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

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “Thanks a lot, G-man,” Erika said, rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, someone has got to keep them focused. We could have a riot on our hands.”

  “Oh, that makes me feel much better,” Erika told him.

  “They won’t bite. . .I hope. Anyway, get on with it; I want to hear what happened too,” Greg instructed.

  Greg quickly jumped down from the log the speakers were standing on and went back into the crowd and to sit with Vince. Erika looked over the crowd. She was surprised at how many survivors were gathered here and she couldn’t help but wonder what the future would hold for them all. From her high spot she could see the divisions in the group. The Cool folks separated themselves a little from the folks that came from the river. The teens separated themselves from the smaller children. She noticed Star and Dexter staring from the crowd, and they waved at her when she made eye contact. She waved back, but the silence began to grow very heavy in the air.

  The crowd began chanting, “Sto-ry, sto-ry. . .”

  “Okay. . .okay, guys,” Erika tried to quiet them. “Where should I begin?”

  “At the beginning” some smart aleck yelled from the crowd.

  Erika had to chuckle at his comment and the tension began to drain from her. She began, “Actually, the story begins right here in Cool.”

  This brought cheering from the crowd. It seemed to Erika that it was a good place to start because people always loved to cheer for themselves. She started telling the tale of being at her in-laws’ during the day and then leaving for work. She knew her own family hadn’t heard this story, and she could not help but center in on Vince. Her story began to flow as she looked into his eyes. There she found all the strength she needed to relive the nightmare again. She pointed out the facts about the annoying guy whose constant fussing about his wine saved her that fateful day. She described how horrible it had been to be trapped under the wine rack and then realizing that no help was coming. Vince’s irritation at the fact that he was not there to help her was apparent as she explained the entrapment. She described the bomb shelter and the toxic sludge that imprisoned her there. Fascinating the crowd with her plan of escape, Vince, along with the crowd, nodded approval at her ingenious suit and raft. Erika added in some extra gore just to get a rise out of the crowd when she talked about the raft ride and waking up in a pool of dead bodies. The kids were hiding their faces in their hands, and Erika wondered if she’d added too much. There was no shelter here, not from this reality; the kids needed to face it just like everyone else. Erika described the volcanic eruption she saw. The crowd agreed with her that it must have taken place over by the coastal range. She described how it increased the water temperature and melted her craft. She told all about her desperation of having made it so far and now her raft was sinking. All the folks in the crowd were on edge, wondering how she would survive the heated toxic sludge.

  Erika continued, explaining how she dragged her raft to the edge of land, but the heat and the pain from the melting plastic caused her to pass out. She looked at Vince again and saw the pain in his eyes. He would have given anything to have been with her then. He would have taken all that pain and shielded her, but that had not been an option. All he could do was listen to her story, just like everyone else.

  Erika paused here and took a drink. It was strong, and she never drank much alcohol. The drink made her face pucker and she looked at Greg in the crowd, knowing he was the one mixing their drinks. He smiled a sly little smile and winked at her. He’d made her a very strong beverage, maybe he thought it would loosen her up to have a little extra tonight. The pungent drink made her pause longer than she normally would have, and she noticed that everyone in the crowd was completely enthralled with the story she was telling. Erika was beginning to like this new-found power.

  This enthusiasm caused her story to get more detailed. She went on and on about Henry and Carol. She explained how they survived the quake and how they brought her back to life. She even displayed some of her scars to make the reality of her journey hit home. Not only did they save her, they gave her all the supplies and tools she would need to make it home. They even provided Erika with the horse that they’d all dined on tonight. In her heart Erika felt deeply indebted to Henry and Carol, and this feeling was not lost on the crowd or Vince. Most people had a tear in their eye and were wondering if they would have been so unselfishly caring if they were given the ways and means to help someone so much.

  Erika described her long horse ride through Auburn and how she found Star. She left out the part about the man raping Star’s mom, and the fact that Erika was the one who finally ended her life. She simply made it sound like the man had killed Star’s mom in an attack and Erika left the scene with Star. Most of the crowd turned to look at the little girl with her golden hair waving in the light of the fire. Erika remembered how the crowd responded to hearing about the Auburn gang, so she talked as little as possible about them. She described the rest of her and Star’s journey home. She wrapped it up with, “and you all know how I got here.”

  The crowd cheered and laughed. They knew she had been brought into the camp passed out and soaked with horse blood. She looked back to Vince. He knew there was more to the end of this story than she was saying, but he wasn’t going to prod her in front of the crowd. If she was not telling the full story, she must have a good reason for it. Anyway, he just wanted her to finish so he could have her back by his side again. He hadn’t held her enough and wanted more. Greg knew that there was more to the story too, but he knew why she wasn’t going there. He decided to help her out as long as the crowd was still in a good mood.

  “Was that worth waiting for, or what?” Greg yelled. He appeared so suddenly that Erika almost jumped out of her skin. The crowd cheered in approval. “Here she is, folks, the Lone Survivor of Sacramento.” The crowd all cheered again, Erika blushed and shot Greg an evil-eyed look.

  “I’d get out of here while you still can,” Greg whispered to Erika.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” she replied and jumped off the log. The crowd cheered again. Everyone was feeling great.

  “And now, folks, for your listening enjoyment, here they are, the only people who have instruments and know how to play them,” Greg jested to the crowd’s amusement. The small group of musicians approached the stage and started playing an upbeat tune. The crowd began to sway as Erika made her way back to Vince.

  “You’ll have to tell me the end of that story one day,” Vince said with joy in his eyes as Erika approached. It had been so long since he watched her body come toward him. He loved her more than anything in the world. “But in the meantime, may I have this dance?” he asked her.

  Erika was shocked. He never wanted to dance before, and she welcomed the invitation. “Yes, you may,” she replied as Vince whirled her out into the dancing throng of people. They were together again, dancing, laughing, and holding one another. It was better than any dream and Erika fell into the moment. She could think of nothing but him. She could not smell anything but the scent of his manliness. She drank in his warmth and they swayed to the music, completely immersed in their love. The song played on and on and couples began to disappear back to quiet corners. The kids were laughing and enjoying the night. Erika glanced over from time to time to look at how beautiful they were with big smiles, all covered in dusty dirt. Joan noticed Erika’s glances and knew that Erika and Vince would be looking for their own private quiet corner before long. She motioned to Erika for Erika and Vince to go. All was well.

  “I’m getting tired, Vince,” Erika whispered in his ear.

  “I’m just waiting on you, baby. What about the kids?” Vince questioned.

  “They’re with Joan. They’ll be fine,” Erika assured him.

  He was such a great daddy and he took it to a new level after months of being Dexter’s sole caretaker. They made their way back to the tent. Erika was still stunned, looking back at all the people. It was like being at some music festival, ou
t in some field in the middle of nowhere. Except, no one would be going home after the weekend. This was real. A community brought together for the need of survival. People grew so far apart in our high-tech society. Everyone burrowed into their own homes, communicating by email, text, or some computerized social network. It was amazing how fast it had all been destroyed. None of those skills would help anyone now, so what was it all for? Erika wondered. What had been the point? This was the point: people helping people, people sharing stories of pain and love, and people coming together and supporting one another. Erika realized that maybe this little slice of life was more real than any other part of her life that she already lived.

  Vince opened the tent flap for her and they made their way to their little room. Ripper, ever vigilant at Erika’s heels, followed them in, and they told him to lie down at the foot of their bedroll. The noise from outside was intense, and it covered the sounds of their passionate lovemaking. It was a hard and dirty event. Drunken sex was always this way for them. With their senses numbed there were moments of rough play and furious thrusting. When they had smothered one another completely in blissful fulfillment, they snuggled. They always fit perfectly together, and their love swirled around them like an unharnessed energy source. The alcohol, marijuana, and frantic sex took their toll on the couple and they fell into a deep sleep. They slept more soundly than either had since they were separated so many months ago.

  Chapter 19

  Erika and Vince woke up to the bouncing of their two children. The children got up early and couldn’t help but come in and bombard their mom and dad with hugs and kisses. Star was fitting right in as one of the family. Her leg was still very painful from the bullet that grazed her, but she was tough, and she didn’t let it slow her down.

  Erika was elated to be woken up by the kids. She snuggled them in tight and hugged them until she thought they would explode. The four of them reveled in the moment of intense love. She ran her hand through Dex’s blond hair and savored the scent of his body. None of them wanted to face the harsh reality that awaited them outside of the tent. They could hear the hustle and bustle of people waking up and trying to find something to eat. The feast that they enjoyed the night before was not a normal occurrence since the great quake. Food was in very high demand, but everyone had felt obliged to contribute to Erika’s bounty of horse meat.

  “Let’s just get out of here today and have one more day of us before we have to decide what to do with ourselves now,” Vince encouraged Erika.

  “I’m down. I haven’t thought of anything besides finding you and now that I have, I wouldn’t mind some calmness,” Erika agreed with Vince. She just wasn’t ready to face reality now that she’d finally found her family.

  “I know a great place we can walk to from here. It’s a rock that was sheared off in the quake and you can look out over the canyon. I spent many a day sitting there hoping I would see you,” Vince said with a sad look in his eyes.

  “Well, I’m here now, so let’s go enjoy it together,” Erika told him cheerfully as she started to gather her things.

  “We should let Greg know where we’re going in case there’s an emergency or something,” Vince noted. He was more adapted to this world and used to working in a tight-knit community.

  “Good idea. We shouldn’t be too long, though. We need to help out with camp and figure out what we’re going to do. I need to go find my mom too,” Erika told him. Her brain started filling with plans.

  “Slow down, babe. Your mom is alive and well. She’s down in the Lotus Camp; I’ve already seen her. Let’s just enjoy the day. All our problems will be here when we get back. Trust me,” Vince said with a certainty in his voice. He needed a calm day and wanted Erika all to himself.

  “You’ve seen her? She’s alive?” Erika asked rhetorically. She sighed heavily. “Well, that makes me feel better. You’re probably right, let’s get moving so we don’t get stuck here doing projects,” Erika urged, feeling antsy now after her morning of lazy snuggling. She wanted to get moving and do something.

  “I know I’m right,” Vince said, hugging her tightly.

  “What do you want me to pack up?” Star asked Erika, trying to be as helpful as possible.

  “We’re traveling light today, Star, so don’t worry about packing. Just go rest till we’re ready to go,” Erika replied. She was concerned about Star’s leg and didn’t want her to overwork it. “We’ll just bring some of that dried horse meat to munch on.”

  “G-man found me a good walking stick to lean on yesterday, so I’ll go get that and Dexter and I will meet you guys outside,” Star told them. She had taken over watching out for Dexter. She wanted to feel useful. She loved Erika so much for rescuing her and keeping her safe that she was more than ready to accept her new family as her own. Caring for Dexter was a job that needed to be done constantly, and she knew she could fill that role perfectly.

  “Okay, we’ll be out in a second,” Vince replied. As the kids left he grabbed Erika and started to fondle her softly.

  “Knock it off, silly,” Erika jested.

  “I can’t help it. You’re so beautiful. I missed you so much. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough,” Vince explained, gently fondling her breast.

  “We don’t have time for that now,” Erika said with her eyes full of love. “The kids will be waiting and the whole camp will hear us.”

  “Oh, let them hear. I just want my beautiful woman,” Vince replied, grabbing Erika and holding her close. He gave her a soft kiss and they embraced. The energy between them was palpable and it swirled around them.

  “Okay, we need to go,” Erika said, forcing herself away from him. She was trying to focus on the task at hand and, changing the subject, she said, “I think I’ll take Kit with us. We may be able to find some grass for him to munch on along the way.”

  Vince rolled his eyes but followed her lead. “Good idea. There’s not much grass left around camp, but the land is rebounding between here and the Georgetown camp.”

  The two exited the tent and greeted the people still hanging around the smoldering fire. Most of the camp was off helping accomplish one task or another. Everyone pitched in readily to help ensure the community survival. Joan was still there cleaning up the morning mess.

  “Where are you guys headed?” she asked, noticing that they were carrying packs.

  “We’re going for a little hike, so we can do some much-needed catching up,” Erika responded with a wink. “Have you seen Greg around this morning?”

  “Yeah, he’s over there? organizing some supplies,” replied Joan. “That guy has the hookups. He has stocked up all kinds of goodies.”

  “He’s always been a rather resourceful individual, to say the least. Would you let him know where we are when you see him and tell him we should be back within a couple of hours?” Erika asked. She didn’t want to waste any time traipsing through the whole camp.

  “Sure, no problem. Do you guys need anything to eat? I think I can still salvage a little food from breakfast,” Joan wondered.

  “No, we never were very big breakfast eaters, and with so little food around I don’t know why we should start now,” Erika answered.

  The couple walked over and put the leather bridle on Kit. They didn’t bother with the saddle because they were having a leisurely day. Ripper ran around their feet, happily dancing with the excitement of a new adventure. Since Erika returned to the family, he rarely left her side. They used to joke about him being her shadow, and he’d instantly returned to his old routine upon her arrival. Dexter and Star were not far behind Ripper, and Erika convinced the kids to ride bareback on the horse. Erika thought it would be fun for them, but also that Star would not stress her wound. Vince told her it was so that Dexter would not tire too quickly, and Star felt honored to be playing a part in the family game.

  As they left camp, Erika was shocked at the landscape. This area was a place she knew well. It glistened with green grass during the winter months whe
n the weeds would grow high, and then in the summer it would turn golden as the sun sucked the life from the growth. The trees grew tall and proud, and cherry trees dotted the landscape. It was her home and now it felt completely foreign. The earthquake devastated the region. Great scars ripped through the ground and what had not been destroyed by the shifting ground, had burned in the fire that smothered the area. They walked along quietly. Erika was trying to take it all in. The kids engaged in a quiet chatter about games they played with the other kids in the camp. Vince could see the sense of awe in Erika’s quiet gaze. He decided he would have plenty of time to explain it all when they stopped. He just wanted to hold her hand and be near her. Many days he’d wondered if he would ever walk along with her again and now here she was, glowing with curiosity.

  It took them a couple of hours to reach the space that Vince described. It was a rock outcropping that used to sit next to the lake. Since the dam broke and the river returned to its natural state, it now overlooked the canyon and river once again. The old River camp was just barely visible from here, if you knew where to look. An individual on watch saw the explosion the day Erika fled, but Vince was clueless what had happened down there, and that his wife was involved in the activity. Everyone was scrambling for survival and approaching the other camps, especially one in obvious turmoil, was not exactly a great idea. So, the lookout watched with curiosity and relayed the story when he returned to the Georgetown camp.

  The lookout space itself sat in the remains of a subdivision that used to dominate the area. Now it was charred shells of homes that used to be a vibrant community. Survivors in the area pilfered the remnants months ago and the silence was eerie. Erika recognized where they were. It used to be the backyard of the home of one of their friends. Great big pine trees and pomegranate trees once stood here. Now it was just charred remains.

  “Oh my gosh, baby. This was Jean and Barb’s house,” Erika exclaimed, shocked at the current state of the property.