by Chris Babu
“Can I just say how bad I need a shower?” Sidney asked.
“I can smell my own butt,” Charlie said.
Everyone groaned immediately, the chorus of disgust in unison.
Drayden grimaced. “Oh dude, Charlie, c’mon man.”
Sidney pretended to vomit. “That is vile, Charlie.”
Eugene couldn’t stop laughing, and Catrice bit back the chuckles.
“Sorry. But I can,” Charlie said, matter-of-factly. “But. Can. Unintended puns all over the place.”
Drayden turned his head and coughed. “Moving on. How about that bear?”
Eugene cleaned his weapons with a handkerchief he’d pulled from his pocket. “Dray, I was so close to shooting it. You don’t even know.”
“The cubs would have been orphaned,” Catrice said.
Drayden stared at the fire. “I don’t think we should kill things unless we have no choice.” He sneezed.
“Bless you,” Eugene said. “You guys must have been raised different than me. My old man was tough, mean. It was kind of a take-no-prisoners upbringing.”
Drayden gave Eugene a quizzical smile. “Isn’t your dad a teacher?”
“Yeah, he is. He’s just brutal. High expectations of his son.” Eugene tossed a stick into the fire.
For a moment Drayden thought about his own father, and how he didn’t seem to care enough to be tough on Drayden. Brutal was bad, sure, but you needed to care to be like that. He shoved the thought away and examined the fire.
It was transitioning from the high flames stage to the hot coals stage. They needed to boil the water over the hot coals; otherwise, the fire wouldn’t be hot enough. They’d placed some rocks in the fire on which to place the bowl, suspending it right above the coals.
“I’m soooo thirsty.” Sidney shook the full, plastic water bottles in each hand.
They caught Drayden’s attention and held it, as if he were in a trance. Something about the bottles. It hit him like a hot stone. How could he have been so stupid? He untied one boot, took it off, and removed the laces. After unscrewing the cap from one of his bottles, he tied a loop around the neck, like a miniature noose. Then he tied the other end of the lace to a narrow branch leftover from the fire setup. His contraption approximated a fishing rod with a water bottle at the end. He lowered it over the flames, careful not to touch them.
Charlie poked his bottle with a long stick. “Um, whatcha doing there, Dray? Pretty sure you’re gonna melt your bottle and put our fire out.”
“I don’t think so,” Drayden said. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me earlier. The melting point of the plastic has gotta be higher than the boiling temperature of water. And the water in the bottle should prevent the plastic from melting.”
Tiny bubbles inside the bottle floated up and disappeared in bunches.
“The flames will be hot coals in a few more minutes,” Drayden said. “It may be too hot for this after that. Can you guys do what I did with the bottle and the laces, in case this works?”
They each took off a boot, removed the laces, and built the same water-bottle fishing rod. Everyone studied Drayden’s bottle.
The bubbles rose faster and faster. A few minutes later, it boiled.
“Yes!” Drayden removed it from the fire. It only needed to reach boiling to be safe to drink.
The others boiled one bottle each, and Drayden boiled his second one. After that, the fire was too hot. Everyone else had another bottle to boil, and the contents of all four fit in the bowl. After a few minutes, it was done.
Eugene leaned over the bubbling bowl of water. “How do we pull the scalding bowl off the rocks without spilling it or getting burned?”
“How about we pick it up with a shirt or something?” Charlie asked.
Drayden patted him on the shoulder. “That’s smart, Charlie. Great idea. I don’t want to embarrass you, but you’ve had a bunch of smart ideas on this trip.”
“Really? Thanks, Dray.” He fist-bumped Drayden.
Without hesitation, Eugene pulled off his gray camouflage shirt. A sleeveless white undershirt clung to his torso, showing off his impressive physique.
His whole upper body was even more shredded with muscle than anyone could have guessed. And to think, Drayden was attempting to show Catrice he could be as strong as Eugene. What a joke. He would never be as physically powerful as Eugene. Drayden had always been self-conscious about his skinny body. It had come up a few times in the Initiation, when he wound up shirtless beside Charlie. Why fight a losing battle?
“Remind me never to take my shirt off next to Eugene,” he said instead, giggling.
Everyone else laughed too, including Catrice. Eugene scooped up the bowl and set it down on the grass where the other bottles cooled.
Catrice touched one of the full bottles. “This first round of bottles is warm but drinkable now.”
Everyone gathered around and picked one.
Charlie held his out. “Cheers.”
The warm water touched Drayden’s lips and splashed around his dry, cracked mouth. It was heaven. He paused mid-bottle to swish some water around his mouth, before chugging the rest of it.
The five parched teens stood in silence, a state of speechless relief. Charlie burped.
Although Drayden’s second bottle was also ready to drink, the others needed to wait for the bowl to cool. He decided to save his for later. “I think we should each drink our second bottle tonight. We’re severely dehydrated. But wait a bit first. Before we leave in the morning, we’ll go back and hit up that creek and restock.”
Catrice tested the temperature of the bowl by resting her finger on the edge. “Eugene, can you hold the bottles while I pour the water in?”
After she filled the bottles with Eugene’s help, she passed them out.
Drayden checked out the hotel.
It contained a few separate buildings, most of them two stories tall. The closest resembled a stretched out gray house, with doors to the rooms spaced out across the front. A white railing ran along the second floor. It was dilapidated like all other buildings out in the real world. Still, it was better than sleeping on leaves in the woods.
“Shall we?” Eugene strolled over to one of the doors on the first floor. He tried the knob, but finding it locked, stepped back and kicked it open with a thud. The smell practically knocked them over. Mold.
Drayden flipped on his flashlight and peered inside.
“Gross,” Charlie said.
The room must have flooded in the past, as evidenced by the severe water damage and stench.
“Let’s try upstairs,” Catrice said. “Looks like the pipes burst down here.”
Drayden shined his flashlight up the stairs as they climbed, and Eugene busted down the first door. Despite a coating of dust and a mildewy smell, the room had remained undisturbed for a generation. The bed was even made.
“Who wants this one?” Eugene asked.
Sidney peeked inside. “I’ll take it.”
“You want to borrow my flashlight?” Drayden asked.
“No, it’s okay. Thanks Dray.” She touched his arm. “Goodnight, you guys.”
Eugene kicked open the following four rooms which were identical to the first.
Where will Catrice be sleeping tonight?
She answered Drayden’s question pretty clearly when she entered the room next to Sidney and closed the door. After that, everyone took their own rooms.
Drayden beamed his flashlight around the dark creepy space and kicked off his boots. Since the dusty and moldy sheets weren’t the best for his cough, he stripped the bed and laid down on the bare mattress.
The water had awakened his body. His ankle throbbed, the cut on his face was sore, and his feet ached. His lungs were heavy, his sinuses stuffy, and most significantly, his hunger had come raging back
. It was as if the water had reminded his stomach that stuff was supposed to be in there. He craved that second bottle of water, but if he drank too hastily he would just pee it all out. He needed to wait.
Sleep was coming quickly. As he drifted off, thoughts swirled around his mind. The bear and her cubs; Dad and Wes; and Mom. He wondered if he was so desperate to keep Eugene from killing the bear because they were witnessing a mother doing her job, protecting her kids. He was that cub. Why hadn’t his mother protected him like that? He bet that mama bear wasn’t off cavorting with some fat old male bear, leaving her cubs to fend for themselves.
In self-pitying mode, he moved on to Catrice, sleeping separate from him for the first time. She probably needed a good night’s sleep in her own bed. Or, she didn’t want to catch Drayden’s cold. Or, since they smelled gamey, she didn’t want to embarrass either of them.
His insecurity said those weren’t the real reasons. Things were most certainly not “fine” with them. That spark was just about gone.
Although Catrice wasn’t weak, she might have latched onto him in the Initiation because he could save her. More accurately, they could help save each other. On the expedition, he couldn’t. Eugene could. Eugene was the Drayden of the expedition.
He couldn’t help but speculate whether Catrice went to Eugene’s room tonight, or vice-versa. If Drayden’s body had enough water to form tears, he might have cried.
CHAPTER 24
Drayden had chugged his second bottle of water as soon as he awoke.
Now he, Catrice, and Charlie waited in the parking lot for Sidney and Eugene to return from the creek, where they’d gone to replenish everyone’s bottles. They would boil the water later, but who knew when they would find another stream?
“Catrice, I had an idea yesterday,” Drayden said. “When Charlie went to take a leak, he said, ‘turn the bike around,’ which reminded me I wanted to search for bikes. What do you think?”
She chewed on a nail. “It would be a lot easier fixing up bikes than cars. Plus, we know our way around bikes. Where should we look?”
“I’m thinking in people’s garages. Isn’t that where they would store bikes?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
Eugene and Sidney appeared in the distance, approaching with bulging pockets and handfuls of water bottles.
“Success,” Eugene said as they arrived. He and Sidney passed out the bottles. “No bears.”
Sidney walked right up to Drayden. She touched his forehead and then his cheek with the back of her hand. “How you feeling?”
Drayden noticed Catrice watching.
Good.
He inched toward Sidney, standing closer than he should. “I’m okay, the same. Nasty cough, headache, though that could be dehydration.”
“Yeah, I have a terrible headache too.”
“Let’s move out,” Eugene said, his rifle in hand.
“Eugene, we’re going to hunt for bikes,” Drayden said. “Probably try peoples’ garages, once the area gets residential. You know how to ride a bike?”
“Absolutely. I can also drive a van, bus, you name it. All part of training.”
Sidney held her stomach. “We need to find food. I’m starving.”
Catrice wouldn’t look at Sidney. “We either need a place to fish again or an encampment of survivors to ask for food.”
Charlie took the lead and they resumed their hike. “Let’s do it.”
Catrice walked beside Eugene, behind Charlie, and Drayden walked beside Sidney in the rear.
“You see that cluster of oak trees?” Catrice asked Eugene, pointing skyward. “That would be beautiful to draw.”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “The crowns of the trees blend together, like one enormous tree.”
Drayden sarcastically gawked at the trees and held his mouth open in imaginary amazement. All she could muster when they’d been alone was, “We’re fine.” He could feel Sidney’s eyes.
She raised her brows and chuckled, then hooked her arm inside his, shaking her head.
They were still in a business area, real small-town America stuff. Modest buildings resembling houses operated as storefronts. They passed Balboni’s Drug Store with its torn navy awning, and The Rock Pub, a diminutive brick bar with even tinier windows.
They’d only walked a few blocks when Charlie stopped abruptly. He spun around scratching his head. “Should we wait to look through garages, or just go in here?”
He stood in front of Martha’s Bicycles. It was like a quaint home, with a glass front and a low-hanging brown-shingled roof.
Drayden beheld their first break in all its glory. Finally, some much-needed luck.
The two glass doors were shattered and partially ajar. Eugene pulled one open and walked inside, the privates trailing him. The cash register was unlocked and bare. People had clearly ransacked the shop, but many bikes remained.
Drayden took charge. “Let’s pick the five best bikes and see if we can get them working.”
“Um,” Charlie said, looking sheepish, “I can’t ride a bike with gears.”
Drayden smirked. He’d forgotten about that. “Well, you find one you can ride.”
The others sorted through the bikes and picked four, which were all ten-speeds. Besides having flat tires, the chains and gears were covered in rust. Drayden and Catrice would ride mountain bikes, one red and one black. Sidney and Eugene would ride racing bikes, with curved handlebars, one silver and the other gray. Though not ideal for the terrain, they were in much better shape than the other available mountain bikes.
Drayden examined the black mountain bike. “Let’s flip them upside down. Sid, can you search for a pump? Eugene, see if you can find anything to scrape off the rust, like sandpaper or a screwdriver. Catrice, can you get some oil for the chains?”
As they walked off, Charlie returned with a bike of his own. “This is the only one.” It was a miniature pink little girl’s bike.
Drayden bit his lip, trying not to crack up, but it was no use. He burst into laughter.
“It’s not funny.” Charlie turned red. “How am I supposed to ride this?”
“In a nice little dress with flowers on it?” Drayden held his sides he was laughing so hard.
“Yeah, ha ha, laugh it up, bro. This is a serious situation.”
The others came back and froze when they saw Charlie’s bike. They glanced at each other and exploded in laughter.
Charlie stomped his foot. “It’s not funny!”
Drayden wiped his tears away. “Charlie, flip it over. And go look for a wrench so we can at least raise the seat.”
He turned it upside down and stormed off to the back of the store.
Everyone else made eye contact again and flew off into a new round of cackling.
“It’s not funny, dammit!” Charlie yelled from somewhere out of sight.
Sidney was still grinning, a manual pump in her hand. “We got everything. Where do we start?”
Drayden took a few breaths, trying to think of anything else besides the pink bike. “Sid, you pump up all the tires. We’ll work on the gears and chains.” He took some sandpaper from Eugene and began scraping the rust off the black mountain bike.
Eugene and Catrice worked on two of the other bikes, while Sidney moved bike to bike, inflating the tires. Charlie returned and got started on the children’s bike.
“I think it worked.” Sidney tossed the pump aside, having filled the last tire. “Let’s see if they hold.” She snatched sandpaper to tackle the last bike’s rust.
After Drayden scraped most of the rust off his, he tried turning the pedals, but they wouldn’t budge. Catrice was failing as well.
Eugene grunted and flexed his muscles, employing sheer power to get his going. They made a snapping sound, then spun nicely.
Drayden watched him, aga
in realizing the futility and absurdity of trying to physically match the guy. Not to mention how stupid it was to hope Catrice wouldn’t compare them.
“Eugene, can you help me and Catrice start these up? Once they’re moving, let’s put on the oil.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He walked over to Drayden’s bike and jerked the pedals a few times until they rotated, then repeated the process on Catrice’s bike.
With painstaking patience, she squeezed oil on each link on every chain. They let the bikes sit for a few minutes.
“Now run your pedals as fast as you can,” Drayden said. They rotated like brand new.
His excitement built, realizing this might actually work. “Moment of truth. Let’s try ‘em out.” He turned over the black mountain bike and wheeled it out of Martha’s Bicycles.
Charlie scowled, rolling out the pint-sized pink bike. “This is bull, man.”
Drayden hopped on his bicycle and rode around in a wide circle. He wobbled a bit getting comfortable on it, but it worked splendidly.
Eugene, Catrice, and Sidney successfully followed suit. Charlie looked like a giant, needing to stick his knees way out to the side to prevent them from smacking the handlebars. Because of the tiny turn radius of the pedals and the mini wheels, he pedaled furiously just to achieve a reasonable speed.
The others stood over their bikes watching him, trying desperately not to erupt into another round of laughter. Charlie, noticing the peanut gallery, glowed red in the face, fuming.
“What? Yeah, okay, real funny, huge guy on a tiny bike—can we get over it now? Flunks.”
Drayden bit his lip and averted his gaze, struggling to swallow the giggles. “Here’s the plan. I checked the map. Route 3a goes for another few miles and crosses Route 3, where we believe the Guardians are. We can even stay on Route 3a a little longer, because it crosses Route 3 again a few miles later. Everybody good? Charlie?”
Charlie shook his head and murmured something inaudible.
Drayden rode up front, with everyone else in a group behind him. Charlie struggled to keep up in the rear, pedaling his heart out. Riding on these overgrown roads was nothing like biking in New America with its cracked but clear roads. This ride was bumpy, and required focused attention to dodge bushes, trees, and vast crevices in the remaining pavement. Still, they made rapid progress and reached the junction with Route 3 in fifteen minutes.
