Wish Us Luck

by Jennifer Wedmore

  Catherine grabbed Mitchell and held onto him for dear life. All she could do was shake and wonder if they would survive.

  Mitchell looked up at her, with wide eyes. “Mommy, is Jake going to be staying with us?”

  Catherine could only nod. Words were beyond her capabilities at the moment.

  Jake crouched down in front of Mitchell. “Hey, buddy. Yes, I’m going to stay with you for a while. There are some sick people outside, and I'm going to help your mom keep you safe.”

  With a child’s innocence, Mitchell smiled. “Cool. I want to be a soldier when I grow up, just like you Jake.”

  Catherine gave Mitchell a very wobbly smile. I hope you get that chance baby. I hope you grow up. With visions of two of four flashing in her mind, all she could offer Mitchell was hope.

  Three

  I have decided to keep a diary of sorts, if we survive or if others find this later they can know more about what happened to us. How we survived as long as we did and maybe clues to what happened. Today is Day 31 in the house. Jake has become part of our family, he helped me so much in the beginning. I fear I was not as strong as I should have been. My fear for Mitchell outweighed everything else. We would not have survived if he hadn’t come to help us. I haven’t gotten up the nerve to ask him why he did though.

  I guess I should tell you who we are. My name is Catherine Perse, my son is Mitchell, and he is 7 years old. Captain Jake Deakon is our savior, he came to help when no one else would have.

  He is amazing with Mitchell, he treats him like a son and is teaching him all kinds of survival stuff. I heard Mitchell say the other day he wished Jake was his father. I admit to having feelings develop for Jake. Thankfully he confided one night after drinking the only bottle of liquor I had in the house, he was single.

  I have tried not to dwell on that, but I find my eyes wandering to him frequently. We have explained to Mitchell as much as we can, but he is too young to fully understand. We have enough rations for another five months, maybe six if we eat sparingly. I asked Jake what we would do when we ran out of food, and he got a pensive look on his face. I am afraid of his answer, so I haven't asked again. I will wait until we get to that point and learn our fate.

  I wonder if Jake has any family looking for him or if the military has notified the public. As for us, we have no one to look for us. My co-workers would be in the same boat as I am, stuck in this quarantine, and my family has all passed. Okay, that’s enough about personal stuff.

  We have not dared to venture outside, but we have heard a lot of over the last month. Animals yelling, feet or paws running across the ground. People screaming and begging for help. We haven't heard from the government or the police. Not even the military since this started. Jake says if this is just quarantined to our area, they wouldn't tell us. But since no supplies have dropped that we know of and nothing on the TV or radio just static, we think this is a lot bigger than anticipated. Though we still have power, and I think if the power stations weren’t manned it would have gone out by now. I just don’t know what to think anymore. The internet is out too, they kept the power on but took away our ability to contact anyone on the outside. If there is anyone left that is.

  We have theories and questions on what happened and how it spread but nothing concrete. To help later, I’m going to share what we do know.

  Cows got loose and spread the virus. It presented differently than rabies and very deadly. If an infected animal touched body fluids of a person or animal, they became affected. Humans were dying fast, but by the sounds outside they have managed to live longer infected. Some type of mutation maybe.

  As to how far and fast this spread... Jake says they were on the scene within an hour of the first report so it should have been contained. All infected animals had been put down and cremated to prevent spread. There had to be a secondary origin of infection, or even more.

  Day 38

  To whoever reads this later, my entries are sporadic as our days are so boring. I am only planning to update when I have more information to share. This morning before the sun came up we heard banging on the front door. Jake called out to see who was there and we actually got a response. A male voice said U.S. Military, Jake asked a few questions and got the answer he was looking for. As he started to open the door, we heard the man yell and then the worst sounds of my life. Jake quickly relocked and barricaded the door. We don't know who or what attacked him but we never heard another sound.

  We are encouraged by the military presence but discouraged they were attacked and killed. Does this mean it was just a few soldiers or one person? We may never know.

  But we still have power.

  Day 60

  Two months! The only thing new I can report... Jake kissed me. I know he cares for Mitchell and me, but I fear it’s only because we are all that he has right now. We haven't heard any more people, but we do hear movement outside. We haven't dared go out yet. We hope when we do emerge, the infected will have died off and we can search for other survivors or leave the area. Maybe it will be just a large quarantine zone, and we can live outside safely. And we still have power.

  Day 75

  Nothing to report. Plenty of food, no people, no more kissing, no more noise… We do have power. Wish us luck.

  Day 90

  The phone rang today. I know I’m one of the few people who still have a landline but now I am glad I do! We froze in place and then raced to grab it. One ring and our hopes soared, but there was nothing and no one on the line. No more rings, no voices, not even a dial tone. We checked the TV and radio but still only static. Which means we still have power... Wish us luck.

  On a personal note, Jake and I have taken our relationship a bit farther, we are talking and cuddling on the couch. I won't have sex with him though. It's not fair. He shouldn't be tied to me because of the circumstances. I will take the companionship though.

  Day 150

  We are almost out of supplies. Our rations have kept us alive for six months, it’s time for us to leave. Jake said we will give it three more days then we are out. He said Mitchell should celebrate his birthday at home. I know he isn't saying what he thinks, it could be his last birthday. The trip will be rough, and we might not make it. I am scared, but I am determined to be stronger for Mitchell. He is my responsibility, and I will not let him down again.

  The phone never rang again, we did hear voices on the radio for about two minutes once. But we couldn't make out what they said and never got them again. This is my last entry until we are out of the house. We never lost power, so someone somewhere is keeping it on. We are going to find them. Wish us luck.

  Four

  Catherine closed the book and sat back in her chair. “I don't know Jake, should I leave it here or bring it with us and keep telling about our experiences as we travel?”

  Jake walked over to the kitchen table and sat next to her. “I think you should bring it. It will help you cope with what we see, and one day maybe someone will learn from our experience.”

  Catherine watched Jake. He seemed lost in thought. She assumed he was thinking about what they would see out there. Mitchell ran into the room and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Two days till my birthday! I can’t wait to turn eight. Remember Jake, you promised to teach me to protect mommy when I turned eight.”

  Catherine watched his animated body as he talked to Jake. She was so grateful Jake chose them to stay with and protect. She wasn't strong in the beginning, well that's not true. She was a single mom, she had strength in spades. This outbreak tested her in ways she never expected, so of course, she wavered at first.

  No one in their right mind would have handled that with grace. Jake had taught her a lot though, and she felt better prepared to handle what was coming. She was proficient with a knife now. Her back bedroom was a mess from all the target practice they did. Between the knife and the gunshots, the plaster on the walls was barely hanging. Her aim with the gun was getting better at least.

  Trying
to keep Mitchell away was the hardest part because he wanted to watch and try. That was when Jake offered to teach him how to protect her. She had no idea what he was going to teach him, but hopefully, it gave him peace of mind.

  She tuned back into the conversation when Jake placed his hand over hers. “Relax. Let's make his birthday special and then we will go over our plans for leaving. You said you had presents hidden in the garage, right? What about leftover party decorations? Don’t most women hoard that stuff for years?”

  She gave him what she hoped was a dry look. “You will find a box marked decorations in the garage too. You assume too much about women Jake. Anyways, do you think it's safe to go in the garage? We haven't tried in six months. What if someone or something broke in? What if the door is mangled and anyone/thing can get in if you're seen?”

  “Catherine, I’ll be fine. I’m going to be very careful. You and Mitch go in the back of the house, barricade the door until I come for you. I won’t let anything happen to you guys while I’m around.”

  “You’re an asshole. You know I’m worried about you as much as Mitchell. I really wish you hadn't shortened his name. He insists I call him that too now.” Her baby idolized Jake and when he called him Mitch the first time… he had stars in his eyes. He had to grow up fast in this situation, but they both had tried to keep him away from the danger and the knowledge of what was happening outside. Obviously, they had to explain some of it, but they left out the gruesome parts.

  “Jake, we leave in three days. Will you tell me before we go why you came back here? What really happened to your troop? Most of all, what do you think we will see out there?” she asked, almost afraid to hear his answer to a few of her questions.

  “Tonight, after Mitch goes to sleep I promise to tell you everything I saw and what I think. Go get Mitch and hide while I go in the garage and get the stuff we need.”

  She watched him get up and head to the garage door. She slowly pushed away from the table and yelled, “Mitch, come with me, please. Jake is going to take a look in the garage to see if he can hear anything. He is just getting prepared, and we’re going to go in the other room until Jake says it’s safe.”

  With one last lingering look at Jake, she shut the bedroom door.

  Five

  Jake dropped his head against the garage door, what would she say when he confessed why he was really there? Would she think he was a stalker or take it as he intended? He was just someone who admired her from afar, and when she needed someone, he came running. He dropped his head against the door frame a few times in frustration and then opened the door slowly.

  There was no light showing other than the overhead light. Hopefully, it meant the garage was safe and had no intruders. Jake slowly opened the door farther and stuck his head out. The garage looked completely intact and even better Catherine’s four-Wheel Drive Jeep was parked in it. They might have a getaway vehicle. Hopefully, she kept it filled with gas, he wasn’t sure if it was possible to fill a tank.

  He stepped into the garage and walked up to the garage door, hoping he could or maybe hoping he couldn’t hear anything outside. After a few moments he turned to the shelves Catherine had told him held the decorations and presents. He grabbed the first box, carried it into the house, and went back for the other three. He had no idea what was in each, but this was going to be the best party Mitch ever had.

  He made one more trip to the garage, this time checking the condition of the Jeep and its tires. Everything looked good, and he was excited about this turn of events. This might be what saved their lives.

  Jake shut the door to the house and barricaded it again. He quickly went through the boxes to find the one that held the presents and hid them under cabinets, so Mitch didn't see them. Then he took the decorations and hid them in the shower. Mitch hated bathing, so it was a good place.

  After making sure the shower curtain hid the boxes he went down the hall. “You can come out now, the garage is in great shape.” When Catherine and Mitch stepped out of the bedroom, he said, “Even better, your Jeep is fully gassed, and the tires are in great shape. That will be a big help to us.”

  “I didn’t even think about it, but in the shed in the backyard is two gas cans both full of gas. I don't like to be unprepared so they were filled right before the outbreak and I rotate the gas out of them every two weeks to be safe.”

  “Catherine, I could kiss you right now. This will save us from having to scavenge for gas. We just have to find food, and we will be set. Have you filled all the containers with water?” At her nod, he said, “Now that we know the garage is safe, I will load all our provisions in the jeep, and we will be ready to go when it’s time.”

  Jake walked away before Catherine saw him blushing, he couldn’t believe he said he could kiss her out loud. She apparently didn’t see him as a love interest. As much as he wished it was different, he would respect her wishes. He would make sure they both made it out of there alive and then he would move on.

  “Hey Mitch, how about an early birthday present? I saw a movie stashed away in the garage, want to watch it before bed?”

  Jake watched Mitch race into the room with the energy only a child could possess. “Yes! Will you watch with me! What movie is it anyway?”

  “Only my favorite movie ever! Jaws! Have you ever seen it?” At his head shake, Jake said, “It’s about a giant shark. It’s pretty epic!”

  Jake glanced at Catherine as he walked to Mitch’s bedroom with him. She gave him a smile and walked into the living room.

  ***

  “That didn’t take long at all. He made it about forty-five minutes then fell asleep. I have a feeling tomorrow we will be watching it again.” Catherine smiled up at him from her seat on the couch. God how he loved that smile. “Are you ready to hear the truth, everything from the beginning till now? You need to know, and I need to tell you before we leave this house together.”

  Jake hated watching her smile fall, he could tell she was expecting something bad, but she had no idea what was coming for sure. “Just get it over with please.” Jake sighed.

  “It was about a year ago, seems like yesterday and ten years at the same time. You know how one moment can be so inconsequential to one person and so life-changing for another?” Catherine nodded.

  Jake got up and started pacing. This wasn’t coming out the way he wanted. He sounded insane and if he continued she would freak out thinking he stalked her and created this situation.

  “Let me try again. I’m in the Army Reserves. That weekend when the outbreak or whatever happened was my active duty time. My day to day job is pretty boring. I do some construction at a friend’s company. I’m a jack of all trades, so he uses me wherever. I also do the books and meet potential new clients. Just over a year ago, I was driving through Grantary Circle and stopped at a crossing guard in front of an elementary school.” Catherine gasped, and he watched her hand fly up to cover her mouth. “Yes, the school Mitch attends. I saw you and him walking across the street. You were holding hands, and he had just said something to you. You leaned your head back and laughed so loud. I couldn't hear you actually, but that’s what I imagined. You looked so happy, and he was laughing at you laughing. I watched you walk across the street and then stop and hug Mitch. The love was so evident between you that I was dumbfounded. The car behind me beeped, and I realized I was staring at you two. I didn’t mean to be stalkerish, but there was just something about you that drew me.”

  Jake stopped talking for a minute and looked at Catherine, trying to gauge her reaction. She said nothing, just sat on the couch staring at him and waiting for the rest.

  “Ok, I will keep going with the story. I continued on to the client’s house and discussed his hiring us to remodel his house. I admit I sold the company as hard as I could. I even gave the man a discount so he would hire us. I knew if he did, I was taking the chance of seeing you each morning walking Mitch to school. I never had any intention of meeting you. It was just a fantasy from afar.
A ‘what if’ situation, what could happen type of thing. You were my daydream, and I wasn’t brave enough to introduce myself. How would that work? Excuse me, ma’am, my name is Jake, and I have been watching you for a while, and I wanted to finally introduce myself and ask you out. You would have called the cops and possibly gotten a restraining order.”

  Jake was relieved to see Catherine smile at that. She wasn't running away or screaming in fright, so she must be willing to hear the rest.

  “Six months ago, I was on duty when we were sent to the neighborhood to check on the occupants and deliver the information about the quarantine and rations as the time came. We were to check in every day for a week and report back to HQ. They wanted to know any change in occupancy, increase in animals roaming or looting and stuff like that. We are trained to not question anything. When I knocked on your door, and you answered... It took everything in me to not grab you both and take you away. I didn’t know where I could take you. Hell, I didn’t even know if there was a serious threat. I delivered my message and the next day swapped so I could deliver your rations. I would take what I could. I wanted to say so much when you answered the door but you were so scared, and I wasn't allowed to share. I jumped at the chance to talk with you, tell you a bit more about the situation. Anything to keep you with me for a few minutes. It was a dream in a nightmare for me.”

  Jake paused to consider how to tell her what came next. He could still hear the screams in his sleep, the yells of his friends and the animals who came out of nowhere.

  After we dropped the rations off to your street, we were heading to the next location listed when we saw a group of animals heading our way. We didn't think much of it, other than it was odd that a couple of cows, goats, and even a horse were running down the road together. We assumed they just came from a local farm and got out. I was driving the truck, and the guys were in the back. I slowed down because they were blocking the road, I couldn't go anywhere. A few of the guys jumped out to see if they could move them, they were laughing and joking. We thought the whole assignment was a joke and we didn’t understand there was a real threat. It wasn’t until they charged... Then we knew this was real. The animals tore through them. I was yelling at the rest of them to stay in the truck, but they jumped out to help. I figured I could do more good plowing through them, so I just drove at them and over them. I took out three but not before the last two attacked. I have never seen animals act like that before. I have nightmares from the sounds and sights.”