by Kip Nelson
Darren came around the corner, but his alarm quickly faded. He found that Tara and Michelle just were playing a game with Brent. He was making them jump by making loud noises. The relief was palpable.
They greeted him when he returned. Each of them was in good spirits and it seemed as though they all had enjoyed a profitable day. Some stew was bubbling over the fire, although the mountain lion hadn’t moved. For a moment Darren thought she was dead, but her chest was slowly rising and falling. Her breathing seemed labored, though.
“She looks troubled,” JR said, noticing that Darren was looking at the mountain lion. “I’m not sure how much longer she has left, not if she doesn’t let us look at the wound.”
“That’s the problem, though, isn’t it? She won’t let us get close. I brought some food for her and the cubs anyway,” he said, and tossed some of the meat by the animals.
The cubs leaped on it and tore at it voraciously with their small teeth, tearing chunks out at a time. The mother craned her neck and reached out with a paw to bring some to her mouth, but she chewed slowly. It seemingly took a great effort for her to eat. At least she was eating, though.
Darren’s heart swelled with pity, but he turned his back on the mountain lion to focus on his own family, offering them some meat to add to the stew. Brent took it gratefully and put it on a spit, then let it rest over the fire where the flames crackled and seared the meat. It started to glisten with juice. The heavy smell filled the cave and made their stomachs rumble. If the mountain lions hadn’t already had their fill of food, they likely would have tried joining them for dinner, which was the heartiest one they had enjoyed for a while.
As they were dishing up the stew, JR bowed his head and started to say Grace. The kids all looked at Darren, who was stunned momentarily. All he wanted to do was eat, but he gestured for them to bow their heads and listen to the minister’s words.
“Oh Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, thank you for this blessed gift of food for myself, this man, and his family. You put us through trials, and with your guidance we emerge from them stronger, happier, and more proud. We seek dominion over the Earth. We take sustenance from the ground, the animals, the water; all that has been provided by you. Lord, we thank you deeply for every day that we spend in this wretched world. We thank you for giving us the strength to continue, for giving us the hope to look and plan for the future, and for giving us the compassion to help others when we see them in need.
“I want to thank you personally for guiding myself into the arms of Darren and his family. Against the odds they are proving that people can thrive in this world, and it is a privilege to have been in their company for even just a short time. Now we shall enjoy this meal, and it will fill our hearts as well as our stomachs for we know that we have earned this stew. And all we ask is that you continue to watch over us and keep us safe. Guide our actions and fill us with the courage to do what needs to be done. Amen.”
There was a murmur of “Amen” from everyone else as the minister finished his prayer. Then, he looked up and smiled at them all and urged them to eat. They heartily tucked into their meal. The stew was delicious. The warmth spread through their bodies. The thick broth slipped down their gullets and left a trail of heat. The vegetables were filling, the meat was nice and tender. It was the finest meal that any of them had had for a long time. It made Darren hope that perhaps in the future they could have more meals like this.
“How far away did you say the farmhouse was?” JR asked Brent.
“Not too far, just a little ride up that way,” Brent said, gesturing with his hand.
“Like I said, there’s plenty more there. I was thinking about doing another run tomorrow.” He spoke casually, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to go out by himself. Darren was about to say something about not getting ahead of himself, but he bit his tongue before he did. He didn’t want to discourage Brent, and the vegetables were certainly delicious.
“I was thinking as well, Dad. I thought that I might get a bit closer to the farmhouse to see if there’s any sign of anyone living there,” Brent said.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Darren said as he was chewing on some meat. His mind filled with grim thoughts of an angry farmer seeing Brent as a threat and firing a rifle toward him, or worse. There was no telling what hazards lay in wait for Brent in this world. “We don’t know who could be living there.”
“But there might not be anyone, and I was thinking that if the place is empty, it could be our new home,” Brent said.
Everyone’s ears pricked up at this, and they all stopped eating for a few moments. Brent suddenly looked bashful. He hadn’t expected his comment to garner such a reaction from everyone.
“I mean, it was just an idea I had. We don’t have to or anything. I was just thinking…” he trailed off and slurped down some of his stew, wiping an errant dark drop from the corner of his mouth.
“No, go on, tell us your idea,” Darren said.
“Well, it’s just that the house itself seems in pretty good condition and it makes more sense to me that we go where the vegetables and fields are rather than bring them to us all the time. I’d have to check, but there might be a hand cranked well there, which would mean we wouldn’t have to go to the stream all the time for water. And you’ve said yourself that you don’t see us staying here all our lives. It would be nice to have a proper roof over our heads again, and our own rooms.” He glanced at Betsy and the girls as he said the last part. They all seemed to be excited about his idea, although Michelle had one concern.
“What about the mountain lions? Are they coming with us?” she asked.
“Let’s decide whether we’re going before we think about what happens to the mountain lions, Sweetie. Besides, they might want to have this place to themselves,” Darren said.
He couldn’t quite believe he actually was considering leaving the cave. It had been so good to them and kept them alive when they may have died somewhere else. It was sturdy and had endured the storms, had given them shelter from the wind and rain, and it had provided them with enough cover to have a perpetual fire going so they had a constant source of warmth. It never had been perfect, but it had been just right for them, and Darren felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving it.
“But it’s a good idea,” Darren added.
“I’ll want to have a look around myself first, but I don’t see why not. Like you said, it might be nice to have a roof over our heads again, and it certainly would be easier to plan for the future while we’re living in a house rather than in this cave,” Darren said. Brent suggested that Darren join him the following day, and Darren agreed.
With that matter settled they continued eating the stew and then settled down for the night. It seemed that things were beginning to change, as though a new dawn had appeared, and it had coincided with JR’s arrival. Darren wasn’t usually one to believe in miracles, but it seemed as though they had been touched by God. Perhaps it would lead to them having a better life.
He could hope so, anyway.
Chapter Eight
The following day Darren and Brent got ready to leave. Because there was only one bike, they didn’t think there was much point in taking it. But it did mean they were going to be gone longer than Brent had been previously. Betsy and JR were going to look after the girls, though, and Darren just told them to be careful of the mountain lions. The mother still looked wounded and hadn’t gotten to her feet even after another night’s sleep. The wound on her leg was getting nastier, but whenever Darren tried to get near her, she growled at him.
“I know I was scared of the mountain lion when I first arrived but seeing her like this only makes the pity inside me swell,” JR said. “It’s difficult to see one of God’s creatures in such pain. I’m supposed to be here to help people through their anguish, but there’s nothing I can do for her. I feel so helpless.”
“I know, but she clearly doesn’t want our he
lp. I guess we just have to hope that the wound will heal itself, or that we can find a way to treat her while she’s sleeping,” Darren said. JR nodded and pressed his lips together, gazing at the lion with a wistful look in his eyes.
“I’ll pray for her,” JR said. Darren looked at her and thought she needed a heck of a lot more than prayer.
He and Brent took a bottle of water each and carried a sack. They set off soon after sunrise. The idea of living and working through the night had been abandoned ever since they had decided to embrace the foraging lifestyle. Darren had wanted to keep it up, but gradually they started to slip back into sleeping when it was nighttime, and without any alarm clocks it was difficult to interrupt the natural sleeping cycle. It seemed as though humans were attuned to waking when it was light and sleeping in the darkness, so that is what they did. However, it did seem as though there were fewer people coming through the forest than he expected. So, they weren’t putting themselves at risk, and the amount of resources they gathered made the risk worthwhile anyhow.
The air was crisp as he and Brent set off, and the sky was an endless shade of gray, but at least there were no dark clouds on the horizon. The longer it went without a storm the better, as far as he was concerned, and he even started to wonder if it was time for spring to blossom yet. It was so hard to keep track of the days and months. And although he didn’t want to get his hopes up, he did start to think about what they could do when spring finally came.
“I hope you didn’t mind me making that suggestion. It was just something that occurred to me when I was outside the farmhouse. It seemed silly that there was a house all alone there without anyone living in it,” Brent said.
“You don’t have to apologize at all. I’m glad you’re thinking about the future of this family. You’re really turning into a man that you can be proud of,” Darren said. Brent turned his head to the side, embarrassed by the praise.
“I know that your teenage years are pretty difficult anyway, with all the hormones raging around inside your body, but it’s a difficult time for other reasons. When you become an adult you suddenly start to see the world around you in a different way, even a world like this one. Now that you’re older I can start to talk to you about certain things, about decisions we have to make. I’ve been looking forward to it, to be honest with you. Because being a single parent is a lonely role, and I could do with some help in taking the pressure off me.”
“Sure, Dad, I’ll do whatever you like,” Brent said.
“I’m glad to hear it. So, what we’ll do when we get to the farmhouse is stay out of sight. I don’t want any nasty surprises, and I don’t want to give anyone a nasty surprise in case they react violently. We’ll be as quiet as possible and stake out the area. If we see anyone, we’ll try figuring out if they look friendly. If they do, we might approach them. If not, we’ll head back and write it off.”
“I hope they’re friendly,” Brent said, “but it’s not like you to want to talk to people. Usually you’re always telling me to stay away.”
“I know…maybe I realize it’s time for me to change. I’m not sure we can make it through this world if we keep holding onto that attitude. JR has made me see things differently. When I heard him outside, I wanted to keep as quiet as I could. I was willing him to move away because I was so scared that he would be just like the others who have found us. And yesterday when I was out hunting, I heard two men walk by. They were just laughing, looked like regular guys to me, but I hid from them.
“At the time I told myself I was right to be cautious because I was alone, and they had weapons visible. Still ever since then it’s been gnawing at me. I keep asking myself what really would have happened if I had announced myself. I want to believe that people are still reasonable, and that they wouldn’t have just turned around and shot me on sight.
“I guess it just made me think about how big the world really is, how there are people out there we haven’t met yet who could change our lives for the better, and we should be ready to give them that opportunity. It’s a funny thing about life, I guess…when you’re younger you have such a big circle of friends. It’s easy to just call up people and get a massive group together for a game of football or something. But when you get older your circle dwindles and you become solely focused on your family. I’ve never really understood why that is. But I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to change that and start being open to other people.”
“Are you sure? I agree, but I just know how strongly you’ve warned us against reaching out to people in the past. It’s served us well and kept us safe so far. Are you sure you want us to change that drastically? I mean, JR is just one man. It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to be like him.”
“No, it doesn’t, but he’s not the only one I’ve met. I’ve spent too long focusing on the bad people we’ve met rather than the good. There are people out there. I found them when I was alone. They were good people and if things had been different maybe I would have invited them back.
“More help is always better, it makes us stronger. And then if there are bad people, we have more help to defend ourselves. I just…I hate living in fear, and I hate living in a world where I’m forced to look at everyone with mistrust. JR has shown me that it’s okay to trust in people again, and I’d like that to continue.”
Brent nodded. The two of them continued up to the farm. As they approached the field, they slowed their pace and crouched down behind the fence. The field was long and large, but it looked as though it hadn’t been tended for a while. Brent pointed out where he had pulled up the vegetables, and Darren saw a small part of the field where the dirt had been dug up and roots had been ripped out. There were still plenty of vegetables there, which made him think that the farm was empty, otherwise the farmers would have been gathering this food.
All was quiet, though, and no smoke was rising from the chimney. The house was framed with willow trees; the naked branches formed a kind of spider web, crisscrossing in front of the gray bricks of the house. It looked gothic and cold, and a chilly feeling trickled down Darren’s spine.
He nudged Brent and the two of them hopped over the fence and walked up the length of the field, keeping low and hugging the side of the field, although there wasn’t much space in which to hide. If anyone was looking at them, they’d have a good view. But the fact there was no gunfire or other sounds made Darren confident he wasn’t in any danger.
They made their way up to the house and a stagnant odor greeted them. Darren peeked through a window, but the curtains were drawn. His breath caught in his throat as he crept around the house. He almost was waiting for someone to jump out at him. It seemed wrong that this house would be standing here, empty, when there were so many people looking for shelter.
They came to the door. It was old and wooden. Flecks of paint flaked off. Brent had had a quick look around the back. As far as he could tell there were no animals on this farm. If there were, they most likely had been eaten, or wandered off. He did report there was a well, though, which did have water, and Darren nodded with approval.
“It certainly seems like this is an ideal place, but I’m worried it’s too good to be true. These things usually are…there’s just one more test,” he said, and pushed open the door.
It was unlocked, and as it opened air rushed out, along with dust. The door was sucked inward. Darren grinned at Brent and turned to look inside, but as soon as he did, he was seized with unfathomable horror as he saw a gaunt, pale figure staring at him with a gun resting in his lap.
Darren raised his hands and ducked, pushing Brent out of the way, pleading with the man not to shoot, but there was no response.
Upon closer inspection, Darren saw that the man had been dead for a while. His skin was stretched over his bones and his eyes were faded and lifeless. His limp hands cradled the gun, and he stared into eternity, his mouth gaping open, showing yellowed teeth and a dry, dark tongue. Darren gagged as the stench hit him and had to put his hand o
ver his mouth and nose as he moved into the house. Brent did the same.
“The winter must have preserved him,” Darren said, inspecting the body. Brent kept his distance.
“I wonder if there’s anybody else here,” he said.
They wandered around the house but found nobody else. Although as they looked out onto the backyard they saw a cross near a tree. Brent hadn’t seen it the first time he had been out there because he had been so excited to see the well. Darren surmised that it was the man’s wife, and that he had died soon after her, alone in his living room, with his gun trained on the door, watching out for intruders. It seemed such an awful fate for him to die in his chair with only the gun for company.
“Come on,” Darren said, for he knew what had to be done.
He and Brent found a shovel, along with an array of other tools, and began digging a grave by the tree. Brent wondered if all this really was necessary, but Darren told him there was dignity in death, and these two should be buried together. They hauled his body out carefully, wrapping it up in a blanket they found upstairs so they didn’t actually have to touch his flesh. Darren was afraid of infection, even though the man was ice cold.
They buried him silently and the mood was solemn.
“We should start heading back now. I think we’ve seen all we need to see,” Darren said.
“Okay, I guess we’re not going to stay here then,” Brent said.
“Why do you say that?”
“You just had a tone in your voice.”
“No, I think this place has potential, but if we move it has to be quickly. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who would like the look of this place. I’m just sad for the man who had to die without anyone by his side. I wonder what the last thing that went through his mind was,” Darren said.
He shut the kitchen door behind them and walked with Brent back through the field, back to the cave. The farm had everything they ever could want and, in his mind, he already was living there. It would take some time to gather supplies, though, and he even felt guilty for leaving the wounded mountain lion and her cubs. He’d think it over during the night, but he knew he’d have to decide soon. Otherwise, he might lose the chance to have this house for himself.