by Nikki Lewen
For the next two days, Sadie continues her journey without difficulties. She enjoys the scenery and feels apprehensive only at night, when she has to let her guard down to rest. As her journey continues, she catches herself reminiscing about the area as it once was and how much it’s changed. When the tsunamis hit, entire communities, worldwide, were instantly submerged, and the flooding that continued forced survivors towards any remaining higher ground. The small mountain community, which once existed below the cliffs she’s hiking along now, not only managed to avoid the rising waters but also provided a refuge to others. The small town’s inhabitants, scratched out what existence they could and over the years, transformed the homes and nearby lands into a small cooperative of farmers, mountain folks, and newcomers.
It’s barely visible, but Sadie reaches what remains of the road that once traveled down to town. She stands on a broken slab of concrete. To her right, the paved section of road used to descend into the community below. To her left is the overgrown dirt road that curves through the woods, eventually reaching her home. It was her family’s private drive and the only accessible path to where they lived.
Turning towards the ocean, Sadie remembers the last time she drove on this road and the terrible ordeal that followed. Three of them—Sadie, Markus, and her dad—were on their regular trip down the mountain. The first of each month, they descended from their home to check in with everyone, as the community became an extended family who pulled together to survive. Together, they helped to transform the area’s apple orchards and berry fields to grow additional crops to feed everyone. It wasn’t much, but with her dad’s ingenuity, they were even able to produce small amounts of biofuel to operate a few pieces of farming equipment and to keep a couple of vehicles operational.
Sadie’s father, beloved by all, played a crucial role in everyone’s survival. He spent years accumulating supplies, was incredibly adept with anything mechanical, and was a masterful self-educated engineer. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix, build, or design, and he rose to the occasion, time, and time again. When traveling into town, Sadie’s dad would meet with several families, trade goods, and orchestrate any repairs or necessary changes.
Sitting down, now, on a giant stump, Sadie gazes below. Small waves crash against the rocks, and with each one, she grows sadder. She used to love the ocean, but now, looking at it reminds her of what’s lost. She thinks about that fateful day coming down the mountain and discovering how much humanity changed as she got her introduction to the Splitter Nation.
Sadie and Markus, along with her father, had driven to the settlement unaware of an invasion that arrived a couple of days earlier. Sadie’s dad stopped the truck when he noticed smoke, and then, in the distance, they heard gunshots. Before going any further, and into view, they parked behind a patch of trees. Both her husband and her dad tried to convince Sadie to head back home and leave them to scout the situation, but she wouldn’t, and refused to leave their sides. As the men grabbed their hunting rifles, Sadie shouldered her crossbow.
They left the truck and kept cover in the trees as they walked the last mile or so towards where the homes started. It was there they first witnessed Splitter brutality. The invading hoard had raided homes, shelters, and barns, killing and destroying as they went, and taking whatever they wanted. Most of the town’s men had been quickly killed, but the women, hadn’t been as fortunate. Sadie recalls the horrors of those sights, and then hearing the screams of a woman, coming from inside a nearby barn. On their approach, Sadie’s dad went first and fired several quick rounds.
As Sadie entered, she saw the bodies of three dead Splitters sprawled upon the ground. Caught off guard, the brutes hadn’t expected anyone, and were so engaged in abusing their victim that they didn’t hear him enter. Sadie’s eyes darted over the scene, but she couldn’t reach her friend fast enough. The woman, naked and bleeding, rolled over, grabbed one of the Splitters guns, and put it in her mouth. All three of them, in unison, yelled for her to stop, but it was too late.
They watched in slow motion as her body went limp and fell to the ground. In utter disbelief, they stood in shock, feeling even worse by the sight of her two small children’s bodies hanging from the rafters and her husband’s limp body tied to a post, where he’d been beaten to death. Sadie fell to her knees, trembling, before Markus grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her up, yelling to get Sadie’s attention, as she moved trance-like while they exited the barn.
Outside, they ran to hide among the trees just as another group of Splitters arrived at the scene. The militants entered, but eventually came back out shouting orders, while the three of them, crept through the orchard. Nearing an old farmhouse, they heard more commotion and discovered the Splitters were using the home, so they headed in the opposite direction, but found they were unable to leave what safety the trees provided.
Crouching among the fallen apples, they could only wait for dark and hope not to be discovered. As the sun set, they looped towards the other side of town trying to find a better vantage point, knowing they couldn’t just leave and abandon their friends. There might be survivors, and if so, they needed to help them. Along the way, they heard shots as a small pack of locals ran for cover. One by one, they saw each member of the frightened group gunned down, but from the corner of her eye, Sadie saw other survivors scrambling to hide, and carefully, Markus, Sadie, and her dad joined them. Once they found safety, all of them had turned to Robert, Sadie’s dad, for guidance.
Reliving those moments, Sadie’s no longer taking in her surroundings. All she sees is the terror across her friends’ faces as she’s transported back to that moment, vividly reliving every detail as it happened—including their conversations, and it’s her father’s voice, she hears first.
“We have to be strong.” Robert says, to the scared and wide-eyed group. “Even if there’s only one left, we have to find ’em...we have to be careful…and smart. This is a fight…for our lives.” He looks at Sadie and motions as if he’s writing.
Sadie, understanding his meaning, pulls out a small notepad from her pocket and together they create a list of the known dead and those still missing.
In hiding, they observe the Splitters, study their habits, and learn their routines. The militants are a curse on the land, like a plague or sickness, and tracking the invaders helps the group determine how many they’re up against. At night, they break into groups of two or three to search for survivors and to cautiously gather anything missed by the Nation’s searches. It’s potentially a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, as they learn to dodge the invading force. Quickly, some of the missing, younger men are discovered as they are beaten and forced at gunpoint, to move equipment and supplies. At night they’re locked in a storage shed and guarded, and knowing that the Splitters will eliminate their captives once they’ve served their purpose, Robert devises a rescue plan.
“I’m gonna need Ned,” he blurts, surprising everyone.
The others stare in disbelief: they’d forgotten all about Ned, the local recluse living on the outskirts of town, who hasn’t even been seen in years. Besides his brothers, Robert’s the only person that’s ever spoken to or interacted with the war veteran, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving two tours of duty. Once home, his only refuge from the psychological trauma came from collecting military goods. His younger brothers supported his habit because it helped, but as Ned’s impulses became excessive, they became unsure of how to handle his behavior. Instead of fighting it, they took on a different strategy and talked him into opening a surplus store. The brothers handled all the daily operations of the business, and Ned’s responsibility was solely locating and ordering the stock they sold.
Sadie’s dad became one of the store’s regulars and spent a good bit of time among the isles and shelves full of military-grade supplies. It was one of Robert’s specialty requests that eventually brought Ned and him together, since the outcast usually refused to interact with customers. The d
ay the two met was the beginning of a unique friendship and Ned found solace in Robert’s questions and unusual orders.
Then, when the ocean levels first started to rise, it was Ned who acted. He began moving merchandise to his brothers’ place. When he ran out of room in the shed and house, he bought a tractor, tore up the back of the property, and built a storage bunker hidden in the seclusion and privacy of his family’s land. A feud followed, as the brothers tried stopping him, but Ned refused to back down. Gossip spread, as the townsfolk, who were denied access to the site, tried to guess what he was doing. Robert helped with the design and construction, but respected Ned’s privacy, and never shared anything about the project with anyone else. When the Enders hit, and the floods approached, Ned’s shop disappeared under water—along with most everything else—and then, his excessiveness and vast supplies of goods proved helpful.
Even though he was forgotten about, everyone agrees that Ned’s probably still holed up in the back of his property. Robert, still keeping his friend’s secrets, refuses to share much, and says he has to go there alone. The group trusts Robert but Sadie isn’t satisfied. She argues until her father agrees she can come along and keep watch.
In the cover of darkness, the two of them head toward the outskirts of town where only two homes remain. Besides Ned, a young couple—who are still unaccounted for—live out this way. Sadie and Robert move carefully and at the first home, a body in the yard, comes into view, but they can’t get close enough to determine more, because Splitters are milling around. Moving tactfully towards Ned’s, the father-daughter team discovers that his home is nearly destroyed.
Obviously the site of a lengthy standoff, the house is torn apart, riddled with bullets, and both brothers lie deceased inside. Any remaining supplies are long gone, confiscated by the Nation. After seeing more than enough, Sadie finds a secure hiding place that offers a view with a clear line of sight to both Ned’s and the neighbors’ home.
“Sadie, if I’m not back by sunrise, head back to the others. If I’m not back by the following night, then…something’s wrong,” Robert warns his daughter.
“Dad…” she begins, but before she can say another word, he interrupts her.
“No! You stay safe! I’ve lost everyone else and I won’t lose you! I’ll be back.” He looks fiercely at his daughter. “Promise.” He grabs her by the shoulders. “Promise me! Whatever happens…please?”
“Okay dad...I promise,” she says, obliging him after a long pause.
As he creeps away, a terrible feeling washes over Sadie. Something isn’t right and for hours, she stays hidden, watching and listening as the sensation strengthens. The only action she sees is when one or two Splitters go inside the neighbors’ home and then emerge a short time later. As night lengthens, the traffic at the house slows, and then stops. When the last man leaves and no one else appears, Sadie can no longer ignore her sense of unease.
Leaving her hiding place, she creeps toward the house and finds out whose body lies on the ground. Sadie gets close enough to confirm it’s her friend’s husband before moving to a window, but peeking in, it’s too dark for her to make out any details. After checking several windows, she heads to the back door, finds it’s open, hesitates, and then enters.
With a racing heart rate, she pauses just inside, allowing her eyes time to adjust. Sadie isn’t sure what she’s doing, but her gut commands her to continue. The Splitters are up to something, and finding out could help. Trying to be stealthy, she makes her way to the stairs, taking each step with care, and gets scared as one creaks. Paused, halfway up the flight, she hears the voices of two approaching men, who unknowingly, announce their arrival. There isn’t a way for Sadie to get out before they see her, so she hustles up the remaining stairway and ducks into one of the two rooms.
She can hear the men’s laughter as they stumble up the stairs. They’re drunk, and the lantern they carry casts odd shadows on the walls where she’s hiding. The extra room, set up as an office, has a sofa along one wall, a desk with all its drawers ripped out, and a small closet with its door left ajar. There aren’t other options, so Sadie slips into the closet, and eases far enough over so she can’t be seen. At the top of the stairs, the two Splitters argue.
“Oohh…you wen firrrs las time! Is my turn,” slurs one of them.
“Tha don’ madder. I’mmm…higher rank, sooooo I...go first. You wait yur turn.”
One of the Splitters departs into the bedroom across the hall, while the other turns to where Sadie’s hiding. He sets his lantern on the desk and plops onto the couch. Sadie catches herself holding her breath as she leans to look, before quickly retracting her head. The Splitter has positioned himself facing the closet and time stands still as she remains trapped, hearing the man’s breathing, along with the tipping of a bottle each time he takes a drink. Muffled sounds come from the other room, and suddenly, Sadie realizes what’s going on. It doesn’t take long before the absent Splitter comes over.
“Yur turn buddy,” he says, swiping the bottle from his friend’s hand and taking a long swig. “I’ll wait for yah, but make it quick,” he chuckles and settles on the sofa.
Sadie waits for a moment and then peers out again. He’s lain in the opposite direction with his back towards Sadie, and feeling her anger rise at an alarming rate, she finds an opportunity has presented itself. Slowly, she sneaks from the hiding place, and stepping on something, makes a crunching sound. She acts immediately and with knife drawn, Sadie closes the short distance. From behind, she slits the man’s throat from ear to ear, before he even turns around.
She leaves the scene of her bloody killing and heads across the hall, where she pauses at the door to gather her courage before barging in. When she does, a horrendous excuse for a man is on top of her friend—Gabby—and Sadie reacts by stabbing repeatedly. As he rolls over, Sadie finishes the job by plunging her blade deep into his heart. There’s blood splatter everywhere, but the muffled sobs from Gabby keep Sadie focused. She takes the gag from her friend’s mouth and cuts the rope that ties her arms and legs to the bed.
Gabby tucks into a fetal position and weeps, while Sadie looks around, collecting the poor woman’s clothes. Thinking, Sadie runs down the stairs to the back of the laundry room where she knows emergency supplies are hidden. The community continued to survive because all of its members decided to pull together and adhere to several survival tactics. Each home has a secret space, holding specific items, used only in emergencies, and Sadie hopes the Splitters didn’t discover the one here.
The room’s a mess, but uncovering the hidden spot, she finds everything is still there. As adrenaline continues coursing through her veins, Sadie carries two jugs of water in each hand, and runs up the stairs double-time. She sets the water in the bathroom and carries Gabby there.
“Gabby, we have to be fast…more could be comin’,” Sadie says, lightly pouring some water over the defeated woman.
With the water, Gabby finally reacts, and her hands and body shake uncontrollably as she fiercely scrubs her body with a small piece of soap. Sadie goes back to the Splitters’ bodies and takes their weapons. She finds matches and cigarettes on the body in the office and it gives her an idea. She grabs the half empty bottle of alcohol, douses the dead Splitter, as well as the window’s curtains, and then strikes a match just before her and Gabby exit.
The growing fire will definitely attract others, and since Sadie doesn’t see any sign of her father, she decides to get the two of them to safety while she can. Gabby, who is frantic and weak, can barely function. When they finally return to the group, who are shocked at the women’s sudden appearance, the only details a blood-stained Sadie shares are about the fire, while Gabby just continues to weep.
THIRTEEN
Sadie runs a hand through her hair, remembering those days with Gabby. Her dear friend endured such cruelty and injustice and the mere thought of it sickens Sadie. Gabby was a mess, and kept to herself, sharing an unspoken knowledge and bond with
Sadie that the others simply didn’t question, including Markus. The experience transformed Sadie. She’d seen the bodies of dead friends, witnessed Gabby’s rape, and brutally slayed two men. To make matters even worse, her dad hadn’t return as scheduled. Still reliving those horrors, Sadie can’t let go of the terrible visions. They continue to overrun her mind, transporting her back to all those years ago, and once again, it’s her father voice, she hears when he finally came back and joined them.
“I’m sorry. It’s okay, I’m here,” he says, embracing his daughter, realizing something terrible has happened. Knowing they’ll talk privately later, he turns to quickly address the group and to relieve their anxiety. “Ned’s alive…he’ll help. Tomorrow, at midnight…we meet him.”
The group, overwhelmed emotionally, slowly disburses to settle in for the night. Robert looks from Sadie to Gabby, and then back to Sadie. He understands much in those few quick glances and breaking eye contact with his daughter, he focuses on Gabby, who’s nearly delirious.
“You’re safe.” Robert takes a step closer as tears fall from her eyes. “I promise.”
At his words, Gabby falls completely limp and Robert moves to catch her. Her tears turn to sobs and then she begins to wail.
“Sshhh…ssshhh...Gabby, we have to keep quiet.”