by J. R. Tate
“It’s hot outside. What are they doing over there?” He pointed down the street where part of the courthouse square used to stand. It was now a wide open lot with the brick street still surrounding the perimeter.
Before Cecilia could stop him, Ty ran in that direction and she quickened her pace, following him. Steve was busy working a plow and two men from the fire department were lugging water in a wheelbarrow. Though it wasn’t massive, it was a positive step in the right direction and Cecilia felt a real and genuine smile part her lips.
“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?”
Cecilia didn’t notice that Mindy was standing next to her until she spoke. “It is. What all are y’all planting?”
“Steve ran across some corn and some cotton at the gin you told him about. I think Chief Rayburn and a few of the firefighters were able to find a few things where his ranch was but I can’t remember what they are. I’m not really a farmer so I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“I’m sure Steve appreciates all the help he can get.”
“I guess so. He’s got it under control.”
Cecilia watched on with amazement. Planting wasn’t something foreign to her. Her father did it and Ryan had done it but there was something about it now that captured her. There were no big, fancy tractors. No pivot irrigation system. Just men pushing plows, tilling up the dirt beneath their feet. It took them back fifty years to when a day’s work was done completely by hand. She never thought she would have witnessed this type of manual labor in her lifetime.
Ty knelt down on the sidewalk and dug a hole. He was still good at it, despite only having use of one hand.
“What are you doing, Ty?” Cecilia asked.
“I’m going to help. Seeds go in the ground so I can dig holes for them!” He looked up at her, his green eyes bright, his eyebrow wiggling as he was finding joy in connecting with nature. The sight in front of them wasn’t just hypnotizing her. Even Mindy seemed mesmerized by the work being done.
“You’re a big help!” Mindy laughed and for the first time, Cecilia saw the light behind her eyes.
Steve stopped the plow and joined them, wiping his forehead with his arm, lifting his hat. His hair was drenched in sweat and Mindy tossed him the canteen. There was a spark between them and if the situation was different, Cecilia was certain they would have more going on between them.
“How’s little Ty doing?” Steve leaned down and patted him on the head.
“He’s great. He’s helping you plant,” Cecilia replied. “How’s it all look? Do you think things are going to grow?”
Steve contemplated the question, looking toward the plowed rows and back to Ty. “We are a little behind planting season but I guess all we can do is try. I’d like to say yes. We’re irrigating the ground as best as we can. Those poor guys are having to go back and forth from the river but this is all a good start. It’s better than us just sitting around wishing instead of doing.”
“Always a good thing.” Cecilia said. “We appreciate the hard work you’re putting into this. I’m sure Ryan will be thrilled to see how much is getting done when they all get back.”
“I’ve got good help.” Steve nudged Mindy. “Couldn’t do this all on my own. Oh, and I can’t forget Ty.” He raised his voice to make sure Ty heard him. “Thanks, buddy. You’re great!”
Ty continued to dig and the mud caked on his pants. “This is fun! Better than laying in bed where the sun isn’t shining!”
“I bet it is. I better get back to plowing before we lose daylight.”
Cecilia sat beside Ty on the sidewalk and ran her fingers through the dirt. “You getting hungry, Ty?”
“No.”
“I bet you are! You haven’t eaten since this morning. And now you’re going to need a bath.” She made sure he wasn’t getting the bandage dirty.
“I don’t want a bath!” He tossed a dirt clod and it rolled a few feet before crumbling.
“We’ll stay here a few more minutes and then we need to get some food.”
She was shocked he didn’t have a comeback. Watching him play, she felt another smile on her lips. For a moment, things were normal. Ty was outside playing and it felt like Ryan would be home from work any second. It was a fun, fictional world she could imagine in order to escape the insanity playing out before them.
***
The grass crackled under Ryan’s boots, making the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach even more prominent. With his father’s dry, unproductive cough another added worry, he feared getting to Fox Lake to find Cecilia’s parents now was impossible. The horses were gone, the sun seemed to be getting hotter with each second that passed, and their health was suffering for it. Doug continuously rambled on about things and Ryan had gotten good at blocking him out. Ryan wondered how much the man could talk. Wasn’t his mouth drying out yet?
The periodic dust storms were also something that wasn’t helping the mood. The wind blew so hard that the dust would sting their skin, leaving them sand burned, their already vulnerable skin exposed for the damaging UV rays that were literally baking them.
When they were close to the river, Ryan would apply more mud as a homemade sunscreen but with as dry as the weather was, it would crumble and fall off after only thirty minutes. Their beards were helping protect their faces but their arms were exposed, making the situation ten times more miserable.
Ryan’s father had taken his advice and was using the towel as a mask. Ryan would rinse the towel when he could, making it heavy to prevent dust from getting through. Respiratory issues were something they had to take seriously and with his father’s age, the smallest problem could turn into a major health disaster. Medical care was lacking and they had to treat it like they were back in the old west days when a small cut could mean a death sentence.
“Y’all sure are quiet,” Doug said as he shielded his eyes from the sun.
“Trying to conserve energy, Doug. Besides, what the hell is there to talk about?”
“How far are we from Fox Lake?”
Ryan looked toward the horizon. What was once green pastures, lakes, and beautiful land was now a desert wasteland of torn up trees, yellow grass, and constant evaporation of the water supply where he once fished and camped.
Getting his bearings, he licked his lips and cringed when no moisture came from his tongue. Dehydration was setting in and he needed to refill his canteen. “We’re not far.”
“Did you notice the smoke behind us?” Darryl lifted the towel from his face and pointed behind them.
Ryan hoped he was kidding, but it would be a crappy thing to do and his dad would never do that in times like this. Not wanting to look, he hoped whatever his father had noticed would go away if Ryan didn’t turn to observe it. Turning on his heel, his heart skipped a beat at the massive wall of smoke that appeared almost as large as the dust wall that had come through the day before. Orange flames licked the dry grasslands and trees, completely killing off anything that had been spared in the storms.
“Holy shit.”
It was the only thing Ryan could think to say. Many emotions toyed with him, from them being chased by it, to the fear of Harper Springs possibly already falling victim to it. It was south of them in that direction and he had to hold out hope that it stayed north of town. If not, everything Steve and the men left behind had worked on would be demolished with no hope of rebuilding.
And even worse, what if they couldn’t escape? With his time on the fire department, he had learned that they can move fast and catch people off guard. Dry conditions ignite like gasoline and they were right in the middle of it. What if Cecilia and Ty were trapped or killed? If the flames didn’t get you, the smoke would suffocate you. A chill shot up his spine. Death was after them and each time they narrowly escaped it, something stronger came along, challenging them to the breaking point.
“It has circled around us to the north!” Doug pointed in front of them, his eyes wide. He was always joking about something but at that
moment, his eyes were as wide as saucers with a genuine look of fear written across his face.
Ryan’s eyes trailed along the rim of the fire and just as Doug has noticed, it was making a large ring around them. Smoke billowed upward toward the sun, shadowing the rays around them. It appeared as dark as night, though it was mid-afternoon. The one hundred plus degree temperatures were heightened from the flames and sweat poured from Ryan’s brow, trickling into his eyelashes and beard and to his lips, the salt of his own bodily fluid thick on his tongue.
“RUN! NOW!” Ryan’s voice shook as he tried to find an opening in the fire ring. “That way!” It was northeast and closing fast.
Ryan’s worry went immediately to his father. With his wheezing, would he be able to run fast enough? His thought cut to a halt when his leg screamed out in pain. The tightness of the stitches tugged at his sore skin but he couldn’t succumb to it. If they ripped open it was a small price to pay to get away from the fire. Inspiration to get out and not burn to death kept him moving and each time he took a step, the pain got worse. He gritted his teeth, checked behind him and his father was right on his hip, matching him step for step. Doug was about fifty yards ahead, his healthy legs helping his sprint move right along.
The rugged land wasn’t making it easy. Uneven pastures, ruts, and turn-rows where farmers once plowed were hindering them going any faster. Ryan tried not to look at the ground too much but when he glanced to make sure he’d dodge a hole, he noticed the blood soaking into his jeans. It could’ve been an old stain from before but it was too red and fresh not to be current. The stitches had definitely come loose. With each step they took toward the small opening that the fire hadn’t ravished yet, it was like it was moving backward, away from them.
The heat from the sun combined with the flames was almost unbearable. Lack of water and good food made his legs cramp up. He could hear his father’s labored breathing beside him but to his surprise, the older man was able to keep up. The thought of Cecilia and Ty was a constant inspiration to push through all of his body’s warnings to stop and lay down. Survival mode was on in full force, and though he had outrun the tornadoes, this was a whole new challenge that was proving to get the best of him.
Ryan’s pace slowed. His father moved ahead of him and glanced over his shoulder, motioning for Ryan to hurry. He tried hard – his lungs burned so bad that they ached in his chest. As they got closer to the outer ring of the fire, the smoke got worse, making the visibility almost zero. Breathing became impossible and the edges of Ryan’s vision grew blurry and black. He couldn’t see Doug anymore and was about to lose sight of his father.
With each breath he took in, his body begged for a deeper breath, like he didn’t know how to breathe. He imagined this was how a fish felt out of the water, gasping and longing for energy to survive. He slowed down and his legs felt like noodles. Weak with limited energy, he tripped on something he couldn’t see and fell to the ground below him. His head hit hard and his already blurry vision went completely black. The last thing he heard was the crackling of the flames only yards away, eating everything in its path.
Chapter Fifteen
Steve sat at the entrance of the shelter and sipped on a bottle of water. What he’d give to have an ice cold beer to celebrate the planting they had worked on all day. It was a tradition for him – after a long day on the tractor he would suck down a six pack of beer and look over his fields, waiting to see how or if Mother Nature would bless him another year. The water tasted almost as good and he was thankful he had it – with the current situation they were lucky to have anything.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Mindy said as she joined him, sitting next to him on the sidewalk.
Steve held out the bottle and smirked. “I was just thinking about this water. How a few months ago it was just another bottle of water you pick up at the grocery store. And now, here I am, thankful as hell that I have it. We take too much for granted.”
Mindy laughed and nudged his arm. “That’s too deep. I don’t think I can process that right now.” She took the water and sipped on it. “But you’re right, I guess. I’m just glad to be free of the looters.”
“What exactly were they doing? What was their, you know, overall goal?” Steve wasn’t sure what he was asking. Looters were looters. It didn’t get much more complicated than that.
“Stealing, kidnapping, even killing people.” Mindy was visibly shaken when she said the last part. “They kept the stronger ones in hopes to be superior. They talked about mating to replenish the population but they only wanted the strong ones. The weak ones were left for dead or killed.”
Steve shook his head. Could that really be happening? “It’s like a damn movie plot or something. Stuff like that doesn’t happen now.”
“Well, it was. Right before my eyes. I figured I was going to be next so I got lucky and got away. Others weren’t so lucky. I’m not sure how I was able to do it. They kept a close watch on everyone.”
“How did you do it?”
Mindy shrugged and traced her fingers through some dirt that had accumulated on the sidewalk. “I ran in the middle of the night. The entire time I cringed, just knowing that I’d get shot in the back. Or someone would jump out from behind a tree and tackle me and make me suffer. Rape me, kill me, hell, I don’t know. I can’t believe I had the guts to even attempt it but I just knew I was in line to be killed later. Why not take a chance instead of just waiting around for it to happen?”
“What makes you think they didn’t want to keep you around?” Steve asked, glad that she was finally opening up to him even though the story wasn’t a pleasant one.
“Look at me, Steve. I’m scrawny. I’m not exactly what you’d call a strong one. And that’s what they wanted. People who could work. Women who could have lots of babies to get the population up again.”
Mindy was small, probably only weighing about one hundred and ten pounds or so. “I’ve seen the fight in you. They would’ve been crazy to kill you.”
“Yeah, don’t let the small package fool you. I can fight with the best of them.” She laughed and her smile was beautiful. “You know, what you said about a movie plot? You’re right. It was like this terrible dream I couldn’t wake up from. Or a movie I couldn’t turn off. Women being raped. People being killed. Things being stolen. And there’s not a damn thing we can do to stop it. There’s no law. There’s no order. I hate to say this but if this is the way life is going to be from here on out, what’s the point?”
“It’s the human condition, Mindy. Survival. We all want to make it. And if enough of us good ones band together, we can stop that group if they ever come around here.”
“I hope so because once they find out we’ve got crops planted and somewhat of a plan to move forward, they’re going to attack. Our own personal, modern day civil war right here in Harper Springs.”
“Ryan will get back with Cecilia’s parents and we can start preparing for that. We’ve got guns and ammunition.”
“The only question is, how much?” Mindy looked him in the eye, her blue eyes exhausted. “We’re going to need more than you think.”
Maybe they didn’t have time to wait on Ryan. With the impending threat of a possible attack, the sense of urgency in devising a protection plan against Harper Springs had suddenly felt like a priority even over getting the crops planted.
“I’ll talk with Chief Rayburn and the guys. I’m sure with all of us working together, we can come up with something.”
Mindy nodded and bit her bottom lip. “I’d sleep better at night if you did. These aren’t good people. Believe me when I say that.”
Steve brushed his hand over hers. “I believe you. And I appreciate the information. We’ll come out on top. We’ve come too far for any other option.”
***
“Ryan!” Darryl turned and noticed that his son had fallen to the ground with the fire moving fast round him. “Doug! Ryan fell down!” He yelled but the roar of the fire was so loud that he wa
sn’t sure if he heard him. “Doug!” He coughed and the smoke was not helping his respiratory issues. It took every bit of his energy to try and get the other man’s attention, but with his son in grave danger, he wasn’t going to give up.
He ran back to his son, attempting to lift him off of the ground but he was dead weight. Trying to use any energy he had left, he tried again and it was unsuccessful. If he didn’t move him fast they would both be dead. He was growing lethargic from the thick smoke and would be unconscious soon, leaving him vulnerable to the deteriorating conditions.
Kneeling beside Ryan, he was at a loss on what to do. Doug hadn’t come back and Darryl wanted to curse him. Just like a damn thief – only caring for himself and leaving them for dead. He shook Ryan to try to get him to wake up but there was no response from him. Ryan was a bigger man than Darryl and with his respiratory issues it was making the process even harder. Standing, he grabbed Ryan’s arms in an attempt to drag him. He’d worry about the injuries later if it meant that his son would still be alive. His plan didn’t work. Ryan wouldn’t budge and Darryl fell backward.
“Son of a bitch! Doug!” Yelling again, he knew it was a waste to try but his frustration wasn’t allowing him to be levelheaded.
He couldn’t succumb to this. They couldn’t let it end this way. Lungs burning, visibility zero, he had to think. All his body wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep. His eyelids were heavy and it was hard to keep them open. If he gave in they were both dead.
“I’m coming!” Doug appeared against the wall of smoke, scooping Ryan up, grunting as he got the dead weight high enough to rest on his shoulders. Ryan’s legs and arms draped over him and the sudden change in the situation gave Darryl a jolt of energy, just enough to stand on his own two legs and follow Doug.
The opening in the fire was so small that they were narrowly going to escape, and Darryl knew Doug was struggling. He wasn’t able to run with Ryan’s weight on top of him but his jaw clenched and the look of determination on his face was inspirational. They were going to get out of this and get on the other side, safe for the time being.