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

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  Entering the tent, Vince declared, “Things are freaking crazy, aren’t they?”

  “You’re telling me,” Erika countered with a chuckle. She was still amazed that she’d actually made it home.

  They sat down on the blanket in their little room and laid their heads back to take a much-needed rest in each other’s arms.

  “Oh, baby, it’s so good to see you. I really thought you were gone. That lasted for about one whole minute,” Vince said sarcastically with a laugh.

  “Why do you laugh? I thought I was going to be a goner once or twice myself,” Erika answered back.

  “Oh, Erika, I don’t mean it like that. I just meant that somehow, I always knew you weren’t gone. I could just. . .just feel it. I dreamt about you. The dreams were so real and so vivid I know you were still alive. So much time went by and everyone said I was crazy to think that you would make it home, but I knew. I knew you were coming home and I could almost feel you getting closer somehow. If that makes any sense,” Vince explained with absolute dedication to the one he loved in his eyes.

  “It’s not crazy. Somehow, I knew you guys were here too. One family I met along the way really wanted me to stay with them, but I knew you would be waiting for me. I wondered how long you would wait, but I knew you would,” Erika said, her eyes full of love.

  “You wondered how long I would wait? There you go, worrying about everything you shouldn’t be again. Baby, I would have waited forever. I love you,” Vince declared.

  The two embraced and shared a long kiss. Vince put his hands on Erika’s head and ran his fingers through her soft brown hair. Gently, he caressed her neck and felt for her earlobe as he had done so many times before, but he quickly pulled his hand away as if he touched acid. Filled with self-doubt, Erika was horrified. She knew why he had withdrawn; he felt her new scars and pulled away.

  “Oh my gosh, baby, what happened?” Vince was shocked by the amount of scars she acquired and was more concerned than ever about her. The reality of her journey was smacking him across the face. He’d almost lost her. The love of his life was out there all alone, and he had been absolutely powerless to help. He would have done anything to have been there helping her and saving her from this pain. The fact that he had been totally unable to do anything frustrated him greatly.

  Erika saw the anger in his eyes and thought it was directed at her. She wondered all the way home if he would still love her, even though her body was mangled. He only touched the scars on her neck. He hadn’t even seen the worst of it. “I told you that you almost lost me,” Erika countered, irritated. “It’s just some scars. I’m still me.”

  Vince saw her defensive side surface. He didn’t want her to hurt anymore. Gently, he told her, “I know, baby. Don’t be embarrassed. I’m just frustrated that I couldn’t help you or stop all the pain you must have gone through. I love you,” he turned her head toward him and looked deep into her eyes, “and I will always love you.” He reached back up to her with his hands and ran his fingers from her ears down her neck, feeling every new nook and cranny of the woman he loved.

  “I love you too, Vince. I’ve just been so worried about what you would think of all these scars,” she admitted, trying to pull away from his touch.

  “There you go again, worrying about ridiculous things that you shouldn’t be worrying about at all,” he said, trying to stifle these feelings she was having.

  Erika smiled, and Vince began to undress her. He wanted to view his woman and look at the extent of her scarring. He would love her always, no matter what happened to her body. She needed to know that right now, so their love could glow brightly long into the future.

  “At least I’m still here, right?” Erika said sarcastically. It was her way of covering the pain of having to bare all these new scars.

  “Damn right, now get over here, woman, and let me hug you all over.” Vince grabbed ahold of her uninhibitedly and wrapped her up in his passionate embrace. He kissed her all over, familiarizing himself with her, relearning all her beautiful curves and embracing the new ones. They made passionate love, quietly and with restraint. They were both modest people. The thought of so many people hovering around in such a close proximity to them made them nervous, but they could not contain their passion for one another. Once their sweet lovemaking was done, they relaxed in the warmth of their love.

  Until Joan yelled from the doorway, “The party is beginning, and everyone is waiting on you two to start eating!”

  Then Greg yelled playfully from behind Joan, “So get your butts out here.”

  Chapter 18

  When Vince and Erika got back outside it was a wonderful scene. The smells of food wafted through the air. There were people playing drums and other various instruments in a joyful tune. Since Erika and Vince were the guests of the night, they were given the first place in line to get their food. Dexter and Star joined them, and Vince and Erika helped them with their plates. The food was set up on a table top that no longer had any legs. It was stacked on some extra cinderblocks to make it stand higher.

  The food itself was interesting. There was the horse-meat roast, plus someone else provided some venison roast to bolster the meat supply. There were normal side dishes like canned vegetables, but there were also things like a dish of prepared cattail shoots, dandelion greens, wild onions, and wild carrots. There were also plates of blackberries, strawberries, and cherries, harvested from wild plants and old groves. Traditional vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes were harvested from gardens that had been grown at the homes in the surrounding area. Very few survived the fires, but the scavengers knew exactly where to find them. It was a feast for all. It was the first reason for celebration since the big disaster, and this meal was not one that would be available again anytime soon.

  To eat the food, everyone brought their own plate and their own silverware. This was a new concept to Erika, but not to Vince and Dexter. Vince brought an extra plate for Erika, but he had no idea that he would be gaining a daughter along with his wife. Erika gave Star the extra plate and Joan provided Erika with the bowl she ate her soup out of earlier. It was not as if they could go buy a package of paper plates, and given the fragile condition of most plates, not many remained unbroken.

  Vince and Erika went through the line, sampling all the unusual dishes. When their plates were piled high with food they went to sit by the music players to eat. It was wonderful to have a nice big meal. Erika hadn’t eaten this well since she left Henry and Carol’s and she, like everyone else, would have a full belly tonight. Erika marveled at the silence that fell over the crowd. The hush went on and on as the famished people stuffed their faces with the much-needed nourishment. There was very little left by the time everyone went through the line. The food that remained was quickly gobbled up by individuals going for seconds. The musicians set their plates aside so they could eat once the music came to a halt. Then the crowd would be entertained by storytelling. It was a new way of life for a people who were accustomed to being entertained by televisions, computers, and technology.

  A wash station was set up so that after eating everyone could clean their own dish, plus the dish that they brought their food for the group in. Any scraps and the bones were given to any surviving dogs. Ripper grabbed a huge horse bone and ran off to hoard it from the other dogs. It was a surprisingly easy process to get all the dishes washed, and Erika wondered why people didn’t do this before. She figured it was because before the quake hit everyone had used a machine to clean up the mess in the kitchen. Alternatively, people opted to use disposable dishes; even though they created a lot of garbage, they sure did make cleanup a breeze. This new method required everyone to be responsible for their own mess.

  Now that everyone had eaten, and they were feeling fat and happy it was time for the alcohol to flow and the dancing to begin. The party rolled on. Some people got up and sang to the improvisational tune, while others danced around the fire. Erika and Vince sat in the glow of the fire,
just enjoying the feeling of togetherness.

  “Hey baby, come here for a minute,” Erika whispered to Vince.

  “What’s up?” Vince questioned.

  “Let’s go out by the horse real quick.”

  “Okay, but we are going to have to be sneaky. These people are watching us like hawks.”

  Erika got up first and went to check on the kids. She told them to stay put and have fun. She couldn’t help but marvel at how big their smiles were and how wonderful they looked. All the kids were dancing and laughing. It was like watching a dream. In the meantime, Vince got up and made his way over to the back corner of the big tent where Erika soon arrived to meet him.

  They thought they were home free when suddenly, a voice called from behind them, “Hey, where you guys going?” It was Greg. He had watched them execute their clever plan across the crowd.

  “Hey G-man, come with us. We’ll only be gone a minute,” Erika replied quietly. She didn’t want to alert anyone else.

  “So, what’s up, Erika?” Vince asked, intrigued by all this sneaking away and wondered what Erika was planning.

  “Would you like a. . .smoke?” she said deviously as she pulled a cigarette from her pack.

  “Oh, you bet. I haven’t smoked one in weeks. Those things are like gold around here now,” Vince said, amazed that she hoarded them for so long and didn’t say anything before now.

  “Oh, buddies, just you wait. I’ve got something even better,” Greg interjected before they could light their Camels.

  “Really?” Erika questioned, “What ya got, sucka?”

  “How about we. . .smoke a joint,” Greg declared proudly, pulling out a white paper cylinder.

  “Oh, seriously?” Vince asked.

  “You bet, buddy. I’ve been saving this for a very special occasion, and I think this is the excuse I’ve been looking for,” Greg explained, pleased with himself.

  The three friends smoked the joint, and the effects of the alcohol and marijuana blend soon began to take over. They all lit their cigarettes and talked about old times while they smoked them. It felt so normal to Erika, talking about high school mishaps and what if this or that would have happened, but the harsh reality of their current world was never far behind them. Just as they had finished their smokes, Joan approached.

  “There you guys are. Everyone is telling their stories and we’re all dying to hear yours Erika,” she said urgently.

  “Calm down, we’re on our way right now,” Erika responded.

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” Greg interjected, encouraging Erika.

  “Yeah, me neither,” Vince said playfully with a wink at Erika.

  “All right, all right, if you’re going to force me to relive that nightmare over and over, then so be it,” Erika whined in a playfully pathetic voice.

  “It’s over now, baby. We want to hear what happened,” Vince said sympathetically. After seeing all her scars, he understood why she would not want to trudge through the journey again.

  “Oh, poor little baby,” Greg teased. Erika gave him a solid whack on the shoulder.

  When the four of them got back to the fire, Randy, from the river group, was standing in front of the crowd. He was telling his story of how he survived the quake. He and Taylor were close friends and used to work on cars in Randy’s garage. That’s where they were when the quake hit. The whole house came down, but the cars and the lift for repairing cars in the garage worked as a support and protected them from the crashing building.

  Erika was amazed at the great job Randy was doing telling his story. He used sound effects and huge hand gestures. The crowd was entranced, feeling every moment with Randy as he relived it through his storytelling. Erika was a college graduate and knew fellow students who couldn’t even get up in front of twenty people to do one little prepared speech. Here was a teen with no fear. After the experience that this young man lived through, it was no wonder, Erika thought. There was nothing left to be afraid of. He had faced death, and so far, he was winning his race for survival. She squeezed Vince’s hand and focused on the story again.

  After the quake ended the two dug themselves out from the rubble that fell all over, only to find that the house was completely devastated. Randy told about how distraught he and Taylor were, and that their first thought was to save Randy’s family. Nothing like this was ever supposed to happen in Auburn, California. All the quakes happened in San Francisco and L.A., but there was no question what happened. The two frantically searched the home. Just as the two were about to dive into the rubble that was Randy’s kitchen, the gas line that fed the stove in the kitchen erupted into a ball of flames. The two were blown back from the house and all of Randy’s hair on his head and face was completely burned off.

  As they lay on the ground, flattened by the blast, they scanned the area. They quickly realized that Randy’s house was not the only home damaged, and it wasn’t even close to the worst. Everyone’s homes were turned into rubble and some were completely engulfed by huge crevices that opened in the earth. Consumed with finding Randy’s parents, they didn’t realize the full scope of the dilemma. Besides the sounds of explosions from gas lines erupting it was eerily quiet. There should have been tons of people screaming, but they were quiet.

  Erika became completely consumed by the story. Her experience with the quake was limited because she was hidden in a bomb shelter for months while the world fell apart. She was eager to hear more. Vince found them a place to sit and when he grabbed Erika’s hand again, it made her jump.

  “Come on, babe, let’s go sit down,” Vince said softly.

  “Oh, right,” Erika replied, still trying to listen to the story.

  When the two reached the log Vince found to sit on, Erika realized how spectacular it was to be with him again. She felt whole, completed. With him she felt warm and safe. They sat close to one another, caressing each other’s hands.

  While the two were finding a seat, Randy’s story continued. Despite the eerie atmosphere, Taylor freaked when he realized he had no idea where his family was and if they were okay. They ran the five miles back to Taylor’s house only to find a very similar scene. The house had killed both his parents and his sister. While they were frantically searching through the rubble, Taylor heard a soft whimpering noise and knew someone was still alive somewhere. After telling Randy, the two teens searched for the origin of the sound. They realized it was coming from Taylor’s neighbor’s house. A girl they went to school with, Kim, lived there. Kim’s brother, Joe, was older, but he often helped Randy and Taylor with the cars they worked on. They found Joe, dead in his room. His PlayStation game met an abrupt end, but they still heard the whimpering.

  Randy and Taylor kept searching and soon they found the source: it was Kim. She was putting her clothes away in her closet when the quake hit, and this saved her. She was pinned under what used to be the roof, but besides a few cuts and bruises she was going to be okay. The three teens were in complete shock from the situation. The landscape had suddenly turned completely foreign, fires burned everywhere, and the explosions were still happening. Since Kim and Taylor’s homes didn’t use gas sources they were free of flame for now, but they were just piles of rubble on the edge of another crevice that opened in the earth. Suddenly there was another boom; an explosion ignited in the other neighbor’s house, now they wasted no time. Quickly, they searched through the piles of rubble and salvaged anything they could. Randy began to list items like sleeping bags, clothes, food, and medicine. He went on and on. They used an old gardening wagon to help them carry what they found.

  The teens frequently hung out at the lake and figured it would be a good place to go. There was water there and there would probably be other survivors at the lake as well. The trip to the lake was an intense adventure. Between the aftershocks, the falling debris, and the rapidly changing landscape, it was a miracle they made it anywhere at all. When they reached what used to be the edge of the lake it wasn’t there. That’s when they realiz
ed the dam had broken, so they continued down the sloppy edge of the land that used to be underwater. By now, they were very thirsty and determined to find water. Their very existence now depended on it. When they finally reached the bottom, they did find other survivors. They stayed there with them and built the river compound for protection from a group of survivors in Auburn who were bound and determined to take all the supplies in the area to ensure their group’s survival, even at the expense of the others.

  When Randy came to this part of the story the crowd became noisy and restless. Obviously, everyone knew of this group in Auburn and no one was happy about it. Erika herself resented this group passionately, and she could feel the uneasiness sweeping through the crowd. Before anyone could get too bent out of sorts, Greg jumped up, and he was in front of the crowd in a flash.

  “All right, people; let’s settle down, we’re having a celebration here,” Greg yelled out above the noise.

  The crowd didn’t need much convincing, and most people were soon laughing and cheering again.

  “And what are we celebrating?” Greg asked the crowd.

  The crowd responded, “A family reunion!”

  “That’s right, and what story are we all waiting to hear?” Greg questioned the crowd again.

  Erika knew the answer but was desperately hoping she was wrong. The crowd quickly confirmed her suspicions.

  “Erika’s!” everyone screamed.

  Erika knew she could no longer dodge this bullet, and the crowd began to chant, “Erika. . .Erika.”

  Greg looked at her from the front of the crowd and made a motion with his hand for her to join him. The crowd looked toward her as well, and the people parted again as she started to make her way to the front. Erika wasn’t afraid of public speaking, but she was not fond of it either. Her body began to shake a little as she reached Greg.