Home.
While I loved that cabin and I didn’t mind going back, I truly wanted to believe a world was still in existence somewhere. That there was a fight for life instead of an easy road into extinction.
My heart sunk with disappointment that I didn’t want to show the kids.
We tried.
We failed.
Defeated, we approached the car and that was when we heard it.
A helicopter.
My eyes widened, I immediately filled with excitement and spun to Lev. “Do you hear that?”
The whirling blades grew louder and I nearly shrieked.
It was so loud the kids jumped out of the car and Corbin raced to his son lifting him in his arms and pointing to the sky.
The chopper hovered above our heads and then a male voice came over a speaker. “Attention American refugees. Ontario and Quebec are infection free zones. Leave all belongings behind and proceed on foot. Attention, les réfugiés américains. Ontario et du Québec sont des zones d’infection libre. Laissez tous les biens derrière et continuer à pied.”
The helicopter flew onward, and the same message repeated. It was a recording.
Before doing anything, I watched Corbin place down Sawyer, grab the radio and call Ben. “We made it,” Corbin said. “There’s life.”
TWENTY-FOUR – RULES
We did as instructed, but like many others we moved our wagon off to the side, in case we needed to go back for it. We secured our belongings in the back under the floor hatch and buried the keys by the passenger front tire.
Kids in tow, we walked that last two miles. The helicopter circled around every ten minutes repeating the message. As we got closer to the border we could see others like us walking north. Small groups spread out, probably families like ours.
All of those rumors that traveled by word of mouth and radio chatter were true.
I could feel civilization. We left at seven in the morning and before four in the afternoon we would be walking into a safe zone. An area of the world that didn’t have the infection.
Was it the only one?
On the United States side of the border, just before the crossing, were Canadian soldiers. They were standing guard there and armed.
Before going across the bridge, we could see people stopping to read a sign. When we arrived there, we did the same.
On top of the sign, bright and bold it stated, ‘Please Read’.
You are entering an infection free zone. In order to keep our country safe, you will be asked to sign a health declaration. No one with visible signs of infection, bites or scratches from the infected will be admitted. It is an executable crime to attempt to conceal any bites or infection and enter the country. Though severe, we ask that you understand. It is for your safety and ours. Welcome.
“What’s it say Mommy?” Katie asked.
“It says they are not going down without a fight. That says they keep all sick out.”
Katie smiled at me. “We’ll be safe. No more monsters.”
“No more monsters.” I hugged her then looked at Lev. “We made it.”
“We made it.”
At the border there were more armed soldiers and each of us was stopped and visually scanned. Even though we all signed that health declaration stating we weren’t sick, Lev drew suspicion. He had hit his limit of exhaustion and looked bad. The walk did him in.
“He’s not infected,” I said. “He was shot and his leg is fractured.”
They let us through, gave us a copy of our papers, told us to go to the check in building to be assigned temporary living quarters and the guard made a radio call as we walked to the next station.
It was a large camp that buzzed with people and structures set up everywhere.
Just as we arrived at the check in building, Lev was intercepted.
“We need to take him to the medical building for evaluation,” the man said. “We’ll release him after everything checks out.”
“I understand,” I said.
And I did. I didn’t mind the extra security, after all, it was for our benefit as well.
Children ran about the camp and Katie, Sawyer and Billy were pretty excited about that.
“Will we be able to play with them, Mommy?” Katie asked.
“I’m sure, sweetie.” I held her hand.
Upon registering our group, we made our first mistake.
We didn’t claim Billy as family. We told the truth that his father and mother had passed away.
“We have a wonderful orphans program,” the woman told us.
“That won’t be necessary,” I said. “He’s with us.”
“I don’t think you understand,” she explained. “He has to be placed in the orphan center. We have many Americans coming across looking for family. He may have family wanting to find him. You can see him and visit him, but we need to have him in the center for thirty days. That way if we release him to you, then you’ll have a permanent residence and we’ll have record of his location should someone look for him.”
A thirty day lost and found for children. It reminded me of Arby’s, if we found money or anything, turned it in, it was ours if unclaimed after thirty days.
As hard as it was for all of us, we didn’t have a choice. We said our goodbyes to Billy and told him we’d see him in a few hours. He cried and it broke my heart. “We won’t be far,” I told him. “We’re just in the camp.”
We were each given a small box of clothing and we carried them as we were escorted to our tent.
I jolted at the sound of a gunshot.
“No worries,” our soldier escort told us. “We get a lot of people sneaking in with infection. It sounds harsh, I know, but it is the only way to keep the infection away. Each month we have less sneaking in. In a few months no one will come in with infection.”
“Why don’t you just kick them out?” I asked.
“And put them where? Back in the US? So they can turn and bite someone else?” He shook his head. “Stop it early. It’s what’s best for them as well. You’ll see.”
I nodded and Corbin whispered to me. “Ben would totally disagree with this.”
“Their home their rules, right?”
“I guess.”
Corbin was leery, I saw that. I would be too if I didn’t see so many people and they didn’t look miserable or scared. Some waved to us as we walked by. They were comfortable and relaxed, making the best of their new home in a safe zone.
As horrible as the executions sounded, I understood them. Unlike the Green Area in Ohio, there was very little chance of the camp being overrun.
Our escort showed us to our tent. Since there were five of us, we had our own. Six cots were in the tent along with a table. We were given a box of Meals Ready to Eat and were sorting through them and our new clothes when the flap to the tent opened in a rush.
Lev stepped in. His eyes were saddened and he spoke hurriedly. “Nila, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Instantly, I panicked. Was he infected and we didn’t know? What was going on?”
A man in a mask entered along with an armed soldier who wouldn’t look at us.
“Lev? What’s going on?” I asked.
“They asked who fixed me,” Lev said. “I told them about Ben and how he’s the reason we’re here,” he sped up his words. “I made the mistake of telling them that Corbin was a cure and …”
The man in the cloth facial mask stepped up to Corbin. “Were you bitten?”
Corbin was pretty nonchalant about it and calm. “Yeah, but no big deal. It was months ago. I never got sick. See?” He rolled up his tee shirt sleeve to expose the healed bite mark and surgery site.
He didn’t see it. I did. The soldier aimed at Corbin.
Corbin’s eyes widened.
“Wait!” I shouted. “He’s not infected.”
“Daddy?” Sawyer called out, scared.
“I’m not infected. I’m immune,” Corbin said. “I can be a cure.”
&nbs
p; “You concealed a bite mark,” Masked man said then nodded at the soldier.
Lev stepped forward. “We’ll leave. We’ll just leave now.”
“We can’t do that,” the man said. “I’m sorry. Laws are laws.”
Before we could defend Corbin any further, without any regards to the children in the room, or hesitation, one single shot was fired and Corbin dropped to the ground.
Katie screamed, I clutched her and held her against me. She turned her face into me. It was the first time I saw my daughter visably traumatized.
Sawyer raced to his father’s body, crying out over and over for him, kneeling in the blood that pooled around his head.
My heart broke. I wanted to cry and scream. I shook out of control.
What did we do? Not only did we lose Billy, but Corbin was dead.
We had to go, we had to leave. There was no way we were staying. Our car was out there, we’d go home.
The man in the mask asked. “Were any of you bit? We will search you completely.”
I opened my mouth to say ‘don’t bother, we’re leaving’, when Katie turned around in my arms.
Sweetly and innocently she said, “My daddy bit me. See?”
She lifted her shirt.
The gun was raised.
Lev leapt forward.
I screamed, “No!”
Bang.
TWENTY-FIVE - BROKEN
Battered and beaten, physically and emotionally, we left that camp. Actually, we were taken out. Lev couldn’t walk. Had it not been for the kindness of another soldier and the word of a doctor we would have had to leave the camp on foot, instead they drove us into the line of cars as far as they could and we only had to walk a mile.
We stopped every so many feet and I worried that Lev wouldn’t make it through the night. They sent us away without bandages, medical help, nothing.
They told us that we were lucky that Lev wasn’t executed because he beat the soldier within an inch of his life and was the reason for the death of the man in the mask.
I was so panicked when I saw Katie raise her shirt and show her bite mark, so frozen I could only scream out one long painful, “No!”
Lev reacted.
Before the shot was fired, he sailed shoulder first into the soldier. When I saw that, I grabbed Katie and pulled her back and into me to protect her, while reaching for Sawyer.
The gun went off and the bullet hit the man in the mask.
Sawyer scurried to the corner screaming and covering his ears. I placed my hand over Katie’s mouth, clutching her so tight.
Lev didn’t stop. He pulverized the soldier, fist after fist, punch after punch, like a mad man, my mild mannered friend didn’t stop until others came into the tent to stop him.
They kicked him, hit him with rifles until Lev didn’t move.
They assumed he beat the soldier because of Corbin and since the man in the mask was dead, no one was left to tell about Katie’s bite. We were dragged into the commander’s office and the only reason they didn’t shoot Lev was because the soldier shot Corbin in front of his son. He understood Lev’s enraged reaction and we were freed.
We carried with us the pain of all that. Sawyer was not allowed to come with us so the three of us left alone.
Once we got into the wagon, I drove until I felt we found a safe place to stop for the night.
I didn’t know how we were going to face Ben. That radio call to him was the most painful call. He told me how to help Lev and Fleck offered to drive to meet us. But there was nothing Fleck could do. We had to wait until first light to leave.
I cried the entire night in the wagon, worried about Lev, listening to Katie sob.
My strong invincible daughter was broken and I couldn’t bear it.
Corbin was a good man who didn’t deserve what happened. I kept thinking about Sawyer and how he would never be the same again in his life.
I couldn’t put it behind me and I never would.
Why did we leave the cabin?
Lev drifted in and out of consciousness all night, each time he fell asleep I didn’t think he’d wake up. Like the time Addy had a concussion, I woke him every fifteen minutes.
I did the best I could medically, but drove as fast as I could as soon as it was light.
Ben was waiting and prepared when we arrived. He had to perform surgery on Lev’s stomach, he had two broken ribs although surprisingly the leg was fine. His head injury was the worst part and the reason we couldn’t do anything but wait.
He would make it, we all would. But we would never be the same.
EPILOGUE
One year Later
Lev had a long recovery. It took a good month and he remained weak well into the cooler months. He tried to portray strength, but he wasn’t strong. He lost a lot of weight, walked with a limp and tired easily. His spirits were down and he blamed himself for Corbin’s death. We tried to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn’t have it.
Because of his mental state and physical well being, we stayed at the cabin through the winter months.
It was a mild winter with only a few bouts of snow. We had enough wood to stay warm, the well never froze and deer were plenty.
We never went hungry or cold.
We never forgot those we lost.
During the early months of winter we made radio contact with Hal. He had made it to Canada and left, not because of their staunch rules, but rather, the infection had finally hit there. They were battling it like we had.
We fought it first and were done first. And the winter proved to be a cleansing. In the wake of spring came a certain amount of freshness. Things were green, there was an abundance of birds and we hadn’t seen an infected or dead since fall.
Baby Christian was strong and Bella grew restless as any teenager would. Katie took as long as Lev to heal emotionally. Sometimes though, I’d look at her and see it. She thought about what she witnessed with Corbin and relived it.
I know I did.
How could we not?
With spring in full force, we made a group decision that it was time to leave the cabin. We did so without regrets, nor any second guessing.
Only we didn’t head north, we headed south. Not to look for life or other groups, but to start anew, go somewhere different.
We set our sights on the Florida Keys, and packed everything we could.
Our journey was slow because we stopped a lot, moving at our own pace. We ran into a few survivors here and there who had set up communities. We never stayed, we kept moving.
We also never saw another infected. No one had.
It was over.
We sought infection free and we found it. In our own country. We just had to wait for it.
The Keys had been colonized and protected by a small fraction of survivors and residents who had lived there.
They welcomed us.
I wasn’t sure how long me, Lev and Katie would stay, we had a whole world ahead of us.
A big empty world that we wanted to explore. One that was no longer dead and was on its way to being alive once again.
For the time being we settled in Florida. It was far from home and the painful memories of what happened up north. Those memories were always with us.
They were a part of us. We would carry them with us and build upon them as we started our new life.
All of us, Lev, me, Ben, Bella, Fleck ... we lost our families and became a family.
Time gave that to us.
Time would eventually heal us.
We survived a world that fought diligently against us. We weren’t better for our struggles, we were different. Broken at times and sad, but still alive and together.
In the end, that was what was important.
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