Finding Eden
Page 3
Any human was a threat now. Most would kill a person without a second thought, especially if that person had supplies on them. I knew I wasn't alone when I saw the flashlight beam move from side to side. When I saw the light die, I played the fool and entered. Quite frankly, I needed the supplies and I was prepared to kill for them if I had to. It was hard to hold in the laughter as I watched her try to be sneaky while evading my gaze. It became tedious though, so I decided to go in for the kill. These days, it’s always better to be the predator than the prey.
But geez, she ended up being a puny girl—no older than twenty. I would have felt guilty for days if I had went full assassin on her ass with my double-sided axe, especially now, looking at her clutching her stuffed bear, so weak and broken on the floor of her underground pad. She was filthy, and her white-blonde hair was falling out of its braid. Other than the one section that her braid must have been covering, the back of her neck and shoulders were burned tomato red. Her green eyes were too big for her face, making her look like an overly frightened child. She had seemed so unbreakable back at the store, but now she looked like she would shatter if I attempted to lay a single finger on her.
I didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t my place, so I didn’t have the right to go through anything. I settled on sitting on the ground as far from her as possible, wanting to give her space and air to breathe. After a while, my eyes grew heavy, and I felt myself doze off a few times. I would wake up and see her in the same exact position—completely wide eyed. After a couple hours or so, I finally decided to at least talk to her.
“Hey,” I said simply.
No answer.
“You should get some sleep.” I nodded towards the cot behind her. As I expected, there was no answer. I decided to try a different approach. I lightly placed my hand on her shoulder. She was so tense that my own muscles grew sore just looking at her.
“Come on,” I said as I knelt beside her, keeping my hand on her shoulder. The girl was gone—out of here. I took a deep breath. “Listen. I’m going to pick you up and put you on the bed.” She didn’t protest, so I wrapped an arm around her back, slipped the other underneath her knees, and placed her on the cot. If I hadn’t been looking at her so intently, I wouldn’t have seen her relax her body, but only in the slightest. I didn’t touch her again; I just told her to get some sleep and she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes.
There was a bigger cot located at the head of hers and it looked like it hadn’t been touched in ages. The sheets were arranged in a way that made it seem as if someone had just gotten out of bed and decided not to make it, but there was a thick coat of dust across the entire surface. I hesitated and chose not to use it. I decided on the rug located underneath the ladder and I made that my bed for the day. Even though I was incredibly beat, I still couldn’t get myself to fall asleep. I just stared at the hatch, thinking that if someone opened it right then I would probably combust, ashes everywhere. I sighed; I just wanted to black out. I had a feeling the girl hadn’t had the luxury of falling asleep yet either. There were no steady breaths coming from her.
I took a chance and whispered, “Can you sleep?”
After a couple minutes, I was about to give up on her answering, when she said, “No.” Her voice was rough. I felt a pang of remorse; I was sure it was my fault and I was probably the reason why she couldn’t sleep.
I rolled over to face her cot and said, “I won’t hurt you.”
She visibly relaxed and after all that went down tonight, I was finally able to fall asleep.
[ Elle ]
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I screamed. Waking up to this man hovering over me wasn’t a good end to my restful day’s sleep. My knife was unsheathed as quickly as I was on my feet. I held it up in front of me, warning him away. “Step back,” I hissed between my clenched teeth. I couldn’t believe I let myself trust him so easily.
He backed away and put his hands up in surrender. “Easy there, Kid.” He nodded towards his right hand. I narrowed my eyes. He was holding my burn cream. “I was going to apply it to your burns. I was just trying to help.” He kept his hands up.
I put my knife away and tried to unwind. Now that he mentioned it, I could feel the heat radiating from my back. It hurt. I was a human heater and that was one device I no longer had a need for. I flinched and he cocked his head to the side. As I stepped forward, I snatched the burn cream from his hand.
“I can do it myself.” I sat down on my bed, unscrewed the cap, squirted a single dollop into my hand, and gently massaged it into my sore flesh. I recoiled. It felt so cool against my skin. It was refreshing to say the least and it was a beautiful thing to be blissfully unaware of the searing pain. I put some on the back of my ears as well. “Is it all covered?” I hated asking for his help.
“Yes.”
“Listen…” I looked up at him, but this time I actually really looked at him. He was tall—like a good foot and a half taller than me. I could tell he was tan and his skin took on a glow against the candle light. He sported a short, military-style haircut. It made him look hard, but the way he always wore that smirk seemed to make me think otherwise. He was probably mid-to-late twenties, and I didn’t appreciate him calling me kid when I was, in fact, twenty-three. I think. I wasn’t quite sure what month it was any more.
Then I saw his eyes. One was bright, golden-brown. The other had a milky-white layer. It occurred to me that he was blind in one eye. It didn’t take away from his looks though. It actually kind of added to them. I momentarily wondered how he had lost sight in his left eye. I didn’t realize I was staring until he shifted uneasily on his feet.
“What?” He snapped. It was the first time he showed any negativity towards me. Even during our scuffle, he seemed in good humor. I’ve had a poor attitude the entire time. I immediately felt crappy—well, kind of.
“Listen,” I repeated, wanting to say his name, but realizing I had no idea what it was. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t do names.”
I groaned. I had to call him something. Why was he being difficult? And then it came to me. “Fine. In honor of our meeting place, I’ll call you Tex.” I started fiddling with the hem of my shorts. This was suddenly uncomfortable. “You can’t stay. I just don’t have enough supplies. I only have about enough to survive another month. I’d rather live another month alone than a week or two with you.” I immediately regretted saying it. It sounded much harsher than I intended. I quickly added, “It’s no offense to you.”
“Ouch!” He said with an expression of mock pain plastered across his face.
“Why is everything funny to you?” I frowned. I had a feeling it was all a façade, but I wasn’t sure why.
He didn’t answer my question.
“I can let you stay one more day, but then you have to leave.” I went on.
He nodded. “I appreciate it. I need to be gone tomorrow anyways. I have somewhere I’m heading.”
“Where’s tha—”
“Is the hunting knife your weapon of choice?” He interrupted quickly.
He cut me off. How rude, I thought to myself. Rather, how weird. I fingered the handle of my knife and nodded.
“I could teach you a few things, if you’d like.”
I bit down on my lip as I took in his offer and mulled it over. It was either that or press the issue of where he was heading. I decided that improving my weapon skills would be much more advantageous to me.
I agreed to his offer and gave him my name. He didn’t seem all that interested in knowing it.
“You’re better than I expected, Blondie.”
It was the first compliment I had received from Tex all evening. We were now outside since we needed more room than the bunker had to offer. We were both soaked in sweat and had finished off a bottle of water each. We had been at it for hours. He had shown me several techniques that I had all but mastered. I’d have to remind myself later to ask where he learned all of this.
“Okay, the last technique is called the hammer grip. It’s the preferred method because the knife is least likely to be knocked from your hand. Holding it this way, you can easily deliver a blow with most of your power and strength behind it.” He took the knife from me and made a fist around the handle, gripping it tightly. “You can easily cut through clothing this way and it works well when thrusting.” He returned the knife to me. “Make sure your forefinger is touching your thumb.”
I mirrored the way he had been holding it. The blade was angled up and I started to thrust towards the sky
“Good,” he approved. “You can cause damage at a distance with this technique. You can also slash and slice, as well as attack with the butt of the handle. You just have to be careful because now your hand and arm are vulnerable and your enemy will take advantage of that very quickly.”
I sliced and slashed at the air while working on the different stances he had taught me earlier that evening. I grunted, bringing the butt of the handle up and to the side. If someone had been there, it would have been a knock-out blow.
“I’m beat,” Tex groaned, stretching his muscles out. He arched his back and his shirt edged slowly up his stomach. It was flat. He was obviously fit and tan, or maybe, that was just dirt. I was as pale as a vampire; after all, I had been living like one for so long. I was symbiotic with the desert now; dirt seemed to seep from my pores. Whether it was stained skin or a tan, it didn’t matter. He didn’t affect me in that way, at least I assured myself of that fact—and then, reassured myself afterward.
I put my knife back into its sheath and cracked my knuckles. It felt good. I had a feeling my right hand would be sore and even more calloused by the time I woke up tonight and had to say goodbye to Tex.
It was weird. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that now. I hadn’t realized it until now, but it was nice not being alone for once.
Chapter 4
[ Tex ]
I dug in my pack and took out two packaged wet wipes; I handed one to Blondie. I didn’t have to tell her what they were for. She hurriedly ripped open the tiny foil package and unfolded the damp cloth. She wiped the sweat and dirt off her face, neck, chest, underarms, and I followed suit.
I didn’t expect the girl to say thanks, but I guess she did it in her own way when she brought me over a bag of beef jerky. We shared several pieces between ourselves. I hadn’t touched any sort of meat in over two years, so I relished in it, taking my sweet time.
“Why is that your weapon of choice?” Elle asked between mouthfuls.
“My axe?” I pointed at my double-sided axe leaning against the wall.
“No, your flashlight.” She bit off a piece of the jerky and narrowed her eyes. They gleamed playfully. It made me very uncomfortable.
“It was the closest thing I had to a weapon at home.” I could have told her about my arsenal of pistols I had taken with me, but I didn’t think she wanted to know why they were absent now. The truth was that I had run out of bullets. And it was public knowledge that guns are useless without bullets and she was the one person—right now, in this moment—that didn’t need to know. She could get frightened and kick me out into the daylight. Of course I wouldn’t allow that, which means I’d have to subdue her, or worse, kill her.
Like I killed all those people who tried to steal from me, emptying my clips into anyone who came upon me, threatening and promising to take all that I had left. Because this backpack and what filled it was all that I had left. I would trade it though, and every human being left on this godforsaken piece of rock, just to have them back.
Their faces slowly came back to me. Her soaked brown hair framed her horror-stricken face as she realized what was about to happen. One hand was reaching out to me in desperate hope; the other was grasping our little girl. That man had a vice grip on her neck, pulling her deeper under the water. The ocean water moved too quickly and pulled her from my reach. My little girl, only four, all brown curls tied up in pigtails, looked utterly frightened and confused while holding on to her mother. My wife screamed my name. I swam towards them, but the current was faster. The man trying to hold onto my wife to keep himself afloat pulled them under. And they were gone, just like that.
Of course, no one saw the tsunami coming. How would we have? There was no way for us to be alerted, not even a siren. It happened the day after the whole killer sun thing started. It was most likely the earthquakes that caused it. It engulfed the entire coast of California; San Diego was washed away along with most of its residents. The waves came in the late afternoon, so with the still bright, burning sun, it wasn’t like we could have gone to higher ground. We were doomed from the start and that greedy man hammered the final nails into their coffins.
I’d never forget his face—that murderer. I now savor the memory of him dying there. He was a selfish man, taking the lives of two innocents with him. It felt so good remembering it, remembering his demise; I prayed I never would forget it. I used to stay awake when I should have been sleeping, imagining what his last moments would have been like. I would have liked to think he might have given my family a fighting chance, but I knew he would have been narrow-minded until the very end. I would relish thinking of all the air escaping his lungs and then filling up with the burning salt water. I prayed it burned; I prayed that it was unbearable, excruciating. I would have liked to have seen the light leave his eyes as he choked on his own watery tomb.
“You’ll never forget whose face?” The kid asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t realized I said it out loud. I silently cursed my stupidity. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers over my head. “Tex?” She questioned further.
I wasn’t just quick on my feet. “A man I saw. He drowned in the tsunami.”
“There was a tsunami?” Blondie’s voice grew in pitch with each syllable until it was just a squeak.
“Yeah, it wiped most of the coast off the map.” I showed no emotion.
She blanched. Her entire demeanor changed in an instant. She completely froze and it reminded me of when we had first arrived here after the gas station incident.
“Oh, no, you’re not doing this again, Kid!” I knelt down in front of her, staring up into her eyes. I waved my hand back and forth. “Earth to Blondie. Come back to me.”
“Mom… Dad…” The words barely passed through her lips. “I’m sorry.” A single tear made a damp trail down her cheek, cleaning away the dust. I wanted to wipe it away, but it wasn’t my place. The desire must have come from having a daughter. Or a wife.
She looked so small. I just wanted to pick her up and tell her everything would be okay. Again, the desire must have come from having a daughter. Or a wife. And it was a lie. Nothing would ever be okay, not anymore.
“Talk to me.”
She didn’t.
I pressed my lips together, thinking. After a moment, I reached forward and poked her cheek.
Still no reaction.
“Hey, Blondie!” I poked her nose. Again, there was nothing, so I reached behind her, grabbed her braid that hung down to her waist, and gave it a yank.
She blinked. I beamed at my success. It was like I was playing with my little girl again.
“My dad and mom,” she started without me having to ask again, “went back into town the next night, after everything began. I was angry that they didn’t go back for my friends the day we left. I was so tired that I slept through them sneaking out. I woke up to a note…” Elle reached under her pillow and retrieved a piece of paper that looked like it was handled a thousand times before.
Elle,
We were going to surprise you with something, but we didn’t want to make you worry about our absence if you woke up before we returned. We’ll be back before sunrise.
We lov
e you, our sweet little Elle.
Mom & Dad
“It doesn’t say anything about going back for your friends.” I frowned, reading the note once again.
“No, but I know that’s the reason. I was so selfish; I should have kept my mouth shut.” Her finger tips clawed into her thighs. I momentarily wondered if she felt any pain or was just numb.
“Even if that is the reason why they left, it’s the complete opposite of selfishness on your part. You were caring about others, not yourself.”
“It doesn’t matter,” She snapped. “They never returned and now I know why. They were torn to shreds by the damned tsunami.”
She grabbed the note from me and tore it to pieces.
[ Elle ]
Day came soon enough and we settled in to our beds, waiting for sleep to take us over. I could hear Tex’s steady breathing from across the bunker. Despite his makeshift mattress beneath the ladder, he fell asleep quickly. He looked relaxed, but every once in a while he said something I couldn’t quite make out. He said it with such sadness. I knew he was hiding something from me. Yesterday he was sitting across from me, deep in thought, and speaking without realizing it. Anxiety filled every crease on his face. I could smell his lie a mile away. It wasn’t my place to ask though, so I let it go and allowed him to think that I believed his lie.
Tex never asked to use the other cot, but I wasn’t surprised. He probably figured it out before I said anything about my parents. I couldn’t believe that I had told him about my mom and dad. I had never said it out loud before and it made the whole situation feel real, final. I wondered if he had lost anyone and I wondered again how his left eye was blinded. I was still curious about where he was heading as well. What secrets did this man hold? Why did it matter to me? Maybe I was just so bored of life that Tex was my escape from its drudgery—something new to play with besides cards and board games. I had nothing else to do but try to pick him apart and see what made him tick.