by Brian Quest
“It’s your room now, silly!” Amy said.
“This is amazing, guys. I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.”
“Do you like it?” Connie asked.
“We love it.”
“Great, then let’s eat!” Debbie replied, causing the guys to laugh, breaking the emotional moment and lightening the mood.
Chapter Six
There was a different feeling in the air as everyone sat around the kitchen table. It was light and happy and, for a little while, it was like things used to be, before life changed for good. The girls were smiling and Keith and Stewart felt more than ever that they were part of the family. Thomas noticed the change in attitude and it made him smile.
“So, girls,” Andrew started, “it seems that the Rock Bandit struck again.”
Connie smiled and said, “The Rock Bandit, Dad? Is that the name you are giving him?”
“That’s the only thing I could come up with. Is it that cheesy?”
“Way cheesy, Dad. Way cheesy.” The girls giggled and Andrew decided that he would have to work on the name.
“They made the rocks in the shape of an ‘E’.”
“That’s weird,” Debbie said as she started setting big bowls of soup in front of everyone.
Along with the soup, Connie served up the last of the lettuce in nice-sized salads and set a loaf of fresh bread in the center of the table. She sat down and said, “Well, I have a theory about ‘The Rock Bandit’ if anyone’s interested.”
“Go for it, honey,” Andrew said, curious to see what his daughters thought.
“Well, about 200 years ago there was a family that just happened to live on this land. It was way before this house was built, and where we are sitting right now was a tiny little cabin. The family had a mom, a dad, and was only able to have one child. They named her Heather, and she was a tiny little girl who was always weak and sick. On her good days, she would wander around the property and pretend she was a princess, and this land was the land her family ruled over. One day this entire area was wiped out by the plague, and to this day her spirit still roams the land, keeping an eye on those her family rules. She is spelling ‘Heather’ with the rocks.”
“There’s ghosts on our ranch?” Amy asked, eyes wide.
“No, Amy, not ghosts…spirits.”
“Ooooohhhhh, okay,” Amy said, going from looking frightened to looking relieved.
“Well, that’s a lovely story,” Andrew said, “but I think the story is something completely different. I think the person is spelling Herman.”
“Herman?” Beth asked.
“Yeah, he’s a hermit.”
“Herman the Hermit, Dad?” Debbie asked.
“Yes, Herman the Hermit. He lives out in the woods, down the way from Emma. His cabin is tiny and butts up to the mountain, hidden by trees. It’s dark and dreary, but he loves that. After all of these years, he wants to let us know he lives there, but he’s been alone so long, he really doesn’t know how to do so.”
“How old is he, Daddy?” Amy asked.
“He’s really old, Honey. He’s got a long gray and white beard, a crooked nose, no teeth, and he wears an old, stained, wide-brimmed hat.”
“If you’ve never seen him, how do you know what he looks like?” She asked, intently curious.
“I don’t know what he looks like, I’m just guessing.”
“Oh.” She sat silent for a moment and then said, “I think it’s an alien from the planet Fuzzy-Flop. It’s a silly little guy with a big antenna on top of his head. He is like a little blob of furry fun, and he’s purple! He fell from Fuzzy-Flop and now he’s stuck on our ranch. So he’s trying to signal to his planet by spelling out ‘Help’ with the rocks. He is scared to be alone, and I think we should find him and invite him in. He can sleep in my bed.” She was very serious, almost as if she really believed her own story. It made Andrew smile.
“What about you, Beth? Who do you think is moving the rocks?” Thomas asked.
“You,” she said, looking him straight in the eyes.
“Me? You think I’m moving the rocks?”
“Yes, you. I think you go out there when nobody is looking and move them.”
“Why do you think I would do that?” Thomas was confused and a bit concerned that she thought he had been messing with the family.
“I think you do it so there is something for us to think about and talk about. It brings us together as a family and you think that are at our best when we are working together to figure out something.”
Smiling, Thomas went from worried that she thought it was him to wishing it was him who was moving the rocks. Her thoughts on the whole situation were sweet and he felt so good knowing she saw him as someone who would feel that way. “Now that you say it like that, I really wish it was me. Thank you, Sweetheart.”
Andrew looked across the table and asked, “Debbie, do you have any theories as to who might be moving the rocks?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. Sometimes I think it’s just someone messing with us, and then other times I feel like it’s someone who needs our help but is afraid to ask.”
Somehow, the conversation shifted from the rocks to Emma. “I’m really concerned about her and I don’t have any idea how to convince her she needs to move into our house. She’s too old to be out there alone,” Andrew said, obviously concerned.
“I know,” Thomas started, “but she is so stubborn. She never will be okay with living with someone. How long has she been on her own?”
“Her husband passed away right after she gave birth to her daughter, so she’s been alone for about fifty years.”
“Then it’s no wonder she wants to stay where she is. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself in such a full house.”
Andrew knew Thomas was right, “Yeah, I know, Dude. We’re going to have to keep an eye on her. She’s resilient, but she’s getting older. Maybe we could check in on her more often? I don’t want her doing without if we are able to help her.”
Keith and Stewart were nodding their heads and Debbie also agreed, “Maybe we could bring her dinner a few times a week and get her garden going after this winter?”
“That would be great. I think we really can help her and still let her feel independent.”
They had talked so far past dinner that they hadn’t even realized that Amy had fallen asleep in her chair. Connie brought Amy up to her new room with Beth while Debbie cleaned up the kitchen. The guys knew they still needed to go out and do one last check before they could call it a night. So they bundled up and got to it, leaving Thomas at the house with the girls.
By lantern light, Keith and Stewart passed what used to be their bunkhouse and stopped for a moment. “Man, we are so lucky that Andrew insisted we stay at the main house the other night!”
Stewart replied, “You ain’t kiddin’! Look at this place. That tree landed right where our beds are!”
“Were, dude, where our beds were.” Keith still couldn’t believe how kind Andrew and his family had been. “Thank God we don’t have to sleep in a tent!”
“You’re not kidding!” Stewart stood there for another minute, just staring at the doorway of the cabin. He could remember the day Andrew offered to let them stay on the ranch, and he remembered thinking he never had felt more welcome than he had that day. Now, having been welcomed off the ranch and into the house, it brought that feeling to an entirely new level.
“Come on, let’s get this ranch checked and then get back to the house.”
They walked, feet still sinking slightly into the saturated ground with each step. The night air was cold and it reminded both of them that the frigid winter soon would be upon them. “Who do you think is doing it?” Keith asked.
“Who do I think is doing what? Moving the rocks?”
“Yeah. We heard the girls’ ideas, and as nice as it would be to think that it was fuzzy little Martians, I think we both know that isn’t the case.”
“Well, I want to
think it’s some spirit from the woods that has lost its way, but then I’d be as silly as the girls. So my theory is it’s someone from town who needs help but is afraid to ask. It’s a scary time, and to come onto someone’s property could get you shot if it’s the wrong property.”
Keith thought about what his brother had said for a second and then said, “Yeah, you have a point there.”
“What about you? Who do you think it is?”
“I honestly have no idea. Like you said, it would be great to think one of the girls could be right with the stories they told, but these are times we need to be realistic. I feel like someone either is messing with us or they need help. It’s crazy to think that it wasn’t long ago we only had to worry about getting our jobs done here on the ranch and going back to town. Now we have to do these security checks and help protect four girls and an entire ranch. Life went from living to surviving.” Keith had thought those words for a while, but never had said them out loud.
“Come on, let’s get this done and get back to the house,” Stewart said, nudging his brother.
“You know what? The night is quiet, let’s split up and get this done. No need to stick together.”
“Sure thing. I’ll meet you back at the house.”
The men split up, both walking the fence line in opposite directions. While they checked the perimeter, Andrew did his nightly check of the barn and shed. Thomas settled in on the recliner, telling himself he would sleep in his own cabin the following night. He liked being at the main house, and in fact, was almost jealous of Keith and Stewart for having the opportunity to live there for the time being.
Amy and Beth were sound asleep, and Connie was in her bed reading a magazine that had been printed and released just before the EMP. She loved remembering what movies and music were popular on that day. Debbie sat in a chair near her window, shutters cracked open so she could peek into the night outside the house. She held her mother’s diary on her lap, as she had many nights before. She never read what was on the pages, but just having something so private of her mother’s made her feel her presence.
The guys weren’t gone very long, and soon Andrew, Keith and Stewart were within the warmth of the main house. Thomas already had fallen asleep, but not before making sure a fresh pot of coffee was waiting for them in the kitchen. Keith and Stewart made themselves a cup each and brought them up to their room. Andrew stopped in the living room and sat on the couch, not realizing Thomas had woken up.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Thomas said, seeing his friend deep inside himself.
“Oh, Thomas, I’m not really thinking about any one specific thing. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Am I doing okay with the girls? I mean, I know they are great, and strong, and determined, but am I doing okay as a father? All of their positive traits seem to come from their mother.”
“You are a great father and are doing the best you can under horrible, horrible circumstances. You have prepared them for anything that comes their way, and they love you. Of course you are doing okay with the girls.” Thomas paused and then said, “Now, go get some sleep. Lack of rest seems to have made your brain mushy…you sound like a woman!”
“Nice, Thomas, really nice. You are such a comedian. I’m going up now. Goodnight, old man.”
“Goodnight.”
Chapter Seven
Andrew slept soundly for the first time in a long time. In fact, he slept through the sunrise, and through the guys getting up and heading out for morning check. It wasn’t until Stewart and Keith began yelling that Andrew stirred and then quickly jumped out of bed. He pulled on his shirt and buttoned his jeans as he ran down the stairs. There he found Thomas heading out the door, no shoes and no coat.
On the porch, shotgun in hand, they could see a man on a horse moving slowly toward the house. Keith and Stewart were standing in his way and they were yelling to Thomas and Andrew.
“Andrew, Thomas, get out here!” They both yelled, not in unison, but over and over again.
Andrew approached the three men and spoke in a deep and steady voice, almost unsure about what he was about to say. “You’ve come far enough.” The man stopped his horse and the look on his face told the men he was just as afraid to be there as they were of having him there. “What can we do for you? You must be lost.”
Almost stuttering his words, the man spoke, “My family is hungry. I went for a hunt, but came up empty-handed. I was hoping you could help me.” The man was not old, but he was weathered. His hair was long, and the gray ones outnumbered the brown. His eyes were blue and tired, and his wrinkles were deep for a man of his age. “Please, sir, my kids are young. They don’t understand why they can’t eat.”
“I think it would be best if you kept moving,” Thomas said, knowing Andrew wouldn’t.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, honest. I’m just looking for food to bring back to my kids and wife. We haven’t eaten in days, and they are growing weak.”
Andrew thought hard about what to do, and then he looked at the man. He seemed genuine, and he knew tyhe had more than enough food to spare. He turned and looked at Stewart and Keith, and their looks told him it would be a good thing to help the poor man.
“You can follow us up to the house, but I will have to ask you to stay outside. I will see what I can find for you to bring back to your family.”
“Thank you, sir. They sure will appreciate it.”
Thomas stayed at the horse’s side as they made their way to the house. Andrew was thankful the girls still were sleeping. He didn’t want to have to explain to them there were kids starving nearby. He knew they would want to help in more ways than just giving food, and he also knew how dangerous that could wind up being. Andrew stepped inside the house and left the guys outside with the man.
While they waited, nobody said anything. Since the EMP, people learned that the less they knew about other people the better. It was common for someone to get to know another person, and learn their weaknesses, and then use those weaknesses against them. They all stood there, leaning against the railing of the porch, looking out over the ranch at the new day. It was still cold, and the wind was blowing, enhancing the chill.
To the men, it felt like an eternity since Andrew had gone inside, and they all were relieved when he finally emerged, carrying a bag that easily could be tied to the man’s saddle. “I’m sorry. It isn’t much,” Andrew said as he handed the man the bag. “There’s a little bit of meat, some potatoes, a jar of fruit, and a couple of tomatoes.”
“That is more than I could have asked for. Again, my family truly will appreciate it, as do I.”
“I haven’t seen you before. Where are you and your family staying?”
“We have a tent in the woods about five miles from here. It’s getting cold, but we have all we need to survive.”
“That must be one hell of a tent!” Thomas said, patting the man on the back.
“I am building a trapper shack. It’s almost done. By the time the snow comes, we should be in it.”
Keith looked at the man and then said, “I know you’re not from town. Where did you and your family come from?”
“Helena.”
“You’re a long way from Helena, man.”
“Yeah, well, it got too rough there. I had to keep my family safe. It took us a while, but we feel better here.”
Stewart said, “So, it’s really bad out there, huh?”
“I never thought it ever could get that bad. It started with your basic looting. You know, people in a panic over the prospect of not having enough food. Then it got worse. People were stealing TVs! Can you believe it? What would they need with TVs?” He paused for a moment and then continued. “Then the killing started. At first it was over food, but then when people started getting sick, it became all about medicine.
“The bars were the next to go. Let me tell you, there is nothing worse than a bunch of angry men running around with a bottle of
booze in one hand and a gun in the other. It reminded me of the old Westerns. You know, people shooting their guns in the air, stealing each other’s horses, getting drunk in the street…it was a mess.
“Pretty soon, those same drunks became like pirates, gathering what they stole from others and comparing their hauls with others like them. They would come in the night, cause all kinds of chaos in the lives of the people who lived in the small towns on the outskirts of Helena, and then be gone with everything those people had.
“It all was too much for my wife to handle. We worried that if we stayed, the kids would be the ones to suffer the worst fates. Kids everywhere were dying. If it wasn’t from starvation or sickness, it was from the pirates taking their lives in the night. We had to keep our kids safe. So one morning, we loaded up our horses and hitched a sled to one and our little rowboat to the other and pulled our kids out of there.
“At night we would stop, put up our tents and sleep in shifts, keeping a fire going and watching out for the pirates. It was really no way to live, but at least the kids didn’t have to see all the evil in the city. The days were long, and the nights were longer, but we were together, and that was all that mattered.”
Thomas, Keith, Stewart and Andrew just stood there, listening to the man tell his story, all hanging on every word. They all knew it had become bad out there, but none of them ever had the need to venture out to the big city. So they didn’t know just how bad it had become. Not wanting the man to feel too comfortable with them, Andrew decided it was time for him to be on his way.
“Well, I hope you and your family continue doing well, and I hope they enjoy the food. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have work to do to prepare for winter.”
Understanding what Andrew meant, the man got up on his horse, took off his hat and nodded his head. “I thank you for your kindness, and I know my family does as well. We will keep you and yours in our prayers. Stay safe friends.” With that, he turned his horse and moved on, never looking back. Keith and Stewart walked behind him, at a distance, to make sure the man left the ranch. Then they continued doing their safety check. It was obvious the man had come through the fence line at some point, but when they completed their check, they didn’t find a break in the fence anywhere. It was as if the man just materialized and then just as quickly disappeared.