Revenants

by Lee Elisabeth

  It suits him.

  Makes him look more intimidating than he already did.

  He turns and sees me looking at him. Our eyes connect briefly, long enough for me to appreciate the deep grey hues of his. I quickly cut my gaze elsewhere, so he won't think I'm over here thinking about him.

  Even if I am.

  * * *

  Daniel

  "How long have you lived out here?" I ask Erek.

  We're seated around the main campfire. Wayne is cooking squirrel meat and a can of beans over the flames.

  Nothing like a hot meal to bring the family together.

  "About three years," Erek answers.

  "Three years?" Chloe asks, surprised.

  He nods. "Bought this land three years ago...been paying it off since." He looks around and sighs. "Plan was to live in this camper till the land was paid off, then build a house. But, the world kinda went down the crapper a few months ago."

  "I thought you paid for the land outright?" Daniel asks.

  "Nah. I told you...mountain land is expensive. I bought over 200 acres...that's how I inherited that ratty old trailer. I was able to cover most of it, but I needed the bank's help with the rest of it. Much as I hated it," he adds.

  "Erek, I'm sorry," Chloe says.

  "For what?"

  "Well...I guess I’m sorry you never got to build your house."

  He shrugs. "Least I don't have to keep making payments on the loan, right?"

  I tune out the rest of their conversation and look around the camp. Our new home for however long it lasts. It's not terrible. I mean, if I was going to live outside like a caveman I guess this clearing would be one of my top choices. It's large, bordered on all sides by dense woods. There's only one road in and out of the clearing, and it's gated at the main road about three miles away. Someone would have to stumble into camp on foot. Not that anyone could get close without us knowing...the woods surrounding the clearing are littered with perimeter alarms and traps.

  The camp is only two miles from Erek's store, so we can continue to access it for supplies until there's nothing left. There's a small lake to the west, which serves as our fresh water source. According to Erek, there's been no sign of Revs around the clearing, not even in the beginning. His theory is that this part of the state was so low in population to begin with, those who were here when the incident first happened were either killed, or quickly evacuated.

  The reason doesn't really matter to me. I'm just happy to hear there haven't been any sightings. It's funny how far your standards fall when you're just trying to survive.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chloe

  It's been two months since we moved to the clearing.

  The morning air is getting cooler, the leaves more colorful. I can almost imagine how beautiful the clearing will be once autumn finally claims its victory over summer. I'm actually happy right now, believe it or not. Some days I even forget the world ended in May...like I'm living in the clearing because I chose to, not because I was forced into homelessness after an inexplicable virus wiped humanity off the map.

  Every week, we hike into town and raid the surplus store, but its supplies are beginning to dwindle. We brought back the last of the MREs during the supply run two days ago. I noticed a brief look of worry pass over Erek's face while we were in the store, when he said, "It can't be. I had enough to last a year, at least."

  I wonder what we'll do after the MREs are gone...especially since that's what we rely on to supplement meals on the days Wayne and Erek don't bag a deer or other wild game.

  Meredith assures me everything will be fine. We just have to trust in the Lord to provide. That might work for her, but I'm tired of depending on someone else. Plus, I'm not like Meredith...I lack the ability to recite biblical passages from memory, so when I left my Bible behind at the motel the day Lane was killed, my feeble connection to the Word stayed behind as well.

  Meredith seems disappointed my faith could be so easily extinguished...maybe even a little guilty, which makes no sense...but each time she tries to convince me that God is still at work in the midst of this situation, I shut her down. I'm not interested in anything other than surviving, and now even that might be in jeopardy.

  I won't sit back and let it slip through my fingers without a fight.

  I just finished pitching an idea to the group. I think it’s the best idea I’ve had in awhile.

  Erek is looking at me like I've lost my mind.

  I shrug. "What? It's not the worst idea ever."

  He spits a stream of tobacco onto the grass. "I beg to differ."

  I throw my hands up, and look at Wayne and Meredith. "Somebody back me up here...please?"

  Daniel shakes his head. "I don't know, Chloe. We've done good by staying close to town. Close to the store. You're talking about going at least fifteen miles in the opposite direction. Maybe more."

  "In an old truck and a four-wheeler," Wayne adds.

  Meredith just looks from Erek to me, uncertain and saying nothing.

  "Well, why wouldn't it work?" I ask Erek. "You said last night we need more supplies. The store can provide weapons, but it can't provide food anymore." I turn to Wayne next, and say, "And you said wild game will be harder to find the colder it gets."

  Wayne nods. "Less opportunity, anyway."

  I look back at Erek. "So, we have to do something, right? Just like you said."

  "I didn't say we needed to go on a suicide mission."

  I groan. "It's not suicide, Erek. Look...we've already gone through any usable supplies in town. We have to widen our radius. So, either we go on a supply run farther away, which is dangerous, or we move our entire camp closer to another town."

  "Widen our radius? Who are you?" he asks.

  I cross my arms, irritated. "First you say I don't take my lessons seriously enough, now you act surprised when I start making suggestions. You can't have it both ways, so which do you prefer?"

  Erek is rubbing a stone in his hand, thinking. Finally, he says, "There's a chance we might get stranded before we find a new spot. Or, we could run into a herd of Revs. Or worse, someone could get hurt. Then what?"

  "Well, we'll get hurt here if we starve to death. Right?"

  He looks at me, but doesn't respond.

  "So what are we waiting for, then?"

  He tosses the stone aside. "Oh, I don't know.....maybe a solid plan?"

  "You're always planning. And that's great. But now we need to start doing." I pause and look at the others. "I vote we head out tomorrow to look for a new spot."

  Wayne grunts. "Sounds like a solid plan to me."

  I smile. "Thank you, Wayne."

  Erek rolls his eyes. "He wasn't being serious. It's a terrible plan."

  I throw my hands up in disgust. "Fine. I guess we'll just sit here and keep making plans until we all starve to death."

  Erek runs a hand through his hair. "I didn't say we wouldn't go. But we need to talk strategy. This isn't the old world, where you hop in your car and drive to the local real estate office and tell 'em you want to move. We have to be smart."

  "So, what should we do?"

  He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I don't know. Let me think about it."

  * * *

  Daniel

  Later that afternoon Erek spreads a topographical map out on the work table in front of us. He points to a section on the map. "This is where we are," he says. He moves his finger west. "This is Lowell, the next town over. Just outside of Asheville," he finishes, looking at Chloe for emphasis.

  I look at the map, but I may as well be looking at an inkblot test. I can’t make heads or tails of anything. "How far is Lowell? I'm not good at reading these things."

  "Ten miles, but it'll feel like thirty."

  "Why?" I ask, although I'm not sure I want to hear the answer.

  Erek shrugs. "If I'm right, and I think I am, we'll only be able to drive so far. Right here," he says, pointing at a spot on the map just beyo
nd the clearing, "is the main road leading to Lowell. But it's nearly blocked solid with abandoned cars." He shakes his head. "We won't be able to get the truck through that."

  "And we can't drive through the woods," I add.

  "And the four-wheeler won't hold more than two of us," Wayne says.

  "Nope," Erek says, agreeing with both of us.

  Chloe sighs. "So, we'll be walking to Lowell. And carrying supplies if and when we find them."

  "You get the prize, Princess," he says, winking at Chloe.

  I only half listen as Erek and Wayne start discussing different scenarios that may or may not happen. I trust them to choose our path wisely....after all, they're used to being in the woods, whereas I'm used to sitting behind a desk, crunching numbers. I glance at Meredith, wondering what she thinks about all this, and if she agrees with leaving the clearing. She hasn't said more than a few words since this conversation started.

  She catches me looking at her. "What?" she asks.

  "Nothing. Just wondering what you're thinking."

  "About what?"

  "All this. Leaving."

  She shrugs. "I've made my peace with not being sure of anything anymore."

  We sit in silence for a minute before I look at her and ask, "Do you miss how it used to be?"

  "How what used to be?"

  "You know...the world. Life."

  She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. "Not really. I don't have many fond memories from before."

  "None?"

  "I said not many. That implies I had some fond memories."

  I laugh. "Okay, true. Do you miss those moments, then? The good ones, I mean."

  "I lost the right to miss those moments a long time ago. So, no."

  I don't dare ask what she means by that. Instead I settle for, "Where do you think we'll be a year from now?"

  "Dead," she answers, then turns and walks to her tent.

  * * *

  Chloe

  "Why can't we take the camper with us?"

  Erek doesn't look at me. "You got a truck with a hitch for it?" he asks as he loads items into his bag.

  "There's a hitch on your truck. I can see it from here."

  "Not the kind that'll pull a 5th wheel."

  I look at the old truck parked beside the camper, then back at Erek. "Well, how did you get it to the clearing, then?"

  "Had the company I bought it from bring it here for me. Never planned on moving it after that."

  "Well, but....."

  Erek stops packing his bag and looks at me, irritated. "What's the matter, Princess? Leaving not looking so appealing now?"

  "Why are you always so rude to me?"

  "I'm not being rude, I just keep waiting for you to grow up....to realize this isn't some game." His eyes soften as he says, "I keep waiting for you to understand this life doesn't care about what we want. And we can't care that it doesn't care. We just have to stay alive."

  "That's a terrible way to live," I say, crossing my arms.

  "What's it matter, as long as you're still alive? Or, are you one of those people who sit around bemoaning the good old days that never really existed in the first place?"

  I shake my head. "No, it's not that....."

  He moves closer to me. "Then what is it, Princess?"

  I throw my hands up. "I don't know! I just....I can't explain it."

  "So it's worse than I thought,” he says, frowning. “You're one of those people who walk around acting like something's wrong, but can't label it because if you did, you'd have to face it." He's standing so close, our noses nearly touch. "So, why don't you just say it, and stop wasting my time."

  My lip trembles, but I don't speak. I don't trust myself to say a word.

  He doesn't blink. "Any day now, Princess."

  Finally, I whisper the words I've needed to say out loud for months. "I'm afraid."

  "Afraid of what?" he asks.

  "Everything, I guess. Living. Dying. Losing everyone I love."

  He nods. "I respect that. But now that you've admitted it, tell it to kiss your rear-end and forget it. Being scared will only get you killed out here."

  A short laugh escapes my lips. "You know....if life ever goes back to normal, you'd make one heck of a life coach."

  He smiles. "Right. I'll keep that in mind.

  "So, when do we leave?"

  He walks back to his pack and zips it closed. "Now."

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chloe

  Unfortunately, Erek was right.

  The road leading to Lowell is completely blocked. We abandon the truck, and with our possessions loaded on our backs, we walk the rest of the way. He was also right that it feels like thirty miles instead of ten. Even wearing the boots I got from Erek's store, my feet begin to hurt after the first five miles. I haven't walked like this in weeks, and I'm paying the price for my laziness now.

  After seven miles, even my feet give up the ability to ache.

  I'm numb at this point.

  I glance at Daniel and Meredith. They're walking in single file. In silence. Wayne is in the back, always the vigilant lookout. His head may as well be on a swivel. He seems to notice everything. I look at Erek. He's sweating, but otherwise seems unphased by the walking. I wish I were in the same physical shape as him. Although I quickly remind myself he's worked for it. And what have I done? Whined and complained for the past three months about how unfair everything is.

  I should have been working to better myself instead.

  He notices me looking at him. "Something on your mind, Princess?"

  I decide to answer truthfully. I'm too tired to lie about it, anyway. "I was just thinking I've wasted a lot of time and opportunity the past few months."

  He raises an eyebrow.

  "I wish I was more like you. Strong and confident," I say, blushing.

  He doesn't respond right away, which makes me feel even more embarrassed. Finally, he says, "You are strong, Chloe. Just not in the way I am."

  "Thanks, I guess?"

  "But you will be. Once I'm through with you, you'll be tough as nails."

  I’d like to believe that’s true, but I have serious doubts about my ability to become a tougher person. This may be the toughest I’ll ever be. I sigh. "Anyway, I guess I want to say I really do appreciate all you've done for us. Even if I don't always show it."

  He nods and keeps walking.

  "Don't get me wrong," I add. "You're still a jerk. But I'm glad we found you."

  He smiles. "Keep walking, Princess. Before you go all soft on me."

  With that, we continue on in silence to Lowell. I feel a slight sense of apprehension. I have no idea what waits for us there, but I've learned not to hope for happy endings these days.

  * * *

  Daniel

  "I've been wondering about something."

  "I'm sure you have," Meredith responds.

  I'm not sure how to ask what I want to ask, and things have been going smoothly between the two of us lately. I don't want to risk things turning bad again.

  She looks at me. "Well? What is it?"

  "You said you were traveling with someone before we found you."

  She looks at me, but says nothing.

  "But, it wasn't Phil or any of the others you mentioned when we first met you," I continue, slowly.

  She raises an eyebrow.

  I look at her for a moment before asking, "So, who was it?"

  A look of despair crosses her face. It's so pronounced, I almost tell her to forget I asked, when she whispers, "I was traveling with my daughter."

  I didn’t expect that. Well, maybe I did. Somewhere deep down I knew...even accepted...that her past was more complicated than I could imagine; I guess I suspected there might have been a child involved.

  I run a hand through my hair. "How old was she?" I finally manage to ask.

  A tear runs down her cheek. "Six months old. Just a baby."

  I shake my head. "I'm sorry, Meredith. I shouldn'
t have asked."

  She wipes her eyes. "It's fine. I should have told you sooner, so you would understand why I don't like talking about my past."

  "What was her name?"

  "Mattie."

  "What happened to her?" I ask, both needing and dreading her answer.

  She shakes her head, sadly. "My husband happened."

  "What?"

  "Babies cry. A lot. They attract them. Nelson, my husband, didn't want to attract them....the Meths, as he called them." A shudder runs through her. "Anyway, one night Mattie started crying, and he just...." She covers her face with her hands and a sob escapes her lips. "He was holding her...and I couldn't get to her in time."

  I reach out and pull her to me, cupping her head in my hand. I hate myself in this moment. My curiosity has her reliving something more awful than anything else we've experienced this far. The rest of the group is frozen, stunned by what she’s just revealed. Chloe’s right hand covers her mouth; silent tears run down her face. Wayne and Erek are watching the exchange, mouths open.

  Meredith cries into my chest. "She was just a baby! She couldn't help it. I was supposed to protect her. But I couldn't. I let him hurt her."

  I force her to look at me. "Meredith, stop. You didn't do anything. He did." I shake her shoulders lightly. "He did it. Not you. You had no way of knowing he would hurt her."

  "But I did," she says, sniffling.

  "What do you mean?"

  "He always hurt everything he claimed to love." She wipes her nose on the sleeve of her shirt. "I should never have had a child with him. Not after the things he had done to me. But I never thought he would take her life," she adds in a whisper.

  "Did you kill him? Is that what you've been hiding?"

  She shakes her head. "No. I couldn't."