by Cooper, DJ
That evening they buried Astrid’s parents in the front yard under the big pine. They used the nameplate from the charred door knocker that simply said “The Wilsons” as a marker for the graves. The group spent the entire day preparing the funeral for Astrid’s parents. They wanted to make sure it was nice for the kids’ sake.
Astrid was taking it hard; she was heartbroken. She kept saying, “I should have been there,” as though she could have changed the outcome somehow.
It was a truly sad day for her. It was only that very morning that she’d been so happy her father was sitting up. They were talking about how things were looking up and their gratitude they felt for the help they’d been given.
Cameron was glued to her side all day and told her that he was sure her parents were grateful that she was not there or she too, would have been dead… or worse.
He consoled her saying, “They would want you to live and so do I.”
He insisted that she not sit crying but do something to make her father proud. Cameron firmly believed Astrid’s parents could see her and told her so.
He said, “You should not be making them sad by crying so much.”
He told her not to worry about anything because their friends would take care of her and her cousins for them.
After the burial, Gary and Kimber were preparing to head back to the militia camp when Jona approached them. He told them he wanted to go with them and join up. Gary said he would have to talk to Matt and Ryan about it.
He waved to Matt, jerking his head for him to come over, indicating that he wanted to talk to him. Matt came over, and they took a walk to chat privately.
Gary told Matt what Jona had asked. Matt thought about it for a few minutes and looked back at him, “Do you think he could be put in some kind of support position at first?”
His brow furrowed and he continued, “My only concern is that he is upset right now and could be making this decision out of anger. He’s so young and I don’t think he wants to join for the right reasons. I also worry that he’ll be a problem for them. Being so angry, he might get others hurt.”
Gary agreed with him and said that he and Kimber would stay another night and to ask Ryan to come up tomorrow to discuss it with Matt and then they could talk to Jona.
Matt actually thought it would be good for him but felt Jona needed to work through his aunt and uncle’s death first. He needed some direction from what Matt could see. Eric heard that Jona was joining the militia and was not about to let him go without taking him, which now led to a whole new twist.
Matt and Dez both felt that they were now responsible for these kids. But at the same time, he knew they needed to navigate this new world for themselves; he was torn as to what to do.
He sat alone in the bedroom thinking about everything while he waited for dinner.
Dez came in, walking up to him, she asked, “What’s got you so perplexed?”
Matt looked up at her standing in front of him. Her lovely hair, as usual, was in her eyes. They always had a kindness that made him feel safe.
He reached out for her, and she sat next to him on the bed. They held each other for a little while before Matt spoke, saying, “I don’t know what to do about Astrid and the boys, of course, they can stay here, but the boys want to join the militia.”
Dez immediately said, “Not Eric, he is not old enough.”
Matt nodded in agreement saying, “I don’t know if that is a great idea or not. And then, what about Astrid? I worry about what it will do if both of the boys leave her, we are practically strangers to her.”
Dez softly kissed him and said, “Each day will solve itself my love, and no matter what comes we will handle it. No sense in knotting yourself all up about things you may not be able to control.”
Matt looked at her; she always had a way of making him feel better about things.
He said “Ryan will be coming by tomorrow to talk about it with them. I think Jona could use some of the structure they can offer, but I don’t think Eric is ready for it.”
She just smiled and said, “Well then I guess you already know how to handle it.”
He gave her a quizzical look as she continued, “You do realize that Eric is not yet eighteen, right?”
Matt’s eyes lit up, he kissed her and smiled, saying, “You’re right, that is true.”
Dez smiled at him and said, “Why do you think I said he was too young? Eric can barely aim a rifle, let alone shoot straight. Maybe we could suggest he set a test for anyone under eighteen. Ask him to be a bit harsh with them, Eric is a much quieter soul than Jona. He may just choose to wait a while on his own.”
Matt hugged her, and they just sat holding each other for a little while before heading off to the mess hall for dinner.
Dez was glad for this moment of quiet time; she and Matt had had very little alone time since it all began.
She began to massage Matt’s shoulders to try and get him to relax. Matt stood up and turned to look at her, brushing the hair from her eye. He reached for her face and kissed her gently as he moved them both onto the bed. He missed her gentle touch and the feel of her skin against his. They didn’t care that they would be late for dinner as they lay with each other. Holding on in a chaotic world, savoring a quiet moment of passion.
They quietly dressed, and Dez reached for him. Taking his hand in hers, she gently brushed it by her lips. She looked at him like he was the only person on earth at that moment. She loved him, and he knew it. He began to frown, his thoughts in some other place. It sometimes happened between them. At times when he knew how she loved him. He’d grow silent and brooding. When she asked, he said it troubled him the whole scenario, although he was not sure exactly what part was so troublesome.
Dinner was a quiet meal that night; everyone could not believe it had all come so close to home the past few days. They knew from the reports they received from Arthur and Ryan that this kind of thing was going on. But it seemed so distant before. Like watching it on TV. It was shocking sometimes, but somehow did not really affect them… until now.
Matt was beginning to wonder if they were even safe there. He thought they’d been lucky. What if the kids were not headed home the afternoon of the attack on their house? What could have happened? The attackers could have been on the group before they even knew it, or worse yet, the kids might have already been at home.
He now knew why he was feeling so troubled and decided he needed to have a quick security meeting after dinner. He felt they needed lookouts to watch the intersection at the very least. He told Sam and Loel he wanted to talk about it and they both concurred. They said they’d been thinking the same thing and agreed to work it into the schedule for the next day.
Chapter 16
“Halloween”
“This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
October 31st
Matt sat on the porch that morning quietly sipping his coffee. The sun had only just come up and the air was crisp but not too cold yet. He was thinking about how to implement their ideas for the forward lookouts, as well as his upcoming afternoon meeting with Ryan about Jona and the other two kids.
Dez came out to sit with him. He liked it when they had time alone and it was so rare these days. Matt never really liked to be around people much. It was why he worked from home a lot. He seemed as though he was quite content to just be at home with Dez. The funny thing was that it was these times when Dez knew something dark was brooding in him. Never able to put her finger on it, she knew there was a secret he kept.
Neither of them said anything. Dez brought a blanket out. They sat and drank coffee snuggling on the porch swing, watching as the sun rose higher.
Dez was the first to speak, smiling she said. “Happy Halloween.”
Matt found it hard to believe it had been more than a month since the lights went out.
<
br /> Dez continued, “Earth to Matt, are you in there?”
He looked over at her startled. “Hua… oh… yeah, I was just thinking. It’s been more than a month now since the lights went out.”
Dez nodded, looking out down the road. “It is Halloween and I thought we should have a costume party for the kids. It is not like they can go trick or treating. I think it would do us all some good, too.”
Matt looked at her blankly and said, “Oh, sure dear, that sounds nice.”
She knew he had only half heard her and said, “I think you would make a cute girl so you can wear my heels and a mini skirt.”
He just nodded and muttered, “Uh Hua.”
Dez chuckled and said, “Let’s get naked right here on the porch.”
He nodded, but then it hit him just what she’d said, “Wait… what?”
She laughed. “Glad to see you could join the conversation.”
Matt apologized and told her he had a lot on his mind that morning. “Now what were you saying?”
She told him she wanted to have a Halloween party for the kids. “They are all so sad and scared since Astrid’s parents died and I think it might cheer them up.”
He kissed her and said, “That’s an excellent idea, in fact, I love it. I think we all need a bit of revelry to lighten the mood.”
Dez got up to refill their coffees and noticed Charleigh was up fighting with Ariel about getting dressed.
Dez laughed as she walked through to the kitchen. “Like mother like daughter.”
Charleigh threw her hands up and huffed. “Whatever… run around naked for all I care.”
Dez laughed harder and scooped up Ariel, kissing her under her chin and causing her to giggle. She scolded her for giving her mother such a tough time. “You wanna go swing on the porch with Pa and me?” Giving her a sly look, she added, “You’d have to get dressed first… even shoes because it’s cold outside.”
Ariel scooped up her clothes and ran off to find her mother while Dez fixed the coffees.
Charleigh came stomping out all flustered with her mother. “Why must you spoil her that way?”
“Because I can.”
“Mom, she won’t listen to me now. How the hell am I supposed to get her to behave if you keep giving in to her little attitudes?”
Dez frowned at Charleigh. “You listen here, little miss spoiled herself. That is a grandparent’s right. I worked hard at spoiling you and if you think for one moment you can deny Ariel’s Mimi spoiling her you are sadly mistaken.”
Charleigh burst out laughing but warned that if she was bratty all day it was her fault and her problem. Dez laughed and hugged Charleigh. “I’d love to hang with mini miss spoiled this morning. “
Ariel came out all proud. She was dressed and ready to swing with Pa. Dez sent her out to sit with him while she filled her cup. Charleigh asked. “Do you remember when she was first born? Matt couldn’t even walk into the same room without Ariel crying her head off, let alone hold her. Now look at her, all about swinging with Pa.”
Dez laughed and said it was funny.
When Dez came out with the coffee, Ariel was tucked up under the blanket with Matt all cozy and warm. She set his coffee on the table beside the swing and watched as he fussed over her and played the thumbs game.
Dez asked Matt to play with her until it was school time and he said he would. Dez went back inside telling Charleigh a little daughter time sounded good. Looking out the window, she mused. “He needed some play time. Things were weighing heavy on his mind.”
They chatted inside about the Halloween party and talked about plans for games and activities for the kids. Toni came in the room chiming in that it was a great idea. The afternoon was full of party excitement as all the ladies baked and planned for the party. Everyone was excited and Matt thought it was good to see them all scurrying about for their party.
Tawny picked out some nice pumpkins for them to decorate. Janice baked some of the seeds and made a pie from the cuttings. Tawney reminded them that rest was to be cooked the next day; they were not to waste anything these days.
A little while later Ryan arrived. He and Matt took a walk to where Lynn had been positioned on the hill. Matt took him there partially for his opinion on its location for a lookout, but more so to have a conversation with him about the kids.
Ryan agreed that Jona might fare better with them and promised to keep him in a support position for a while. He also thought that Eric should stay with Matt and Dez, at least for a while. “Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tell Eric that if he can hit center mass on a target at least 75% of the time, he is skilled enough to join before the age of eighteen. If not, he has to practice more and turn eighteen to be eligible for the training.”
They were both sure Eric could not shoot that well and they felt like it would give him the chance to have a goal with his practicing while also being there with Astrid during this time.
Matt learned from Eric that his own parents had died a few years back and he and his brother had lived with Astrid’s family off and on. They had another aunt out near Paducah and had bounced back and forth but recently returned to the Wilson family. They’d had a tough time and struggled with authority which made all this much more difficult for them.
Matt invited Ryan to stay for the party. “I’d love to but I have about a dozen other things to do today.”
Ryan explained that they were scouting the northern part of the Richmond area with another militia group based up there. They, too, were having problems with the gangs out of Lexington. Ryan said he wanted to link up with them anyway to help keep the northern sector safer. “I’m pretty sure we know where George is hiding out and I’m hoping to get some back up from this other group.”
“Really? Did the excursion pay off with some intel?”
Ryan looked hard at Matt, frowning. “We think he could have upwards of sixty guys with him now. This could be very bad for our area if he continues to gain members. I’m trying to get more unity in our groups and I think the guys up in Richmond are going to help us accomplish this.”
“Oh, I’m sure that’ll be a major help.”
They chatted a bit more about things as they walked back to the house to talk to Jona.
Ryan walked right up to Jona and put his hand out to shake. “I hear you want to join up. We could use good men at the militia camp.”
Jona paused a minute and stood tall shaking his hand. Stammering he said, “Yes sir.”
Ryan asked, “Why do you want to be part of the militia?”
“That house at the bottom of the hill was my uncle’s house. I’m so pissed about it, I can’t think of anything else but wanting to make these kinds of people pay for what they’ve been doing.”
Ryan frowned at him. “Son, this is not why we fight. Revenge is never a good reason. We fight to protect those who cannot defend themselves. That includes people just like your aunt and uncle.”
Jona stood at attention. “Yes, sir, I understand, sir.”
Ryan laughed. “Quit with the sir shit. I work for a living son. Call me Ryan.”
“Yes, sir…. uh... Ryan... sir.”
Ryan laughed and told him they would be pulling out in an hour and to have himself ready.
With that, Jona scurried off to get ready to go. Ryan then went to see Eric and asked the same questions. He treated Eric the same as he had Jona; however, in Eric’s case, he told him he was not old enough unless he could hit center mass on the target already.
Eric lowered his head and said he had only just learned to use a gun and was having a tough time getting it on target. Ryan offered to check on his progress on his next visit and Eric agreed to practice.
Ryan told Matt that Eric was easy to persuade to stay for a bit and they both sighed in relief. They all said their goodbyes and with Jona following close behind him, he headed to the meeting up north.
The party was a tremendous success. Everyone had an enjoyable time. The kids trick or treated aroun
d the yard, played games and watched movies. The adults sat and sipped some of Tawny’s honey mead that had been fermenting for the past six months. It was quite good, although she would not give away her secrets. Tawny made excellent wine and this was something new she’d been testing right before the power went out.
Tawny and Sam went for a walk to check on Joe at the lookout and to bring him some food from the party. Dez had been noticing they took many walks together these days.
She leaned over to Matt and whispered. “I see Tawny and Sam are spending quite a bit of time together.”
Matt smiled. “You know, Sam actually came to me like I was her father or something and asked if it was ok He said he really liked spending time with her.”
Dez looked at Matt, eyeing him like a protective parent. “As long as he isn’t leading her on, I think I will allow it.” She laughed hard, amused at her own comment.
Matt scowled at her. “You know Sam better than that.”
She nodded with a smile and put her head on his shoulder. She liked Sam and trusted him with her best friend.
Chapter 17
“News from the North”
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
-Thomas Jefferson
Throughout the next few days things were quiet. Everyone was doing small projects and keeping things running. The biggest event of the day was that the shower was finished in the barn.
They built the shower in the barn because they only had a single 12-volt pump to get the water up to the water tanks that were mounted on the roof. The water would be heated with the sun and then be gravity fed to the shower.
They built a shower room off to the side of the barn that even included a changing area with a mirror and a bench. Both tanks were mounted on the south side of the roof, one above the other and painted black. They built a box around them and painted the area around the tanks black as well. Using some of the thin, transparent plastic sheeting they covered it to keep the heat in.