After the Fall: Jason's Tale

by David E. Nees

  With that, Jason grabbed the first man, pinned him down on his back, grabbed his hair and began to carve the word ‘rapist’ on his forehead with his hunting knife. The man screamed and squirmed.

  “If you make this harder, I’ll just cut you more.”

  When he finished he grabbed the second man, who was desperately trying to squirm away, and did the same to him. Then he untied them and gave them some scraps of cloth.

  “Tie these around your foreheads to soak up the blood. I’ll give you one minute to get down the road and around the bend before I start shooting to kill.” The men took off running as fast as they could go.

  The first men to return had already told lurid tales of the ferocity of the firefight and the accuracy of the shooters on the ridge. The last two men dragged themselves into the town two hours later their faces were covered with blood. They could hardly speak. One of the gang reached out to remove the bandage. The man tried to stop him, but was too weak. They all stared at the wound. They could make out the bloody cuts shaping the word ‘rapist’. The two men reported the execution of Big Jacks by a crazy man, the one who had cut them. When they said that he was coming to Clifton Furnace, the gang immediately began to gather their gear and load themselves into the remaining pickup trucks. Before nightfall, they were headed south, out of Clifton Furnace, to an uncertain fate.

  Jason returned to the pickup and they drove back in silence. He was drained, emotionally and physically. No one spoke. John rode in back with Andy’s body. Catherine kept staring at Jason. She had heard the screams of the men. Still she was reluctant to ask the question, to question this man who was instrumental in saving her life. He had given his word. When he finally looked over at her, he just shook his head and mouthed the word “no”.

  Book IV: The Army

  Chapter 1

  Everyone slept at Anne and Jason’s house the night after the battle. The next day they drove Andy’s body back to his farm. Anne stayed back with Sarah and Billy to take care of Ray. Claire, Andy’s wife, was devastated by his death. They buried Andy on the hill behind their house. Everyone pledged their help to Claire. Andy, like the others, played a key part in the valley being victorious in the battle. Betty stayed with Claire when the others departed. After a few days, Claire decided that she would move into the Turner’s place to help Billy take care of his dad; being helpful felt better than sitting and grieving.

  After getting Stan Turner back home, Jason took Anne aside. “We have to get rid of the bodies, now before they get worse.”

  “I know. But I don’t want the girls involved. They’re too traumatized already. You and I will do it.”

  “This is awkward to say, but we need to strip the bodies of useful things, boots, belts and some of the clothing. More than just the weapons.”

  Anne thought for a moment. “That sounds so medieval, so primitive and unpleasant…but it is practical. All the more reason to not have the girls involved. We’ll collect everything and share it with the others in the valley.” Jason nodded in assent.

  They completed the grisly task of removing the bodies from the yard and transporting them to the bridge. Anne was stunned when she saw the battle site.

  “My God,” she exclaimed, “so many bodies. It’s a miracle that you weren’t all killed. And the smell…” she covered her face with a rag.

  They unloaded the bodies on the bridge, collected the firearms, ammunition and additional useful clothing. Jason scavenged all the useable gear from the pickups but left everything else in place—the bodies strewn on the road and bridge. “I want to leave it as it is—a warning to anyone else trying to invade our valley. If we need to get out later, I can move the trucks.”

  Anne nodded. She had no more words for the grisly scene.

  In the weeks following the battle everyone in the family seemed to want to be close to one another—to be in touch, physically. The girls would snuggle up to Jason or their mother at any chance, especially at night when they would sit in the living room. Jason took out some books and they spent time huddled together on the couch with him reading to the family, like, he imagined, a parent would to young children. The physical closeness seemed to be an antidote to the killing that had engulfed them. Touching, being close seemed to have a healing power.

  Still there were periods of depression that came upon each of them, when they would sit despondently, not being able to respond to any encouragement or cajoling from the others. And then there were the nightmares; reliving the traumatic scenes from the battle, enhanced by the subconscious to terrifying proportions. The only remedy seemed to be routine and being close to one another. Jason and Anne found additional respite in making love every time they could steal some privacy, which wasn’t often with the girls needing and wanting so much attention.

  A week after the battle, Jason announced that he wanted to go to Clifton Furnace. He wanted to see what the gang had done and if there was anything left of value.

  “You can’t go alone,” Anne declared.

  The girls agreed. It was decided that Catherine should go while Anne stayed back with Sarah, whose wounds were still healing. Catherine was adamant that they should not go by road as that involved going through the battle field and over the bridge. Jason agreed. Neither of them had any stomach for revisiting that scene. They hiked south along the upper fields to cross over the curve of the mountain ridge that formed the southern end of the valley. It was slower going but they felt better using that route.

  After a long day of hiking, they reached the river and, while still under the cover of the woods, Jason carefully examined the town with his binoculars. It was still. Nothing moved but a stray piece of paper blowing along the main street. Doors hung open. The place had the look of a ruin, a civilization lost. They descended the ridge, waded across the river and started through the deserted town. The silence was oppressive—no sound of people or commerce, no birds calling. They came upon the remains of a large fire. Scattered around it were human bones. Catherine shivered visibly and turned away. She kept close to Jason’s side, even though they were both armed. Nothing disturbed the silence except the wind preceding the rain which came that evening along with haunting images of the horrors that had taken place there.

  There was very little to salvage: some overlooked tools from the hardware shop and a package of sanitary napkins in the back corner of the general store, which Catherine secreted into her backpack. In a shed behind the store Jason discovered two partially filled bags of seed—corn and wheat. Beyond those few items, there were only the structures themselves.

  They spent an uneasy night in the shed behind the store, being awakened by the passing rain, the sounds of prowling animals, the creaking of the shed or a door banging as a stray breeze went past. At the first graying of the eastern sky, the two of them quickly shouldered their packs and departed. With a sense of relief they waded across the river and climbed the ridge. Soon they were hiking the fields of the valley on their way back home, putting the desolation of Clifton Furnace behind them.

  Later in the day, as they walked along Catherine began talking, “We’ve come so close to death. Three times now.”

  “Yes, and the last two times you played a big part in helping to protect us.”

  “There’s been so much killing. I feel I’ve changed.”

  Jason looked at her, “I think you have. You’ve matured. You’re more sure of yourself.”

  “Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I want to get all this killing behind me, out of my system.”

  “We all need to put it behind us. It was necessary, but it’s not healthy to dwell on it. You’re right, we need to move on, but I’m not exactly sure of how we do that.”

  “Just carrying on our routines may not be enough.”

  Jason turned to Catherine, “I don’t know what else we can do.”

  After a pause, she said, “Well, I do. I want to have a baby.”

  “What?” He blurted out.

  “You heard me.”


  “But that would be too dangerous.”

  “No it won’t.”

  “There’s no medical support for giving birth anywhere.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “What about a hospital?”

  “Women have had babies forever without hospitals or nurses. It’s a natural thing to do.”

  “But you’re too young. And where will you find a young man? There’s no one around.”

  “I’m not too young. I’m nearly 18 and I’ve killed people and almost been killed. You yourself just said I’m more mature than others my age.”

  They walked in silence. She was right, he thought. Even before the fighting experiences, Catherine had been a mature teenager. These battles had developed her even more into a no-nonsense, self-confident woman.

  “Yes, you’ve grown up a lot since I’ve known you, but there’s no one around,” Jason said. “We can’t go to Hillsboro or another big city, who knows what’s going on there, and besides, it would take too long to get there.”

  Catherine met his eyes, “I want to have a baby with you.”

  Jason stopped and stared at her dumfounded. He had not seen this coming. Yes, they had developed a deep relationship. They had saved each other lives. Catherine had killed for him, showing great courage. They shared something special, beyond what he shared with Anne, and certainly beyond the flirtatious relationship Sarah kept up with him. But Jason had not expected this.

  “I don’t want to just survive,” Catherine continued, “I want a future. I want to know there is a future. Babies are the future. We’ve survived so much, but it is just surviving. I want to build a future, Jason. Who knows what is happening out there? Who knows if things will ever return to normal? I don’t want to just hang on, waiting for things to get better. I’m not sure I believe we’ll ever be the same as we were. Maybe this is all we have, but it’s enough.” She held him with her gaze, speaking with all the force and energy she could muster.

  “And it’s not like you don’t find me attractive. I’ve noticed you checking me out.” Jason started to protest, but she reached up and touched his lips and shushed him, “I know you would never go after me. I figured that out before I allowed myself to warm up to you. But I know we can make this work, and I can think of no finer father for my baby.” Catherine looked straight at him.

  “Catherine, the desire for new life is normal. Maybe it’s a reaction to all the killing—an affirmation of life after so much death. But what you’re asking will tear us apart. We’ve all bonded as a family…but this?” He paused. “Have you talked to Anne about this?” He was buying time while his brain was still reeling from her announcement.

  “No, I haven’t. I needed to talk to you first. And I think you should be the one to talk to her.” It was not lost on Catherine that Jason used Anne’s name, not her title, Mom. “I know our relationships will change, but we’ll survive it.” She pressed on, “Life has changed, and we’re surviving it. It’s not incest. We’re not related.” They stood still while she held him in her steady gaze, “I realized that new life is what I could have inside of me. I can bring new life to our family and move us forward. Sarah’s too young and Mom is too old. Jason, I know this is the right thing to do. Please say you will talk with Mom.”

  Her chin began to quiver. Jason saw she was expending every ounce of her considerable courage to broach this subject. He shook his head in wonder and doubt, but he realized how carefully he needed to treat her at this moment. She was thoughtful, like her mother, but when she had made a decision, she was firm in it. Now she was laying herself open to him. He had to be careful not to crush her.

  “Yes, Catherine, I will talk to Anne about this.”

  She reached up and quickly kissed him on the cheek. Relief spread across her face. They turned back to their hike and Catherine slipped her hand into Jason’s. They walked hand in hand, silently. He looked over the field towards the setting sun in the southwest. The late afternoon haze filtered the light and gave a soft yellow glow to the valley and hills. A mist was starting to rise from the creek to join the haze. High on the ridges the scarlets and yellows were just beginning to emerge, while the lower slopes were still clad in their greenery.

  Such a beautiful place, no wonder Anne didn’t want to leave.

  He felt at home in a way he had never felt before. He breathed deeply, there was a musky scent in the air—the smell of coming fall. Every season had its signature smell, but spring and fall were the most pungent. By summer the heat had burned off the freshness of spring, and in the winter the cold and snow locked up all the smells. He belonged here, to this time and place. They walked on in silence. Jason sifted Catherine’s proposal over and over in his head with mounting concern. Catherine had raised an issue that could tear apart all that had been achieved. This was uncertain ground, a far different challenge from any he had faced before.

  Chapter 2

  Life continued. The family fell back into their routine of hunting, gathering food, doing repairs, collecting firewood and sharing moments of discovery. The family activities seemed to return to normal except that Catherine would occasionally exchange a significant look with Jason. A week after Jason and Catherine had returned from Clifton Furnace, Jason asked Anne to go on a picnic with him. They packed some dried meat, apples and water and headed up the ridge to an outcropping that offered a grand view of the valley. The spot was bathed in warm sunshine on the early fall day. They spread a blanket out.

  “This valley is so beautiful. I understand why you and your husband chose to live here.”

  “Yes, and now I get to live here with you. You are my husband,” Anne replied. “If you hadn’t come along, we wouldn’t have made it. You literally saved our lives.”

  “We saved each other. I never expected to have such a rich life after the disaster. I couldn’t see beyond survival. Finding you and the girls fulfilled me in a way I never expected. I’m happier now than I was before the EMP attack.” He paused in reflection, “Sometimes I feel guilty about that. I often wonder how I gathered such a blessing out of all of this…so many people’s lives were destroyed, my wife, people I knew in Hillsboro, people in this valley, Sam and Judy…and yet, here I am with you and the girls having found so much joy together…” his voice trailed off.

  “Something is on your mind,” Anne said. “You’ve been a bit different since you returned from Clifton Furnace, and now…this picnic. Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Jason swallowed hard, then said, “Catherine wants to have a baby.”

  Anne looked at him for a moment, “Well she has grown up a lot—”

  “She wants to have a baby with me.” Now it was out. He went on to relate the conversation he had with Catherine as they hiked back from the town.

  Anne’s face grew stern as she stared at Jason, searching him, trying to read his mind, “Did you encourage her in this?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure? I’ve seen how you look at the girls sometimes.” There was a hint of accusation in her voice.

  “I check everyone out, it’s my nature, you know that,” Jason said in protest. “I study the clues the woods gives me, I study people as well. You can learn a lot by watching them closely. If that is what you mean by ‘looking at them’, then, yes, I’m guilty. I study you as well. I’ve been no saint. You know that, but I have always acted with good intent. My interactions with the girls have always been honorable. When I joined the family, I put the girls out of bounds, and that is a boundary I won’t cross.”

  After a long silence, Anne responded, “I believe you. You do treat them well, which is one of the things I love about you.”

  “Anne, I would love to have a child with you. Maybe that would give Catherine what she is seeking.”

  “I don’t know. This new world with no medicine or hospitals…why do you think I keep you away from me sometimes? I’m concerned about getting pregnant. There isn’t the support for child birth that there was just
two years ago. And it has been over thirteen years since I had Sarah.” She let the implications sink in. “Sometimes I am on fire for you so much but I force myself to wait until I think it is safe. So far it’s been working. I understand Catherine’s desire. New life is an antidote to all the killing we’ve experienced. I also know you and Catherine have a special dimension to your relationship. I can see where this comes from.”

  “Is there anyone you know that might change Catherine’s focus away from me?”

  Anne gave him a sharp look. “The only person around Catherine’s age is Billy. I wouldn’t consider him a good candidate. No, there’s no one left in the area. Catherine had some friends in the village, but they all left or…”

  They were lucky to have survived. She and the girls were lucky to have been found by Jason. She noticed that she rarely thought about herself and the girls as separate from him anymore.

  Anne lapsed into silence. Things were getting complicated. Her ‘normal’ was eroding away as she pondered this new revelation about her eldest daughter. Her emotions surged in conflicting directions. Could she take Jason away? Would she?

  Finally Anne said, “I need time to digest this. I’ll talk with Catherine later.”

  Then she reached out for Jason and they embraced. They hugged and their bodies surged with excitement. There was a fresh urgency to their arousal. Their limbs entwined with each other, trying to join as one in their passion. Afterward, they lay spent in each other’s arms, oblivious to any distractions.

  Anne whispered, “You are my man. I belong to you and you belong to me.” There was finality to her statement.

  “Let me talk with Catherine,” Jason offered, “she approached me and I should close off this path. If there’s any disruption in relationships let it be with me, not you. There are too many potential mine fields in the conversation between the two of you.”