, looking around. "Anywhere else is a guess. The farm is a sure thing, and you know where it is."
"It's the wrong kind of sure thing," she says.
Her whole body starts trembling. She looks frantic, like a wild animal that suddenly found itself ensnared in a steel trap. I cross my arms. "I’m still not convinced," I say.
Wayne stands. "Take it easy, Dan," he warns.
I raise an eyebrow. "You're taking her side?"
He glances at her, then back at me. "Look at her, man."
"What about me?" Allyson asks defensively.
He hesitates, then says, "You're shaking. What scares you so bad 'bout that place?"
She looks between the two of us, then shakes her head. "I don't owe any of you an explanation. If you're determined to go to the farm, so be it. But you can find it without my help," she says.
I watch her stalk across the clearing, toward her hammock. I’m conflicted, and I don’t like being conflicted. I take a quick assessment of the situation: Allyson won’t tell us why the farm is dangerous, which makes me think she’s hiding something. It’s not difficult. It’s not like I’m asking her to solve the mystery of the Revs or explain the Theory of Relativity. I’m just asking her to say, “the farm is dangerous because…” and throw in whatever combination of things makes it so, but she refuses. In my experience, when someone doesn’t elaborate, it’s because additional details would implicate them. I look at the group of people sitting around the fire…my family, my friends…and they’re cold. Once the snow comes, they’ll be colder…they’ll be in real danger. We could relocate to an abandoned house, which would put walls between us and the snow, but it wouldn’t have guaranteed heat and food to get us through the winter.
The farm would.
Suddenly, I’m not conflicted anymore.
I turn to Wayne. "Go talk to her. Find out where the farm is. We’re leaving tomorrow."
He nods and heads off after Allyson.
"Are you sure about this, Daniel?" Chloe asks after he leaves.
"It will be fine, Chloe. Trust me."
"I don't know…she seemed scared."
Erek throws another log on the fire. "Anyone left alive in this godforsaken world is scared, Princess."
"Including you?" she asks.
He laughs. "Nah, I was born for this. Takes me back to my days in the desert."
I sit down beside Chloe, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She’s trembling. "Don’t worry, Chloe. Wayne will get the relative location. When he does, we'll head out," I say. "If he's right about the weather, we don't have long before the first snowfall."
Erek nods in agreement. "We'll have to hurry."
"Can you be ready to leave out tomorrow?" I ask Chloe.
She nods reluctantly. "I don't have much choice, do I?"
"No." I give her shoulders a squeeze. "You have to know I'm only trying to keep you safe," I tell her.
"Who's keeping you safe, Daniel?" she asks sadly.
"Come on, Princess. He's got me...what more could he need?" Erek asks.
"I'm serious, Daniel,” she says, ignoring him. “I'm worried about you."
"Why on earth would you be worried about me?" I ask.
She shrugs. "I don't know. You just seem different lately. Troubled."
I don’t respond. She's right. I have felt different lately, like some switch inside me flipped, and I became more concerned about surviving than feeling. I don't remember it happening...it was gradual...but what can I do about it? If I file the callus now, it might uncover
all the things I’ve been hiding, and I’ll realize how hurt and scared I am.
I’m not ready to face that just yet.
Chloe’s waiting for an answer, so I force my lips upward, into a counterfeit smile. "I've never been better, sis."
She nods. "I better go pack."
I know my sister almost as well as I know myself.
She didn't buy it.
* * *
Allyson
Wayne sits down, but he's careful not to speak. In the few days we've known each other he's learned when I'm not in the mood to talk. This is definitely one of those moods. Daniel and the others are determined to head toward a place I refuse to take them. What will I do if they force me to give them the location?
I think about Chloe, who’s been nothing but nice to me since I arrived. What would Aiden and his cult do to her, if given the chance? Probably nothing, if she isn't like me…special. But if she wasn’t, would he let her live?
Not likely.
I think about Wayne, sitting so still and quiet beside me, respecting my need for silence. I've grown to depend on his calming presence. I barely know him...but so far, he's given no indication that his motives are anything less than honorable. What will happen to him? I doubt he'd go down without a fight, but would his best fight be enough?
Again, not likely.
I think of Daniel, with his clear blue eyes, and serious expression...always thinking, always planning his next move. And Erek, with all his knowledge and instinct for survival. What would Aiden do to them? Would they stand a chance against the whole farm? Or worse, would Aiden consider them good additions to the cause? Would he recruit them? Would they accept?
The thought makes my stomach twist into an angry knot.
A shiver works its way through my body. It's terribly difficult to fight an enemy with no honor and no remorse without losing your own humanity in the process. That's why I ran. I ran as fast as I could, racing through the dark forest while limbs and leaves slapped me in the face, as if screaming you should have run sooner! I tried, though, didn’t I? I tried. I did run sooner. But it got people killed, and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
"You think any harder, you'll grow a second head."
I look at Wayne. "Just one?" I ask with a forced smile. I don't feel cheerful.
He knows it, but he laughs anyway and pulls out a cigarette.
"Those things are going to give you cancer," I say.
He laughs again. I watch the cigarette bounce precariously between his lips. "Yeah, everyone keeps saying it. Must be true," he says, then lights the tip.
We sit in silence; him smoking, me watching him blow tiny smoke rings into the night sky.
Finally, he looks at me and says, "We'll find the farm, Allyson. One way or another. Or some other place like it. Maybe a place just as bad."
I stare at the ground. "It won't be worse. I promise you that."
He ashes the cigarette. "Maybe. Maybe not. But you may as well tell us where it is. Daniel and Erek won't let it rest till you do."
"I can be just as stubborn as they are."
He snorts. "I don't doubt it."
"Why, though?" I ask. "I'm telling you it's dangerous."
"As dangerous as sleeping outside during a mountain snowstorm?" he asks. "On a hammock."
I can't argue with that logic. Neither option is great, and people will likely die no matter which choice is made. But still. I shake my head. "We'll find another place. A safe place. I'll help you."
He looks at me but doesn’t answer. We both know I'm grasping at straws. This area is largely unpopulated. Most of the houses peppering the immediate area are in worse shape than the tents. Some look like they were abandoned fifty years ago, or more. The thin wooden walls and broken windows won’t offer much protection from the cold. I sigh.
"Okay," I say, "let's say we get to the farm and the others aren't in a hospitable mood? What then?"
He shrugs. "We fight for an invitation to stay."
I grow silent, thinking about what he just said. I've never seen this group in action, but I've seen what Aiden can do. Especially when he's angry. Or challenged. Would their efforts be enough? Could they be victorious?
"Do you think you could fight them all?"
He takes another drag of the cigarette. "I'll set the whole place on fire before I let them refuse the group shelter."
"Why?"
"They're my family. I'm not gonna let 'em freeze to death. Not while I'm still livin'."
I look at my hands. They're trembling. "That's what I'm afraid of, Wayne. Going to the farm may be what finally kills all of you."
He laughs. "You've never seen a Tillis in a fight. We don't go down without takin’ most ev'rybody else with us."
So, there it is. His last name is Tillis (I've wondered), and the group is betting on a warm reception or bloody battle when they show up to the farm. They’ve likely already sat around, strategizing worst-case scenarios. I may as well be back in that steel cage in the basement. I feel just as trapped, with few options; either I show them the way or let them wander through the woods until they either find the farm or freeze to death.
In the end, they still die.
Wayne is waiting. Patiently. I can tell by the set of his eyes there’s no convincing him to turn back or pursue a different avenue. He’ll find the farm, with or without my help. I want to throw up. If I go back to the farm, I’ll be a prisoner again; but if I don’t go back, I can’t protect this group from Aiden and the others. Could I live with their deaths weighing on my conscience?
Probably not.
“Are you’re sure you could match them in a fight?” I ask Wayne.
He nods.
“And their guns?”
“I got my own guns. Erek, too,” he says.
“So, that’s the big plan? We walk in, guns blazing, and dare anyone to refuse us entry?”
He snorts. “Of course not. I’ll ask nicely first.”
I stare at him for a long moment. “And me? What happens to me?” I whisper.
“You’re one of us now,” he says, looking at me. “No one hurts my family.”
I stare at him for a minute, trying to decide what I should do. They’re determined to go. I can’t stop them, and if I don’t go with them, they’ll get hurt before they make it to the front door. Maybe killed. I can’t allow that to happen. Especially to Wayne, who has been nothing but kind to me since he saved my life. Tears prick my eyes, and I feel like I might choke on the lump in my throat; I can’t believe I’m going to do it…I’m going to risk my freedom for a group of people I just met.
I must be insane.
I swallow the bile creeping up my throat. "Okay,” I say. “I'll take you there. But I won’t go to the door."
“What will you do?”
I think about that for a minute. What will I do? I don’t know, honestly. I’ve been too busy wondering how I’ll pull it off without Aiden catching me in the process to worry about it. I just shrug, because what else is there to do?
“If they refuse you shelter, I’ll wait and go with you to the next place,” I tell him. “If they let you in, I’ll be on my way.”
He nods and smokes the rest of the cigarette in silence. I stare at the tree line, feeling lost and alone and completely numb all at the same time.
We have five days or less before we all die.
Chapter Nineteen
Daniel
Wayne walks over the next morning. He's not smiling; then again, he rarely smiles, no matter the occasion. I nod hello and hand him a cup of black coffee.
"Thanks, man."
"Yep," I say, pouring my own cup.
He takes a drink, then rubs a hand across his face. "She told me how to find the farm."
"Do you believe her? She's not just sending us on a wild goose chase, is she?" I ask.
He nods. "I believe her. She’s going with us…said the areas around the farm aren’t safe.”
I roll my eyes. “I’d like to know h
er definition of safe. Nothing is safe to hear her tell it.”
“I tend to agree. Especially these days.”
That’s right. Nothing is safe anymore. Nothing is a given. That’s why I’m sure the farm is no more or less dangerous than anything else we might face. It’s all a gamble…everything left in this decaying world is a gamble.
"When should we leave?" I ask.
He thinks for a moment, then says, "Today's as good as any day."
"Do you think we can get there in time? Before the storm hits?"
"If we hurry," he says, and takes another sip of coffee. "'Course, we'll have to hurry, regardless. It's not safe to be out this time of year. Hard to hide in the woods when half the trees are missin' leaves," he adds.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Alright, then. Let's wake the others. We need to start gathering the things we plan to take."
He nods and walks toward the red tent where Emily and the kids are still sleeping. Erek crawls out of the purple tent that once belonged to Chloe. I wave him over.
"What's up, brother?" he asks, yawning.
"Allyson told Wayne how to get to the farm."
Chloe approaches us, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What are y’all talking about," she asks.
I hand her a cup of coffee. “We’re leaving camp today,” I explain.
“Going where?”
“The farm. Allyson is going to take us there.”
“I guess it wasn’t as dangerous as she claimed,” she mumbles. She takes a sip of the coffee, wincing as the hot liquid burns her lips.
Erek lifts his arm above his head, stretching the muscles in his shoulder. “Maybe, maybe not. Won’t matter either way.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s right…we have you, and you’re all the muscle we need, right?"
"Better cash in on this muscle while you have it, Princess. It’d be a waste not to.”
Her face pales. "Right."
“Unless you've decided to follow me toward the coast come spring," he adds.
She shakes her head. "My plans haven’t changed. I'm going after my parents."
Revenants Series (Book 2): Remnants Page 9
