“Thank God, you’re okay!” Shelby says.
“I’m okay. Did Sydney make it back here?” Matthew asks frantically.
“Yeah… she’s in the back, she was just injured from the crash, but she’ll be okay.”
“Good… I didn't know if I was ever going to see you guys again.” Matthew says.
Linda steps out from behind one of the shelves. Matteo follows from behind. She is relieved to see Matthew, but she instantly notices that he is alone. Linda begins to panic and scream.
“Where’s my daughter?” Linda asks.
Matthew looks confused, “What?”
“My daughter! Where the hell is she?!” Linda shouts.
Matthew doesn't understand what she is asking. He doesn’t know why he would know anything about Moxxie’ s whereabouts. Matthew steps back from the hug and looks at Shelby.
“What's she talking about?” Matthew asks.
“Michael and Moxxie. Aren't they with you?”
“No. Why would they be with me?” Matthew asks.
“Because they went out looking for you guys!” Shelby explains.
Linda falls to the ground and starts crying. She jumps to the conclusion that her daughter is dead. Matteo watches his mother crying on the floor. He can't help but cry as well. The two of them have already lost so much, so they can't bear to lose anyone else. Matthew looks at them with empathy and starts to wonder if they are alive. He doesn't want to imagine losing Michael, but the possibility is real. Matthews attention shifts when he sees Sydney step out from the storage room door. He notices that she has a slight limp, probably from the injury that Shelby mentioned. Matthew is glad to see her okay, so he walks over to her and hugs her. Sydney smiles and hugs Matthew. She had been worrying about him this entire time. Neither of them say anything as they hug. What ever happened for Matthew to manage to get back is irrelevant. They are just happy that they are both okay. Matthew steps back and looks down at Sydney's hip. She is holding her hand there as if she is in pain.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it was just some glass from the accident. Shelby says I’ll be fine, I just have to rest for a little longer.” Sydney explains.
“Good. So, what did you think of my first time driving” Matthew asks.
Sydney laughs, “You're a natural. Never seen anyone as good as you.”
Shelby walks up behind Matthew and smiles. She is happy to see them all happy and reunited, but they all can't help but think about Michael and Moxxie. Matthew knows that Michael is strong, and that he can fight. If he had been put through the same thing he had been put through, he would survive. Matthew has complete faith that he will make it back alive.
Matthew walks away from his cousins and toward Linda who is still crying with her son. Matthew walks up to them while they are still on the ground and crouches down.
“Hey. Look at me.” Matthew says.
Linda looks up at Matthew. Tears still fill her eyes.
“They are going to be okay. They’ll make it back.” Matthew says, “I promise.”
Linda slowly stops crying and wipes the tears from her face. She hugs Matteo as he continues to cry. Matthew stands up and looks down at them. He tried to help. He didn’t make matters worse but didn't make them all that much better either. Matthew turns around and walks back toward his cousins. Sydney is curious as to what had happened after Matthew was kidnapped by those soldiers. She wants to ask him, but she has a feeling she knows what happened to the people that took him. No one says anything. Matthew walks into the storage room, and one by one, the rest of the group follows him.
Matthew, his cousins, Linda, and Matteo all sit inside the storage room. In the center of the room is a makeshift fireplace inside a tin bowl. Matthew always knew how to make one, even when indoors. He went camping as a child, so survival skills are instinct to him. Matthews clothes are beginning to dry off from all the rain. A few hours have passed by since Matthew got back to the group. He doesn't want to sleep anymore because he wants to hear the bell alarm go off. He desperately wants to hear Michael step through those doors. Only now Matthew realizes what his cousins must have felt like while waiting all that time for him to show up. No one says anything to each other. Sydney is happy to have her cousin back with them, but she worries for her brother. Linda stares into the fire, praying to herself that her daughter is still alive.
Suddenly, Matthew and the others are surprised to hear the sound of the bell alarm. At first, Matthew gets excited, but the possibility of it being someone else lingers over Matthews head. Matthew pulls out his revolver and approaches the storage room door. To his surprise, Matthew and the others hear the cries of a baby coming from the front of the store. Whoever is in the store with them has a baby. Matthew doesn't want to wait it out any longer. He pops out from the door with his gun drawn. With only the moonlight peering through the windows of the store, Mathew can make out the silhouettes of Michael and Moxxie. They walk closer and see Matthew standing in the doorway. Matthew lowers his gun and smiles. He is glad that they are both okay. Matthew looks at Moxxie and notices that she is holding an infant, and it’s crying. He has so many questions and cannot begin to understand why they have a baby with them. He doesn't care though and is only happy that they are alive. Matthew walks up and hugs his cousin. Michael hugs him and steps back.
“You made it back.”
“So, did you.” Matthew chuckles.
Moxxie smiles at the two of them, but she needs to see if her family is okay. Moxxie walks into the storage room with the baby. Matthew looks at Michael. He looks soaked and exhausted. Matthew wants to know what happened to him out there, because he only got a glimpse of what he thought was Michael back at the military camp, but he isn't even sure if it was him or not.
“We need to talk, Matthew.”
“What the hell happened to you out there?” Matthew asks.
“That's what we need to talk about.”
Sydney and Shelby walk through the storage room door and run over to their brother. They both hug him, happy that he is okay.
“Hey guys. Everything here going well?”
“Yeah, we were just worried about you guys.” Shelby says.
“Come inside Mikey, you can dry off by the fire.” Sydney explains.
Michael hesitates, “Yeah, okay. I’ll be there in just a sec.”
Sydney and Shelby look confused but realize that Matthew and their brother were just talking privately. They understand that they should probably just go back in the room and let them talk. Matthew and Michael are left alone now.
“What's going on?” Matthew asks.
“Were you in that camp?”
“Yeah. Was that you guys who attacked? You saved my fucking life, Michael!” Matthew says.
“Well, we were there, but it wasn't really us who did it. We came across these guys. They told us that they had friends inside the camp as well, and that we could go together to break you guys out. These guys seemed weird at first, but they told us that they were a part of a large community not too far away from Ottawa. They called themselves the ‘Legion’” Michael explains.
“What are they doing out here?”
“They said that they are here to recruit new survivors.”
“Why don't we go with them? Where are they now?” Matthew asks.
“That's the things, Matthew. These guys are sick in the head. They killed innocent people at gunpoint. We can't go with them.... but here's where it gets even worse. When me and Moxxie held up in a building for the night a few hours ago, they found us and one of the guys tried to rape Moxxie.”
Matthew doesn’t know what to say. That sounds horrific, but he doesn't respond. He wants Michael to continue to speak.
“We killed a few of them and got away, Matthew! They aren't that far. They definitely couldn't have followed us back here, but I can't imagine it being that hard for them to eventually come across this place. We can't stay here anymore… It's not safe!”
“I
know. I’ve been thinking the same thing.” Matthew says.
“And these guys, they all have the same tattoos on their left wrist. I just thought you should know that, just in case we come across them. If we do, they’ll probably try and kill us for what we did to them.” Michael explains.
“Don't be sorry for what you did. You were defending yourself.” Matthew says.
“Matthew… I- I killed that baby’s father. We were in the camp looking for you, and he attacked me. I hadn't known who he was, but he was trying to kill me. Afterward, we found the kid and decided to take him with us. I don't know if what I did was right.”
Matthew looks at his cousin. He can see the guilt on his face. He understands what he did was cruel, but he’d rather him be alive than dead, no matter the circumstances.
“It’s not about what’s right anymore. It’s about what you have to do to stay alive, and you had to kill that man. I know it's not easy, but it’s something that you’re gonna have to learn to live with now.” Matthew explains.
Michaels eyes tear up as he hears this. He doesn't want to feel guilty, but he also doesn't want his actions to be justified. Michael feels disappointed in himself, but also in the world that he is forced to live in. Michael doesn’t say anything and just walks past Matthew into the storage room.
Matthew stands alone in the open dark store, thinking about all the things Michael just told him. It's unfortunate that he had to kill that baby’s father, but it was the only way to stay alive. It doesn't bother him the same way it bothers Michael. Matthew honestly only cares about his family and is willing to do anything to keep them alive at this point. He spent so much time alone, and fought through so much to get to them, so he won't let anything compromise this. These last few days have truly changed his perspective on this new world, and how he needs to feel about it. Matthew takes a deep breath, and eventually goes back into the storage room.
Matthew enters the room and looks around to see everyone sitting around the fire. Michael, Sydney, and Shelby all sit huddled together. One of them must have given Michael a towel, because he's drying his wet hair. Moxxie is also drying herself off too. They must have spent the whole day in the rain, just like Matthew did. Linda is holding the baby, trying to comfort him, and Matteo is sitting next to his Mom watching her with the baby. Everyone seems calm and happy that they are reunited with their families. Matthew walks over and sits down next to Sydney. He feels like he should tell them all about their situation, but he wants to make them understand something first.
“We have all fought so hard to be here right now. We’ve all had to go through the worst kind of things that we ever thought possible. A few days ago, I told myself that I could survive in this world without hurting anyone, but I was wrong. Today, I killed people… a lot of people. I didn't do it because I wanted to… I did it because I needed to. I did it, so I could get back here with all of you.” Matthew says.
Linda looks at Matthew, disgusted by what he just said. She can't believe that she is sitting across from a killer. Moxxie looks at Matthew too, but she understands everything that he is saying. She had killed someone today as well. The rest of them just look in the fire and listen to Matthew speak. They don’t like what he is saying, but they understand it.
“If we want to live, that’s who we have to be. We don't do what we want to do… but what we need to. That’s the answer to all of this, I think. We do whatever it is we need to do… and then we can live some kind of life. That's how we survive. That’s what Mankind is now… it’s what we are now.”
Sydney looks at Matthew. She sees a different person from who she once knew. She knew he was going through something after Kurt, but he has changed. The rest of the group thinks about what Matthew is saying. For the most part, they all agree. Linda feels uncomfortable and isn't happy with Matthew's message. She looks down at her son, but Matteo seems to agree with Matthew. He looks up to him and trusts his word. Matteo doesn't speak much, but he trusts Matthew as his leader. Linda is angry now. Matthew looks into the fire and thinks about life up until this point.
“But there has to be something after… there has to be a life worth living. There's this place east of here, near Ottawa. It’s a military base… and has an air strip too. It has fences, resources, firearms… everything we need. It’s safe, but there might be people there. Either way, it sounds like a life… a life better than this. I thought about it all day, and I think we should go. There has to be something that comes after this…” Matthew says.
The group is surprised to hear this. The base does sound safer and more promising than living out in the wild. The group agrees that they should go, but they know that it would be a far trip. Sydney looks at her cousin. She smiles as she realizes that there is a glimmer of hope for her family.
“You’re right. We should go.” Sydney says.
“Yeah, I’m in.” Michael says.
Moxxie looks at her Mom for a moment, but looks back at Matthew, “Me too.”
“What do we have to lose?” Shelby asks rhetorically.
Matthew smiles and looks around the fire at this group of people. He feels responsible for them now and knows that it’s his job to keep them safe. He feels validated that they all agree with him. Matthew begins to feel hope for the future.
“I guess it’s settled. We’re going on a road trip…”
Chapter 15
Hospitality
Matthew stuffs the mountain backpack in the trunk of the car. He looks calm and peaceful as the sun beats down on top of his head. Shelby sits in the passenger seat of the car. It appears as if they are getting ready to leave, but the car doesn't have enough seats for everyone. Matthew looks around and sees the rest of the group outside. Linda and Moxxie are standing near the door of the store talking, while Matteo is standing next to Jacobs grave. Matthew never thought about Matteo that much. He’s just a kid, but he has to go through the same things as everyone else. Matthew sees Sydney and Michael step out from the front doors of the store. Matthew closes the trunk and walks over to the driver door of the car. Matthew sees his two cousins walking over to him near the car. Sydney still has a slight limp, but she can walk on her own. Michael walks up to Matthew. He looks concerned for a moment. Sydney is too far away to hear them as they speak, and Shelby can't hear them from inside the car.
“We should be leaving today.” Michael says.
“I know, but your sister needs at least one more day of rest.”
“What’s one day gonna do?” Michael asks.
“Not much, but it’ll be enough for her. We don't have two cars, so we we’re gonna have to walk when we decide to head out. We all need to be in our best conditions if we’re gonna go on a trip like this, and she isn't… not yet at least.” Matthew explains.
Michael looks down, not liking what Matthew just told him. Michael is becoming paranoid of those Legion members finding them, so he really wants to leave. Sydney walks up to the two of them and hugs Matthew.
“Be careful… try not to hit a tree again.” Sydney laughs.
“We’ll be okay. Just stay put and keep an eye on each other.” Matthew explains, “We’ll be back before the sun goes down.”
Sydney steps back and looks at Matthew. Matthew looks in the car at Shelby; she is waiting for him to get in, so they can leave. Matthew opens the door and gets inside. He buckles his seat belt and turns the car on. Matthew looks over to Shelby.
“You ready?”
“Let’s do it.” Shelby says.
Matthew puts the car in reverse and backs out from where they were parking. Matthew puts it into drive and exits the parking lot. Michael and Sydney watch them drive away. They feel anxious knowing that the group is splitting up again. Michael wishes he could go out there with them, but he knows that he must stay put and protect the group. Sydney looks at the car disappear behind the trees on the road. She knows deep down that she is the reason that the group is staying behind. She wants to contribute and not just sit around waiting for another
day. Sydney turns to face her brother.
“We should go out there.”
“What? Why?” Michael asks.
Sydney thinks to herself for a moment, “We can’t just sit here doing nothing all day. Let's go look for some more water or something.”
“It’s not safe out there. You can barely walk.” Michael explains.
“I’ll be fine, Michael. I can take care of myself.”
“No, we need to stay here and stay put. That’s what Matthew told us to do.” Michael says.
“That’s what he told you to do. I’m gonna go out and look around. You can join me if you’d like.”
Sydney turns around and walks back to the store, most likely to take a bag with her and get ready. Michael knows that he can’t stop her, so he might as well just tag along and keep her safe. Michael frustratingly watches his sister walk toward the store, but quickly notices Moxxie walk over to the grave where Matteo is. Linda is still standing next to the front doors of the building, just watching everybody. Michael doesn't think much of it but decides to talk to Moxxie before leaving with his sister.
Michael walks over to the two siblings near the grave. Matteo looks at the pile of dirt where Jacob lays underneath. He misses him, but they were not that close to begin with. Michael puts his hand on Moxxie’ s shoulder. She is surprised as she didn't know Michael was behind her. She turns to face Michael. He notices a subtle tear run down her cheek, but she is quick to wipe it away. Michael realizes that she is still suppressing her feelings and is still going through the morning process. Michael remembers that it wasn't that long ago since he died, so it makes sense now. Matteo turns around and walks back toward the store. Michael looks at Moxxie.
“Jacob… he was just my high school boyfriend. It was never really serious… but being in a time like this… it just made it feel that way. I’m sorry that I’ve been bringing him up lately…” Moxxie explains.
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