The World We Once Knew

by Trahan, Leeaja

  Leon pushed against the door rushed to lock it, “Addie go around and lock any door you see! Quinta, help me find anything to barricade the doors, especially the front. We're not safe yet.” He commanded.

  Even though he tried to sound calm, his voice wavered because guilt had begun to seep through. What mattered most was that they were alive, at the pickup site, and it was only a matter of time before they were rescued. All they had to do was wait.

  Tearing her gaze from her brother, Addie hurried through the back of the large, empty area, “O-okay!” She cried out.

  Nodding her head, Quinta backed away from Dane before she rounded a work bench and with a loud yell, pushed against the solid piece with all her might. The wood screeched along the concrete before Leon rushed over and helped her pull. Setting it against the door, Quinta fell back on her bottom. Her legs felt alike to jelly and her nerves were getting the best of her steely facade. Addie frantically bounced from one door to the other before her feet brought her back to her brother's side.

  She rubbed along his arm, “Are you okay? Dane?” She whispered in a hushed cry.

  Reaching over, she grabbed the bottle before she deflated on the spot.

  She didn't have to look within to know that it was empty, “Fuck.” She whispered. Quinta panted out several times as she watched Addie push Dane's hair away from his forehead and kiss his cheeks, “It will kick in soon. It's going to work, alright? Just...calm down Dane. Please...just calm down.”

  Hysteria was once again starting to settle in Addie's body as she rocked over him and swallowed tightly. Dane's eyebrows tucked together as he relaxed into his sister’s embrace. Despite her shakes, Dane groaned out and opened his eyes to see Addie's figure sway over him with a distressed expression. They were safe, right? He was confused, disoriented, and soon unconscious. As of that moment he didn't know how bleak his situation was. All he could do was rest and wait for his medication to set in.

  Quinta turned her sight onto Leon before she pointed to Dane, “Yuh see dis Leon? Go on and call Decker or whoever yuh need. 'ave dem send the chopper out ‘ere NOW.” She ordered.

  With Quinta's direction Leon was quick to fish out the phone once more and called back. Immediately he received a dial tone which caused him to hang up with a confused expression, “This might take a while. I'll keep calling.” He muttered though his tone didn't hold confidence.

  Just as Leon guessed, hours passed before he could get a hold of Decker. In the meantime, Addie would wander around the building in eyes view of the others. She'd snoop around the desks, look at personal items that lined the walls of individual workbenches, and take whatever extra items she deemed a necessity. She always found herself wandering to the windows and peering outside to watch the surrounding threat disperse. With the lack of sound and movement the dead were unable to seek out their prey and the sun slowly drove them back into the shadows.

  As Dane slept, Quinta had found her way by his side and fell into slumber herself. Her hand was pressed to his chest to make sure he kept breathing in her own paranoia. It would seem as though all was well for the group at this point if it weren't for the fact that one member had a figurative countdown hanging over his head.

  Waking up, Dane rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. Quinta groggily opened her eyes and pulled away from him as she stroked her face. Exchanging a glance with each other, Dane groaned out while he pushed himself to an upright position. His head hung over his lap and he felt as though he needed to reach for his medication. Addie appeared behind them with the bottle in her hand and held it out to him. Dane's blue eyes flicked from Addie to the bottle and back to Addie. With the cap missing Dane knew that there wasn't anything inside.

  All the memories of their rushed brush with death flooded back. Grabbing the bottle from his sister's hands, he threw the plastic case away in frustration. Quinta rubbed the side of her neck all while Addie crouched down and rubbed along his shoulder to soothe him.

  Returning from a brief conversation with Decker, Leon exited the bathroom, “Since we're losing daylight they will send someone out to pick us up at noon tomorrow.” He told them.

  Immediately, Dane was struck with this nauseated spike deep within his gut. Because of his overexertion and exhaustion, one pill would not last him long and he didn't have a backup. For Dane, that was far too long. Even though Addie kept a false optimistic view that Dane would be sick and survive, Quinta, on the other hand, stared at him and waited to see how he'd feel.

  Dane rose to his feet, “I can't last that long. I noticed on the map that there is a pharmacy around here so it's worth a shot. I need something.”

  Leon shook his head. After all they'd been through, they finally arrived at their pickup point and the horde that chased them was still nearby.

  “You're not going out there. It's too dangerous and you might not be able to find it.” Leon responded.

  While the men bickered, Quinta rolled over onto her knees and grabbed her pack. Dane didn't have much of an option and Leon worked his nerves because this wouldn't had been an issue if he hadn't fucked up. Addie sat on the backs of her feet all while she glanced from one to the other.

  “You aren't going to call the shots on this one anymore, Leon. Not after that shit you’ve pulled. I'm going to find my medication and you are not going to stop me.” Dane demanded.

  Leon could see the determination in Dane's eyes but what lurked in his entire expression showed a clearer picture. Leon no longer had Dane’s trust which meant he no longer had anyone’s trust. He'd lost the essential component that made a leader, a leader. Although he didn't know the severity of Dane's condition, Leon knew that this was a battle he could not win. Stepping down, he let Dane make the decision of what he needed to do because when it boiled down to it, he really didn't have an option. Though, Leon’s guilt made his decision for him against his better judgment. Quinta scanned over the map one last time before she folded it, tucked it away, and lifted the bag in her grasp.

  She stared over at Dane before she took a step towards him, “Me goin with yuh.” She stated.

  To see the shortest, strongest one of all of them in Dane's eyes, offer herself selflessly for him caused his gaze to soften.

  Addie's long frame caught his eye and Dane's expression instantly dropped, “You're staying here.” He ordered.

  Not wanting to rile her brother any more than he was, Addie agreed with a simple nod, “O-okay.” She whispered.

  Leon released a heavy breath because this type of loyalty was expected with these people. A loyalty he had lost along the way. At least with both Dane and Quinta he had confidence that they'd make it back alive.

  “If you aren't back in two hours, I'll look around for you both but I won't leave Addie alone. So, I will be forced to lock you both out. Make this quick. Please...be safe, be quiet, and come back.” Leon repeated that last sentiment.

  He couldn't stress the point more because he wanted this for Addie's sake along with his own. Taking Leon's words and permission with a grain of salt, Dane was a man on a mission. After he'd vehemently volunteered himself and only himself for this desperate run of goods, since Leon was not willing to help him in his own pessimistic self-wallowing. Even though Leon was hiding something from them, he didn't expect him to help an already dying man so soon after their blowout. Not that he wanted the help from him at that moment anyway. Dane was content, through the sickening turmoil within him, to have Quinta volunteer services to help him.

  Then again, she and him had been a fine team since the moment they first met. She knew how to take care of herself, when to help, and when to call for aid when she needed it. Quinta was indeed the one person he needed and could rely on more than ever. A person who he held in the highest esteem. Even though Leon already expressed to them of their time limit, he was silently glad to have her at his side once again.

  Rounding to a street about five minutes back the way they’d come with the threat they'd narrowly escaped, Dane could
already see that this wasn't going to end well. The sun had already begun to set and he would not risk a venture out any further than this pharmacy.

  Crouched down behind Dane, Quinta's eyes darted the desolate street which was once littered with walking corpses they'd left behind in their sprint. She made sure to keep a look out for anything that showed signs of “life” in the shadows.

  They arrived at an old pharmacy and the first thing Dane noticed was that the door was unlocked and slightly ajar. To be honest, Quinta expected that they would have to break into the building but this open door was not a good sign. He took a glance back at her before he opened the door and entered. In almost an instant Dane's heart tanked at the sight of the virtually empty shelves and glass cases. Looted by the selfish individuals who would try to make a profit even now.

  The far end of the hall had blood spread across the side with half the remains of a patient crumpled to the floor. The pungent smell of decay was amplified in the small, heated space. With a deep sigh, Dane went ahead first with his bat gripped in his hand at the ready. He was rather quick and straight to the point now, they were either here or they weren't but he needed to know now. He kept an ear open between the sound of clattering tables and chairs from Quinta barricading the doors. Once she was finished it was rather quiet, deafeningly so. In hopes to find his prize in the room behind the cases, he knew he had to keep himself calm, and not jump the gun on what if scenarios. He constantly recalled the memory of his empty bottle in Addie’s hand before they set off. This, understandably, left him a tad more morose and hallowed in his mood.

  Quinta waited for him to disappear into the room before she looked down and away at the ground; waiting there…waiting silently. Her stomach was in knots because if this place was looted then for sure the other places around had been hit as well. Even though it was becoming less and less common, more looters reverted to stay indoors or die off for their own greed. No matter the circumstances, it was debilitating to the ones trying to make it day by day.

  Watching after him, Quinta wanted very deeply to reach out and at least comfort him but even she knew that words right now weren't what Dane needed. She had lost her entire family already and the thought of losing another person near to her heart stole her words. Grief had driven her mad once, she couldn't go through that turmoil again. Ever since that fateful day of them meeting so long ago, she always kept an eye out for the two of them. They saved her and she knew she couldn't be without him or Addie. Especially him. With her back pressed against the wall beside the entrance, Quinta tapped her fingers on her thighs. A small cough escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, leaned her head back, waited, and listened.

  Quinta couldn't help but feel as though this was a mission they were meant to fail. From the moment that Leon begged them to go with him, his secrets, and Deer Park were key factors that this was intended to be suicide. Now thanks to their own negligent decisions, Dane was going to have to pay the ultimate price. That alone made her weak; sick. Recalling the map of the area, there was only one place that came to mind for an abundant amount of medicine. And it rested mere hundreds of feet from them. Silently she shook her head. Even the most desperate person in need wasn't foolish enough to attempt a red zone.

  If there was a hell they lived it for the last couple of days. Dane's stomach already felt sick they moment they entered the shop, but once he entered the back to the offices, he felt defeated. Closer to death now than he'd hoped for. The whole place gave signs to being gutted. There were no computers, nothing of value to the point that they'd gone and took papers out of the drawers. Letting out a long sigh through the suffocating, humid rot, Dane's only hope was that they had no interest in what he looked for. A stretch of an idea that he had to buy for himself. Harnessing his bat to the back of his bag, he then pulled his gun from the holster. Holding it low, he kept an ear out to make sure there weren't still looters in the building who had tried to make this their own safe spot.

  Finally, he arrived to the room that held most of the overstocked medications. Pushing the door open, he could see that not only were there no others in the room, but that it was trashed. The shelves were emptied with only a few packets lopsided or thrown across the floor. Standing there and staring, the reality of the situation hit him with the force of a semi-truck. His shoulders were slouched, his feet dragged him, and his fingers worked numbly to pick what little he could off the floor. Thoughts of Addie and her horror-stricken face weighed heavy in his mind. The talk between them would be one of the most painful experiences he'd have to endure. To tell his sister to leave the only family she's had behind in a warehouse, to die, because he'd be too weak to move literally hurt his heart.

  Fading back to reality, Dane stared down at the empty counter as he numbly put his bag over his shoulder. The weight was pathetic compared to other hauls they'd brought in before and none of the spoils was what he needed. Turning his body, he reached out to grab a hold of the door knob only to pause. Quinta's face then came to his mind which only caused him to push his forehead against the door with a dull thud. Shutting his eyes, he released a long-winded sigh. How as he going to tell her? What was he going to say?

  Giving the knob a hard squeeze, Dane wrenched the door open and quickly returned to Quinta's side. Jolting at the sudden sound of his footsteps, Quinta opened her eyes. Sharing a fleeting glance for a moment, there lingered an intensity between them which expressed the sheer disappointment of the entire situation. Feeling that he didn't have to explain it to her, he began to yank the barricade down, and push his palm against the door roughly.

  “Let's go.” He uttered in subdued, bitter resentment.

  Unzipping his vest, the slightly chilled breeze helped cool him down and air out both his mind and body. His entire frame and body language read anger, exhaustion, and a slight bit of sadness. As they silently stalked their way back to the warehouse for the night, Quinta found that she stared at the back of his head for longer periods of time than usual. There was a fear that settled in her gut and refused to leave.

  Over these last month’s Dane was basically the glue that held them all together in an emotional sense. Of course, Leon liked to joke around that he was the one who held the pack tight but even he understood the role Dane had. Without him Quinta would've never gotten close to Addie. She would have died wandering the streets. In fact, without Dane, she'd be alone. Addie would be alone. Of course, they'd have each other but his absence would leave a hole in their hearts; especially now. That left an image in her mind she didn't want to see.

  Dane had already accepted his fate long before the outbreak, it was everyone else in his life that would have to live with his death. The only problem was, now that he had a family to take care of he wasn't ready to die.

  Fast walking back to the warehouse, when they arrived outside of the door, he finally looked back at her. He could feel her worry, her fear, and her eyes the entire time and the fact that he had caught her in the act gave him a glimmer of light. His lips lifted in the corner to which he lent her a small smile. He'd much rather be calm than have her stare at him with that look in her eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that his bangs covered his eyebrows, his smile would've come off as weak as he felt. The moment he turned his head away from her, his eyes darkened and lowered again with his true feelings.

  Of all people, Leon, would have to be the one to care for his sister and Quinta as of the next day. Dane was a touch cynical because he highly doubted that Leon could, not only that he wasn't too sure that's what he wanted. Not now. He was trying to give some sort of closure for himself but he couldn't shake the foreboding feeling in his body.

  He wasn't ready even though he knew this was to come. Holding the door open for Quinta, he locked them in and barricaded for the last time. Addie was sitting on the ground in the middle of the large room. At the sound of the door shutting, Addie stood and rushed over to greet the two of them.

  “I told you that nothing would happen Leon!” She called to him.
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  Dane felt his heart stop the moment Addie's excitable and cheerful voice filled the air. The atmosphere was palpable to show that things didn't go well. Dane's eyes flicked to Leon to see him leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed and an expression that showed he understood the grim details that laid beneath.

  The elated, relieved grin on Addie's features was immediately wiped off her face the moment she saw her brother and Quinta there with a chillier mood than she expected. Coming to a halt, Addie pushed her hair out of her face and simply stared at them.

  Addie took a cautious step towards them, “Is everything okay?” She asked with her senses homed in on Dane.

  Quinta rolled her shoulders as she took her bag off and left it at the door. She began to undo the belt around her waist which connected the harness for her machetes to her back.

  Setting her harness down on the bag, Quinta shook her head, “Da place was just ransacked by some thieves.” She stated.

  Passing by Leon, Quinta continued further in the room to go to the bathroom while there was still light. Shutting the door behind her, Quinta rubbed her head which only exacerbated her headache in the process. Pacing back and forth, she clutched her chest before she groaned out and clenched her eyes shut.

  Addie watched after Quinta before she turned her concerned gaze to her brother, “Is everything alright, Dane?” She questioned again as she stepped in front of his path.

  Leon's slate eyes stared right back at Dane and did not waver even when Quinta blocked their sight. He wasn't as big of a fool as they believed, he knew exactly what was going on the moment Quinta opened her mouth. The fact was he too had to accept the fact that they’d return as a trio.

  Dane's hands deftly settled onto Addie's shoulders as he dragged his gaze upward onto her face. As Addie stared up at him with such concern Dane felt that this was the best time to tell her. Better now than never. Leading her over to one of the side rooms, which was about the size of a walk-in closet, Dane shut the door behind him.