Amitola: The Making of a Tribe

by A. Grant Richard

  He didn’t care that he wouldn’t be reading hers anytime soon. He gave her his notebook anyway. “You hold on to that. You can give it back when you’re done, but I know you know I like to write in it every morning and every night so…in there you’ll learn about me.”

  He choked. “I’m honest to a fault too. I can’t promise I’ll never make you do anything you don’t want to do because sometimes you might need to be in the damn truck. But I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise you that. And whatever you had to do to survive—“ He teared up again, but he fought them back. He hugged her tight and kissed her head. “I’m sorry you had to do it, but I’m glad you did. Whatever it is, I’m glad you did it. Okay?”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mother Nature rose early too. She peeked through the barrier spilling her sunlight in a landscape view. Her cool breeze teased the ravaged earth, and her breath dried the saturated lands. If she felt generous, she would fly into a heated rage by mid-day and give weary travelers an extra hour or so of travel time.

  One by one the rest of the crew broke their slumber and prepared themselves for the journey ahead. They crammed stuff into their bags then tidied the trailer back to the state it was in when they arrived. Hearing the screen door slam behind them, they were glad to be leaving the discomforts of it behind, but most importantly, they were looking forward to finally getting that much closer to Amitola.

  On their way out, they stopped at the makeshift doctor’s office. Tobi rechecked their injuries and gave them a small stock of medical supplies and food for the trip home. She also handed Maia a set of brown contacts and gave her instructions on how to use them.

  Maia dipped the contact into the lubricating solution. “Why do I have to do this?”

  “Jason said there’s a photo of you circulating? He wants to change the way you look as much as possible. Use some of that temporary colored, hair gel and the contouring makeup too. That might help.”

  While she was replacing the bandages on Caleb’s shoulder, Dr. Tullier walked in. He seemed to be bothered by them being there.

  “I’ll walk out with you,” Tobi said shutting the door behind her.

  Once they were down the hallway, she pulled a bag out of her coat and handed it to Maia. “There’s more supplies in here including a tetanus shot for the rest of you. I wrote specific instructions, so if you follow them, you’ll be fine.”

  Maia took the bag and gave her a hug. “Jason told me. I hope you know I’m happy for you if this is what you want. You and Sean, are family to me.”

  She crossed her arms and hung her head. “What choice did I have?”

  Sean and Maia’s brother, Mark, were friends as long she could remember. When her family came home to Louisiana, they always stayed with their grandparents in the studio apartment above the garage. Sean grew up across the street. When she was in eighth grade, her dad retired, and they moved into a house down the road.

  Since teenage guys were always coming and going from the Cameron household, there was no shortage of smitten girls. That’s how she met Tobi. They were friends from the start, and it didn’t take Sean and Tobi long before the two became an item. In spite of their on again, off again relationship, everyone knew they’d end up married. It was odd even to try to imagine her with someone else, especially Jason.

  “You could come with us. We could use someone who knows how to deliver babies.” Maia said.

  “I would love that, but I don't know if we could. Sean said the trip would be too dangerous.”

  Caleb stepped in front of Maia and gave Tobi a hug. “If we can make it safe, would you come?”

  “I would if you could convince Sean. But Maia, you should know, I’m already pregnant for Jason.”

  Her bottom lip dropped, and her eyes widened. “What?”

  Tobi held her hands up, palms out. “Wait. I know what you’re thinking, but I told him he had to find out what was going on between the two of you. I knew how he felt about you and if you felt the same, there was no way I was going to come between the two of you. We didn’t get pregnant the old-fashioned way.”

  Maia, Caleb, and Tye all looked at her, confused. She responded, “Um, he used a cup then I used a turkey baster…and it worked. No kidding.”

  Maia broke out into a smile. “Tobi, that’s great. I mean, I’m happy for you. For both of you.” She shook her head. “Or, all three of you. However, this works. Are you happy?”

  “I think so. All of this is still strange. I’m happy about the baby at least. Jason would need to be with us though. I can’t have my child without his father. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “We’ll see what we can do,” Caleb assured her.

  They stepped outside and found an entourage waiting to greet them. Jason, Tony, Sean, Dirk and a couple of other men were already geared up. The squad refused to let them journey through the next part of town alone. Usually, Maia and her crew would walk several miles out of the way to go around the central part of it, but because they were already short on time, they were going to push through. Several organized groups occupied the area, and some of them were dangerous for females. With the extra support, they shouldn’t be bothered.

  The first part of their journey through the swamp and woodlands was uneventful. The slow fade back into the grim state of the world didn’t begin until they reached the first rural highway. The partially cleared road boasted levees of debris so tall on both sides that it was impossible to see over them. Among the rubble, the only identifiable objects were furniture, metal and plastic storage containers. It was hard to fathom that people once spent hundreds of dollars on storage containers so they could organize the stuff they'd spent thousands of dollars on. Their precious things had to be protected and properly stored. Material things once mattered that much to people. Today, everything they owned and needed they carried in a backpack.

  Maia and Sadie stayed together in the center of the formation. The men guarded them on all sides. The girls knew from experience that their disguise would only work from far away. The guys pointed out once again that they had to be careful how they swayed and moved since it could be a dead giveaway that they were female.

  The revelation became visible when a group of survivors walked toward them. She noticed the woman without ever seeing her face. She finally understood what Caleb and Tye were trying to explain to her about the hip and arm movement.

  Minutes later another woman came into view. They were surprised that she didn’t bother to cover herself. Maybe it was because she was with a group of a dozen or so men and felt safe enough that she didn’t have to hide, but even that thought was odd.

  Maia stared as she came closer, the woman’s mid-length hair up was swept up on the sides. A soft pink shirt clung to her tiny frame and barely reached the waist of the short skirt she wore. Cumbersome jewelry hung from her ears, wrists, and neck all but begging someone to use it as a leash.

  Maia commented that she didn’t move like a woman. Jason turned and looked at her, “That’s because that ain’t no lady, sweetheart.” He was right. When they were close enough, it became apparent the person she had been staring at was only dressed as a woman.

  “I hope they decided to act like women before Judgement Day because if men are already succumbing to this. I can’t even think about it.” Tye shook his head in disbelief.

  Dirk patted his shoulder. "The worst though isn't that one of them is dressed like a woman. It's that all those men were protecting him like he was."

  Tye let out a sigh in rebellion against what he'd just heard. It wasn't only women who had to be concerned but now, weak men too. With the ratio of men to women it could be expected that at some point, desperate men would turn to each other. Indeed, some already had.

  They passed several more groups of people along the three-mile hike. Among them, were several males dressed as females but only three women. Two of them were dragged around by the dog leashes around their neck. Why people think most humans would act lawfully w
hen all law and order is gone is ludicrous. The absence of boundaries gives those with evil desires and intentions the perfect environment in which to nurture and fulfill them.

  When the crew reached the opening of the trench, several armed men blocked the exit. Jason had a conversation with the one in charge. The big man shook his hand, and Jason offered him a bag. The man looked inside of it then passed it off to one of his soldiers. He eyeballed the group then walked directly to Maia and Sadie.

  He walked around them and stared wide-eyed at their backside. “Are they yours?” he asked Jason.

  Tye got in the man’s face. “Back off.”

  “Oh, they’re yours. Both of ‘em?” He smirked and looked Tye up and down. “We pay top dollar. You want to sell?”

  Ty’s body tensed up, and the vein in his temple throbbed. Jason walked over to him and put his hand out. Tye stared them both down, his eyes bulging and his jaw clenched. He wasn't about to put up with this nonsense. Caleb walked in the center of them to de-escalate the situation before Tye did something he'd regret.

  “Do you have a daughter? A wife? A sister? I know you got somebody,” he said. “Nobody’s selling their family. Got that?”

  “If you care about them you should know they’ll be much better off with us. We can give them all the food, shelter, and protection they might need, and we’ll take care of the rest of you for as long as they pop out babies. Eh?”

  The man hesitated, waiting for Tye to reply. He didn’t. “If you change your mind you know where to find us.” The man stared at Jason. When the group started walking away, he grabbed his arm. “Didn’t I see you and this other guy come through here yesterday?”

  Jason motioned for the rest of the crew to move on. “It’s possible. We come through here a lot. Is that a problem?”

  “Not a problem. We’re just trying to figure out who mutilated a man and hung his body in a tree yesterday.” Maia stopped. She turned her ear back toward them. “His crew are paying a handsome reward for some woman they believe had something to do with it. You know anything about that?”

  “Why would I?” Jason jerked his arm away and walked into the city with the rest of his crew.

  Once they were past the entrance, it was hard not to notice that this place was eerily different. The air reeked of booze and stomach bile. Sequins, glitter, beads and other trinkets adorned the visible surfaces. The gaudy decor was still distinguishable from the shop windows and balconies. Then there were all the people.

  On Judgement Day, thousands of spectators from all over lined this road. They staked out their spots, put up ladder seats for the kiddies and settled into their lawn chairs anticipating the arrival of the Mardi Gras king and queen. Hopes were high that they’d get bags of beads and trinkets to cherish.

  The floats paraded through a third of the route before the earth shook the first time. Once the waters came through, the celebration halted abruptly. Due to its elevation, like Amitola, a significant portion of the town didn’t flood. However, the areas surrounding it did. Unable to leave and with no promise of help in site, a group of citizens banded together to form some semblance of government and allowed the people to live and eat there as long as they contributed their fair share.

  Unlike Amitola, the surrounding water receded a couple of months later. Not long after, the dog hunters raided the town. They killed most of the men and the people in charge then kidnapped the women and children. Those left behind were either sick, past childbearing age, or well hidden.

  Caleb and his crew reached the end of the first road and turned onto Railroad Avenue. Historic buildings lined each side of the tracks. Restaurants, shops, offices, cafes, and even the post office stood dilapidated beyond recognition. Scrap pieces of floats, corrugated metal, cardboard, and Styrofoam were used to make repairs so they could be inhabited. People slept on the same sidewalks and streets where they relieved themselves, and it seemed no one found it odd. Small town America was now equal to a third world country.

  Their eyes darted from person to person. At first, the people ignored them, but as they got closer, the crowd descended like a pack of rabid dogs. They begged for food and water as they held up their vinyl signs with parade lingo like, “Throw me something mister” and “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler.” It was nauseating. Even the men offered sexual favors in exchange for a meal.

  Jason and Tony pushed the people aside so they could pass. As they broke through the crowd, Caleb grabbed his head, and a rock hit the ground. “What the—?”

  He looked to his right to see a dozen or so teenage stragglers littering the front yard and porch of an old house, puffing away on weed. A little punk with hair covering his face stood proudly, urinating on the “Historic District” sign. Maia covered Sadie’s eyes.

  "God bless America," Tye said in a condescending tone.

  “Ignore them. They’re looking to start something. They got nothing else to do when they’re not cooking up drugs,” Tony said.

  Caleb rubbed his head where the rock hit him. “Oh, well it’s good to see some things haven’t changed.”

  One of them yelled, “Hey, y’all want some juice that’ll make you feel real good? The first shot is free.” The crew ignored him and kept walking.

  Sean spit a wad of chewing tobacco on the ground. “Yeah, you don’t want the crap they cook up. You ain’t never seen nothing like that.”

  Caleb looked between the buildings and noticed a little boy by an open door. He pulled at his skin and sobbed. He was lying in blood. An iron gate had been erected and chained shut to prevent anyone from leaving or entering. Caleb stopped. “Should we go check on him?”

  Sean grabbed him. “No, don’t. That’s where they put the sick people. It’s too late. There’s nothing you can do for him.”

  He walked ahead and looked inside the window of the building as he passed and sure enough, there was a woman inside covered in blood blisters. She wasn’t moving. His eyes bounced around the inside of the building. “My god…” he covered his eyes and shook his head.

  The rest of the crew surrounded him and peeked inside. They stared in disbelief. Men, women, and children covered nearly every square inch of the old bakery. Survivors of this town quarantined the infected and left them for dead. Many of them rotted where they lay, but some were still moving.

  A half-dressed old woman sat against a wall with her head resting on a display counter. A child lay dead across her lap. Her eyes were glossed over and appeared to stare at each one of them. The reality of the moment absorbed their attention. Just then something hit the glass. They gasped, startled. Caleb came face to face with a young boy who appeared to be the same age as his son. A sharp chill overtook him. He stood there, paralyzed with fear. The boy left a streak of blood down the glass as he mouthed the words, “Help, please,” and collapsed to the floor.

  Tye tapped Caleb and Maia on the back. “Let’s go.” Everyone turned to leave except Caleb. “C’mon, man. We gotta go.”

  Caleb blinked. “Yep, I’m coming.” He couldn’t shake the thought that the only thing protecting them from a slow, excruciating demise was a pane of glass. He backed away, grabbed Elex and rushed away from the building.

  The wind whistled through the streets as the cold moved in. They hustled through several more blocks until they reached the most populated part of town. Dozens of armed guards stood stationed in various locations. People lined the streets, huddled together or bundled up in cardboard boxes.

  Tye slowed his pace and waited for Sean to catch up. “Why are they on the streets and not in the buildings?”

  “Most of the buildings are full of sewage from the pipes backing up. They can’t beg from inside either,” Sean replied.

  The two marched in unison. Tye glanced at Sean several times trying to understand him. “Dude, you wanna say something?” Sean asked.

  “Are you actually gonna share your wife?” Tye glanced behind him to be sure Sadie and Maia were keeping up.

  Sean stared at the ground
while he walked. “It’s not like I want to. I don’t have much of a choice. It’s the only way I can keep her safe.”

  “Y’all could come stay with us. Then you wouldn’t have to,” Tye replied.

  “You know she’s already pregnant for him, right? Besides, I can’t take a chance of losing my kids to get there.”

  Tye noticed Jason looking back at them. “As long as he stays away from Maia, he could come too. I’m just saying no one would force anyone to do anything. Having a baby for someone is not the same as being with them. And I’m sure we could find a way to make the trip safe.”

  Sean gave him a serious look. “Let’s talk about it when you come back to make the trade with Allen. I’ll let you know then.”

  A young woman sat on the side of the road calling out. “Please, take us with you. I’ll do anything you want. Just please take us with you.” She flipped her matted hair in an attempt to appear sexy, but it came off as desperate. The part on the crown of her head was at least an inch wide. She looked much too young to have lost so much of her golden locks. When she turned her head, it was evident that patches of her hair were missing. She twitched and hit her arm repeatedly. When they were within a few feet they could hear her humming a familiar lullaby to the child she cradled in her arms. He, or she, didn’t appear to be breathing.

  It was gut-wrenching to see her up close. The light in her eyes was gone, and her skin had the appearance of dried leather but what festered beneath it was far worse than anything they’d previously encountered. Black scabs that gave the impression of movement covered the crevices of her mostly exposed body. Upon closer examination, they were moving. It was piles of lice or bedbugs, maybe both, and they were crawling all over each other fighting for a spot on the woman’s skin. For some things, there was no coming back.