by Nikki Lewen
SEVEN
Sadie’s running through the woods, but her body and legs won’t respond. The harder she tries to speed up, the slower she becomes, and the worse it gets. Sensing them getting closer, she knows they’re going to catch her. Suddenly, Sadie realizes she’s carrying a small child in her arms. Glancing down at the infant, her fear deepens. It’s not just her they’ll get. Hugging the infant closer, she wills her feet forward. When she looks down again a new terror grips her.
In her arms, a rotten, decaying, human leg appears. The stench permeates the air and overwhelms her senses. The flesh starts peeling off and falling away in grotesque chunks. It’s covered in convulsing and throbbing maggots, creating the illusion of movement across the muscles. Sadie drops the leg and frantically tries brushing them away. Her panic rises and the harder she brushes, the more maggots appear, until they bore into her flesh. She falls to the ground and rolls around in an effort to crush them, but nothing works. She can’t get away from them, and it feels hopeless.
Sadie’s eyes fly open. Breathing hard and drenched in sweat, she tears the covers off to examine herself. She can’t resist the urge to check, even though she knows it was a nightmare. Starting at her face, she uses her hands to works down the rest of her body. As she reaffirms her safety, Sadie’s breathing calms, and her heart rate slows. Nearly back to normal, she takes a drink, then another.
Staying in bed, trying to sooth her mind and relax, she attempts to fall back to sleep. Eventually, Sadie gives up the notion. Her mind is too restless, and the images from the nightmare, and from yesterday’s mess, won’t leave, but it’s the overwhelming sense of hopelessness conjured by her dream that really bothers her. It hangs over her now and she can’t escape its grasp, so quietly, Sadie leaves the cave.
Outside, the cold air fills her lungs as she sits in the dark, listening. It’s too cold to stay still for long, and since it’s still too dark to patrol, she heads back inside, grabs a portable shovel, and steps back out. Sadie moves as far away as possible between the two logs and starts digging. For the first hour, she digs in near darkness, using only the faint, red light, that emanates from a small headlamp to aide in her work. She piles dirt underneath the log closest to the cave, and whenever the shovel strikes a rock, the vibrations travel up her arm muscles. It’s slow, but the work takes her mind off all the grisly details she’s trying to forget.
As the sky begins to lighten, Sadie can see well enough to clean up her dig. She squares the hole and continues making it deeper. When its depth reaches her thigh, she stops. It should work well enough. She removes her gloves and checks her hands. Two blisters have torn open, and the others look terrible, but she prefers their pain to the visions of the nightmare and her haunting memories.
Sadie goes back inside, washes her face and hands, grabs her patrol pack, and heads out. She’s been staying near the cave for longer than normal and wants to make sure all is still safe. Usually, she spends only a night or two in the area before moving, but Sadie knows Caleb’s in no shape to travel and needs lots of recovery before it’s safe for him to move. She just isn’t sure how long they have until another group of Splitters appears. If they find the cave, her and Caleb are trapped. These thoughts worry her, but there aren’t any other options, as he needs to stay put and heal.
Patrolling a little longer and traveling further, she pays close attention to every detail of her surroundings before turning back. When she returns, Caleb’s awake and trying to get up. He rolls over and gets to his hands and knees as Sadie goes to his side, noticing his difficulties. He places his hands on the back wall and slowly makes his way to a kneeling position.
“Caleb, you need something?”
He looks at her and shyly answers, “I need to use the bathroom. Could you help me outside?”
Sadie finishes helping him up and then stops. “Wait a second,” she takes a lid off of one of the smaller containers and removes its contents. She steps outside, but returns almost immediately. Back inside, she opens another container, grabs an item, and returns to his side, “Here, I’ll wait outside.”
Before Caleb can respond, she leaves again. He looks at the small container handed to him along with the roll of tissue. He can’t believe it. Besides medical supplies, food, and lots of water, she has toilet paper! “God, she’s amazing,” he thinks, wondering how Sadie came to be so prepared. Her hideout is stocked well and looks to be out in the middle of nowhere. He checks the small bucket she handed him, finds a thin layer of dirt inside and discovers that it’s sturdy enough to support his weight. When he finishes, he snaps the lid back on, and then, a little embarrassingly, calls out to Sadie.
She enters and without saying anything, grabs the bucket and takes it outside. A few moments later, she returns, sets the bucket back down, and busies herself. He looks at her, unsure of what to say. Sadie, sensing his uncertainty, stops what she’s doing and turns to him. He’s still standing, and thinking his upright position is a good opportunity to clean his bandages, she goes to him.
“We should change these dressings. Can you lift your arms a little?”
Caleb does so without saying a word, and Sadie carefully unwinds the wrap from around his torso. When she removes the bandage covering his stitches, she pauses inspecting the wound. He already feels awkward about her taking out his bucket of waste, and now she’s close enough that he can feel her breath on his skin. Dependent on her, there’s so much he wants to say, and ask, but he’s not sure where to begin. Still amazed that Sadie’s even there, he keeps thinking that he’ll wake up only to realize it’s one long, strange dream.
“Sadie...I...umm...what…I mean is…well…”
She stops what she’s doing and looks directly into his eyes.
He continues to stutter, “I think…th-th-that…ahhh...well...” he can’t wrap his mind around his thoughts, and nothing comes out right. He takes a deep breath, looks down, and finally, the words come. “I really don’t know what I’m tryin’ to say, and…I don’t really understand how we ended up findin’ each other, but…I’m glad to be here…with you. You’ve gotta…unique home…and I appreciate you sharin’ it.”
The smile spreads from her eyes to her lips and he detects a hint of amusement. “Caleb, this isn’t my home, but I’m glad you like it. When you’re better I’ll take you there.” She finishes rewrapping him and satisfied with the effort continues, “But for now…we need to get you set...so you can manage on your own.”
Hearing her words, a sense of worry pangs him. He’s almost afraid to ask, but does so anyways. “Wha d’yah mean…manage on my own? Are you leav-ing?” he tries not to sound too distraught, but the crack in his voice gives him away.
She didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, or frighten him, but the mood between them shifts.
“Please…don’t worry. I’m stayin’ all day…and tonight…to make sure you’re okay, but…I have to check a few things, and…make sure we’re safe. I’ve been on my own for a long time, and…I’m…really...” Sadie finds herself at a loss for words. She tries gathering her thoughts, “It’s nice to have company and…I’ve got tons of questions…I hope you can answer.” Still detecting his apprehension, she tries returning to a lighter mood, “How ’bout I make some breakfast, and…we spend some time together.”
He nods, and she helps him settle into a position in which he can eat. Even though Caleb doesn’t complain about the pain, Sadie knows it’s bad. She contemplates giving him more morphine but decides to wait until later. Instead, she hustles about preparing a meal. When she pulls out a small electric burner, he looks at her sideways. “What the heck?” he thinks with his curiosity peeked.
She sets it down and plugs in another item. Then, wrapping her hand around a small handle, she repeatedly pulls the retractable cord. Sadie knows Caleb is watching her every move. Generating electricity is simply one of her routines and she forgets how unusual the process must look, so she turns the device so he can get a better look.
“It’s
an electric hand generator. This one uses a pull‐cord. I’ve got others that charge by turning a crank handle. Once charged, it’ll produce twenty to forty minutes of continuous electricity, depending on what’s plugged into it.”
His jaw drops and when he shuts his mouth, it’s only to reopen it to speak. “Sadie, that’s the most amazin’ thing I’ve ever seen. Where’d you get it?”
Sadie smiles, “My dad. This,” she says, holding up the unit, “was originally invented to power laptops.” She sets it back down to continue preparing their meal and after grabbing a few more things, finishes the explanation. “A non-profit company designed ’em for super durable laptops. Their goal was to spread education to kids livin’ in third world countries by providing access to the Internet…even if they didn’t have access to electricity. My dad saw a TV special ’bout the project and became…fascinated. It took him a while, but…eventually, he tracked someone down who sold him a few cases. When they arrived, he tinkered for months.”
Sadie’s enjoying herself, and finds it wonderful having someone to talk with. While getting the last of what she needs, she shares more about the devices.
“He thought they could be adapted for anything electrical and couldn’t believe the technology existed and people didn’t know. My dad…mastered its design, improved the capabilities, and created a few models. He planned to market them as the latest green technology…a world saver, but…he never got the chance.”
She stirs the pot while the food cooks and Caleb watches as she goes about making breakfast. It starts with hot tea for two, followed by a hearty bowl of oatmeal that spreads both comfort and warmth through his body. She even serves it with a cup of milk! It’s from a powdered mix, but it washes down the last of his meal nicely. Caleb leans back against the wall, feeling content for the first time in—well—he can’t remember. What a turn of events! He never would have thought he’d be here with Sadie, but he is, and it makes him happy. While trying to move from the position he’s in, a stabbing pain stops him. Sadie finishes what she’s doing, comes over to his side, and helps him lie down while asking if he’d like more of the pain meds.
Caleb can only nod, with clenched teeth. Sadie gives him another round of morphine and watches as his face relaxes. For the first time in a long while, he doesn’t worry about a thing, starts falling asleep, and then his body jerks slightly as he opens his eyes.
“Go ahead and sleep.” Sadie encourages. “I’m goin’ outside but…I’ll stay close.”
He looks at her and thinks about fighting to keep his eyes open.
“It’s okay, Caleb. You need to rest. I’ll be here when you wake, we can talk more then.”
His response is more of a grunt than a clearly spoken confirmation, but she senses his acceptance and realizes they have lots to catch up on.
EIGHT
Caleb’s first sensation upon waking is hearing a strange, rhythmic sound. The noise, coming from the pull-cord of the electric hand generator repeatedly being worked by Sadie, pulls him from his drug-aided slumber. As his level of consciousness returns, the aroma hanging in the air makes his mouth water. He struggles, trying to change positions, and once again, she’s instantly helping. Sadie’s strong, yet gentle, helping him through the worst of it. Then, without saying a word, she goes right back to what she was doing.
“That smells really good,” Caleb’s stomach grumbles, echoing his words.
He’s hungry and thirsty. While waiting, he grabs the canteen that stays at his side. It’s been refilled and taking a long drink, Caleb appreciates the life-saving liquid. God, he loves the refreshing water. Continuing to drink, he reflects on how things have changed over his lifetime. For most of his existence, water was taken for granted and wasted. People simply let it run down drains and wastefully used it for tasks such as hosing driveways and sidewalks clean. He was just as guilty, but now, Caleb can’t fathom wasting such a valuable commodity.
“Careful, it’s really hot,” Sadie warns, leaning over and handing him a large bowl.
Caleb inhales deeply as he brings the dish towards his nose. He closes his eyes, letting the steam swirl around every feature of his face.
“It’s quail and mushroom soup…there’s plenty, so eat up,” Sadie says, smiling and watching his reaction.
As his bowl nears empty, she’s back at his side refilling it. He turns and their eyes meet briefly. When he finishes his second serving, she quietly takes the bowl and starts cleaning up. Caleb uses the time to look around, noticing Sadie’s been busy. Not only did she return the items he’d left out, but she also rearranged the entire cave. Everything he might want, or require, is within reach. Her words from before come back to him. “So, you can manage on your own.” He guesses that soon, he’ll be finding out what that means. Before Caleb can finish his thoughts, she comes over and sits next to him.
“Caleb…I need to know about the Splitters, and…how you got here.”
He sees the concern in her eyes, but there’s more, it’s something—else. It takes him a moment, but he finally realizes it’s not just concern Sadie’s feeling, but a tinge of fear, covered carefully by her gritty resolution. Caleb can see she’s prepared for anything he might say and he too, is curious to find out about her, but from Sadie’s look, he knows he’ll have to wait before learning anything from her. She wants info from him, and that’s what’s going to happen. He takes a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts, and decides that the only place to start is at the beginning.
“I was livin’ in San Diego when the Tri-nami hit…but, luckily…I was away in Tahoe…a group of us met there…to stay at my friend’s cabin, and…enjoy the slopes. The first couple of days, everything was…idyllic…but…then the news started arriving.”
Images and sound bites from that day bombard his mind. The cataclysmic, global phenomenon astounded the scientific community, and the world, as it changed the face of the planet. Caleb’s feelings of despair return as the memories take hold.
“We sat glued to the TV, watchin’ in horror...and feelin’ helpless. All of us…had friends, and family, livin’ in areas where the Enders hit. Those first tidal waves…the images….” he pauses, remembering those behemoth monsters annihilating everything in their paths, “As things got worse, we grew desperate...each of us frantically tried contacting loved ones, only to be frustrated by the lack of responses, or busy signals. As the horror spread, our situation became serious. We talked about where to go, and realized…we were already better off than most. At least we were alive, and above the disaster line. Our plan was to stay…at least…until things got better, but…they never did.”
He pauses, taking a drink. “We ran out of supplies pretty quickly, and…went into town…we were shocked at the changes. Mayhem followed the panic. Everything was overrun…people scramblin’ to get whatever they could…the store shelves emptied, people were looting restaurants, hotels, resorts, and homes. Every building became a target, unless guarded by their owners…or…people layin’ claim to ’em.”
He falls silent as an image dashes across his mind. It’s of a woman running hysterically with her small child. She’s in such a panic—she doesn’t realize she’s going in circles. Caleb can still clearly see her desperation as she tried finding food. He blinks, trying to get rid of the haunting image, before returning to where he left off.
“We managed to get enough to last a while, but…it was ugly, and our behavior…and actions were…” He pauses again, this time at a loss for words.
He never imagined he’d be caught in the mob mentality, but it happened, and he finds it shameful. Sadie hesitantly places a hand on his arm, understanding, and feeling his remorse.
Eventually, Caleb continues, “We holed‐up in the cabin for the rest of the winter and watched the influx of refugees trickle in. As the snow melted…and spring returned…the number of survivors comin’ into Tahoe…dramatically increased. My buddy, who owned the cabin, was a true outdoorsman. He owned several rifles and taught us to hunt
. Food was scarce, so we foraged in the woods, and began growin’ whatever we could.”
“By the following winter, the city’s water supply was nearly empty, and…things got worse. People fought to live…and killed to survive. At the arrival of snow, people melted it, and celebrated having water, but…quickly it became a curse as many froze to death. All the hotels, ski resorts, casinos, and vacation rentals were full…of refugees. There weren’t enough rooms and…camps sprung up. The picturesque, mountain paradise of Tahoe was transformed into a dirty, rough shantytown. The massive food shortage forced people to strip the land of resources. Any and all animals were regarded as food…even birds became scarce. Gunshots could be heard frequently, and…it wasn’t just animals being killed...there was complete…lawlessness.”
Finding some comfort in sharing his tale, Caleb continues providing details for Sadie. “At first the local authorities tried to intervene, but they were outnumbered and out-resourced. It simply became…survival of the fittest. People formed packs, protecting one another and their supplies. Some groups retreated to boats…tryin’ to avoid the worst of humanity, only to find that it was just as bad out on the lake. We lost two friends the following fall. They were murdered…over two birds and a handful of peanuts.”
His discomfort resurfaces, but he doesn’t stop, “No one felt safe…and we had to kept watch at the cabin. It was during this time, that I…I had to…” he swallows, closes his eyes, and finds the courage to continue. “A small band of men attacked us while I was on watch and…I saw them run towards the back of the cabin. I fired a warning shot...but they didn’t even slow. They smashed a back window…climbed in before I could get to ’em…and by the time I arrived…. they…they had…” Caleb’s eyes threaten to water as he struggles, controlling his emotions, “They stabbed my girl and…killed two of the other women.”
Caleb grows quiet, and Sadie just waits. When he recovers enough to talk, he finishes. “By the end…we killed three of ’em, but the others got away. For the first time, I had blood on my hands, and I realized...I was changed…forever.”