City Escape – A Stranded Novel
By Theresa Shaver
Copyright 2014 Theresa Shaver
Kindle Edition
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover art by D.C. Charles at Book Graphics.
Contents
Book 1 (City) - Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Book 2 (Escape) - Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
SNEAK PEAK – Endless Winter
Authors Note
Do you ever have that feeling that you forgot something? You know, “Did I shut the stove off? Did I close the garage door? Did I forget to pick up a kid, ha ha.” That’s what this book did to me. I was happily writing away on Endless Winter but this one kept nagging at me. So many people expressed an interest in what happened to the students that stayed behind that it got me thinking. What would they do? Where would they go? How could they survive? I wrote City as a novella and felt that was all there was to the story but after time, the rest came to me. I kept wondering where the world would be six months or a year after the EMP took out modern civilization. Would it all be death and misery or would the goodness in people shine through to beat back the darkness? Here is City Escape to find out! I’m unpublishing City the novella and including it in the start of this book so that the full story can be printed in paperback. I liked this book but I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t as invested in the characters as in the first three books. That may show through in the story, you’ll have to let me know in reviews but I really think that the story was needed to bring the Stranded Series to a proper close. Now I’m not saying that I’m totally done with that world. There’s Winter that might make a good story or Liam and his mail; that could be a great adventure but for right now I’m ready to move on to the next wrecked world in Endless Winter. Thank you all again for the support and keep all the comments and reviews coming. I appreciate all the valuable feedback and encouragement – that’s a lot of what fuels me to keep writing!
Theresa Shaver
Xoxo
P.S.-
A quick note about the editing issues from before. I did manage to hire an editor to fix all those annoying technical mistakes and I think she did a great job so thank you to Cathy Morgan for that. On Kindle you can go to Manage and get the updates for the first three books so if you’re a SUPER fan and want to reread them it’ll flow better. For some of us indie authors the cost of an editor to fix these mistakes is out of reach until we actually sell some of our work. So if you buy a Kindle book for less than five bucks, it probably means it’s from an indie and it may have mistakes in it. Trust me, we know and cringe that they are there so if you want to review one please, please, please go ahead and mention the bad editing but review it mainly on whether the story was good or not. It was the story that we wanted to share with you and that’s what matters the most, at least it was for me!
Book 1 (City) - Chapter 1
April Davis’ world had compressed down to three points of view. As she sat on the grass beside Main Street Disneyland her whole body was still. Only her eyes moved from the three points in front of her.
Mrs. Moore was staring after some of the students that were making their way to the gates of the amusement park. They were leaving, alone, no parents or teachers - just a bunch of kids all by themselves heading out to walk across the northern continent. The idea seemed to her insane and amazing at the same time.
April’s eyes tracked to her right where her mother was talking to the other parent chaperone and a still sobbing Ms. Scott. Her mother’s hands were flapping in the air and April had the vague image of those hands flapping so hard that her mother rose into the air and flew away.
April’s gaze moved away to the final point in the triangle, Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter’s body was still lying on the road with his jacket covering his face. No one had tried to move him and as people filed out of the park; many had stepped over him like he wasn’t even there, so still…so dead.
April shuddered and her eyes tracked back to Mrs. Moore still watching her students walk away. They had almost made it to the gates. Her mother, still flapping her hands. Mr. Carter, still dead. She kept moving her eyes. Teacher, flapping hands, dead body - until one of the points changed.
Mrs. Moore was no longer looking at the gates; she was now looking at April. With a frown, the older teacher came towards her and glanced over at April’s mother. Shaking her head she lowered herself to one knee.
“Are you okay, dear?” Mrs. Moore asked.
April opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her eyes slid away from her teacher to Mr. Carter’s body. Mrs. Moore followed her gaze and sighed.
“I’m sorry you have to see him like that, April. I’ll see if someone can help me move him off the road. I know that things are scary right now but we’ve got to concentrate on the living and making sure we stay that way.”
April opened her mouth to speak and again nothing came out so she just nodded her head and looked over at her mother.
Mrs. Moore patted her knee and stood up.
“We’ll be leaving soon so stay close.”
April nodded again and looked down at her tightly clasped hands. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she was in shock. Ever since the planes had fallen from the sky and everything electrical had stopped working, she’d felt like she was seeing the world through a haze. Nothing seemed real, like it was all a dream or a nightmare. She turned her eyes towards Mr. Carter’s body but her view was blocked by her friend, Jessica. The girl sat down beside her with a thump and shoved her black-rimmed glasses back up on her nose. Jessica’s short straight black bob was held back by a pink and green plaid headband that matched her walking shorts and polo golf shirt. She was the smartest kid in their grade and she was scowling at April’s mother.
“I can’t believe your Mother! Why do you let her control you like that? I mean, she talks like you’re a possession of hers instead of a person. ‘My daughter doesn’t get a vote!’ I can’t believe she screeched that in front of everyone. How embarrassing! It’s not like you would’ve voted to go with Alex and the others anyway but she didn’t have to say that. I seriously don’t know how you stand her!” Jessica said in a huff.
It was an old argument between the two friends. Jessica had been rolling her eyes behind Mrs. Davis’s back for years and the familiar complaint seemed to bring April out of her daze. She finally found her voice.
“I don’t think my mom’s control issues are our biggest problem right now. What are we going to do, Jess? I’m scared and I don’t know if going to the embassy is going to solve anything. I mean, Mrs. Moore is probably right about them not being able to help us. What do you think?”
Jessica squinted her eyes and looked around at the group of students and adults on the lawn.
“Yup…we’re screwed!” At April’s horrified look, she explained, “First of all, it’s a consulate, not an embassy, which means it’s just a bunch of offices in a building somewhere. Sure, it might’ve some Canadian soldiers there but it’s not like this is some third-world country with
a compound or anything. I mean, come on! It’s LA, not Iraq! Those guys are just politicians…paper pushers. They won’t be able to help us unless it’s just to get a replacement passport or something simple. Nope; we’re on our own.”
April stared at her friend in confusion.
“Why didn’t you tell them that? My mom wants us to walk through the city for nothing! If you think that way why didn’t you vote to leave with the others?”
Jessica just shrugged. “As if your mom would listen to me. Besides, do you really want to walk to Canada? I might be a brainiac but I’m a wimp. Do you see any muscle tone in these legs?”
April shook her head in exasperation and stood up.
“This isn’t a joke, Jess! We have to do something or tell someone!” She frantically scanned around, looking for Mrs. Moore.
Jessica was right about one thing; her mother wouldn’t listen to anything she said. It didn’t seem to matter that April had just turned seventeen; her mom still treated her like she was twelve and tried to control most of her life. She was used to her mom’s voice drowning out her own but this was too important to let go, so when she spotted Mrs. Moore heading down the street to a security guard she took off after her.
When April caught up, Mrs. Moore was already discussing what they should do about Mr. Carter’s body with the older guard. He was in his late sixties and wore the familiar white hat with the red mouse-eared badge on it. He was explaining the situation as April tried to get her breath back from her mad dash after the teacher.
“It’s been almost two hours since we lost all power and most of the staff and guards have left to check on their own families. I can try and find someone else to help me with the bodies. There are a few more lying around the park. I don’t think anyone will be coming to get them and I can’t in good conscience just leave them lying where they fell.” He looked very old and tired to April when he removed his hat and rubbed his bald head.
Mrs. Moore gave him a sympathetic nod.
“May I ask why you haven’t left yourself?”
April noticed the man’s name tag read, “Walter”, as he looked around the park before answering.
“This is my home. I’ve worked here for forty years. I have no family left in the States to go check on. I think I’ll just stay here and clean things up as best as I can. I’ll bury the bodies and then do my rounds, make sure everyone’s gone from the park and the tunnels and lock it down.” He looked at Mrs. Moore sadly. “That’s all there’s left for me. I don’t know what else to do.”
Mrs. Moore nodded. “Well, thank you for seeing to Mr. Carter, and good luck to you.”
Walter just gave her a small sad smile and wandered away.
April watched the guard as he moved away and gave a start when Mrs. Moore placed her hand on her shoulder.
“April, did you need to speak to me?”
“What? Oh…OH, YES! I don’t think my mother’s plan is going to work.” She quickly explained what Jessica had told her about the consulate and watched as Mrs. Moore’s face fell in frustration. The teacher held up her hand to stop April.
“Forgive me, dear. You and Jessica are absolutely correct and this is something I know. I was distracted by getting the other students on their way and didn’t give our situation much thought. The Canadian Embassy is in Washington, DC. You’re right about the consulate here being nothing more than offices. They’ll be no help to us at all. Let’s go find your mother and see if we can come up with a different plan.”
Just as Mrs. Moore suggested this, there was a loud screech and Mrs. Davis started to scream April’s name. They hurried over to where the rest of the class was waiting and Mrs. Davis barreled through them and grabbed her daughter’s arm roughly.
“There you are! DO NOT do that again! I turned around and you were gone!” she exclaimed in a shrill voice. “You’re to stay with me at all times from now on. Do you understand, young lady!”
In a hushed, embarrassed voice April responded, “Mom, let go! I was right there on the street with Mrs. Moore.”
Mrs. Davis shook her head and pulled April closer. “I don’t care! You stay with me!”
Seeing April’s red face, Mrs. Moore stepped in to try and defuse the situation.
“Mrs. Davis, your daughter was just reminding me of a mistake we have all made.”
Before she could continue, Mrs. Davis looked at her daughter with condescension and said, “Really, what could she possibly know about this situation?”
The nasty tone her mother used had April flushing red again and looking down at her feet. Mrs. Moore took a step towards Mrs. Davis with a glare. When the teacher continued to glare and not speak Mrs. Davis’ face reddened as well and she stammered out, “I mean, she’s just a child - what could she know that we don’t?” she said in a softer tone.
Mrs. Moore stared at the woman for a few more seconds before nodding. “She reminded me why going to the Canadian authorities would be a mistake.” Mrs. Moore explained the problem as Mrs. Davis started to sputter.
“Surely you’re wrong! They would have a secure area with guards with guns to protect us! I’ve seen such things on television and in movies,” she insisted.
Mrs. Moore explained, “An embassy might be gated and guarded, but those are only in capital cities. A consulate general is usually just offices where you can go for passports and visas,” as April’s mother shook her head.
“We have no choice - we have to go there. There’s nowhere else for us to go! Now, I’m going to round everyone up and we’re going to go to our hotel to get our luggage.” And with that, Mrs. Davis dropped April’s arm and stomped away.
April watched as her mother’s hands started flapping again as she tried to round everyone up.
“It’s like the only voice she can hear is her own,” April said quietly. She was shocked when she realized that she’d just said such a thing out loud.
Mrs. Moore patted her arm and nodded. “She will have to hear mine. I’ll not allow her fear to get my students killed. Now, could you please get me a head count, April? With ten of the students gone I believe we should be at eighteen total students, parents and teachers.”
April nodded and started to skirt around the group while counting heads. Ten gone…she wished it were eleven. Walking to Canada would be easier than staying here with her mother.
Chapter 2
Once everyone was accounted for, Mrs. Moore sent four of the students into a few of the stores that hadn’t been closed to gather water bottles and bags of snack food. The distance to the hotel hadn’t seemed very far when they had taken the shuttle, but she wanted to have a few supplies on the way. She looked over the small crowd and sighed. Four adults, all women and twelve students - eight females and four males. She had conceded to going to the hotel because they had limited choices right now. They were not going to walk these students through a huge city at this point, no matter what Mrs. Davis thought, but they had to find a more secure location. Finding safe shelter was one of the more important things they had to do, particularly since they had to do that in a city that was starting to tip toward anarchy. She would keep her eyes open and try to figure out a place where they could ride out the worst of the madness.
Once the students had returned with supplies and handed them out, Mrs. Moore addressed them all.
“When we leave the gates and grounds of the park, there will be a lot of chaos. I want you all to stay close together and try hard not to get separated from the group. There will be many car accidents and possibly fires on the way to the hotel. Just try to keep moving forward and don’t engage anyone if possible. Some of you may want to help others and while in a normal situation I would applaud that, now it would be a mistake. We must get to the hotel as quickly as possible. Time is running out before things will get completely out of control, and we must think of the safety of the group. Now adults, there are only four of us so it’ll be a challenge - but try to stay on the outside of our group and keep the students in the middle.
”
Mrs. Moore made eye contact with Mrs. Davis and the other parent chaperone, Mrs. Hardsky, and nodded before looking to the last teacher, Ms. Scott. The woman was a mess. Her face was red and puffy from crying and she still had tears streaming down her face. Biting back the urge to shake her, Mrs. Moore looked at the students and singled out Jessica and a boy named Liam.
“Can you two please stick close to Ms. Scott? She seems to be having a hard time. Just keep her moving with the rest of us.” As the two students went to stand by their young teacher, she nodded and raised her hands. “Let us proceed.”
The group all rose from the grass and with Mrs. Moore leading them, they made their way to the gates they had entered only a few hours earlier. They had been somewhat protected from the horror of what was happening outside the park, but as they cleared the parking area, the full devastation was revealed. All cars, trucks and buses had come to a stop and many were fused together in torn metal and broken glass. There were people wandering dazed and bloody from injuries and others lay on the pavement, too damaged to move. Others were running and many were carrying bags stuffed with stolen items. It hadn’t taken long for the looting to start.
Many of the students walked with huge eyes and open mouths as their eyes tracked through the wreckage. Other students kept their heads down and tried to block out the suffering that was all around them. Mrs. Moore kept them all moving and helped them weave a path around accidents and injured people that had ended up on the sidewalks.
Some of the girls wept quietly and Ms. Scott had started to loudly sob again. April was blank. Her head swivelled back and forth but the haze had come back and she felt nothing but the painful grip her mother had on her arm. As they moved farther from the amusement park, the air got thicker with smoke from the many fires that were burning out of control.
They had only gone a few blocks when the whole group came to a stop. April stood on her tippy toes to see what was in front of them and saw the sidewalk they were travelling on completely blocked by an accident of four crashed cars.
Stranded (Book 4): City Escape Page 1