by Laurèn Lee
“I’m not a baby anymore, Lex.” Ivie played with the bottom of her shirt, exactly like she used to do as a younger child.
“I know you’re growing up, and that’s why I want you to stay out of danger. So you can actually grow all the way up.” Lexa pulled Ivie into a hug and held her in her arms. “I love you, kid. You know that, right?”
Ivie sniffled. “Yeah, I know.”
Outside, additional scuffling footsteps alarmed the girls, and once again, Lexa froze, her entire body stiff with unmistakable fear.
“Who is—” Ivie whispered until Lexa desperately slapped her hand across her sister’s mouth.
Ivie nodded, silently promising to stay quiet. Outside, whispers grew louder and louder.
“Ivie? Where are you?” a voice hissed in the darkness. Another twig cracked, and its snap reverberated against the silence of the night.
“Ivie, this isn’t funny. Get over here right now!”
“Sounds like Dad,” Lexa mouthed and snickered behind her hand.
In the next moment, a heavy object fell on top of the tent, and the girls shrieked with dismay.
“Dammit!” the voice called out. But by then, Lexa knew who tripped over them.
“Rocky?” she called out.
“Lexa?”
Rocky unzipped the tent, and for the second time that night, someone else invaded Lexa’s space and privacy.
Lexa clenched her fists upon Rocky’s entrance. While she knew full well her sister was a handful, she specifically asked Rocky to look after her. And now? Both of them were inside her tent and not back at camp.
“I told you to look after my sister!” Lexa hissed.
“Well, I am looking at her right now.” Rocky shrugged, and even in the darkness, Lexa noticed his cheeks darkening.
Lexa growled. “You know what I mean! What is going on? How did you let her get out of your sight?”
“Sitting right here,” Ivie chided.
“I’m really sorry, Lex. She said she had to check on something, and she never came back. I thought she might try and sneak out at night, but never right under my nose.”
“I know, I know. This is just not how I envisioned starting this damn journey in the first place.”
“We can help,” Rocky said, waving a metaphorical white flag.
The circadas' chirping returned, creating an unmistakable buzz in the air. Sweat pooled at Lexa’s temple; with two more people in the tent, the air inside grew stuffy and stifling.
“Rocky,” Lexa sighed. “I really think you should take Ivie back to camp in the morning. I really want you to. I think your dad would want you back home.”
Lexa cringed at her own words. She knew it wasn’t fair to bring Rocky’s father into the equation, but she also wasn’t lying. She was sure Rocky’s dad would want him back home. If he were still lucid, that is.
Rocky opened his mouth to speak but choked back his words. “What?” Lexa asked.
“I can’t see him like this,” Rocky whispered, staring at his feet, which produced a raunchy stench in the confines of the tent. “I can already tell he’s not the same.”
Lexa’s heart sank. Again, all because of her.
“If, that’s a big if, I agree to letting you tag along, do you promise to do everything I say and follow my lead?”
Rocky looked up, his eyes big and hopeful. “Yes, absolutely!”
“Me, too!” Ivie cried.
“Fine. Get some sleep. We pack up at dawn.”
Lexa shook her head, immediately regretting her decision to let her best friend and baby sister come with her on a journey into the unknown.
13
A few hours later, before the sun reared its head above the horizon, Lexa stretched and opened her eyes to find Ivie snoring beside her, but Rocky was no longer inside the tent. Lexa yawned and pulled herself into a sitting position, doing her best not to wake her little sister. She crawled out of the tent, but not before studying the forest for signs of life.
No animals and no other persons were outside, except for Rocky who sat cross-legged on the ground, stirring eggs over a petite flame.
“Mornin’,” Lexa said sleepily.
“Hey,” Rocky said.
While it was no longer night, but not yet the day, silence impregnated the air. The nocturnal animals settled in, and the day creatures enjoyed their hour of sleep.
“It’s so quiet out here,” Lexa said. “I could get used to this.”
Rocky nodded and stamped out the fire. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Lexa promised. Rocky, missing his usual sparkle, shrugged and offered Lexa her bowl of scrambled eggs. “I’m happy you’re here.”
A thin smile spread across his mouth. “You sure? You didn’t seem so happy to see me a few hours ago.”
“Well—” Lexa drew out the word. “You did kind of lose my sister.” She offered a toothy grin, which Rocky returned.
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Lexa said. “Instead of wondering if you’re both okay back at camp, I’ll have you by my side.”
The sky lightened a bit as the navy glow and twinkling stars faded and melted away.
“I won’t let you down, okay? Well, for real this time.”
“Thanks, Rocky. I appreciate it.”
They sat in silence and chomped on their warm breakfast. Ivie stirred from the tent and sauntered outside, one eye still closed. “Ooohhh, bacon!”
“Come eat, you little rascal,” Lexa said lovingly.
They devoured their breakfast and allowed themselves only one sip of water each to wash it down. The sun, halfway above the horizon now, woke a few flocks of birds, and they sang to each other in greeting.
“Time to get going, I think,” Lexa said. “The City of Lightning is a few days’ journey away.”
Rocky and Ivie agreed, then they packed up the tent and stomped out any evidence of their camp. Lexa, opening her knapsack, noticed Ivie and Rocky hadn’t brought much with them. They were empty-handed and defenseless.
“So, you guys didn’t bring anything with you?” she asked.
“I kind of forgot to grab anything. I was so worried you left without saying goodbye,” Ivie explained, a punch to Lexa’s stomach.
“I’m in the same boat. I didn’t want to lose any time going after Ivie.”
“Well, we will have to keep our eyes peeled for any abandoned cars or camps. You two at least need some kind of weapon if we’re going to the City of Lightning. Who knows what’s over there.” Lexa shuddered and bit her lip.
“I think there’s a small town before the City of Lightning,” Rocky said.
“Really? Where? I couldn’t see it from the main road.”
“It’s definitely there,” he insisted.
Lexa eyed him suspiciously.
“It’s where I was born,” Rocky whispered. “Where we lived before we came to our camp. Gangs overthrew it and we ran.”
Lexa decided not to press further. “You think you can remember how to get there?”
“Yeah, I can.”
“What if that gang is still there?” Ivie questioned, her eyes wide.
“I doubt they would be,” Rocky said. “This was years ago, and we were already low on supplies.”
“All right. Then we’ll go to that town to stock up, see what’s left, and then we head to the City of Lightning,” Lexa announced.
“Let’s do it,” Rocky agreed.
The trio found the main road and walked in silence as they covered ground quickly. The sun, now much higher in the sky, couldn’t completely outshine the storm ahead. There was nothing that could shake the storm outside the City of Lightning’s unmistakable doom and gloom.
The ominous clouds grew bigger and bigger the farther they walked, and Lexa’s heart pounded each time the thunder boomed in the near distance. Ivie grasped her sister’s hand and clutched it tightly. Lexa squeezed back, silently promising Ivie everything woul
d be okay.
They approached a four-way intersection, the pavement even more cracked on either side of the main road.
“Which way?” Lexa asked.
“Right,” Rocky said. His silence was deafening, and Lexa knew in her heart it couldn’t be easy for Rocky to return to his first home.
“Right it is,” Lexa said.
They turned onto the other road, still able to see the storm in their peripherals. Down this path, the forest stayed in view on their other side. Ahead was nothing but sky and road. Lexa wondered what life was like before the world ended, before civilization collapsed. Were people happy? Did they enjoy living and exploring the world? Did anyone ever go thirsty? She envied the people of the past so deeply, her stomach hurt from pure jealousy. Surely they didn’t need to hunt for clean water or purify what they already had. They didn’t need to worry about deadly gangs or roaming cannibals. They had it so good back then, and they let it go to shit. They ruined the planet for generations to come.
After several miles, the sun hung at the zenith of the sky. It pounded them with warm yet blinding rays of light. Sweat poured down each of their faces, the salt dancing on their lips. Lexa had enough water for herself to last several days in her pack, but now it had to be divided into thirds.
“Quick water break?” she suggested.
Ivie and Rocky nodded gratefully. “Yes, please,” Ivie said.
They passed around the water bottle each taking the tiniest of sips. Rocky’s eyes rolled in the back of his head. “This is good water.”
“Clean water,” Lexa said.
“Are we going to run out?” Ivie asked.
“I sure hope not,” Lexa replied.
Lexa put the bottle in her bag, and they continued on. They climbed a hill, staggering to reach its steep peak. Once at the top, the trio looked down to see a vacant village in the near distance.
“That’s it,” Rocky said.
“It looks totally empty,” Ivie observed.
“Let’s hope so,” Lexa said.
The journey down the hill naturally took far less time than trudging upward. Soon, they reached the bottom of the hill and the entrance to the town, quiet and abandoned, like a dream someone had and let slip away once they woke up.
Empty buildings with shattered windows stood before them. Trash and debris littered the road. Not a soul in sight, yet Lexa couldn’t shake the feeling of being on edge. Her instincts ignited like a meteor shower in the sky, and the hair on her arms stood at attention.
“It’s kinda creepy here,” Ivie observed.
“It wasn’t always like this,” Rocky said.
Lexa put a hand on Rocky’s shoulder, and she could almost feel the sadness ebbing in and out of his soul. She tried to think of what it would be like for her home, the camp, to be barely recognizable. Then, she remembered it would be soon enough if she couldn’t save them.
Rocky cleared his throat. “We need a game plan. We shouldn’t stay here too long. In and out.”
“Good idea,” Lexa agreed. “Let’s meet back here in a half hour? Grab anything you can carry: food, water filters, weapons.”
“Wait, we’re going to split up? That doesn’t seem safe!” Ivie’s hands shook, and she put them behind her back.
“It’ll be quicker this way, Ivie. Promise.” Lexa squeezed her little sister’s forearm.
Lightning boomed in the distance. While they were a little farther away from the City of Lightning, they weren’t out of danger’s grasp just yet. A few rats scampered by, and Ivie screeched then jumped into Lexa’s arms.
Rocky couldn’t help but smile, his mood finally lightening a bit.
“Get off me!” Lexa said, hiding a grin.
“I hate rats! You know this!” Ivie narrowed her eyes and pouted as Lexa put her back onto the rocky gravel.
“Ready? Meet back here in a half hour.”
Ivie nodded and Rocky stared ahead, already planning his first stop.
14
Lexa, with her eye on Ivie, jogged into an abandoned convenience store several feet away from their meeting spot. The windows were smashed long ago, and the shards remaining in the frame were hazy with dust and debris. Lexa’s optimism waned as she stepped inside and noticed large shelves tipped over onto their sides. Someone was here before. Did they leave anything behind?
Carefully stepping toward a pile of rubble, she sifted through old newspapers and garbage from a generation ago. A sudden sound caught her attention, and Lexa whipped around to see a can rolling across the cracked tile toward her.
She grasped her dagger. “Who’s there?” she whispered. “Rocky? Ivie? I’m in here. Go look someplace else.”
No one replied.
Lexa picked up the can that stopped its adventure at her toes, the label cracked and worn. She read the expiration date for the can of corn, which was almost a year ago. Maybe it was still good, though?
While most of Earth’s civilization cracked after the contamination, some industries continued on, but with more extreme safeguards in place. Some farmers kept growing their crops but spent more money than they earned to filter the water they used. Still, food production only slowed until about ten years ago, but now it had completely stopped.
Some people, less than one percent of the world’s population, lived in tiny fenced-in communities as though nothing changed. At least, that’s what Lexa had heard from a few of the people back at camp. It could be another fairy tale told to pass the time or give everyone else hope for a better life. Then again, it was dangerous not to have hope. She needed to have hope she’d find the Oasis and the golden berries to save her people—and fast.
Lexa bagged the can of corn and turned her back to the door again to search for something, anything, under the piles of leftover and forgotten products of the past. Nothing in her search proved valuable so far. She found a multi-use knife, but the blade felt so dull, it didn’t even break skin when Lexa tested it upon her palm. Empty bags of nuts and cereals lined the floor, too.
Without warning, another can of food rolled toward Lexa, hitting the back of her leg while she knelt, hunched over. Lexa’s instincts kicked into high gear, and she felt like something was wrong, very wrong.
She pulled out her dagger for the second time and stood with her back against the mess. A shadow loomed in the doorway, and the figure was much taller than Ivie or Rocky.
“Who are you?” Lexa hissed. “Show yourself!”
A man stepped out of the shadows and faced Lexa. Blood dripped from his upper lip, and his pupils were tiny as needles.
“Good morning, little girl.”
Ivie, while trying to act like a grownup, couldn't manage to scavenge on her own. She quickly found Rocky after the trio split up and begged him to let her tag along.
“Please don’t tell Lexa, okay? I’m trying to show her I’m mature,” Ivie explained desperately.
“Well, you’re doing a hell of a job there. Running away from home and now too afraid to be alone.” Rocky gave Ivie a loving, big brother-like noogie.
“It’s hard being mature sometimes,” Ivie said, shrugging.
“It sure is,” Rocky agreed.
Their pace quickened, and Rocky urged Ivie to keep up. They approached an ancient-looking post office up ahead. Like the other buildings, the windows were gone, and a thick layer of dust covered the surfaces of the exterior.
“Think there are some packages in there with food?”
Rocky shook his head. “I doubt it, Ivie. It’s been abandoned for a while.”
Then, Ivie’s stomach rumbled, and she rubbed her belly.
“I’m hungry, too,” Rocky said, his tone comforting and understanding.
“What’s going to happen if we can’t save the camp?”
“Nothing good. Try not to think about it.”
Rocky and Ivie leaped up the stairs of the post office and peeked their heads inside. Unsurprisingly, not a soul could be seen from the doorway.
“Maybe this isn’t the
best place to look for supplies,” Rocky suggested.
“What about those metal things people used to open letters?”
“A letter opener?” Rocky asked with a smirk.
“Yeah! One of those things.”
“Well, we can try to find one, but we can only spare a few minutes. Okay?”
Ivie saluted Rocky and took a few steps in the other direction of the foyer to start searching. As soon as she pulled a drawer open at what appeared to be the front desk, a high-pitched scream rang through the empty town and echoed inside the empty post office.
Rocky and Ivie looked to each other with eyes wide open. “Lexa!” they cried in unison.
They dashed out of the post office and frantically listened for Lexa to shout for help again. There were dozens of empty buildings, and Lexa could have been in any one of them.
“Lexa!” Rocky called out. “Lexa, where are you?”
“Lexa! Lexa!” Ivie screamed too.
“Help me! Hurry! He’s going to kill me!”
Rocky pulled out a dagger Lexa let him borrow his own dagger and sprinted toward a convenience store, smoke rising from the roof as flames licked the side of the building. He looked back to find Ivie chasing after him.
“Ivie, stay back! Go hide!”
“I need to help my sister!” She tailed him closely.
“No! You need to hide!”
Ivie stopped in her tracks once Rocky dove through the smoke, following Lexa’s cries for help. Ivie felt tempted to go in after Rocky, but for once in a long while, she decided to listen and sprinted back to the post office to hide.
The bloody man stood over Lexa, a broken beer bottle in his hand. He swiped at her face, missing by an inch, and instead sliced open her forearm. Little drops of blood spilled out of the wound, which caused the man to growl with desire. Lexa cried in pain and swung her legs against his ankles, tripping him. The man slammed his head against the floor, and instead of crying out in pain as Lexa had just done, he sat up and laughed. Blood spewed from his mouth as he roared hysterically. This wasn’t just any kind of man, this man was infected.