by Francis Bate
Chapter Four: The Pit
“What happens after this?” Patricia blurted out of the blue as they were heading out to Basking Ridge. Stan looked at her; she crossed her arms and warmed herself gently.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure. But everything might either go back to normal or not. One thing is for sure, though, this phase will remain a nightmare to everybody,” he stated, his face was straight and emotionless.
Patricia watched as the trees fade in and out of the road in every step they take. They were silent for a little more while until a small store came out of sight from afar. Eager, she almost ran to the store leaving Stan behind but he pulled her hand stopping her from her fantasy.
“What you’re doing is dangerous,” he muttered in a low voice. Patricia turned to meet his gaze raising her eyebrow and snatching her hand back from his hold. “Just stick beside me, young lady!”
“There’s a small store ahead of us. We might find useful supplies in there,” she stared at him, wrinkling her brows.
“I told you to analyze things before entering into the situation. Probably, there are people guarding the area. Follow me,” he urged, marching on to the store.
Nearing the store, they heard voices from there. The store seemed old. The window glass was broken as if it has been entered too many times. Stan imagined that seemingly old store from its previous aspect. The signage, although still hanging, was already disproportioned. However, the tiny light bulbs that were supposed to make the board glow were broken. It appeared like it has lost all its beauty since the day the world has turned light into darkness.
They walked quietly through the area but as soon as they reached the store, men sprung from the side corner of the building. The strangers signaled Patricia to join their exercise. They were grinning like Cheshire cats showing their yellow teeth. She quivered and pulled Stan away from the store. While they were walking, he could feel the presence of someone following them behind. They continued walking as he watched the surroundings heedfully.
Stan was staring at space but most of the times he glances at a traverse plane. Shadows were bent on the ground covering the radiance of the sun. He witnessed how the world has turned and died from its vibrancy. Scratching his forearm, he gazed up and watched the birds flying in the sky. It looked like they were off to look for a place to stay with abundant supplies of food. That time, they have the same intention.
He saw himself gliding into the strain of lethargy but the pang of ardor is intensifying. Thumbing his wedding ring, he closed his eyes and embraced the challenges unfolding in front of his face. He enjoyed the moment. Unable to respond to the onset phenomenon that only time could unravel.
Stan ran into a dark forest. It was void and dull but the trees told him that there’s something behind. He was lost. Scanning the woods, he held his gun above his head about to pull the trigger. It was the last bullet on but when he heard a sound, he pointed the gun away from his chest. Stan continued running again. Away, away from the intruders that woke him up at midnight. He was breathing heavily, but he couldn’t stop. From a distance, a gleam of hope caught his eyes. While running towards the light, he looked back to see the shadow following him. It has vanished. He stopped from a distance and saw three camps along the woods. It felt surreal but when he blinked his eyes, the place turned black and empty. There was no camp, no forest, and no light, only a dream.
Shaking his head, Patricia looked at him with a hawk-eye.
“Is there anything wrong? It looked like something’s bothering you,” she said, but he seemed not attentive. Patricia snapped her fingers in his face but he swatted it away.
“I heard you. So you may stop doing that,” he offered a quick glance at her as she rubbed her hand.
“I was just concerned but it’s okay if you won’t trust me,” she muttered with a sigh. She heard him chuckle and cleared his throat when she looked at him. There was no evidence of smiles on his face.
“You’re funny, sometimes,” he stated, keeping his face straight. “I just had a dream last night.”
Stan heard her sigh of relief, and she never interrogated again. Allowing them to be in their own trance, they let the conversation die.
They walked through the place that looked unfamiliar but to him, it looked familiar. There were three camps lined along the woods.
To his surprise, Stan pulled off his gun and sneakily strode towards the spot. Patricia was dumbfounded to his reaction, following him behind. He checked the first camp, it was empty. The camp looked abandoned and traces of trash were left behind. There was a proof of a campfire in the middle. But before they could proceed to the second camp, they were startled and Patricia almost broke her ankle.
“Who are you?” Stan asked with a stern voice, pointing the muzzle of his gun to the stranger in front of them. The stranger raised both of his hands into his chest and looked at Patricia bending over, massaging his feet.
“Sorry to scare you,” his eyes softened, glancing back to the gun and to Stan. “I’m Jarvis Bryant and I am supposed to go to Tampa,” he added.
“Do you have someone with you here?” Stan asked Jarvis, locking his gaze on him. Patricia looked around the place for anything suspicious but she wasn’t able to see one.
“Nah man, I’m alone,” Jarvis replied, shaking his hands. Stan scrutinized him for a moment and held his gun down. Sighing in relief, Jarvis tapped his chest near his heart. “Whew! That was close.”
“What are you doing around here, Jarvis?” Patricia asked, trying to stand on both her feet. She glanced up at the black man and examined him. He was inches taller than Stan with a lean body build. His hair was black and curly emphasizing his oblong-shaped face. Jarvis looked almost the same age as Patricia but he was quite older.
“I came across this area, hoping there would be people whom I can go with. But then I saw you, guys.” Stan placed the gun back to his waistband and put his hands on his waist. He turned back to the track and started heading that way. Patricia followed his lead, and Jarvis trailed behind. “May I come with you guys?”
The two did not respond but he kept trying to convince them. “You see, I am on my way to Tampa where I left my wife and my family but I ain’t sure how I would be going there. It’s not only fun to travel alone but it is also dangerous. I have seen dead people along the way, and man please! I could help you guard your camp at night or even build a fire, name it. Just bring me with you,” he begged, rubbing his palms.
Halting, Stan turned to have a good look at him one more time. Jarvis bowed begging them to bring him along. But when he glanced up, they were no longer near him.
“Are you coming or not?” Stan asked as they continued walking.
He got up and ran towards their direction saying ‘thanks’ to him. Although he has not known him long, Stan felt that he could trust the man.
“I owe you, man!” Jarvis muttered but the confusion was on his face. “But, um… I haven’t had your names yet.”
“Stan Harris,” he said, locking his gaze onto the trail.
“I’m Patricia Silva,” she glanced at him and smiled. “I’m on my way to Gainesville, too, and I met him along the way just like you. Actually, he wouldn’t bring me with him if I haven’t begged for my life. But I just found out recently that he’s actually a kind-hearted man.”
She was grinning and Jarvis feigned amusement in his tone. But the typical Stan Harris was silent yet emotionless.
“This must be exciting! It’s like in the movies, we fight bad people and save the world from chaos,” Jarvis gestured his hands imitating the superhumans, jabbing, and hooking.
“I know. It’s scary but superheroes never fear anyone, let alone death.” There was fright in her voice. Jarvis raised his hand for a high five, and she jumped accepting the gesture.
Stan could hear Patricia’s giggles and their stories as he listened quietly. Deep inside, he was smiling at the new foundation of friendship he has found along the way. Jarvis and Patricia kept exc
hanging stories together. It felt like they have been long-time friends that haven’t seen each other considering the number of stories they have kept and revealed.
Time has passed by quickly. They lost track of time but the sun strongly signified the highest point of the day. They rested under a shady tree along the road. There was a huge rock beside it where they placed their things. Stan decided to take a nap and when he closed his eyes, he heard footsteps coming in their direction. He alerted his friends and stood up. From the bushy area came out a couple, Stan relaxed and watched the couple approach them.
“Are you headed that way?” The man asked gesturing at the long road behind him. He looked like he was in his fifties.
Stan, although dubious, nodded in affirmation. He looked at them, nudging Jarvis and Patricia to keep watch. They received the message he was trying to implicate.
“After this town, you will reach Salem. You can see a post office where you can stay, but be more careful,” he held his wife’s hand and they left them after giving some substantial information.
The three exchanged looks with their eyes wide. The abrupt encounter left tons of differing thoughts to them. They left to Salem and traversed across the unincorporated community. After crossing, Stan saw a pond in a swamp lying just ahead of the post office. It was situated in the southern part of highway nineteen. They crossed it and searched for a good location to stop for a bit. Stan placed his pack on the ground and brought out three foods and waters from it. He handed one each to Patricia and Jarvis.
“Alas, I can finally eat after a fair time of hunger strike,” Jarvis cried out of nowhere.
“Really, you haven’t eaten yet?” Patricia questioned in disbelief. “That explains why you’re skinny. That must have been really difficult for you.” She added, smirking at him. Stan laughed his laugh that echoed around the place.
Gasping, Jarvis opened his eyes wide and smirked at Patricia. “You know, I can carry you in one piece,” he teased angling towards her.
Patricia moved from her seat, throwing daggers at him. “Thanks but no thanks,” she muttered.
Both men chuckled. “Hmph!”
Patricia moved a few meters away from them. But she could hear them talking about random things. It wasn’t as if she was listening but she could hear their conversations loud and clear. After a while, she went back to their base and sat next to Stan. Avoiding Jarvis’s gaze, she focused on her food as she listened to them.
“So, we have one sole purpose here, and that’s to go home to our families,” Jarvis cried. He placed his food down and reached for the bottle. He gulped placing it next to the food after drinking.
“That’s right,” Patricia deadpanned, thinking about her own family. “Why were you out in the forest, Jarvis?”
Stan was looking at them exchanging thoughts, observing their moves and studying their features. Waiting for his answer, Stan stared at Jarvis hoping for his explanation.
“I met a group of people after that day and brought me to their camp. We slept the night out and when I woke up, my things were gone. They were gone. I was left alone with nothing on hand,” he gritted his teeth and puffed a heavy air from his lungs. “I followed the forest trail and I got lost. I wasn’t able to go back to our starting point. But they left a gun; I think it was just forgotten.”
“Oh. So that seems what Stan wants me to realize,” she blurted. Admitting that Stan was right, she remembered what he once told her to never trust anyone in the jungle. “Everyone could be an enemy when you’re in the wild.”
Jarvis nodded in support. “I thought of making a path. I should have dropped pebbles along the trail we took.”
“You should have,” she glanced at Stan who was spacing out again. Stan felt like someone was staring at him so he glanced up and caught Patricia with a confused look.
“There are things you can never expect to happen and there are those that must not be taken for granted,” he cut them off gaining abashed reactions from them. “You can never tell when someone has undesirable plans for you and when you are talking to a wicked man.”
They were amazed at him. Although it’s pretty obvious that it’s unsafe out there, the world is full of iniquity and mischief. Stan smiled at them, an assuring smile. He was certain that his companions are far from what he said. They were back to a comfortable silence.
While they were eating, four people showed up interrupting them with their food. Unarmed and unready, they were surprised but relaxed when they saw that there were two children in tow.
“My name’s Stephen and this is my wife Ginger. These are our children, Adam and Jason. We saw you here, and we thought to draw near you.” The man of the group spoke, assuming that Stan was the head of the family he was talking to.
“What do you need? We can give you food so your children could eat,” Stan stated looking at them. Stephen nodded and watched Stan took out some food. He grabbed the food and handed it over to his family. They sat a few distance from them and ate. The field was in utter silence.
“Where’re you from?” Stephen asked but no one answered back. He tried to keep the atmosphere light but it was somewhat ineffective. “I and my family have walked extra miles looking for food. You’re the first people we saw.”
Stan glanced at them and nodded. “How come you found this place?” He asked.
“We were following a trail which I thought was just an ordinary one just like the others we saw the other day. And yeah, it brought us here.” Stephen tried to explain but he seemed not buying it. “You see, my kids are young and they need food to survive.”
Stan nodded again. He looked at his children, eating their food nonchalantly. They seemed to not care about where they were in. After eating, they stayed like that for a while. Stephen interrogated Stan but he was too cautious to highlight every detail. Stan was cordial but he maintained the integrity of his words.
“So, I think it’s time for you to go,” Stan declared, his voice was cold.
Deep in his thoughts, Stephen tried to bargain of staying in their group. “Would it be okay with you if we spend the night with your group?” Stephen asked hoping that he will allow them. With his gut feeling of hesitancy, he looked at Patricia and Jarvis.
“I have sets of rules and guidelines which involve you to stay on watch as we sleep tonight,” Stan ordered looking sternly at Stephen. Stephen looked remorse shuddering at the proposition.
“We could switch turns to supervise so we could equally have some rest,” Stephen argued. Pointing out his objective, he could see that there was no way Stan would agree.
“Nah, you and your wife could take a turn as we sleep,” he insisted placing his hands on his waist. Stephen snapped out and clenched his feet. “It would be better for you to leave if you aren’t willing to follow my orders.”
“That’s not fair, man!” He yelled at them, trying to calm himself down.
“My group, my rules,” Stan pointed out casting a flinty look.
He crossed his arms showing his well-toned muscles. He was towering Stephen who was four inches shorter. Stephen has grown some hairs on his face. His full beard brought out a more sculpted jaw covering the aspects of his rounded face.
Stephen inhaled and exhaled densely, exercising his hands with utmost vigor. The glow in his face has suddenly turned bright.
“You better leave,” Stan commanded his voice was imposing and intimidating.
Stan looked at him straight in the eye while tapping his foot on the ground.
“We’ll leave,” Stephen grumbled. But before they left, he gaped at him mumbling something in the air.
Making sure that they have already left, Stan ordered Patricia and Jarvis to gather some strong branches. He was digging up a narrow hole around the camp when the two returned. They placed the tree barks on the ground and went back to the forest for more. Stan started peeling the branched and honed it. He placed it vertically on the ground just after the hole, making a fence all over the camp. He dug a deeper ho
le in the center portion of the entrance with sharpened sticks beneath it. The whole was covered with a bunch of leaves.
Feeling the satisfaction of their task, Patricia slumped to the ground and gulped some water. She watched as the two men did the finishing touches.
“What if they agreed to stay?” She asked Stan.
“I wouldn’t let them in no matter what,” he replied, tying the branches firmly.
“Why? The kids look exhausted and ravenous,” he heard her ask. Puffing an air, he stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
“That’s just one thing you need to figure out. I was testing him if he could be willing to follow simple orders. But it seemed like he wants to take control of the situation,” he explained further getting back to finishing his task. “It seemed like he wants to lead or he wants a repeat of what happened to Jarvis.”
“How’d you figure that one out?” Jarvis asked.
“It’s all in the feels, man.” He chuckled. “But honestly, I don’t trust the man.” He added, sharpening more branches.
“That explains it,” they both said. Patricia pulled herself off the ground and helped them.
After they have set the traps, it was already nightfall. The moon peeked through the trees and the water reflected the beauty of the dusk.
When the darkness started to rule out the area, they went to the east side of the swamp and set a camp where they stayed the night. They took the general rule into action – take turns to be a lookout. Stan and Patricia slept while Jarvis stayed the night. He watched until it was Stan’s time to watch the camp. Waking him up, Jarvis yawned and he was laid on the ground. Stan rubbed his sleepy eyes and gave way to let Jarvis sleep.
Looking out around the area, Stan drifted into nihility. He listened as Jarvis snored in his sleep. Standing, he walked to and fro listening to the sounds of nature. The waistband was worn around his waist. Double checking, he groped at his band feeling his gun in it.
Stan sat on a rock and bowed his head. He yawned but he couldn’t sleep. A few hours later, he woke up Patricia to take her shift. She obliged and bolted right up.