“Hey, that’s not even funny,” Max said with a grin as they got into the car.
They weren’t supposed to leave town without permission, but Max knew the people who manned the gates. It was no problem getting them to let him outside. Once they were on the road, Zoe told him where Liam and his partner were supposed to be. It was an area about ten miles north, so it wouldn’t take long to get there. Max could tell that Zoe was worried about Liam, but he knew there probably wasn’t any sense in being scared. He was sure Liam was just tracking something he had killed and running a little late. That’s exactly what he told her. About halfway there, a surprise awaited them, however. There was a truck a few feet off the road. It had crashed into a tree. It looked bad, and Max doubted if anyone had survived.
“Oh, my God! That’s the truck they went in,” Zoe said.
Max pulled over and got out. Zoe started to run to the truck, but he stepped in front of her.
“Let me check it out first. You don’t need to see this,” he said.
“I’m his wife! Would you sit on the sidelines if this were Rebecca?”
“No, but I’m worried. This might not be good.”
“I don’t care. I’ve got to see it with my own eyes.”
“Okay,” Max said and wrapped one arm around her as they walked to the truck.
Max didn’t recognize the driver. He had a hole in his head, and a bullet hole in the windshield made it obvious what had happened. Someone had likely shot him in hopes of stealing whatever they had. Afterward, he probably veered off the road and into a tree. When Max looked over at Liam in the passenger seat, he saw that he was still breathing lightly. He had some cuts and bruises, but otherwise, he looked okay. It was a little concerning that he was passed out, though. Before he could walk to the passenger side, Zoe had already run to it. She forced the door open and gently woke Liam up.
“Are you okay?” she pleaded.
“I think so. What are you doing out here?” Liam asked.
“We were looking for you. What happened?” Max asked.
“We were headed back home, and I saw a reflection in the woods. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but a bullet flying through the windshield solved that mystery. They had someone set up in the woods waiting on us. This isn’t the first time this has happened either. A lot of hunters have mysteriously died or come up missing. I think someone has set up shop close to here, and they’re killing us for what we get on hunts. I didn’t see a vehicle around. Given that they were on foot and they were going to be dragging a deer, they have to be close. Maybe we can still find them,” Liam said and attempted to get up before a stabbing pain shot through his ribcage.
“You’re not in any shape to go anywhere but home,” Zoe said.
“Zoe’s right. I know exactly where these people are. Zoe, you take him home. I’ll be back later after I’ve taken care of the problem.”
“But don’t you need help?”
“I’ll be fine. The only person who needs help is Liam. Get him to a doctor, and tell Rebecca I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am,” Max said and helped her get Liam into the car.
After they were gone, he headed into the woods. He remembered from scouting the area years before that there was a rundown house about a half-mile through the woods. If they were on foot, odds were that the thieves were there. He quietly made his way through the brush until he was in view of the house. Just as expected, there were two men dressing a deer next to the house. Max got set up with his rifle and fixed his aim on one of them. It had been a long time since he took a life, but if these men were killing their people, then it was worth it. He fired without hesitation and cut the first one down. Then he moved on to the second. Just as he was about to run into the house, Max put a bullet through his skull. The problem was resolved, but he hated how it had to be done.
On the walk home, he thought about a lot of things. One was how it felt to kill again. He couldn’t say he missed this one bit, but he knew one thing for certain. Liam didn’t need to be out there anymore. He was like Max’s son. There was no way he could continue to let him risk his life out there. Liam wouldn’t give up his position easily, though. He would have to go to their new leader, Lee Franklin, and ask for help. When he finally got back to Norak, that’s exactly what he did.
“I need a favor, Lee,” Max said.
“I’m not in the business of favors, but what is it?”
“Liam can’t be a hunter anymore.”
“We need our hunters now more than ever. The city is growing, and without food, we’ll starve.”
“I understand that. I’ve got a deal for you. I’ll take his place as a hunter, and he can take mine in the garden. You won’t lose anything. What do you say?”
“I’m not going to move a man in the prime of his life to a job on the inside of the city and let a man with one eye and ear take his place. You’re going to have to come up with something better than that.”
“How about this then? You’re going to do this because I told you to.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“That I have the support of more guards, citizens, and even people in your own little political cabinet. If I wanted you dead and out of power, I could easily make it happen. I’m asking you as a courtesy because for some reason, our people elected you. I don’t have to ask, though.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You bet your ass it is. Now, what’s it going to be? Are we going to war over this, or are you going to do the right thing and transfer him to the gardens?”
“I’ll do what you’re asking, but I’ll also remember this. We could’ve been friends, you know.”
“I don’t think so. We have different views on how this place should be run and what real power is. I’ll stay out of your way, though, if you stay out of mine,” Max said before walking out.
He went straight home to find that Liam was already there. The doctor had treated him for some minor cuts and bruises. His ribs might have been fractured, but they didn’t have an x-ray machine, so the doctor’s best advice was to rest for a few days.
“I’ve got some news. You’ve been reassigned to the gardens. I’m taking your place outside,” Max said.
“What are you talking about? I . . .” Liam managed to say before Max cut him off.
“It’s already been approved by Lee. There’s no going back. This is for the best. You’re a dad, and you almost died today. I took care of the thieves, so our hunters shouldn’t have to worry about being cut down now. Take this as what it is - a gift. You get to be closer to Zoe and your daughter now.”
Liam didn’t say anything, and Zoe mouthed a thank you to Max as he walked into the next room with Rebecca.
“Are you sure about this?” Rebecca asked.
“Yeah. I know it seems at odds with what I’ve said about not going back out there, but there was a reason I needed to be here for a while. Back then, murder was starting to become routine. I didn’t value human life. Today I realized that I’ve changed. I killed two people, but I didn’t do it without thought. Killing them saved a lot of our people, and me going out there is going to assure that Alisa has a dad. It’s all for something.”
“What if I want my child to have a dad?”
“You never have to worry about me. I’ll be safe. There’s no way I’m letting anyone take me away from all this. I just had to keep the people here safe. The best way to do that is me being out there instead of Liam. I hope you understand.”
“I do. I just had to know you were sure about this.”
“I am. Now, let’s stop talking about this. All I want to focus on tonight is you,” Max said as he wrapped one arm around Rebecca and gave her a peck on the lips.
Over the next eight and a half years, Max would see a lot of changes to Norak. They eventually caught wildlife and raised it so they wouldn’t have to hunt as much, eliminating his need to leave altogether. Over that time, he a
lso saw the birth of his son, Sawyer. Life wasn’t perfect, and Lee never did give up power, but it was as good as they could have asked for. Then eight and a half years later, everything changed for the entire city . . .
Epilogue
After eight and a half years and more hard labor than Norak would have liked, their indoor city was finally finished. Max and his family were among the first to go inside. It was amazing. They had a controlled environment where the temperature was always a comfortable 70 degrees. All that was left was to build a home inside. Max and Rebecca had been assigned a property, and for the first time, Zoe and Liam would have a place of their own, too. It was a little odd for them to think about living apart from each other, but their properties were right next to each other, so it wasn’t so bad.
“It feels amazing in here. It’s a little empty, though. It doesn’t exactly look like home,” Zoe commented.
“It will. I can picture two modest sized houses with turf in the yard, and maybe I can even find an old above ground swimming pool outside to bring in. I’m telling you. We’re going to have everything we used to in this place,” Max said.
“I think so, too,” Liam said.
“I don’t know if I like your vision of the future, though. We’ve always been one family since we met. I was thinking we would build one gigantic house and have an even bigger yard full of nice vibrant grass. Then you guys would figure out how to make an in ground pool in here. Yeah, that’s what I pictured,” Zoe said with a grin.
“I think I like her idea better,” Rebecca said.
“You guys would want to stay together?” Max asked.
“Of course. We survived what should’ve been the apocalypse together. Why wouldn’t we enjoy what’s going to feel like heaven now?” Zoe asked.
“She’s right. We should stick together, and think about it. Everyone’s getting the same amount of materials to build a home. We could have the biggest house on the block if we combined materials. I’m just saying. If we’re going to start life again here, we might as well do it in style,” Liam said.
Max smiled. They had survived the impossible, become a family, and stuck with each other through everything. They always would. They built that house and lived together in what truly felt like paradise for them. Eventually, the city began to fill up, and some people were forced to leave, but Max was one of the founding members of Norak. His family was safe. He felt bad for the ones who had to leave, but honestly, it wasn’t his concern. His family was doing fine, and for once in his life, the pieces had fallen together.
It wasn’t easy going from a murderer in a prison cell to being a good man who would do anything for his new family. Some might have thought the divide between him and any kind of life worth living was too far away, but in the worst time in human history, Max found his way. They all did, and whatever divide there was between now and their old lives was just a memory. There was redemption, and there was still joy in life. Not everything was great, and many hardships still awaited them in a world of chaos, but crossing the great divide of Max’s life started in complete chaos. Whatever else waited seemed easy because he had the people he loved right beside him for it all.
The Divide Origins Notes
The original Divide’s theme was of class and perceptions we draw about people who grow up differently than us. The theme of this origin story is very different, however. Everyone is in the same boat in this book. There’s no such thing as upper or lower class. There’s only a world full of chaos and people trying to survive. The true theme of this book and divide comes in the form of the struggles these characters find. For a while, Zoe loses herself and all hope due to finding her parents dead. It’s a deep wound, but it’s one she’s capable of recovering from. It doesn’t make her lose her humanity. After losing the people he loves, Liam just wants to die. Those moments of insanity early in his journey almost creates a wall between him and everyone else, but when his hand is forced, he finds that there’s still a will to live, laugh, and love inside him. For Max, the division between him and everyone else is at the beginning of the story. He’s living a life that only revolves around the worst thing he ever did. In a way, the most destructive force in the world’s history gives him an excuse to start living again, and he never looks back. Whatever divide existed is gone for him. Then there’s Rebecca. The disaster is really where she starts living just like Max, but when he’s taken from her, it shapes her into something different than the others. The love that was once in her is gone. We always think that redemption is within reach, and the division that’s created between us and other people as a result of loss and depression is something we can and will overcome. That’s true most of the time, but for Rebecca, her wounds ran too deep. She had lost too much, and she almost never found the person she used to be again. That’s the theme of this. Do we get to go back to the person we used to be, or is the divide created for us through trauma something that will forever alienate us from the rest of the world?
Now, I know that might sound depressing, but keep in mind that it worked out for these four characters. Max was a redeemed man who found all the things inside him that he thought were gone. Zoe and Liam found love and a family, too. Sometimes when you lose too much, though, it does leave you forever changed. When I started writing this, I was struggling with a question about myself. Will I ever get to go back to the person I used to be, or have my experiences shaped me into something completely different? Have they cut me off from the rest of the world and left me different in mind? Can anyone relate? I wrote this book themed after those thoughts. Do we get to go back to who we used to be? The answer is incredibly complicated. It depends on why we’re lost in the first place. Sometimes as grief, loss, and thoughts of revenge take over we find that we’re so far away from who we used to be that it’s impossible to go back. At that point, all we can do is fake it for the people we love and hope that something changes. For me, I found that I could come back. Sadness, depression, and loss did not take me to a place that forever changed me. I hope that’s not what readers take from the ending of this book. It isn’t about hopelessness. It’s about finding love and laughter in the worst of times. It’s about overcoming the greatest of divides until you just can’t anymore, and even then, knowing that someday you’ll be in a place far beyond all the grief, heartache, and pain. It’s about not quitting and closing those gaps between us and everyone else a little more every day.
For these characters, those gaps were huge. For someone like me or you, it’s probably not nearly as bad. If there’s one thought I would want to leave readers with, it’s this. If you find yourself in a dark place like I was in when I started writing this book, just remember that there can still be so much more left for you than you ever thought. You’re probably not too far gone, and even if you are, all that means is that you lived. Rebecca almost lost the person she loved most, and it scarred her. The fact that it could do that says life was worth living, though. She lived, and we all can, too. Even in the darkest of times when it feels like we’re completely alone, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There’s love, happiness, loss, and pain still to experience, and all of those things are proof that we’re still alive - we’re still working our way back to the place where we used to be. Thanks for reading this installment in The Divide. I hope you liked it, and I can’t wait to explore more new stories in the future. Just remember that whether you’re trying to bridge the gap between classes, people, or just who you are compared to who you want to be, it all starts with one action.
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