E52

  “I can't believe I found you,” I cry.

  Johnathon does don't appear to be have the same emotional connection as I; he lets his arms dangle down his sides.

  “Do you remember me?” I ask, releasing him from my arms.

  Johnathon, now nine years of age, has been through a lot over the years. He had to grow up without the love of his parents. I am sure that the memory of what me and his father look like may have faded from his memories by now.

  The young man touches my cheeks as he studies my face.

  “I think so,” He smiles. “They said that you are my mom.”

  “That is right,” I state.

  The young man continues to stare as his fingertips explore my face.

  “I think I remember you,” He smiles, wrapping his arms around my neck. “I think I remember you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The warmth from the fire shields my skin from the cool night air. Together, Jonathan and I sit among the others. My mind continues to wander. Tommy is alone. It is night and I am still uncertain to how far we have traveled from the compound. I pray that Tommy returns to our abandoned truck and awaits for me inside.

  “What happened to the baby?” Someone asks, breaking the silence.

  I glance over and see that Phil is looking directly at me.

  “Excuse me?” I ask.

  “What happened to the baby?” He repeats. “Word is that you were one of the woman that were impregnated. Where is your baby?”

  If there was a time to tell the truth it would be now. Would they be understanding and invite Tommy into their community, or would he become victim to their hatred of the Creetions? I can not take the chance that they would understand and give me a chance to retrieve the medicine.

  “He died,” I blurt out.

  The man lifts his eyebrows as he shakes his head back and forth.

  “Some of us went back to where they found you. We found some clothing that looked to be for a child,” He states. “Why would you have clothing for a child?”

  Motherly instincts overtake me; I continue to lie.

  “I don't know. They must have been in the truck when I found it,” I state.

  Phil lifts a spoon full of food to his mouth and takes a bite.

  “Hmm, I guess that makes sense,” Phil says as he chews his food.

  By the expression on his face it is obvious that he lacks trust in me. Trying to avoid any more questions from him I turn my attention back to Jonathan. It is hard to believe how he has grown. So many years were lost that I can never get back. We will never have the chance to live as I dreamed of when I was at the compound. All those dreams faded the day I found out the truth of what was happening there.

  “You stupid son of a bitch!” I scream in my head, my words intended for David. “How could you do this to your family and to so many others?”

  I glance around and look at all the people that have gathered around the fire. There are at least twenty of us now. Everyone looks as the other; sad and tired. The government had given no one an option. They were going to make an army to take over the world and that is what they did. They were too ignorant to realize that it only took one mishap for it all to become out of control. Now us survivors will have to try to kill the infected and start the world over. This is a feet that I am sure none us are sure we can do.

  I grip tighter on to Jonathan's hand.

  “How am I going to get to Tommy?” I ask myself.

  I continue to blankly stare at the fire.

  “I don't want to leave Johnathon again.” I continue to talk in my mind.

  My mind scrambles as I try to come up with a plan.

  “Maybe I can steal one of their cars,” I continue to argue with myself. “No I am sure they would just come after me and I can't take the chance of them hurting either of my children.”

  I take in a deep breath and sigh.

  “Or, maybe I can make up an excuse as to why I need to go back to the compound.” I think in my mind. “Possibly they would only have one person go with me. I could easily ditch that person, find Tommy and me and my boys could get away. I will find the medicine, give it to Tommy and never have to worry about him hurting Jonathan.”

  “Yes that is it. I will ask to go back tomorrow. I will say that I have medicine in the truck that I need. They will have only one person go with me. I could knock him or her out and then find Tommy and the medicine. We will drive far away from here and find a save place to live. My family will finally be together,” I convince myself.

  I smile.

  “Do you want to sleep where I sleep?” Johnathon asks.

  Deep in thought, I had ignored everything that had been going on around us. Most the people that were sitting around us had now left, leaving only a handful of people.

  “Sure,” I smile. “Where do you sleep?”

  Jonathan continues to hold my hand as he stands, then he helps me rise.

  “I use to sleep in the same room with Missy, but I asked her if you could stay with me tonight instead of her,” He states.

  It isn't till that moment that I realize I never asked how was so kind to have cared for my son for so many years.

  “Make sure to take this with you,”

  Someone behind me taps me on the shoulder.

  Caught of guard my body jerks. I glance over my shoulder.

  “Every person here carries a weapon at all times,” Phil states, handing me a knife. “We have to be on alert at all times and be able to protect one another in case the camp is invaded.”

  “Thank you,” I say, reaching for the knife. “I appreciate your trust.”

  Phil chuckles.

  “All I have to say is don't abuse it,” He snaps. “We don't give second chances around here when it comes to trust. There is to much at-stake for any of us to deal with someone untrustworthy.”

  Phil places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it lightly.

  There is nothing I can do but ignore his warning. I must lie to them tomorrow and take my chances. If we were to get caught tomorrow they would not blame Johnathon for my mistake. He is one of them. They would merely punish me. It could mean that I will never see Johnathon again or possibly my death, but I have to chance it.

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” I smile. “We will see you in the morning.”

  “Take this with you,” He states handing me a lantern. “You need to watch where you walk around here; there are a lot of rattlesnakes and scorpions.”

  Deciding that it would be best to wait until tomorrow to ask about going back to the compound tomorrow, I thank him once again. Johnathon leads me to his sleeping quarters.

  “This is where you sleep?' I ask.

  A line of square metal boxes that line a small hill are just large enough for two, maybe three people to walk in and lay down.

  Jonathan opens the steel door. It creaks.

  “We use to sleep outside or in cars,” He smiles. “It was scary. But now we are safe while we sleep.”

  Once we walk in Johnathon slams the door behind us. The heavy metal door slams into the side metal panel. A loud crashing sound echoes throughout the camp.

  “You have to slam it hard,” He states. “Or it won't shut all the way.”

  “I see that,” I smile.

  The lantern lights up the area inside. There are two cots, a few blankets and a small crate within the room. I place the lantern on the crate and wait for Johnathon to pick a cot to lie on.

  “Who is Missy?” I ask.

  Jonathan fluffs up a small pillow and looks over at me.

  “She is the lady who has been taking care of me,” He states.

  Jonathan stares down at the ground.

  “Sometimes I call her mom,” He states quietly. “I'm sorry.”

  It breaks my heart knowing that my child grew up thinking of someone else as his mother and not me, but I do not show him my disappointment

  “I understand,” I state, sitting on the bed next to him.

>   “Are you mad?” He asks.

  Gently I rub my fingers through his hair.

  “I could never be mad at you,” I state. “I love you.”

  Jonathan leans over and rests his head on my shoulder. He then wraps his arms around my waist.

  Jonathan yawns.

  “Are you tired?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  “Let me tuck you in and I will see you in the morning,” I suggest.

  Reluctantly he releases me from his arms and lies down on his bed.

  “Are you comfy?” I ask, placing the blanket on top of him and gently tucking in the sides.

  “Yes, but.... Jonathan stops.

  Patient, I wait for him to continue speaking. He remains silent.

  “What is it honey?” I ask.

  “I think you use to sing me a song,” He states. “I wanted to ask you to sing it to me, but then I got scared.”

  “Why were you scared to ask me?” I inquire.

  Jonathan takes in a deep breath and sighs. A tear wells in his eye.

  “I was afraid that the memory wasn't real,” He answers. “Like maybe I was remembering someone else.”

  Without saying another word I begin to sing.

  “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when the skies are gray..

  Jonathan smiles, sits up and holds me tight in his arms

  “It really is you,” He states.

  “Yes it is,” I state.

  Tears fill my eyes and my heart fills with joy. I allow my tears to flow freely down my cheek. I don't want to move, afraid that if he let go I will wake up and this all will be just a dream.

  Within a matter of minutes I can hear the soft sound of snoring coming from him. He has fallen asleep.

  Slowly I release him and lie him back down.

  “Goodnight,” I whisper, kissing his cheek. “I will see you in the morning.”

  Jonathan opens his eyes.

  “Goodnight,” He whispers back and closes his eyes.

  Quietly I sit down on the other cat, adjust my pillow and blanket and lie down.

  “Daddy was a bad man,” Johnathon whispers, then begins to snore again.

  “Yes he was,” I state. “Yes he was.”

  Chapter Twenty one

  A new day brings great hope for me and my boys. Today will be the day that I find the vile of medicine for Tommy and cure him and soon my two sons will be reunited.

  Trust is very important to the people of this community and I have already lied to them. I left myself with no other choice but to return to the compound by myself, find my son, give him the antidote and wait.

  If they refuse to le Johnathan come with me, Tommy and I will hide at the compound and once he is free of the infection I will return to this place and take my son. Together as a family we will search out a new community like this and start our lives over.

  Sitting on the edge of my cot I watch Jonathan as he sleeps. Although he appears to sleep in peace it is evident by his constant movement that his dreams are plagued by the horror that the world has become.

  Leaning forward I comb his hair with my fingertips. His movement stops. He looks up and smiles.

  “I was dreaming about you,” He states. “I was around 3 years old and you were holding me in your arms and we were dancing.”

  “We use to dance all the time,” I say, smiling.

  Jonathan continues to stare up at me.

  “Whenever I would make dinner, you would come in to the kitchen and turn on the stereo.,” I say. “It always amazed me that you knew how to turn it on and what button to push to hear your favorite CD.”

  Jonathan reaches up and touches my face. “I can't remember the songs, but I remember you and I together.”

  “It was....” My mind draws a blank.

  Try as I might I can not remember the name of the song.

  “I know it,” I state. “It was...”

  Our conversation comes to an end as I continue to search through my memories. I sigh.

  “That is okay,” Johnathon states. “We can find a new song that can be our special song.”

  Johnathon is growing to be a kind and gentle young man. I know we have been away from one another for many years but at this moment it feels like I never was away from him. I have always heard that a mother's love is the strongest power on earth and I believe that to be true. I hope that he is willing to go with me once I have saved Tommy The thought of losing him again is conceivable.

  “Do you want a drink of water,” He asks. “It is good water; we get it from a well and sterilize it before we drink it.”

  He reaches under his cot and hands me a bottle of water. The bottle is old and looks to have been used many times, but the water inside is clear.

  “Trust me,” He states. “The water is good, the bottle just looks old; we boil those every few days also.”

  Accepting his generosity I open the bottle and take a big gulp. The water feels cool as it runs down my throat.

  “It is good,” I smile. “In fact it is better than any water I have had in a long time.”

  Since the demise of most of the living, the water sources have become contaminated. Having a good source of water to drink is now something that is rarely seen.

  I take another drink.

  Jonathan and I sit on the cot and talk for hours. It remains dark in the small room with only a few rays of sunlight peeking through the crack of the metal walls to light the room.

  By mid-morning the room heats to a temperature that is uncomfortable. We both begin to sweat profusely.

  It is time for me to go find Tommy and the cure.

  “I have to go back to my truck and get some medic....

  Our conversation is interrupted by a loud bang on the door. The sounds startles me. As I leap back I knock the water out of Jonathan's hands. The water spills on the floor.

  “We need to talk to you now!” A man yells from outside.

  The man speaking from outside is the same man that I met last night. By the tone of his voice he is agitated. My heart skips a beat.

  “Now!” Phil states firmly.

  He slams his fist against the door.

  “We better go,” I state.

  I hold Jonathan's hand in mine and squeeze it lightly. My instincts are telling me that this might be the last time I see him.

  As the door opens the sunshine enters the room. I blink.

  When my eyes come into focus I see that there is a crowd of people standing around my son and I. The expressions upon their faces indicate to me that there is something amiss.

  My heart skips a beat. I want to run but I know running is not an option. They would catch me.

  I squeeze Jonathan's hand.

  “What is wrong?” I ask Phil.

  “We found something that we think is something you would be interested in,” He snaps.

  My forehead begins to sweat, my hand tremble.

  “What did you find?” I stutter.

  The people around us continue to glare. What they have found has angered them and I know what it is.

  “Johnathon I want you to go with Molly” He states. “I need to talk alone with your mother.”

  Jonathan holds my hand tighter.

  “Why?,” He asks. “What is wrong?”

  Phil glances over at me and then at Jonathan.

  “Nothing that concerns you.” He states. “Now go with Molly.”

  His voice is stern; another indication that something is terribly amiss.

  “Molly, take him away.” He demands, glancing to the right of him.

  A young woman steps out from the crowd. She appears tired but one can see that at one time she was a very beautiful young woman. She walks over to Jonathan and takes his hand in hers. She tries to pull away.

  “No!” Johnathon screams. “I will not leave my mom!”

  Phil glares at Jonathan.

  “Johnathon, do as I say.” He snaps. “It is for the best.”

  Able
to pull his hand away from Molly, Jonathan wraps both his arms around my waist and holds tightly onto me.

  “I won’t do it,” He cries as tears stream down his face. “I won't let you take my mom away from me.”

  Molly kneels down on the ground in front of us and reaches out to Jonathan.

  “No one is going to take your mom away,” She explains. “Phil just needs to talk to her alone.”

  She tries to deceive him with a smile.

  “We will stand right over there while he talks to her,” She states. “You will be able to see her the entire time and when they are done talking you can be with her again.”

  Jonathan loosens his grip on my arm but does not let go.

  “Do you promise,” He sniffles.

  “I promise,” She smiles.

  Jonathan looks up at me for reassurance. Although I am uncertain what the outcome will be, I smile assuring him that everything will be okay. I do not want them to hurt him and with the way they are acting violence could be an option.

  “Go with her,” I state. “Everything is going to be fine.”

  Reluctantly he releases my arm.

  “I....

  Before I can say another word two men sweep in and grab Jonathan. He immediately begins to scream. They ignore his plea and rush him away from the area.

  “There was no need in that!” I scream. “He said he would go with you!”

  Phil glares at me. He holds his hand out.

  “Give me the knife,” He demands. “I know you still have it!”

  Afraid to give up the only means of self-defense I have, I lie, “It is still in the room.”

  I was hoping that he word take my word as truth but he does not. Phil instructs one of the women in the crowd to go check the room.

  “Here,” I state, bending down and taking the knife from my boot. “Take it.”

  Cautiously Phil takes the knife from my hand and hands it to another man that is standing beside him.

  “I am hoping that you have nothing to do with what I am about to show you,” He states. “If you don't then I will give it back.”

  He instructs the others to stay where they are and then leads me toward the pit that they had kept in me in the day before.

  My heart saddens as I hear Jonathan screaming in the background.