by Kip Nelson
Bracing The Storm
Survival Series Book 3
Kip Nelson
Copyright © 2019 by Kip Nelson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter One
Darren awoke, aching all over. His trek to the city had taken a lot out of him. He lay on a sheet of wood, a sleeping bag pulled over him, while Brent and Betsy looked after the kids. He only just had returned from venturing out to find food, although the amount he had brought back hadn’t been enough to make the trip worthwhile, not after what he had been through.
The world had changed over the past few months. A violent storm had caused an electromagnetic pulse and rendered all the electrical equipment impotent in the area, likely the country, perhaps the world itself. Darren had no way of knowing how extensive the damage was. He only was concerned with making sure his family was safe, a family who had two recent additions to it.
Betsy and Tara had proven themselves to be hardworking and determined, and they fit in well with himself, Brent, and Michelle. He was glad his children had friends of their own age to help them through these difficult times, although Darren himself was feeling the burden of responsibility. The welfare of these children fell to him, and if anything went wrong there was nobody else to blame.
Although he was surrounded by them every day, since they were holed up in a small cave that had become their home, his position as the only adult was a lonely one. Brent was growing up quickly, but there were so many nuances to the world that Darren couldn’t share.
Unfortunately, the only person who had come close to becoming a friend was Bill, the man who had been caring for Betsy and Tara. Bill turned out to be a villain, and Darren had ended up having to kill him to keep the kids safe.
Reflecting on that memory wasn’t something Darren liked to do. The nature of this world had forced him to be more savage, tapping into the primal energy that had been dulled by modern society. Without the safety blanket of modern life, he had had to regress into a predator, a hunter, protecting his own tribe.
It meant he had done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of, most of them on his recent journey to the city. But, he also had been faced with people who reminded him he was still human. There were lines he hadn’t crossed, lines he never would cross, such as eating human flesh.
His stomach churned as he thought about his encounter with those bloodthirsty men. How he had been forced to kill three of them, with another dying from a crash. They had hunted him like prey, and then tried chasing him when he fled. But he had proven himself a survivor, emerging unscathed. At the time the adrenaline and fear coursing through his body made him shake.
He promised himself he wouldn’t tell the kids about the horrors he had seen, for he wanted to protect them as much as possible. However, he didn’t know how long he would be able to keep that promise. The thoughts stabbed at his mind. He needed to unburden himself to someone; he only wished that it didn’t have to be his son. Brent already had seen too much darkness in this world.
Darren curled up into a fetal position, bringing his knees into his chest. How much more could one man take? He’d seen his wife leave him, his job fall apart, and then a year later the world followed. Now he was living day by day, struggling to survive in the bleak winter.
Their food supplies were dwindling, and the wider world offered no hope. When he embarked on his search for food, he had hoped he would find some salvation. Somewhere, people would have banded together and created a safe place for people just like him. But he only had found selfishness and woe.
There had been a few people in similar situations, but each of them had had their own problems to worry about. They all were going in different directions. Everything he’d seen pointed to a grim reality. All the bad people had joined together, and all the good people were scattered around the country. Nausea rose within him as he thought about the street that had been firebombed and was completely black. In the back of his throat he still could taste the ash, and he coughed violently.
On that first night, when the world had gone dark, he never could have imagined how grim the world would become. He saw terrible things that night, of course, as people lost their minds in the chaos, but part of him had hoped humanity would pull together. It didn’t seem as though that was happening, and Darren found himself with just his family for support.
With what Darren had seen in the world there was little in the way of anticipation for the future, especially since the coldest days of winter were ahead. With all that had been happening there had been no way to track the days. So, he had no idea if Christmas already had come and gone. For all he knew today was Christmas Day, not that there was much in the way of joy to be had.
The wind swirled outside and he tried not to let his soul be crushed. Even if they managed to survive the winter, what world was left for them? It was easy to envisage a world in which they could plow the fields and grow crops, harvesting food to see them through the next winter, but the reality was far different. They had little in the way of equipment and danger lurked in every shadow.
When Stacie had left him and he had lost his job he at least had some measure of control over what to do next. He worked two jobs and made sure the kids still went to school and were fed. But now it seemed as though he was flailing, fighting against the current.
No matter what he did death’s inexorable pursuit was going to end eventually, and not with him on the victorious side. He knew he couldn’t cheat death, but he hoped he would be able to stall it long enough so he could provide a good foundation for the kids. As long as they continued living he could die a happy man.
It always had been said that it was unnatural for a parent to outlive their child, and for Darren that was true. He’d lost so much, but through all of it he had kept hold of his children and their love for him. If he lost that, he didn’t think he could go on. Perhaps then he would turn into a monster, like so many other people had.
These stormy thoughts tumbled around his mind, careening off each other in complete and utter chaos. There seemed to be no respite, not even sleep, for although his body was exhausted, his mind was alive with these dark broodings.
It got to the point where he kicked the sleeping bag away and grunted in frustration, only to realize he had caught the attention of everyone else in the cave. Tara and Michelle looked a little scared, while Betsy and Brent had concern etched upon their faces. Darren was gaunt, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I just need some sleep. I’m going to go outside and try clearing my head. You just carry on with what you’re doing,” he said.
He walked back to the fire and felt the rising heat comfort him. He closed his eyes and breathed in the warm air. But the smell of smoke only took him back to that charred part of town, the tainted shadow that showed the worst of human
ity.
When he opened his eyes he was transfixed by the fire. The shades of orange danced before him, alluring in their brightness, their heat. He almost could imagine how the people, anarchic and frightened, would turn to this natural weapon and turn it on their own kind, would revel in the inferno, gripped by madness.
“Dad, are you alright?”
Brent’s young voice cut through Darren’s thoughts like a butcher’s cleaver through meat. Darren blinked and pulled his gaze away from the fire, turning to face his son.
“I’m fine,” he lied, his voice hollow and hoarse.
His stomach had been warmed by the soup they had shared upon his return, but it griped for more. It was a feeling he had been getting used to, a feeling he constantly needed to guard against, since they had to ration their food to last them as long as possible. Even if they were disciplined, he wasn’t sure their food supply would last them the months they needed it to. Sometimes he wondered if they should just gorge themselves on what was left. At least they would go out with full bellies.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem to be the same since you’ve been back.” Brent’s face was a picture of earnest concern.
Darren smiled at him, proud of the young man he was becoming. Hell, in some ways Brent already had become a man. But could he handle knowing the true nature of the world? It was difficult enough for Darren to share the burden. Would he be a good father if he shared it with his son?
“I’m just tired, honestly. It was a hard trip, cold and hard, and I’d like to be able to relax now.”
“Where did you get the bike from?” Brent asked. “It looks really sweet. Can I ride it sometime?”
“I don’t see a problem with that, as long as you’re careful. We can use that bike for a lot of things,” Darren said.
He glanced over at the bike resting against the wall. He preferred the other one, in truth, but that had been dented as he was fleeing from the cannibals. This bike had been one of theirs, the spoils from a dead man. Darren looked down at his knuckles, at the shades of red staining his flesh. He remembered pummeling the man, letting out all his anger and frustration. He rubbed his hands together and looked up at Brent. “Where were you thinking of riding?”
“I don’t know, I thought maybe next time I could be the one to go out hunting. There’s still a lot of ground to cover. While you were gone I was thinking, and I’m sure there are some cabins out here. I thought maybe I could go look at some of them, and you can stay here this time. It’s not fair that you go out all the time.”
“I know you’d like to take on more responsibility, Brent, but I need you here looking after the girls. Believe me, being out there isn’t all fun and games, I can tell you that for sure. You’ll get your chance one day, I promise. I know it doesn’t seem fair right now, but one thing you have to remember is that life isn’t always going to go at a speed you’d like. Sometimes you have to be patient and--”
“No, Dad,” Brent said with an amused smile, “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that it wasn’t fair to you.”
“Oh,” Darren said, stunned.
“You’ve done so much for us and I hate staying around here. Betsy and I can see how much of a toll this is taking on you. I want you to know that I’m able to do more, if you need me. You don’t have to take on everything. I can go out there and look for food. I’m quick, I’m good on a bike, and I won’t do anything stupid. You know you can trust me.”
Darren swelled with pride and love. He was so overwhelmed that he could feel his eyes glisten with tears, and surreptitiously wiped them away. Brent was so earnest that Darren almost was tempted to agree to his terms and let him venture out into the unknown, but it wasn’t unknown to Darren any longer. The color drained from his face and he breathed in deeply.
“Brent, I appreciate that, I really do. But I just think it’s best for you to stay here.”
“Dad, please, you can trust me. You trusted me when you went to work two jobs. You can trust me with this as well! I know in some ways I’m just a kid, but, like you said, I’ve had to grow up quickly. I can do this. I know I can. Besides, at some point, I’m going to have to. There’s only a few of us here, and there are going to be days when you need to do something else, or you might be ill.”
“Brent, I’m hearing you and I promise that you will get your chance, just not right now. I’m sorry.”
Brent’s face twisted in disgust and he huffed with frustration.
“You just don’t trust me,” he said, and stormed away, out of the cave.
Darren was so stunned by his reaction that at first he didn’t move. Then he scrambled up and followed his son, afraid that Brent would wander off into the woods and be lost to him forever.
Brent was noble, and Darren was proud of him for that, but the world was just too dangerous.
Darren caught up with Brent, who had his back turned on Darren. He was idly picking some bark off a tree.
“Brent, I’m sorry you feel that way. It’s not personal. Of course I trust you. I wouldn’t have left you here looking after the girls if I didn’t trust you. You should know better than that.”
“Then why won’t you let me go out there and do the hunting for us?”
Darren hadn’t wanted to tell Brent the truth of the world, but he could see he wasn’t going to have much choice in the matter. He glanced over his shoulder, back toward the cave, to ensure nobody could overhear them. Darren stepped closer to Brent, his feet pressing against the wet leaves underfoot. His breath swirled in the air, and the cold bit against his face. The sooner he was back at the fire the better.
“Brent, this isn’t about you. It’s about the rest of the world. I trust you. I don’t trust the rest of civilization, or what remains of it at least, especially not after what I’ve seen.”
“What have you seen?”
“Brent…”
“Dad, please, just tell me. Treat me like an adult. You know that I’m older than I seem. I was there the morning Mom left. I’ve been helping you look after Michelle ever since then, and I’ve done a lot here too. It’s like you said, the old rules don’t apply anymore. You might as well start treating me like an adult because there isn’t anyone else around here.”
It was at that moment Darren realized his son was right. The world had melted away and it seemed as though his son had transformed before his eyes. Or perhaps the illusion of youth was stripped away, and Darren finally saw the real Brent, not the image that Darren held in his heart.
Instead of seeing the little boy Darren had nurtured since birth, the one who used to trip and split his lip all the time, he saw a hardy young man. His hair was matted, his face gaunt, his eyes were lined with worry. He carried more weight than most his age, and Darren realized he had been doing Brent a disservice. The young man before him was strong, determined, and had endured just as much sorrow as Darren had. Darren smiled and reached out to his son, placing his hand on Brent’s shoulder.
“I owe you an apology. I’ve done you a disservice. I’ve been your father for so long that I’ve been focused on protecting you, forgetting that you can do a good job of protecting me as well. When this all happened the only thing I wanted was to keep you and Michelle safe.”
“And you have Dad, but you can’t keep me in that cave all the time. I need to learn what it means to live in this world. I want to do it as much as for you as for me. Betsy and I have been talking and we both can see the toll this is taking on you. You’re working yourself too hard. Maybe it’s just the habit you got into because you did the same when Mom left, but we want to help.
“Betsy and I aren’t idiots, Dad. We can see what’s going on around here, and we can be of more use to you than just babysitters. Besides,” he said, casting a solemn look at the cave, “I think Michelle really needs to spend some time with you. She’s so young that she never really got a chance to know Mom, and over the past year you’ve been away more than you’ve been with her. I don’t want her to miss out on what I got to enjoy
.”
“You’re a good brother, Brent, and a good son. I’m glad you pushed this issue. Sometimes I need reminding of the bigger picture, and you’re right. You are going to need to learn how to handle yourself. It’s just…it’s not easy. The world is worse than we thought. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“I have to, Dad. How else am I going to prepare for it?”
Darren studied his son for a few moments and then nodded sharply, drawing him in close.
“Okay, but you’re not going to like what you hear,” he began. Then he proceeded to tell Brent about everything he had seen. Once he started he found that the words flowed easily, and the act of telling Brent lifted the burden from his soul. However, when it came to the cannibals he found himself floundering, for the reality of the situation was almost too much to bear.
“This next part I don’t want you sharing with Betsy, and I definitely don’t want you telling Tara and Michelle about this,” Darren said. Brent nodded solemnly. He could tell by the way Darren’s voice grew hoarser that this was something serious.
“I ran into some trouble. Some men followed me into a building as I was looking for food. It was a big group of them and, well, I managed to deal with them, but that’s how I got this,” he said, and made a point of showing Brent the scratched, torn skin on his knuckles. Brent looked at them with a mixture of awe and dread.
“The thing is, Brent, these weren’t just any ordinary men,” Darren continued. “You know this world does drive people to some very dark places. They become desperate. Not all of them had as much foresight as we did to gather up supplies. They were hungry and, well, they turned to eating people.”
“You mean cannibals?” Brent gasped, his eyes wide open. Darren nodded once. “That’s crazy,” Brent added.