Revenants

by Lee Elisabeth

  Erek thinks I'm unstable. After all, I should be happy, right? We're getting closer to Asheville. Closer to learning the fate of my parents. But knowing I'm getting closer to the truth only makes me want to run the other way as fast as I can. Right now, I've got the unknown to hold on to. I've got hope...the what-if, the maybe-they're-still-alive...to fall back on. Once we get to Asheville, I'll be closer to a truth I can't hope away.

  And that terrifies me.

  "Everybody out," Erek says, cutting the engine to the truck.

  Meredith and I climb out of the cab, while Daniel and Wayne hop out of the bed of the truck. We take a moment to look at the cluster of cars jammed together on the stretch of road in front of us. There's no way we'll be able to drive the truck through that tangled mess of steel.

  "Should we try to find another way around?" I ask.

  Erek shakes his head. "Nah. I know a spot near here. About two miles that way," he says, pointing past the snarled knot of cars and trucks. "We can walk it in a hour...maybe less."

  Daniel and Wayne begin pulling our bags out of the bed of the truck. I run a hand across my face. Great. More walking. I keep expecting to reach a point where I'm just happy to be alive, even when it involves walking for hours or skipping meals, but I'm not there yet. Knowing my luck, once I finally do get there, I'll probably die soon after.

  * * *

  Daniel

  We reached our destination forty-five minutes ago. It appears to have been a hangout for hunters before the world ended. There's a small lean-to...dilapidated, nearly to the point of collapsing...positioned under a large shade tree. A wooden outhouse sits about fifty feet downwind from the shelter. Knowing we have an actual bathroom to use...even if it’s primitive...makes me happy.

  It's the little things in life.

  We're all sitting around the fire Wayne built; the girls are leaning on their packs, resting, while I keep checking the woods surrounding us. Wayne is whittling a piece of wood. What he’s making isn’t clear yet. Erek is cleaning his gun, seemingly oblivious to the rest of us.

  "Erek?" I say, getting his attention.

  "Yeah?" he asks, not looking up from his gun.

  "What's our next move? Should we keep pushing through to Asheville, since we're this close? Or stay here a while?"

  He stops cleaning his gun. "I wanted to wait until spring to enter the city, but that plan kinda got blown to kingdom come," he says. "We can't just prance in there, though. Not without a plan."

  "What do you propose?"

  "Don't know. I need to think about it." He throws the rag in my direction. I catch it just as he says, "Next."

  I decide now is as good a time as any to see how much of Meredith's story is a lie.

  I sigh, pretending to be tired. "I think I want to rest a little longer. I'm beat. Do you want to go ahead and clean your guns, Meredith?"

  She opens her eyes and looks at me. "Guns? I only have one," she says, confused.

  "Oh. I thought you had one from before," I say, innocently. You know...the one you used to shoot your husband, I think to myself.

  She shakes her head. "No. I only have one Erek gave me," she says, patting the Glock 43 in her shoulder holster.

  I feign puzzlement. "Sorry. I must have been mistaken."

  As soon as the words leave my mouth, Meredith realizes her mistake. I can see it in her eyes, and in the angry flush that travels up her neck and into her cheeks. I pretend not to notice, curious to see what she does next. Her mouth twitches; if I hadn't been watching for a reaction, I would have missed it altogether. There's a slight quiver in her voice when she says, "You're probably thinking about the gun I had before...I threw it away after that night. I couldn't stand to look at it anymore."

  Erek looks at her like she's grown a third eye. "Why would you throw away a perfectly good weapon in the middle of a war?"

  She shoots him a nasty look. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

  "How can I understand something that ridiculous?"

  "I shouldn't have even told you about what happened that night! Especially if you're just going to judge every wrong move I made during and after!"

  Erek holds his hands up in front of him. "Ho now. I wasn't judging you, lady. I told you myself I thought he got what he deserved. Or, have you forgotten that?" he asks.

  She levels a look at him so cold it could freeze water in the middle of summer, but says nothing. Wayne and Chloe are watching the exchange in silence. I expected the look of suspicion on Wayne's face, but Chloe's expression makes me wonder if she isn't buying what Meredith's been selling us, either.

  The tension stretches on uncomfortably, until I say, "I'm sure you had your reasons for tossing the gun, Meredith. No one's judging you. Right, Erek?"

  He shakes his head, bewildered. "I guess not."

  I look at Meredith and smile. "I'm glad you trusted us enough to share your story, Meredith. It means a lot. Really."

  She looks at me and nods.

  But she knows that I know.

  And now she's not the only one lying.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chloe

  It's early evening. I'm laying on my back in Daniel's tent, trying to prepare my mind for slumber. The opening of the tent flaps back and forth in the breeze; each time it swings out, I catch a glimpse of fireflies illuminating the night like little lanterns. I can see everyone from where I lay, but I'm only watching Meredith.

  She's restless.

  She walks to her tent. Then, she walks to the lean-to. Then the outhouse. A minute later, she changes direction, and walks toward the woods.

  I hear Erek ask her what's wrong, to which she replies, "My stomach hurts."

  Then she's gone again.

  Daniel crawls into the tent and lies down beside me.

  "Go ahead and zip it up," I say.

  We decided to share his tent tonight. Well, more like I told him I was sleeping in here, and he agreed because what else could he say? No? Not to his little sister, surely...even if she happens to be a grown woman. I don't care. I didn't want to be alone tonight. Knowing we're so close to Asheville has me on edge. I look up at the canvas roof. Shadows from nearby trees dance in the moonlight, creating odd, yet fascinating shapes on the canvas. I stare at them, hoping they'll lull me to sleep with their shadow puppet show.

  Daniel lays down beside me. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asks in a whisper.

  "Probably."

  "She's been lying to us since the beginning."

  I turn my head so I can see him better. "I thought y'all had moved past all that. I used to hear you asking her random questions here and there. Like it was some kind of game."

  He shakes his head. "I thought we were getting closer," he whispers, "but now, I don't know. Maybe all of it was a lie."

  “Maybe.”

  He doesn’t say anything else. A few minutes later he's snoring softly, already asleep, dreaming about whatever it is he dreams of these days. I lie awake another hour before I finally drift off into a fitful sleep.

  * * *

  Daniel

  Meredith is missing.

  "Well, where is she?" Erek asks for the third time.

  For the third time, we have no answer.

  I look at Wayne, hoping he might be able to shed some light on the matter, but he looks just as lost as the rest of us. Unbelievably, Meredith managed to pack up her tent and belongings in the dead of night and leave camp...and no one heard a thing. I look at the spot where her tent should be, but there's nothing there. Not even a dent in the grass.

  It's like she never existed at all.

  "What time did you go to sleep last night?" I ask Chloe.

  She shrugs. "Maybe an hour after you did?"

  I look at Erek. "So, she left some time after midnight, give or take...how far could she have gone?"

  He mentally calculates the time and distance. "Well, it's been about six hours now....rough terrain, rest breaks...maybe ten miles?"

&
nbsp; Wayne nods in agreement. "Most likely. But, it's still just a guess. And we don't know which direction. I found tracks going in three different directions," he says, motioning toward the perimeter of our small camp.

  "She was restless last night," Chloe reminds the group.

  Erek scratches his beard. "Yeah, said her stomach was hurting. But I guess she was just planning her exit....creating multiple sets of tracks so it would eat up time this morning."

  "So, what should we do?" Wayne asks.

  I look at the edge of the woods again, wondering where Meredith went. Then I remember what Wayne said at the gas station. Some things aren't meant to be known. A hard and bitter truth pulls back and punches me in the gut. She's gone. She ran to escape me. She tried to warn me...some secrets weren't mine to know...but I didn't listen.

  I pushed her away when all I really wanted to do was pull her closer.

  A dull ache works its way through my heart, until I say the words I don't really want to say. "If she doesn't want to be found, we honor her wishes."

  I turn and walk back to my tent.

  I'll never know what really happened in Meredith's past, or how she ended up in Wilco.

  I'll likely never see her again.

  I'll never feel her lips again.

  All these nevers, and nothing I can do but accept them.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chloe

  By Erek's estimation, we're about five miles east of Asheville, camped out at an old hunting spot he and his buddies frequented when he was a teenager; before he grew up and purchased 200 acres of prime mountain real estate with money earned after leaving the military.

  It's perfect...it has ample tree coverage, and it sits at a slightly higher elevation than the road leading into it, giving us a clear view of any traffic running parallel to our camp. Human or otherwise. There's a small stream 50 yards to the west, and of course there's the outhouse. Those two things alone make life feel almost normal.

  It reminds me of the clearing.

  "Do you think we'll be safe here?" I ask Erek.

  Erek nods. "If we can keep the perimeter secure, we will be."

  Daniel squints against the mid-morning sun. "It's a large space, though. It'll be difficult to watch all points of the perimeter," he says.

  "We can use these," Wayne says, holding up a pair of binoculars.

  "Where'd you get those?" I ask.

  He shrugs. "I've had 'em."

  "I've never seen them."

  "I didn't want you to see 'em before," he says, then walks off.

  Daniel takes another look around the camp. "We need more survivors. The more eyes we have, the better we can protect our borders."

  I think about that for a minute. Yes, more survivors would provide additional sets of eyes, but it's hard to trust new people...and it's even harder to lose them once you begin to care about them. Plus, it's not like there's a ton of people walking through the area.

  Most of the people walking these hills are already dead.

  * * *

  Daniel

  I wonder where Meredith is now.

  It's been four days, and there's been no sign of her. No trace. She may as well have vanished into thin air. I wish I wouldn't have asked her about that gun. I thought I wanted to know. I thought I didn't care about her feelings.

  I never thought I'd miss her this bad.

  I hope she's okay. Wherever she is.

  Wayne sits down beside me and lights a cigarette. "For what's worth, I think she's fine," he says.

  I snort. "How do you always know what I'm thinking?"

  "I don't," he says, taking a drag. "I've just been meaning to tell you that for a few days now."

  "I hope you're right," I say.

  "You may never know for sure, and you gotta make your peace with that," he says, looking at me. "Can't let it get in your head and get you distracted."

  I nod. "I know. I just....I can't believe she left."

  He doesn't answer. We sit for a few more minutes in silence. Each of us lost in our own set of worries. Wayne takes another drag of his cigarette and exhales the smoke through his nose. "People like Meredith aren't built for happily-ever-afters," he says.

  "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

  He shrugs. "Hard to say. I just know they all have a look about 'em. That same haunted look, like they're carrying five hundred pounds of lies on their shoulders...always pretending to be someone they ain't." He takes another drag, and exhales the smoke slowly. "Sooner or later, they can't remember what version of themselves they messed around and let you fall in love with. Then it's just another pound of lies added to the pile."

  I raise an eyebrow. "Speaking from experience?"

  "Nah, man. Just watched a lot of movies before the world went down the drain," he says, stubbing out the cigarette on the cold ground.

  I laugh, watching as the cherry fades to ash. I feel as dull and empty as it looks...like I'm just another discarded filter. I think of Meredith, with her auburn hair and green eyes, and her heart filled with a lifetime of deception. I should hate her for breaking my heart, but I can’t, no matter how hard I try.

  I miss her.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chloe

  Wayne and Erek are getting ready to leave. We decided it would make sense for a couple of us to scout the area around Asheville before we try to enter the city. Since Erek and Wayne are the most resourceful, and therefore, the most likely to survive something unexpected, they volunteered to go. Five days max...that's the deal. Any longer than that, they have to come back. Whether they made it into the city or not.

  Plenty of time.

  I hand Wayne a bottle of water. "Y'all be careful out there."

  He nods.

  I give Erek the second bottle. "And try not to get into any trouble."

  He smiles. "Worried you'll miss me, Princess?"

  My heart screams “yes!” but I just roll my eyes, and say, "I'm worried you won't come back and tell me what's in Asheville."

  He snorts. "Using me, I see."

  I laugh. "Just be careful, okay?"

  The smile fades and his eyes grow serious. "We'll be fine, but I want you and Daniel keeping your eyes peeled. Don't let your guard down for a single second."

  I salute. "Yes sir."

  "I'm serious, Chloe."

  I stop smiling. "I will...I mean, we will be careful. No worries."

  "Erek," Daniel says. "Do me a favor, will you? If you can get close enough...safely...stop by this address," he says, passing a piece of paper to Erek.

  "Marimount Avenue?" Erek says, reading from the paper. He looks up. "This where your parents lived?"

  "Yes. It's two exits before the Biltmore exit."

  "Please, Erek," I say. "It would mean so much to me."

  Erek folds the piece of paper and puts it in his pocket, then turns to Wayne. "You ready, brother?"

  "Just waitin' on you."

  Erek looks at me one last time, then they turn and begin walking down the road. A minute later, they're out of sight. Off to face whatever comes their way.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chloe

  I'm worried about the guys. Erek and Wayne left for Asheville a couple of days ago. I never believed time could move slower than it already did, but since Erek and Wayne have been gone, the seconds drag.

  I miss Erek.

  I wouldn't dare admit that to him. But I do.

  I don't understand what it is about him. He drives me crazy, and not always in a good way. And he's so much different than Scott, who was always clean cut and well-dressed. I thought that's what I wanted in a man. It complimented my designer tastes, perfectly manicured nails, and salon-styled hair. I thought looking nice and presenting a good image was the definition of happiness. Then the world ends and I meet Erek...with his military-grade fashion sense, and tattoos...and suddenly none of that other stuff seems to matter. Erek is real. Imperfections and all. And he doesn't care what anyone, me included, thinks of him.
>
  It's refreshing.

  The differences don't end there.

  Scott always treated me like I would break; like I was something to be protected, but at the expense of being his equal. Erek isn't like that. He doesn't pull any punches...he tells me like it is, and doesn't seem to care whether I want to hear it or not. He makes it clear he expects just as much from me as he does everyone else in the group.

  I respect him for that. It makes me want to try harder. It makes me want to prove I can take care of myself. It makes me feel.....stronger?

  I twist a strand of hair around my finger, thinking. About him. About me. It's been weeks since I've had anything other than sand and water from the stream, infused with wildflower oil, to wash my hair. Most stores we've raided lately are out of toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste. Erek noticed it was important to me to feel clean, so he taught me how to make do with the things nature provides free of charge. Somehow, even though I've not worn makeup, perfume, or deodorant for a while now, I feel more beautiful than I ever did before the world ended. Maybe it's the way he looks at me when he thinks I'm not paying attention. Or, maybe it's the way he puts me in my place when I start complaining or feeling sorry for myself.

  Maybe it's in his irritating pet name for me.

  Princess.

  I don't know what it is. But I know I want him back. Safely. I want to see where this story takes us. I look up at the night sky, and the stars twinkling above...I hope they line up long enough to bring our story full circle.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Daniel

  "Well, I didn't expect that," Chloe says, laughing.

  I follow her gaze to the road. I notice an old white box truck, barreling toward camp. I immediately tense up, preparing myself to defend us, until I see Erek and Wayne sitting in the cab. My pulse slows.

  I squint, taking in the sight. "I wonder where they found that dinosaur."