Eden's Root

by Rachel Fisher

  Yeah, Fi thought. When you can see that many stars you know you’re in a pretty remote area. She had some idea of where they were on the map. She knew the number of the road. But otherwise, she needed some signs to help her place their exact location on the road. Tonight they had worked their way East and then found the northbound road. Toward Eden, Fi thought wistfully.

  Walking on the smooth surface of the road, away from tugging branches and roots, the group was able to move faster. It made things much easier for Maggie and Rachel. She knew that Rachel did not appear to be sick yet, but she was sick, and would soon need more rest as well. And to be honest, Zoe’s little four-year old legs would be a challenge as well. No doubt times would come when she would have to be carried. Tonight it was Fi’s goal to put as many miles behind them as possible, so she pushed the group. She knew that over time the group would get weaker as food became scarce. She needed them to walk while they could. Despite sleepiness and fatigue, she urged them forward.

  So far, Fi estimated that they had been able to get at least three miles away from their town, maybe more because of the jog eastward. The mood of the Family had lifted a little as they walked and the hours passed without any frightening experiences. Only Sean was aware that they had actually been caught and then set free. Kiara and Zoe giggled while they whispered and chatted. Fi didn’t mind, but she did shush them whenever she thought she heard anything.

  Occasionally, she pulled on the night vision goggles in search of shelter where they could hide and rest during the day. Now she realized that some type of house might have been helpful, as long as it was empty. She sighed and then stiffened. There was a distant sound, like a grinding…or something mechanical.

  “Shhh,” Fi whispered to the group. “Stop!” They froze and she cocked her head. “Do you hear that?” Distant headlights appeared on the road behind them. Fi grabbed Kiara’s arm and dragged her into the forest. “In here, right here!”

  Fi waved and her Family followed her into the trees. They moved as quickly and quietly as possible away from the road, but Zoe was whimpering and Fi could feel that everyone was scared. There was no good cover here, just low shrubs and open forest. Their only cover was the darkness. They crouched down as they went, half-running and skipping forward when they could. The headlights rounded the corner and then slowed. The Humvee came to a stop and the doors opened.

  “Freeze,” Fi whispered, her teeth gritted. “Down,” she commanded, and they dropped to the ground. They lay flat, heads down. Zoe was shaking on the ground beside Fi. Kiara grabbed Zoe’s hand and squeezed it, and Fi felt Zoe stop shaking. Fi lifted her head, pulling on her goggles and peering at the soldiers. Flashlights swept toward them and her goggle lenses whited out.

  “Shit,” she said, waiting for them to reset. She could see from her position that the Family had travelled down a bit, below the level of the road. As a result the flashlights were centered above their position by several feet. She could see the soldiers talking, but she couldn’t hear them. They seemed to be searching on all sides of the road. Whew, she breathed in relief and put her head down one second to ease her neck. They hadn’t seen exactly where they’d gone.

  Peeking up again, Fi saw them talking and pointing back down the road. There was a lot of nodding. Then one soldier shook his head and pointed right at them. Fi gasped and froze. Leaves crunched as the soldier took a few slow steps toward them, his flashlight sweeping back and forth. The goggles whited out again and she cursed. As she dropped her head, she prayed. Her heart was pounding and she could feel her breath grow ragged. No one moved a muscle. Voices called and the flashlight turned. Fi fumbled with the goggles and just saw the others wave the soldier back. He shrugged and walked back to the Humvee and climbed inside. They closed the doors and then, thankfully, they turned and drove away. After what seemed like an eternity, Fi heard the sounds of gasping around her as the Family drew breath.

  “Are they gone?” Sean whispered.

  “Shhhhh,” Fi murmured. “Breathe and wait.” They obeyed and stayed flat on their bellies. After a few minutes of complete silence Fi decided that she felt safe and gave the all clear. They rose and dusted themselves off. Everyone was fine, just very rattled.

  “Ok Family,” Fi addressed them in a whisper. “I think we just learned our first lesson of the new world. And that lesson is, Stay Off the Roads.” They all nodded and agreed and Fi sighed. It was going to be much harder to reach their goal on foot if they could not use the roadways, but it was obviously unsafe.

  They set out again, paralleling the northward path of the road, but about half a mile to the east. Fi eventually spotted what looked like a cottage in the distance and they went toward it. It was to the east as well, further from the road, which Fi found comforting. As they drew near, they could see that the stone cottage had mostly fallen apart, but one wall remained with a portion of wooden ceiling. It would do, Fi decided. They settled into the space in this little nook and set up camp.

  As they rustled through the packs, Fi realized that the rest of the Family was just learning their way around the packs and gear. She and Sean went around with the red flashlight, helping everyone to get settled. They were far from the road, far from everything really, Fi thought. They didn’t have a fire or anything that called attention to them. They should be invisible.

  Fully clothed and with her shoes on, Fi lay down on top of her sleeping bag and tried to get some rest. Though she felt that it was risky for the entire group to sleep, she knew that she would not sleep very long. It had been a long time since she had slept deeply. Regardless, everyone, including her, needed the rest to clear the adrenalin from their systems. She just needed a few hours before dawn, she thought, as she drifted off to sleep. A gentle breeze rustled the trees around the house, bringing a cool, dry kiss to the cheeks of the sleeping Family. Some sighed in their sleep, while others tossed restlessly in their sleeping bags.

  Fi awoke to dim light and a trilling bird. She heard a distant trill echoing the first and smiled. Feeling the dew on her skin and clothes, she realized that she had slept the entire time on top of her sleeping bag. Family members snored around her and she saw that all appeared to be asleep except Sean, whose bag was empty. Fi grabbed her rain jacket and got up. The dawn air was cool and moist with fog. The light was still that soft blue that doesn’t give away anything about the time of day. It could be mistaken for dusk, except that the light grew brighter with each passing moment. The air filled with song as more birds joined the dawn chorus. Fi was comforted for a moment. There was still beauty in the world.

  “Hey,” she heard a whisper and turned. Sean stood a few feet to her right, wearing his rain jacket as well. She smiled.

  “What I wouldn’t give for a cup of Oj and my tablet,” he joked as she approached.

  “I know, right?” she smiled. “This is beautiful though!”

  She inhaled, breathing in the cool morning air. Sunlight was starting to glow in the sky. There were clouds above and in places the light split, the rays overlapping and painting the misty fog like spotlights. Sean leaned against the stone wall of the cottage and patted the space beside him for her to join him.

  She sidled over and slid next to him against the wall. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. How she wished that she could sleep some more. As a child she’d been a deep sleeper, but now she found herself unwilling or unable to release her hold on the waking world.

  “Fi?” Sean spoke quietly.

  “Yes,” she replied, her eyes still closed.

  “I wanted to say thank you.” Her eyes flew open.

  “What do you mean Sean? You saved me back there. You saved us all!” she insisted. He shook his head.

  “No, that’s not what I mean,” he said. “I mean, thanks for including us, for making sure we got out, for taking charge of the whole thing. For being a Leader,” he paused, his eyes distant. “I hope the thanks stands for as long as you have to Lead.” As he said this, he turned his head against the wa
ll to look at her. His dark eyes were serious and kind at the same time, she thought, just like him. Then he reached his hands back and pushed himself off the wall and walked back toward the camp. The sky was completely lit now and the birds were in full throat. Fi heard the morning sounds of coughing and stretching. The Family was stirring.

  “Hey Sean,” she called and he turned around, his face open, expectant.

  Suddenly unsure what to say, she shrugged. “Thanks.”

  The Ninth Level

  Rumors of War

  ----------- Asher -----------

  The march of the millions slowed to a simple listless shuffle, a dirge written with the steps of exhausted feet. A steady stream of people marched across every bridge and through every tunnel that led toward the mainland. The people of New York no longer wanted to be an island.

  They walked in huddled groups, families touching hands or holding children in their arms, almost too tired to be cautious any longer. Many carried flashlights, but some actually carried burning torches. If you had asked them, no one could have really explained how the nuke rumor had gotten started. It was lost in the chaos of the past week. When the government stepped in across the country and shut down the metropolitan areas, most regular media was suspended.

  Information only came through from the Internet in waves, with no way to know what was true. There were stories of massacres and uprisings all around the world. The shortages had been going on in some areas of the world longer, and underground journalists there insisted that their governments were systematically murdering large groups of people. That there wasn’t going to be enough food for anyone, no matter how much they rationed. Their posts, videos, and articles were terrifying.

  Once people started whispering about government genocide, the nuke rumor caught fire. Having been trapped by the soldiers and cut off from communications, people assumed the worst. The City panicked in earnest and riots started at all exit points. In just hours, the soldiers were either overwhelmed or had given up and joined the people. After all, they hadn’t been given enough food either, and they didn’t know whom to trust. Many of the military higher ups had not been in communication with their troops in the last forty-eight hours. Even the soldiers weren’t sure that the City wasn’t going to be nuked.

  After two days of a steady stream of people leaving the City, there were still millions working their way out, walking on foot even from the outer boroughs. Some stores were looted or burned along the way, but most food locations had been bolted shut by the soldiers. The residents pushed forward as steadily as they could, the nuclear rumor keeping their focus on getting out of the City as quickly as possible.

  Two miles away, Asher stood in his dorm room contemplating his next move. His roommate Jeff had returned later the same day that the occupation began, and they had worked together ever since to document what they could. Now Jeff was in a hurry to get the hell out of town.

  “Asher we have to get going,” Jeff said, “Just grab what you really need.” He zipped his bag.

  Asher snorted, “And what would that be Jeff?” he asked. “Do you have any idea what you actually need?”

  Jeff frowned. “Look don’t be an asshole to me, it’s not my fault!” he protested and slung his pack on his back angrily.

  “No, no Jeff,” Asher apologized, waving his hands. “I’m sorry man, it’s just crazy.” He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I just don’t know if leaving is the best idea,” he said honestly with a shrug. There, he’d finally said it out loud, he thought.

  Jeff’s eyes bulged, “What do you mean you don’t know? What if they nuke the place Asher?” He shook his head and then waved his hands in circles again to speed Asher up. “No way I’m taking that chance, so let’s go, let’s go!”

  People had been leaving for four days now and almost everyone was now gone. The city was emptying slowly like a clogged drain. People scattered in all directions, most seeking relatives or wide-open spaces that were far from the coast.

  Asher reached toward the wall where his sword was hung. He’d had to hide it from his dorm deans when he’d moved in and Jeff had been good enough not to rat him out. He’d had the sword since he was a young teen and now, he was grateful that he’d found a way to keep it with him. He drew it from the sheath. It gleamed, the razor sharp edge telling the story of many nights of loving care.

  “Be realistic Asher,” he heard Jeff protest behind him. “The sword does not come into the need category.” He cleared his throat, “Really, man we gotta go.”

  Asher heard him, but felt oddly disconnected. He moved the sword through the air, slowly, but with precision. He could almost hear it sing, and its weight felt good in his hands. It had been too long, he felt, wincing at the thought of his father. He hadn’t been able to reach his parents since the occupation began and now he was beginning to wonder if the network would ever be operational again. Things seemed to be going the other way, with electricity failing and access to the Internet all but gone.

  He knew his thoughts were different from those around him. He was both less panicked and more panicked at the same time. He felt pretty sure that he knew the enemy and it wasn’t a nuclear strike. No, this enemy was more insidious. It was starvation, slow sickening, violence, and destruction. This enemy would not differentiate, and for many it would not be swift. Maybe those who were killed by violence in coming weeks would later be counted among the lucky, Asher reflected grimly. He swung the sword one more time and then sheathed it, nodding his head. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to do, but he knew he wasn’t going to run into the wilderness in a panic. He turned to Jeff, who appeared annoyed and anxious.

  “I’m sorry Jeff,” he said quietly, “I wish you the best of luck, but I’m staying here.”

  Bearing Witness

  ----------- Fi -----------

  It had been one week since Fi’s Family escaped and no amount of training could have prepared her for the violence of the collapse. Her decisions to move the Family at night and to stay away from town had turned out to be critical. As a result, they had pretty well avoided the bloodshed that was taking place in cities and towns across the country, though they sometimes came across bodies, even in the forest. It was only because they desperately needed provisions and this small, quiet town had seemed largely abandoned that she had decided to break from her usual pattern. Selecting a detached garage belonging to the house farthest from the center of town, Fi and the Family settled in.

  Just after sunset, the Family was startled by gunfire. The sounds were quick, almost like firecrackers and Fi’s heart leapt into her throat. Those had to be automatic weapons, she thought, as she closed her eyes in shock. Some Family Members were woken from sleep and sat bolt upright up from the hard ground in terror. Shouting voices accompanied the gunshots. The Family pulled themselves into a terrified ball against the garage door while all hell broke loose in the streets. An orange glow floated through the garage door windows above them as they cowered.

  “Cover your ears, baby,” Fi whispered to Kiara below her. Turning around, Fi stood in a low crouch below the window ledge to peer out. She could see that the flickering glow came from cars and possibly houses that had been set ablaze. Screams continued to fill the air, along with intermittent gunfire. A group of men jogged past in the street. In the firelight, Fi could tell that these were the attackers. All wore the same black ammunition vests and they moved as a group. Her eyes scanned as they disappeared from view. They were citizens, she could tell, not soldiers, but they were heavily armed and they were ransacking the town. It was impossible to tell if they were the only attackers because gunshots continued to come from all sides.

  Suddenly one of the marauders jogged back into view and began walking straight toward the garage. Fi gasped and dropped to the floor. She pressed her back against the door and crushed Kiara to her. Did he see her? Her mind whirled with possibilities and she struggled to maintain her grasp on her fear. No one breathed as his footsteps dre
w near and a flashlight panned over the inside of the garage. Kiara gasped when the shaft of light came close to John’s shoe, but he quickly pulled his knee up to his chest. The flashlight swung away and it was dark again as the man left.

  “Thank God,” Lucy breathed.

  “Yes,” Fi whispered. “Thank God.” Fi thanked God that the garage they were in was completely empty. There was nothing on the shelves, nothing in the laundry tubs at the back. No car. No gas tanks. Nothing of value. Lucky for us, Fi thought, her heart still pounding.

  Throughout the night she kept sneaking looks outside to keep tabs on what was happening. One man kept drawing her attention. Big, bald, and mean, he appeared to be the gang’s leader and he was terrifying. Once as she watched him argue with one of his own guys, he raised his weapon and shot him right in the head. She jumped and her heart stopped as the man’s head swung around with the force of the blast and she saw his last expression cross his face. Fi dropped back down and grabbed Sean’s hand in terror. Her heart was racing and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She’d never seen someone murdered before.

  Without meaning to, she found herself rocking back and forth, her eyes fixed on the ground. It was different to see it. God knows why, she thought, shivering all over, but it was. Clammy sweat broke out across the bridge of her nose and palms of her hands as she shook. She didn’t know if her heart would ever beat at a normal pace ever again. Sean squeezed her hand, his face concerned.

  ‘Are you ok?’ he mouthed to her and she shook her head.