After The End

by Jamie Campbell

  I try to calm my mind and keep my thoughts blank. Once I start thinking, my friends pop into my head and refuse to let me go. It doesn’t work very well. I always have to have something on my mind. Unless I focus hard, it’s going to wander to all those lost lives.

  The scenery around me doesn’t change very much. Occasionally, there are some brown leaves to break up the green and that’s about it. I try to ignore any rustling I hear and hope it’s just the wind and not mutant animals. Or worse.

  I feel very, very small in the large expanse of forest. I could be walking for days—or longer—until I come out the other side. If I’m entering a National Park, I might never make it to the end. I try to walk in a straight line but there is no real way to tell that I’m not going around in a large circle.

  Garlind would keep an eye on the sun and use that to walk in the one direction. I do the same and constantly check to make sure I’m not wandering off in the wrong direction.

  I hear footsteps.

  I freeze.

  There is definitely someone else in the forest besides me. They keep up a constant pace—pad-pad, pad-pad. There might be more than one person. They are walking too fast to be alone. A group of people is never a good sign.

  At least it’s not aliens. They don’t walk so light-footed.

  I press my back up against a tree and try to be invisible. If they didn’t hear my footsteps, they might keep on walking without ever knowing I was here. My luck generally isn’t that good, but it is possible.

  Anything is possible.

  The steps get louder as they grow nearer. They aren’t talking amongst themselves. How many could there be? I count the steps in my head but can’t discern one person’s footfalls from another. More than two, is my best guess.

  I have a knife in my backpack. But if I were to get it out, I would make a noise. They would hear me take my pack off and then open the zipper. They’ll know I’m here and the knife wouldn’t really help with a large group. I need to start wearing it on me, somewhere I can easily access it. If I survive this encounter, I’ll be sure to do that.

  Right now, I’m weaponless.

  It’s possible I can outrun them. I’m getting pretty quick now it’s been a few months since I left the bunker. I’m stronger and leaner than I have ever been. There is a chance I can get away just by running.

  “Maisy?” The female voice takes me by surprise. Especially how she said my name.

  I instinctively turn toward the noise and see the group. Sarah, Tabitha, Lincoln, Rhys, and Garlind. Thank goodness. Relief flushes through my body. I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming them all.

  In the next second, I run straight into Garlind’s arms. He holds me tightly against his chest. I can’t believe they are alive. I have so many questions that they will have to answer in time. Right now, I’m just going to hold onto Garlind and thank my lucky stars he’s still with me.

  “We’ve been looking for you,” he says, stroking my hair. Maybe he doesn’t believe I’m real either.

  “I thought the fire got you,” I reply.

  “We weren’t in the cabin when the fire started. Sarah was trying to teach us how to hunt.”

  I pull back so I can search out the answers in his eyes. I’m so confused. “How did the fire start then?”

  He points upwards. “They did it. Dropped a bomb or missile or something. They must have known it was a place humans would seek refuge.”

  I don’t like the sound of that. They haven’t bombed us before. I thought the only way they could get to us was by ground attack. This is potentially a very horrible game changer. We haven’t had to hide from the ships in the sky before.

  My arms wrap around him to give him another squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I am never letting you out of my sight again.”

  “I was thinking the same about you.” He gives me a smile that splits his whole face in two. It makes my stomach feel fluttery in a way I don’t really understand.

  “Are you two done?” Sarah interrupts our private moment in only the way an eight-year-old can. “Because we really need to get going and we’re burning daylight.”

  I let go of Garlind only to sweep the little girl into a hug. She may be bossy and say things that irritate me most of the time, but I love her anyway. She’s wormed her way into my life and I’m glad I met her that day in the Lexington Mall.

  She starts to push me away but then succumbs to the hug. She even pats me on the back. I eventually let her go and stand. The others watch on without saying anything.

  I don’t know Tabitha, Lincoln, and Rhys very well. They mainly stick to themselves. We came across them when leaving Charleston. They had been hiding from the aliens and had a good amount of supplies. It seemed like we might all be safer together so we agreed to travel as a group.

  Tabitha and Rhys are a year younger than me—sixteen. Lincoln is Tabitha’s older brother by two years. They look so much alike it’s almost scary. They were born underground and their parents roamed the country until aliens got them. They only survived because their parents sacrificed their own location to protect their kids.

  Everyone that is left in this world has a terrible story like that. We’ve all lost people and have no real idea what we’re still doing alive when so many have perished. This new world isn’t equipped for us like it was before the meteorite hit.

  “Come on, already,” Sarah whines. She throws her hands up in the air and starts walking. “Standing around isn’t going to get us anywhere safe.”

  The kid’s got a point.

  We all trudge after her. I walk in front of Garlind, because he insists it should be ladies first. It’s comforting to know he’s right behind me. I trust him completely.

  The six of us walk in single file for a long time. Lincoln leads the way, he says he knows this area better than anyone. I follow blindly, not knowing where we’re going. Place names don’t really mean anything to me anyway. I know we’re somewhere in the south of the country. I think Lincoln said we are headed toward the Blue Mountains? I could be wrong.

  When the path opens up a little, I wait for Garlind to catch up and walk alongside him. “Do you know where we’re going?”

  “Blue Ridge Mountains.”

  “Why are we going up mountains?”

  “Lincoln thinks the aliens won’t be bothered to go up there. He thinks it will be safer for us to hide out in higher altitudes.”

  “And what do you think?” Because I trust Garlind’s opinion over everyone else’s.

  His brows wrinkle together. “I think he has a point. I’m just worried that we’ll be closer to the ships up there. Now we’ve seen that they can blow up buildings, being closer might not work to our advantage.”

  “It might be harder to find supplies away from the cities.”

  “Yeah, that too.”

  “But we’re still going anyway,” I point out.

  Garlind nods. “I don’t have a better idea. Do you?” I shake my head, no. “We’ll see what’s up there. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try something else. At least it gives us something to do.”

  Ever since we lost hope in the ships, we’ve been at a loss as to what to do. We’ve got to find a way to survive on our own. Nobody is coming to rescue us. The question is, do we find a permanent home, or is it safer to keep roaming? We don’t have the magic answer yet.

  The forest makes its way up the mountain range and so do we. I may be pretty fit these days, but not ready to literally tackle a mountain. My legs soon burn with the steep climb and I find myself out of breath far more quickly than I’d like to admit.

  “There will be houses up on the peak,” Lincoln says. I wonder if he’s heard our entire conversation and my ears burn. I don’t think we spoke about anything offensive. I replay what we said in my mind just to be sure.

  “How long do you think it will take to reach it?” I ask.

  “A few days. A week, maybe.”

  That sounds like it’s going to be a l
ong way. My legs are just going to have to adjust and grow stronger. I’m not going to be left behind.

  Tabitha chimes in. “The houses should be fairly remote. It’s possible nobody has raided them yet. We might be able to find some good supplies.”

  Might.

  We might also starve to death in the meantime.

  The others get enthralled in a conversation about the best way up the mountains but I tune them out. I’m just going to follow them anyway. I have nothing to contribute and I really don’t want to know how far it is on each different trekking track.

  I keep an eye on Sarah. She’s listening to the others intently but not saying much. She’s like a little sponge, she absorbs everything. She’s the only one in our group who knows how to hunt and is brave beyond her good sense. If it were up to her, we’d live in the wilderness and have rabbit meat for every meal.

  There seems to be plenty of animals in this forest. I can hear them in the distance, rustling leaves and snapping twigs. Every noise makes me think it’s the aliens and wonder if we’re about to breathe our last breaths, but the animals just run off like they haven’t given me a heart attack.

  Sarah notices the wildlife too but doesn’t say anything. She’s probably planning dinner already. The little girl is a weapon and I’m glad I’m on her side. I wouldn’t like to be her enemy with all her survival skills.

  The sun sets over the mountain range and we have to stop for the night. There isn’t enough distance between us and the alien-infested town for my liking but we can’t continue in the darkness. The dense trees are blocking out any moonlight that might otherwise aide in our journey.

  Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any clouds in the sky beyond the trees. No acid rain should fall on us tonight. We might just survive to see the morning.

  As long as a mutant animal doesn’t get us first.

  We make a small camp but don’t dare start a fire. All we have is a backpack each. Our blankets, sleeping bags, and cooking utensils were in the cabin when it was bombed. If we didn’t have a policy of always carrying a bag of supplies with us everywhere we went, we wouldn’t have anything.

  If I come across another sleeping bag, I’m going to make sure it’s always in my backpack when I’m not using it. The ground here is cold and hard. Leaves try to soften the forest floor but they only make it noisier with every one of my movements.

  Garlind lies beside me and stretches out. He pulls me closer against him so our bodies are spooning. I love it when he does that. He not only offers me warmth but does something to me that makes my heart beat a little bit faster. Every damn time.

  “Good night, Maisy Rayne,” he whispers against my ear.

  I pull his arms tighter around me. “Sleep tight.”

  It’s how we end every day since reuniting in Charleston. I can’t sleep anymore without his arms cradling me from behind. He’s my security and safety. He’s my friend and family. Garlind is the world to me.

  We wake early in the morning when the light first breaks. A fine mist lingers just off the ground. It looks a bit eerie, like the forest is trying to hide something and keep all its secrets to itself. I put on a sweater and try not to worry about it.

  There is nothing to break up our morning as we trek up the steep side of the mountain. Lincoln leads us in a zigzag pattern to help make it a bit easier. It still makes my legs ache after a few hours.

  We break for lunch and then keep going.

  It’s early evening when we see a small building in the distance. It’s even tinier than the cabin we were last staying in. It’s made of wood too and probably just as easy to burn down. We head toward it anyway and check for signs of humans and aliens.

  It appears to be abandoned.

  Garlind manages to get the door open without breaking a window. He shines his flashlight inside where the last traces of the sun can only barely be seen. We wait for his verdict.

  “Seems safe enough,” he says.

  We all go inside and fill the space. There is nothing but the one room. Bunk beds are fixed to either side with old, thin mattresses. Spiderwebs are everywhere but thankfully no spiders seem to be in residence.

  “What is this place?” Sarah asks.

  Garlind is the one who replies. “It’s a respite cabin. A place where hikers can rest along the way on their journey. Park rangers might have stayed here too. It’s not meant for any long-term accommodation.”

  So it isn’t a house then. Considering it’s so stark, I’m glad of that fact. Still, it’s warmer than outside and will offer protection if it rains overnight. As long as the aliens don’t see it and drop a bomb, it will be nice to stay here for a few hours.

  “I call top bunk,” Rhys yells as he jumps up onto the top bed. A cloud of dust and dirt plumes out. He jumps back down again. “Or maybe I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  Everyone finds a space on the wooden floor. I choose the corner with the least amount of spiderwebs. Hopefully they have long been abandoned—just like the cabin itself.

  Wind rattles through the cracks around the windows and door and sweeps into the room. It’s far better than being outside in all the elements. Sarah starts a small fire in the hearth which warms the place up to a comfortable temperature. Old curtains cover the windows and hopefully block out any light the fire might be showing to the outside.

  It feels safer here than anywhere we have been in a very long time. It kind of reminds me of the bunker. We had metal bunk beds too, and everything was done in a space of only forty by sixteen feet. I can barely believe my world used to be so small.

  The fire creates a little orange world for us that makes me sleepy. The others all fall asleep straight after we have a small meal. That only leaves Garlind and I still awake. It’s rare we get any time truly alone anymore.

  Being in the small space makes me think of my parents. I miss them so much. When I think of them, my grief is a physical pain in my heart. It’s been nine years since my father passed, and even longer for my mother, but it still feel like a fresh loss.

  It reminds me that we all have something to lose in this world.

  “What’s on your mind?” Garlind asks.

  “Just thinking about my parents.” It’s safe to speak with him about this. I know I can be honest with him and he won’t make my thoughts seem small. He knows how important my parents were to me—they were my whole world while we were in the bunker.

  “Do you think they knew about the aliens?”

  I have to think for a few moments before I can reply. “No, I don’t. They never mentioned them. They never warned me about them and they warned me about a lot of things. We were in the bunker the whole time, they wouldn’t have seen any of the ships in the sky.”

  Garlind nods his head before shrinking inside his shell for a while. Finally, he says, “I don’t think my parents did either. They wouldn’t have told me to search for the ships if they knew the enemy was on board.”

  “No, they wouldn’t have done that to you,” I quickly reply. I’m certain I can make that statement even though I didn’t know Garlind’s mom and dad. I know him and he couldn’t have come from nasty parents that would set him up for destruction like that.

  “I’m really sorry I got your hopes up like I did,” he apologizes. But really, it’s completely unnecessary. We both thought we were doing the right thing. “I shouldn’t have told you about the ships. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.”

  I place a hand on his arm so he knows I’m being sincere. “You haven’t hurt me in any way. You weren’t to know what we’d really find in Charleston. You thought we were going to be saved. If there is even a tiny chance of that happening, we should try to get rescued. We can only try. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Don’t you dare be sorry about that.”

  His lips quirk into a smile. I think he only half believes me. “Thank you.”

  “Just make me a promise that you won’t disappear on me again. Twice is enough, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay
. I promise.”

  We share a smile and a million unspoken words pass between us. I’m not sure what they all are or what they mean, but I know I feel an overpowering urge to hug him right now.

  I wrap my arms around Garlind’s neck and he holds me tightly in his embrace. This is all I need. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are chasing, we are together. That’s all I can hope for in this world.

  When we part, it’s only to lie down next to one another. The gentle warmth of the fire and the comfort of Garlind holding me close is enough to lull me off to sleep.

  None of the nightmares that have plagued me on and off since Charleston come to me tonight. I slumber peacefully until morning when a sliver of light breaks through the edge of the curtain on the window.

  Everybody else is either still sleeping or awake but savoring the last few minutes of rest in their beds. And I use the term bed very loosely, really it’s just a space on the dusty and rotting wooden floor.

  The only person not still lazing around is Garlind. He’s nowhere in the cabin. After he promised me he wouldn’t disappear on me last night, I’m a little miffed I wake up without him. He better have a good excuse for causing my sudden anxiety.

  One sweep of the room and I know there is nowhere he could be hiding. The whole place is just one room. I get up and head outside to start my search.

  I don’t have to go far.

  Garlind is holding a black box up as high as he can reach. My footsteps make him spin around to see me. “Hey, guess what I found?”

  I look at the box but still have no idea what it is. “You’re going to have to tell me.”

  “It’s a radio. We can contact other people.”

  Chapter 3

  “A radio? Does it even work?” I ask. All that I know about radios comes from my dad. He said they used to be popular back in the day before the world ended. He was a big fan of listening to something called ‘Talk back radio’.