Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  Andrew stood and offered a hand to Lindsey. She took it and he easily helped her up. His fingers lingered with hers just a moment longer than he meant to, and then let go. They said good night to Ana and Darius, and started down the stairs. Andrew let Lindsey go first as he wanted to act like a gentleman, but he didn't feel so gentlemanly when his gaze automatically lingered on her backside as they went down. He kept his flashlight on the steps and willed himself not to look up from there.

  Once they made it to the outside of her room, Lindsey turned to him.

  "Thanks, Andrew. It felt nice to have someone to talk to."

  "Glad I could help. Good night, Lindsey."

  "Good night," she whispered.

  Before Andrew could turn away, she rested her hands on his chest, dropped a gentle kiss on his cheek, and walked into her room.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, Lindsey and Caren sat in the common room, repairing and patching clothes that had been damaged from various causes, most from overall day-to-day wear. Lindsey pulled a dark blue plaid shirt out of the basket, held it up to look for holes, and realized that it belonged to Andrew. She'd seen it on him countless times, recalling how the soft material stretched over his broad shoulders. She rubbed it between her fingers and tried not to flush when her brain jumped to the thought of him unbuttoning it. She hadn't seen him shirtless, but could only picture good things from what she'd felt those couple of times he'd held her close.

  "Andrew said there's a rip on the sleeve—caught it on a nail," Caren said, startling Lindsey out of her daydream.

  "Good to know. Thanks," she replied, her voice breathy. She hoped her cheeks weren't turning red.

  It seemed that Caren was oblivious because she was quick to change the topic of discussion. Her hazel eyes wandered over their surroundings and she let out a sigh. "We should have a party…"

  Lindsey scoffed. "Do we have something to celebrate?"

  "See? That's what I'm talking about. Yes, we do. We're alive, we have a roof over our heads, and food in our bellies, however small it may be," she said with a smirk. "We need to do something to lift people's spirits. We work our asses off every day. We deserve a moment of…fun."

  Fun? Lindsey couldn't remember what that was, so maybe Caren did have a point.

  "Do you think your dad and Andrew would go for it?" Lindsey asked, finding blue thread to match the shirt in her hands.

  "They'll have to, because I'm not taking no for an answer."

  "Well, here he comes now. No time like the present, right?" Lindsey suggested as Charlie crossed the vacant room. She ran her eyes up and down the older man, taking in his appearance. He was roughly six-feet tall, built of lean muscle from his days of ranching, and seemed to favor plain t-shirts and jeans. His straight, sandy-colored hair lay flat, and bangs swept across his sweaty forehead. A short goatee of the same color adorned his chiseled face. For a man in his late forties, he looked fantastic.

  "Where's your brother?" Charlie asked, skipping the formalities.

  Caren shrugged. "Last I saw, he was on the roof, sweatin' his ass off."

  Charlie grinned. "It's good for him."

  Lindsey had only met Eric Knox once. He was a few years younger than her and a bit on the heavier side. She got the impression that he was shy but, nonetheless, a nice guy.

  "Why're you looking for him?" Caren asked.

  "Just had a question." Charlie looked between the two women. "You ladies up to no good?" Both, he and Caren, talked with a hint of a Southern accent, and Lindsey always enjoyed the sound.

  The two women exchanged a smile. "Actually…" Lindsey began.

  "We want to have a party. We think it'd be good for morale."

  Charlie raised his brows. "'We'?" He glanced at Lindsey. "Did she rope you into one of her shenanigans? You gotta watch out for this one," he said in reference to his daughter.

  Caren looked unimpressed, shooting him a lame expression.

  "It's all right," Lindsey interjected. "While I'm not sure if I'm up for a party myself, I will agree that other people might benefit from it."

  "Okay, then," he said on a sigh. "I'll talk to Andy, but I'm not makin' any promises."

  Lindsey had never heard anyone refer to their fearless leader as "Andy," but he and Charlie were the best of friends, so the nickname made sense. She wondered if someday she'd be on good enough terms with him to earn that privilege. They'd kind of had a moment in the bell tower the night before, but nothing life-changing—or was it? She had never told anyone about what happened to Jared, and then she'd let Andrew hold her while she cried. That behavior didn't sound like her at all, but to be honest, she didn't really know who she was anymore. At least the school seemed like a decent place to figure that out.

  _____

  A few days later, and with Andrew's blessing, part of the group got ready to go on a supply run for the party. Nothing extravagant, but they needed more than what they currently had stocked up. Lindsey stood by as Charlie cleaned out the Ford pickup's front seat and Andrew checked the oil level in their black mid-size sedan. They figured that a run to the nearest strip mall, which was two towns over, would reward them with the right stuff for a celebration.

  "Are you sure you're up for the trip?" Andrew asked, eyeing Lindsey's left leg.

  "My leg gets sore if I'm on it for more than a few hours, but I should be okay on this run. I'd like to help anyway I can," she stated, somewhat afraid that he wouldn't let her go.

  He looked like he was thinking about it, then nodded reluctantly. He turned to get into the driver's side of the sedan. She was about climb into the backseat when Charlie interrupted.

  "What the hell do you think you're doin'?" he asked, standing in front of her door. "Get your ass in the front."

  Lindsey bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. She moved around him and opened the front passenger door. "Thanks, Charlie. Always a gentleman..." she said with teasing sarcasm.

  Andrew looked at her and then to Charlie to make sure they were ready. She watched as Caren and Eric jumped into the truck in front of them and pulled toward the gate. As soon as it opened, they were off.

  When they reached the strip mall, they were happy to find only a few of the dead hanging around. While Charlie put down the closest ones using his suppressed Remington hunting rifle, Lindsey made sure her knife was secure on her belt and that her Glock was tucked into its holster. She never really intended on using it because it was so damn loud, but it definitely came in handy sometimes.

  "I'm gonna check out the hardware store at the end. See if there's anything useful," Charlie announced.

  Andrew nodded as he joined Lindsey next to Caren and Eric.

  "I've got a list of things to look for. What are you guys going to do?" Caren asked.

  "Andrew and I will see if there is any decent food left in that bar and grill. Not to mention some booze," Eric replied.

  Lindsey smiled. "What's a party without an open bar?"

  Everyone had a little chuckle at that.

  Getting down to business, Caren and Lindsey cautiously opened the door to the sporting-goods outlet store and stepped inside. With their flashlights up and knives ready, they were happy to find that the large display windows in the front provided quite a bit of light. The sound of ragged breathing pierced the silence and each woman was presented with a turner. With dirty rags for clothes and hollow eye sockets, it was clear that these two had been trapped inside since the beginning. They were practically mummified.

  Lindsey pushed her turner over, and, while pinning it, brought her knife down into its skull. The whole front of its head collapsed and spilled out a dozen or more squirming bugs. Lindsey stumbled onto the floor and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. The smell was outrageous. Caren quickly came to her rescue and helped her up.

  "I was trying to make sure I wouldn't get blood on the clothes, but I think it's too late for that," Caren whispered.

  Lindsey looked at the racks in the front of the store. A
lmost every single one was marred with black smears of blood that had dried ages ago. It was obvious some serious shit had gone down here. The store was tossed and probably wouldn't yield much.

  "Let's check in the back. There might be more to choose from. Just watch yourself," Lindsey answered.

  She led the way, flashlight moving side to side. One part of the room housed a gun counter, but had since been wiped clean—not a surprise. The back of the store was much darker. However, it boasted a lot more goods. It was possible the looters only wanted guns and didn't stay long enough to deal with the turners.

  When Lindsey reached a full shelf of camping gear, she smiled. "Jackpot."

  After doing one more sweep for turners, Caren passed Lindsey the list of items to look for. They gathered what they could find and met at a counter by the front door.

  "Do you have something to wear to the party?" Caren asked.

  "No, but I'm okay. Everyone else will probably be in normal clothes. I might have something in my backpack..."

  Caren shook her head. "You've been so kind as to come here and help me put this together. If you don't have anything, can I at least give you one of the sundresses I found a while back? I haven't had an opportunity to wear it yet. I think it was meant for you."

  Lindsey gave her a shy smile. "Of course. I would love to wear it."

  When the two women stepped outside, they each set down their box of supplies. Caren eyed something next door and bit her bottom lip. Lindsey glanced at the front of the store.

  "Do you want to go in there?"

  "Would you mind? There's something I've been looking for."

  "Sure. Let's go."

  The jewelry store, a local establishment, was in bad shape. The front door and windows were smashed. Glass sparkled on the weather-ravaged carpet, which smelled musty from countless rainstorms. Lindsey looked over the velvet cases and experienced a wave of sympathy for Caren, as they were all empty. She watched the brunette hang her head in disappointment and blow out a sigh.

  "It's just as well…" Caren mumbled.

  "If you don't mind me asking, what were you looking for?"

  "Right before all of this," she said, referring to the downfall of mankind, "I'd lost some weight and my wedding ring didn't fit anymore. I sent it to the jeweler to get refitted… Since then I've been looking for a replacement. I feel naked without it, and I can't convince myself to take one off a turner." Her upper lip curled in disgust.

  Lindsey felt her heart rate speed up. As Caren continued to search, she stared down at her left hand. Her wedding band was starting to look a little dull after everything it had been through in the past year, but it was still nice. A memory flashed into her mind: Jared gazing into her eyes as he said his vows; the ring being slipped onto her finger; a feeling of joy and eternal happiness filling her whole body. She snapped out of it to realize that her hands were shaking. Taking a deep breath, she felt a feeling of peace wash over her.

  It's time.

  Lindsey approached Caren, her hand grasping the ring tightly. The other woman was still looking among the broken glass.

  "Caren, I want you to have this," she murmured as she took Caren's hand and placed the ring in her palm.

  "You found one? Where was it?"

  "It was mine."

  Caren shook her head. "No way. You need to keep this." She tried to give it back, but Lindsey wouldn't take it.

  "It's served its purpose for me. My husband is gone. I won't ever forget him, and I still love him, but I have no use for this ring now. You do. Please?" Lindsey said, her voice steady.

  Caren reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I will be honored to wear it."

  As they left the jewelry store, Andrew and Eric met the two women.

  "Would you like any help?" their leader asked.

  "No, thanks. I'm good," Caren said as she made her way to the truck.

  Lindsey shook her head. "It's just the one box, but thank you. How did you guys do?"

  "Quite well, actually. We found some pasta and large cans of sauce. Oh, and multiple cases of alcohol." He chuckled.

  At that moment they were approached by Charlie, who had just left the hardware store.

  "What'd you find?" Eric asked.

  "Not much. Place has been turned upside down. I did manage to find a CD player that runs off batteries. Figured you might like some music for your shindig."

  Caren gestured to the CDs in his hand. "Anything good?"

  "Maybe not for you. Keep in mind that it was a hardware store," he said with a wry grin as he passed them over to her.

  "Southern rock and country's worst... You weren't kidding."

  Lindsey interrupted. "Hey, guys, I hate to speed this up, but I think we have company."

  Everyone looked up see corpses stumbling toward them from all directions. There weren't enough to overrun them, but it would be a waste of ammo to stick around.

  "All right, let's head out," Andrew said.

  The group quickly finished packing everything into the car and truck and got into their respective vehicles.

  _____

  Andrew couldn't help but admire the scenery as they made their way back to the school. The sun was high in the afternoon sky. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the green trees. Small specks of dandelion seeds floated through the air to create a whimsical effect. A sarcastic smile played at his lips. This world is anything but whimsical.

  Glancing at Lindsey, he could see that she was also hypnotized by the view. She was completely still, except for her hands. Her right thumb rubbed against her left ring finger, and he was surprised to find that her wedding band was no longer there. Instead, all that remained was a white tan line.

  "Lindsey?"

  It took her a moment to snap out of her daydreaming. "Yeah?"

  "What happened to your wedding ring?"

  She shrugged. "I gave it to Caren. She needed it more than I did."

  Stunned, Andrew stared into her warm brown eyes, then glanced back at the road. Lindsey had only been with their group for about a month. In his mind, a gesture of that magnitude showed that her loyalty truly lied with them. People don't just give their wedding ring to some random person. They pass it along to their children or grandchildren. Although she didn't have any of her own, he figured the sentimental reasons alone would be enough to hold onto it. He couldn't help but feel like she had made a large leap toward becoming a part of their "family."

  Charlie had obviously heard their exchange and scooted forward to tap Lindsey on the shoulder. She turned to face him.

  "That was really nice of you. I know it means a lot to Caren."

  She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

  Charlie's eyes met Andrew's in the rearview mirror. Andrew subtlety nodded his thanks. He realized there had been an awkward silence and probably should have said something, but was too wrapped up in his thoughts.

  When they arrived back at the school, Lindsey and Caren went inside to start decorating. Andrew and Charlie stayed behind to help Eric unload the truck. They delivered all of their findings to Nadie, who was excited at the prospect of making an "extravagant" meal for everyone. After doing a quick inventory, she decided on spray cheese and crackers for an appetizer, spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner, and Birds' Nests (butterscotch chips and Chow Mein noodles) for dessert.

  Andrew played with Jacob until the infant grew tired. After putting him down for the night, Nadie shooed Andrew away from the kitchen area and told him to get ready. He had a relatively-clean, dark blue button-up shirt that seemed right for the occasion. He tucked it into his just-washed jeans and donned his gun belt. The weapons detracted from his casual attire, but he knew better than to go without them.

  When Andrew walked into the common room and saw Lindsey's face in the crowd, he was embarrassed by the warm feeling spreading through his stomach. She wore a floral sundress that was fitted around her small waist and flowed out into a short skirt. Her legs were t
an and slender. Her clean, dark blonde hair moved like strands of silk around her shoulders. He swallowed hard and tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. She smiled as she found Nadie and sat down next to the older woman. Andrew tried to avert his gaze so no one would see him staring at her, but he couldn't help it. She was so damn beautiful and it scared him. He wasn't ready to feel this way about another woman.

  Charlie walked by and clapped him on the back. "Relax, man. Have a drink." He held out a short glass filled partway with whiskey.

  Andrew took a sip and frowned. "It'd be a lot better with ice."

  "Yup," Charlie said, chuckling. "A lot of things would be better if we had ice."

  Andrew dared one more glance at Lindsey, then nodded in agreement.

  _____

  Once the alcohol was flowing, they started up the CD player. Caren and Robert were the first to hit the dance floor. Their adorable demeanor and portrayal of young love was contagious. It didn't take long for more people to join them. The dancing continued into the evening, but Andrew wasn't really in the mood. He picked up a bottle of wine and made his way to the roof. When he opened the door to the outside, he was surprised to see someone sitting on the bench overlooking the abandoned parking lot. While peering through the darkness, he walked over and discovered it was actually the one person he'd been trying to avoid.

  Lindsey crossed her legs out in front of her as she took a large swig from her wine bottle. Without looking up at him, she patted the seat next to her.

  "The last time we sat like this, I made you cry," he joked as he sat down and leaned against the cold backrest.

  "Well, then, you will have to watch yourself this time. No one likes a buzz kill," she giggled.

  Andrew's gaze met hers and he smiled. "I'll remember that."