by Poe, S. B.
Devin and Jahda walked up to the door of the old store. She swung it open and stepped inside. She tapped against the doorframe and heard the heavy rasp of dead lungs. The stringer stood at the back of the dimly lit room. She stepped sideways as it slowly came down the aisle of empty shelves. Devin stepped the other way and started down the other aisle. He paused and looked down. Another one sat on the floor with its back against an empty shelf. Half of its face was torn away and it had a crowbar sticking from its chest. When it turned and tried to stand Devin could see that it had been sitting for so long the skin on its back had fused against the shelf and tore away as it tried to move. He quickly stepped over to it and drove his machete through its eye. Pop. He looked back towards Jahda.
She watched the thing coming towards her. It’s clothing was falling apart. She could see the large stain on the front of its shirt with the bullet hole in the center of its chest. She steadied her balance and brought the tip of her blade up. When the thing stepped in range she drove it forward. Pop. It went down. She walked around it slowly. The others came through the door.
“Everything ok?” Martin asked.
“Yeah, just two. They been here a while, I think.” Devin said.
Jahda walked to the back of the store. The door to the walk-in freezer was closed. She grabbed the handle and popped the locked. It swung open. It took her a moment to process what she saw. The stringer on the floor was trying to reach out to her but it was so emaciated that it could barely raise its head. One hand slowly crept forward and stopped. She stepped towards it and realized that this had once been a child about Ham’s age. She paused.
She raised the machete above the things temple.
“Have peace.” She said as she drove the tip through the side of its head. Pop.
They made a fire in the old steel drink cooler by the counter. They moved all the stringers together in the freezer and closed the door. They pulled the jeep and truck right up to the doors to keep them blocked. They slept between the aisles. The sky cleared as they slept. When they woke the sun was creeping over the trees. The lake began the morning holding the cold close to the surface but soon lost the battle to the sun. Vapor rose from the water like sprites’ reaching for heaven and the morning was soon blanketed in an ethereal fog. Josh stood looking through the window of the store. He had left without knowing if he would ever see his family again. For the first time he began to wonder if they were still there.
10
Look over the Hill
Kate leaned against the counter in the kitchen looking at the cup in her hand. Evelyn came through the door and smiled at her.
“Do you believe it now?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” Kate started.
“Is it that you don’t believe it or that you don’t want to believe it?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kate asked. She was surprised to feel anger start to rise inside her.
“Kate I know losing JW…” Evelyn started.
“Fuck you.” Kate said. “None of you would be here right now without JW.”
Evelyn paused and looked at her. She started again.
“Kate I know losing JW was hard. It was hard for all of us because of what you just said. He got us here. I also know it was infinitely harder for you.”
Kate looked at her. She felt everything she had felt since JW died rise up inside her.
“It’s not fair. I hate myself for saying it but it’s not. Why should Charlie get to be the one who lives? Why does he get to keep going when my husband didn’t?”
“It’s not fair Kate. It really isn’t. But good people died before this happened too. My husband died a long time ago.” Evelyn said. “None of that was fair but there is nothing we can do to change it. We just can’t. And even that’s not fair.”
“Ok fine. So Charlie is immune or whatever, what the hell does that matter to me? It doesn’t bring my husband back and it doesn’t change the fact that my son is out there somewhere. Maybe.” She choked up on the last.
“I know.” Evelyn said.
Evelyn turned and went back through the other door into the saloon. Dottie sat at one of the tables along with Ed. Scott had sat back down at the bar. Evelyn patted him on the forearm as she walked by. She kept going back outside. Raj and Tilly were sitting at the picnic table watching Charlie and Jennifer walking up and down the track. The sun was out and even though it was still cold, the snow had stopped falling and everything was starting to melt. Snowy Alabama days never lasted long. Bridger sat at one end of the porch watching the track of road between the buildings slowly turn into mud. Evelyn walked up and sat down next to him. He smiled at her.
“So I guess he’s going to be ok?” Evelyn asked.
“Raj thinks so.” Bridger said.
He turned and looked at her. She raised her eyebrows. He knew she wasn’t satisfied with his answer. It dawned on him that he wasn’t quite sure how he knew that but he knew it anyway.
“I think so too.” He said. She smiled.
They stood and walked back over to the picnic table where Raj and Tilly were sitting.
“What are they doing in there?” Tilly asked nodding towards the saloon door.
“Same as out here I guess.” Evelyn said.
“A serious what the fuck moment huh?”
“I guess.” Evelyn said.
“They just keep walking back and forth. Are we sure they both haven’t turned?” Tilly asked with a smile on her face.
“Pretty sure.” Raj said. “I am a doctor.”
“Yes you are.” Tilly said and leaned against to him.
“Ok doc, what now?” Bridger asked. “What comes next?”
“Treat him for the bite wound and monitor his recovery.” Raj said.
“How close should we monitor ‘his recovery’?” Bridger raised one eyebrow as he asked.
“Look at him.” Raj said and nodded at Charlie. He and Jennifer were turning back around from the far gate and walking back towards them. “He’s going to be fine.”
“It truly is a miracle.” Dottie said from over their shoulder. She had managed to come out of the door without any of them hearing her. Bridger was impressed.
“We got more coffee going if y’all want some. It’s too cold out here for me.” Dottie said.
She walked back inside. Raj and Tilly stood and followed her.
“You going?” Evelyn asked.
“In a minute.” Bridger said.
“What’s bothering you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just a feeling. Do you not think Raj is right?”
“It’s not that.” Bridger said.
“So there is something?” She smiled.
“It’s nothing really. I have been playing this out in my head. Charlie being immune and all that.”
“And.”
“And I think it’s great news for Charlie and Jennifer.”
“But” Evelyn seemed a little exasperated trying to draw this out of Bridger.
“But that’s it. It’s great news for Charlie and Jennifer. It doesn’t change anything else. It doesn't make the world go back to the way it was. It doesn't bring anyone we lost back and it doesn’t keep us any safer than before. I guess what I am trying to say is that if Charlie is immune it really doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
The sun had burned off most of the fog but the ground was still covered in white. The road was still icy in spots but was mostly a black ribbon stretching into the distance. They traveled slightly faster. Josh could see the bright red fireworks sign ahead although it didn’t seem quite as bright now. He slowed as they took the fork to the left. He thought he saw smoke coming from the woods behind the old post office. He glanced at the fireworks stand and noticed the door was hanging on the hinges. When he turned his eyes back to the road in front of him he realized that this was the last stretch. They had about five or six miles to go and they would be there. But what would they find. He unconsciously slowed down a little.
They approached the spot he knew. The half painted post and the little dirt road to the left. He knew about a hundred yards into the woods was the creek and the gate. Past that about a quarter mile was a wide spot in the road and what’s left of a burnt out bus, some long dead stringers and memories. He was home. He slowed down more.
“Something wrong.” He heard the voice come over the walkie. He took it from Lori.
“Nah. We’re almost there. I have to kind of feel my way from here because I am just going by what Bridger told me.” Josh said.
“Take your time.” Martin said.
Josh slowed to less than ten miles per hour. It was almost a crawl. He remembered the directions. Around three miles total, around two bends and halfway around a third there would be a dirt road on the left. Just a wide spot through the woods. He rolled his window down. The cold air shot in but the heater on the truck worked just fine. He looked at the woods to his left. The uncommon white highlighted the empty blackness of the trees. All the limbs sagged under the newfound weight of the snow and ice.
“Whoa.” Lori said as she placed her hand on the dash.
Josh whipped his head around to her and followed her gaze back through the front windshield. He tapped the breaks and steered to his right slightly off the road. He looked back out the open window as he passed the pile of bones and clothes in the middle of the road.
“What happened here?” Lori asked.
“Looks like someone put down a bunch of stringers.” Josh said. They drove by.
He began around the last bend and started looking. Just like Bridger said there was a wide spot between the trees. He turned in.
“Are we here?” Martin asked over the walkie.
“I think so. He said it was way back in the woods though so I guess we’ll see.” Josh said.
They followed the path back into the woods. The trees lining either side clearly marked the road but the track itself was still hidden beneath the surface snow. The truck dipped slightly as it found mud. He felt the tires spin as he pressed on the gas to get through the slick spot. Jahda saw him start to spin and stopped in case he needed to reverse. She watched him and saw the ruts left behind the truck.
“I think I am going to go just a little to the left. I don’t want to get in his ruts.” Jahda said. She pulled a little to the left of the tracks Josh left and started after him. She heard a loud pop and stopped.
“Hold on Josh. Something happened.” Martin said as Jahda stepped out of the jeep. She walked to the front and knelt down beside the tires. She stood up and kicked it.
“What happened?” Martin said as he stood on the other side.
“Blown tire. Looks like we ran over a small stump. It looks like something cut it off. It sure looks sharp.” She stood and kicked the tire again.
“Beavers probably.” Martin said as he stepped out of the jeep.
Jennifer came up to Bridger and Evelyn as they stood on the porch. They didn’t see Charlie with her.
“Is everything ok?” Evelyn asked.
“My dad needs you. He wants you to come to the gate.” Jennifer said looking at Bridger.
He turned his head a looked down towards the gate. Charlie was standing in the middle of the track looking his way and waving both hands like ground control at an airport. Bridger started towards him. Jennifer and Evelyn fell in behind him.
“What is wrong?” Evelyn asked.
“I don’t know. He just kept asking if I could hear something, which I couldn’t, and then he sent me for him.” She said nodding at Bridger. They got to Charlie.
“What’s going on?” Bridger asked.
“I heard something. It sounded like a car.” Charlie said.
They all paused and listened. Each of them started looking slightly higher and higher in the sky, as though you hear through your nostrils. Finally Bridger looked down slightly.
“I don’t hear anything.”
“Me either.” Charlie conceded.
“What did you hear? Specifically.” Evelyn asked.
“It sounded like a car or a truck. In the distance back towards the road. Maybe even on the road. But it slowly got closer and just when I sent Jennifer to get you I heard a shot or pop or something. And then it stopped. But I swear I heard it.” Charlie said.
“Ok. So I’ll hang out and see what’s up. Y’all go back to the saloon and warm up.” Bridger said. “Evelyn?”
“Yes.”
“Can you get me those binoculars.” Bridger said. Charlie and Jennifer started back to the saloon.
“Yep.” Evelyn said.
“Get Tilly and Raj too.” Bridger nodded. She nodded back.
“Well shit.” Devin said as he came around from the other side. “We got a jack?”
“I think the ground is too soft to jack it up?” Martin said.
Josh and Lori had walked back to see if they could help. They couldn't.
“We can try and change it. We can put something under the jack. An axe handle or something.” Jahda said.
“Josh, how far to where we’re going?” Martin asked.
“Honestly I don’t know but it can’t be too far.” Josh said.
“Let’s do this for now. Let’s just all pile in the back of the truck. We can go a little farther and if we don’t find it we come back and get this done. Then we can figure out what to do next. But if we do find it, we can come back and get this on a little bit warmer day. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.” Martin said.
“Now that’s a good plan Papi.” Ham said.
They grabbed their backpacks and climbed in the back of the truck and they started off again. Josh felt another slick spot under the wheels. He added gas, the engine revved, and they slid through. He also found two rather large puddles that weren’t frozen or snow covered. They were just mud. He slow rolled into the first one and almost let it come to a stop. He had to shower on the gas harder than he wanted to get out the other side. The next one he came to he gave it gas the whole way through. As he topped a hill he looked down the track and could see what looked like a fence across the road. It was still several hundred yards away.
Bridger stood at the gate trying to mark the sound. As soon as Evelyn was out of sight he started hearing what Charlie heard. It was definitely a vehicle. He could hear the engine rise and fall. Tilly came beside him and handed him the binoculars. Raj and Evelyn stood on the other side. They all heard the sound. Bridger knew it was about to top the hill in front of them. He put the binoculars to his eyes.
“Go get the others.” Bridger said as he looked. “Now.”
Tilly turned and walked back towards the saloon. Bridger put the binoculars back to his eyes. Bridger handed the binoculars to Evelyn and she looked up the hill and saw a truck slowly coming towards them.
“Someone’s coming, Bridger wants everyone at the gate.” Tilly said as she burst through the door. They all looked at her stunned by her entrance. She straightened up and looked around.
“What did you say?” Scott asked.
“I said there is someone coming. We heard a vehicle coming down the road and he sent me to get everyone.” Tilly said.
“So y’all heard it too.” Charlie asked.
“Yes, Charlie. We did. So once again, if everyone could just get to the fucking gate. Now. Please?” She turned and walked out of the door.
Scott and Ed stood along with Charlie and Jennifer and followed her. Dottie sat down at the table and looked up at Kate.
“Someone needs to pray hard for that girl.” Dottie said.
Kate smiled at her and walked out of the door. She paused on the porch and looked down the road. She could see the others gathered in front of the gate. There was a truck stopped on the other side. She saw Bridger swinging the gatepost out of its hole and watched the others back away so the truck could pull inside. She stood watching as the truck pulled in. She saw four people, one of them a child, jump from the back of the truck. Then she saw the driver get out. She took off running.
11
The only child
For a hundred miles
Kate hugged Josh again. She couldn’t stop smiling. The tears rolled down her cheeks freely. She wouldn’t let go. Even when she wasn’t hugging she tried to touch him. To make sure it was real. Scott watched her after hugging his brother a few times himself. Jennifer and Lori were standing with Devin. Jahda and Ham stood by Martin who was spending a few moments retelling of the stranded vehicle they left just down the road to Bridger.
“We’ll get it whenever y’all want but don’t worry about the food. We got plenty for now.” Evelyn said.
Kate and Josh walked over to the others. Lori saw Josh and joined him. Josh took a moment to introduce his new friends to his family.
“Mom, Scott this is Martin.” He turned to Martin. “I can’t believe this but I don’t know your last name.”
“Hauk.” Martin said. As he shook hands with Scott and accepted a hug from Kate, Josh turned to introduce them to the smallest member of the group.
“This is Ham.” He paused and instantly got the joke. “Hauk.”
“Katie is my real name but I don’t like it.” Ham said.
“Hi Ham. My name is Kate” Kate said as she bent down to shake her hand. Ham looked slightly embarrassed. Then Kate smiled at her.
They all stood by the gate talking for another half hour. Josh told them of what he found at the house, besides his new friends. Devin told the story of the visit to Lori’s parents. Jennifer comforted Lori as she shed tears during the telling. As the story unfolded Bridger nodded towards Jahda when Devin described the escape plan.
Josh stood just outside the group gathered around listening to Devin. He looked to his right and saw Charlie listening. He looked around at the rest of the group.
“So Charlie.” He said as he turned and looked up the track. He could see the smaller buildings lined up on either side. They were old but standing. He could see two larger buildings at the far end with the bus parked between them. And he saw the barn just to his left. “Is this place as good as it looks?”