Isolation (Book 1): Shut In

by Jones, Nathan

  Ellie sighed. “Well, standing around staring at the sign isn't going to get us any closer, or find us water.”

  Her friend nodded, squared his shoulders resolutely, and hobbled down from the top of the hill they'd been following to once again walk out of view. Ellie joined him, gritting her teeth against the discomforts that had steadily become agonies. She alternated between squinting at the ground just in front of her to soothe her dry eyes and staring ahead in search of some sort of reprieve.

  Anything, any break they could catch. Weren't they about due for one after everything they'd been through?

  Chapter Sixteen: Surviving

  Maybe it was the slightly less punishing heat and mildly more humid climate. Maybe it was the fact that Ellie wasn't lugging extra baggage now. Maybe it was her even her body having toughened up after days of hardship. Or maybe it was just the pure desperation of their situation.

  Whatever it was, by some miracle in spite of the fact that they'd now gone almost thirty-six hours without food or water, now that they were on a good road again and could see the mile markers passing by slowly but steadily she'd realized they were traveling faster than they had been in Southern Utah.

  Not much faster, but the fact that they were managing it at all was astounding.

  Which wasn't to say that every step wasn't agonizing, until Ellie felt like her mind was drifting in a nightmare haze as she forced herself to put one blistered, sore foot in front of the other. She didn't remember ever being so hungry, her stomach a churning ball of acid torment eating through her middle. In fact, she was sure that she never had been this hungry. No voluntary fast, even ones that had technically lasted longer than this, had ever felt this painful.

  But even her hunger couldn't compare to her thirst. There were no words to describe it, and even in the desert of Southern Utah her throat had never felt so parched, until she could no longer even swallow without coughing and struggling for long, terrifying seconds. Her eyelids were burning sandpaper that didn't alleviate the dryness in her eyes when she blinked. Her was skin cracked and even bleeding in places. Her mouth tasted like something had died in it days ago, and had spent all this time rotting. Her sweat-sodden clothes smelled almost as bad.

  Judging by how Hal looked, Ellie was glad she didn't have a mirror.

  Her friend had to be suffering everything she was, but on top of that his rashes had him in such obvious misery she just wanted to wrap her arms around him in sympathy every time she glanced his way. His steps had become more painful by the mile, until he was hobbling along as bowlegged as a cowboy after a long day in the saddle and even then regularly making stifled noises of discomfort.

  As for his hands, he'd finally managed to bring himself to stop scratching them, admitting after he'd gone a while without doing so that the itching had all but disappeared once he did. Even so, before he got to that point he'd scraped his palms raw, and now handled things gingerly when he had to. Which thankfully wasn't often while walking along like they were.

  In spite of their wretched state, somehow the miles dragged by with regular speed, one gritted-teeth step after another passing on without giving in to the need to stop and rest from the plodding crawl they were managing. Stopping would've meant delaying that much longer from finding water, which kept Ellie moving to the point of collapse and beyond.

  Then at last, sometime in the late afternoon, their determination was rewarded when Hal lifted a trembling arm to point at a rest stop ahead.

  She would've cried at the sight if her tear ducts had any moisture to spare. As it was she gave a sort of dry, choking sob and shambled forward a bit faster, stumbling so precariously that each step was a reeling dance to keep from falling on her face.

  Her friend caught up and offered her a hand, although he didn't look much steadier. Normally Ellie's pride wouldn't have allowed her to accept the help, but in her current state she was relieved to throw her arm around his shoulders.

  To her amazement, somehow the act of steadying her seemed to improve his balance as well. Maybe they were supporting each other.

  They shambled down the off-ramp together, towards the inviting beacon of the dingy rest area bathroom ahead. Ellie's thirst was so all-consuming she wouldn't have thought anything could distract her, at least until she saw the single car parked in front of the building.

  They'd seen more than a few cars pass by along the highway, although harsh experience had taught them not to even bother trying to flag them down; even without the danger of robbers it would've just been pointless. This car seemed in good condition, making its abandonment a mystery.

  If it was abandoned.

  Ellie nudged Hal towards the vehicle, changing direction to make for it. But about twenty feet away he balked, pulling her to a stop so abruptly they both nearly dropped flat on their faces. “You really want to check out a random car?” he asked nervously. “Even if the owner's long gone, for all we know it could be here because they had Zolos and went into a bathroom to die.”

  That scenario was chillingly plausible. “Is it worth the risk, to have a car that can take us home?”

  Her friend hesitated. “The risk of dying trumps a whole lot of upside.”

  Ellie looked forlornly at the vehicle. “I don't see any water in there anyway. Let's revisit this debate once we're no longer dying of thirst.”

  He nodded and jerked his head towards the bathrooms. “Not from there, I'd say. People passing through here could've spread the virus all through the inside of that building, and on all the doors too. Let's poke around and see if we can find an out of the way outdoor spigot that probably wouldn't have been used.”

  Unless other visitors had the same idea, she thought grimly. But it was smart to diminish the risk, so she joined her friend circling the outside of the rest station.

  There was no spigot to be found on the building, although they found a bank of snack and drink vending machines. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that they'd been locked away behind thick metal mesh specifically to deter thieves, someone had gone to the effort to tear away the mesh, smash the glass, and take everything. The looters had even dug deep enough into the machines to get at the cash in them.

  Even beyond the fact that they were empty, knowing that so many people had to have been around the machines, handling them, was enough for Ellie and Hal to give them a wide berth.

  Undeterred by that setback, her friend expanded the search to the other outbuildings and the rest of the yard, their halting progress frequently interrupted by longing glances towards the drinking fountain sitting tantalizingly in view through the glass doors of the main building.

  Finally, though, they found the access for the main valve for the sprinklers. There was a spigot poking out of the ground there, and when Ellie turned it on and a surge of icy water gurgled out they both gave a ragged cheer and shared a jubilant hug.

  The spigot was so low and at such an awkward angle that it would've been impossible to get their mouths to the tantalizing stream without getting sprayed in the face, so they shivered and spluttered their way to drinking their fill with cupped hands as water splashed around them.

  It was glorious.

  By the time Ellie forced herself to stop gulping handfuls down, her stomach was almost uncomfortably bloated and she was torn between blissful contentment and wondering if she'd gone a bit overboard. Hal was already sprawled on the grass nearby, staring up at the sky with a somewhat glazed expression on his face.

  She turned off the tap and hobbled over to collapse near him, forcing herself to take the herculean effort of taking off her shoes and socks so her feet could finally breathe. She was a bit self-conscious about how they smelled after days of walking without washing them and no clean socks to change into, but contented herself when her friend mimicked her actions that his smelled even worse.

  Or maybe that was just perspective, and behind his carefully blank expression he was thinking she should get a biohazard sign to hang across her toes. Ellie tried to
be subtle about twisting around so her feet were as far away from him as possible, and downwind to boot.

  She resolved to ask Hal to step around the main building before they left so she could do her best to wash up without soap. No doubt he'd want to do the same, especially where he had his rashes.

  Unfortunately, leaving seemed to be happening sooner rather than later. They hadn't found anything here so there was no reason to stick around, and even though both of them were at the end of their rope they knew they needed to keep going until they found something worth stopping for.

  Or reached Colorado Springs, if they were really unlucky in their search.

  Hal obligingly headed out of view, seeming glad for a chance to sprawl on the grass out in front and rest some more while Ellie took the time she needed to clean up. With no good options she decided to strip down just long enough to splash water over her filthy body, gasping at the shock of cold and rethinking her life's choices with every handful. She scrubbed as best she could with the minimum of water, unsatisfied with the end result but refusing to endure a more thorough soaking.

  She was glad they'd reached the rest area when they had; any later in the day and it would've been too cold to even think of washing with this icy water.

  After the nightmare she'd gone through yesterday morning, she was surprised how little it affected her to be bathing out in the open like this, even if she was mostly hidden from I-25 behind the main building. Maybe it was because aside from Hal the world just felt empty at the moment, barely any cars on the road and certainly nobody taking the risk of stopping at a public restroom.

  Still, Ellie didn't waste any time shivering her way back into her filthy pants and shirt, although that was motivated as much by cold as any feelings of vulnerability.

  Once dressed she spent another minute washing out her underwear and wringing as much water out of them as possible. She had no desire to wear them wet, since the chafing was already miserable enough, so into her pockets they went to hopefully dry by the time they stopped for the night. Although it didn't take long to rethink the choice, since it turned out going commando in dirty jeans might've been even worse.

  Still, in spite of that mild discomfort Ellie was surprisingly refreshed by her efforts. She wanted Hal to be able to enjoy the same opportunity before they left, so she wasted no time heading around to let him know he could take his turn.

  She found him dozing on the grass in a patch of sunlight between two trees with one tanned forearm over his eyes, expression surprisingly peaceful. It almost seemed a shame to wake him, but he'd been insistent that they needed to get going soon.

  Still, she found herself hesitating to cross the distance, eyes lingering on his face, still handsome in spite of a couple days' worth of stubble. Or maybe partly because of it, since she found herself distracted wondering what he would look like with a full beard. Even slightly hollow cheeks thanks to deprivation and discomfort just made his features seem sharper and more chiseled.

  Ellie could admit she was lucky she hadn't sent the young man packing when he asked to carpool with her. There was no telling what situation she'd be in without him, but one thing she could say for sure was that she didn't want to imagine being alone out here. The fact that he'd been with her through everything made it all bearable.

  Even made it seem possible they'd actually make it home in spite of the obstacles they faced.

  And when they did? The thought of parting ways so Hal could seek out his own family, possibly never seeing him again, sent an unexpected pang through her. She didn't want to have to say goodbye to him. She wanted-

  With a start Ellie realized the directions her thoughts were going. Feeling her cheeks heating, she tore her eyes away from their wistful contemplation of his sleeping face and hurried the rest of the distance to where her friend rested, crouching to gently shake his shoulder. “Your turn.”

  He groaned, not so much as shifting from his comfortable position. “To splash icy water all over myself? Can't wait.”

  “Hey, it's not as bad as you think.” It's even worse.

  Ellie helped her friend to his feet, wincing in sympathy as he hobbled out of sight. She hoped washing would help his rashes, since there wasn't much else they could do for them.

  While waiting for him she settled down on the grass for her own nap, curling up on her side with her face tucked under her arm. She wasn't sure how much time passed before she heard Hal calling.

  She sat up with a groan to see him approaching from around the building, wet blond hair plastered to his head and making the hints of red in it stand out far more noticeably. “Guess it's time to move on,” he said as he joined her, still shivering slightly. “That should warm us up.”

  “Onwards to Colorado Springs and a chance to gain and lose yet another car?” she said dryly.

  He motioned towards the abandoned car. “Unless you want to try our luck with the Zolosmobile.”

  Ellie made a face and shook her head, quickening her step as they gave the vehicle a wide berth. Absurdly, the thoughts going through her head at that moment were about the green sedan they'd got in St. George that the robbers had stolen.

  It was going to be hard to return it to its owners when it was in the hands of some group of rapist looters somewhere south of Denver. Then again, some realistic part of her had always known that her promise to return the car was just a justification; with the nation spiraling into ruin in the wake of this pandemic she probably never would've had the means to keep her promise.

  The people who'd given her the car had probably realized that as well, writing it off the moment they tossed the keys out the door. That made her feel even worse, but right now she was too tired to dwell on it.

  They left the rest area behind, continuing on just out of view of I-25. They only popped into sight of it long enough to make sure there were no approaching dangers, or curiosities worth a closer look.

  There were none, just like there'd been nothing at the rest area. Aside from water, that was. Ellie was certainly grateful for that, but even so there'd been no food or warm clothing or blankets or any other necessities. And definitely no vehicle to take them home. Which meant that unless they got lucky in the next few hours, they could probably look forward to another miserable night in a makeshift shelter with leaves for blankets.

  Well, there was always tomorrow. At the rate they were going they should reach Colorado Springs sometime in the afternoon, assuming hunger didn't slow their pace to a crawl.

  And they didn't run into any more trouble.

  ◆◆◆

  “Dad, the lights aren't turning on!” Ricky called through the door, yanking Nick out of his fitful doze.

  Seriously? He felt like he'd just barely managed to push aside his worries long enough to finally fall asleep, and now this? He cracked his eyes open with a groan, which swiftly became a grunt of alarm as he noticed a few things simultaneously.

  First off, it was pitch black. Or at least darker than he'd ever seen it in the city; the streetlights and general glow of residences and businesses was nowhere to be seen. Secondly, the rumble of the fan he'd left running in the window had fallen silent. He still heard the honking and engine noises of cars outside, if anything even more frantic than usual, probably because the stoplights were out.

  It obvious that something serious had happened. Specifically, the electricity seemed to be out.

  His son, after waiting for a response and not getting one, continued in that half guilty, half whiny tone he used when he thought he was about to get in trouble for something he didn't think was his fault. “I really needed to go to the bathroom but I couldn't see, so I did my best in the dark. I-I think I got pee everywhere.”

  Normally that admission would've been enough to seriously irk Nick, and a punishment would be forthcoming. Or at least a scolding about why he hadn't just sat down if he couldn't see to aim. But as it was, Nick barely even gave it a second thought because there were far more pressing concerns.

&nbs
p; The power was out. That was potentially a serious problem, and one they'd have to hurry to prepare for.

  “Listen to me, Ricky,” he said in his best no-nonsense tone. “There's a flashlight in the top drawer of my bedside table. Go get it so you can see, then come back. There are things you need to do, right away, or we're going to be in some trouble.”

  There was no reply, but he heard a few thumps as his son felt his way down the hallway towards his room. Nick hoped he didn't get lost; even in a familiar place, moving in pitch darkness was an entirely different thing than moving in even poor lighting. All those distances you thought you knew like second nature suddenly became skewed, and you found yourself smacking your shins on chairs and tables, tripping over junk on the floor.

  And the confusion was only amplified when you were frightened, as Ricky surely was right now. And he wasn't wrong to be, although his motivation was a simple fear of the dark while Nick's fears were far more tangible.

  He hadn't expected the pandemic to cause utilities to shut down. After all, it wasn't like an earthquake or explosion or electromagnetic pulse or anything else had destroyed actual infrastructure. He would've thought that things like electricity and water and cell phone service and internet would be critical enough that the authorities would prioritize keeping them going at all costs, to prevent the disaster from growing even worse.

  But it looked as if he was wrong. Frankly, now that he really thought about it he supposed he was surprised the power had lasted this long. And with power out internet was gone too. For all he knew cell phones wouldn't be up for much longer, either.

  Honestly, he should've seen it coming when he heard about truck drivers and other shipping industry personnel refusing to go out on their routes, closer to the beginning of this disaster. If they weren't willing to ship food where it was needed due to the risk of exposing themselves to Zolos, what made him think that employees at power plants, water and sewer works, and natural gas companies would? Especially as more and more people fell sick, and so couldn't have gone to work even if they'd felt it was safe.