by Sage du Toit
Sam asked Hollis if he had been to either Best Buy or Cracker Barrell yet, even the electronics store had some candy and other snack items. Hollis said he had been to the Best Buy but not Cracker Barrell. He only found dead people at Best Buy. They stopped and went in anyway, just to be sure he didn’t miss someone hiding in the employee lounge or something. Kaitlyn told them her dad was the manager and his name was Kurt. She said he would have a name tag on his shirt. They found Kurt right inside of the front door. Sam carefully removed his wallet and name tag and realized she should have done that for Ella’s dad too.
Since they were at Best Buy Tom wanted to see if they had any night vision binoculars. He found several and they took all of them and then found batteries and took those too. Sam found some big backpacks and they loaded them all up so they could take them back and test them to see if any of them still worked.
When they pulled up to the Cracker Barrell Sam saw there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. She realized it would have been breakfast time during the attack. There were quite a few dead bodies outside of the doors on the pavement. Sam noticed that the bodies seemed different. They were in different stages of decomposition. She looked at Tom and knew immediately what that could indicate, and it could be bad or good. The windows were all covered in closed blinds and it looked like they were covered from the inside.
They entered the first set of doors and the second set was sealed with tape. Sam knocked and called out. There wasn’t an answer so they knocked again and then pushed the doors. They wouldn’t budge, they were locked. Tom pulled out his chemical tester and checked the little room. It was clear so they removed their masks first and then he took out his little crow bar and pried the door open. There was a small group of people standing right inside the door with knives and one old gun. Sam held up her hands told them they were there to help them.
The group seemed to visibly relax and there were a few murmurs of “Thank God, finally some help.”
Sam realized she had just given them false hope and she rephrased her statement, “What I mean is we are here to help guide you…and get you out of here. We honestly can’t do more than point you in the right direction for survival.”
Sam looked around. They all looked in reasonably good health. They were clean and it looked like they were all wearing clothes from the Cracker Barrel racks. She asked if one of them was Abigail’s mom, Sarah and a middle-aged woman stepped forward with hope on her face. Sam told her that her daughter was safe and she was the one that sent them to find her. Sarah grabbed Sam in a hug and started crying.
Chapter 4
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Sarah let Sam go from the hug and turned around to look at the rest of the group. Two women and a man came forward and one of the women said, “What about our children? They were supposed to be at my house and Abigail was with them. Are they all alive and ok? Are they still at the house? We’ve been worried sick.”
Sam stood stunned, how could the other parents be here? “Are you Elizabeth? Hannah, Mia, Olivia and Noah’s mom? They are all fine!”
She nodded and said, “Please call me Beth”
And the man with her interrupted, “I’m Jacob, their dad. We were all here planning the last-minute details of Hannah’s 16th surprise birthday party when the shit hit the fan. We are so glad to hear they are ok. How did they survive? There wasn’t much food in the house… Are they starving?”
The third woman was stepping forward, “And my baby Ella, she’s ok?” They all had tears in their eyes. Sam assured them they were ok and told them that they would reunite them all soon. She told them they had plenty of food, even enough to feed all of them.
Sam asked, “How many are here?” There were some sitting down and she didn’t know if there were more people in the other room.
A short, bald man that appeared to be in his late thirties stepped forward and said, “I’m Chris, I was the manager here. There are twelve of us still here. We’ve managed ok so far but we have been careful to conserve our food trying to make it last. A few people tried to go out a month ago and….well I’m sure you saw their bodies outside.”
Tom stepped forward, “Yes we did see them, have you been boiling your water?” Clean water now seemed to be Tom’s major concern with survival, and Sam had to agree after she experienced drinking contaminated water, she would never do it again!
Chris said Hannah had them boiling the water from day one. And her skills as a nurse are what have kept several of them alive. He indicated toward two older people that were sitting in chairs on the side of the room.
Sam and Tom looked around. The Cracker barrel was a large store and restaurant combined. The front store had been rearranged and there were pillows and blankets on the floor in some areas. Just inside the restaurant area, Sam could see a large fire place and there was even wood stacked up next to it. She pointed it out to Tom and they realized this would be a good place temporary place for the whole group.
Sam quickly explained that the kids were not at their house but at the little Country Store/Ice cream Shop with their aunt Martha and her boyfriend, Hollis. Sam pointed to Hollis. Beth and Jacob both did a double take and in unison said, “Say what?!”
Sam looked at Tom for help and he gave her a look that said, “You opened the box, it’s your problem now.” All the parents were bombarding her with questions now and she just held up both of her hands and asked for quiet.
“I’m not going to explain the details right now, I will let them tell you. Besides we weren’t even there. We just met them yesterday and they asked us to help!
“Y’all are in a better space and living situation here, so we will go back to where they are and get everyone and bring them here along with as much food as we can. There will be ten people, which includes all seven kids, so you might want to make spaces for them. Once we get everyone here, we can help work out a plan for your future or direct you to a place where they already started rebuilding.”
Tom bowed his head at her in acknowledgement of a job well done. Tom asked the group if they had seen any movement around the area. They said they thought they heard a vehicle pass near by the day before but that was the only thing they had heard in six months. Tom told them that was probably them getting stuff from the pediatric clinic for the kids, it was right behind the Cracker Barrel. Tom realized what he had said and Sam watched the faces of the parents take on an edge of fear.
“I thought you said the kids were fine! Why did you need stuff from the pediatric clinic for them!?”, Jacob voiced with concern.
Tom calmed him down and said, “Sorry, they are ok now, they were just a little dehydrated when we got to them because they were drinking unfiltered water. They all learned their lesson and I promise you they won’t ever do it again!”
The parents calmed down and then Sam for a tour of the store. The store had a lot of antiques that had been used for decoration and they had taken some of them down, including a washboard and tub. They had not been using the fireplace because they were afraid to open the flue. Tom checked the flue with his chemical detector and they removed the plastic that was blocking it and he checked it again. He told them it would be fine to build a fire now, and Chris went to work immediately getting one started. Sam thought it would be nice to have a warm place.
She never would have thought of a Cracker Barrel as a great place to be stuck in a time like this but they had so many useful things. The store had dozens of oil lanterns, there were lots of blankets and pillow and there were even still clothes hanging on racks. There were games and toys that they had obviously be playing with and even several checker boards set up. Sam thought the kids would really be happy to see their parents and have games and toys again.
Sam had been going all morning and the coffee suddenly hit her. She asked if she could use their bathroom. Sarah pointed to the restroom sign and she walked to the back of the store. She was surprised at how clean it was and she saw they even had a
large washtub and she wondered if they used it for baths. There were a variety of soaps and lotions on the counter between the sink. She was happy to see there was toilet paper when she went in the stall. She was worried they would be out after all his time. N-Day was almost seven months ago and this group had managed to conserve and use what they had on hand from that time until now. Sam didn’t think they would need much help once they could leave this building. The kids would be in good hands.
When Sam was done she washed her hands and used some of the lotion. As she was walking back out into the front room an old man that had been sitting off to the side of the room asked, “So, is it safe to go outside now? Or will we die like those other fools right outside the door?”
Tom told them that it was only safe if you were wearing a mask but if an area had been checked and there wasn’t currently any sign of nerve gas it would be ok to go out wearing just a breather. He explained that he would make sure everyone had one and then they could start going out and getting the things they needed…or they could move everyone to a better location.
They were getting ready to leave when Jacob and Beth said they wanted to go with them. They didn’t want to wait to see their kids and they said they could help. Then the other mothers stepped up and said the same thing. Tom explained that it would be hard without masks or breathers for everyone. He finally told them that two of them could come with them but they would have to devise some type of breathing filter and cover their heads with plastic bags unless they were inside, either that or risk death. That made them all reconsider except for Jacob and Beth.
Tom devised a temporary solution but reiterated the warning to them again that if they really encountered any nerve agent that they would be exposed and would probably get sick and possibly die. They both agreed and as an extra precaution Tom had them ride in the cab of the truck with Sam driving. Tom and Hollis road in the back and Tom asked Sam to stop at the tool place he had wanted to stop at the other day, they should have the breathers he needed to make everyone temporary masks.
When Sam pulled up to the tool store Tom motioned for her and told her to stay inside, he said he would have Hollis help him. As he was walking away Beth asked, “Was he just talking to you in sign language?” Sam told her yes and explained how they were both fluent in the language and it really came in handy a lot! So much better than trying to yell through gas masks and windows!
Beth said she knew a little from nursing but she would love to learn more and teach it to her kids. Sam told her she would be happy to teach them until it was time for her and Tom to go. Beth seemed shocked, “What do you mean go? I thought you were going to stay here and help us!”
Sam explained that they were trying to get to Texas and that they had only traveled from Fort Jackson, SC to here, but they kept running into problems. She told them about Augusta and Atlanta and how bad it was. By the time Tom came running out with big garbage bags full of stuff, the couple in the front cab with Sam were sitting in stunned silence. Sam took off as soon as Tom gave her the signal and headed for the Country store.
When she pulled around back so told the couple to follow her quickly inside. She could see they were very excited and she rushed them through the back door as Tom and Hollis followed with the big black bags full of items. Once inside she removed her mask and helped them removed their improvised masks. Thomas had come to the back when he heard them come through and was surprised they had two people with them. Sam lead Beth and Jacob to the front room and she saw the kids were all actively playing with the kittens. Thomas was telling her that the kittens had just woken up from a nap.
Hannah turned around and saw her parents and screamed, “Mom, Dad!” Then her and all her siblings came running and Sam moved out of the way. She saw the kittens were all scattering in fear and she called them over to the trailer. Mew was the first one to her and crawling up her leg and was trying to get into her shirt. Lucky was already in the trailer and on her favorite spot at the top. Beth was already telling Abigail and Ella that their moms were at the Cracker Barrell and they were fine.
Tom was off to the side talking to Kaitlyn and explaining to her that they were sorry but they had found her dad and he was deceased. He gave her the name tag and wallet they had taken from the man at Best Buy and she broke down in huge sobs. Beth saw what was happening and broke herself away from her happy family reunion to go comfort Kaitlyn.
Tom told everyone to pack up whatever they wanted to take and he dumped out the bags he brought from the tool shop and started making temporary masks. Sam secured all the kittens in the trailer and collected all the kitten toys. They were going to pack the truck with food and as much as they could fit in RV as well.
It was getting close to dark and they were packed full. There were still boxes of food in the Country store but they had packed all they could. The kids were all a great help, carrying as much as they could as the adults put it all away. They had left just enough room for everyone to sit. As they were loading up and getting ready to leave, Martha and Hollis told them they weren’t going. They wanted to stay at the Country store and guard what was left. No one argued with them and Beth gave her sister a hug and they finished loading up.
Jacob was driving the RV with Beth and all their kids plus Ella inside. Thomas was driving his truck with Kaitlyn and Abigail in the cab with him. Tom and Sam had also decided they didn’t need to go with them to the Cracker Barrell. They could manage on their own until tomorrow. Tom had made everyone temporary masks, including enough for the people still at Cracker Barrel and even a few extras. Tom and Sam were going to ride their bikes with the trailers attached back to their house. They had considered going with them and spending the night at Cracker Barrell but it had been a long stressful day and there were plenty of people to help unload the truck and RV. They didn’t need Tom and Sam to tell them what to do, they could figure it out on their own.
When they had left the house that morning, they didn’t know if they would be coming back. Sam was happy to wheel her bike and trailer into the living room. She let Lucky and the kittens out of the trailer and opened the door to the bedroom. Tom was lighting their lantern’s and Sam went to unpack some food and make them a quick supper, she also heated up some water for their hot water bottles. She had taken a large can of beef raviolis from the Country store. Thomas had told her she should take anything she wanted but she had only taken a few things, including a big can of coffee and a jar of non-dairy creamer.
They ate and took a quick cold shower together. Crawling into the prewarmed bed with Tom, Sam realized she was going to miss this the most when they were finally out on the road. She nuzzled up to his chest and he wrapped his arms tight around her. They were both still naked from the shower and she could feel him growing hard. Sam reached up and pulled Tom’s head down into a deep passionate kiss. Their lips and tongues lingering together as she felt her body warmth increase even more.
She turned around so they were spooning and she felt his long hard shaft setting into the crack and push slightly between her legs. She reached down put her hand between her legs and pushed him up against her. He moved back slightly and rubbed his long rod back and forth along her slit, just pushing up against her nub. She adjusted slightly and the tip just entered her. He pushed a little harder and then pulled back out. He started to lightly tease her by only going in a little and then pulling back out. This was one of his favorite things to do because it drove her crazy. He reached his hand around her body and was gently massaging her breasts and tweaking her nipples. He then lowered his hand and placed it on top of hers. Moving her finger around her nub and rubbing it hard in circles.
She was moaning and wanting more of him, she quietly started begging him and he pushed her forward slightly and sank his rod deep inside of her. He started pumping hard, holding her hips and ramming his long hard rod deep inside of her until she was moaning his name then he called out her name and she felt him twitching and exploding inside of her and it set her off again.
Afterward they lay together still spooned tightly against each other. Tom nuzzled her ear and whispered how much he loved her. Sam was already drifting off to sleep and she whispered back she would love him always.
Suddenly there was a heavy thump on the end of the bed and Sam lazily looked down and saw Lucky had jumped up on the bed and was settling at their feet near the hot water bottle. Lucky was spending more and more time away from her kittens. Sam thought she was probably trying to ween them. The kittens practically mauled Lucky when she got around them.
The kittens hadn’t figured out how to climb up on the bed yet, so it was one of Lucky’s retreats from them. Sam realized that when they were traveling she would have to give Lucky a place to rest outside of the kitten trailer or else the kittens would drive her crazy. Sam was awake now as she lay listening to Tom’s light breathing of a deep sleep, she tried to think of where Lucky could safely rest.
They could make a separate place for her in the other trailer, but it was packed full and they would have to repack everything. She wondered if Tom could make Lucky some type of gas mask. She wasn’t sure Lucky would be willing to wear it, but it might be worth a try. Then she could just let Lucky run lose and come ride on the trailer whenever she wanted. Sometimes she even laid on top of the saddle bags that were over the back tires.
Sam realized that could be another option, she could probably secure the small cat tent to that area. Her brain was going over all the different options and things they could do, she realized she wanted to talk it over with Tom. He often had creative ideas that she hadn’t thought of. With that decision she finally started drifting off to sleep.