by Bruno Miller
Ben maneuvered the Blazer slowly down the dirt road. It was almost dusk, and normally he would have used the headlights, but he didn’t want to risk drawing attention to their location, so decided instead to navigate by what little moonlight there was.
They finally made it to the river, where the road forked to the left and right as it followed along the water’s edge in both directions. They took the left and headed downstream even farther away from town. They continued on for a couple minutes, passing by a few small areas that looked like they had seen quite a few campers in the past.
The road came to an end at a cluster of cottonwood trees that ran out from the rocks and down to the river’s edge. The official road ended there, but Ben was able to guide the Blazer through a narrow section of the trees. Once on the other side of the trees, the vegetation opened up a little into a sandy area that looked like the perfect spot to set up camp.
Ben pulled the truck against the rocks on the far side of the clearing, away from the river, and shut it down. “Well, this is it, guys. Our home for the evening.”
“Looks like a pretty good spot,” Joel commented as they all eagerly exited the truck.
“Oh, that feels good.” Ben sighed as he arched his back with his hands on his hips. It felt refreshing to be out from behind the wheel. It was hard driving and having to keep a constant watch out for hazards in the road, and the effort had taken its toll on him.
“Hey, you!” Allie had climbed out of the Blazer’s front passenger door and was now squashed against the doorframe by an overenthusiastic Gunner also trying to get out. As soon as he hit the ground, he was off on a wild sniffing spree around the soon-to-be campsite, finding several places to leave his mark on a few unlucky trees and shrubs as he went.
“Gunner, easy boy.” Joel shook his head. “Sorry, he has no manners.”
“That’s okay.” Allie laughed.
Ben originally thought he would make a small fire and relax with Joel and Allie while they cooked their dinner. But after what had happened in town, he was reluctant to risk giving away their location with a regular camp fire. Not to mention he was exhausted from driving and really just wanted to eat something and lie down.
“Joel, why don’t you show Allie how to set up her tent? I brought your sister’s sleeping bag and mat for her to use.” Ben threw Joel the keys to the rooftop cargo box and headed down to the river.
“Got it,” Joel answered.
Ben thought about the fire again as he walked. It was too tempting and too easy to fire up the little gas-fed camp stove and have boiling water and then a nice hot meal in a few minutes.
Besides, if he did make a fire, he would have to use the Dakota two-hole method and make it smokeless. That required him to dig two holes a few inches apart and then connect them with a small tunnel at the bottom. He would build the fire in one of the holes and leave the other open.
The method served two purposes: first, it concealed the fire below ground level, and second, the design caused an influx of oxygen through the empty shaft that allowed it to burn virtually smoke-free. This method was a little more work in rocky soil, however, and he could cook the trout in a pan on the stove just the same, although it wouldn’t taste as good as if he cooked it over an open flame. Ben stared at the river. It was probably too late for Joel to catch anything tonight anyway. Maybe in the morning they could do all that depending on how he felt.
When Ben reached the river’s edge, he took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar smell of the water. Crouching down and then putting his right knee on a rock, he lowered his face to the water and looked closely at it in the fleeting light. He sniffed at the water again, this time only a few inches away. He dipped his hand into the cool running water and rubbed his fingers together. No smell, didn’t feel oily or unusual.
“Thank God,” he mumbled under his breath as he put his hands together, making a scoop and splashing water on his face. It felt so good to wash the day off and relax for a moment. The tranquility of the running river and refreshing water was short-lived, however, when he was joined by Gunner, who clumsily wadded in over the rocks and pebbles and began lapping at the water loudly a couple feet away from him.
The water quickly clouded with sediment as Gunner explored the water’s edge and followed it up stream a few yards above Ben. Leaving Gunner to his muddy water, Ben stood up slowly, feeling every mile they had driven today in his muscles and joints.
Tonight was going to be about getting some rest so they could get a good start tomorrow. He hoped they could make up for the time they’d lost today due to all the obstacles they had faced. But if Joel and Allie wanted to stay up a little, that was fine. They had both gotten some sleep, after all, while he’d driven. In fact, Ben would feel better knowing that someone was awake and watching over the camp, even if it was just for a little while.
Gunner raced up the beach once he realized that he had been left behind in the water, and he quickly caught up to and passed Ben on his way back to the truck. He charged right up to where Joel and Allie were setting up camp before shaking off. He released a shower of mud and water onto the kids.
“Oh really, dog?” Joel exclaimed.
Allie gasped. “Ah, yuck!”
Gunner, now seemingly content that he had adequately offended everyone, settled down near the bags and gear Joel had taken out of the truck.
“Thanks for grabbing my tent.” Ben saw that Joel had put his tent, bag, and mat in a separate pile for him and had even gotten the little stove out and partially set up.
“A little late to fish tonight, I guess?” Joel said.
“Yeah, I think so.” Ben sighed. “Maybe in the morning before we head out we can get a good breakfast in us.”
“How far do you think we’ll get tomorrow?” Allie unrolled her sleep mat on the floor of her tent.
“I hope to make Kansas if we can stay out of trouble and the roads aren’t too bad.” Ben began to get his tent squared away. “Once we get on the bigger interstates like I-70, the going should get a little easier.”
Joel had already finished setting up his tent and sleeping bag and was now working on getting a pot of water to boil for their dehydrated dinner.
“What’ll it be? Chilly Mac with Beef or Cheesy Lasagna?” Joel held up the pouches and grinned. “It says they’re two servings each, so I guess we’ll make both. That should be enough for everyone since we only had a few Cliff Bars for lunch.”
“Sounds good to me,” Allie chimed in with a smile.
“Go for it, chef.” Ben gave Joel a quick thumbs-up and a crooked smile as he finished prepping his tent for what he hoped would be a good night’s sleep.
Allie folded up a few of the blankets from the back of the truck and placed them neatly around the stove for them to sit on. They settled in and talked for a while as they waited for the food to cook in the bags. Ben mostly listened, feeling himself drifting off several times. When the food was finally ready, he ate his quickly and finished off most of the water in his Nalgene bottle, leaving just enough to brush his teeth with.
“Well, guys, I’m going to clean up and hit the sack. Tomorrow will be here before you know it,” Ben stood up and shuffled over to his tent. He grabbed a small bag of toiletries from his gear and headed back to the river. He cleaned up the best he could by the water, or at least as much as he had the energy for tonight, then headed back to camp. When he returned, Joel and Allie were sitting on the blankets by the stove. They were still talking, too.
Joel held out one of the bags. “Allie has a little left over, not much. Do you want it, Dad?”
“No thanks, I’m good. Let Gunner have it if you want.”
At the sound of his name, Gunner started wagging his tail as he eyed the bag of leftovers. Joel got up and poured the small amount of remaining food over some dry dog food in his collapsible bowl. Gunner buried his snout in the bowl and wolfed it down before Joel could even make it back to his seat next to Allie.
“Someone was hungry,
” Allie noted.
Joel shook his head. “He’s always hungry, especially for leftovers.”
“If you guys don’t mind cleaning up, I’m going to call it a night.” Ben wandered over to his tent and tossed the small toiletry bag back inside.
“No problem, we got it,” Joel replied.
Ben sat down in his tent, his feet still outside the opening, and took his boots and socks off, then let out a deep breath.
“Ah, that feels good,” he mumbled under his breath. “Good night, guys.”
“Good night, Mr. Davis.” Allie smiled. “Thanks for keeping us safe today.”
“Good night, Dad,” Joel added.
Ben smiled back. Then he pulled his legs and feet inside the tent and zipped the flap closed behind him. He was too tired to think about anything as he took off his pants and flannel shirt and rolled them up to make a crude pillow. Zipping himself into his sleeping bag, he drifted off in no time to the faint sounds of the gurgling river.
There’d be plenty of time tomorrow to worry about what lay ahead.
Chapter Nineteen
“That was crazy today, wasn’t it?” Allie’s eyes widened.
“Um yeah, but which part? The whole day was nuts,” Joel huffed. “I mean, I can’t even get my head wrapped around everything that happened today.”
“I know what you mean. It’s all a bit blurry right now, and I think I prefer it that way.” Allie played with the zipper on her fleece. “You did a really good job today, Joel, and I just wanted to say thank you. I mean…” Allie wiped at her eyes, failing to hide a tear as it rolled down her cheek.
Joel didn’t know what to do or say. He wanted to grab her and squeeze her and tell her everything would be okay, but he was too shy and didn’t want to create an awkward situation. He knew she had been through a lot—they all had—and it was going to take time to adjust to their new lives. Finally, he forced himself to say something.
“I’m here for you, Allie.”
She sniffled and brushed her hair out of her face, managing a small crooked smile.
“We’re all here for you, okay,” Joel repeated.
“I know, and I’m so grateful that I’m not still stuck in that attic or worse. If it wasn’t for you guys coming along…” Unable or unwilling to finish the sentence, Allie shook her head and looked back down at the ground, letting her hair fall forward to cover her face once more.
Joel leaned over toward Allie and hesitated for a moment before he reached out nervously and put his hand on her shoulder, giving Allie a few small pats. To his surprise, Allie scooted over against him on the blanket and leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder.
Joel’s heart skipped a beat, then picked up tempo until it thumped wildly. He felt like he could hear it and wondered if Allie noticed. He began to calm down, though, and relax a little as the scent of her hair filled the air. It was a flowery, clean smell, and it put him at peace as he inhaled the fragrance and felt the girl of his dreams lean into him.
Joel could have stayed there for hours, maybe even all night. All he knew was that as long as she remained leaning on him, he wouldn’t dare move and end this moment. Eventually, though, it did end.
Allie slowly raised her head off his shoulder and took some of her weight off him. She rubbed her face with her hands and then reached down to give Gunner a few well-received scratches behind his ear.
“Wow, I’m getting really tired all of a sudden.” Allie took a deep breath and sat up straight. “We should probably get things cleaned up and get some sleep, too.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Joel sighed. The moment was over.
They both went to their respective tents and got what they needed before meeting back up to walk down to the river. Joel, his toothbrush dangling out of his mouth, was carrying all the empty Nalgene bottles and the water filter in a jumbled mess in his arms.
“Here, let me help you.” Allie grabbed the empty water containers by the plastic piece that connected the tops to the containers, making it possible for her to get them all in one hand.
Joel removed his toothbrush from his mouth with his now free hand. “Oh, she’s got skills.” He laughed and playfully bumped into her a little bit with his hip.
Gunner flew by, barely missing them by a few inches, on his way to the river for a late-night swim, but he reluctantly slowed down and eventually stopped when Joel called out to him.
“Gunner, no! Not if you think you’re getting in my tent!” Joel shook his head.
“Aw, poor guy.” Allie rubbed gunner’s head when they caught up to where he had stopped his assault on the river.
“Poor me.” Joel chuckled. “Have you ever had to sleep with a wet dog in a tent?”
They set the bottles and pump down while they brushed their teeth and kept an eye on the dog as he drank from the water’s edge. Every so often, Joel found it necessary to remind Gunner not to venture in and get wet. Finally, Gunner found a rock to his liking. It was close enough to the river to sneak in a few defiant laps of water, and he settled in with his paw hung over the edge.
Joel finished up with his toothbrush and tucked it into his back pocket. He got right to work with the pump and started filling the first bottle. As soon as it was full, he unscrewed it from the pump body and put the lid back on. He turned to put the bottle aside and got a new one, only to find Allie was ready and waiting behind him. She took the newly filled bottle from him and handed him the next empty one. With their little system in place, they filled nine bottles in no time at all.
“Let me show you a little trick,” Joel said. He bent down along the edge where the rocks made a natural bowl. He began to organize more rocks around the edge, making a small contained area of water about a foot deep.
“Hey, look at this.” Joel held up a small, smooth multicolored stone honed into an almost perfect sphere by the river. He handed it to Allie and got back to arranging the rocks until they were spaced out far enough to allow the current to flow through freely.
“Wow, that’s really pretty,” Allie said as she studied the small stone in her hand. “Can I have it?”
Joel looked back and smiled at her. “Sure.”
“Thanks.” Allie dried it off with her shirt sleeve and stuffed it into her pocket.
“We can each take one water bottle to bed if you want, but I’ll put the rest in here overnight. They’ll be nice and cold in the morning, and if we wrap them up in a blanket, they’ll stay that way for a while. It’ll be nice to have cold water for the ride tomorrow.”
“I like it,” Allie said. “That’s a good idea.”
Joel wiggled his eyebrows at her. “See, there’s more to me than just my good looks.”
Allie laughed and gave Joel a smile. He was glad to see her smile and joke around a little. He was worried about her, and it was good to see her let her guard down. Joel knew that was the real Allie—the girl he would have gotten to know this summer if the world hadn’t fallen apart. They would get to know each other now for sure, but what version of themselves were they now? Everything was turned upside down overnight by the bombs. Life as they knew it had changed forever. How could they not change with it?
* * *
They each carried a bottle of water back with them, and Joel brought an extra one to leave outside his dad’s tent. They looked around camp one more time to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. Then Joel double-checked that the truck was locked up.
“Looks good to me.” Joel glanced around.
Allie approached her tent and unzipped the flap before she sat down inside and began taking off her hiking boots outside the doorway. Gunner sauntered over to where she was sitting and stood motionless in front of her, only a few inches away, making it impossible for Allie to get to her shoes.
“Um, excuse me,” Allie protested. “Do you know what this is all about?” She peered around Gunner to look at Joel, who was now sitting halfway in his tent a couple feet away.
“Oh, he thinks he’s sleeping w
ith you tonight. I’m surprised he’s being so polite about it.” Joel snorted.
“Is that what you want, boy?” Allie rubbed Gunner’s neck. “Come on then.”
“I guess I’m not good enough anymore.” Joel looked at Gunner, but he was gone, already through the opening Allie had made for him in the tent.
“Well then, good night, you two. Sleep tight.” Joel smiled and pulled his legs into his tent.
“Good night, Joel.” Allie smiled back and joined Gunner in her tent. He had made himself comfortable at the foot of her bag and was curled up in a tight ball. She got into her bag and worked her legs around the dog as best as she could without disturbing him. She found some warm spots from where he had been lying already and pushed her cold feet into those areas, enjoying the warmth.
As tired as she was, her mind was racing from one thing to the next. So much had happened within such a small amount of time that it was overwhelming. The feelings she had right now were bittersweet. Out of all the bad things that had happened, she still couldn’t get over how Joel and his dad had taken her in and treated her with such kindness.
On top of all of that, she knew she was beginning to have strong feelings for Joel. How was she going to balance these different emotions?
And what would she do if they did or didn’t find her father? She knew he was a hardcore city dweller and worked in IT. He was as far removed from the outdoor self-sustaining type as a person could probably be. Nothing like Ben or Joel. She tried to stop herself from dwelling on that as her thoughts began to drift to the possibility that her dad was not okay. What were the odds that he’d found a way to survive?
No. She couldn’t let herself think like that. She tried to focus on other things—about how the only sure things she had going in her life right now were the people in this little riverside camp, and she was thankful for them.
Eventually the need for sleep overcame her, and the soothing sounds of the river lulled her into a deep sleep with better hopes for tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty