Running Dry

by Wenner, Jody

  Yet it's the water that has my full attention. The size of it and the way it just disappears, it's like looking at the edge of the world and it makes me wonder if there really is anywhere else to go. Could this be it? The last stop. I suppose we could follow the coast north. Mara said they came from the south and there is a larger group there. But if they left, it must not be a good situation either. So maybe North is the only option. Maybe a place with people isn't what we want after all. If I can learn how to build one of their water deals, we can set up and live in peace and quiet without the worry of others. Alone seems like the best option for us. There must be other houses just like these, sitting...waiting for us.

  Bekka

  Furious with Zane's behavior, I say after he storms out, "See what I mean? What are we going to do with him?" I want help, support from them, but I keep getting the same line over and over. It's starting to wear thin.

  "We're going to have to give him some time and space to heal," Gina says.

  "I'd be happy to... if only he'd stop talking about leaving."

  "He will," she says with confidence. I don't know why she's so sure. Zane is stubborn when he decides something and she has never been the kind of parent who commanded authority over his choices. Nonetheless, having her here and knowing she does have an influence on him makes me feel a little bit better. I just wish she'd be more assertive with him.

  I try to relax as we sit to eat the fish, which ends up tasting almost as bad as it smells. But we're hungry, so we all eat it with no complaints. Well, maybe a few.

  "So this is what people did before foodbars were invented," Frankie says.

  "I'm sure it would taste better if we'd have cooked it right," I say, choking it down.

  Regina nods. "I think one of us is going to have to get some lessons."

  "Cooking lessons," Zane snorts under his breath.

  "You know, Zane," Regina says in her usual calm manner, "Mara said something earlier that I thought was very interesting. She said they try to enjoy life here. I think that might be a good idea for us. We've been through enough, don't you think?"

  He puts down his fork and looks at her. "It would be great if that was really how life was, but I just don't see how that can be true. I mean, all we did in Sacto was work and struggle and suffer. How can it be that these people can lounge and relax and ride those wave boards all day?"

  "If you think about it, honey," Regina says thoughtfully, "it doesn't sound that different from the place your father was living, from what you told me about it." She pauses to let her words sink in. Then adds, "It's going to be hard for us to adjust, but I think it's all a matter of perspective. They don't have a war going on here. There's no reason for them to fight. Isn't that what you've been searching for? Maybe they really can manage to get by here without much sacrifice... The people we've met so far sure seem happy."

  "Your mom's right, Zane. They have all the water they want. There's nothing to fight about," I add.

  "I think it's a ruse," he says stubbornly. "They're covering something up."

  "What?" Frankie asks.

  "I don't know yet, but I don't intent to stick around and find out," Zane says, his voice raising again.

  "Well, I think I'd like to stay," Frankie says, though not confrontationally. She sounds almost bubbly, in fact. Getting up from the table, she says cheerfully, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in and get up early and see what this fishing thing is all about."

  Zane looks like his head is going to explode when she says it, like he can't believe what he is hearing. I take his plate and say gently, "Come on. Why don't you help me with the dishes. Your mom looks like she could use some more rest, too."

  Gina smiles at me, but it's true. She napped but still looks tired. I don't blame her. It was a long journey and it's hard to believe she made it all this way. It's hard to believe any of us did. I'm sure she's still processing everything. I wonder what it must feel like to have lived over fifty years in the same place and then to up and leave it all behind. Zane takes after her in a lot of ways because she doesn't give away her thoughts too easily.

  "Thank you, Bekka. I'll see you in the morning." She gets up and kisses me on the cheek before doing the same to Zane and heads up the stairs.

  As we clean up the mess from dinner, Zane is quiet. I know he's frustrated and I try to let him cool down on his own, but when I look at him from the corner of my eye, I can see the anger in his face. "Can you believe Frankie? I don't understand why she would want to do this."

  "Zane, she is just going to go fishing. Isn't that why we left? So we could be free to make our own choices? Try new things?"

  "But we don't know anything about this Red guy. What if he? For all we know, Bek, he could be another spy."

  "That is very, very unlikely. What are the odds that we traveled for days and days and ran straight smack into the bad guy?"

  "Maybe your friend LeRoy was directing us here on purpose?"

  I sigh. "We've already been over this." I decide to try a new approach and pull Zane to me and wrap my arms around him. "Listen, I know you are just trying to keep us safe, but we also need to live. We can't be happy if we just walk around suspicious of everyone and everything. We are miles and miles from Sacto. We have to learn to trust someone. There are good people in the world."

  "It doesn't seem like it. Think of everything that happened to us."

  "I know, but that's all the more reason why it's important for us to stay and figure this place out. It might be completely different."

  "Or another nightmare."

  We break apart. "I'm going to bed." Heading up the stairs, I'm frustrated and worried he's never going to give this up.

  The next morning, I'm standing, looking out the kitchen window still trying to come up with a way to help Zane get over everything, when I see something zipping along the beach, close to the shoreline. As it gets closer, I see that it's actually a person. No--it's a runner! There's no one chasing her or anything. Excited, I bolt out the kitchen door and start toward her, trying to get a better look, making sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. As I get nearer, the woman slows. She has no choice, I realize. I'm practically standing directly in her path.

  "Morning," she says, stopping in front of me. "You must be the new people Mara mentioned. I'm Ann."

  "Hi! You…like to run?"

  "Just about every morning," she says, catching her breath.

  "I've never met another person who runs, I mean for the shear enjoyment of it, anyway."

  "Oh, you too? Well, let's run together! Tomorrow morning?"

  "That would be great!"

  "I'll stop by here to get you around eight o'clock. Sound good?"

  "Yes!"

  Ann smiles and starts off again. I watch her go, feeling envious. I thought running was something I'd left behind but seeing her made me realize how much I miss it. This is the perfect place for it even. There are no potholes and no trash. Even the slightest possibility of running along this beautiful beach each morning, with a potential friend no less, is something I'm willing to put up a good fight for, now I know I really need to figure out how to get Zane to agree to stay. That's all there is to it.

  Chapter 43

  Zane

  Bek and I go exploring around the town in the morning, upon her request. Mom is still resting and Frankie has gone fishing. Bekka is in a very good mood so I assume she isn't mad at me anymore, but we don't discuss it. Instead I focus my energy on collecting some evidence for my case to get us out of here.

  Oceanside isn't really a town as much as a few blocks of houses and a little square toward the middle where they've set up a marketplace. We wander past the greenhouses and see people inside watering and weeding rows of green plants. Then we see an old warehouse building that must be where they treat and store the water because there are a few people outside of it with buckets, collecting from the pump. My mom was right; it is reminiscent of No Man’s Land but I push that thought aside. Bek and I stop and ge
t in line to fill up our own water bottles and I question a few of the residents as we wait, but they are all nothing but pleasant.

  John, the taller, slightly older, more serious man we met yesterday on the beach comes out of the building.

  "How are you guys getting along here?" he asks.

  "Very well, thank you," Bekka says in her chipper way.

  "Do you want that tour now of the desalination system?"

  "Yes," I answer. Bekka looks at me strangely.

  "Great. Come on in. I'll show you around." John's polite but maintains a very business-like persona.

  "Ah, I think I'll go check out the market instead," Bekka says. "No offense, John. I'm sure it's very fascinating."

  "Understood," he says, cracking a smile.

  "See you back at the house later," she says to me as she walks off.

  "You two a couple?" John asks me as I follow him into the building.

  I'm unsure of how to respond. "Sort of. I think. It's complicated."

  "I get it," he says looking back at me with a smirk. "Just wait until you have children."

  "Oh. You've got kids?" I ask. I hadn't seen any yet, but John is a little older than most of the others we've encountered here so far. The thought of kids makes me immediately think of little Char. A moment of panic washes over me as I wonder how Fulton is doing back in Sacto.

  "Three of 'em. Eight, five, and two. Two boys and a girl. I'm not gonna lie. They are a handful. I'm glad I get to come here for some peace and quiet some days."

  "Three? Wow." The thought of three little Char's running around is mind-boggling to me.

  "Anyway, here's our distillation system…"

  He goes on to show me the complicated set up it takes to operate the station. The process seems way more complex than I had hoped, with several people weaving through the place checking things and doing work to keep it all running. John introduces me to some of the other workers and seems to be thoroughly enjoying explaining every little scientific detail to me. I wish I could say I was suspicious of him, but he doesn't seem to be hiding anything. He's a very bright well spoken guy and if anything, he gives way too much information about the operation. I spend at least two hours there trying to take it all in, but frankly come away without understanding a good portion of it. I wish I'd had my notebook so I could have at least taken notes. Even so, I'm not positive I would be able to figure out how to build one of these things on my own.

  That night, we all come back together in the kitchen where Mom and Bek are attempting to cook up the shrimp Frankie brought home along with some other items Bekka got from the market. She's slicing some oblong yellow things and adding them to the pitcher of water I brought back with me.

  "What are those?" I ask.

  "These are lemons. They told me at the market they grow on trees. They said they are good in the water and that we should be sure to add the juice to shrimp and fish."

  "Huh," I say. "Maybe that's what we were doing wrong yesterday."

  We sit and eat and everyone is upbeat and chatty telling about their day, except Mom who is mostly listening like she usually does.

  "Reds real name is Larry," Frankie says after telling us all about being on a boat.

  "It's better than Bones," Bekka says and they giggle together like school girls sharing what is obviously an inside joke.

  "How about you, Zane?” Mom asks. "How was your day?"

  While I'm disappointed about my failed attempt at learning about their desalination system, I'm not giving up that easily. "It was okay. John showed me around the water facility. I've volunteered to help out for a few days so I can figure out more about how it all works."

  Mom smiles at me. "That's great, honey."

  "I'm going running with a new friend tomorrow morning!" Bekka says.

  "Who?" Zane asks.

  "A woman I met on the beach this morning. Ann."

  Before I can say anything, my mother says, "I was thinking tomorrow I’d check out the greenhouses, maybe see if I can't figure out this food a little better."

  "Good idea," I say, forcing another bite down.

  The next day, I go back to learn more from John. When I go in, he is hovering over a little boy who is sitting at a table with paper and pen in front of him. He looks up as I approach.

  "Morning, Zane."

  "Hi. Who's this?"

  "This is Thomas. His mother sent him along with me today because his writing lessons are just not coming along as well as she'd like. Tommy here is a bit of a defiant learner."

  Thomas groans. "I don’t see why I have to learn to spell!"

  I smile at that. "I didn't get that when I was your age either. But now I do. If I couldn't write in my journal, I think I'd be lost." I remembered to bring it along today to take notes so I hold it up to show it to him.

  John puts his hands on Tommy's shoulders and lightly shakes him. "See!"

  Thomas looks up at me. "What do you write about?"

  "I used to write about the stuff my parents did that made me mad. You could start by expressing how much you dislike spelling."

  Thomas laughs. "Good idea!" He puts his nose back down to the page and starts working again.

  John nods his approval at me. "I'll be back in a bit to check it over, buddy. I'm going to get Zane started."

  "Okay."

  Bekka

  I'm so amped about running, I get up way too early. I'm almost done with my tea when Frankie comes down the stairs.

  "Morning. You off to ‘fish’ again with Red?" I ask her playfully.

  She blushes. "Fishing is so much better than packing boxes."

  "Just about anything is better than that," I say, shivering at the thought of being at the factory. "Can you believe that's behind us?"

  "No. I just keep pinching myself."

  "I know," I say. "I just wish Zane could be happier about it."

  "He'll come around," Frankie says.

  "I hope so. There's some water in the pot there. I'm going for my run now. Enjoy your day."

  The run with Ann is nothing short of magnificent. Of course, my legs are still weak from the travel, so we take it slow, which is good because it gives me a chance to get to know her a little bit.

  "Did you move here with the others?"

  "Yep," she says. She's got a runner's body and long blonde hair, twisted into a braid, swaying as she jogs. She's probably about the same age as me. I'd almost say she's my double, except she's short and has very dark eyes and a rounder face.

  "Don't you miss your family?" I feel like Zane asking questions but unlike him, I'm just curious, not suspicious.

  "They came with me, actually. It's just my Dad and brother. Mom died right before we came. It was a good way for us to put behind the sad memories and sort of start over."

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I lost my mom, too. How did you she die?"

  "She got sick. One thing we don't have is great medical treatment."

  "Oh." That was something I hadn’t thought about.

  "Anyway, it was a good change for us, coming here," she said.

  "I think it will be for us, too." As I say it, I think about Zane and hope I'm right.

  After the run, I sit on the beach near the house, toweling myself off and drinking from my water bottle, wondering what I should do with the rest of my day when I hear Regina in the kitchen. It's just a little after nine in the morning. I go in to find her sipping tea. I join her at the table.

  "Good morning," I say.

  "Hi. Where's everyone else?"

  "Zane went to the water plant and Frankie is fishing again. She either really likes to fish or she likes the redhead. She wasn't even wearing her stocking cap this morning when she left."

  "I'm guessing it's not the fish," Regina says with a weary smile.

  "Probably not."

  "That's good though. She's been mourning Zander for a long time. It's time to move on. She's still young."

  "I'm not sure how well Zane will handle it though," I say, biting my lip
.

  "It's not his affair," she says.

  "I know. I just feel bad. I don't think he's fully mourned for Zander yet himself, so seeing Frankie move on isn't going to sit well with him."

  "No, probably not. And now add his father to that list. And even though it seems strange, Harlow needs to be part of his grieving process, as well. It's going to be a rough go for him. I think that might be why he wants to keep moving. Stopping means he has to confront everything he doesn't want to. We need to try to help it along...get him to start talking through some of it."

  Again, I feel glad for Regina's wise guidance. "Talking's not really his strength but maybe I could try to get him to spend some time writing."

  "Good idea, sweetie," she says. "Now, would you like to show me where the greenhouses are? I'm anxious to start moving on and learning something new myself."

  "That sounds like a great idea," I say.

  Regina and I find Mara when we get to the garden and have a really good day together learning about the different plants and how to prepare some dishes with each one. When we get back to the house we have a much better grasp on what we're doing as we begin prepping some of the root vegetables we were given.

  Zane returns in a surprisingly good mood and I'm beginning to think maybe things can finally start going well for us.

  "I really like John. He kind of reminds me of Fulton. He's the one I was telling you about who was Zander's friend. The one who invited me to be part of the Resistance meetings."

  "Oh, right. That's great!" I say. "Are you enjoying the work?" I'm curious about his

  new found interest in the water station. It's not like him at all.

  "Not really," he says flatly, trying out a sample of the food I've cut. "But John was saying

  that they've been looking for someone to be a school teacher. I guess right now the kids are all taught at home, by their parents, which, for John and his wife anyhow, isn't going that well. So, I was helping out his eight year old son today and John said he thought I'd be a great teacher."