by Phil Maxey
Jacob smiled, even though he was sitting behind Abbey and she wouldn’t have seen. “Not a lot of crime in a small town, so I got the chance to read a lot.”
Irene walked carefully up the central aisle of the bus, trying not to clip anyone’s feet, until she got to the silent seats. She then bent over slightly, and held her hand out. Faith looked up from the blanket that covered her head and her daughter who was sleeping stretched out with her feet up against the side of the bus.
Irene waved the candy bar. “I thought you could do with this.”
Faith cautiously took the bar. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I’m Irene. I hear that you have a little one, called Gracie?”
Faith went to nod, not being sure if Irene was completely blind or not, then stopped. “Yes, she’s sleeping.”
“I know, I can hear her breathing, shallow and regular.”
Irene sat down on the seat opposite. “There are a few kids her age on the bus, Mary and I, look after them. It’s not been easy, but as you can see, and hear they are doing okay.”
Faith looked down the bus at the kids playing games. One was leaning over the back of his seat and playing with the nose of a large man, who was sleeping. The man’s head propped up by a prosthetic hand. Every now and again, his other hand would flap across his face as if trying to swap a fly away in his dreams. A blonde haired man sitting next to him was egging the young boy on. They seem good people, but I can’t be sure, not after what happened.
Irene got to her feet. “Okay well, if you need anything, just let me or Mary know.”
Again Faith went to nod and stopped herself. “I will, thank you.”
Irene started to move off down the aisle when Faith spoke again. “If you don’t mind me asking, have you always been blind, or were you injured during the Cascade?”
Irene paused, and then turned smiling. “Ever since I was a child,” she then continued her journey back to he seat.
Zach glanced at the Map. “We are just past the half way point.”
It was coming up to 2 pm and they still had three hours of daylight left. Progress was good now they were on wider roads, although they had to zigzag around abandoned vehicles more often. In one town they drove through, hundreds of wooden crates lay scattered for over a mile across the road, causing them to slow to a crawl as they drove over or around them. In another, a graffiti covered freight train sat motionless next to the road. Eventually small walls grew up around their route, and they were on a traditional highway, which passed through the outskirts of a city. Every few hundred yards, once proud tall neon advertising boards, leaned at awkward angles. These were almost as frequent as the snow covered semi trucks, glinting in the afternoon sun. Since they had entered Idaho, there seemed to be more of these types of vehicles than any other. Each time they drove by one, Abbey caught Zach paying more attention to it than the countless cars they had passed.
At one point the highway opened up to six lanes just in the direction they were traveling, but the freedom to drive was curtailed by the number of cars and trucks they had to weave around. Equally difficult for Zach was resisting the temptation to drive down one of the off ramps and explore the multitude of superstores and warehouses, which lined their route. But he knew that E.L.F’s loved civilization, so they had to stay away from them.
After a short time the landscape returned to it’s white-beige complexion.
“Driving through those towns and cities, it almost felt like life hadn’t changed there,” said Zach to no particular person in the cab. As he finished vocalizing he realized that everyone could be asleep, but Fiona responded.
“Yeah, it’s strange, not much destruction in these area’s. I don’t think I’ve seen one E.L.F since, those flying creatures in the small town.”
Cal stirred in his sleep, Jacob and Abbey lay still.
As the sun threatened to move unwelcomingly low on the horizon, hills and peaks once again grew close to the highway. At one point the highway rose to give a view of a river a few miles to their north. There was lots of movement from the twinkling blue water and on it’s banks, but it was so far off Zach couldn’t make out any details. He was the only person that saw them in the Humvee, everyone else was asleep. As the miles melted away he found himself seeing Tinley in his old family home, standing over the bodies of his…Stop. He drew his hand over his face, which was clammy, stopping before it touched the area around his eye. He couldn’t think about those things, if he allowed himself to fall into that, he would be no good for those that depended on him.
Soon the sun hovered over the horizon and the shadows grew long. Zach clicked on his radio. “This is Captain Felton from Bravo Camp, we are coming from the Portland Camp with survivors, is there anyone out there. Over.”
A green exit sign pointed to the right, and Zach took the off ramp to head south into the town of Helier. After a few more miles, Abbey started waking up. To their right, and all around them the ground fell away into an impressive canyon with a river at the bottom. Luckily the lanes going into the town were reasonably free of obstruction, for the exiting lanes were full of vehicles, some hanging precariously off the side of the bridge they were now all passing over. Zach and Abbey looked at the holes in the bridge walls and it wasn’t hard to imagine the panic there must have been when the people of this city made a mad dash across the bridge to escape whatever variety of creature decided to attack them. Abbey looked away, nor did she want to know what resided in the depths below them.
The gloom now overtook the light, and Zach stopped the convoy at a junction with bent traffic light poles, to look at the old map he was given from General Trow.
He clicked on his flashlight, pointing it down at the crumpled pages, when his radio came to life.
“This is Caroline Decker of the southern Idaho outpost, what’s your location Captain. Over.”
Zach quickly clicked on his radio. “We have just come over the bridge from the north, and we are at the first junction. Over.”
“Keep heading south, for a few miles, I’ll meet you at the junction where there’s a sign for Millie’s hotel. Over.”
The convoy pulled off, and drove a short distance through what must have been a thriving business and shopping area but was now cold, broken and deserted. Most of the vertical poles, whether they where for phones or electricity supply where now lying along the powder white ground. Vehicles, some with their roofs flattened, sat at angles at odds with the direction of the road and dark stains and streaks lay scattered over the sidewalks.
Zach pulled up in front of a modern white pickup with more than a few dents in it’s paneling. A medium height dark haired woman, in her early forties sat in the drivers seat. Her voice once again came from Zach’s radio.
“Nice to meet you Captain, we need to get back to the outpost, follow me. Over.”
She backed the pickup up a few yards, then turned in a tight arch driving down the road that was originally behind her. The convoy followed. After a distance of a few hundred yards, they drove past an impressive two story building, with a domed roof and hardly any windows. The pickup took a left and they drove along a flat park area with the occasional tree, until she slowed near where the sidewalk widened and headed for the buildings entrance. She then drove up the curb, over the patchy snow covered grass and stopped just outside a semi-circle of impressive pillars. A wooden sign with a corner missing, sat on the grass a few yards in front of the boarded up entrance.
“Helier Science Museum.”
Caroline got out, taking a backpack and shotgun with her. Zach got out and walked up to her with his hand out. She briefly shook it.
“We need to get everyone inside as quickly as possible, we have maybe eight minutes of light left.”
Zach nodded, then waved everyone to get out of their vehicles. “Do you have supplies? We have a good amount with us.”
Caroline looked anxiously at the deep orange and mauve’s of the sky around her, her cheeks looking flushed. “W
e don’t have time, just grab light things, we can come back for the rest in the morning.”
Abbey looked up at the stone clad mausoleum of a building. The light brickwork had pot marks and scrapes, but looked as secure as any place they had stayed in.
Caroline waved her arm. “Quickly now, everyone inside,” her radio cracked, and she held it to her ear. “Yes, we’re coming in now. Over,” she ran up to the large wooden boards covering the entrance doors, and they opened without her pulling on them. In the gloom beyond a bearded man with glasses could be seen.
Everyone filed off the vehicles and joined Caroline at the doors, then followed her inside. Once everyone was inside the bearded man pushed the large door closed, and then with some difficulty placed a large wooden beam across it. Makeshift metal clasps dyed black through welding held the beam in place. He then picked up a large candle and lit it.
The bearded man then walked up to Caroline. “See any of them out there?”
“No.”
“Hmm, strange.”
Everyone, including Zach, Abbey, Fiona and Cal who were at the head of the small crowd, waited to be led.
Caroline held her arms up and addressed everyone in a manner of a teacher. “Everyone, please follow me.”
Abbey looked up at the high ceiling and at the walls with elaborate murals on.
Passing openings with held treasures, Caroline and the bearded man took them swiftly through galleries of ancient objects, until finally they reached a door with the words “Staff only.” Above it.
“Are we all here?” said Caroline, trying to see if anyone was still left behind in the encroaching darkness of the rooms.
Megan stood looking up at the monolithic monster. It’s tusks rising above her like the buildings her mother loved when they traveled through a busy city on the east coast. This monster wasn’t like the others though, this one had no skin or muscle and it was rooted to it’s artificial home. She took a step forward to try to touch it’s glossy stone like bones when her mothers call rang out from behind her.
“Megan! Megan, Stop hiding! Come out right now!”
Turning she emerged from the shadow, and was grabbed by Hanna. The rest of the group watched briefly then looked back to Caroline.
“Oh, that’s Ivan, don’t mind him. Okay we are all here, we will now descend into the basement,” she then pushed on the door and opened it wide, standing back to allow the bearded man to lead everyone down a grey dark concrete staircase. When the last person has passed her, she took one more look into the silent solemn creatures of the natural history galleries and closed the door.
CHAPTER 21
As Caroline led them down a grey corridor with a string of Christmas lights providing illumination, Abbey couldn’t help but feel she was in a bunker of some sort. Eventually, the corridor ended in a door, which Caroline opened to reveal a large room. The basement of the museum had a low ceiling but was impressive in it’s size. It appeared to cover most of the area above, and was now home to a small group of people.
Various pieces of furniture were arranged into living areas, and a few other doors resided along the walls. A woman in her thirties with curly blonde hair, sat reading on a red sofa, while an older man, with a large cream knitted cardigan sat behind a desk. Both of their heads rose as the new group shuffled into the space.
The older man and woman, stood up, joining the bearded man and Caroline standing in front of everyone.
“The man with the candle is Corey,” said Caroline.
Corey pushed his glasses up on his nose and briefly smiled and raised his hand.
Caroline then pointed to the blonde haired woman. “This is Esther, and…” before she could finish, the elderly man, stepped forward slightly limping with one hand on a walking cane. “And I’m Travis.”
Travis gave a brief smile. “General Trow told us that there was a second much smaller group that left Portland, I guess you are it.”
Zach stepped forward with his hand out, which Travis shook. “We are. I’m Zach,” he smiled, and quickly introduced those around him.
“Okay then, please make yourself at home, find space where you can. Are you hungry? We don’t have a lot of supplies but we have sufficient to feed each of you a little.”
“We have food in the vehicles outside, we can get that stuff in the morning, but for now, sure that would be great.”
The group started to spread out. The kids excitedly ran and sat around a small Christmas tree with lights and ornaments.
As the children laughed and played, Zach, Abbey, Caroline and Travis watched, enjoying the scene of a tradition that seemed would never have a place again in this new world.
It was Travis that broke the spell. “How’s the journey been from Portland?” as he spoke he led them back to his desk area, where he sat in an old wooden chair. Zach and Abbey sat in front on two upturned wooden crates.
“Easier than the journey to Portland,” Zach smiled.
Esther approached them with a silver jug that was steaming. “Does anyone want coffee?”
“You have coffee?” said Abbey excitedly.
“Yes, we brought the equipment down here from the small café that was upstairs.”
“I would love some!”
Zach also happily agreed. Esther looked at Travis, but he smiled and said no.
She moved off a short distance to one of the many metal-shelving racks, and plucked some brightly colored mugs and returned. She then quickly poured the hot brown liquid out, and Zach and Abbey started blowing on their bounty to be able to sip as soon as they could.
“How long have you been down here?” said Abbey between puffs.
“About three months now.”
“How did you end up here? A museum isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you need protection from monsters.”
Travis gave a brief laugh. “Well yes indeed. I was the head of science here. I live locally…” he paused for a moment seemingly lost in thought and then continued. “I lived in the suburbs with my wife, have done for many years. When the area started being attacked, we waited in our homes, like I think most people did. Waited to be given guidance on what was happening to this beautiful world of ours,” the last few words came out with a tinge of anger Zach thought. “After a few weeks of watching our neighbors pack up and leave, we felt we needed to do the same.”
Abbey finally managed to take a sip of her coffee. “The army never came?”
“Not in those early few weeks no. By the time they did make an appearance, the E.L.F’s were tearing the city apart and they were pretty ineffectual in putting a stop to it,” again his voice trailed off. Standing while leaning on his cane, he continued. “The lovely home we had lived together in, had to be left behind, but where to go?”
Zach and Abbey weren’t sure if they were meant to answer, but Travis continued.
“When we were still befuddled of our destination, Caroline called and told us that her and a few others were coming here to the museum. At first it seemed an insane idea, but then of course I thought about the building itself and how securely it was built and it seemed the perfect location to try and ride out this storm of nature. We have been here ever since.”
Abbey’s brain resisted the question she was about to ask, but the words fell out of her mouth anyway. “Your wife is here?”
Travis sighed. “I’m afraid not. We were out on a supply run a few days after we first started settling in here, and one of the E.L.F’s…well she was killed.”
Abbey looked down into her coffee, feeling ashamed to have asked a question with an obvious answer. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“We have all lost people.”
Zach took the lull as an opportunity to take the conversation in a different direction. “Do you have any information on the large convoy?”
“Not much, the General just told me that they were taking heavy losses.”
The news of the hardship the other convoy was taking hit Zach with a thump in his stom
ach. I could have saved those people, he can’t be allowed to live.
Abbey noticed Zach was having an internal conversation with himself, so took over. “Do you know roughly where they are?”
“Trow said they are in southern Nevada.”
Zach’s mind returned to where he was. “So they are behind schedule?”
By now Travis was realizing there was something more going on with these questions than just finding out the state of the others. “I really don’t know. How long do you intend to stay here before continuing your journey back to the camp?”
“We just need to rest up for the night, then we should be moving out tomorrow. What’s the situation like in the city currently? I saw a lot of large stores and a sign for malls in the area, have they been emptied out?”
Abbey suppressed her surprise at the urgency of moving everyone on so quickly.
“As you may or may not know, E.L.F’s are like the creatures they have replaced in the regards that they need food, which mostly has been made up of humans until now, and water which they are getting from lakes and rivers. We have a major river to our north, which I believe you passed over. There has been a lot of creature activity along that river, but because it is deep within a canyon, mostly they stick down there and don’t come up into the city…well apart from the flying ones of course…Tell me, what other survivors have you found?”
“There are some. We have just come from a small community near Mt. Hood, they seemed to be doing okay. Do you plan on staying here? If you are just the few we have met already, we have room to take you back with us. The camp near Austin is the last of it’s kind, if humanities going to survive anywhere it’s going to be there.”
Travis sighed, his mind seeming mulling over the options. “My instincts are for us to stay, we are surviving here, but it’s not solely my decision, I’ll let you know.”
Abbey looked disappointedly into her mug, Travis laughed. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of coffee. As for the state of the nearby stores, as far as we know they are still stocked. There wasn’t much time for people to make a run on food, the Cascade took everyone by surprise.”