Dead End Chronicles (Book 1): Dead End Journal

by Alex San Lyra

  "Sweet!" I celebrated. "Thanks Beebs!"

  Switching my pistol for the one with the silencer, I grabbed one of the rifles and started loading it up. Bibi did the same with the shotgun. I slung one of the bag over my shoulder. It was heavy as all hell. Singer got the other one, Bibi took Xandy by the hand and we headed back out. The car shop was on the other side of town, carrying that damn bag was going to be a pain in the ass. We moved slowly, trying not to make too much noise with all that shit rattling around in there. We eventually got to the car shop, it was dark inside, as expected. When we approached, Stone came out to us.

  "We're good to go," he informed, "no one was here after all. The van and the truck are right next to the front door, it couldn't be easier." He looked down at my rifle and Bibi's shotgun and added, "Nice hardware."

  "There's another rifle for you," I said, "but we'll get round to that later. Let's get moving."

  We went inside and loaded the bags into the van, Lexa was already behind the wheel. She looked nervous.

  "Just remember to breath Lexa," I told her, "We're doing fine, not a single hiccup so far."

  Stone took the wheel of the truck and Ranger opened the main doors for us. Bibi, Singer and Xandy boarded the van and I got into the truck with Stone. Ranger wanted to come with me, but I held up a hand at him.

  "Go with Lexa," I said, "One gunner in each vehicle."

  He stared at me for a second and then came to give me a kiss. "For good luck," he whispered, "See you on the other side."

  I smiled at him, in spite of myself. Stone and Lexa both looked at me. I nodded at them and they started up the engines. That was it. We burst out of the car shop and raced to the hut. Stone in front, Lexa close behind him. The streets were kind of empty. I had half expected to run into the night patrol, but there was no one there. We got to the hut. Ranger and I got out and helped the kids load all the stuff into the van. We managed to get five bikes into the back of the truck. Then I climbed up into the back with the bikes. Nelly and Mimi jumped into the van and Buba hopped into the truck, next to Stone. The second they closed the doors, we headed for the south gate. We finally passed two guards on the way. We heard them yelling at us, but there were no gunshots.

  We drove around a few more corners and got to the south gate. The guards there were already expecting us... or at least they were expecting something, with all the noise we had made. There were only five of them, but they had their guns out. We stopped in front of them. Ranger had taken Bibi's shotgun and was pointing it at the guards through the passenger window. The side door of the van slid open and Bibi took position, showing them she was armed as well. Unlike at the main gate, there was no tower or lookout post there. Those guards were essentially unprotected, standing in front of the gates.

  I stood up, rifle in hand, and yelled out at them, "We're going through those gates. You can either let us pass, or die trying to stop us."

  "Dana?" one of them called out, "Is that you?"

  It was Bill, the guard who had testified on Bibi's behalf. His friend Doug was there as well.

  Bill slowly raised his hands and asked, "Ranger? Stone? And... Bibi? What's going on here?"

  I hesitated. I really didn't want to have to shoot Bill, but we were running out of time. "We're leaving town, Bill," I told him, "Please, let us through. No one has to get hurt."

  One of Bill's companions cut in, "We can't let you do that. Bibi is under investigation, she's not even supposed to be out here, and those vehicles don't belong to you."

  I pointed my rifle at him and replied, "Fine, then make your move. I'll be aiming for you first."

  But Bill stepped in front of his friend and told him wisely, "John, lower your gun. Look at their firepower. We only have pistols, we don't stand a chance."

  John was reluctant, but he eventually did as Bill suggested. The others followed his lead. They took their sweet time, but they opened the gates for us. I indicated Lexa to go out first. John had an angry look on his face, as we drove him by. I just knew he was going to try something the minute he thought he had a chance. Just as we crossed the gates, another pickup truck appeared, racing towards us from inside the town. It was full of guards. John saw his opportunity and aimed for our tires. I pulled the trigger. He flew back, falling on his back and didn't move anymore. The other guards started running for cover and shooting. Looking out into the town, I realized there wasn't just the one truck, but three of them.

  I ducked behind the back lid of our truck and cried out to Stone, "Step on it!" It was going to be on me to keep our pursuers away.

  Hopefully, Bibi would be able to guide Lexa through the roads ahead of us. Stone would have to follow them wherever they went. For a while we managed to stay ahead of them, but it wasn't very long before they started gaining on us and shooting our way. I had limited ammo, so I waited for the right moments to shoot back. Every shot had to count. I aimed for the driver. The first shot was the luckiest one I've ever made in my life. Headshot. The first truck veered to the side and slowly rolled to a stop. The other two went around it and kept on our tail.

  Then, unexpectedly, Lexa's van slowed down and came up alongside us. The back doors swung open and I saw several hands with pistols popping out, aiming for the trucks behind us. There was so much shooting that the road lit up, as if fireworks had filled the skies. A crazy tactic like that... it had Bibi written all over it. She must have told Ranger, Nelly and Mimi to get the pistols in the bags, one in each hand, and just let them have it. It worked beautifully. The trucks started veering to the sides, trying to avoid the bullets. One of them lost control and fell into a ditch. The other stayed on us for a while longer, but then one of its tires blew and they had to slow down.

  A minute later, all we could hear was the revving of our engines, the wind in our faces and the ringing in our ears, from all that gunfire. Lexa led the way through the curvy roads and cross sections. We drove southwards, without any particular destination. After about an hour on the road, without incident, I shouted out to Stone to honk the horns and get Lexa to stop at the next cross roads.

  - - - - -

  We checked to make sure everyone was okay. Ranger and I kept a look out for demented and other dangers, something we'll all have to get used to doing from now on. We were all a little rattled, of course, but there were no new gunshot wounds. There're a few holes in Stone's truck, but it's still in perfect working order. Looking around at everyone, I concluded we all needed some rest. It was late and all that adrenaline had taken it's toll. Instead of driving all night, putting some distance between us and the town, we simply decided to hide. The countryside out here is a vast maze of roads, farms and forests. Even if the town guards came out looking for us, we'd be like a needle in a haystack.

  We drove around a bit until we found an abandoned barn. After making sure it was unoccupied, we parked inside and settled in for the night. I wasn't feeling sleepy, so I took first watch. Xandy is fast asleep in Bibi's arms. He didn't even find it strange that we're not inside the town walls anymore. It's like he was made for this life. And, to be honest, I don't really feel so vulnerable out here either.

  I'm going to keep my journal with me at all times from now on... write in it whenever I get the chance. I know that life isn't going to be as easy as it was in Harptown. I'm not going to have the luxury or writing whenever I feel like it... Speaking of that... tonight, as I sat down to write, I realized there aren't that many pages left. I'm going to have to find a new journal... somewhere... somehow...

  My eyelids are really getting heavy now. I think I'll wake Stone up, to take my place, and get some sleep myself. Tomorrow is a big day, the first of many long hard earned days...

  Goodnight journal.

  And thanks for coming into my life. I think I wouldn't have been able to do everything I did, without you... I'll have to thank Singer for suggesting you.

  Entry 17

  April 4th, 47

  New horizons

  Nothing extraordinary has rea
lly happened since we left town. We haven't seen any town guards coming after us, or run into demented... In fact, we're basically alone out here, haven't seen a single soul so far. I suppose it's better this way, but... the thing about living on the road is you have to be careful not to lose track of time. Singer started keeping a calendar, so we wouldn't forget what day it is. But it's tricky, you wake up in the morning and wonder if you made that little mark in the calendar that morning or the day before... or if you skipped a day by accident. Lexa and I have been helping him keep track.

  Anyway, unless we've messed it up somehow, today is my birthday. I suppose that's worth a journal entry.

  To be honest, I don't really care that much about birthdays, but even I have to admit it was kind of cute. Singer woke everyone up early and organized a little surprise for me. They used a can of beans as a birthday cake. We drank some of Bibi's whiskey again, Singer sang and Xandy had an absolute blast. He always loves birthdays, no matter whose it is. So, I'm finally eighteen now... old enough to get married, become a housewife... as if I'd ever conform to such a life. Nothing against the women back in Harptown, but it's just not the life for me.

  It's been about a week since we left. We're heading southeast, to Florida. Don't know what we'll find down there, but we put it to a vote and it seems we all prefer warmer weather, so... Hopefully the cold won't be as harsh as it's been in Harptown. I won't lie, I miss it... the town. I miss it a lot. We all do. We miss bathrooms, just for starters, and warm baths... we've found rivers and lakes along the way, kept ourselves relatively clean, but... it's not the same. Personally though, the worst for me is not having privacy anymore... just having a quiet little corner to think. Now there's no more room for secrets, everyone knows about my journal... I'll never forget my apartment... the view of the town from my window... But there's no turning back, we can only look ahead. It'll be a while getting used to this new life for sure, but we're going to be okay.

  Stone and I have pretty much already locked into survival mode. It's like we can read each other's minds each time we come up on a new potential scavenging site. The farther we got from the town, the more stuff there was to scavenge. Actually, with the amount of stuff we've found just laying around, it's like humanity was obliterated all at once... or maybe they all just left at once. I dunno. Bibi's doing her best, but her injury is still holding her back pretty badly. Her muscles are still very weak and using her arm is painful. Only time will tell how well she'll recover. At least she has an awesome new scar to show for it. It's hilarious how proud of it she is. Ranger has been a real help, keeping the others safe. I always thought he wasn't much of a city person, he belongs in the wilderness. And Singer has been a surprisingly positive influence on the whole gang. Every night now, he plays his guitar and sings for us around the fire. Lexa has been great, as expected. She's putting her tracking instincts to very good use, keeping us out of trouble. She has always been very down to earth, even with all her mysticism.

  My brother is probably the one who's adapted the best. It's like nothing has changed at all for him. Maybe he just doesn't know any better... ignorance really is bliss, as they say. Sometimes, I wish I were as ignorant... maybe then I'd be as carefree and happy as him. But I know that I have to be the one who knows better, for his sake. If knowledge is a burden, then I'll bare it so that he can go on living his joyful little life, untouched by the darkness of this world. That's how it should be... at least for a little while longer... for as long as possible.

  Sadly, Buba, Nelly and Mimi have just reached that threshold, where ignorance is no longer an option. They hardly ever complain, but we can see that they're the ones having the hardest time. And really, there's not much anyone can do about it. If you want to live, you have to take life head on... no two ways about it. It's like an unspoken right of passage that no one ever really tells you about. The day after we left town, we just gave them a pistol each and silently branded them "adults". It's funny how we spend all our childhood wanting desperately to be older, to be an adult, but once you get there... it's never quite what you expect it would be. Not that I'd go back, if that were even possible, but... when you're a kid, life is so simple. It's kind of seductive, the thought of being innocent again.

  Back to reality though, we now each carry a sidearm, even Singer. Stone's been teaching him how to shoot. We don't really know how good a shot Singer is. They don't use any live rounds for practice, it's not worth the risk of luring in demented. Ranger and I pretty much just stick to our bows... the pistol with the silencer is mine though. Stone took one of the rifles for himself, Lexa took the other. She was never that great with the bow anyway, and she mostly used the rifle's scope for scouting. Of course, Bibi doesn't let anyone touch her shotgun. She even named it, calls it the "Bitch-slapper". What're you gonna do? We each have our thing, mine is my journal, I guess hers is her shotgun.

  Speaking of having a thing... Damn, I feel embarrassed as hell just writing about it... The truth is, I sat down just to write about this... and I've been stalling... Ranger and I... I mean, we've been together for, like, two weeks now. I never really planned on waiting until I was eighteen to... lose my virginity, but that's just the way it happened. I was actually scared shitless of it at first. Not that Ranger was pressuring me or anything. On the contrary, he was actually quite patient and understanding, a true gentleman. But we were just getting to that point where... I dunno... it felt like the next natural step.

  A few days back, after gathering all my courage, I finally spoke with Bibi about... how to go about it. I thought she might be all annoyingly sarcastic, joking with me and stuff, but as it turned out she was really cool about it. She shared some of her experiences, and boy did she have a LOT of experience. I had no idea... But I'm not going to get into any of that. She can put all that down in her own journal. She did teach me how to count the days after my cycle though. And she gave me a ton of condoms. Like I said, scavenging has been great. It's a good thing too, cuz getting pregnant out here would be a very, very bad idea...

  Anyway, Ranger and I have been going out on hunting trips this past week, just the two of us. The first few times we just kissed... Actually, we kissed a lot. Eventually, we took some of our clothes off... we had some fun, but never really... did the deed. Today though, I had the info I needed, the condoms, it was the right time in the month... and it was my birthday, so...

  - - - - -

  We pretended we were actually hunting until we were a safe distance away from the rest of the gang. The first time we laid in the woods together, we later ended up discovering twigs and leaves all over our hair and clothes. It was a real pain in the ass, so I started taking a blanket with me. We were still walking through the trees when Ranger finally stopped.

  "I think we're far enough," he said, flashing a sly grin at me, "Where should we set up camp?"

  He didn't know it yet, but I was about to propose going all the way that time. I was nervous, embarrassed, anxious... Dodging his eyes, I looked around and found a nice little corner between the roots of a large tree.

  "Here," I said, pointing to the spot.

  I took out the blanket and set it on the ground. Then, I extended my hand at him and pulled him down with me. I didn't really know what to say, so we just kissed for a while. Eventually, he slid his hand up my blouse. He had done that a few times before, but I stopped him.

  "Wait," I finally said. After a short moment of hesitation, I took a deep breath and reached into my pocket. As I looked at him, I could feel my cheeks reddening. I pulled out the condom and watched his reaction.

  His eyes widened when he realized what it was. He looked up at me and asked, "Are you sure?"

  "Yep," I replied timidly, "but... let's take it real slow, okay? I'm... I mean, It's my first time."

  "Oh... it's my first time too," he suddenly admitted.

  I studied him and then asked, "Really?"

  "Yeah," he confirmed, "Damn, I'm a little nervous."

  "That makes two of us,"
I told him.

  I had totally expected him to be the experienced one, like Bibi. It was strange to see him acting as insecure as I felt, he had always been the handsome, mysterious guy. But then again, it was kind of romantic going the distance with someone as unschooled as I was. We were about to discover the whole deal together.

  "Just tell me if it's okay," he requested, "or if I'm hurting you or anything, okay?"

  "Okay," I agreed.

  Bibi had told me that, just like anything else, it took practice to get really good at sex. I just hoped Ranger knew that as well, because I wasn't about to give any lectures on the matter. I didn't know the first thing about... how to go about it... the mechanics of it. But just knowing he was clueless as I was, took all the pressure away.

  I smiled and kissed him again. We fooled around for a while, took each other's clothes off, one piece at a time... Then he positioned himself over me and... we "did it"... slowly, carefully at first... but then, faster and stronger. It was a little bit weird and awkward, but totally awesome at the same time... our two bodies moving together, feeling him on top of me... inside me... I felt like I might lose my breath, but I never did. A whole new world was opening itself up to me and I was just taking it all in. It was weird how I could feel totally confident with regards to one aspect of my life, such as hunting, but completely clueless in another... I could spend my whole life right there, with Ranger, in those woods. We didn't know if we were going too fast, or taking too long... To me it seemed just right.

  When it was over, we were both grinning at each other, panting. We didn't speak, but I felt like we could read each other's thoughts. Maybe we hadn't even known what we were doing, but it didn't matter. It felt perfect to me. I laid my head on his chest and he passed his finger through my hair. It was quite possibly the happiest moment of my life.