Josh turned back to the counter and lifted the plate from the big bowl of soup and used the spoon to give it a stir. “Close enough,” he said and turned back to Dr. Mack. “I think we will find an office or somewhere out of the way to get some sleep for the night but only if you have some of this soup too. When was the last time you ate?”
Dr. Mack opened his mouth to reply but then closed it with a shrug. “I have no idea!”
Quinn, Josh, and Dr. Mack sat down with their soup as the volunteers treated the patients in the main room and went door-to-door to gather all the sick.
Chapter Twenty
In the end, the town lost one hundred and forty-six people to the plague that ravaged them. It was a hard hit to take and with the extremely cold temperatures they were forced to burn the bodies, unable to give them each a proper burial. A memorial was planned for the spring but it didn’t give anyone any comfort. The town and its people learned a hard lesson that winter, that even hiding within the boundaries of their safe zone couldn’t keep them safe in this changed world.
As the year turned to February with no let-up in the cold, the teens found ways to be together. The heated Ranger gave them more mobility than they had before, so were able to meet up a few times every week. Alex, Dara, and Josh pushed the other ones to open up about what they were going through and they all spent time talking about their feelings and experiences and how it was affecting their mental state. Just being together helped but talking to each other about the symptoms, the helplessness, and the rage they all felt from time to time, helped more.
Once Dr. Mack had recovered from the ordeal of treating the town for the plague, Alex went to him and had an honest conversation about what all of the teens were going through. He was able to put them in touch with a local counselor from the surviving townspeople that had worked with PTSD victims in the past.
They started seeing him both individually and as a group as February turned into March. One of the most important things that he stressed to them was that they needed to talk to their parents. They needed to tell them some of the experiences they’ve been through and be honest about their feelings, good or bad. Slowly, day by day, they all started to heal.
The children they had brought back from the city settled into their new homes and thrived. Josh’s family took in two of the boys, making his mother incredibly happy. Quinn took Tanner into his home and with his guidance and his grandmother’s wisdom they learned how to co-parent the boy. Alex’s family kept Grace and Bella - much to Jake’s dismay. He fought hard for them to keep a few of the boys so he would have friends in the house but after a few days, even he couldn’t resist the two sweet, little, blond angels. Finally, Emily took Anna and one other girl home with her. She had convinced Leslie that they would be able to manage Anna’s cystic fibrosis and she was determined to keep that promise.
For most of the winter, many people in town and out on the farms stayed pretty isolated. Once the plague had tapered off and they had gotten everyone healthy again, that changed as well.
The town council had a shake-up with new members being voted in that advocated for weekly gatherings and to put together multiple scavenging crews that would start leaving the town once the thaw hit. They also planned to create a Market Day once a month starting in the spring so other communities could join them. Losing the electricity and facing the lawlessness had been a tremendous shock to all of them but they were determined to start rebuilding and the first step to that would be going beyond the boundaries of their community.
Alex and Quinn talked about getting married in the fall and they worked on plans to build a home on his farm over the summer so that they could be together the following winter. Alex’s parents still didn’t feel like their daughter was old enough to make such a decision and commitment but they were learning that they could no longer force their will upon her and were slowly getting used to the idea.
Josh and Dara made similar plans but weren’t ready to get married yet. With Alex leaving her parents house in the fall they worked on their own plans to create a living space on Josh’s farm for Dara and Jake to live in. Josh’s mother repeatedly dropped hints about being a grandmother, causing them both to cringe. If they weren’t ready to get married, they certainly weren’t ready to have children…yet.
When Emily learned about what David had been forced to do to protect his sister and Josh’s farm and family from the infected people who came to the gate that day, she offered all the support she could to him. She understood what he was feeling because of her own experience and hoped that it would be a bridge to rebuild their relationship. She pushed him to come to the counseling sessions with the hopes of easing the pain he was feeling. Sadly, the relationship between David and Emily and the other teens was too fractured for it to ever go back to the way it was. While he remained friendly with them, he no longer wished to be included in the group like he was before.
In the first week of April, winter finally unclenched its fist from around the province and the temperature started to rise. It would take weeks for all the snow to finally melt but people could now stay outside for more than a few minutes without risking frostbite.
By the middle of April, Cooper and Lisa had returned to Prairie Springs along with Leslie, Lisa’s dad, his girlfriend, and their new baby. They came with next to no belongings, not having any room on the sled or in the trailer that they had all managed to ride in. Lisa made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her old house – not after what her mother had turned it into - but she did want to stay in town. The teens had told the story far and wide of how Cooper and Lisa had helped to save the town a second time and they made it clear that no one had better have a problem with Cooper because of what his father had done. He was a hero and they expected everyone to treat him well. Cooper and Lisa had grown close during their time at the zoo. They weren’t ready to live together so they accepted the separate homes that the town council offered them but they were very much a couple.
Dr. Mack was thrilled to have someone with Leslie’s skills and training join him in providing health care for anyone who needed it. After she had settled in to her new home, she did a tour of all the farms so that she could check in on her kids. After seeing how happy they were, how their cheeks had filled out from good food, and with tears in her eyes, she decided not to ask any of them to move back with her into town. She would always be there for them and would always love them - but she could see that they had all started building bonds to become new families so instead she became Aunt Leslie and visited them often.
It was the last week of April when Alex rode her bike over to Emily’s farm. She rode behind the house and dropped her bike on the newly exposed grass and looked around to see if she could spot her friend outside before going into the house. A high-pitched giggle had her heading around the barn to where a riding ring was. She leaned on the fence surrounding it and watched as Emily led Anna on a sweet-tempered mare. The girl’s face was as bright as the sun and her expression was full of joy. The girl had gone from drawing pictures of horses and dreaming of them to being able to ride one thanks to Emily insisting that she come home with the other children. The sight of her happiness filled Alex’s heart and even though they had suffered pain and consequences from their trip she knew that it had all been worth it.
Emily caught sight of Alex and sent her a wave. “Is it time?” she asked.
Alex nodded. “Yep, the others are going to meet us over there in about an hour. I’ve got some cleaning supplies in the basket on my bike but it would be great if you could bring some stuff too.”
Emily looked up at Anna on the back of the horse. “Okay, that’s it for today. I’ve got to go clean an old friend’s house with Alex and our other friends.”
She helped Anna dismount and then led the horse back through the gate and into the barn where she took its tack off. When she met Alex behind the house she stopped and tilted to her head to one side, looking at her friend.
“You really t
hink she’s going to be home soon?”
Alex lifted her face up to the spring sun and smiled. “Of course she will, it’s Mrs. Moore! Nothing will stop her from getting home.”
The End
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Snow & Ash - Chapter One … Skylar
Sometimes I think that all the colours in the world died with my mother. She was an amazing artist that painted vivid natural landscapes. The colours of her summer meadow paintings were so lush you could almost feel the softness of the flowers and dampness of the dew on the leaves. I haven’t seen such beauty in the real world in seven years.
I was ten when the bombs dropped and man destroyed the world, changing all of the earth’s glory and seasons into one long grey winter. I still don’t really know what happened to make someone push that fateful button and start the chain reaction that would send hundreds of nuclear bombs sailing through the skies to end everything I’ve ever known. I was a child and all I was worried about was my next dance class and if I would be invited to Sara Dresden’s sleepover. I never knew that the sun could be taken away and that everything could die. I haven’t been a child since that day.
My parents were polar opposites. My mother was an artist, always seeing the beauty in the world. My father, a former soldier that saw the ugliness. She used to say that they were the perfect balance. Her light lit his darkness and his dark kept her on earth instead of living in the sky with the sun.
I had no idea what was coming but my father did and he prepared for it, which is why I’m alive today when millions have died.
It was late August and my mom and I were headed to the mall for back to school clothes and supplies. She was only three weeks away from her due date and we wanted to get everything done before my new little brother made his grand entrance. I was excited about having a new brother. I had been an only child for ten years and thought it would be great to play the role of big sister. We had just stepped out of the house and were headed to the car when we heard the phone ringing through the open window. My Dad was in the house so we kept going thinking he would answer it. I had just opened the car door when the front door banged open and my Dad let out a shout, stopping us in our tracks.
“Van! I need you and Sky back inside right now!”
My mom shot me a look over the roof of the car but I just shrugged my shoulders and we closed the doors of the car and headed back into the house. Dad had disappeared but we could hear him banging around in the basement. I remember being impatient because I wanted to get to the mall. That changed to worry when he bounded up the stairs carrying two huge duffle bags. I knew what those bags were. He had called them bug out bags and gave me strict orders to never open them.
My mom’s forehead was crinkled with concern and all she got out was “Sweetie, what…?” before he started to bark orders out at us.
“You two have exactly five minutes to get anything you don’t want to live without for the rest of your lives packed up. We have to go…NOW!” He yelled when we just stared at him. My Mom put her arm around my shoulders and gave him a sharp look.
“Daniel, explain what’s going on. You’re scaring Skylar!”
I wasn’t really scared but I was edging that way when I saw the flash of fear pass through my dad’s eyes. He took a deep breath before explaining why our world was about to end.
“I’m sorry Vanessa, Sky. Things are…I got a call from Bill. He said…”
I stopped edging towards scared and dove in head first. Dad was always calm, always prepared and he never looked scared. Uncle Bill was an old friend of his and my godfather. He was still in the military so whatever he had told my dad for him to react this way must be pretty bad. I felt Mom’s hand tighten on my shoulder as we watched Dad struggle to find the words to explain. He finally just shook his head and blurted it out.
“The first nuclear bomb dropped ten minutes ago and there are more in the air. It won’t be long before some start heading to this continent. We have to go. We have to get out now before that happens. I need you guys to pack what you can in less than five minutes!”
Mom’s grip on my arm was almost painful when she turned it into a soft shove towards the stairs. All she said was “Go”, and we were scrambling up the stairs to our rooms. I heard the front door slam open as Dad ran out to his old restored pickup truck to dump the bug out bags. I spun in place in my room not knowing where to start. His yell of “Four minutes!” had me diving for my backpack that was supposed to be replaced at the mall today. I started stuffing my favorite outfits into it as my eyes scanned for the treasures I couldn’t live without. There were too many things I wanted but didn’t have room for so I just started to grab stuff through a glaze of tears. I didn’t really understand then that I would never see my room again. I was just responding to the panic in my parent’s voices. I dashed to the door but stopped and turned back for one last look. My eyes settled on a shelf above my bed that held my greatest childhood treasure. His soft blurry orange eyes stared back at me. Mr. Quackers had been retired only a year ago after sleeping next to me since I came home from the hospital as a newborn. His plush yellow fur was rubbed shiny smooth in some places and his beak was threadbare at the tip from being gummed by me as a toddler. I was across the room in a heartbeat and he found himself thrust into my pack before I ran out of the room.
Mom was dragging a suitcase down the hall and her big belly led the way past the open door of the new nursery.
“Mom, what about the baby stuff?!”
She froze in place and I’ll never forget the haunted look in her eyes as she turned her head to look into the freshly decorated room that would never be used. After a short pause, she just shook her head and headed down the stairs. I watched her waddle away for a second before glancing back at the nursery door. It wasn’t fair! She had put so much time and effort into painting murals on the walls and now my little brother wouldn’t get to grow up in it. I hesitated for a split second when Dad yelled out the two-minute warning and then barreled into the room. There were reusable shopping bags against the wall still filled with baby clothes she hadn’t put away yet, so I grabbed three of them and started to stuff them with the diapers that had been stacked under the change table. Anything within reach went into the bags from pacifiers to a stuffed monkey and baby ointments. I was tying the overstuffed bags closed with the handles when my Dad started to bellow my name. Hooking them over my arms I shouldered my backpack and flew out of the room and down the stairs. He waved me past him and out the front door before slamming it closed and reaching for the bags hanging from my arms. Everything was thrown into the truck bed before we jumped into the cab. One of the things he did made me realize that this was really serious and we might never come home again. Dad didn’t lock the front door of the house.
Driving through the city made me question everything Dad had said. There were no people driving like mad or signs of panic. It was just business as usual. I watched out my window as people did regular people things like line up in drive-thrus and push strollers down the sidewalks. My parents weren’t talking and after we cleared the last suburb and the mountains could be seen in the distance, I finally broke the silence.
“Dad, what if Uncle Bill was wrong? It doesn’t seem like anyone else is bugging out like us.”
I could see his knuckles turn white on the steering wheel before he answered me in a controlled voice.
“No one will know until it’s too late. We’re lucky he got the call out to us when he did. Trust me, Skylar, that’s not something he would be wrong about.”
I sat back and bit my lip in confusion.
“Where are we going then?”
It was Mom who turned around and answered.
“We’re going to the Man Cave.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. According to Mom, most men had a man cave in their basements or garages. My dad went and actually bought a cave in the mountains. Dad loved to hunt, fish and camp but wasn’t blessed with women folk who shared this passion. Mom and I enjoyed going to museums, flea markets and movies so we had never been to his man cave. I had heard them talking about it sometimes but the only thing I could picture was a dark damp cave that bats flew in and out of. This was beginning to sound like a practical joke to me. Were we really going to go hide in a cave as bombs dropped around us and Mom gave birth to a baby on a stone floor? This had to be a joke, right?
Nothing was funny about the cars ahead of us suddenly going out of control. My mouth gaped open in shock as a minivan swerved off the road and flipped as it hit the ditch. My Dad was yelling for us to hold on as he braked hard and pulled to the side of the road. I didn’t realize that I was rocking back and forth in my seat or whimpering as a semi-truck transport rocked past us and jack-knifed to the side. It was like slow motion as the long trailer tipped over and slid down the hi-way sideways brushing all the vehicles ahead of it like a huge broom.
We sat in our truck just staring at the devastation ahead of us for a few minutes until my Mom broke the silence.
“What…what just happened?” It came out a whisper but sounded like a shout to me in the dead silence and I think I flinched.
Dad had his head in his hands and he scrubbed at his face before turning the engine over and putting the truck into drive. He didn’t look at Mom as the truck crept ahead towards the wreckage.
“EMP. It’s what happens when nuclear bombs drop. They send out a pulse that fries anything electronic. Every car and truck just died as they were going a hundred kilometers an hour.”
Mom looked at him in disbelief.
“Then why is our truck still working?”
My eyes were glued to the crashed van we were passing but I heard him quietly say, “Because I built it to still work.”
Stranded Box Set Page 111