by Poe, S. B.
“Okay. It’ll break her heart.” Bridger smiled. “She’ll probably cuss.”
“Probably?” Kate asked, smiling.
“She’ll be fine.” Bridger said. “I’ll take Charlie.”
Kate stood and grabbed the boiler from the grill. She poured the dark liquid into the two mugs sitting on the brick wall that lined the back patio. Steam rose in the air and disappeared as it broke up in the breeze.
“What time are you leaving?” Kate asked.
“Just going to wait a little while to see if those clouds break up. We don’t have to go today but the sooner the better. No point doing it in the rain though.” Bridger said.
“What’s wrong Bridger? Getting soft? Evelyn breaking you down?” Kate snickered over the top of her mug.
“You know who you sound like?” Bridger smiled.
“Who do you think taught him?” Kate smiled back.
A few houses down Ham stood on the porch. The wind blew a single leaf down the road and she heard it scraping the asphalt as it bounced along. The door behind her opened.
“Honey? You okay?” Jahda asked as she.
“Just listening.”
“Listening to what?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jahda put a hand on her shoulder.
“It wasn’t him.” She said. “Not really.”
“It wasn’t him.” Jahda confirmed.
“But it was.” Ham turned. “Because he’s gone now.”
“I know honey. But not because of what you did.” Jahda said. “You know that.”
“I do. But do you think he does?” Ham asked.
“He knows you’re safe. And that’s all he ever wanted.” Jahda said.
“I miss him.” She said as she turned back into the house. “I miss him a whole lot.”
“I know you do, I do too.” She turned to follow Ham back inside and caught the flash of light coming from the window of the house across the street. Devin was up. She followed Ham back inside and closed the door.
Devin flipped the switch on the little lantern. He had found it in the garage lying amongst a bunch of other kids camping gear. A bug out bag for toddlers, with plastic frying pans and rubber eggs, but the lantern worked. He went into the smallest bedroom and opened the first set of drawers. He held the shirt up to his chest.
“Ham, maybe.” He said before tossing it aside.
The rest of the clothes were similar. All for someone a good bit smaller than him. He grabbed the lantern and went to the next bedroom. It was all the right size but he wasn’t into dresses and yoga pants just now. He began to think Jahda and Ham had chosen the wrong house. He heard the wrap of knuckles against the back door. He peaked around the corner and looked down the hallway. He could see Emma Grace waving at him through windows in the back door. He waved her inside.
“Good morning Devin.” She said.
“What are you doing up so early?” He asked.
“I had to give Cody one of his pills at four so I stepped outside and saw the light bouncing around inside here. And here I am. Aren’t you glad to see me?” She asked.
“Just surprised is all. How’s Cody doing?” He asked.
“Well he hurts more now. The first couple of days were fine but your doctor said it would get more painful.”
“Raj.”
“Yes, Raj. You sure have some interesting friends. Did y’all know each other before all this?”
“I knew Jahda, Ham and Martin.” He lowered his eyes slightly. “But the rest we met after this started. I don’t think anyone really knew anyone too well except for maybe Bridger and Kate. They go back a ways.”
“I don’t know who they are.”
“Bridger is the first person you met. Him and Jahda. Kate was the woman who spoke to you when the bus first arrived.”
“Are they a thing?”
“Nope. Bridger and Evelyn are though, apparently.”
“It’s all so fun. New people, with all new lives. It’s like I moved to a new town but in reverse. A new town moved to me.” She smiled.
“So you’re okay with this. With us moving in, just like that?” Devin asked.
“It’s weird for sure but yeah, the whole world is weird now. Everything happens for a reason. So I’m okay with it. Cody will be okay with it. I know y’all are good people. We’ll make this work.”
“Good. Maybe you can help me go through some of this stuff. I’m running out of clothes, living out in the woods is kind of rough on the wardrobe.”
“You won’t find anything in this house. This was Edna and Steven Phillips house. He was shaped like an over ripe blueberry and their boy was just like him. You need to head around the corner to the Austin’s house. There will be plenty there that’ll fit you. I can help you try stuff on.” She winked at him.
He squinted his eyes just slightly. He had never had a lot of luck with girls. He wasn’t a virgin but he wasn’t the most experienced guy around. Or maybe he was. The world had changed. The problem was he never could read the signs. He decided to try a different approach.
“So that other day, that kiss, that wasn’t just, uh, you know, being overcome with emotions or something?” He asked. “I mean, you, we, had been through a lot that day.”
“No. I don’t know. I mean I hope it wasn’t just that. Was it for you?” She asked.
“I just don’t want you to think I was or am trying to take advantage of the situation, of you.” He said.
“I’m a big girl Devin. I saw what my daddy turned into. I’m relieved he’s gone instead of being like that. I still have Cody and my home. Considering everything else, I think I’m doing okay.”
“It was more than that for me too.” Devin said. “You stepped in with your brother and Violet. You didn’t have any reason too. You were my knight in shining armor.” Devin said.
“Well then I guess that makes you the princess. Here, this is for you.” Emma Grace held up the dress that Devin had tossed aside. He brushed it out of her hands and wrapped his arms around her.
“Let’s try this again.” He said. She smiled up at him as he kissed her.
The moment passed briefly and the rapid knocking at the door broke the spell. Devin stumbled down the hallway, now lit by the light of day shining between the cracks in the curtains. He opened the door.
“Is Emma Grace here?” Violet asked.
“What’s wrong Violet?” Emma Grace asked as she came down the hall.
“Nothing. I just came to let you know that Cody went back asleep and I was going on home.” She said.
“Is Vernon up at the house yet?” Emma Grace asked as she stepped out on the porch.
“Nah, he’s right over there.” Violet turned and pointed towards the group gathered at the house down the street.
Devin stepped out on the porch.
“Who’s that?” Emma Grace asked.
“Which one?” Devin asked.
“All of them. Tell me their names again.”
“Okay. You know Bridger right?”
“Yes.”
“Well the woman standing right next to him is Evelyn. The woman next to her is Kate.”
“Okay. That’s the lady that spoke to me.” Emma Grace said.
“They are all talking to Charlie and his daughter Jennifer. I don’t know the guy standing next to them. His name is Cameron but that’s really all I know. The couple sitting on the porch is Josh and Lori. Josh is Kate’s son. The other guy standing on the steps is Scott, Kate’s other son. You already know the guy talking to Vernon.” Devin said.
“Ed Riggins.” Emma Grace said. “How did he get hooked up with y’all?”
“That’s a long story and I’m not sure I know all the parts.” Devin said.
“So is there a meeting you’re supposed to be at or something?” Emma Grace asked.
“Not for me, I’m going home.” Violet said as she walked down the sidewalk away from the group.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see.” Devin said as he g
rabbed the jacket from the hook behind the door.
“A few hours.” Bridger said. “And that’s being generous. We should be able to drive out there and back in less than an hour but …”
“But you like to sight see.” Ed called over the crowd. There was an audible chuckle from Josh and Lori.
“But I like to be careful and take our time.” Bridger continued.
“Are we bringing the whole truck or are we just off loading?” Josh asked.
“I’ve got the keys but I don’t think it’s going to move. We’ll probably just off load as much as we can.” Bridger said.
“Two vehicles. The truck and the SUV? Same as before.” Josh said.
“That’s what I was thinking.” Bridger said. “Just ride out, load up, come back.”
“What are we waiting for?” Lori stood.
“Josh and I will go get the cars. Lori, if you Charlie and Cameron wanna grab your gear, we’ll meet y’all back here in thirty minutes.” Bridger said.
“And the rest of us?” Scott asked.
“I’ve got plans for you, don’t worry.” Kate smiled.
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Scott said.
“Thirty minutes. Right here.” Bridger said as he and Josh began walking towards the church.
Things We Forgot
The clouds had finally broken apart and the sun peaked sharply through the openings. Tilly flipped the sunglasses from the top of her head to cover her eyes. The lawn chair screeched against the roof of the bus as she adjusted her bottom. She looked over her shoulder and saw the SUV and the truck pulling up to the gate. She stood up.
“I guess you want me to come down there and let y’all out don’t ya?” Tilly asked.
“I didn’t tell you to get up there in the first place.” Bridger leaned out the window of the SUV. “But no, Scott rode up with us. He’ll let us out and then he can relieve you.” Scott jumped out of the truck and ran over to open the gate. “Kate’s orders.”
“Why?”
“She wants you to swing by and see her. Didn’t say why.” He said as they drove through the gate. Scott swung the gate shut.
“You got this?” Tilly asked.
“Yep. They’ll be back in a few hours.” Scott said as he started to climb up the ladder leaned against the bus.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. If you need something just sing out.” She waved the walkie.
“What channel are you on?” Scott said as he pulled his walkie from his pocket.
“Six. What channel is Bridger going to be on?” Tilly asked.
“Last I heard was nine. You can ask my mom to make sure. Let me know if it’s different.”
“Alright, I’ll be back.” Tilly grabbed her backpack and started heading back towards the other houses. She watched as Ed crossed the street before she turned down the last corner to the row of houses they called home. For a moment she thought about flagging him down to go stand watch with Scott but she didn’t feel like putting up with his shit so she kept on walking. She could see Kate standing in the shade of the porch as she turned down the sidewalk.
Ed turned the corner and walked towards the bridge. He smiled a little to himself and contained the urge to walk faster. The pumper truck sat half blocking the road as he navigated through the offset bundles of barbed wire wrapped around whatever appliances they had managed to drag out while they were building the barricade. He was halfway across the bridge when he heard a voice behind him.
“Where ya going?” Vernon called.
“Uh, just that way.” Ed nodded towards the other side of the bridge.
“Why?”
“Well to be honest Vernon, this is the closest I’ve been to my home since this all started. I’d kinda like to see the place. See if I can save something. Maybe a picture of Ma Willie.”
“I grew up on her cooking down at Belle’s.” Vernon said. “That place never was the same after she passed.”
“Anyway, I’ll see ya later. If anyone asks, just say you ain’t seen me.” Ed said as he turned.
“Well now I ain’t gonna lie for you Ed. And you shouldn’t be going out by yourself.”
“Uh that’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Still not gonna lie for you. Best I come, that way I don’t have too.” He said.
“Fine, whatever.” Ed said as he started walking.
“You don’t want to go that way.” Vernon said as Ed walked towards the end of the next car.
“Why not?” Ed said as he got to the bumper. The refrigerator was lying on its side with barbed wire wrapped around it. Strands of wire draped from the back of the car to the side of the bridge, blocking the path. “Oh.”
“Like this.” Vernon said as he opened the car door and slid across the backseat, emerging on the other side. Ed followed.
“The goners ain’t too bright.” Vernon said as they covered the last few yards across the bridge.
The buildings looming on the left side of the road drew Ed’s attention. The entrance to Weaver’s Mill was still locked up tight behind a swinging steel gate and chain link fence. Ed leaned against the post and peered through the fence at the buildings on the other side. The big one was three stories tall. The first story looked like any other brick office building anywhere in the world. The brick was a façade over the faded blue aluminum siding that jutted above it. Kudzu slowly crept up the sides of all it, overtaking most of what he could see. He could remember when the plant was running. He was just a little kid. That was twenty or more years ago so he couldn’t have been much older than five or six. He’d always lived with his grandparents. He never knew his daddy, and his momma was not the raising a kid type. She’d bounce through occasionally with a new boyfriend and take him for ice cream but that stopped after a while. Both his papaw and mamaw worked right here at Weaver Mills. His papaw was a doffer. He made sure the weavers kept going by putting the freshly spun cotton spindles in the rack and replacing the empties. It kept him busy for most of the 8-hour shifts. The slow times would find him loading the raw cotton into the carding machine. Sometimes he would get asked to help when one of the looms would break down. In his younger days he had been one of the plants top mechanics but he had taken a little bit slower paced job, as he got older. He never finished third grade but he could tear every one of those machines apart and figure out how to fix any problem they had. Ed watched him work on the things around the house and knew he could fix anything there too. He died about year after the plant closed down. He had looked for work but there wasn’t a demand for a sixty one year old textile worker, and the bills kept piling up. He shot himself in the back yard while mamaw was gone to the doctor. Ed found him when he got home from school one spring day. That was fifteen years ago now. His grandmother took a job cooking at a local diner to pay the bills. She died in her sleep four years ago. Ed found her two days later. She left him the trailer and the land it sat on. He felt a lump in his throat. He rapped his hand against the fence one time, making it shake, and backed away.
“Let’s go.” Ed said as he started walking down the road.
“Where’s your house?”
“Cooley Road.” Ed said. “Last trailer on the right. At least I hope it’s still there.”
“You been with these folks the whole time.” Vernon asked as they walked down the asphalt.
“Mostly.” Ed said.
“That’s good. These folks seem like good folks.” Vernon said.
Ed snorted a brief chuckle and looked over at Vernon.
“You remember how Pete said he couldn’t play in the tree house before all this because the Davis’s were so mean?” Ed asked.
“Yeah?”
“You remember Mr. Davis’s older brother?”
“Russell? The one that went to prison for shooting into that bar in Birmingham?”
“That’s the one. Well just before all the deaduns started showing up I lit out with old Russell. Kind of a spur of the moment thing I guess but hey, sounded good at the time.” Ed s
aid.
“I still don’t get what it has to do with these folks.”
“Me and Russell crossed paths with these folks a few weeks later. Things happened and Red killed Russell. Then they just took his place.”
“What place?”
“Russell had some land out near Berry. Off forty-four. Fenced in and everything. Food, weapons. Lots of shit.”
