by C. A. Henry
Helen started picking through the packets of freeze- dried foods and MREs. “My goodness, Massey, there’s enough here for an army.”
“Nope, but there’s enough for a family of six for a little over a year. My parents’ goal was to have two years’ worth of food in case we weren’t able to get enough produce from the garden. They didn’t reach that goal, but we could have stretched what’s here and in the cellar to fourteen or fifteen months, I think.”
“I don’t doubt it. What I’m truly thankful for is not only is there a lot of it, but there’s also a lot of variety. We can each pick some foods that we prefer. I’ll continue to supplement with rabbits and squirrels, and with your bow, maybe you can get a young deer. If we find a place where it’s safe to do it, we can made jerky. I think we’d need a cave for that, though.”
“Let’s be sure to take some of the packets of freeze-dried fruit. And everyone needs to have ample food packed, in case, heaven forbid, we get separated,” Jeff suggested.
“Yes, that’s a good idea. What will we do for water filtration if that happens?” Stevie asked, as she stared out the front window.
Massey snapped his fingers. “I’m so glad you mentioned that! We have some LifeStraws somewhere in this mess. Each of us needs one, and we’ll find room for any extras, too. That’s one of the most important things.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have any vitamin K stashed around here, would you?” Helen joked.
Massey shook his head. “I really wish we did, Helen. You need to be extra careful not to get any cuts. I don’t think we’d make it without you.”
“Nonsense. You’re three resourceful, smart people, and you’ll be fine. I do think we need to sit down and let me show you on the map exactly where we’re going. Jeff is already familiar with the area, but Kanichi Springs isn’t very big. You might miss it if you don’t know what to look for.”
Chapter Twenty-three
January 15, the lodge near Kanichi Springs
Erin rechecked her numbers and made a note to herself on the inventory list. Then she cocked her head and listened. Voices drifted into the cache cavern from somewhere deeper in the system of caves. She listened, and while she couldn’t make out any words, she recognized the voices. Tanner and his sisters were together, having a quiet discussion.
Well, do I go see what they’re up to, or do I give them some privacy to talk? Hmmm. I think I’ll subtly let them know I’m around and see if they get quiet or invite me to join them.
Erin began to hum the old Scottish folk song, “Loch Lomond.” When she got to the chorus, she started to sing, really getting into the spirit of the song, while also getting louder.
Tanner appeared in the opening to the north cave, with a teasing smile on his face. “Hey, beautiful. Was that your way of letting us know you could hear us?”
“I could hear you, but it was just a murmur. Is that a private conference, or can anyone come?”
He tilted his head for her to follow and led the way to the place they’d dubbed “the cabana cavern.”
Rose and Dana sat on the sandy floor. Rose’s fingers played in the warm water of the natural pool, and Dana drew flower designs in the sand. Both women looked worried.
“We were just talking about our mom,” Tanner explained. “We haven’t heard from her since the phones died, months ago, and we have each been concerned, but today, Dana wanted to tell us about her dream. It has her upset.”
Erin sat down and looked at Dana in surprise. “You’re the most level-headed, stable one in our group. If you’re worried, please share with us. Maybe there’s something we can do to relieve your worry.”
Dana nodded. “It’s not the first time I’ve dreamed about Mom lately. Tanner and Rose can vouch for this: sometimes I have dreams and they happen, just like I dreamed them. My dreams aren’t necessarily about bad things. I dreamed that Tanner would get a scholarship before he decided for sure to go to OU. I dreamed that Rose would have twin girls before we even knew she was pregnant.
“I don’t mention my dreams to anyone except close family most of the time because I have ordinary dreams, too, just like everyone else. My “special” dreams are more like visions, and they’re different. They’re clearer and they make sense. You know how sometimes dreams jump from place to place and a person changes into someone else?”
“Yes, I do. My dreams seem to slide from real things to fantasy and back, and they usually don’t make any sense, like dreaming I’m in a car, driving down a road, then suddenly, I’m on a bicycle, instead,” Erin agreed.
“Yes, that’s it exactly. Well, I dream like that most of the time, but occasionally, I have one that is completely realistic. Those dreams flow in a straight line, and it’s like I’m watching a video of the people I know, doing things they would actually do.”
“And what have you dreamed about your mother?” Erin asked gently. “Tell me the earlier ones first, please.”
“About a month ago, I dreamed that Mom and Lewis were staying at home and not even going outside, except at night, and then, only to their own backyard. I saw Lewis sneak out in the dark with a bucket and dump whatever was in it in the back corner, by the fence. Then several days after that, I dreamed that Lewis left the house and went somewhere on foot, late at night. He was being very stealthy, hiding behind bushes and climbing over fences. That’s all, until last night.”
And what was that dream about?” Erin asked.
“It was longer, but not a lot was actually happening. She was somewhere besides home. I mean, the place didn’t look like Florida. I don’t know where she was, but she was moving through a forest with four people. Three were definitely men, but one…I’m not sure. It was either a boy, or a young woman with her hair chopped really short. All five of them were armed, and they acted like they might be in danger.
“They were spread out, and moving from tree to tree, stopping frequently to listen and scan the area. Then, they all gathered by a big tree. I think it was a cedar or a pine. It was still green. They stood there for a minute or two, then one of the men headed out, and the others followed. There was no sign of Lewis. And that’s all.”
Erin raised one eyebrow. “You dream in color? Does that always happen?”
“No. Most of my ordinary dreams are black and white, but my ‘visions,’ as I call them, are always in color.”
Erin glanced at Tanner. “Is your mom someone who would take off into the woods for some reason?”
“Not if she had another choice. She’d never leave Lewis and go off on her own. I know Dana’s dreams often come true, but sometimes, what she sees isn’t happening at the time she dreams it. Sometimes, it happens a long time later, and sometimes, it has already happened.”
“So, all of you believe that these dreams, or visions, are something that has happened, is happening, or will happen.” Erin repeated, bemused.
Rose spoke up for the first time. “I used to doubt Dana, back when we were kids. But she told us that there was a scholarship for Choctaw students to any university in Oklahoma, and that Tanner should apply because he was meant to get it. We’d never heard of that scholarship before, because it had just recently been endowed and hadn’t been announced to the public yet. He did some checking and found out it really did exist, and he qualified for it. Lots of people applied, but Tanner got it. We only found out after Ernie died that he was the one who endowed it.
“Then, when she told me I was going to have twins, I told her she was wrong, because we weren’t ready to start a family, and I was taking the pill. Turns out, I’m one of a small percentage of women for whom the pill doesn’t work. When the doctor told me I was pregnant, I knew Dana’s visions were real.”
Erin looked thoughtful. “Well, here’s my take on this: your mom isn’t alone. We don’t know who those people are, but she’s with them, and they all have weapons. I think that means they trust each other. You didn’t see actual danger, but you sensed that there was danger from their demeanor. That shows that the
y are alert and aware. Does your mom have the skills to survive in those circumstances? Is she capable, strong, and smart?”
“Yes, she definitely is,” Rose stated without hesitation. “Mom grew up learning from our grandparents, and later, from Ernie. She and Lewis were major preppers, too. I think she can handle most things life throws at her.”
“But where is Lewis?” Tanner mused. “And where is she?”
Erin put a hand on his arm and squeezed, then turned to Dana. “How did the other people look, the ones she was with?”
“There was a young man, maybe early twenties. He’s Indian, I guarantee. Dark skin, black hair. Good-looking fellow, too, tall and broad-shouldered. One of the others looked a lot like him, but not as tall. Another guy, white, with a beard, who looked about forty, and he moved like an athlete. I got the impression that he knows how to handle himself in a fight. And there’s the one I’m not sure about. My guess is that one’s a girl because of the way she moved, but I can’t be sure. Tall, slim, fair skin, red hair. Young, maybe sixteen or seventeen, always observant, totally aware of everything.”
“And did any of them look scared?”
Dana thought for a moment. “No. they looked wary or careful. On guard, but not afraid.”
“So that’s what we have to hang onto. Five people, working together as a team. Let’s all pray for them and have faith that they’ll be okay. Have you ever had one of those dreams, but never found out if it happened?”
Dana’s face showed her concentration as she shifted through the dreams she’d had. “No. I can’t recall a time that the outcome wasn’t made clear to me in real life. I think I’ve only had nine or ten of them, total.”
“Then, if that holds true for this dream, you’ll know when your mom’s situation, whatever it is, reaches its conclusion. Please let us know if you have any more dreams about this. Meanwhile, let’s all be praying about it, every day. I remember your mom from when I was a kid, but she doesn’t even know she’s now my mother-in-law. I’m really looking forward to seeing her again someday and having her as a grandmother for our children.”
“I’m glad you joined us, Erin,” Rose admitted. “We were too close to it. We needed a voice of reason, and you are exactly right in the way you analyzed it. I feel better about it, anyway.”
“I do, too,” Dana agreed.
Tanner helped the ladies to their feet, and as his sisters headed back to the lodge, he pulled Erin into his arms and kissed her.
When he released her, she smiled up at him, and he answered her unspoken question. “That was for being exactly what I need, and almost always, exactly what we all need.”
Chapter Twenty-four
January 19, the Barnett Farm
Jeff and Stevie sat on the floor of the living room, trying to fit everything they wanted to take into their packs. Massey moved from one room to another in a seemingly random way, looking out windows and watching for movement in the trees. Helen sat in a chair where she could peek out the living room window, keeping an eye on the front side of the house.
They had decided, based on the improvement that Helen was making, that they could be ready to leave early the next morning. There had been no sign of Massey’s brother, and he knew that he couldn’t expect the group to wait around forever. He also understood that he had almost no chance of surviving on his own, but then, neither did Ross.
He planned to leave another message for his brother, instructing him to look in a place where they used to hide their boyhood treasures: unusual rocks, small toys, and the foreign coins their dad had brought back from his time in the army before they were born. He would put another message in the hidey hole, telling his brother what had happened at the Pitts farm, and giving him directions to Kanichi Springs. He’d also hide the loaded pack he’d prepared for Ross in a safe place so it would be ready in case Ross needed to leave immediately. However, deep in his heart, Massey wasn’t sure he could, when it got down to it, leave without seeing Ross.
Stevie looked around at the packages of food littering the living room floor. “There’s much more here than we can take. I have an idea: do you have a small duffle bag or something like that? We could fill one up with food, and take turns carrying it. We should eat the food from the duffle first and save the food in our packs.”
“Good thinking. And once the bag is empty?” Massey teased.
“I would flatten it, roll it up, and take it with us. You never know when it might come in handy,” Stevie returned.
“Gotcha. That’s a pretty good idea. I think we have a small carry-on duffle that my mom used when we went on trips, and it’s made to fold up and put in a suitcase. I suspect she took it to hold all her purchases from shopping in the big cities.” Massey chuckled as he came into the living room. “For a country girl, my mom sure did like to shop at big outlet malls.”
“City or country, a girl’s gotta shop,” Stevie chirped in a singsong voice, then spoke normally. “I like shopping, too, but not in big malls. There’re too many stores and too many people.”
“So, you prefer a quieter life, away from crowds?” Massey asked.
“Absolutely,” Stevie stated flatly.
Massey nodded, then noticed that Jeff was watching him with a gleam in his eyes, trying not to grin.
“How about a snack? I saw some raisins somewhere, and we could mix up some of the Tang we’re not taking with us,” Massey suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Jeff smirked.
Helen told him she’d take some Tang, but no raisins.
Stevie made a face. “Raisins with Tang? You gotta be kidding.”
“Nope. I’m thinking that raisins are full of vitamins and minerals, plus they keep you from getting constipated,” Massey retorted. “Tang has some vitamins, too, but it’s mostly sugar, which can be a quick energy boost. It’s not what I’d call a health drink, but it has its uses.”
Helen straightened suddenly, and hissed, “Shush! There’s movement in the trees on the other side of the drive!”
Massey grabbed his rifle and removed the bar from the back door, then peeked out, and slipped through, whispering, “Stevie! Bar this behind me!”
Jeff was already on his feet and standing ready to back Helen up if necessary.
Stevie glared at the kitchen door after Massey went through it. “That bossy man might need to come back through that door in a hurry. And he might need help,” she hissed at Helen and Jeff. Before they could argue, she was out the door and gone.
Massey had circled the house around the south end and was out of sight when Stevie came out. She went toward the barn, thinking that’s where he was. Not finding him there, she went through the back door and into the woods on that side of the clearing.
Carefully making her way through the trees, moving almost silently, she approached the area where Helen had been looking when she spotted the movement. There was nobody there.
Her brows came down as her frustration and puzzlement grew. Where was Massey? And where was whatever Helen had seen?
Suddenly, a large hand covered her mouth and an arm grabbed her around the waist. “Who the devil are you?” a voice hissed.
With her mouth covered, Stevie was unable to answer.
The arm loosened as the intruder slid his hand up to grab her throat, turning her to face him. A large young man stood there, wearing dark clothing, his hoodie pulled up and the drawstrings tied to keep it in place.
“Okay, girl. I’m going to take my hand off your mouth, but if you scream, you’ll be sorry. You gonna scream?”
Stevie shook her head, and the hand over her mouth moved to hold her wrist in a painfully tight grip.
“Who are you?” he asked again.
“I’m Stevie, and you…you’re Ross, and I’m a friend of Massey’s and he’s right behind you!”
The next thing Ross knew, he was on the ground, his brother’s fist raised high, about to pound his face. Massey stopped himself just in time, then yanked his brother off the ground and
into a tight hug.
“Ross! Bro, where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick ever since I found out you were alive.”
“Uh, guys?” Stevie interrupted. “We probably should take this inside, before Jeff and Helen get nervous.”
Massey grinned, slapped his stunned brother on the back, and the three of them made a run for the back door.
Jeff held the door open until they were inside, then slid the bar into place.
Ross still seemed to be in shock. “But…but you’re dead,” he stuttered.
“Obviously not. I thought you were dead. Where have you been? It’s been days since, well…since.”
Ross’s eyes filled with tears. “I knew you went hunting, and I decided to go, too. I sat in the tree stand near Aunt Charlotte’s studio, but didn’t see anything. When I got back, it was almost dark. I smelled smoke long before I got to Uncle Gene’s. I knew something was bad wrong, but when I saw what was left of….” Ross couldn’t continue for several moments.
Massey waited, then said gently, “I know. I got back around lunch time, I guess. I saw the men who did it, but I had nothing except my bow, and there were a lot of them. Our family was already gone.”
Ross nodded, then stared at Massey. “I assumed you were in the barn, burned along with the others. I went kinda crazy, panicky, and I’ve been living in the woods since then, and I’m not ashamed to say, scared out of my head.”
“You must be hungry, then,” Stevie offered. “I’ll get you something to eat. It’s almost lunch time, anyway.”
Stevie went to the kitchen and Helen joined her. They used two of the soup mixes and made enough for everyone.
Massey gave his brother a sad smile. “You want to wash up? Then we can eat. Talking can wait until later.”
~~~~
Ross ate every drop of his soup and finished what was left in the pan. Then he sat back, starting to feel a little better and adjusting to the shock of finding his big brother still alive.