Against The Darkness (Cimmerian Moon)

by A. M. Griffin

  “And I’m sure your mom will be grateful that Wade’s weak ankles saved her baby girl’s life.”

  I can’t help but chuckle at what he’s said. “Wade does not have weak ankles.” I wipe the tears from my cheeks.

  Jason shrugs. “Whatever the reason, I’m sure she’ll be grateful just the same.”

  Before I can say “thank you”, yet again, Ken comes from behind one of the boulders with a backpack in one hand a rifle in the other. His salt-and-pepper hair doesn’t have a strand out of place. Even his clothes, which consist of heavy work pants and a button-down flannel shirt, appear as though he just put them on fresh this morning, even though I know differently. He looks like a man in power even against a backdrop of the collapse of modern society. He appears how I would imagine my dad is looking to someone in Japan—as though he still has all the answers.

  “If the two of you were talking any louder I would think you were trying to get the aliens to find us.”

  Jason glances up at his father. “Good morning to you, too.”

  Ken rolls his eyes at Jason. “Did you eat yet?” he asks me.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, wake up the others. We’ll need to get moving as soon as possible.”

  As Ken goes into the woods, on the path I had used earlier, I push myself to my feet and wipe the dirt from my butt.

  “Your name is Sinta right?” Jason asks.

  I nod. “Sinta Allen.”

  “Nice to meet you properly, Sinta Allen.”

  I can feel prickly heat making its way from my neck to my face again. The last thing I want him to see is me blushing so I turn to walk away.

  “That’s rude,” he says, with a laugh in his voice.

  I whirl around to face him, but keep walking backwards, trying to put as much distance as I can between us. “Nice to meet you too, Jason.”

  “Jason Chamberlain, but remember, we’re friends now. Call me JC.”

  I raise a brow. “I’m not one of your frat brothers remember?”

  He gives me a bright, dimpled smile, one that I’m sure would send any girl, including me, into a hormonal frenzy. “I don’t mind.”

  “I think I’ll stick to Jason.” I duck out of his view. Nothing good can come from crushing on Jason Chamberlain. I know his type. He’s a rich kid, like Ian and his friends. Shayla asked me why I never tried to get with one of them and I hadn’t told her the truth.

  Rich boys use girls up and toss them aside.

  I know this because my dad is one and that’s exactly what he did to my mother.

  I shake the thought of Jason and his flirty ways, his smooth words and dimples from my mind.

  C’mon, Sinta Allen. Snap out of it girl.

  Ken is ready to go and, since he’s agreed to take us to Ohio, I don’t want to keep him waiting.

  I wake everyone else up. No one grumbles, even though I know they’re tired. We’re all tired. We’ve only slept for five hours and that’s only the girls. The guys have slept even less. They’ve been rotating one-hour shifts at watch. We have never slept until noon before, but we had also never gone through anything like we did last night, and we also never walked all night long before.

  As everyone gets up and takes care of their business, I wonder if that’s why Ken had an attitude when he came to Jason and me. He’s just used to their being by themselves. Two strong men could travel faster and lighter alone. Chance had them happening on six kids and an injured adult. We were holding them up, and I don’t want us to slow him down so much that he reneges.

  After I let Mia put another bun in my hair, twisting it so tight my eyes feel like they’re pulled back into my scalp, she goes to relieve herself, taking Shayla with her.

  I find Wade, MJ and Ian munching on the homemade jerky Ken has passed out to them. MJ is sitting on the ground, with a piece of jerky hanging out of his mouth, tying up his gym shoes. Ian is on the ground across from him, relaxing. He’s sporting a fresh new black eye from his fight with Jon-Jon but, other than that, he looks fine and he and MJ aren’t at each other’s throat, which is also a plus. Wade is standing and leaning back on one of the boulders.

  As I walk over to them, Ian glances up to me and holds up his jerky. “Have you tasted this, Sin? I don’t know if it’s as good as I think it is or if I’m just starving.” He ends his sentence with another bite and a moan.

  I go over to lean on the boulder next to Wade. “Yeah, Jason gave me some earlier. I pretty much molested mine. It was kinda obscene now that I think about it.”

  MJ makes a choking sound and Ian chuckles.

  “It’s good, but my dad can make homemade jerky that’ll have you selling your first born child for,” Wade says.

  Ian shakes his head. “Man, don’t tempt me with promises you can’t keep. Let me enjoy this because, right now, this is the best tasting thing that I’ve ever had in the world.”

  MJ finishes his shoes and lifts his jerky high in the air. “Here! Here!”

  Ken passes us as MJ is raising his jerky. “Glad you like it boys.”

  “Thank you for sharing it with us, sir,” Wade says.

  “My pleasure. Be ready to break camp in five,” Ken says as he leaves, making his way to where Shayla and Mia are coming out of the woods.

  I wait until I think he’s out of earshot. “I think we might be holding them back,” I say in a whisper. “It’s nearing twelve-thirty and we still haven’t left camp yet.”

  MJ frowns. “That’s because we’ve been walking all night. We didn’t even stop until seven this morning.”

  “Who said we were holding them back?” Wade asks, he’s whispering just as I am. “Jason?”

  I shake my head. “No, no one said that. But this morning, when everyone was still sleep, Ken seemed to have an attitude.” I shrug. “I just figured he may have been upset that everyone was still sleep. He and Jason are used to traveling so fast.”

  “He seemed okay with me when I got up,” Wade says.

  “Me too,” MJ adds.

  “I didn’t notice an attitude,” Ian says. “But maybe he just doesn’t like you Sinta.” There’s a hint of playfulness in his voice, but I still have a niggling feeling on the back of my mind.

  “I don’t see why not,” I say defensively. “I haven’t done anything to him.”

  “You know, not everyone has to like you,” Ian adds.

  I roll my eyes on a “humph”. I don’t think everyone has to like me. I was just acting on an observation. I want us to move as fast as Ken and Jason are used to moving and I want to not be a burden to them. I’d do anything to make it home in twelve days, like Jason predicted.

  “Don’t let him get you worked up,” Wade says. “He’s just messing with you. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with Ken.”

  “Yeah,” I say. “You’re probably right.”

  “Time to roll out,” Jason says just loud enough for us to hear.

  Jason is waiting for us with everyone else. Ken has got his map out, studying it, and Mia, Shayla and Ms. Burgess are gathered around him.

  “Let’s roll out,” MJ says, as he gets to his feet.

  “Roll out,” I mimic, following the guys.

  Chapter Ten

  We start off slower than we would have normally traveled. Although Ms. Burgess can walk, MJ and Ian are at her side, holding her up and helping her. She seems more fragile than I’ve ever seen her. She’s got black-and-blue bruises on her face, a swollen eye and lip. Her sleeve is ripped from the armhole, revealing more bruises and, from what I can tell, bite marks dotting her arm.

  We pass the first few hours in silence. Every now and then Mia gives me a sideways glance, hurt and guilt shining in her eyes. I know she’s just as upset about seeing Ms. Burgess in her current state as I am. But what else could we have done?

  The Tanners pretty much told us that they planned to make her their wife but, at the time, I didn’t think forcing her was on their agenda. If we had any inkling of what they were going to try to do, we
would have fought, shotguns be damned. If Ken and Jason hadn’t come along when they had, it would have turned out worse. I know this. I can feel it in my bones. They could have killed Ms. Burgess. They could have killed us all and gone to hunt for more wives and workers for their land with no one wondering or even caring what the Tanners were doing.

  I watch her as she tries to walk, stumbling over her own feet, almost falling and having to rely on her students to help her. Not once does she turn around to glance at the rest of us, to give us the reassuring smiles I’m so used to seeing. By the time we hit hour six, I stare at the back of her head, willing her to turn. I don’t know why I need for her to look at me, but I do. I need someone to tell me that she will be okay—that we will all be okay.

  “I can’t believe they tried to rape her,” Shayla whispers over my shoulder. She’s walking behind Mia and I.

  “Shh. I don’t want her to hear us,” Mia warns in a low tone.

  I nod my head in agreement, although I don’t think she could hear us. Ian, MJ and Ms. Burgess aren’t within reach. They’re about seven feet in front of us.

  “I’m just saying,” Shayla says, continuing in a whisper. “Mrs. Burgess is so sweet, she’d never hurt a fly.”

  “She’s one of the nicest teachers I know,” I add. “But people like the Tanners aren’t thinking about decency.”

  If they were they wouldn’t have been out hunting people. They would have offered us some weapons, food or water.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t be talking about this,” Mia says. “I’m sure Ms. Burgess wouldn’t appreciate us being back here talking about her and feeling sorry for her.”

  “You don’t want to talk about it? So we should just pretend like that didn’t happen?” Shayla asks. “Like we don’t talk about losing our entire group and pretend like that shit didn’t happen too?” Shayla lets out a string of curses under her breath.

  “I don’t think anyone is avoiding talking about what happened to our friends or to Ms. Burgess, Shay. I just…” As Mia’s voice trails off, I slip my hand in hers. “I just don’t know what to say about it. I mean…” Mia stops talking to sniffle. “I left someone behind. I was holding Callie in my arms and I let her drop to the floor and I left her there.”

  “It’s okay,” I say with a squeeze on her hand. “Ian said she was dying. There was nothing you could have done. If you would’ve stayed you would’ve died too.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you. To not have my mom, or you either… I don’t know.”

  “She wasn’t dying.”

  I inhale sharply, not wanting to believe what she just said. “Mia…was she…alive?”

  She gives her head a shake. “No, she was already dead. I felt her exhale her last breath. I saw death in her eyes.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, letting go of her hand so that I can wrap my arm around her waist. “Then you didn’t leave her behind. You saved yourself.”

  “MJ and Eric were running past me,” Shayla begins. “I started following them. I thought if anyone could escape it would be them. I tripped over someone and fell to the ground. When I called out to them, MJ came back for me and Eric was screaming at him. I heard him so clearly, over all the cries and shouting, telling MJ to leave me. I wanted someone to shut Eric up. I didn’t want MJ to hear him and leave me.”

  I glance back at Shayla and she has tears flowing freely from her reddened eyes and down her cheeks.

  “Shay, you don’t have to talk about it.”

  She tries wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, but they just keep flowing. “I have to. I don’t want to keep it in any longer,” she says, with her lips quivering.

  I hold up my arm to let Shayla come between us. When she does, we both wrap an arm around her.

  “When MJ helped me up, the first thing I said to him was, ‘I hate your friend’. I couldn’t stand Eric before and to see him telling MJ to leave me, to let the aliens have me, I…I wanted him to die. And then—” a quiet sob catches in her throat. “A blast. It hit him in his chest. There was this black hole in the middle of his chest. And he just stood there, looking at us with this expression on his face, like he knew I had wished that for him. I killed him,” she says, whispering the last sentence. “He died because of me.”

  “No, you didn’t,” I say with my voice cracking. “The aliens did.”

  “I know MJ thinks it was because of me.”

  “What?” Mia says. “MJ doesn’t think that. He adores you. He’s taking care of you.”

  “I think he’s feeling some kind of guilt of his own. I think he was wondering if he had left me, if Eric would still be alive. That was his best friend.”

  “That’s not true. But maybe this is a conversation that you and MJ should have.”

  Shayla lets out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, right. MJ hasn’t mentioned what happened once. I tried and he totally shut down.”

  “Give him time.”

  “I am. I just couldn’t hold it in any longer.” She puts her head on Mia’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to unload on you guys.”

  “That’s what friends are for.”

  She lifts her head up to look at both of us, with a smile. “I like the sound of that. It’s the end of the world and I could use some friends right about now.”

  “There should be a small lake coming up in about a mile or so,” Ken says, loud enough for us all to hear. “We’ll rest there. We have soap for bathing. Sorry, but we don’t have extra clothes for you.”

  “Thank you, God,” Ms. Burgess says. “I need to wash their filthy handprints off of me.” I perk up, since this is the first thing I’ve heard her say since leaving the Tanners. Maybe she’ll tell us she’s okay now?

  Ms. Burgess’ vocalization is short lived.

  As soon as we make camp, she curls into a ball and goes to sleep. We thought she wanted to bathe. She did, but just not with us. After we finish, feeling much better than before, she wakes up and slowly makes her way to the lake. We try to go with her but Ken holds us back, telling us that she wants to be alone for a while longer.

  I don’t understand how he can know that. She hasn’t been in the talking mood, and she doesn’t know him like she knows us. Mia and I don’t argue with him, but Shayla is adamant about helping her. It’s only after Ken explains this will be the first time she’s seen herself naked since the attack do we finally understand. There may be bruises and sores she has to inspect, so we give her privacy.

  Ken organizes our sleeping arrangements and with the number of bodies he puts between Jason and I, even if I wanted to continue our conversation from earlier, we couldn’t have. By the time my head hits the ground I’m out like a light, so it doesn’t matter anyway.

  * * * * *

  Maryville, Tennessee

  April 21st, 2012: Day 30

  I wake up to a light drizzle sprinkling my face. It’s not as cold as it was yesterday, but the rain still makes me feel downright miserable. I hate being outside and, worse, I hate being exposed to the elements.

  I roll onto my back and slap my arm on the hard ground. I glance up to see the dark clouds hovering over me. They don’t look like they’ll pass by us anytime soon, so it’s safe to guess that it’ll be raining all day.

  Ugh.

  “This sucks.” I say to no one but myself.

  A shadow settles over me first, followed by Jason in the flesh. “Getting up, sleepy head?” He’s watching me with a half-smile and only showing one dimple. I find one dimple has the same effect as two would. He has on another t-shirt, this one tan, and matching khakis that hang loosely off his legs. But from this angle I can see how defined his thigh muscles are.

  He reaches his hand out, offering me help up. When I plant my hand in his, he uses a strong, firm grip and pulls me to my feet.

  “How did you sleep?”

  I give him a wry look. I have so many knots and kinks in my muscles that I’m afraid I’ll never return to normal. “Just about as good as you di
d.”

  He stretches while making a “argh” sound, putting his hands high in the air and bending back. His shirt rises to just above his belly-button.

  Inny.

  And muscles.

  Perfect stomach muscles.

  With sprinkles of light colored hair just above his button…

  He straightens and I flick my gaze to the side, avoiding focusing on him. I know I’m blushing again because the weather hadn’t gone from chilly to scorching in five seconds. Serves me right. I should have turned away as soon as his shirt lifted. But it’s not like I’ve never seen shirtless guys before. I’m in high school. Boys find any reason to peel off their shirts, whether it’s playing tag football, soccer, or just because they want attention.

  But I’ve never seen a stomach like that before. Never.

  “It’s not bad if you don’t count the rocks in your back, bugs trying to crawl into your ears or having nightmare about being caught by aliens.”

  “Same here,” I say, keeping my eyes just off to the side of him.

  “You ready, Sin?” Wade says, coming up behind me.

  “Yeah, Jason and I were just talking about how good we slept.”

  “Huh,” Wade says, planting himself a little too closely at my side. “I had a horrible night.”

  I snort and jab him playfully with my elbow. “Joking.”

  Jason lets out a chuckle and Wade stiffens. I catch him watching Jason. “You okay?”

  He turns his gaze from Jason to me. “I’m fine. C’mon it’s time to go.” He thrusts his hand out to give me a piece of jerky. “This is for you. We’ll have to eat while we walk.”

  Taking it, I roll my eyes. “What else is new?”

  “Let me know when you run out,” Jason says. “I have more.”

  He begins to walk away to get his backpack. “I have plenty for her,” Wade hollers at him.

  “Keep your voice down,” I say to Wade. “I don’t want the jerky if it’ll end up leading the aliens to us.”

  “Right. Let’s get going.”

  Ken and Wade lead the way with Jason, Ian and MJ bringing up the rear. I don’t argue about the show of machismo, they all have guns while Shayla and I are the only ones with knives.