Dust: Before and After

by S. E. Smith

  Josie’s hands fell to her sides and she swayed. “I need a soda,” she whispered, staring palely down at the gradually filling hole. “That has to be the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had to do.”

  Dust didn’t respond. He just focused on filling every inch of the hole until there was no evidence of the horrors that lay beneath the soil. Only when the last bit fell did he whisper a few words for the victims. He suddenly felt older than his fifteen years.

  “Let’s go,” he finally said, turning and wrapping his arm around Josie when she swayed again.

  With a sigh, he bent and lifted Josie into his arms. She clung weakly to him. He would make sure she had one of those sodas when they got back to the truck.

  “You did good, Josie,” he murmured quietly as he carried her down the alley. “You did real good.”

  She turned and buried her face in his neck. “Just don’t ask me to do that again,” she ordered in a thick voice.

  “I’ll try not to,” Dust said, feeling Josie’s damp, hot tears against his skin.

  A short time later, they were heading out of town, going back the same way they had traveled the night before. They would need to find another way around. Raymond, Martha, and Denise sat in the back while he, Sammy, Todd, and Josie squeezed into the front seat. It wasn’t easy. Sammy refused to let Todd ride without his seatbelt, so she sat on the center console, while Todd and Josie squeezed into the passenger seat.

  “We’ll have to find a different vehicle, or another one that is big enough for all of us,” Dust said quietly.

  “When we can,” Sammy replied in a somber voice. “I just want to get away from that place.”

  Chapter 22

  Shelter, Dreams and Old Enemies:

  Dust rubbed wearily at his eyes. Their escape from the town and subsequent run had worn him out. They had passed through several small towns, but very little remained of them. There had also been a huge storm, which hadn’t helped. They had driven as long as they could before the rain became too heavy to see out the windshield. They had finally found the remains of a high school gym.

  “It looks okay,” Dust said to the small group. “Josie, did you and Sammy find anything?”

  “No nasties,” Josie replied. “Todd found a snack machine, though. We bagged what we found.”

  “There’s a couple of soda machines in the concession area. We didn’t get them opened yet. There was more chips and some really green and black looking hot dog and hamburger buns if you feel like living dangerously. We didn’t open the freezer,” Sammy added.

  “We didn’t find anything either,” Raymond said.

  Dust looked around the dim interior. A faint layer of dirt covered the wood floor. At each end of the court were basketball hoops with a ghostly scoreboard mounted on the wall behind them. The bleachers were extended, as if waiting for a crowd of students to file in.

  “Denise and I found some exercise mats in a storage closet. They would make a nice bed,” Martha said.

  “I checked around outside. I found a generator, but I’m not sure how much good it will do or if it will even work. I didn’t see any other cars. The only thing I found was a school bus,” Dust said. “It is too dark to see if I can get it started. I think the best thing would be to get some rest and check it out in the morning.”

  “What if there are more bugs here?” Raymond asked in a hesitant voice. “I think we should take turns keeping watch.”

  Dust nodded. He ignored the fatigue pulling at him. Raymond was right. They should post a guard.

  “I’ll take the first watch,” Sammy said. “Martha and Denise can take the next one.”

  “I can help you, Sammy,” Todd piped up. “Or Josie.”

  Josie grinned. “You just want some of my marshmallows,” she teased.

  Todd giggled. “I like it when you roast them,” he laughed.

  Dust and Sammy glanced at Todd. They hadn’t shared with Raymond, Martha, and Denise the special talents that Dust and Josie possessed. After the way Josie’s dad had reacted, they didn’t want to take a chance.

  “Deal,” Josie replied. “I found a deck of cards in one of the desk drawers in the locker room. I’ll teach you how to play poker.”

  “Cool!” Todd exclaimed in excitement. “Can we take first watch, Sammy?”

  Sammy laughed and nodded. “If Josie doesn’t mind,” she said, looking at the other girl. “You’ll keep an eye on him?”

  Josie rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she muttered. “He’s my little man, aren’t you, Todd?”

  “Yep,” Todd replied with a grin. “I’m her little man.”

  “I found a metal barrel outside. Raymond, if you help me bring it in, we can find what we need to build a fire in one of the locker rooms. It might be warmer in there. It feels like another storm is coming,” Dust said. “Sammy, can you see what we’ve got for dinner?”

  “Something hot,” Todd added with a hopeful look.

  “I’ll see what we’ve got,” Sammy replied with a soft smile.

  “Denise and I will help make up the beds, then help you with dinner,” Martha replied with a warm smile. “This is the first time in over a year that we haven’t been terrified. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Me… Either,” Denise forced out, tears glittering in her eyes.

  Martha’s eyes widened and she turned to the young woman and hugged her close. Dust watched for a moment before his gaze locked with Sammy’s in a silent sense of satisfaction. Turning away, he listened to Todd as the young boy excitedly told Denise about the Beanie Weenies that Josie had warmed up for him. He was just thankful Todd left out how she had done it.

  *.*.*

  It was after midnight when Dust woke up. Outside he could hear the sounds of another storm beating against the roof. They had found a delivery area for the gym and had broken the lock so they could pull the truck inside. The bus was parked near the building already and he just hoped it survived.

  Worry gnawed at him, keeping him from going back to sleep. They were almost out of gas for the truck. If they didn’t find fuel soon, they would be hard pressed to continue on. It was also difficult traveling with seven of them in the small confines of the truck cab. The bus would be nice, but it would get even worse gas mileage than the truck and they would have to find some diesel fuel for it.

  He turned his head when he heard soft footsteps. Josie and Todd came into the locker room. He heard Josie softly talking to Sammy. His gaze followed Sammy when she stood up and ran a hand down over her face. She bent and picked up the bow and sheath of arrows that she had retrieved from the truck.

  Rolling over, he silently rose to his feet and grabbed his jacket. He knew he should try to get some more rest, but it would have to wait. His mind was running on overtime.

  Dust quietly followed Sammy out of the locker room. A shiver escaped him when he stepped into the large gym area. He hadn’t realized just how much warmth the fire was putting out.

  “What are you doing up?” Sammy asked in surprise. “This is my shift.”

  Dust shrugged. “I know,” he said, thrusting his hands into his front pockets. “It’s colder than it was last night.”

  “I think the whole planet is beginning to cool down,” Sammy whispered. “I wonder if we should have headed south instead of north.”

  “We can head down the coast of California if my aunt and uncle didn’t make it,” Dust said, walking toward the bleachers. “I guess it is kind of stupid to try to find them.”

  Sammy followed him. Together they climbed to the top and sat close to where the ceiling connected with a series of small windows that were protected by the overhang of the roof. They sat side by side and looked out at the storm.

  “I don’t think it is stupid. If we had any relatives, I’d be searching for them, too,” Sammy murmured, staring out the window. “What are we going to do if we can’t find any gas?”

  Dust snorted and shook his head. “I was just thinking the same thing,” he said with a short
laugh before it faded. “I don’t know. We have enough to fill the truck about half full. We’ll look at the map and see if there is – were any towns close by. If the weather clears up enough, we can check out this one as well. There must have been a gas station here. If there was, there might be gas left in the underground tanks. We just have to find it.”

  “What about the devil dog? We lost most of the distance we were putting between us. Have you been able to connect with her again?” Sammy asked in a quiet voice.

  Dust looked away from her. He rubbed his hands on his thighs before folding them together to keep them warm. A worried frown creased his brow. He had lost contact with the creature. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the weather or the She Devil had realized that he could sense her and was blocking him or if it was because they were too far apart; whatever it was, he couldn’t tell where she was at the moment and that worried him.

  “No, I haven’t been able to,” he finally replied.

  He started when he felt Sammy’s fingers slide over his hands. She pulled his hands apart and held his left hand in hers. She rubbed her thumb across his palm.

  “It will be alright,” she said in a quiet voice. “There is no sense in worrying about the things we can’t change. If she comes, we’ll fight. Just like we’ve done every day since the earth changed.”

  “Sammy,” Dust started to say before he shook his head and looked out of the window. His fingers tightened around her hand. It felt good to touch someone else. It felt good to touch her. He turned his head to look back at her. “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m glad we found each other.”

  “Me, too,” she said, releasing his hand and rising to her feet. “Go get some sleep. You definitely deserve it. I’ll wake Raymond in a few hours.”

  Dust nodded and rose to his feet. “Be careful. If you hear anything you aren’t sure about, wake me,” he told her.

  Sammy stepped closer and rose up to brush a kiss across his cheek. “You are a really special guy, Dust,” she murmured before she bent and picked up her bow and quiver of arrows. “Go get some rest.”

  Dust watched Sammy walk back down the bleachers. Releasing a sigh, he shoved his hands back into his pockets and slowly stepped down to the gym floor. He returned to the locker room. Everyone was asleep. His lips twitched when he heard Raymond and Todd both snoring.

  He added another piece of wood from an old pallet to the barrel before he sank down on the thick foam mat. He pulled his blanket over him, lay back and stared up at the ceiling. It didn’t take long for the fatigue of the last few days to sink in. His eyelids felt like someone had placed weights on them and he slowly sank deeper into the dark pit of exhaustion.

  *.*.*

  Storm clouds swirled around him. Dust turned in a circle, surprised that he didn’t feel the icy blast of wind cutting across the barren landscape. He must be in his faded form, he thought vaguely as he gazed across the flat field. Green lightning danced through the sky. Every once in a while, he would see it make a pattern along the ground.

  He felt his stomach grumble and reached down to rub it. His hand froze when he felt the taut, full belly. Looking down, a shudder went through him when he saw the black flesh. This wasn’t his body. In that moment, he realized he was once again connected with the She Devil.

  “I feel you,” she whispered.

  A shiver ran through Dust. She had changed even more in her physical appearance. Her body was sleek with a fine covering of black hair. Her face had changed as well. She still had the muzzle of a dog, though it was less pronounced than before. What had really changed were her eyes and brow. She reminded him of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian creature that was half dog and half man. The only difference was her long, black leathery wings that were folded around her to keep her warm. She had found refuge in one of the old buildings they had passed a few days ago. She was closer, but they still had several hundred miles between them.

  “Why are you hunting me?” Dust demanded.

  “Power,” she responded. “You have a power that I want.”

  “What power? You are powerful in your own right. Killing me won’t change that,” Dust insisted. “You shouldn’t kill others.”

  “Those I kill are weak. They serve no purpose but to feed me,” she replied with a shrug.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Dust pointed out. “Why do you think killing me will give you my powers?”

  “I don’t want to kill you. I want power that you have,” the She Devil responded in a soft voice. “Only one. I will have it. You will give it to me.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Dust argued. “What power?”

  “The girl must die,” the She Devil whispered instead.

  Dust could feel the connection between them beginning to fade. A powerful sense of fear and frustration burned inside him. There was something he was missing; something very, very important that he needed to know, to understand.

  “Why? Why, must she die?” He asked, clinging to the faint thread between them.

  “You are the new beginning,” the She Devil replied in a husky voice filled with longing. “I must be your mate, not her.”

  Dust woke with a start. Despite the cold, he could feel the clammy sweat beading on his brow. His gut twisted sickeningly at the thought of physically touching the She Devil. She was convinced he had some strange power. He didn’t know what she was talking about, but he heard the conviction in her voice. She wanted him and she wanted whatever she thought he had, but most of all, she wanted Sammy dead.

  “Never,” Dust whispered, turning his head when Raymond suddenly came into the room.

  He sat up, staring at the older man. He must have been asleep longer than he thought. There was a slight red haze to his vision. The one he got whenever he thought of Sammy being in danger. He quickly blinked to clear his vision. Raymond’s lips were pressed tightly together and his face was twisted into a wary expression.

  “What is it?” He asked, pushing the blanket aside.

  “We have company coming,” Raymond said.

  The others stirred, sitting up and blinking sleepily around them. It didn’t take long for Raymond’s words to sink in. Each of them quickly rose to their feet.

  “How many?” He asked. “What about the storm?”

  “The storm died down several hours ago,” Raymond replied, checking the gun he held. “The sun is just beginning to rise. I saw headlights in the distance. They are getting closer. I thought I should tell you.”

  Dust nodded and looked at Sammy and Josie. “Raymond and I will see who it is,” he said. “You and Josie take up position in case they aren’t nice.”

  “I need a soda or something to eat,” Josie muttered, turning to where a box of food was on the table. “You’d better eat something, too.”

  “Why do you need to eat if someone is coming?” Martha asked in confusion, wrapping her arm around Denise when the girl moved closer to her.

  “’Cause they need it for their powers,” Todd said without thinking. He flushed when he realized what he had said. “Sorry, Dust. Sorry, Josie.”

  “What powers?” Raymond asked with a frown.

  “You might as well tell them, Dust,” Josie muttered, opening a can of soda and taking a long gulp before she wiped a hand across her mouth. “They are bound to find out sooner or later if they are with us.”

  Dust released an exasperated breath and ran his hand through his disheveled hair. He winced when his fingers caught in it. He needed to see if Sammy or Josie could cut it soon. He looked warily back and forth between Raymond, Martha, and Denise. Josie was right, if they were going to be traveling together, it was only a matter of time before they found out about what he and Josie could do.

  “What are we bound to find out about?” Raymond asked, gripping the gun in his hand.

  Dust briefly glanced at Josie. She was watching Raymond with an intense stare. She might act like she wasn’t paying attention to the way the older man wa
s holding the gun, but he could see the red flames in her eyes.

  “After the comet hit the earth, some strange things happened to some of us,” Dust replied.

  “You mean like the bugs?” Martha asked.

  Dust nodded. “Yes, like the bugs and other – creatures – that we have encountered. Josie and I were also affected by whatever it was,” he said with a calm that belied his true feelings. “Josie can control fire.”

  “Control fire…?” Martha whispered in confusion, glancing at Josie.

  “Yeah, like this,” Josie responded, rubbing her fingers together until tiny blue flames danced from the ends of them. “And, this….”

  Dust grimaced when Josie closed her hand for a moment before opening it and tossing a small fireball into the fire barrel. Leave it to Josie to set the stage on fire, he thought in exasperation. He glanced at where Martha, Denise, and Raymond had scooted together until they were practically on top of each other.

  “What… What can you do?” Raymond asked in a trembling voice.

  “Different things,” Dust admitted. “What matters is that we won’t hurt you. We’ll use our talents to help protect you. I promise.”

  “It’s true,” Sammy said, stepping closer to Dust. “He has saved Todd and me numerous times since we first met him.”

  “And Josie can roast marshmallows over her fingers,” Todd added. “They are really good.”

  A nervous giggle escaped Denise. Her gaze moved from Todd to Josie. Her lips were parted in wonder as she stared at the flames.

  “Can you do anything, Sammy?” Denise asked in a soft, husky voice.

  Sammy shook her head. “Not like them, but I can use this,” she said, lifting the bow.

  Raymond was silent for several long seconds. Dust heard the slight tremor in the man’s voice, but he looked him square in the eye when he finally spoke. There was a hint of respect and awe in the man’s gaze that made Dust a touch embarrassed.