Beyond The Collapse

by Kip Nelson

  “Oh, probably. She could handle anything that was thrown at her. That's one of the reasons why I loved her. She was fearless, and she'd always try new things, and even when she knew she had cancer she didn't just give up and stop living the way she wanted to. She fought her hardest and was damn sure she was going to do as much as she could in the time we had left. That's what I've tried to do as well, but I'm not sure I've made the most of it. Maybe I should remember what it was like to be with her, because she made me a better man and brought out the best in me. I think when she died that part of me died, too. I found it hard to be the same person because she's not there beside me. It's a strange thing, to go through life with someone, because eventually they just become another part of you, like another arm or a leg. Then, suddenly, they're gone and it's as though you can't even remember what life was like before them. But I've changed already. I think you have too.”

  “I have?”

  “You haven't noticed?”

  “Not really. I think I'm pretty much the same as when we first met.”

  Peter smiled and shook his head. “No, you've changed. You were so worried and looking around, but now you're a little different. You have more patience and you're more confident. Think of all we've done together. We've built a shelter, we’ve lived out in the forest, we’ve hunted and gathered our food, and now we're back here living life, exploring the city on some expedition. You have to keep in mind everything you've done, otherwise you'll never be able to appreciate yourself.”

  Adam was about to thank him for the kind words when they heard a loud growl and a scampering of feet. They turned to see a feral dog, its eyes white with fury, its fur soaked and matted to its thin body, its teeth bared in a snarl. It moved toward them and the two men backed into a corner, scared the beast could rip them apart. Through the gray fur Adam could see there was a collar, which meant it had been owned by someone in the not too distant past. Even though Adam was scared he still pitied the dog. At one time this dog would have had an owner and been part of a happy household, but it wasn't just humans who had been affected by the end of the world. The animals had been as well, and this dog was trying to survive just as much as the two of them. He wished he was good with animals so he could have calmed the dog and perhaps even had it accompany them on their journey. For even though it looked like a beast, there still was the soul of a companion in there, and all it needed was a little nurturing.

  But Adam didn't have those skills. Neither, apparently, did Peter, who cowered behind Adam. Adam gulped and raised his palms. “Now, now, there's a good dog. There's no need to do anything silly. We can all be friends here,” he said, his voice wavering.

  The dog's body was stretched and thin. Its legs were ready to leap. Saliva dripped from its pink tongue and white teeth. It had been driven crazy by hunger. All it needed was food, to tear some flesh, and feel the meat slide down its throat into the pit of its aching stomach, to get that sweet relief and know it wasn't going to die just yet. Peter had killed animals before, but that was when he had been the predator, when he had been hidden and able to strike in his own time. Now he was the prey and the fear in his mind was palpable. All he wanted to do was run, but he couldn't leave Peter. He also was afraid to move in case the dog took that as a sign of attack and chose to lunge toward them.

  Holding the spear, Adam thrust it forward, trying to threaten the dog and make it move away, but the dog was malnourished and desperate. It was not going to be so easily swayed. Somehow, the thought of killing someone's pet was less palatable to Adam than killing a wild animal for sustenance.

  Then, out of nowhere, came the sound of another animal. This one sounded more terrible and vicious than the snarling dog standing in front of them with its teeth bared. There was a growl, and then a howl. The dog turned its head. Its beady eyes searched the world for the source of the other animal, but it could find nothing. Another screeching howl sounded again, and the dog turned tail and ran. For a moment Adam breathed a sigh of relief, but then gripped the spear more tightly. Just like the dog, he looked around for the source of the noise, afraid that a bigger and badder animal was approaching. His chest heaved and his heart raced, adrenalin pumped through his body as he reached behind him and pulled out the knife, ready to defend himself and Peter. It was ironic, he thought, that for all their time spent in the forest they hadn't met any animals bigger than a raccoon, but as soon as they returned to the city they were faced with the perils of the wild.

  He rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth, preparing for battle, ready to face a ferocious beast. A shadow loomed before him, tall and dark and foreboding. The rain still was pouring, and as Adam blinked, he could just about make out a figure approaching. As it got closer a confused look came upon his face, for it was not a ferocious beast at all. In fact, it was the furthest thing from it, a small girl with a button nose and pigtails walked up to him with a smile on her face.

  “Are you guys okay?” she asked, squinting at them. Adam glanced at Peter. He still was holding the spear tightly, his knuckles white, and even though the girl seemed harmless he wasn't about to let go yet. He licked his lips and stared at her, unsure of what to say.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Adam looked at the young girl with confusion and mistrust. She had brown hair, which peeked through her hood, and was wearing a pink anorak that was a little too big for her and yellow Wellington boots. She also had a satchel slung around her shoulders and an inquisitive look on her face. Adam looked at her and then himself and realized she was far more prepared for living in a world such as this than he was. But had she really been the source of the wolf's howl? It seemed unbelievable, but stranger things had happened.

  He looked past her, wondering if she was alone or if someone was with her. His paranoid mind started whirring and the small voice of fear in the back of his mind kept telling him this was some sort of trap. No girl would be out here by herself. She had been sent forward by someone nefarious to trick Adam and Peter into a safe state of mind before she led them into a trap. His grip on the spear loosened, but he did not let it go just yet.

  “I'm Annabelle, what's your name?” she asked brightly, smiling at the two of them.

  Peter spoke before Adam, and the older man seemed all too happy to chat with the young girl. Adam wanted him to be a bit more careful, but he really didn't have a good enough reason to tell him so. After all, it was very likely Annabelle was being genuine and she did just want to help. Perhaps she was some sort of guardian angel for the two of them. Peter introduced them and Annabelle said it was nice to meet them.

  “You have to watch out for the animals. Some of them got a bit lost after everything that happened, but they're just scared and lonely. You can't be too angry with them. If you're loud enough, they usually back down. I use a wolf because the dogs are afraid of wolves. I can make a lot of animal noises, though. I learned them all in the Scouts. Would you like to hear my elephant sound? I can do horses as well, and cats, and bunnies, although those don't really come in handy here, but they’re still fun to do.”

  “I--” Adam began, but Annabelle continued talking before he could get a word in.

  “Can you do any animal noises? I know you weren't in the Girl Scouts because, well, you're not girls,” she said, giggling to herself, “but maybe you learned some. I like hippopotamuses the best. People say they're ugly, but I think they're cute. They'd like it here as well, I think, given how rainy it is. Do you think it will keep raining for long? I don't mind it, but it does make it hard to see. I'd prefer it if the sun came out because it's warmer and then we can grow flowers and all the bees come out. Did you know that bees are dying out, and we have to be careful not to harm any of them? People think they're wasps, but they're not dangerous like that.”

  “You're a chatty little thing, aren't you?” Adam said.

  Annabelle just grinned and he found himself grinning along as well. There was something disarming about her, and charming. He never usually liked children because
he felt awkward around them, but Annabelle was different. He almost wanted to remain silent to see what she was going to say next, or for how long she could talk without running out of subjects, but he got the impression it would be a very long time.

  “What are you doing out here by yourself, Annabelle? Are your parents close by?”

  The smile fell from Annabelle's face and she creased her brow for an instant. “They got lost when everything went dark,” she said, and that was that.

  Adam got the sense that it was one subject she wasn't quite ready to talk about yet, which was perfectly understandable. Yet, given all he expected to find in the city, a little girl on her own wasn't one of them. He was unsure about what to do. There had to be someone looking after her. He doubted a girl of Annabelle's age, which he thought was about eleven, could survive all this time by herself, but as he looked around he couldn't see anyone.

  “Do you have parents? Is he your father?” Annabelle asked, looking at Peter, who had become somewhat reticent after first speaking to her. He smiled, but still kept himself behind Adam's shoulder.

  “No,” Adam laughed, “he's just my friend. We met after it went dark. We were camping out in the forest for a while, but we decided to come back to the city. We thought it would be safer here. Where do you stay? Does anyone look after you?” Adam asked. Annabelle looked down at the ground and chewed her lip.

  “Well, I'm not really supposed to talk about that. In fact, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers at all, but I had to help you. Then it would have been rude if I didn't talk to you. I like talking to people, but it's different now than it used to be.”

  “Yes, it is. Well, are you at least close to home? There is someone who looks after you, yes? I just don't like the thought of you being out here alone, although by the looks of it you're more than capable.”

  “It's okay. I like being outside. I hate being cramped up in the...oh, it almost slipped out,” she said, and giggled again. At that point another shadow loomed forward and a figure approached them. A look of fear came upon Adam's face and his protective instincts sparked to life. He grabbed Annabelle by the shoulder.

  “Get behind me,” he shouted. He ushered Annabelle to stand beside Peter, who smiled kindly at her and tried to tell her everything was going to be alright.

  Adam gripped the spear tightly and raised it over his shoulder, calling out to the mystery person. “Whoever you are, you should back away slowly. I don't want to hurt you, but I will defend myself and the people with me.”

  The figure came into view and Adam's jaw dropped as it was a beautiful woman. She was wearing a jacket similar to Annabelle’s, which provided protection from the rain. But while Annabelle's was a little too big, this one was small, and white, so it clung to the woman's slender figure. She had curves in all the right places, and Adam's eyes nearly dropped out of his skull. She wore no hood and her long blonde hair was matted to her scalp. The water trickled down her heart-shaped face and dripped from her full, sensual lips. It was as though she had been pulled from one of his dreams, a dream he dreamed a long time ago, in which he formed the image of a perfect woman, and now she was standing before him.

  With a stern look on her face.

  She scowled and rolled her eyes at Adam's threat, and didn't even bother to address him. She looked down at Annabelle. “I told you not to wander off. You have to stay close to me. That's the deal we made. If you can't keep to the agreement, then you won't be able to come out with me again,” she said.

  “As for you,” she added, looking up at Adam disdainfully, “I don't think you're holding that spear right. I'm Annabelle's guardian. Thank you for protecting her, but we'll be going now.” She grabbed Annabelle from behind Adam, leading the young girl away. Adam was tongue-tied, but this act jerked him out of his silence state and he called after them.

  “Wait! I can't just let you take her, I don't even know if you are who you say you are. Annabelle, are you in danger?”

  The woman stopped and hung her head. She turned around and pinched the bridge of her nose, as though it was a huge hassle to deal with Adam and Peter. “Annabelle, tell him, just so I don't have to worry about them chasing after us,” she said.

  “This is my friend, Diana. She looks after me. It's okay, Adam, it really is. It was nice meeting you!” Annabelle called out, and Diana turned again.

  But Adam still wasn't done. Diana was mumbling to Annabelle a warning not to talk to strangers when Adam walked up to Diana. He reached out to grab her shoulder, intending to try keeping her talking in the hope the four of them could join together. Annabelle was the first person Adam had met after the end of the world who he properly trusted, aside from Peter. If they did have a camp, then he saw them as a way in. It didn't go as he planned. As soon as his hand pressed against Diana's shoulder she turned quickly and grabbed his arm. Before he could do anything to react she twisted his arm and pulled his body over hers, sending him flying to the ground, crashing on his back.

  Pain swarmed through his body and the breath was driven from his lungs. He blinked, trying to process what had happened. It took his mind a few moments to catch up to what had happened. Peter leaned down and helped Adam up. Adam rubbed his head, but aside from being a little groggy he wasn't hurt too badly. As for his pride, well, that was another matter.

  “That was rather uncalled for,” he said.

  “You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. I don't know you from Adam, so what am I supposed to do?”

  “That's funny because my name is Adam, and this is Peter,” he said.

  “They're really nice! I was going to do my animal impressions for them. I saved them from a dog that was going to attack them,” Annabelle said.

  “You shouldn't put yourself in danger like that. I'm sure these men can take care of themselves,” Diana said. Annabelle didn't pick up on her sarcastic tone, but Adam certainly did.

  “I had it under control. I just was waiting for the right moment. Anyway, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. We haven't met many people, at least not many people we can trust. I just was telling Annabelle how we were living in the forest and just decided to come back to the city to try finding a safe place to live. So far, we haven't had much luck and we don't really know what's going on here. I mean, we were here when everything happened, but since then it seems a lot has changed. We don't know if there are any safe places, or if there are any dangers to avoid. It just would be nice if maybe we could tag along with you for a little while, or just get a little bit of help,” he said.

  In the old world, Adam never would have had a chance with a woman who looked like Diana, and the two of them certainly wouldn't have been in the same social circles. She had to have been a model or an actress or something, but Adam thought that his luck could change. After all, it was a common trope in survival stories that men and women in difficult situations often found solace in each other’s arms. Maybe the end of the world wouldn't be so bad after all. Of course, he was genuine in his plea for help as well, but there was that extra motivation that fueled his request.

  Diana listened to his proposal and looked at him coldly. She didn't seem too fond of the idea, but Adam had an ally, Annabelle, and although Diana seemed to be ice-cold, she obviously had a soft spot for the young girl. Annabelle tugged at Diana's jacket and looked up at her with bright, wide eyes.

  “It's not too much for them to ask is it, Diana? We should try helping each other. As a Scout, I always was told that, and I don't think I'd like to go back on my training now. I know you said not to talk to strangers, but they're not strangers anymore. I think they're nice and we should at least help them to get to safety.”

  As soon as Annabelle said that Adam knew his luck was changing. He smiled and winked at the young girl. Diana sighed and muttered to herself. “I know I'm going to regret this. Okay, the two of you can come back with us, and we'll try setting you up with some shelter, but you have to promise the two of you won't be a nuisance. At the first sign of troub
le I will throw you out on your asses, and you can bet I'll be keeping an eye on you.” As she said this she pointed a finger at the two men and Adam nodded, agreeing to her terms.

  “As for you, Missy,” Diana said, leaning down once again to Annabelle, “we're going to have to have another long talk when we get back. You can't keep doing this.”

  Annabelle pouted and Adam couldn't help but smile to himself. He was glad they had met the two of them and felt better about their chances of survival. They started moving away. Diana held Annabelle's hand. Peter had to quicken his pace to keep up with her.

  “You don't have to worry about us, I promise. We're harmless, and we're certainly not rapists.”

  “What's a rapist?” Annabelle asked curiously.

  Diana rolled her eyes again and glared at Adam, not wanting to have that kind of conversation with Annabelle. Adam instantly raised his eyebrows and apologized, then fell back in line with Peter. Much of life was about first impressions, and he hadn't managed to make a good one upon Diana. Perhaps his chances of having a romantic liaison with her were just as slim in this new world as in the old, but either way, he was glad he and Peter had a little more direction.

  “I'll tell you in a few years,” Diana said. “Let's get back to the camp.”

  Adam wondered what kind of camp it was. He had to fight the fear in his own mind that told him this still was a trap, but the rational part took over and told him Diana would have been much nicer if she was trying to trick him. He looked over at Peter and smiled. The older man smiled back, but he was worried about the next chapter in their adventure, too.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When heard they were going to a camp and his initial anxiety passed he was quite hopeful and excited. After living by themselves in the forest for what seemed like an eternity it would be good to have some proper shelter and food. It would be good to know there were other people in the same situation as him, rather than having to try surviving by himself. He tried reminding himself that if Annabelle and Diana were any indication of the people in the camp, it wasn't going to be so bad, and if an eleven-year-old girl could handle it, then so could he and Peter. Diana strode through the city purposefully. The rain eased off and soon enough it was only the cold that bothered them, a cold that was made worse by the wetness of the clothes, although it didn't seem to bother Diana or Annabelle. They were hardened, and Adam tried to stop his own teeth from chattering so he wasn't shown up by the two women.