Dust: Before and After

by S. E. Smith

  The devil dog's snapping jaws barely missed his throat as it hit him in the chest. The only thing that saved him was the metal pipe he had raised and gripped between both of his hands. A grunt of pain escaped him when the creature's sharp claws sliced through his thin shirt and across his chest. Twisting, he tripped on the edge of the curb and landed heavily on his back in the road.

  Dust jerked his head back when the beast lunged again for his neck. His arms strained to keep it back, but its front and back legs were cutting through his clothing. A hoarse yell escaped him when the beast suddenly yelped and rolled away from him. He turned onto his side, staring at it as it wobbled for a moment before it turned and half ran, half limped away, the shaft of one of Sammy's arrows sticking out of its front shoulder.

  "You're bleeding," Sammy said, kneeling down beside him. "Did it bite you?"

  Dust shook his head and grimaced as the pain from the numerous cuts flashed through him. "No, just scratches," he muttered, leaning on the pipe as Sammy slid her arm around his waist.

  "I'll lead," she said, turning to Todd. "You help him."

  Todd just nodded. His eyes were wide with fear. He stepped forward and stood next to Dust.

  "What if there's more?" Todd whispered, glancing back at where the devil dog had disappeared between two buildings.

  "Then we'll deal with them," Sammy said, fitting her last arrow into the bow. "I need to either get the arrows I shot or find more."

  "I need food first," Dust muttered, beginning to droop again. "Food, then we'll look."

  "Hopefully there are some medical supplies there as well," Sammy said with a worried glance at the blood coating the front of Dust's shredded shirt. "Let's go."

  Dust just nodded. Once he had food in his system, it wouldn't take long for his skin to heal. It was one of the things he had learned after he had awoken from the change. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he leaned against Todd so he wouldn't fall flat on his face again. They stepped back up onto the sidewalk and continued the few feet to the entrance of the store.

  The large front window and the glass in the front doors were shattered. Sammy lowered her bow and peered through the opening before reaching over and tugging the door open. The loud screeching sound of metal hitting the glass as it pushed against the concrete drew a wince from all of them. Sammy glanced back at Todd and Dust before squaring her shoulders and stepping through into the dark interior.

  Chapter 3

  The Search for Food:

  She and Todd hadn't known what was going on that day almost a year ago. Her dad had been at work and her mom had driven into town for a doctor's appointment. She had been watching Todd when the weather alert went off. At first, she thought it was a mistake because the skies had been a crystal clear blue, but the alert said that it wasn't and that emergency precautions needed to be made. She had dragged Todd down into the storm cellar buried out behind the house.

  They were almost there when they saw the huge, dark cloud rolling toward them. Sammy had never seen anything like it. Frightened, she had ordered Todd to get down behind the boxes in the back as she slammed the door shut and locked it. Seconds later, the light on the inside had gone out and the entire shelter had shaken so hard that Sammy had been thrown to the floor.

  The aftershocks continued for days and the sound of dirt and rocks hitting the door had lasted even longer. For a while, Sammy had actually feared that they might get buried under the onslaught. When it finally stopped, they had waited... and waited... and waited for either their mom or dad to come tell them that it was safe to come out. Sammy had used the flashlights stored in the shelter sparingly. Fortunately, the growing season had just ended and the huge collection of canned goods she and her mom had processed and stored for selling remained protected from the fallout.

  A week had gone by before Sammy finally worked at forcing the door to the shelter open. The land around the house was barren, stripped clear by the blast. Only the shell of their house and the barn remained. She and Todd had searched the area, but they seemed to be the only ones left alive. Remembering her father's warning that if there was ever an emergency to stay put until someone came for them, Sammy salvaged what she could from the ruins of the house and returned to the storm shelter.

  They had waited for someone to come, but no one ever did. When the food started to get low, she and Todd began venturing to neighboring farms in the hope they would find someone. They discovered the occasional can of food, but never another living human soul.

  The first strange creature they discovered had been small. She and Todd were on their way back to the shelter from a neighboring farm. They had stopped at a narrow bridge over a dried creek to rest. The thing had come up from under the bridge and grabbed Todd's pant leg. She used a long walking stick that she had found and beat the thing to death. They had run back to the shelter and hidden for two days.

  It had taken her a while to finally understand that the thing had been some type of mutated animal. That was when she searched the barn for her dad's old bow and arrows that he used when he went hunting. She spent hour after hour each day practicing until she was confident she could protect herself and Todd if need be. Two months later, their food was dangerously low and she knew they had no choice but to leave the shelter and search for some - and more survivors.

  "I see food," she said, shaking away the memories as she stepped through the doorway. "It looks like the creatures didn't get all of it, only the stuff they could reach and open."

  "I... I just need something... anything... for now," Dust muttered in a voice filled with pain.

  Sammy glanced at the bent shelf that was closer to her. There were cans of green beans on it. It would have to do. Gripping the bow in her right hand, she walked over to the shelf and grabbed a can. She turned and wove her way along the row of cash registers, searching for something to open the can with, when she saw a can opener hanging from the tab along with other items. Grabbing it, she quickly removed the top of the can before turning to walk over to where Dust was sinking down next to a pile of shredded candy wrappers. She held the can of green beans out to him.

  "Be careful, the edge is sharp," she said. "I'll go look for some medical supplies. Todd, you start picking up as many cans of food as you can and stack them near Dust. We'll figure out what to do with them once we have an idea of how much there is."

  "Okay," Todd said, sliding the backpack off his thin shoulders.

  Sammy glanced one last time toward Dust where he sat frantically eating the green beans, liquid and all. Her gaze flashed over his chest. She'd have to see if there were any clothes along with the medical supplies. She reached down next to him and picked up one of the handheld shopping baskets before turning to walk away.

  She glanced up at the signs above each aisle. Number ten held cosmetics and bandages. She carefully walked down the center aisle, pausing to glance down each row as she went. It looked like most of the items had been either knocked off the shelves or crushed.

  Turning down aisle number ten, she quickly grabbed everything she could off the shelves. Once the basket was filled, she released a frustrated groan. She would need to get more baskets. Food and medical supplies were essential. How they would carry everything, she didn't know, but for now, she wasn't going to worry about it. Remembering the blood covering Dust, she turned and hurried back down the aisle to where she had left him.

  "I found some...," Sammy's voice died when she saw the four empty cans of green beans next to Dust. That wasn't what froze the words in her throat. "What happened...? How did...? What are you?" She asked in a trembling voice, staring at his chest.

  Sammy's fingers instinctively searched for the bow she always carried. A curse swept through her mind when she remembered that she had set it down to gather the medical supplies. Swallowing, she dropped the basket in her hand and took a step back as Dust rose to his feet. Her eyes remained glued to his chest. There was dried blood on his skin where the devil dog had clawed him. The front of his
shredded T-shirt was proof that she hadn't imagined the attack a short while ago. Only now, instead of ripped flesh there was smooth, unmarred skin.

  "I don't know," Dust replied, staring back at her with an intense expression on his face. "But, I know that I won't hurt you or Todd."

  Sammy shook her head, her eyes flashing from his face to his chest. She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should scream for Todd to run or stand her ground. Her gaze flickered to the front door. If they ran, how far could they get? That thing was still out there and they needed food. She was also out of arrows. In here... There was food, medicine, and... Dust. Swallowing, she locked gazes with Dust again. Could she trust him? That was the real question.

  Chapter 4

  What is he?

  Dust stared at the two figures walking ahead of him. He glanced down and kicked at a stone in the road when Sammy looked over her shoulder at him again. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. She had been glaring at him for the past two hours. At first, she had backed away from him. When it became obvious that he wasn’t going to attack her and Todd, she had tried ignoring him. They had worked quietly gathering as much food as they could and placing it in stacks.

  He found some more shirts on one of the aisles and quickly changed out of his torn and bloody one. He had also snacked on anything he could find and felt better than he had in ages. He paused when she stopped to stare inside one of the small cars left in the middle of the road. Curious, she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. He jumped when he heard the clicking of the engine. His expression softened when Sammy leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.

  “Pop the hood,” he called out.

  Sammy slowly lifted her head and stared at him in silence before she bent down and pulled the lever. Dust stepped forward and felt under the hood until he found the latch. Pulling it, he lifted the hood and pulled the thin bar down to hold it up. He glanced around the engine, looking for anything obvious.

  “Can you fix it?” Todd asked, coming up to stand next to Dust.

  “Maybe,” Dust replied, touching some of the wires and hoses, before checking the battery. “Does it have any gas?”

  Sammy stepped up to look up under the hood. “I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “The battery is dead.”

  Dust grinned. “I might be able to help with that,” he commented, looking around. “Wait here.”

  *.*.*

  “Where else are we going to go?” Sammy muttered under her breath as she turned to watch him jog across the street. “Shit!”

  “Sammy!” Todd exclaimed, watching Dust with wide eyes.

  “Sorry,” she muttered, staring at the spot where Dust had just disappeared – literally. “He just went through that door without opening it!”

  “I know,” Todd whispered in awe. “I wish I could do that!”

  Sammy didn’t say anything. Instead, she watched as the door opened this time and Dust walked out. He had disappeared inside what looked like a discount auto store. He had several things in a dark red basket. He stopped in front of the car and set the basket down before rubbing his hands nervously down the front of his pants.

  “I used to help my dad in his shop,” Dust admitted. “It may take a little while, but all we’ve got is time, right?” He joked, looking at Sammy with a slightly pleading look.

  “Why are you doing this?” Sammy asked, swallowing over the lump in her throat. “What happened to you?”

  Dust bent his head and shook it. “I don’t want you to go without me,” he said softly. Clearing his throat, he bent and picked up the tools he had picked out and set them on the edge of the radiator. “You two are the first humans that I’ve seen in over a year. The only other thing I’ve seen are a few animals and….”

  “And?” Sammy asked, motioning for Todd to take the pack in her hands. “Can you put this in the car.”

  “Okay. Can I help you, Dust?” Todd asked with a hopeful smile.

  Dust nodded. “Sure,” he said. “Can you make sure everything is cleaned out as much as possible so we can load the car up when we get it going?”

  Todd’s face fell, but he nodded his head and kicked at a loose rock. “Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled.

  “If I need more help, I’ll call you,” Dust promised. “This is important, though. We’ve got to have supplies.”

  “That’s okay,” Todd replied with a hesitant smile. “Can you teach me how to go through doors like you did?”

  Dust’s smile faded and he bowed his head again. Sammy shook her head at Todd, who released a loud sigh and turned away. Sammy’s gaze followed her little brother with a look of worry.

  “I won’t hurt him… or you,” Dust muttered. “You asked me what happened to me. I don’t know,” he said, bending forward and beginning to pull the spark plugs. Both the plugs and wires were scorched. He quickly removed them and tossed them to the side. “I don’t remember much after the initial blast. I was in the house alone. My mom and dad were in the barn, trying to bring the cows inside.”

  “What… What happened to them?” Sammy asked, watching as Dust worked.

  Dust glanced at her before bending to pick up some new spark plugs he had taken from the auto store. Sammy wished she could take back the question, but it was too late. Dust turned away from her and worked in silence for several minutes before he spoke again.

  “They were gone and so was the barn. There wasn’t much left of the house,” he said in a low voice. “I woke up buried in the cellar. I could see through the roof. I remember a strange light in the sky, bolts of lightning striking all around me and a strange dust. It all mixed together and everything began to glow. The next time I woke, I was….”

  “You were…,” Sammy prompted, placing her hand lightly on his arm before jerking it away.

  Dust’s head slowly turned and he looked at her with piercing brown eyes. “I was there, but I wasn’t.”

  Sammy stared at him for a long time before she nodded, as if she had made up her mind about something. Biting her lip, she looked at where Todd was playing. Her heart hurt for both Todd and Dust. Life shouldn’t be like this. Blinking back the tears, she looked back at Dust and blushed a little when she saw he was watching her.

  “Todd can stay here and help you,” she said suddenly. “I’ll start bringing stuff from the store and packing it into the car. This way we can get out of here as soon as you get it started.”

  “Okay,” Dust replied, glancing back down the street with a frown. “Be careful. We don’t know what happened to that one devil dog and we don’t know if there are more.”

  “I will be,” Sammy said, stepping back. “Just… Promise me that you’ll keep Todd safe.”

  Dust straightened. “I promise,” he replied. “I’ll keep you both safe – or die trying.”

  “Let’s hope that won’t be necessary,” Sammy retorted with an unsteady laugh, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

  “Take your bow,” Dust advised.

  Sammy shook her head. “I only have one arrow left. I’ll borrow your pipe,” she said, reaching for the long piece of metal leaning up against the front of the car. “Just get the car going.”

  Sammy didn’t wait for Dust to reply. Instead, she focused on the task she had assigned herself. If Dust was successful, she wanted to get out of here. Her gut was telling her that they didn’t want to be here after dark tonight.

  Chapter 5

  A Way Out:

  Dust listened to Todd as he ran around the car. Glancing at the boy, he made sure that he couldn’t see what he was about to do. The battery was dead and there was no way to jump it.

  Checking on Todd once more, he held his hands above the battery where the cables connected. A burst of energy shot out from the palm of his hand. He kept it that way for a moment before he pulled his hand back.

  He wiped his hands on the cloth he had found in the store and walked around to the driver’s side. Sliding in, he turned the key. The engine tried to turn over, but c
ouldn’t quite make it. Fortunately, the gauges were now working and he could see that the car had an almost full tank of gas. Turning the key off, he slid back out of the car and looked for Todd.

  “Todd, I need your help, dude,” Dust called.

  Todd’s head whipped around and a huge smile lit his face. He dropped the stick he was playing with and ran over to Dust. Dust couldn’t help but grin at the boy’s enthusiasm.

  “What’cha need help with?” Todd asked excitedly.

  Dust nodded to the driver’s seat. “I need you to turn the key when I tell you to,” he said. “Do you know how?”

  “Sure, my dad would let me start the truck if it was cold out so it could warm up,” Todd replied, sliding into the seat. “Do you need me to give it gas?”

  “Not unless I tell you,” Dust replied. “I don’t want to take a chance of flooding it. I’m not sure how good the gas is, hopefully it isn’t too bad.”

  “Okay, just tell me when,” Todd answered with a grin.

  Dust walked back around to the front and bent over the battery again. This time, he sent a stronger charge into it and yelled for Todd to try to start it. It took three tries before the car started. It idled roughly at first, but soon smoothed out.

  “Just let it idle for a while to give the battery a chance to charge,” Dust instructed, turning when he heard the sound of wheels on concrete.

  “Wow! That’s a great idea, Sammy,” Todd said, watching as his sister pushed one shopping cart full of food and items they had salvaged and pulled another one. “Do you want some help?”

  Sammy nodded, pushing her hair back from her flushed cheeks. “If you can start packing this in the car, I’ll go back for more. There isn’t much, but maybe we can find more in another town,” she said, turning to look at Dust with delight. “You got it running!”