by E S Richards
“Yeah, I know her,” Riley smiled. “She’s fine. She’s good actually. She’s a friend of mine. She should be around here somewhere.”
Joel felt a zap of adrenaline shoot through him at Riley’s words, his eyes darting from side to side as he started looking for his sister more seriously. “Really? Where?”
“I’m not sure,” Riley shrugged. “She came in with me though.”
“Aw man,” Joel continued to search the crowds of girls, desperately trying to find his sister. As Riley watched him, she almost laughed at how ironic their situation was. The four of them were all trying to find their siblings and now that they were so close, they seemed to just bump into the wrong people. She knew Chase was alive and healthy though—that was the most important thing to Riley. Now that she had that reassurance, she could start thinking more seriously about how they were all going to escape.
“Hang on,” she spoke to Joel, her thoughts catching up with her. “Are you trying to get out as well then? Hazel told me that she and her brother want to get back to your mom. In the city?”
“Yeah,” Joel nodded, realizing, like Riley was, that while they were talking to each other they needed to make the most of it. It might not be the conversation they had wanted, but it was as close as they were going to get. Joel would pass everything back to Chase, just like Riley planned to with Hazel. Now that they all knew their group was a foursome rather than two separate pairs of siblings, it made both Riley and Joel feel more confident that they could actually find a way out of the pit for good.
“So you’ve not found anything either?” Joel asked, shuffling closer to Riley to try and avoid the gaze of the watching Authority members. “No sort of way out of here?”
“Nope,” Riley dropped her gaze, no longer meeting Joel’s. “We’re watched constantly. I don’t know when there’d be a chance to escape. Maybe at night, I guess?”
“Aren’t you locked in your cells?”
“Cells?” Riley snapped her head back up to look at Joel. “What do you mean?”
Listening carefully, Riley felt her blood boil as Joel told her in detail how the boys were kept. She had thought she had it bad, but it sounded like her theater was a vacation resort compared to where the boys were being kept. She couldn’t believe it. She hated thinking of her brother being locked away behind bars like a common criminal. Chase was such a sweet boy; he didn’t deserve to be treated like that—none of them did.
As her conversation with Joel continued and they learned more about each other’s lives in the pit, there was one thing that became solidified in Riley’s head. They had to find a way out. They couldn’t stay under the Authority’s control for much longer. Time was running out and as the situation out in the city continued to deteriorate day by day, it only made their need to get home more paramount. Together, Riley, Chase, Joel, and Hazel would find a way out. They had to.
Chapter 9
Closing the passenger side door of the car where his daughter sat, Patrick turned and looked back at his friend’s house. Vern and Tracy were dead. Tanner as a town was dying. There was nothing left for them there now. Finally, it was time to leave.
The last couple of days had been incredibly difficult on everyone. Of the original residents of Tanner, only a small handful remained, Doctor Reeves among them. Vern had been the first to die, Patrick’s dear friend struggling to get out of bed the morning after the night they had spent in the doctor’s makeshift garden bar. Patrick still felt incredibly guilty about that night, remembering how he had failed to comfort Vern when he had reached out for support. It was likely something that would haunt him for many days to come, yet another person that he had been unable to save.
Tracy had lost all her fight after him. Patrick couldn’t blame her. She had watched her husband die, knowing it was a fate that would befall her sooner or later. He wasn’t surprised her body had willed it to be sooner. Tracy had died peacefully in her sleep at least, instead of keeled over and gasping for breath like her husband.
Patrick winced at the memory of it, a shiver running down his spine. So many others had gone the same way as Vern. They didn’t deserve it, their deaths much slower and likely more painful than anyone else’s had been. The worst part of it was they were all unable to ask for help. Unable to even cry. When the end finally came for them, they couldn’t say their goodbyes or tell the people around them that they were loved. There was only silence. A vast emptiness that only grew as the death toll of Tanner continued to increase each day.
The place really was a ghost town now. The weather had turned from bad to worse, a snowstorm blowing through the trees and drenching the small town in a carpet of gray. It wasn’t even white like snow should be, already polluted by the toxic ash before it hit the ground. Even Allie was unable to enjoy it. There was no tobogganing or snowmen to build, no chasing each other through the streets throwing snowballs. The residents of Tanner merely watched the snow fall from the windows, knowing it signified that the end was near.
“Patrick!” Deb’s voice caught on the wind, carrying over to Patrick just before he climbed into the car himself. “Wait!”
“Deb,” Patrick replied, his voice somewhat muffled through the cut pieces of fabric he wore over his mouth in an attempt to filter the poisonous air and stop the ash from shredding his lungs like it had to the original residents of Tanner. “What is it? You shouldn’t be outside in this.”
Snow flew through the air on the wind, creating a haze that was difficult to see through. Still Deb ran through it toward the car, a small object clutched in her hand. “Here,” she said, handing it over to Patrick. “For Allie.”
Looking down at what he now held, Patrick saw a small, soft toy—shaped like a dog. It reminded him immediately of Corker, Deb’s spaniel that Allie had grown very attached to. Patrick had no idea where the toy had come from, but he appreciated it nonetheless. He knew Allie would love it and it would always be a reminder of the people they had met.
“Thank you, Deb,” he smiled through the storm. “She’ll treasure it.”
“Good luck out there,” Deb spoke as she turned to rush back inside. “I hope you make it home.”
Watching Deb go for a second, Patrick wished they could all stay together. Billy still wasn’t very well, the young boy not recovering like everyone had hoped and due to that—and the fact they had nowhere else to go—Deb, Stuart, Ethan, and Miles were all staying behind in Tanner. Pretty soon they would be the only people left there. Patrick doubted whether Doctor Reeves and the others could hang on for much longer. It was a horrible thing to know, that your death was waiting just around the corner. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for all of them. In truth, Patrick was quite glad he was leaving so he didn’t have to experience it any further. Watching Vern and Tracy die had been hard enough, and now it was time to move on.
“This is from Deb,” Patrick said to his daughter as he finally settled in the car beside her. “She and Corker are both going to miss you.”
Allie accepted the stuffed animal from her father graciously, hugging it close to her chest and inhaling the scent that was carried on it. “It smells like Corker,” she smiled, looking up at Patrick as she fondly remembered the dog. “I’ll miss him.”
“I know sweetheart,” Patrick replied. “We need to go home. We don’t belong here.”
Allie nodded and turned her head to look out of the window, hiding her face from her father. Patrick wanted to reach over and comfort her, but as the storm kicked up another notch outside, he knew they had to get going. Turning the key in the ignition of the car, he waited as it shuddered to life—taking slightly longer than it probably should—and started to roll forward.
“We’re going home, Allie,” he whispered to his daughter, trying to force the smile back on to her face as they drove away from Tanner, leaving the town and its people behind. Neither of them would ever forget the place. Patrick saw his friend’s faces in his head as they drove away, the few rows of houses quickly fading int
o the distance behind them, hidden by the storm. He hoped things would get better there, if only for the sake of Deb and everyone else. Staying behind couldn’t have been an easy decision for any of them—the thought of living in a ghost town making Patrick tremble as he drove away from it.
The low visibility levels as Patrick drove were both a blessing and a curse. It meant he had to concentrate harder than ever before, barely able to see the road in front of him through the snow, rain, ash, and whatever else was falling from the sky. It also meant he couldn’t see his surroundings. And something told him he didn’t want to.
Patrick could guess at what would be lining the road as he blazed toward Seattle and in his opinion, the less he knew of it the better. He didn’t want Allie to see the destruction up close either. She had been quiet ever since they left Tanner, cradling the small stuffed dog close to her face and occasionally whispering short sentences to it. Patrick only heard parts of them, but what he heard still brought tears to his eyes.
“You’ll be okay, Little Corker. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You’ve lost your mommy, haven’t you? Just like me.”
“We’ll take care of each other. We’ll find a brand-new home to live in soon. Just you wait.”
To hear his daughter speak in such a manner made Patrick almost regret leaving everyone behind. It was just the two of them now. Harriet and Tilly were long gone and everyone else that they had grown close to over the past few days were now in the past as well. More than ever, Patrick understood that he needed to be there for his daughter. She was his responsibility and he couldn’t let anything happen to her. Allie was in an incredibly vulnerable state and now was Patrick’s time to prove to himself and to her that he was the father she deserved.
The drive from Tanner to Seattle was relatively straightforward—or it would’ve been, if not for the engine troubles the car seemed to be having. It growled and groaned at him more and more every mile, the car protesting as the engine shook beneath the hood. Patrick wondered whether it had been left out and unprotected in Tanner for too long, ash and other elements finding their way into the engine and corroding the car itself. It made for a bumpy ride –even at the slow speeds Patrick drove at—but after just over an hour, they were finally back on the outskirts of Seattle.
“Look, Allie,” Patrick spoke, gathering his daughter’s attention. “We’re home.”
Gazing out of the windows, both father and daughter looked upon the city that they called home. Even with the dark clouds swimming around them and the lack of light, they could both still make out the skyline. It was familiar. It was comfortable. And finally, it was right there. Pulling the car over onto the side of the road, Patrick switched the engine off and looked over at his daughter.
“Not long now, sweetheart. We’ll be back in the house before you know it.”
“Are we walking?”
Patrick nodded. “The roads look like chaos up ahead,” he explained. “I think it’ll be quicker on foot.”
“What about all our things?” Allie asked, concern lacing her voice. “Can I bring Little Corker with me?”
“Of course,” Patrick smiled. “We’ll carry what we can, and we’ll have to come back for the rest another time if we can. Right now the priority is getting inside and keeping you safe. Have you got your breathing mask with you?”
Allie nodded.
“Good,” Patrick continued. “Let’s get it on and get everything together from inside the car. Then once we’re all ready, we’ll head outside.”
Allie did as she was told, strapping her makeshift breathing mask to her face and scrambling behind into the back seat of the car to gather her possessions. As she got everything ready, she couldn’t help feeling nervous about what she was going to find. She was excited to go home, but knew it would feel different without her mom and Tilly there. Already this was the longest she’d ever been apart from her sister, a sensation that made Allie feel like something was missing. She might be young, yet she already knew that the feeling would never go away. Tilly was never coming back and, in a way, Allie would never be whole again.
Patrick worked with his daughter quietly, packing the various items that Allie passed forward to the front seat into a large rucksack he’d acquired in Tanner. There wasn’t really any method to the items he packed, eager for them both to get out of the car and start walking. In a matter of minutes they were out and on their way, Patrick guiding his daughter through the streets of a city he had once known like the back of his hand, which now looked very different.
The skyline was the first thing that he noticed was different. Even through the murky clouds it was obvious that parts of it were missing. Buildings had crumbled to the ground, the skyscrapers toppling over and bringing down other structures with them. Thankfull,y the two of them didn’t have to walk deep into the city to get home. Patrick had pulled over just before the bridge to Mercer Island, where he and Harriet moved just after they got married. Both had agreed it was a nicer place to raise a family—still in Seattle, which they both knew and loved, but much quieter and more child-friendly.
The bridge over to the island was completely gridlocked. It was normally the calmer part of the city, and still it looked like when disaster had struck, it had struck everywhere. Patrick guided his daughter around abandoned cars, half of them left with doors open and luggage still inside as people tried to flee the city.
It worried Patrick to see everything like that. He concluded that something bad must have happened in the city to cause everyone to try and get away like they had. What worried him more was that he couldn’t pinpoint what that was. Several buildings had collapsed, yes—was there something more than that? Something worse? He had no way of knowing whether he was walking his daughter into a war zone, the streets around them quiet as they finally made it off the bridge and onto Mercer Island.
“We’re nearly home, Allie,” he whispered to his daughter, her small hand clutched firmly in his. Patrick wasn’t letting her go until they were inside and the door was locked. Being back in Seattle made him nervous, a feeling he hadn’t expected to feel there.
The two of them turned left and started making their way toward the southern tip of the island. That was where their home was, just outside Pioneer Park, not too far from the water. Walking through the park made Patrick feel even less at ease. The grass was coated with dark ash, similar to that which had covered the lawns in Tanner. It was a familiar sight to him now, but not one that Patrick wished to see. Other areas of the park he was used to being filled with life were quiet too. Trees looked like they were dying, once-green leaves either fallen to the ground or ripped off by the wind. They stood now, bare and desolate, their roots planted in infertile soil as they waited to die.
“There it is, Dad!” Allie squealed as they rounded one last corner and exited the park, their street just ahead of them in the distance.
Patrick squeezed his daughter’s hand. They could see their house. It was less than a minute’s walk away. It had been weeks since they’d been there, and finally, they were both home. They returned with far less than they had left with, the world having changed more than anyone could’ve possibly imagined, but their home was still there. The two of them increased their pace, striding over the final few yards before walking up to the front door of their house.
Reaching into his pocket, Patrick pulled out the key that he had kept with him the entire time. He supposed that by keeping the key, he had always planned to return home eventually—even if he hadn’t known it at times. It turned in the lock just as normal, the door clicking open in his hand. This was it. After everything he and Allie had been through, they had completed their journey and they had made it home. Finally. It was over.
Chapter 10
The atmosphere in the car was stale and awkward as Mia’s group continued driving toward Houston. Marcus had finally been granted a shift behind the wheel and Jadon had moved into the passenger seat beside him, giving the tall young man a
chance to stretch his legs out somewhat. In the back of the car, Mia sat beside Jorge, the Spaniard trapped in the cramped middle seat. Jorge had barely spoken two words to anyone since they left the fracking site, even though several hours of driving were already behind them.
The light was fading fast as they tore across the country and Mia’s focus was now on finding somewhere to spend the night. They’d driven through a couple of small areas where people were quite clearly still alive, but none had looked like a place they wanted to stop. Now that time was running out, they were becoming more and more desperate. The thought of sleeping in the car didn’t appeal to anyone as the roads became increasingly difficult to navigate.
The first town that they’d passed through could barely even be called that. It was perhaps ten to twelve houses lining the side of the road, close to half of them derelict in some manner. None of them could say for certain whether the damage had been done before or after Yellowstone erupted, the density of the ash certainly capable of bringing down buildings, but the place looked like it had been in ruins for some time.
What looked to be one large family of maybe fifteen people occupied the final house on the street, pouring out into the large garden despite the weather outside. As they drove past, Mia had slowed the car down, Jorge demanding that they stop and spread the news just like they had agreed they would do. As it turned out, that hadn’t been the brightest idea. As soon as the group saw the Mazda approaching, a couple of the men disappeared into the house and returned with a pair of sawed-off shotguns. Mia barely had time to speed away before risking the back windshield being blown out, a few bullets scraping the side of the car and narrowly avoiding doing serious damage.
“What was that about?” Jesse exclaimed from the back once they were out of range of the weapons. “Those people are crazy!”
“Small town hicks I bet,” Marcus answered beside his friend, craning his head over his neck to look behind him. “They’re crazy.”