The Divide: Origins

by Grace, Mitchel

  Max walked to the house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He sighed, knowing that he would have to kick the door in. Things could have been so much easier, but he just knew this was going to end in meaningless bloodshed.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Rebecca asked.

  “Someone’s in this house. I saw them look out a window earlier. I’ve got to make sure they’re not a threat.”

  “Why don’t you let me try?”

  “I can kick a door in just fine.”

  “That’s not what I had in mind. Watch and learn,” she said and took his place in front of the door.

  “We’re not here to hurt you. We came from another settlement where there was a disagreement. All we want to do now is find a place to call home. We have some supplies we would be willing to share with you, if you let this be our new town. I know it’s hard to trust people now, but we’ve found that it takes a village to get anything done in this world. What do you say? Will you take a chance on us?” Rebecca asked.

  The door opened, and a woman pointed a shotgun out at her. She looked nervous but not like she would actually pull the trigger. Max reached for his gun, but Rebecca motioned for him to stay calm.

  “What can I do to make you trust me?” Rebecca asked.

  “I want to see those supplies,” she said.

  “Okay, Max will get them for you. If we give you something to eat and some blankets, will you let us stay here at least for the night?”

  “I guess so. If you try anything, though . . .”

  “We won’t. We’re trying to make a society in all of this chaos. If you want, you can be a part of that.”

  “You’ll stay with us so I can keep an eye on you. The others in your group can find houses to call their own for the night. There are plenty of them. I’m Madeline, by the way.”

  “I’m Rebecca. Thank you for this. You won’t be sorry.”

  “I hope not.”

  When they went inside, the first things Rebecca noticed were two small children. Madeline had a boy and a girl. Neither of them looked to be any older than four. It was no wonder she was so protective of this place. She had children to look after.

  “Can we talk in another room? I’ll give you the supplies, and I can explain why we’re here,” Max said.

  “Fine,” Madeline said, and with the wave of her hand, signaled for her kids to go into the back. Then she and Max walked into the kitchen.

  He handed her some supplies and told her what happened in Raines. He explained what they wished to accomplish, and she burst into laughter.

  “You think society can go back to the way it was? Are you crazy? An indoor city . . . now that’s a good one. I’ve got to give you credit for dreaming big, but what makes you think something like that is even possible?”

  “We have an architect with us who says he can build it. We don’t have the numbers to even attempt it right now, but I was a recruiter back at Raines. I can give us those numbers in a few years.”

  “Years? We don’t have years in this world.”

  “I’m telling you that we do. We’ll get the lights back on in this neighborhood and collect supplies for everyone. We all have jobs, and we’re quite good at them. Hunters and scavengers will find everything we need to survive until we can get out of the harsh elements of this world.”

  “I want to believe that’s true for my children, but it sounds like a wish more than an actual plan.”

  “It’ll work. Let me ask you some things now. This place seems like a ghost town. What happened here?”

  “The military came. They were gathering people together to go to the coast with them. There’s a base there, and they thought they could keep everyone safe. My husband, Robin, was sick, so we were delayed. We arrived two days late, and it’s a good thing we did. The base was gone. As a matter of fact, the whole town was. From what we could tell, I think a bad storm must have hit. We did the only thing we could after that and came back here.”

  “I didn’t see a man. Where is Robin?”

  “Where do you think?” she asked and looked down at the floor.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. We’ve lost people, too. What happened to him?”

  “He never got better. I think he needed to have his appendix taken out, but there’s no doctor around here, and I couldn’t save him. When it got to its worst point and we were sure he was going to die, I tried. I had no experience with surgery or even anatomy, though. He bled to death on our kitchen table within five minutes. I must have nicked something, and . . .” Madeline said before she had to stop and clear away a tear from her eyes.

  “It’s not your fault. You did all you could. Let’s not talk about painful memories. You and your children are going to have people now. We’ll become as close as family before this is over. You’ll see.”

  “I hope you’re right about that. I still don’t know if I can trust you.”

  “How about this then? You can keep my gun for the night. That way you hold all the power in this situation.”

  “That’s a good start. Where is this architect who’s going to fix all of our problems, though?”

  “He’s in the living room. You’ve already met Rebecca. The two kids are Zoe and Liam. They’ve been through a lot lately. Jacob is the other one. He’s a borderline genius, and all of our hope lies within his head, so we’ll pretty much do whatever it takes to keep him safe.”

  “That guy? He doesn’t exactly look like a savior.”

  “I’m not. I can just draw up designs. It’ll be a lot of other people who build our home,” Jacob said as he stepped into the room.

  Madeline was immediately struck by how soft spoken and innocent he looked. Jacob seemed like a person who should have died several months ago in this world.

  “I know what you’re thinking. It sounds ridiculous for me to think we can build an indoor city. After all, you would think a structure that big would collapse under its own weight,” he said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Think of it this way. We’re actually going to be building about a hundred structures and then connecting them, making it like building several stadiums with a flat roof.”

  “Do you know how long it used to take people to build a stadium?”

  “We’re shooting for five thousand people. With that many motivated individuals, the impossible becomes easy. Trust me on this. It can be done. All you have to do is buy in. The more people who do, the better chance there is that we’ll be able to convince others to follow us. Enthusiasm is catching.”

  “All right, let’s say I believe you. What then?”

  “Our people move into this town, and we get it back into good shape. After we do that and get some more members, we’ll hold an election and start a new society with rules made by the people,” Max said.

  “I’m sure putting one person in power could never go wrong,” she said sarcastically.

  “It’s not perfect, but it’s as close as we can get in this world. What do you say?”

  “I’ll buy into your concept. Just understand that I’m not a construction worker, so you’re not going to get much help out of me.”

  “Thanks, Madeline.”

  “My friends call me Maddy. If we’re going to be neighbors, I guess that qualifies you as the closest thing to a friend I’ve had in months. We don’t need to sit around here any longer, though. It’s almost dark. We’ve got to get the heaters going,” she said and stepped out of the room.

  After it was warm in the house, Maddy told Max that they didn’t have much room. She welcomed Zoe to stay in the extra bedroom, but everyone else was going to be camping out in the living room.

  “That’s fine. We’ve slept in worse places than a living room since this all started. Thank you for your hospitality,” Max said.

  “It’s no problem.”

  “I’ve got a question. There’s a big bed in that room. I’ve got room for one more. Why doesn’t someone join me?” Zoe asked in hopes that Liam would be coming with he
r.

  “That’s a good idea. Rebecca can go with you, and the guys can camp out on the floor in here. Just remember that I’m starting to trust everyone, but I have the gun. That trust shouldn’t be taken advantage of.”

  “Understood. You have nothing to worry about,” Rebecca said.

  She and Zoe went to their room, and Jacob quickly grabbed the couch. Max and Liam lay down in the floor and listened as Jacob began to snore.

  “Man, how does this happen? First, I lose my bunkmate, and now I’ve got to listen to that guy all night,” Liam said.

  “Things could be worse,” Max said.

  “How exactly?”

  “We could be out in the cold. Have you already forgotten what it was like to be on the road overnight? Besides, you’ve got me as a bunkmate now.”

  “Yeah, well, let’s just say you’re not as welcoming as Zoe.”

  “You’re not exactly Rebecca either, but this is as good as we can do for now. We don’t know that woman. She might be offended if we have teenagers sleeping together in her house.”

  “And here I was thinking I was a man at this point. I mean, I’ve been working like a man. I even learned how to hunt.”

  “You are a man. In fact, you’re more grown up than most people ever were in the old world, but you still look like a kid to us. It must be rough to have adult expectations but never be treated like one.”

  “It is sometimes, but it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

  “How so?”

  “I was so ready to grow up before everything happened, but then I had to after I met you guys. I’ll do whatever it takes to survive and most importantly, protect Zoe, but I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t rather be a kid. I wish Zoe and I had met under completely different circumstances. We could’ve grown up together instead of just having to act grown automatically.”

  “I get what you’re saying. This society that we’re making can be a lot like the old one, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that you have a voice. Do you think fourteen year olds should be working?”

  “I think we should do what we can, but we should have some time to develop who we are, too.”

  “How would you do that?”

  “People under eighteen should work part time and study the rest of the day. I have no problem hunting for food in the mornings, but if we don’t learn something at some point, then our future is going to be filled with a bunch of idiots. We’re building a society. Isn’t education just as important as building those walls? How will we keep them up if we don’t even understand basic math?”

  “Good point. I think you just gave me the second thing I’m going to talk to our people about.”

  “What was the first?”

  “Tomorrow we’re all going to be given jobs, but they won’t just be assigned. Maybe you think you would make a better scavenger than hunter. You’ll be able to apply for that, and I, along with a committee that I’ll make, will review all applications. Hopefully everyone will be able to do what they want. We all have to work and make some sacrifices to survive, but it might be easier for people to do that if it’s their choice.”

  “I think that’s brilliant. Don’t be surprised if everyone volunteers to be with the welcoming committee, though. An air-conditioned job is always going to be the first choice for anyone.”

  “I think our people will surprise you. They didn’t come here to sit under an air conditioner. They want to build something great.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I know I am. Let’s get some sleep. Everything will work itself out in the morning,” Max said and closed his eyes.

  In the next room, Rebecca and Zoe were having a conversation of their own. They could hear Max and Liam talking in the living room, and they had overheard him say that they were going to take job requests the next day. That got Rebecca thinking. What did she really want to do? For that matter, did it make sense for Zoe to be going with Max every day? It was dangerous on the road. It was certainly no place for a child.

  “So what are you going to apply for?” Rebecca asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? Max and I make a great team. I’m not going to give that up.”

  “If what Liam suggested happens, then you’ll only be working part time. Max might not be able to bring you back in the afternoon. You’re going to have to choose something else.”

  “I don’t want to. What’s the use in school anyway?”

  “Like he said, we don’t need our society to be full of stupid people. You and Liam are going to be the future of our town. We’ve got to make sure you know your stuff.”

  “I don’t know what I want to do then. What about you?”

  “I’m not a very welcoming person. I hate that job. I was thinking I might go on trips with Max.”

  “You know it’s life or death out there, right? You haven’t been in a deadly situation in a long time. Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “I’ll be fine, Zoe. Besides, I know Max is going to need a hand, and there’s no one I would rather work with. Jacob seems like a smart guy. Maybe his job should be educating our youth. What do you think?”

  “I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “What’s going on with you? You’re the one who said you wanted things to be normal again. Part of your ideal life involved going back to school. What changed?”

  “Everything. That was a dream about a normal life. Nothing we have will ever be normal again.”

  “That’s the purpose of this society. I’m telling you that we’re going to build a life where everything can be great again. Just give it some time. You’ll see.”

  “If you say so. How about I take your old job? I can clean houses and welcome people to the neighborhood part time.”

  “That sounds great. Always remember not to lead with your thoughts about life never being the same, though,” Rebecca said and smiled.

  “Yeah, that might be best,” Zoe said and laughed.

  As they drifted off to sleep, they had a lot of hope. They were about to be starting a new journey together that could lead to stability. In the world they were living in, that was the perfect dream.

  * * * * *

  The following morning, Max gathered everyone together in the middle of town and announced that they were taking job applications. He also explained that children would never work, and teenagers below the age of eighteen would be allowed to work no more than four hours a day. People were happy that this new society truly would be centered on choice. Throughout the day, Max received many requests from the people for jobs. They weren’t selfish. They decided to apply for exactly what they were best at, no matter how hard it might be. Max had Jacob help him decide on who got to follow their chosen direction, and surprisingly, they were able to grant everyone’s requests. The town was even named that day. Liam suggested they call it Norak after some town that was in a comic book he read as a kid. Norak was as good a name as any. It hadn’t been easy to get there, but it was finally real.

  The following day, they would begin their tasks. Hunters and gathers would go out and find what they needed while educators taught their children what they needed to know. Meanwhile, he and Rebecca went out to find people who could join them. A select few even worked on getting the power back on in the town. It was all falling into place. They would make progress steadily for so long that they forgot what it was even like to struggle. Nothing could mess their new lives up . . . could it?

  Chapter 23

  Written In Blood

  Two Years Later

  A lot changed over the next two years. Max and Rebecca, and eventually several other recruiters, were able to get many people to come back to their city. They had just under five thousand citizens now. Over those two years, a lot of things fell into place. Within six months, they held an election. Jacob was elected their leader. He was the one who knew how to build an indoor city, and honestly, he was the most intelligent of them. A ye
ar into their city’s existence, they decided to reestablish marriage. There were no fancy clothes or documents, but they gathered together as a town to see people profess their love to each other. The first to marry were Max and Rebecca. Their lives were full of so much joy over that time. The world was still in chaos, and they had to battle through unpredictable weather and even earthquakes, but life was as full of love and laughter as it had been in the past. For them, it was even better. Before Rebecca met Max, she was just someone who surrounded her life with work, and he had been in prison. Against all odds, their lives after the disaster seemed better than anything they had known before. Nothing can stay perfect, though, and their peaceful time had run out.

  As Max stepped outside to make another trip out to look for survivors, two of their scouts approached him.

  “We have a problem.”

  “What is it?” Max asked.

  “There’s a group of people about ten miles north of us. We parked away from them, and I don’t think they noticed us, but I’m doubting that they’re heading our way to be friendly.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “We recognized some of them from Raines. We didn’t exactly leave them on the best terms, and Mr. Leland hates you. What if they’re hostile?”

  “Then we’ll deal with them. How many of them are there?”

  “I can’t be sure, but I would guess between two and three hundred.”

  “That’s just great. Most of these people aren’t trained to use weapons, and we only have so many guns. If this turns ugly, we might be in trouble.”

  “That’s what we’re afraid of.”

  “If they were that close and they plan to hurt us, then why aren’t they already here?”

  “I think they must have stayed there overnight. They’re in what’s left of the neighboring town. They probably arrived yesterday and spent the night to do some planning. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had people scouting our location throughout the morning.”