The Wild Children Trilogy Box Set

by Hannah Ross

  "I don't think so," Ben said. "The stones don't look like they've been there for decades." He shook his head. "This isn't something from before the War."

  They all exchanged glances. They knew they were not the only people released beyond the Boundary. There were older graduates from their orphanage and most likely people from other orphanages as well. And if people built this not long ago, there was a good chance they would eventually meet them.

  Ben stared at the cairn. Is that why they made this? To let newcomers know there are other people around? To make the area easier to recognize? Or is it a warning sign?

  The next morning, even Lauren felt strong enough to move forward at a slow, steady pace. Her ankle still bothered her, but with a tight bandage around it, and the forked branch David found for her to use as a crutch, she was able to walk.

  Ben led the way. Tom and Elisa walked alongside him. Both boys knew Elisa's limp made her tire faster than everyone else, but they also knew she was determined to keep pace and would have none of them slowing down to accommodate her. She also seemed to have the best eyesight and was the first to notice anything interesting or useful.

  They crossed the river at a shallow spot that only soaked the shortest of them to the waist. Again, David took a fair amount of ribbing, but he just grinned and apologized as he did the previous evening.

  Twenty minutes after they passed the cairn, Elisa shielded her eyes with one hand, pointed ahead with the other and asked, "What's that?"

  Tom squinted. "A clump of trees?"

  Benjamin looked. Yes, there are definitely a lot trees grouped together. Too many, though. Like… "What's that poking above them?"

  He pulled the binoculars from his backpack. "A roof! A roof means a house!"

  The three exchanged glances.

  "Do you think anybody lives there?" asked Tom.

  Ben shrugged. "I don't know. It's probably a farmhouse from before the War. I don't know whether to hope there are people there who can help us or hope it's abandoned so we can use it. Let's get closer and have a look."

  As they drew near, they saw the place was obviously long abandoned. The clump of trees turned out to be an overgrown orchard, which spilled into the inner yard through a broken and rotten gate. Many of the roof tiles were missing, and several windows were gaping black holes, but the house itself looked solid enough. The yard was strewn with the littered remnants of what might once have been outbuildings.

  The ancient wooden door was locked, so they helped Jimmy climb in a window. A minute later, he yelled, "I unlocked it but I can't open it. Push from the outside."

  First Ben, and then Ben and Tom pushed, but to no avail.

  "It probably swelled up so much it's jammed in the frame," Tom said. "Maybe we can kick it in."

  Instead of swinging it open, their few determined kicks made it collapse inward, taking parts of the frame with it.

  "Must have been really rotted together," Jimmy said as the group filed in.

  After the brightness outside, the room appeared dark at first, but their eyes soon adjusted. Sunlight poured in through the doorway and empty window-frames, illuminating a desolate room with peeling, moisture-stained walls. It was almost empty, apart from some scattered debris that spoke of hasty abandonment. There was a blackened chair with a missing leg, an old kettle with a rusted-through bottom, and some unrecognizable rags which might once have been clothes. The only relatively intact piece of furniture was an immense wooden table, which was pushed against the wall across the cold black fireplace grate.

  "D'you think we should go upstairs and check what's there?" asked Tom, looking doubtfully at the wooden staircase that led to the upper floor. "Those stairs look kind of rickety."

  Ben blushed when he realized that not just Tom, but everybody else were looking to him for an answer. It felt odd. It was not like he was stronger or smarter than the others, but somehow it appeared he had to be the one to make the decisions.

  "Maybe later. The stairs may be rotted through. This will do for now." He looked around as he spoke. "We can use this place as a base for a few days. It might be a bit drafty, but it's better than spending the night outside, especially if it rains."

  As it turned out, it did rain, but not before the former schoolmates made the necessary preparations to make the place as cozy and sheltered as possible. Canvas tent parts were fixed across the window-frames and the door, and plenty of dry wood was found outside among the trees of the orchard. Elisa thought its owners must have been proud of it once. There were apple, pear, peach, apricot and cherry trees, with a few pecans here and there. But though the trees were lovely with their fresh foliage and bloom, at present they could do nothing to augment the dwindling supplies of the company. There were at least two months to go until the beginning of fruit season.

  They were luckier when they explored the backyard, where the vegetable garden must have been in its day. The beds were long destroyed, of course, but some of the hardier crops continued to grow on their own. They laid dormant all winter, and now were happily poking their heads through the sun-warmed soil. Elisa uttered an exclamation of delight when she saw this, and immediately grabbed a thick stick and began digging.

  "Onions!" She sounded as if she wanted to sing. "Carrots, beets, garlic!"

  She looked so exuberant with the heap of muddy vegetables in her arms that it would have been easy to laugh, but nobody did. After getting much too familiar with the taste of cattails and wild asparagus, they were delighted to find something that had been part of their school lunches, even if it was something they usually pushed to the side of their plate. It was almost like meeting old friends.

  That night, after a trip to the river to wash their bounty, they made a savory stew with the fresh vegetables, a few handfuls of oats from their supplies, and the last of their canned meat. As the pot was propped up above the crackling fire and the smell of food filled the cramped space of the abandoned kitchen, everyone sat with bowls in hand, impatient for dinner to be cooked.

  When the stew was ladled out, Benjamin savored the first spoonful. I wonder when we'll taste meat again. We haven't had any success with hunting and I can't see how we will without much better equipment and a lot more training. He kept his worries to himself, though, because the last thing he wanted was to be a party pooper.

  Spending the night under a roof again, even a crooked, leaking roof like this one, felt great. Everyone was cheerful and talking, even laughing. When dinner was over, someone piled more dry wood upon the fire. It blazed and crackled merrily, and even the wind blowing in through cracks and holes could not put it out or dampen anyone spirits. Nor could the leaks that dripped into old containers they found around the yard.

  "I think we should stay here," Elisa said, her eyes shining. "Fix this place up. I'm sure the vegetable garden will give lots more if someone takes care of it, and in a couple of months there will be all the fruit we can eat in the orchard."

  Tom grunted. "We don't know anything about fixing up houses."

  "We don't know much about anything," countered Elisa. "That's the whole point, isn't it? We have to learn. We're on our own now. What do you say, Ben?"

  Benjamin frowned. "Hmm."

  Elisa's right. We're on our own. And we've already done things we couldn't imagine doing a month ago. Not knowing how to do something can't be an excuse anymore if we want to survive. We'll have to make a lot of adjustments now that no adult is around to tell us when to eat, sleep, do homework. It's up to us to make sure we're fed, and warm, and safe. And up to me to decide I guess.

  "There might be better places than this. For all we know, in half a day's walk we might find something more spacious and in a better condition. And besides, remember what Mr. Bradley told us? We ought to get to the abandoned towns to stock up on supplies. Clothes, shoes, traveling equipment, whatever we can find. What we have won't last long, and we certainly won't find any of it here."

  Elisa's shoulders drooped as she sighed. "I guess you're right
. It's just that there's something about this place that feels good, you know? All these trees and plants, and the river nearby."

  "We can always come back later. But we should stay for a few days anyway to rest, explore the area, see if there's anything useful to be found."

  "Hey, Ben," Jimmy Stone called from the other side of the room. He sounded excited. "Come see what we've found in the corner!"

  Once they elbowed their way past a small knot of people, Ben saw it at once and wondered how none of them noticed it before.

  "I was getting kind of sleepy, and tried to put my sleeping bag right over it," Jimmy said, "and at first I thought it was just a loose floorboard. But then my toe got caught in this iron handle, and I realized it must be a floor-door! Don't you think so, Ben?"

  Ben nodded. "It makes sense. We're in a farmhouse, after all. This door probably leads to the cellar."

  "Let's open it and see what's down there," said Tom.

  Shauna, shook her head-full of red hair. "What for? Even if it's a cellar, do you imagine any of the supplies are still good after all these years? Besides, the door looks stuck. If you open it and can't close it again, it'll make it cold and drafty in here."

  "Rubbish," said Tom, tugging on the handle. "If we can open it, we can close it."

  Tom tugged, but the door, more well-preserved than the one at the entrance, was stuck on its rusted hinges. Tom tugged and pulled harder and finally swore under his breath when he had no success. Then Elisa went to her backpack and returned with a little plastic container.

  "Here," she said, "try this."

  He looked at it in surprise. "Petroleum Jelly?"

  "Mrs. Stocking always used it on stuck and squeaky hinges. Might as well give it a try."

  Tom and Ben worked the jelly into and around the hinges. Then, with a lot more tugging and pulling, the door was finally pried open, and the large square space underneath it gaped like an empty black mouth. Someone pulled out a flashlight and they saw the top of a solid stone staircase.

  "And here are the cellar stairs," said Ben. He took out his own flashlight and descended, slowly and carefully. Tom and Elisa followed him, as did a few others, but most stayed above, peering into the dark hole.

  "It's alright!" Elisa cried from down below. "There's only nine stairs!"

  The cellar was almost as big as the lower floor of the house and six feet high from the dirt floor to the bottom of the floor joists above.

  "There was probably a marvelous supply of farm produce down here before the war," Elisa said.

  Now it was almost empty. A thin, black layer of dirt, or perhaps the decomposed remnants of vegetables grown before the War covered the shelves that lined the walls. Most were bare, but two of them held unrecognizable rusty sealed cans and a few glass jars.

  Elisa took one of the jars from the shelf, wiped a thick streak of dust from its surface, and eyed it suspiciously. "I wonder what's in there."

  "Probably some hundred-year-old jam," said Tom, taking one of the rusty cans and tossing it in his hand.

  It took all her strength, and a bit of grunting for Elisa to turn the cover off the jar. Inside was a thick, dark substance which might once have been liquid, but which solidified completely over the years. She looked at it from one angle and then another and finally sniffed it. Then she stuck a finger inside and, before any of the others could stop her, licked it. Her face lit up.

  "Honey!"

  "It looks more like cement to me," Tom said.

  "It's crystallized, but it's perfectly good! If we heat it a bit before the fire, the honey will be liquid again."

  "How do you know?"

  "She reads a lot," Ben said. "Or did when we were back at the orphanage."

  Elisa gifted him with a smile. "Let's see if there's any more, and take the jars upstairs."

  There was, indeed, honey in a few more of the jars. Others contained a dark, putrid substance which might have been some sort of jam. Everyone stepped back, gagging at the smell, and Elisa hastened to close the jars again.

  "Maybe we can compost this stuff," Elisa said.

  Tom's head shook. "Or maybe it's poison and we should just bury it somewhere."

  "Maybe. Either way, we might be able to use these jars. Come on, help me with the honey."

  Ben watched her and a few others pick up the honey jars and carry them upstairs. After some hesitation, he decided to take a few of the rusty cans and try to open them, too.

  He set them on the table, took his can opener from his backpack, and pierced one. When he did, a putrid, foul-smelling substance burst out with the force of a small explosion all over his hands and face, leaving a stinky mess in its wake. The boys guffawed and the girls wrinkled their noses and hurried away from the smell. Ben, scowling, made his way to the river to wash himself while two others cleaned up the mess.

  Two days later, Ben realized they would soon be reduced to a pitiable state if they continued with their diet of clams, snails, wild herbs, some vegetables from the garden and the few fish they managed to catch. Little was left of their original supplies. It was not enough and would soon run out. We need to move on. We aren't equipped enough or experienced enough to stay here in the middle of the wilderness. We can always return later to gather fruit and nuts and store them for the winter. But we need to find a city.

  He gathered everyone together and was surprised when no one argued about leaving the next day to find a city.

  Sunrise found some preparing to depart while others still slept. The morning was misty, with opal-white clouds above. Two hours later, everyone was up and fed. A few late risers were still re-packing their backpacks when Tom ran into the house, breathless and excited.

  "What's up?" said Ben.

  "Where have you been?" asked Elisa.

  Tom shot her a dark look. "Guess. There's no bathroom here, is there? But never mind that." He took a few deep, steadying breaths. "You'll never guess what I just saw by the river!"

  "What?" several voices asked.

  "People!" he said, with the air of someone delivering a great surprise. "Go and have a look. I think you can see them from this window!"

  They crowded around the window, tilting the canvas aside. Some stood on tiptoe to look over their peers' heads.

  "He's right," Shauna said. "It looks like five or six people, on the other riverbank. I think they're getting ready to fish."

  Several kids behind her uttered hushed exclamations of excitement.

  "We aren't alone after all!" said Jimmy Stone. "There are more people out here!"

  "Well, what are we all waiting for?" Lauren said. "This is exciting! Come on, let's go meet them before they move on!"

  Ben understood her impulse. There was something extremely comforting in the knowledge of other people surviving out in the wilderness. I think they're older judging from their height. They've probably been out here much longer and can provide valuable information. Meeting people more experienced could be very useful. But it could also be dangerous.

  "Wait," he said. "We don't know them."

  Tom looked at him as if he were crazy. "So what? We outnumber them."

  "They could have weapons. We have nothing to defend ourselves with."

  An impatient Lauren asked, "But why should they want to hurt us? I say we go out and meet them. I'm sure they're friendly."

  Elisa touched Ben's arm. "Why don't some of us go out a little further, say, to that clump of bushes. We'll be closer to the river this way, and we can have a better look."

  Ben thought about it for a moment. "Alright then."

  He, Tom, and Elisa went out, followed by Lauren and Jimmy. With bent heads, they slowly, carefully made their way to the bushes and peered through them. They saw there were five – three boys and two girls. All looked a few years older. One boy had his line in the water, another boy and a girl just took out their fishing rods, and the other girl was busy gathering driftwood. Talking and snatches of laughter drifted their way.

  "They don't look da
ngerous to me," Lauren whispered.

  The third boy waded into the river up to his knees, and was, by the sound of it, scolded by those trying to fish. He turned and said something, then laughed at his companions reactions. At this point, an exited Elisa grabbed Benjamin's sleeve.

  "Ben! I know that boy! I know him!"

  He squinted. "The one standing in the water? He doesn't look familiar to me. None of them do."

  "Maybe that's because you spent so much time brooding on your own."

  Ben blushed, only slightly stung by the truth. "You really know him?"

  "Yes!" Elisa's face was glowing. "He's from the school. He was sent away two years ago!"

  "Are you sure?" asked Tom. "It's kinda hard to know for sure from this distance."

  "Of course I'm sure." Her face and crossed arms betrayed her impatience. "Where else would I know him from? I think I even remember his name. Ron, I think. Yes, it's Ron. Once I dropped my books and he was passing by and he stopped and picked them up for me."

  Tom rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you just happened to drop your books," he said. "I see now why you remember him. You had a crush on him."

  "Don't be so ridiculous," Elisa snapped as a blush warmed her cheeks and ears. "Ben. The others must be from our school too, from a few years back. We have to meet them."

  The thought of connecting with former classmates who might be able to help them was too much to resist. Ben straightened up. "You're right. Let's get everyone down here."

  Five minutes later, the whole group emerged from the bushes and made it almost to the edge of the water before they were noticed. Those on the other bank froze in astonishment, while the boy in the water gaped at them with his mouth open.

  "Hello," said Ben, as if this was an encounter in the schoolyard.

  They all rolled up their pant legs and waded across the shallow portion of the river and stood face-to-face with the strangers. A boy of about seventeen, light and wiry, with auburn hair that shone like copper as it caught the sunlight appeared to be the leader. He stepped forward and looked them up and down, sizing them, before a smile spread across his face.