by B. Buechter
Anger and disgust caused Eva’s stomach to churn. She blamed herself. After all, it was she who always killed the Gangs that entered the town. Taking their guns, that was her fault too. She should have just escaped to the city with Jake and Tommy rather than risking the lives of the Rovers further. It was only a matter of time before an enemy had discovered them. If they decided not to kill everyone in the town, setting an example was what the Gangs did best. The fear they instilled in the Rovers would be enough to make them wary of ever touching a firearm again.
“Are they gone?” The Wanderer asked loudly enough for the Healer to return. “I need to see what they did to those people,”
“Yes,” the Healer said.
Eva laboriously sat up in her bed. The Healer tried to refuse, but knew that she would hobble out either way. Even Jake tried to persuade her to rest. She ignored him and grabbed a Y-shaped stick at the edge of the table. The Apprentice was on her way back in the room with the Healer by the time Eva had limped right past them to the front door. Jake and Tommy followed her.
“That girl is unbelievably stubborn,” Jake heard the Healer say as she was sweeping broken glass. “Not worth my energy to fight with her.”
Eva stepped out into the fog and light drizzle. The crutch sunk into the muddy ground, but she persisted. Her body was so fatigued that each motion made her breathless. Still, the Rovers awaited her, forming a semicircle around the tree. The children had been escorted inside their homes as the teens, adults, and elders looked up at the horrific sight. The three made it around to read the signs that the Tigers had strung around their victims’ necks. Their jaws dropped.
We will find you Wanderer, read one. Remember your place, the other.
“We cannot continue to let The Wanderer and her friends stay here,” a Rover called out. Eva’s heart began to race. “They will be the death of us all. We can’t take it anymore. This is the last straw.”
“But she has protected this town for years,” another argued. “She has brought supplies when we had nothing. She’s saved us.”
“And she expects us to give her an unfair share of our crops,” a woman’s voice mentioned.
“Yeah! And she protects us only from herself,” another voice chimed in. “All of the trouble we have is because of her.”
Eva tried to make herself seem smaller, but the barrage of insults continued to be hurled her way.
“She does nothing for us. It is all for her own greed.”
“But she gave us weapons.”
“Only to be taken from our dead hands. She knew that the Gangs would be back for them one day. Look what the Tigers did to Tim and Lyla! This is not what we deserve. It is what she deserves.”
“We are safer without her. The Gangs will stop massacring us if we stop killing them and tell them that The Wanderer no longer protects us…”
“Yeah! Before she showed up begging for mercy, they only took what we sacrificed. When she started killing ‘em, they started killing more of us.”
“Stop!”
It was not Jake, but Tommy who silenced the crowd. Jake could hardly remember what his brother’s voice sounded like, if he had ever even heard it at all. Eva was so shocked she fell backwards against the tree. No one had heard Tommy speak before. But now, he finally had something worth saying.
“I don’t know what happened before my brother and I got here,” he yelled. “But Eva is a good person. You are all selfish. All you ever think about is yourselves. And you’re right. This world sucks. But at least Eva is here to keep as many of you safe as she can. She saved me from the Tigers when she didn’t have to. And I am sure she stuck out her neck for you when you needed it most.”
The entire town fell silent. No sounds came from chirping birds or the rustling of leaves. There was only the pitter patter of raindrops falling on the grass and cobblestone at their feet. Some of the Rovers looked around. Others glared at Eva. Tommy stuck out his chest until Eva put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her to find tears in her eyes.
“No Tommy,” she choked. “They’re right. I am nothing but a danger to these people. I have brought them into my sick game of survival by slaughter. These people have paid dearly for my sins for all these years…”
“You’re wrong Eva.” Tommy hugged her waist. “You are a good person.”
“I am both a murderer and a savior,” she said without breaking her blank stare into the distance. “My title suits me better than I realized. The Wanderer. That is my place. To wander. Never staying in one place.”
“Then go already.” An Elder broke away from the crowd. “It seems my trust has been misplaced for all of these years. My duty is to protect these Rovers and I had believed that you shared the same duty. Now I can see how little you care for my people. Returning here after saving the boy was pure idiocy. You knew they would follow and slaughter us.”
Jake threw his arms out and stomped towards the crowd. “But you can’t just banish her while she is still so injured. She can barely walk.”
A few in the crowd huffed and shook their heads.
“She made it here didn’t she?” The Elder turned his back. “If she stays any longer, the Tigers could return and finish us all.”
Jake and Tommy could scarcely believe what they were hearing. Both of them were glued to the ground, mouths agape. Eva had already turned her back to the crowd and started walking towards her home, stopping by the Healer to grab her armor, handgun, and blades. Eva thanked her one final time and labored down the road, crying softly to herself. The feeling of dread returned and materialized. When she passed the shadowy creature in the space between two homes, she caught a glimpse of its face. It was hers.
“You will all die without her.” Jake’s voice rang through the street. Eva looked over her shoulder at him. “It is nothing more than you pathetic people deserve.”
“This is how you thank us boy?” The Elder spat. “After we gave you food, medicine, and shelter when you have done nothing to contribute.”
The Shadow disappeared and Jake and Tommy were by Eva’s side, helping her to her shack for the last time. As the door opened, they found that it had been ransacked by the Tigers during their pillage. Every single one of Eva’s trinkets had been stolen, even her box of deities. Her bookshelves were bare and her food supply had been emptied.
“Eva I-.” Jake was at a loss for words.
“Everything I have ever found in the city was here,” she said with tears streaming down her face. “All of the memories and stories of the Old Times. My collection of gods and worshiped idols. Every. Last. Thing.”
“I still got this.” Tommy held out his hands to Eva. They were clutching something. “Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to take it.”
In his child-sized palms was her favorite idol, the man wearing a common robe, sitting in a peaceful bliss. Eva stepped over to him, dropped to her knees from exhaustion and relief, and wrapped her arms tightly around the boy, sobbing into his shoulder. They all knelt on the floor of the shack, holding onto the only thing that remained of Eva’s collection. Even in defeat, there was a ray of hope.
Jake knelt down and helped Eva stand. Exhaling hard to stop the flow of tears, she hobbled over to her bed and grabbed her bag that she had hidden underneath. Luckily, they did not find it when they flipped over her mattress. Solace washed over her as she opened it and checked inside. It was still filled to the brim with small knives and one other handgun. She held it to her chest and looked up at the ceiling. Then, handing the gun to Jake, she threw on her armor.
Jake fumbled with it. It was fully loaded. “What do we do now?”
“We survive Jake,” she sniffled. “I have done it before. I can do it again.”
“We can do it,” Jake corrected. “You are not alone this time.”
“Thank you both.” She tossed her bag over her shoulder and pushed herself up with the crutch. “I never knew what it felt like to have a family. Or, shit, someone who cares for me.”
Jake and Tommy
smiled and followed her out of the shack. The Rovers were removing the bodies from the tree, watching her with deep scorn and hatred as she labored down the street. Her threatening gaze caused them to avert their eyes. Before they left the Rover colony, she looked over her shoulder at the village. One man insulted her as she turned to journey to the city.
“What?” he said. “No last words?”
Eva’s lips curled to a fiendish smile. “Hope,” she said under her breath. The man saw her lips move, but did not hear her.
“Say that again,” he demanded.
She stopped. Jake and Tommy turned with her simultaneously. The Rovers formed a crowd to hear what she had to say.
“I said hope,” she repeated. “You… All of you… had better hope that you can survive without me. Your days are numbered and your thankless attitudes are what led you to this fate. The Gangs will never stop hunting down every Rover and Nomad they can. Banishing me will do nothing to appease them.”
The man’s face drained of color. Eva’s tone sent a shiver down his spine. Although she swore that she would never return to this place, there was always a chance that destiny would lead her back. Those who had gathered left as quickly as they came. As she turned her back for the last time, she sighed. It was not a sigh of defeat, though. No, this was a breath of elation. The burden of protecting these people were gone.
Eva and the McAvoy brothers looked to the city as the fog began to clear. A large ray of sunshine burst through an opening in the overcast sky. Suddenly, the horizon changed to a sparkling skyline. Greenery lined the old buildings with a welcoming blanket of warmth. For the first time in a while, Eva was content with being uncertain of her future.
Perhaps I can rest a while, she thought. Gather my bearings and start over.
She hid her face and laughed knowing, deep down, that The Wanderer could never truly rest.
Chapter 12
What should have taken a half a day to reach the city took twice as long because of Eva’s ankle. She shoved her boots into her pack before she left the Rover colony and was forced to stumble barefoot down the asphalt highway. Jake had offered to take breaks when he noticed her pain worsening, but she refused. The Tigers may have sent a small group to search for them in the city. Now that they had evidence of The Wanderer arming the Rovers with guns, they sought her blood even more. Crossing paths with them would result in instant death. And although Eva did have one good arm to shoot, she could not run. This time, she had to hide.
“We have to set up camp near the middle of the city,” she told Jake and Tommy. “I need to wait until my leg heals before we decide to do anything crazy.”
“Do you think the Gangs travel that deep?” asked Jake.
“Most of them stay around the outer edge,” she said matter-of-factly. “The wildlife they hunt stay on the border, so the Gangs do not need to go any further. Also, the buildings closer to the center are in much worse condition. I’m pretty sure that was where the bomb detonated all those years ago.”
“Is it safe to live there?” Tommy squeaked.
“Not sure.” She was being honest. “I have not been there in a long time. Heavy winds pulled down what was left of the larger buildings there. There is no telling where or when the beams will fall. But…Quite a few of the smaller buildings are safe. We just have to go a few blocks out from the center. Plus, it’s safer than coming across the Tigers.”
They finally reached the outskirts. Clouds now obscured the sun and the drizzle had returned, but the view was welcoming. Eva was shocked at the freedom she experienced abandoning the Rover colony. Jake and Tommy had changed so much since she first rescued them. Now, she trusted them to be on their own. In their time spent with the Warriors in the West, they had acquired some necessary skills for survival like hunting and cooking. All she had to do was say what she needed. She handed Tommy two knives from her pack for protection.
Being forced to limp miles from the Rover colony began to take a toll on Eva’s body. She battled with her pain just to get to the outer part of the city. Now, they had at least another mile to venture. And after that, they would still have to find a place to stay for the next few weeks.
Tommy noticed the bloody footprints Eva was leaving behind, but he decided not to tell her. He could tell from the grimace on her face that she already felt it. She did. But stopping now would be dangerous so he just swept dirt over the prints so they would not be followed.
After it had gotten dark, Jake realized that he had been leading the group for a while. Both of Eva’s hands were clutching onto the crutch. She was dripping with sweat and cringing with each step. Tommy took it upon himself to watch her closely. If she tripped, he vowed to do his best to help her back to her feet. Jake had walked for a long time before turning back to see her in excruciating pain.
“We are stopping for the night,” he commanded. “Pushing yourself so hard is only going to kill you and you are no good to us then.”
Eva nodded and collapsed to her knees. Jake lifted her into his arms and carried her into the closest building. An old neon sign read “HOTEL”. Room 5 had two beds, both destroyed by moths and other small animals hundreds of years earlier. Tommy checked the front closet and found a large pile of blankets that had been wrapped in plastic to keep the bugs out. Jake laid Eva in an old chair and threw a pile of blankets on the floor for her to rest. Looking closely at her cut foot, she noticed a sharp rock right underneath the skin.
Jake rushed to her side. His words were rushed. “What do you need? Anything. Something.”
“I’m not going to die.” She bit her lip and dislodged the rock from her foot. “Ow! Anyway, it isn’t that deep. Just some water and any clean linen to wrap it.”
“Water.” Tommy had already disappeared through the door.
Jake and Eva looked at the empty doorway, then back at each other and shook their heads smiling. She crawled to the floor and propped some rolled blankets against a wall for her to lean on. Jake threw another blanket nearby for him and Tommy to sleep on for the night. Before he left, he asked whether she would be okay while he searched for food. She pulled her gun from the holster and set it near her uninjured hand.
“I also have a special tool that they used in the Old Times that may help you,” she mentioned as Jake was turning to leave. “It’s two pieces of metal that starts a fire when struck. We can cook a meal in between the vehicles.”
“You don’t think it will draw unwanted attention?” he questioned.
“Predicting the future would be a great ability,” she grinned. “My confidence is based more in my ability to deal with problems as they arise. And the occasional luck that I have in surviving every bad turn of events is beneficial too. But, no, I don’t think anyone will find us.”
Jake leaned against the door frame and shook his head. He noticed when her smile was genuine, admiring how it brightened her face. The twinkling in her eyes and a dimple on her left cheek… but not the right. He had come to know her face well. It seemed like Eva had become much more open to laughter and honesty lately. Part of him even considered an infection to be the culprit of her attitude change. But either way, he admired the way she had become. He could not put his finger on it, but the energy she now exuded was much warmer.
He waved and left Eva in the room. For some reason, she could not stop smiling. It felt like a heavy chain was cut from her neck. The burden of protecting the Rovers had been more significant than she realized. She was able to appreciate the sight around her, an ancient hotel. Shards of glass were strewn across the floor near the window, and walls of painted brick held together this ageless room. A family of mice ran around the floor, not even noticing a colossal human in their midst. Her eyes were abruptly drawn to them. Sure, this place was old, damp, and smelled of mold, but the mice seemed to enjoy it. It was their home.
For what may have been the first time in her life, Eva could not recall a time when she was happier. Her ankle was broken and her arm was at risk of another infection.
And now, her other foot was cut from the pavement outside. Despite her injuries, banishment from the Rover colony after defending them for so many years, almost witnessing Tommy being beaten to death, and being forced to start over with nothing - she turned her face to the ceiling and furrowed her brow with a genuine smile on her face.
“Fate has never been kind to me, but now I have the McAvoy brothers,” she whispered to herself. “They care for me as I do them. No longer am I being thanked out of fear. Jake and Tommy looked right through me. What they saw was not the exterior of a demon -”
“But the heart of a hero.” Jake had returned with his brother. He winked at her. Eva was startled at first and cleared her throat while the mice scattered back into the safety of the walls.
“I was… um,” she tried to explain.
“Talking to mice,” Tommy smirked and brought her a basin of water. “At least you said nice things about us.”
She tousled is hair. “Well I couldn’t have said anything mean about you. I am glad you started speaking again, Tommy. Your brother told me what happened with your mother. Was that when you stopped talking?”
Tommy nodded as his brother went outside to set up the fire. Eva could tell he wanted to talk about his mother. He was standing uncomfortably close and gazing at her. His body had become rigid, but his face was soft and pleading.
“You can tell me anything Tommy,” she said while washing her foot and redressing her arm. “You know that right? I promise not to tell Jake if you don’t want me to.”
Tommy sat beside her. “He remembers everything that happened,” he said. “We are different. Really different. When I tell him things… he listens… but he doesn’t hear me.”
Eva pondered how to respond for a moment. This was the first time she had ever been able to dig into the brain of Tommy McAvoy. Since they had first met, it was evident that he was always deep in thought. When she had trained them in the city a few months earlier, Tommy was very resourceful. She had never witnessed a child adjust to this hardened life as fast as he had. And as he spoke, his words were just as well thought out as his actions. Jake returned to a silent room and understood that they were having a private conversation. He quickly asked for the fire-starter and jogged out into the parking lot.