The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  Henry took another puff and returned to his story. “Up until now I hadn’t seen anyone. I was completely inundated with the overwhelming smell and sense of death, but I didn’t see anyone. I was curious though, where was everyone? Bodies lay about in various stages of decay, but a lot of people used to live in that town. I knew there must be other survivors like ourselves but, where were they? Then a shot from a gun rang out. I turned that horse and galloped toward what used to be Old Town Auburn. The gunman was in the rubble at what used to be the 7-11. I didn’t think about it at the time, but now I know why he was there.”

  “Why Henry?” Erika questioned naively, completely enthralled in the story. If she would’ve taken a moment to think about it, she would’ve known the answer. Immediately, she felt like an idiot for asking it in the first place.

  “He was hoarding the food that was left in the store and he wasn’t going to let me anywhere near it. He would’ve shot me for a Twinkie! After I ran into old town, I chose a path that would lead me to what used to be a grocery store. I was hoping I could just get a few of the most important supplies that we needed and then I was going to get the heck out of there. I learned from the experience at the 7-11, though. I left my horse down in a secluded valley and climbed up a small hill so I could scout the area first. I couldn’t believe what these people had become. All the buildings that used to comprise the shopping center were piles of rubble, and anything that was worth anything had already been pilfered. There was a group of people that were using the area as a compound. They made shelters out of the rubble that surrounded the whole shopping center. They gated all the openings and used the remains of the surrounding buildings as walls that they could guard so no one else could get the supplies that were left there.”

  Henry lowered his voice a bit and said, “Erika, the dead bodies were piled up outside the complex. They put people’s heads up as decorations on the walls to deter attackers and thieves. It was absolutely sickening to see how fast society deteriorated when faced with disaster and no sign of relief. I’m telling you, don’t ever go toward people. You may want to, and I am not sure that it is the same everywhere, but you must not take those familiar old roads home. You will need to chart a new route with my help and your memory. From here, follow the road but stay far off of it and go directly toward the river. Then you’ll have to go to where the original road went down before the dam was built and weave a new course down and up the canyon. Stay away from Auburn.”

  “What did you do? Don’t get off track now. Did you get the supplies? What happened next, Henry?” Erika demanded. She was not happy with the change from hearing an intriguing tale to listening to a lecture. She wanted to know how the story would end.

  “Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, after seeing what happened at this shopping center I had no idea what to do and I wasn’t expecting to need a gun, so I went back to my horse and found a quiet way to ride home. I didn’t get the supplies, and it was a very long ride home without any food. I had only taken enough to get to Auburn. I figured I would restock there. Plus, I didn’t expect it to take me so long to get there in the first place, so I was already running low.

  “I made it home to my sweet Carol and I realized then how stupid I’d been. What if people looking for shelter had come while I was gone? God knows what they would’ve done to my precious Carol. I just hope my son gets here soon. We could really use the help, and a bigger group is a safer group. With all the supplies we have, we would be easy pickings if they knew we were here.”

  Erika did not know what to say. She’d figured it would be a long trip home without a car, but this news was heartbreaking. She sighed heavily, sitting back in her chair. Now she would have to travel through this new, alien world, and she couldn’t depend on anyone but herself to get her there safely.

  She sat there for another minute, silently reflecting on all that information she had just learned. Putting out her cigarette, she said, “Thanks, Henry, for telling me. At least I know what I’ll be up against.”

  Henry put his smoke out and looked Erika dead in the eyes. He had a very intimate stare. “Look, Erika, you don’t have to go. You can stay with us. I hate to say this, and I know that you don’t want to hear it, but you may have to face the fact that your family may be gone and all you will return home to is chaos and heartache.” Henry knew she would never stay, but he had to let her know she was welcome. If there were any doubts in her mind, she must stay. After months without help, not many people survived. Those that did were more concerned about essential supplies for their survival, not banding together as a people to recover.

  “Henry, you know I can’t stay. I must go; I have to see for myself. Who knows, I may be back someday but all the same, I have to know.” Erika said it without question.

  “I knew that’s what you would say, but you must understand the extreme danger the world presents for you now. It’s not going to be easy. Anyway, that’s enough talking—I’m off to bed,” Henry declared. He had made his point and now he would let Erika simmer in the juices of her new knowledge.

  Erika followed Henry up the stairs into the hayloft. The bed felt soft and warm as she laid her tired body down. It was a million more times comfortable than the pile of rags on the cold concrete she had gotten accustomed to, but she longed for her bed. Her own bed, where she snuggled up with her boys and melted away into relaxation. Erika could hear Henry and Carol’s breathing deepen as they fell asleep, but Erika lay awake for long time, thinking about her upcoming journey.

  Chapter 7

  Erika went on living with Carol and Henry for a couple of more weeks. She began helping Henry with security rounds and keeping watch over the property. Every day her body grew stronger and stronger, but each day her mind became more and more anxious to leave. She knew her family would be waiting, and she would have to start the journey home soon. How long would I wait? she often wondered to herself. If I was safe at home with Dexter, how long would I wait and wonder if Vince was alive or dead? She couldn’t answer her own question and that was why she was sure she had to go soon.

  Erika was never very much of a morning person, and usually Carol and Henry were up long before she was. One day she woke up to a great commotion. Harold finally arrived with his wife, Betsy, and their children. Everyone was healthy, and they brought four more horses. They also had more supplies that the household badly needed, like rice and sugar.

  Although their reunion was a very joyous occasion, Erika felt like a third wheel. She couldn’t help but feel that her place was not here. The hugs and tears flowed that day, making Erika more anxious. All she could focus on were the hugs of her own family and how much joy they would share when she returned home.

  The day was filled with food and stories. Harold and Betsy told them about how the family fared during the quake. They told the story marvelously. One would literally finish the other’s sentences. When the initial quake hit, the family was outside, returning late from a sporting event. Their house and barn were destroyed instantly. Luckily, they and the horses were outside, and everyone was all right. Banding together with their surviving neighbors, they searched for others. When the sun came up the next day, they had no idea what to do. Like most people in California, they waited for help that would never come. Expecting assistance any day, they started pillaging what goods they could from their destroyed home. They built a temporary shelter and stored the supplies there.

  They waited in makeshift survival shelters with the others they’d found until stocks began to run desperately low. Then it was decided that they would disband to look for their families and more supplies. It was quite evident by then that no one was coming to help them, and everyone had different priorities. Harold and Betsy’s priority was to get to Harold’s parents, since they were the closest relatives. Betsy’s parents still lived in North Carolina. Betsy said she was praying that they were safe, and Erika understood her pain only too well.

  Betsy’s story made Erika think of her own mother and father. S
he sent a silent prayer out to them and hoped they were safe and in good hands. Her immediate focus was on her husband and son. It was too painful to think of everyone she loved at once. It could drive a person mad.

  The conversation shifted to lighter issues. Harold and Betsy’s oldest child, Jen, who was fifteen, described her school life and boasted about how well her basketball team was doing. She expressed passionately what a shame it was that all this happened. Her younger sister, Kim, was eleven, and spoke loudly, so her older sister would not interrupt. Her stories focused on her champion horse-jumping skills. She was very excited about nationals this year because she was looking forward to being a part of the junior Olympic team. She didn’t know if there would even be nationals now. She was still excited because she got to ride her horse here just like in the Old West.

  Then it was Rob’s turn to tell his story. He was only nine and spoke very softly. He was so cute, and it was very annoying how his sisters broke in to finish his sentences for him. In the end, Erika heard all about how he loved to play soccer. He puffed his little chest out as he declared that he was going to Harvard one day and would play soccer there just like his dad had done.

  It was nice to talk of normal things but at the end of all the stories was the same unspoken question: Would it still be there, or would the event still happen? Erika even wondered if a school as old as Harvard could have survived this nightmare, but like most other things Harvard was gone. The earth had swallowed up the University and any person inside went right with it.

  The music from Henry’s fiddle captured their imaginations after dinner and out came the Cognac again. After the song, Carol and Betsy ushered the children up the stairs to bed. Harold and Betsy were sleeping in the room between Henry and Carol’s and the bathroom. The rest of the kids would be sharing the bedroom next to Erika’s room. Once the kids were tucked in for the night, Carol and Betsy came back to the table and the subject changed to more pressing issues like supplies.

  Harold and Betsy left their livestock behind because it would have been too arduous to make the trip with them. They gave them to the folks that were staying at the survival camp waiting for their own families. After a small debate, Henry decided they made the right choice. They only had one stall of hay left and now there would be four more horses to feed. The quake destroyed some of the plants in their garden, but it was still going to produce well. There were babies on the way. The cows, sheep, and goats all had pregnant females. They would only kill the adults as needed, so they would always have meat. The only question was, how they would sustain a feed supply for the animals with the feed stores closed.

  Erika couldn’t help but feel guilty during the conversation. Her strength was back. She felt she was a drain on the family resources and that she was taking up precious space that the family needed. She decided it was time for her next journey to begin. She knew Carol would protest her leaving and decided to go quietly tonight when everyone was sleeping. As she finalized her decision in her mind, she looked up, and Henry was staring right into her eyes. He knew what she was thinking. He looked over to a saddle and a horse pack. Erika understood the silent communication. He was giving her permission to take that saddle. She began to go over supplies in her head. She still had her supplies from the raft and figured she would find the rest along the way. After the discussion at the table was finished, Erika made sure she said a special good night to everyone and thanked Henry and Carol again for their kindness. Henry banked the fire, and everyone went to bed.

  Erika lay awake waiting for everyone to fall asleep. From the other room, with only the hay bale walls and blankets for doors, she heard Harold and Betsy making love. Probably a celebration romp for having arrived safely, but Erika could only picture Vince, his big arms and loving eyes. That was it; she was leaving, now. She got up, grabbed her moccasins, and got dressed in some fresh clothes that she carried with her from the bunker. She put her personal effects in the saddle bags and went downstairs to pack everything up.

  Running to the end of the barn where the rest of her supplies were, she stopped short when she saw Henry there. He was packing up the horse pack on one of his horses.

  “You can go ahead and put that saddle on the little black paint over there. Her name is Artaz and she will be your new friend for your journey. Since we seem to have a couple of horses too many right now, you can also take this little brown one. His name is Kit and he will ride well, carry a pack, and even pull a cart. He’s steady and will take good care of your things,” Henry said quietly.

  “Henry, I can’t take them—not two of them, that is too kind,” Erika replied.

  “Oh yes, you can. How will we feed them all? Take them and put them to good use. They will get you home quickly and be good companions as well. You can return them later once things have settled down again.” Henry told her this, but he never thought for a second that she would be back. Henry silently wondered how far she would make it, but he knew she was strong and had to make this journey.

  “Now, I’ve loaded the goods from your raft you had, along with some others you will need. You should have enough food and remember to stay away from people. Carol will be angry as a crocodile getting her eggs stole when she wakes up and finds you are gone, but I know you have to go,” Henry said sarcastically, but Erika could tell that he was choking back tears.

  Erika snickered as she dug into the pack for something and found it. “Here, Henry, I know it isn’t much, but I want you to have this pack of Marlboros. The only ones gone are the few you’ve had. I know it’s not much, but they should last a while at least.” Erika was digging deep to try to repay him somehow.

  “Well, thank you, that is a gift I will accept, now get your butt going,” Henry told her. He was uncomfortable with goodbyes, especially when he did not want to see that person go.

  “Henry, there is no way I can ever thank you or your family enough. I. . .I don’t know how. . .I could even. . .” Erika blubbered, in tears.

  “Now just stop right there, missus. You don’t need to thank me. What goes around comes around in life, and if not in this life, then in the next. I was just hoping to find somebody alive in that mess down there. I knew what I was getting into and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. You are a good girl, Erika. A strong woman who is devoted to the ones you love. This will carry you home and be your light in dark places. You’ll get there. Now, you jump on that horse and ride,” Henry said, putting finality to the conversation.

  The goodbyes were over. Erika did as she was told: jumped up on the saddle and gave Artaz a firm kick to start her journey back to her family. Henry’s red hair shined in the candlelight as she rode away. Erika looked back and waved. As Henry waved back to her, he turned to rejoin his wife and try to make some sense out of this backwards new world. He was safe with his family for now, but in this uncertainty he knew it was only a matter of time till danger came knocking at their door.

  Chapter 8

  As Erika left that night it was with a heavy heart and very mixed emotions. She was glad to be on her way back to her loving family, but she didn’t even know if they would still be alive if she did make it home. So much had changed in just a few months, Erika had no idea what to expect from anything. Henry and Carol were so kind to her. They helped her when she couldn’t help herself and they fed her and nursed her back to health. When their family arrived, the barn was so full of life, and the sounds of children were very soothing. In the end, Erika knew she could not stay. What would that accomplish? she asked herself. Would I ever know if my family was alive or not? She couldn’t bear the pain of not knowing, so she left the comfort of the secure barn and started her journey home.

  Henry had provided her with all she would need for the trip home. Plus, he gave her two horses as well to make the trip faster. Erika couldn’t get the conversation about the people in Auburn out of her head, though. Henry and Harold warned her that the people’s desperation was the worst kind of evil and even normally docile people were
stealing and killing to survive. Who could blame them? Erika thought to herself.

  In the beginning it was quiet and easy riding, for the most part. The moon was full, and the night was bright. The horses picked their way carefully along this alien landscape. They occasionally stumbled on the disheveled ground, but the stillness of the air was strangely comforting. Henry warned her to stay close to the road so that she would know her way, but to beware of it as well. The roads continued to be major transportation routes. Refugees from the disaster, thieves scrambling to take the goods of others, and displaced wildlife were all using these routes to get around, but they were not the smooth concrete structures of the past. They were now pitted with cracks and piled with debris. It made travel with automobiles very difficult and ambush very easy.

  Even still, Erika couldn’t fully wrap her head around the severity of this situation. She figured somewhere someone was mobilizing to rescue the people. Maybe San Francisco and LA had been hit much harder and her area was just too remote to be receiving help yet. She just didn’t know. In reality, San Francisco and LA were little more than rubble piles with fires burning everywhere out of control. Volcanic eruptions covered them with ash and dust so thick it was becoming impossible for survivors to move. Thousands and thousands of people lay dead in the streets. People on cell phones that would never ring again, mothers still clinging to their babies and fathers laid out in the streets, fancy foods forever uneaten scattered across floors that were once the staging areas for grand balls. All of it was destroyed. Mother Nature laid everything to waste, and her wrath was not over. It was just beginning.