Stranded Box Set

by Theresa Shaver

  All that separated Lisa from her back fence was a strip of overgrown lawn and a paved walkway. Lisa scanned the back windows of her house and saw that each one was covered by closed blinds. She looked back at Payton and saw her chest hitch in a silent sob. Without even looking back at the others, she stepped out of the trees and dashed across the pathway, and crouched down behind her fence. She duck-walked forward until she was at the edge of the gate and she could peek around it. Checking the windows one more time for movement and finding none, Lisa made a “Psst!” noise.

  The girl in the yard reacted like she’d been hit and flinched violently before looking at the house and frantically searching the yard for the source of the noise. She spotted Lisa’s head peeking around the gate and did a double-take with her mouth gaping open.

  “Payton…it’s me, Lisa. What are you doing here?” Lisa called softly.

  The girl looked desperately back at the house before hissing in the direction of the gate. “I don’t know how you got back here, Lisa, but you need to get away! Your mother…”

  The sound of the backdoor opening cut her off and she frantically started to stir the pot in front of her, keeping her eyes down and away from the gate.

  Lisa yanked her head back from the gate. Her heart was pounding and her eyes flashed to the trees but she couldn’t see any of her friends. The voice calling across the yard cut straight through her.

  “What is taking so long out here, Payton? I know you’re upset but you still have many more chores to do before our guests get here tonight!”

  Lisa had no control over her legs as they straightened her into a standing position. She stepped in front of the gate and faced her mother. She was mildly surprised by her mother’s appearance. The woman looked exactly the same as when she’d driven Lisa to the airport a month ago. Flawless makeup and not a hair out of place complemented the designer dress and high heeled shoes. It was like her mother hadn’t been living without electricity for the last month.

  Lisa’s mother was alerted by her movements and her head turned to meet her daughter’s gaze. They stood facing each other like that for what felt to Lisa like hours before her mother’s expression altered slightly with raised eyebrows and she walked closer to the gate.

  “Lisa…this is unexpected.” After a brief pause she continued. “I wouldn’t personally have chosen such a style for your hair, but thankfully you have the eyes and cheekbones to carry it.”

  Lisa’s mouth dropped open in shock as her mother studied her before she sputtered out, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me after all this time? Mother, what is going on?”

  The woman frowned, “Please, Lisa. You know how I feel about dramatics. Of course I’m relieved to see you made it home safely. If you wish to discuss your trip then come into the house. It will take some work to get you cleaned up and ready for later.”

  “What are you talking about?! Why aren’t you at the school with the others? Who’re these guests you’re talking about?” Lisa asked in confusion.

  Payton made a horrified sound, bringing the woman’s focus back to her. “Payton! Go inside and get to work. Oh, and Payton? Not a word to anyone about this,” Lisa’s mother ordered.

  Payton dropped the spoon and raced for the back door. When she reached it, she turned back and behind the woman’s back, violently shook her head at Lisa in warning before slipping back into the house and closing the door.

  Lisa refocused on her mother with a look of confusion. Before she could ask another question, her mother started to explain.

  “As you know, I’m not accustomed to manual labour, so I made an arrangement with the men who are now in charge of our town. I get to live here in our home with a few other women and enjoy some extra privileges and luxuries in exchange for certain services. You would do well here with me. Come into the house and we can start getting you ready.”

  Lisa stared at her mother. She wasn’t even surprised, but just to be clear she asked, “You started a whorehouse and you want me to be one of your whores?”

  Her mother frowned and waved her hand dismissively. “Really, Lisa, don’t be ugly about it! I did what I had to do to survive. Now make your decision. Either come into the house or leave the area and find someone else to take you in.” She looked back at the house and checked her watch. “Hurry up! I’m expecting some men to come and remove…some garbage. If you aren’t interested, I suggest you leave the area before you don't have a choice.”

  Lisa’s head was shaking back and forth as she stepped back from the gate. She tried to think of the words she wanted to say but found that the emptiness inside of her heart had taken over her whole body so all that came out was, “Goodbye, Mother,” in a flat tone.

  Her mother had no expression on her face as she watched Lisa back away. Just as she was about to turn around and leave her mother stopped her.

  “Lisa! Your father was in Calgary that day. He never came home so I don’t know what happened to him. You could try to look for him if you aren’t staying here.”

  When Lisa only nodded, her mother turned and walked back into the house without a look back. Lisa stared at the closed door of her home and felt nothing. She vaguely wondered if she was as cold as her mother to not feel anything about what just happened. She shoved the thought aside when she heard Emily quietly calling her name and turned and slipped back into the trees to join her friends. The only people she had left in this hard, new world.

  Emily’s face was filled with concern and compassion and she pulled Lisa in for a hug before pulling back and studying her face. “I’m so sorry, Lisa. Are you okay?”

  Lisa pulled away and nodded before turning to the others. “I’m fine and I’m sorry for going over there. I know it put us all at risk. I promise it won’t happen again. We should get moving if we want to meet back with the others.” She quickly changed the subject and then started to walk in the direction they were headed. She couldn’t bear the looks of pity she saw in her friends’ eyes.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alex and her group circled their side of the golf course on the way to the clubhouse. They had more tree coverage than the other group so they made good time and were able to walk more confidently through the trees without the risk of being seen. They saw no sign of the grounds being used for farming or gardening, and Josh put out the theory that they didn’t have enough manpower to guard any more areas than what they’d already seen being used. Alex was happy and hopeful that they wouldn’t be running into any guards. Quinn was moving well and had no problem keeping up with them, but she knew if it came to them having to run, he would be struggling with his still healing leg. She glimpsed a reflection of light through the trees and slowed down.

  They approached the tree line cautiously and stopped just before reaching it. There was a large parking lot separating them from the clubhouse that had a few abandoned, dead cars. Nothing moved or made any sound in the ten minutes they spent watching it. After deciding that they were alone, Josh dashed across the lot until he was up against the building. He made his way to the corner and peered around it before looking back to the trees and waving them forward. On the other side of the building was a staging area where golfers would pick up their golf cart and start the course. It was empty as well. The pulse had happened way before golf season would have started so the only people around at the time it had happened would have been administrative and maintenance people.

  The group crossed the lawn and re-entered the trees. They followed the tree line as it wound around the course until it turned back towards the north and town. They continued west through the trees until they saw the pavement of the road ahead. This was the only road coming from the south that ran into the town. If there was a roadblock, it would be somewhere on it.

  Alex took the binoculars from her pack, looped the strap over her head and tucked them into her jacket before crawling out of the trees and through the ditch to the edge of the pavement. The cold wet grass soaked through her pants, but she ign
ored it and used the binoculars to scan the road. She could make out the first buildings at the beginning of town and the road was clear in that direction. Looking south, all she could see was trees as the road curved out of sight. Deciding that she didn’t need to crawl and get even wetter, she stood up and walked back to the trees to join the others. After she told them what she’d seen, they all turned and headed south through the trees. There was one road to cross that ran in front of the golf course clubhouse. Crossing it was a quick dash and then they moved further away from the road as they approached the curve in case the roadblock was right around the bend.

  The sound of a car door slamming validated their caution. Moving low and slow, the group moved further around the bend in the trees until the next stretch of road was revealed. An older model pickup truck and a rusty sedan were across the road facing each other. Alex pulled the glasses from her shirt and zeroed in on the pickup where a man in a rain slicker was standing talking to two men in the cab of the truck. She swung the glasses to the car but the rain on the windows obscured her view. She passed the glasses to Josh.

  “Two in the truck, one on the road but I can’t get a good look inside the car with the rain.”

  He nodded and brought the glasses up to his eyes. Everyone waited in silence in the rain. Josh and Emily had seen a roadblock with four men on the road they’d scouted on the north side but Alex and David had ridden their bikes almost to the first buildings in town without seeing anyone. There had been four men blocking the main highway on both ends of town and Alex was willing to bet that they would discover only one more man in the sedan.

  The wet weather was starting to really chill them now that they weren’t moving and a faint rustle had Alex turning to see Quinn slowly stretching his damaged leg. She sent him a reassuring smile and turned back to the road just as the man chatting with those in the truck turned and walked back to the car. He opened the door and was going to get in when someone from the truck yelled something to him from the open window. The man standing in the open door took two steps back towards the truck to reply and it left a clear view into the interior of the sedan. Alex saw Josh lean forward with the glasses until the guard got in and shut the door. He lowered the binoculars from his face and turned to the others using a waving motion to get them moving back the way they’d come.

  They backtracked through the trees and once they’d made a good distance back towards the golf course, Josh told them what he had seen.

  “There was a guy in the passenger seat and I had a partial view of the backseat and it seemed empty. There might have been someone else in there but I doubt it. So far, we have seen teams of four at all the roadblocks and if they were going to post more than that, it would be on the main highway, not this secondary road.”

  Quinn nodded. “I agree. Let’s get back and meet up with the others. We’ll have a better idea of what to do next once we get the information written on the map.”

  Dara’s teeth started to chatter at that moment and Alex shivered in sympathy.

  “Come on, at least when we’re moving we warm up a bit,” Alex said, and they trudged back to the golf course.

  They saw no one as they backtracked along the course and skirted the clubhouse. Alex imagined being wrapped up under a mound of blankets holding a hot cup of coffee. She couldn’t wait to be back at the camper and out of this miserable weather. Her heart had a pang of guilt that she would be worried about her discomfort when she remembered that her fellow townspeople wouldn’t have that option if they were being forced to work outside.

  She almost walked into Josh’s back when he stopped in front of her. Her head came up and she moved out from behind him to see what was ahead. Alex smiled at the other group when she saw them waiting by the cut in the fence that led back to the dump. They looked just as wet and miserable as she felt, but something else seemed off about the group. Emily and David looked sad and Cooper looked like he could smash something, judging by his clenched fists and the expression on his face. Lisa’s face was completely blank and her eyes were a million miles away.

  Alex stepped forward and asked, “What? What happened?”

  Cooper opened his mouth to speak but then shut it with a snarl and turned away. It was Lisa who filled them in with what they had discovered at her old house. Her tone was flat and without emotion as she recounted what her mother had said.

  Alex stood staring at the girl. She couldn’t even contemplate having a mother that was so unfeeling and cold. She struggled to find the right words to ease Lisa’s pain but came up blank. Thankfully, Dara seemed to know exactly the right tone to use.

  “That BITCH!” she spat with venom. “Maybe your mom and my mom and Cooper’s dad should have had their own little club. The deadbeat parents club!”

  Lisa’s eyes widened at Dara’s words and she tilted her head to the side in awe. Lisa had never had anyone be incensed on her behalf. She watched Dara stomp around and curse their parents before she turned and grabbed Lisa by the shoulders. Dara’s eyes were filled with understanding and compassion.

  “You listen to me, Lisa. That woman is nothing…nothing! We’re your family now and we’ll always be your family!”

  Something clicked inside of Lisa and she felt the words Dara spoke to be true and heartfelt. Lisa slowly started to nod and looked at the others staring back at her. A trembling smile crossed her lips as she met each of their eyes. She sucked in a ragged breath before speaking to them.

  “This world sucks but I have more now than I did before. I have a family now. Before, all I had was a house with two strangers that I lived with. Thank you.” Her face crumpled and the tears that had been locked inside were finally freed.

  Alex and Emily moved forward and joined Dara, who had wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl. One by one the boys came forward and rubbed Lisa’s back or squeezed her shoulder in comfort. Quinn took a step back. He had a small smile on his face. He knew all about making a new family, what you needed most was love.

  Once the tears had been dried, they made their way through the cut fence and back into the dump. They were all thinking about getting back to base and warming up when sounds of an engine starting up close by reached their ears. Instinct made them scatter and Alex dove behind an old rust covered refrigerator that had its door removed. She looked around frantically for the location of the vehicle but could only see a few of her friends taking cover. Alex tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but her heart was pounding so hard in her ears it was all she could hear. Movement caught her eye and she looked over to see Josh waving everyone down. Her breath caught at how close he was to the main pathway that led out of the dump. Wherever the vehicle was, it would have to drive right past him to get to the gates. She crouched lower and kept her eyes on Josh. He was looking down the pathway away from her and she held her breath in fear when he flinched back and grabbed an old sheet of tin roofing and yanked it over him. Her eyes were wide open and she was afraid to blink as the sound of the motor got closer. She could see Josh’s hiding place but not the dirt path that the vehicle was slowly driving on from her angle behind the fridge. Cold rain splashed in her face and eyes, making her duck her head down. The sound of the engine was loud like it was right on top of them, but then it gradually moved away. Everyone stayed where they were hiding for a good five minutes before Alex heard Josh call out the all clear.

  They all met up at the crossways and as one looked towards the gates. The road was clear as far as they could see and they relaxed. Emily rubbed her face and looked at the others.

  “That was close. I think I peed my pants a little bit!”

  Josh let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah? Well, that’ll be easier to get out than the stain I just left in my underwear!”

  A chorus of groans of disgust and laughter made Josh grin his trademark smile before he looked in the opposite direction, back where the vehicle had come from. He rubbed at his head in thought before turning back to the group.

  “What were tho
se guys doing here? If they were just tossing trash, why did they drive so far back? They could have just dumped it on the closest pile.”

  Lisa’s head came up and she looked at her friends who had been with her at her parent’s house.

  “My mother! She said she was expecting men to come and remove some garbage. That’s probably who it was.”

  Quinn nodded. “Okay, but Josh is right. Why didn’t they just dump it on the first pile? Why go so far back?”

  Josh waved his arm over his head in a forward motion and started walking. Over his shoulder, he called back to them, “Only one way to find out!”

  They were all tired, cold and wet and wanted to get back to base, but they needed all the information they could get on the gang, so if looking at their garbage would help, then that’s what they would do. The dirt pathways that ran between mounds of junk had turned into a muddy mess but it also served them by clearly showing the tire tracks. With Josh in the lead they trudged after him. A cold gust of wind blew rain and a sickly stench in their faces. Alex wrinkled her nose at the smell and was surprised when Josh came to a dead stop about ten feet ahead of them. He whirled around and threw his hands up in a stop motion. His face had drained of all color and his eyes were horrified.

  “Go back! I know what they were dumping and you guys don’t want to see it!”

  Alex looked at him in confusion. “What? Josh, what is it?”

  He swallowed hard and sent her a pleading look. “Can’t you smell it?”

  Alex made a face and looked at her other friends’ confused faces. “What? It’s just rotting gar…” Her mind made the connection with the smell just as she was going to say garbage and her face turned to horror. “OH MY GOD!”