“We are full up with people. We can’t let anymore in,” the woman said without faltering.
“We don’t need supplies. We really don’t even need hookups, though they would be appreciated for a night. We aren’t going to hurt anyone.”
“That can’t be trusted these days.”
“No, I suppose you’re right. I’ve been held up once so far, and I don’t plan on having it happen again. I’m going to put my hands down, my arms are getting a little sore. Please don’t shoot me,” Alex said, as she slowly lowered her arms. The woman didn’t shoot, and Alex let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“Look lady, you just need to turn your RV around and go. Who’s in there with you? Who’s that behind the wheel?” The woman asked, noticing Easton for the first time.
“That’s my son,” Alex answered simply.
“You ain’t old enough for a boy that size,” the woman said, narrowing her eyes at Alex.
“No, I’m not. But his mother needed me to take him, so I did. So he’s my family now,” Alex said. That made the woman think for a moment. Alex jumped at the chance, attempting to appeal to the woman’s heart. “Look I know that a night isn’t free, I can trade goods for our stay. My son and I, we’re tired from the drive and fighting the infected. Being inside this locked area for a night would be a great break for us.”
“I ain’t looking for anything from you, we aren’t making people pay to stay here,” the woman seemed offended that Alex even mentioned it.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know we weren’t looking for a handout.”
“Handouts aren’t handouts anymore dear, it’s just living life,” the woman said.
“My name is Alex.”
“Margaret,” the woman replied, and she slowly lowered her shotgun. She called behind her to a man that was waiting, and told him to unlock the gate and let the RV in.
“Thank you so much,” Alex said.
“Don’t thank me. This is just the way it should be if we want to survive,” Margaret said with a very sad smile.
“Now would probably be the time to tell you, I have three more children in the RV. I didn’t want to tell you that when you could shoot me,” Alex said with a small smile.
“Are any of them actually yours?”
“Two younger are mine. The third is that boy’s sister,” Alex said.
Margaret nodded at Alex and looked over at Easton again. “Well I’d like to hear your story once you get the RV settled.”
“I’d love to hear yours too Margaret.”
An hour later, their RV was hooked up to water and power. They had first dumped the waste, though it wasn’t full. However, Alex thought it was best to take advantage of the opportunity whenever they had the chance. Easton was settling the kids with a movie, and Alex popped them popcorn. A knock at the RV door stopped them all in their tracks, but Alex looked through the window and saw Margaret outside. Telling the kids she would be back, Alex stepped out to join the older woman.
The RV park was close to capacity, Margaret had not exactly been lying about that. The majority of the people Alex had seen so far were older people, probably full time travelers that were already here or nearby. Most people stayed inside their RV’s except for small runs to the main office or to another RV to see family or friends. Alex had quietly watched the surroundings as they got settled. She had noted silent fear throughout the entire park.
“Hello again,” Margaret said.
“Hi.”
“I’d love to meet the kids later,” Margaret said.
“I haven’t seen any children here?” Alex said, avoiding the idea. She wasn’t sure yet if she would allow the kids out of the RV. She needed a better idea of the place to feel secure first.
“No, yours would be the first. All adults here. It’s my RV park. Well became mine after my husband died 3 years ago. I was going to sell it back then, but never got around it. Now look at it,” Margaret said.
“I’m sorry about your husband,” Alex said. Her heart twisted in her chest, thinking about Blake, dead in their backyard.
“Oh dear don’t be. It was long ago, and I wouldn’t have wanted him alive for this.” She waved around randomly, turning to look outside of the RV park fence. Looking back at Alex, she motioned to a wood table nearby. Two beers sat waiting for them, and Alex smiled at how a simple beer seemed such a luxury right now. The women sat facing each other over the tabletop.
“So Alex, what’s brought you to my RV park, and what will take you on the road again”
Alex had not planned on what to tell Margaret. But once she started talking, the words poured out of her, a geyser that had been waiting to erupt. Margaret nodded at times, and asked small questions, which encouraged Alex to continue talking. She started by telling her about Blake and Lucy, in hushed tones, afraid the children would overhear. She went on to tell her about what Las Vegas was like, the mess, the time in the desert, finding Easton and Candace and how they rolled right up to her RV park.
Once she finished her story, Alex took a long drink from the cold can. The beer was crisp, cold and delicious as it slid down her parched throat. She hadn’t realized how badly she wanted to tell someone that story. The whole story. Keeping Blake’s death a secret was weighing so heavily on her. Margaret watched her for a moment, and then she reached across the table and patted Alex’s arm in a consoling manner. Her face filled with sorrow, and Alex felt an immediate connection with the older woman.
“So that’s it. I’m just trying to keep all my kids safe. And just keeping us on the road safely to get to Montana. I know it’s safe there. My crazy father made sure of it,” Alex said.
“Sounds like your daddy wasn’t so crazy,” Margaret said with a laugh.
“True,” Alex said. “What about you? Are you going to stay here until it all blows over? I’m not sure how safe this really is long term?” Alex continued. She looked around the RV park again, seeing it through a survivor's eyes. She saw breach points, and lack of coverage. And that was just from the infected. Any large group of humans that decided to take the park, most likely could, unless there was much more firepower besides Margaret’s shotgun.
“To be honest, I truly haven’t figured that out yet. These people here, they depend on me to keep this place running, as long as it can,” Margaret replied.
“I’m surprised there’s still power. Las Vegas power only lasted a few days.”
“Smaller power company, I think it hasn’t been hit as hard yet. But there are fixes and things I have to handle here, normal maintenance,” Margaret explained.
“You would be welcome with us,” Alex said. She offered it before she even knew she was going to. There was something about Margaret, that set Alex at ease. It was a natural reaction that Alex didn’t have to even work at. Margaret reached across and grabbed Alex’s hand.
“I appreciate that dear. What you are doing with those older children, that aren’t even yours, it’s amazing. That woman didn’t even know you, and she knew you would keep them safe,” Margaret said.
“I couldn’t leave children behind. And they are such good children, you just grow to care for them,” Alex said. She meant every word. It hadn’t been long since Easton and Candace had come with her. But Alex cared for them, and would protect them like her own. They had turned out to be additional company for Billie and Henry, as well as herself. And the additional eyes to lookout for them all would always be a benefit.
“It’s getting dark. We usually have a lights out rule at sundown. Don’t want to attract any of those things,” Margaret said.
“No problem. We practice the same. Plus I have blackout curtains we tape down in the RV at night, in case the kids have electronics or something running. You can never be too careful with young children who love cartoons.”
The women said their goodnights, and Alex climbed back into their RV. The children were all in the back of the RV watching cartoons as predicted. Candace and Billie sprawled on the couch, w
hile Easton laid on his stomach on the floor. Henry had found a comfortable position somehow, on Easton’s back. None of them looked concerned when she walked in and she decided to make a meal while they were all relaxed.
Bringing them all together around the table for dinner felt good. Alex knew it would not always happen, but whenever they could sit together and eat, she took advantage of that time. They had a dinner of a partial loaf of bread Candace had baked the day before, chicken noodle soup and a side of fruit salad. While they ate, they all talked about what they wished they could be eating.
“Pizza, I wish we had pizza!” Henry exclaimed.
“I might be able to make you something like pizza,” Candace said to him with a smile. This made Henry extremely happy, and he ate his chicken soup with a renewed vigor.
“What about you Candace?” Alex asked.
“Fresh salad, with dressing,” Candace replied.
“Salad?” Alex said.
“Yes. I think fresh food is going to be hard to come by soon. I feel like that’s what I will miss the most,” Candace said.
“Well I will miss In-n-Out animal style fries,” Easton said.
“I think I will miss those too,” Alex agreed.
“Billie, what will you miss?” Easton asked.
“Lucy’s chili. She always made the best chili,” Billie said. Her simple answer brought Alex a fresh wave of grief. Those little things stood out to children. And it was those little things they would notice gone.
“Me too baby girl,” Alex said to her with a smile.
They finished their dinner and while Alex got beds set up for the night, Candace and Billie washed the dishes. The practical normalcy of the moment struck Alex as so strange. She stood for a moment and watched Candace smile at something Billie said to her in low tones, and then Billie returned her smile. The children were all fast friends, and it warmed Alex’s freezing heart just a little bit.
“Caaaaannnnnddddyyyyy….”Easton taunted from the back of the RV. He and Henry were playing some sort of card game, but Easton was keeping an eye on his sister. His teasing tone made Alex take notice of their interaction. Candace’s face colored and she shot him a mock scowl.
“You know I don’t like that,” Candace said.
“Don’t like what?” Alex asked.
“Oh, it’s the nickname our father gave me. He’s the only one that used it, but East likes to tease me with it,” Candace explained.
“I think it’s sweet, ya know, like a KitKat,” East said with a loud laugh. Alex hid her smile when she saw Candace put her fists on her hips.
“Easton Preston Reynolds!” Candace exclaimed. Now Alex could not hide her smile, as she laughed aloud at the motherly tone Candace used.
“Candace Candy Lou Reynolds!” East shot back.
Candace made a choking sound, and turned back to rinsing dishes in the sink filled with semi clean water. Her blush and smile gave away the truth that she enjoyed the ribbing she and her brother threw each other’s way. Alex was happy to see them being playful. Life was very stressful for them all now, and they had to find ways to enjoy it. Seeing the two of them behaving more like siblings also gave Alex a glimpse into their pre plague personalities. She liked what she saw.
In bed that evening, Alex felt a sliver of comfort. Being behind the locked gates, surrounded by other people gave her the feeling of relief. Relief from the constant running. Relief from hiding. Relief from just surviving as she had the last two weeks. She still fell asleep, gripping Blake’s ring around her neck, but she found darkness instead of nightmares that night.
Morning seemed to come quickly, Alex felt slightly rested, but she still had a lingering exhaustion she was not shaking. She stretched, gathering her strength and moved through the RV, getting the kids ready for the day. She wanted to move through the park first, hear what people knew, and see if anyone had been on the road in the direction they were looking to go. When planning to talk to the people in the park, Alex realized having the kids with her would probably soften many people’s reservation in speaking with her.
The five of them exited the RV and were instantly greeted by a shocked look coming from a woman in the spot next to them. She was middle aged, and looked to be checking the connections on the RV. Whether she was trying to leave, or just securing things, Alex wasn’t sure. Alex pasted a warm smile on her face and raised her hand to wave. The woman looked at her in a strange manner and raised her hand in a half wave.
“Good Morning,” Alex said as she walked up to the woman. “I saw Nebraska plates on your RV I think, is that where you’re from?”
“Yes,” The woman answered shortly.
“I was wondering, were you headed this direction from Nebraska when the plague hit? Or were you already here?”
“We were in Utah,” the woman answered, apparently not wanting to give up too much information. Alex was quickly going to tire of the vague routine the woman was pulling. They were all sources of information to each other, if they chose to communicate.
“I was wondering what you have seen, how bad is it elsewhere. We are from Las Vegas, my children and I,” Alex motioned to the kids standing behind her. Easton put on a charming smile, holding Henry on his back and Candace waved with Billie holding her hand. The woman looked them all over, and Alex could see the indecision on her face. “We are heading north, to Montana.”
“It wasn’t as bad as it seemed to be on TV, when there was still TV. We saw the plague in places like Orlando, Florida. I think we even saw a story out of Las Vegas. We didn’t understand what was happening until we got to Salt Lake City.”
“What happened in Salt Lake?” Easton asked.
“The city, it was in ruins. We didn’t even try to enter it, instead drove around the outskirts. We saw those sick people, and tried to avoid them. The hospital was the worst,” the woman said, a visible shiver running through her.
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
“We drove by a hospital, it was surrounded by military barricades. People were lined up outside. Two lines, one for possible infected, one for not infected. We sat and watched for a moment. The infected line, most seemed just very sick, none were violet. But I saw…..I saw….”the woman trailed off.
“You saw?” Alex said, trying to sound encouraging.
“The military men took those that were infected, took them behind a line of Humvees, and shot them on sight. They weren’t even trying to save them!” She cried.
“They weren’t even testing them or anything?” Easton asked.
“Not that I could tell,” the woman replied. She seemed visibly shaken by telling them the story. Alex did not want to push her any further. She thanked her for the information, told her good luck with the days ahead, and took the children onto the next person they could find.
Alex and Easton exchanged a look full of questions. The emergency message they had heard on the radio was a repeating message to bring people to hospitals. Alex knew from what she had seen so far that a bite was a death sentence. The actions of the military seem to only confirm that observation, and that they had no solution to the illness beyond a bullet to the brain. Alex felt a shiver flow through her, thinking of the people not yet mindless infected, executed by the people they trusted.
As they rounded the corner of another RV, Margaret was walking toward them. When she saw the children with Alex, her face visibly brightened. Alex introduced all the children to her, each respectfully shook her hand.
“Thank you for letting us in,” Easton said after shaking her hand and stepping back behind Alex again.
“Son, you don’t need to thank me. I’m grateful I’m able to help families like yours here,” Margaret said.
“We are walking around, hoping to speak with some of the other people here,” Alex explained. “We don’t know what’s going on in other parts of the country.”
“That’s a fine idea Alex, how about I join you all. I haven’t had the time to find out all of the stories of the peopl
e here. And having me with you, might make information flow more smoothly,” Margaret said, shooting Alex a knowing wink.
They walked down a few aisles of RVs, just looking for people that may be outside already. Margaret led them to the end of a row, where she said she knew the old man would be outside, “Catching flies with his mouth while he naps in the sun.” The older man was right where Margaret had predicted, and Henry laughed aloud when he saw the man was asleep with his mouth hanging open, head tilted back. Henry’s peel of laughter woke the man with a start.
“Howdy,” Margaret said with a grin.
“Why, hello Margaret,” the man replied sleepily. Then he noticed Alex and the children, and he woke himself up a little faster.
“This nice family was just looking for information about the state of things out there on the road. I was thinking maybe you have some good ideas?”
“Avoid everyone,” the man said suddenly.
“Everyone? Well you came here didn’t you?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, well I was running low on everything. Needed to hole up somewhere for a bit.”
“He’s been here for a week now,” Margaret said to Alex.
“So you got off the road before the worst of it?” Alex asked the man.
“Not before my neighbor tried to break into my house and eat me. He really tried to bite me! I couldn’t believe it,” the man said, getting agitated.
“What did you do?” Henry said, pulling himself higher on Easton’s back to be seen clearly over Easton’s shoulder.
“Well I….I uh….” The man stammered, looking from Henry’s cherub face, to Alex. Alex picked up on his concern immediately and filled in the blank for him.
“He ended him Henry. Like you’ve seen Mommy do.”
“My Mommy knows the best defense,” Henry said proudly.
Alex smiled back and him and corrected. “Self-defense buddy.”
“Well you’re going to need it young lady. I don’t think there will be places like this for much longer. There are too many of them out there. I drove out of Carson City like my butt was on fire. I didn’t stop for nothin’,” the man said seriously.
Sundown Series (Book 1): Prepared Page 16