Stranded Box Set

by Theresa Shaver

  Joanna came up to the rail beside her. The older woman didn’t speak at first just stared out at the view. When she finally spoke, it was with great sadness.

  “So much death and destruction, the world will never recover to what it once was.” She turned to Emily with such sorrow in her eyes that the girl couldn’t help but reach out and take her hand.

  “Jacob and Claire are good people. They are like family to us. I just can’t believe she is gone and that he did the things you said he did.” Joanna wiped a tear from her face.

  Emily squeezed her hand. “I think that a lot of people are making bad choices for good reasons. We are all going to have to find a balance in this new world. The rules have changed and we will have to do what it takes to survive. We just have to be careful that we don’t lose our humanity along the way. I honestly don’t know what I would have done in Jacob’s place. He had watched his wife being kidnapped and his kids starve. If I was him, I might have done the same thing. I just don’t know. What I do know is that he didn’t physically hurt us and he could have. What I also know is that he was a good enough man that you risked yourselves to try and find him and that led to you rescuing us. That is too much of a coincidence for me. There is something or someone watching over us and whatever it was, it just steered things.”

  Joanna smiled down at Emily and pulled her into a loose hug. “You’re awfully young to be so wise.” They stood watching the small islands go by until Joanna pointed ahead of them. “There it is, home! You should go get your friends.”

  Once everyone was on deck, Joanna pointed out features of her island home as they passed. She explained what was going to happen.

  “We are going to drop you kids off at the campground. They have it set up for refugees. There are cabins and a first aid and food station. They will get you guys settled and you can relax for tonight. Luke and I need to unload this beast and then I will find out when there will be another shipment sent out. You kids can catch a ride with them to get you closer to the border. I’ll come around in the morning to check on you and we’ll make some plans.” She gave them a reassuring smile before pointing at the shore. “That’s our house!”

  They all looked at the pretty home overlooking the water. The raised beds around the house were full of blooming spring flowers. As the house slowly slid past, they could see a man come around the side and start waving at them.

  “That’s my son, Will.” She beamed and waved back. Will waved both arms over his head and pointed in the direction they were going. They all looked ahead and there was silence at what they saw. The nearest house to Joanna’s also overlooked the water and sitting at the home’s dock was the Lawless. Joanna’s face was filled with relief that her friends had made it home but it quickly turned to determination when she looked at the kids and their blank expressions.

  “All right then! I want you kids to know that we are going to make it up to you. What Jacob did was flat out wrong and I’ll see to it that there is payment made. We will do everything in our power to get you guys home. You leave it with me and I’ll take care of it!”

  Emily smiled and David shook his head.

  “Ma’am, thank you but we made it and I’m happy that those children are safe.”

  She just smiled and Emily knew from the look in her eyes she was planning something. It didn’t take much longer before they were pulling in at another dock. Emily could see people gathered further up on shore and there were a few men walking on the beach with shotguns and rifles. She shot a nervous look at Joanna and the older woman waved at the closest one.

  “You don’t need to worry about them, sweetie. There have been a few boats that have come over from the mainland, full of people who thought it would be better to take than receive, so we patrol the beaches now. Anyone who comes looking for help is welcome but we are ready for anyone who is unfriendly. You kids can sleep soundly tonight.” Joanna shot them a reassuring smile and move to help tie off the boat to the dock.

  Luke came out on deck carrying a crate that was full of ice-packed fish and stacked it by the ladder. David immediately went over to help and the two quickly stacked three more crates to be offloaded. They handed down the crates to men who had come out to help. Once they were done, Luke looked over at the group of teens that he had rescued and gave a brief nod before returning to the cabin.

  Joanna smiled at his back and rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind, Mr. Chatty, he’s not much for words but he’s got a big heart. Okay! Let’s get you kids onto solid ground. Grab your stuff and climb down onto the dock. I’ll walk you up to the camp and introduce you to Betty. She’s the one who organized everything and is running the camp.”

  Emily slung her pack over her shoulders and took a deep breath. Here we go, she thought, and for the first time in over two weeks, she climbed down onto land. The others were quick to follow and Joanna led them up the gentle slope into the camp.

  Emily found herself trying to look everywhere at once. There were groups of people sitting at picnic tables and others who were walking in between the cabins. There were children racing around in a game of tag and the sounds of their laughter calmed Emily’s racing heart. She could see four women hanging clean laundry on clotheslines that were stretched between trees and others that were sorting items from a stack of boxes. As they drew closer to the main building, the trees opened up and there was a huge cleared area that was being worked on by many people. Some people were tilling the land and others were planting seeds. It was a beautiful sight to Emily and she ached for the chance to be home doing the same.

  When they finally arrived at the main camp building, there were long tables set up with various foods spread over them. Three men and two women were chopping and slicing vegetables. On a table further away there was a man and woman working on the freshly delivered fish. At the main table, a woman in her mid-forties looked up from her chopping and frowned at the group of teenagers heading her way. When she caught sight of Joanna her whole expression changed to relief. She came hurrying around the table and caught Joanna up in a hug.

  “You’re back! Thank goodness, I was so worried.” She pulled back and stared closely at Joanna’s face. “Did you find any sign of them?” the woman asked hopefully.

  Joanna looked over at the teens before turning back and answering her. “We think he made it back with the children. It’s…a long story. Betty, this is Emily, David, Lisa, and Mason. We found them in a lifeboat out in the open water. Can you set them up in a cabin tonight? I want to head over to Jacob’s place and see them.”

  Betty looked confused by Joanna’s answer about their neighbour but quickly nodded and smiled in welcome at the kids. “Of course! Welcome to Samish Island. If you will come with me, I will show you to an empty cabin and fill you in on what’s happening here.”

  As she stepped away from them, Joanna gave them another smile and said, “I’ll be back in the morning after breakfast and we will discuss how to get you kids home. Enjoy supper and have a good sleep.”

  They all stood watching as Joanna went back down the hill towards the old fishing boat. After a few minutes, Betty ushered them away and they followed her to a small wooden cabin with a pretty little front railed porch. Betty went in first and started to open windows to air it out. The cabin was small with two rooms. The main room had a worn sofa and armchair that faced a fieldstone fireplace. Under the front window was a tiny dinette with four chairs. The bedroom had a double bed and a set of bunk beds against one wall. The room also had the smallest closet that Emily had ever seen. Once the tour was over they stood in the main room facing Betty.

  “There are outhouses just behind the cabin and buckets by the water pump over at the main building so you can bring water over for washing up. The main building has working toilets and showers are available in the mornings and in the evenings. There’s a sign-up sheet on the wall by the washroom doors for that. Dinner is at six tonight and breakfast is at seven. Lunch is very small and cold, usually just a sandwich and piece of
fruit. Once I show you boys to your cabin, you can get cleaned up and we will all meet for supper. We can discuss what work skills you have and where you will be working in the future.”

  When Betty took a breath to go on, David interrupted her.

  “Thank you, ma’am, we appreciate you letting us stay tonight and the hot supper is a real treat but we will be heading on in the morning after we talk to Joanna. Also, we would be much more comfortable staying together in one cabin.”

  Betty’s face creased into a huge frown. “Young man, it’s not proper for you two boys to be spending the night in the same room as these girls. The world out there is in chaos. It’s no place for children to be running around. It would be wrong of me to let you leave here where it’s safe and protected.”

  This time it was Emily that interrupted her.

  “Thank you again for your hospitality. We will get our things and leave now.” She stared the woman down with deadly serious eyes.

  Betty sputtered, “You have no idea what’s out there!”

  Emily tilted her head and said with the same dead serious tone, “We were in California when it happened. We know what’s out there because we walked through it. We have spent every night together since this all began and we will continue together until we make it home.”

  When Betty just stood there in shock, Emily continued. “May we please stay together tonight in this cabin? After we speak with Joanna in the morning, we will be heading out. Our parents and families are waiting for us.”

  Betty finally nodded. “I…yes, of course. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had come so far. I…well. I’ll leave you to get cleaned up and will see you in twenty minutes at supper.” She hurried out of the cabin and softly closed the door.

  Emily slumped down on the worn sofa. She was suddenly drained and all she wanted to do was sleep. Lisa sat down beside her and leaned against her. It was comforting in a way. Mason sat on the arm chair and tilted his head back before closing his eyes. David wandered around the room for a minute before leaving the cabin. They were all so tired that they dozed off.

  David woke them up ten minutes later when he came back with a bucket full of water and a bar of soap. Emily felt drugged as she washed her hands and face and then followed the others out of the cabin and over to the main building. As twilight fell, there were people lighting torches along the pathways. The doors of the main building were propped open and the bright light of electricity flooded out. The combination of light and amazing cooking smells perked Emily up. They went in and joined the line that was edging towards a simple buffet. There was a huge pot of soup as the main meal but it was the small plates of greens that caught Emily’s attention. It had been so long since she had had anything fresh that she felt her mouth water at the plates of salad with chunks of tomatoes on top. There were pans with fried fish and small glasses of juice as well. David let out a whoop of excitement when he spotted the tray with tiny oatmeal cookies and the woman behind the table laughed at his expression and handed him an extra.

  They picked a table away from the main part of the room and dug in to their simple but filling meal. Once the edge of her hunger was sated, Emily let her eyes roam around the room and took in all the other people that were dining. Most seemed to be content but there were a few that looked shell-shocked and overwhelmed. The one thing they all had in common was that they all looked clean. Emily scratched at her itchy head. Her hair was brittle from the salt water and her clothes were stiff. David noticed her fingering her hair and smiled.

  “When I came over earlier to get the water bucket, I put all of our names down for showers tonight. There are a few people ahead of us but it shouldn’t be too long of a wait. There’s a tray by the door that has little paper cups filled with soap and shampoo. I can’t wait to get this salt crust off of me.”

  Emily and Lisa beamed happily at him and Mason nodded with a smile. They finished up their food and took their empty trays back to the dishwashers. The thought of being clean sent them straight back to the cabin and they all grabbed their one extra change of clothes. Emily made a note to herself to see about washing their salt-encrusted clothes before they moved on. When they arrived at the shower room doors there were only four people waiting in line. The two men and two women waiting there stared at the kids before turning their backs. David raised his eyebrows in a question at the others but they just shrugged. Emily didn’t care. She just wanted to be clean and then sleep. The camp was a nice setup but she wanted to be home and she wasn’t looking to make friends. Once it was their turn, they all took the little cups of soap and separated into the men’s and women’s rooms. The hot water felt like heaven and if there had been more shampoo available, Emily would have scrubbed her hair a second time. As she pulled on her clean clothes, she felt sluggish and drowsy. The hot meal and hot shower had sapped all her strength as the lack of sleep from the past few days caught up with her. Lisa had to steer her back to the cabin and she helped her into bed. As Emily closed her eyes, she had a small smile on her face. Next step…home.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  In the morning, Emily woke with a sense of excitement. Even though they had travelled hundreds of miles by boat, it didn’t feel like they had. Today they would start the final leg of their journey home and she was itching to start walking. Everyone else must have felt the same because they were up early and ready to go. The main building was set up for breakfast and they eagerly joined the line that was forming. The meal was once again simple but filling. There was the biggest pot Emily had ever seen filled with oatmeal and raisins. A few bowls filled with canned fruit and small glasses of juice were also available. The teens savoured the meal as they knew that it would be the last one they had before they had to cook over a campfire.

  After they had finished their meal they headed back to the cabin and packed their bags. Emily was getting antsy to leave but there was no sign of Joanna. They had gathered on the front porch with their bags ready at their feet. Emily was pacing back and forth ready to be on the way. They had just started talking about getting directions and leaving when they heard the sound of engines heading their way. They all turned to look around, trying to spot where the noise was coming from. It wasn’t long before two ATVs and one Quad came towards them from the main road leaving the camp. Joanna was leading them and Emily could see the two other riders were men. As they got closer she saw David stiffen and Lisa gasped. As the riders got closer, Emily realized that one of the riders was Jacob, the man who had stolen their boat.

  When the three riders pulled up to the cabin and stopped, the teens were all on their feet on the porch staring down at them with grim silence. Jacob looked them over quickly and then stared at the ground. The other man with them was in his early thirties and he stared at them with a scowl on his face. Joanna approached the cabin and smiled.

  “Good morning! I hope you all had a good night. This is my son Will and you know Jacob. We have some ideas about helping you kids get home. Jacob?” She turned and waved him forward.

  Jacob didn’t seem like he was going to speak or even look at them for a minute. Emily was about to say something when he finally reached up and rubbed his forehead. He took a step forward and raised his eyes to them.

  “What I did to you kids…” He stopped and shook his head and cleared his throat. “What I did was wrong and I’m sorry. I was out of my head with grief for my wife and desperation for my children. I’m sorry and I’d like to try and make it up to you.” He lowered his head again and Emily clearly saw the regret in his eyes.

  It was David that replied to him. “Sir, we are sorry for what happened to your family. I’m glad you got your kids to safety. We would appreciate any help you could give us to get home.”

  Emily shot a quick look at Mason, who was frowning and Lisa, who stood with a blank face. She hoped they wouldn’t say anything. There was no point in rehashing what had happened and if these people were willing to help them get closer to home they should just let it go. Jacob nodd
ed at Joanna and her son crossed his arms and looked away angrily. Emily couldn’t tell who he was mad at.

  Joanna sent Jacob a compassionate smile and turned to the teens.

  “All right then. Will is leaving tomorrow to make a fish delivery to some of the rescue camps set up on the mainland. They go with armed guards and we think you should go with them. Their route will take you to about thirty miles from the Canadian border and past some of the more dangerous areas. Luke, my husband, and I talked it over and we want to give you kids this ATV. Jacob is going to give you his. You can double up on them and make much better time. Gas will be easy to find with all the abandoned cars on the roads. You just need to siphon it. We will give you some extra food and water and with a little luck, it should only take you about a week to get home.”

  Emily was shocked by the generous offering and she saw her friends felt the same. Mason’s face had a huge grin on it and Lisa had closed her eyes in relief. David had walked down the steps with his hand out to Jacob.

  “Sir, we can’t thank you enough!” he said as he shook the hand of the now smiling man. When he tried to shake Joanna’s son’s hand, the man angrily waved him off and sent a glare at his mother. Emily saw this over Joanna’s shoulder as she hugged the woman in gratitude. She pulled back from her and her smile changed to concern.

  Joanna looked behind her and met the glare of her son. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

  “Not one word! For the last time, this is not your decision to make!” she snapped at him harshly. Will shut his mouth and turned and walked away.

  Joanna took a deep breath and turned back to the kids. “He’s not happy with giving up the ATVs but we have an extra one and a truck that still works. It’s more than most people have and it’s the right thing to do. Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it.” Joanna smiled reassuringly at them before continuing. “You kids just relax for today and I’ll be back at dawn to get you. Be ready because they like to get on the road as soon as possible. I’ll head over and let Betty know that you’ll be staying another night.” Joanna called her son back over and Jacob gave them a nod before they started up their machines and rode away.