Fish and small game supplied most of their protein needs. Rex carried a .22 revolver equipped with a scope in his backpack and used it to bring the small game down. His .357 was for defense, and the .22 for hunting. .22 cal bullets were relatively light, and a brick of 500 didn’t take much space at all.
John had a taste for toasted crickets and ate them regularly. When John offered Rex a few at supper one night, he declined. Eating insects was a line he had never learned to cross. When asked why, Rex kidded that it ‘would make him chirp at night time.’
John laughed hysterically. And when Rex started chipping as they lay to sleep, he said, “My stars, I must have accidently eaten a cricket.”
John laughed himself into a coughing fit, never feeling so happy to be alive.
The compass Rex used had them traveling in the right direction, but the trek was a few miles a day slower than what he’d hoped. Still, at the current pace, they would be far enough south, even if they continued into winter, and not have to worry about the cold.
“Rex, will you take me to one of those big cities you were telling me about? I want to see those buildings that touch the sky,” John said.
There was no response. John could feel Rex squirm against his back.
“Rex?”
Rex let out a sigh. “I ventured once into the city of New Orleans. It was a ghastly experience. The buildings stood like tall tombstones to a way of life that would never again be. The winds blew chilling my soul like ghostly whispers, haunting me, crying out for remembrance.
“At the time, the rats ran freely about even during the light of day. Some being too inquisitive for my comfort, having forgotten the fear of man.
“I literally believed I would have gone mad had I stayed much longer. I’m sorry, dear lad. I shan’t be bringing you to a city. You will have to live vicariously through my memories of them. As their sadness waits to devour those of us that remain.”
Looking down, John carefully stepped over a large root. “I still want to see one and a lot of other stuff you talk about. I’ve never seen a lion or an elephant, except in pictures. I wish there was a place like the zoo we could go to.”
The dense wooded area gave way and opened to a four-lane highway. Rex looked ahead, his eyes widening. “Don’t take another step.”
“What?”
John looked up and saw five other people not more than fifty feet away staring back with equal surprise. Three females and two males. The men were armed with rifles.
Rex leaned his head over John’s right shoulder and whispered. “Don’t make any sudden moves.” He then raised his right hand and waved. “Hello. We come in peace.”
A white female screamed and stood behind a shorter Hispanic male, who widened his stance like a defending vulture, pointing his AR-15 assault rifle at the two strangers.
“He’s got two heads!” another white female yelled and stood behind a stocky-looking black male. The black warrior took two steps forward, holding his hunting rifle from the hip, ready to defend.
The five appeared to be close in age to John. The third female stood apart from the others. She was tall and voluptuous, with cocoa brown skin, and raven black hair. Her hair was tied in a ponytail secured by rubber bands evenly spaced apart the full length down to the small of her back.
Her body language showed no fear, no aggression.
John was oblivious to the other four. His eyes transfixed on her glorious beauty. “No, no, we are two people! I’m tied to his back!” Rex raised his shoulders as high as he could, waving both arms high in the air.
“Stay away,” the black male warned.
“Please, don’t be alarmed,” Rex called. Then whispered to John, “Stoop down and unhook me.”
John slowly lowered himself to the ground and unhooked the straps. Rex balanced himself on his stumps and nudged John to the side so that they were separate.
The black male darted his eyes from side to side, as if he did not know whom to shoot first.
“You see. There are two of us. My name is Rex, and my friend here is, John.”
The black female walked in front of the group. The Hispanic male came to her side.
“Goblin,” he said under his breath.
She pushed him in the arm. “He’s not a goblin or any other monster in that stupid comic book your carry around. He just doesn’t have any legs.”
The Hispanic gritted his teeth. “He’s different. I don’t like him.”
Rex whispered to John, “If anyone shoots, go flat to the ground. I’ll try drive them back with the shotgun.”
Turning to the group, he said, “There’s no need to fear us. Please lower your weapons and let us talk.”
“Where are you from?” the black female asked.
“We are both from Louisiana. We are going south for warmer weather.”
“We’re all going east. We’re going to the Kingdom.”
“I’m sure. Now, would you please lower your guns and allow us a friendly chat?” Rex said.
The black female turned and huddled with the others. Rex could hear low murmurings but was unable to pick out any of the discussion. Every now and then, a head would pop up and turn his way. The Hispanic once pointed at him.
The female standing with the black male said something in his ear. He then asked a question to each of the others and nodded at each response.
With the discussion ended, the black male stepped away from the group followed by his female companion, and the black female.
“Don’t do anything to scare us. You can come over and talk,” he said.
“Excellent choice,” Rex said, as he balanced himself on his hands and walked, John following at his side.
Staring in disbelief, the black male asked, “You can walk on your hands?”
Coming to rest, Rex replied, “I honestly don’t have many choices, do I? Oh what I wouldn’t give for a new pair of legs. Alas, when given lemons one must make lemonade.”
“The goblin talks too much. Plus, he scares, Jenifer,” the Hispanic said, as she hid behind him.
“My good people, there is nothing to fear from poor harmless me,” Rex said, hand over heart. “Might we exchange names? Again, I am Rex, and you are?”
“Cole,” the black male said. “This is Brittany, we’re together. The two behind us are Ricardo and Jenifer, they’re together. The big girl is Shauna.”
“Cole, Brittany, Shauna, Ricardo, and Jenifer.” Rex rolled the ‘R’ in Ricardo off his tongue like shuffling cards. “A pleasure to meet you all.”
John said nothing, his gaze glued to Shauna.
“Why’re you looking at me?” she asked wearing a big grin.
“I don’t know. I . . . I like the way you look, I guess,” John answered.
Shauna smiled, and turned her eyes to the ground.
“Ah yes, the eternal story of boy meets girl. Adam and Eve, Romeo and Juliet, Brad and Angelina, the world turns because of love,” Rex said rhetorically.
“Do you want to come with us to the Kingdom? It’s a long way off but that’s where we want to go,” Cole said.
“We have come from the east, and I am not aware of this Kingdom that you seek. It is of no matter anyway. The fear of perpetual winter is driving us to the warmth of the equator below. Perhaps instead, you would reconsider your destination.”
“He talks funny,” Jennifer said as she stared at the legless man.
Rex chuckled, and said, “Where we are going the land is rich for planting crops. The hills and valleys are teaming with delicious wild game for the taking. Snowcapped mountains paint the horizon, and we shall dance under the stars to the aroma of the burning cannabis plant. Of which I am sure that acres and acres are growing about.” His eyes were closed as he imagined the hallucinogenic delight.
“I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to smell a burning plant anyway. We’re going to the Kingdom,” Cole said, with arms crossed.
“A compromise then. Let us camp together for the night and share
our stories. In the morning we can wake afresh and see if the day gives us new perspective,” Rex said.
Cole rubbed his forehead as he tried to absorb Rex’s last sentence. “We can rest now and decide tomorrow. It’s getting late. Time to make camp.”
The skies were clear and there was no need to find shelter. Rex preferred the glistening stars anyway. The night sky was the only thing large enough to contain his dreams.
Cole chose the campsite, and he and Brittany began gathering wood for the fire. Rex rounded up kindling and used his flint and steel to get the twigs and leaves burning.
John went with Ricardo and Jenifer back into the thick woods to hunt for supper. Shauna disappeared, and Rex suddenly felt self-conscious about sharing his life with others. Being alone for all those years left a gaping pit in his soul but finding John had filled that. Time spent around the others made him feel as if he were losing control on his own world.
John was a work in progress, an apprentice, a protégé, a creation he was molding one day at a time. These five were set in their ways. He didn’t know if the disconnect he felt was from his age or his disfigurement. Regardless, he could sense their animosity and had to be careful not to incite their anger during the remaining time spent together.
John and his two companions came back with a successful kill—a fat spotted doe. Shauna returned with a bag of blackberries.
John and the other five prepared the meal as Rex sat on a fallen tree. No one seemed to notice he was even there. No one seemed to care.
After everyone had eaten their fill, each told the story of their life. Cole and Brittany found each other not long after the sickness. Ricardo and Jenifer met sometime after puberty, and could remember ten winters together.
Shauna had only been with the group for six full moons. Making her way from what Rex surmised was Kansas, with no other explanation than a feeling inside her told her to leave.
In all, Rex was not surprised by their stories. It exposed the group for what they truly were: ignorant, misguided youths who had no respect for authority and no appreciation for the wisdom age brings.
Rex turned in early and bedded down, leaving John with the others around the fire. Their voices trailed into the night air as he drifted to sleep.
* * *
The dawn woke the group without much fanfare. Cole gathered more wood for the fire and brought it back to life. Breakfast consisted only of warmed venison from the night before. The mood was awkward and only a few words were exchanged during the meal.
John was unusually cool toward Rex, who could not help but notice he avoided making eye contact with him.
After the meal, Rex excused himself and went to the bathroom behind a large elm. He returned to find the group standing together. Cole was in front. John stood off to the side, staring at the ground.
“I see everyone is packed and ready to leave. I am going to be so bold and say you will not be joining John and me for our southern adventure,” Rex said.
“We took a vote and no one wanted to go with you,” Cole said.
“Pity, the loss is entirely yours. We shall be living in the land of plenty while you five are off chasing rainbows.”
Cole hesitated, and then said, “We took another vote and decided John could come with us, but not you.”
Rex erupted in surprised laughter. “That’s rich. I’m not worthy enough to go with you?”
“You’re not like the rest of us. You talk down to us. None of the girls like you,” Cole said.
“I learned many years ago never to argue with ignorance. As you wish, I’m happy to accommodate you all,” Rex said and turned to John, who continued looking at the ground. “Come now, my boy, it seems that I have become the preverbal turd in the punch bowl. The more time we waste here, the longer it will take us to reach paradise.”
John didn’t say anything and shook his head.
“He’s coming with us,” Cole said.
“With you? That is utter madness! John, tell them that we are inseparable. Tell them we have bonded and share a goal for our future.”
John’s head never lifted as he said, “I . . . I want to go with them.”
“Oh phish posh, you are just speaking from your heart and not your head. The temptation is equal to fool’s gold. Why, these people are on a journey to nowhere. To a mythical Kingdom that died when the flu ravaged the planet. Let us continue to Mexico. My words to you will prove true.”
John raised his head, and looked at Rex directly in the eyes. “I want to go with them. They have a map to the Kingdom. I want to go there.”
“The map? Did you not read it? It’s a map to Disney World! The Kingdom they so desire is the Magic Kingdom. It an amusement park. All of yesterday’s glitter is now an overgrown heap of rusting rubbish. It’s a lie. All of it. Their intentions are honorable but misguided nonetheless.”
“Cole thinks it’s real, and so does Shauna. I’m going with them.”
“But you can’t. We are a team. I need you and you need me. You will not be able to survive the future without me.”
“You taught me that I had to trust in myself. That I had to listen to my inner voice. Well, I am, and I’m going with them.” John gathered his equipment and turned to leave.
“Just like that you’d abandon me? If I hadn’t come upon you when I did you would have died at the end of a noose. You owe me your life, John.”
“I know and I feel bad about putting you through that. Still, I want to go with them. I want to be friends with Shauna.”
“You ungrateful snot! I forbid it! Come to my side now before the enchantment of lust leads you to certain doom.”
“Goodbye, Rex. We’ve got to go. Thanks for saving my life and everything else. You’ll be happy when you get to Mexico. You said you’d always find a way to be happy.” John and the others turned to follow the highway to the northeast.
“John, no don’t go. Please, you don’t realize the mistake you are making. Please come back!” Rex stood with watery eyes and his arms outstretched.
John lagged behind. Shauna reached out her hand and pulled him even with the group.
“Don’t do this, John! I can’t live without you. I thought I was secure in being alone, but now, after finding you . . .” Rex pulled his revolver from the holster and held it to his head. “I’ll kill myself if you go! I swear it! You’d better come back. I’m going to pull the trigger. I won’t be alone again.”
John stopped and took a step back. “No, Rex! Stop!”
Rex stood determined and cocked the hammer. “I mean it, John. I am a man of my word.”
Shauna looped her arm around John’s. “Don’t go back to him. He’s crazy. He won’t kill himself. Come with me.”
John stood for a full minute, frozen in indecision, then turned and hurried with Shauna to catch up with the group.
Rex began to cry. “I’ll do it!” He called to John’s back, his voice cracked in desperation. “I’ll do it and it will all be your fault! John, come back. Please! I’m begging you . . . John . . .”
His voice faded as the group pushed forward. No one said a word to each other.
A half hour had passed when a sharp crack echoed in the distance. John hoped it was distant thunder, but the sky was as clear and blue as the eyes could see.
The End
By Any Means Necessary
When summer turned to winter in the southern hemisphere in May of 2018, the days grew longer and the nights shorter, but the temperatures of the days and nights remained the same. Botswana, Africa, was not known for dramatic seasonal temperature changes to begin with. Usually, the semi-arid climate was hot and dry for most of the year, though the summer did include the rainy season.
The winter did bring with it cooler, dryer air, but not for this year, and not for the next five years after. In fact, the Earth warmed to unprecedented levels everywhere.
Winters had become a faint memory, rain also.
Scientists had several computer models demonstrating
the cause. Some suggested natural, some man made. The reality was that it didn’t matter, as the results were all the same. Water equals life, and without water, the living perished.
The global droughts wiped out billions of animals and humans. Food had become scarce and was available only in those remote locations where chance and nature made life’s last stand.
Chidi Ongori was a survivor, though you would have never picked him out in a crowd several years ago as surviving to be one of the last men on Earth. His refined upbringing wasn’t geared for the humble lifestyle of his uneducated brethren of the countryside, living where electricity, available foods, medical supplies, and doctors were afterthoughts.
As civilization collapsed in riots and fire, something inside Chidi drew him away of the gangs that formed to control the last of the resources in the city of Gaborone. He learned to survive, relying on superior intellect and sheer determination to make it through each day by any means necessary.
Chidi stood by the edge of a village, peering through the barren branches of an ironwood tree. The perimeter was well guarded with men stationed in strategic areas. There would be no way to steal without befriending them first.
The rumbles from his stomach reminded him he hadn’t anything to eat since the day before. Chidi spent that day scouting the area to plot the avenues of entrance and escape.
He was dressed in the traditional garment of a woman, from a religion not his own. The burqa he wore covered all but the eyes, which were somewhat hidden by a veil of semi-transparent cloth. There were many compromises he had to make for survival. Chidi was ready to pledge allegiance to any god if it meant acceptance and the chance of eating a meal. If he didn’t pose as one of their faith it would mean certain death.
He felt the sharp tip of a spear between his spine and left shoulder blade. An ominous voice warned, “Hold fast and don’t make any sudden moves.”
“Please sir, I mean you no harm.” Chidi spoke in a soft voice, disguising it in timbre and cadence. Standing still and acting as subservient as possible, he waited for the captor’s next move.
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