Chapter 5

If I thought this world looked broken and lifeless in the gloom of night, looking at it through the watery sun of day was ten times worse. Any spark of hope, any glimmer of optimism was sucked right out of me by wandering through the shattered remains of civilization.

Nine of us had started out this morning. Bixby, Luke, Gordo, a few more I couldn’t remember the names of, and the dog. They brought the stupid dog. When Starke had questioned why the dog, he’d been given some cock-a-doodle story of the dog being an early leech detector. I hadn’t believed it at first. Didn’t look like the dog could even see where he was going. With the matted black fur hanging from his face, I couldn’t even see any eyes. The only thing noticeable in the tangled web of fur was the tongue I remembered well from my over enthusiastic greeting last night. It hung from his mouth panting happily as he trudged along the side of the road, tail wagging like he was so happy to be out.

But his low growling had given us plenty of warning to avoid pockets of leeches hidden throughout the city we’d walked through for the past few hours. Enough warning to hide out of sight of the horrifying creatures and stay downwind of them. Apparently, they hunted by smell as well as sound. Good to know. Not that I wanted to write a report on them or anything, but we needed to know enough to stay alive.

The city had been depressing enough. The high rises and towers of a once thriving civilization, now reduced to empty shells, falling in on themselves and covered by ivy and brambles. Nature had reclaimed the city in its own scary and beautiful way. But the highway we now found ourselves trekking on was much worse. It had to be at least six to eight lanes wide, but as far as the eye could see, it was jammed packed with rusting vehicles. A testament to how people had panicked and tried to escape the city the day this world had ended. Panicked to only find themselves trapped here on this deadly stretch of road. My mind started playing tricks on me as I studied the car graveyard. Imagining things moving. Imagining sounds. The dog, Scruff, didn’t seem to notice anything so I knew it was just my own fears manifesting in my head. To divert my attention, I sped up and caught up with Gordo walking ahead of me.

“Hey,” I said as he glanced over at me in surprise.

“Hey yourself,” he grinned back. “What’s up?”

“You guys said it would take us three days to get to the falls on foot, yeah?”

“That’s right.”

“Do we have to travel all the way on this spooky-ass highway? Can’t we like cut through the fields or something?”

Gordo didn’t bother to hide his amusement at my words. “The QEW is the fastest route. Straight through to Niagara Falls. There’s nothing spooky about it at all.”

“Dude, it’s like a cemetery. I mean have you looked in those vehicles? There are still skeletons sitting behind the wheels in some of them.”

“It’s not the dead you have to worry about.” Bixby was walking ahead and deep in conversation with the blond giant. Or so I thought. Obviously not. Great. Like I really wanted her input on this. “We are safest here on the highway. We know what we’re doing.”

There was no mistaking the emphasis on the we. As in them. They knew what they were doing. Not bumbling around like us. I mean, she wasn’t wrong. We had no freakin’ idea what we were doing. But at least we weren’t being a complete dickwad like she was. I didn’t understand her always constant anger.

I bumped Gordo’s shoulder with my own.

“Is she always like that?” I whispered.

His brow crinkled with confusion. “Like what?”

“Such a hard-ass. She’s a real capitol B.”

A snort escaped him. “Man, that’s nothing. Bix has mellowed a lot since Sammy came along. You should have seen her before. Girl was loco.” He twirled a finger at his temple.

Now that I understood.

“Loco I can handle. I’ve been called that a few times in my day. But she carries so much anger.”

“She’s been through a lot.”

“So have you, right? So has the friendly giant up there. You guys aren’t as mean as her.”

“Naw, you don’t know Bix. She’s got a tough exterior, sure, but a heart of gold. She would lay her life on the line for any of us…including you guys. If it weren’t for her and Luke, most of us wouldn’t have survived the farm. Not to mention she was the one who convinced Kip that we had to help you guys. Well her and Luke. Kip didn’t want to take the chance. Said you guys would have to make it to the falls on your own. Bix changed her mind.”

I blinked at Gordo in disbelief. “You shittin’ me? She was the one who wanted to help?”

“Yup. Hard to believe, huh?”

You got that right. I didn’t say it out loud, but as I watched Bixby and Luke up ahead, I saw them through a whole new set of eyes. Maybe I was wrong about her.

# # #

By the time the sun had turned to a fiery red glow on the horizon, I was dead on my feet. Absolutely shattered. My legs felt like rubber, the pack on my back weighed heavier the longer we walked, and I swear I’d left the soles of my boots on the road about five miles back. So I almost kissed the blonde giant when he said those four magical words, “Time to make camp.”

I guess his definition of camp and mine weren’t exactly the same though. I stood in the middle of the deserted highway looking around for said camp. There was nothing. No house with four reassuring walls. No motel with its welcoming line of doors leading to a soft bed. Nothing to suggest any sort of camp, other than the half-collapsed dump almost hidden by the tall weeds at the side of the road. The broken neon sign hanging from the saggy roof suggested it may have been a gas station or such at one time, but now all it appeared to be was a safety hazard.

“We’re going to sleep in that?” I asked, horrified at the possibility.

I received a narrowed glare of disdain from Bixby as she passed me by. “Yeah. I called ahead. The Hilton up the road has no vacancies.”

It didn’t go unnoticed the way the sharp edge always present in her voice seemed to worsen every time she spoke to me.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I stammered at her back. “I just meant it looks like it could fall down any minute, okay? I don’t want to be trapped in there.”

“Better than being outside,” Luke added. “By the look of that dark sky over there, we’re in for some serious rain.”

He nodded toward the dark clouds moving in quickly from the north, swallowing up the pretty red sky.

“Come on, it’s fine,” Gordo grinned, not noticing at all the animosity. “As long as we don’t plan on hosting a rave in there, we don’t have to worry.”

I sighed at the kid’s back as he jumped into the overgrown meadow, even as Starke asked over my shoulder, “What is a rave?”

“Something I’d love to be at right now instead of here.” I answered as I followed the rest into the thicket leading to our five-star accommodations.

Walking through the tall grasses was almost as nerve wracking as thinking about sleeping in that dump all night. It felt like we were wading waist deep through an ocean with god only knew what kind of creatures lurking beneath the surface. I almost expected to see the people ahead of me being picked off one by one, just like the raptors did in that stupid dinosaur movie now stuck in my head. But we made it there without anyone becoming a dinosaur cracker.

The worst I suffered was a couple of sticky burrs stuck to my legs. I glanced over at the stupid dog bouncing through like he was in a fun house. Pity the poor fool who was going to have to pick the burrs out of that tangled mat of fur.

We didn’t suffer any causalities on our grass safari, but same couldn’t be said about the gas station. Up close, it looked even worse. The huge roof sign hung haphazardly across the shattered glass door, and we had to duck under it and gingerly pick our way inside.

Inside. That was a slight exaggeration since there wasn’t much definition between inside and out. Where the freezers used to be was now just a collapsed, misshapen roof that allowed the red sky to poke through in all its glory. The opposite side of the store seemed to have fared better. At least the four shelving units were still upright and the roof above them still intact.

“Pick a spot to sleep.” Luke threw his backpack down and unhooked the ever-present rifle from around his neck, stretching out his broad shoulders. “Bix and I will take first watch. Cal and Mike, you two are up next. Gordo and Polly, you two will see us into morning. Got that?”

They all nodded in unison at his order, but I noticed we were left out.

“We can take a watch,” Starke spoke the words I was thinking.

“Thanks, but no. You guys have no idea what signs to watch for. Any creatures or ravagers that we may encounter out here can be deceiving. That sword of yours may be impressive, but against a horde of leeches you won’t stand a chance.”

I threw my own pack down and rubbed the ache in my shoulder. “How is it you guys still have bullets? You said this war has been going on for a decade. I take it no new ones are being produced, so how is it you haven’t run out yet?”

“Because of Kip’s people.” Gordo was the one to answer. “The farm had all kinds of neat things. Her people knew how to make bullets, keep gas useable, grow fresh food. Losing the farm…”

“Gordo, stop talking. All of you get some sleep.” Bixby’s words were harsh as she cut him off mid-sentence, before hustling her way back out the half door to start her watch. She’d done the same thing to Amy when the girl had brought it up. Obviously, the ‘farm’ was not something she wanted to discuss.

“Hmph, smartest thing she’s said all day,” Jill whined as she stood hands on hips observing the room. “Calling dibs on that corner.”

Without giving anyone time to argue with her, she began setting up her sleeping bag in the windowless corner furthest away from the door. Smart girl.

The others began doing the same and I glanced around in confusion. “So not even a fire? Or more broth?”

I knew I sounded like a whiny child, but I couldn’t help myself. The dried mushroom jerky they fed us on the way was long gone and my stomach was practically eating itself.

“Afraid not,” the girl named Polly spoke for the first time, her voice a hell more apologetic than Bixby would have ever been. “Fires and smoke in a place this open would only draw attention from anything that happened to be in range.” She glanced between me and Starke. “It’s going to be cold. You’ll need to come up with an innovative way to keep warm.”

She chuckled as she walked away to join the rest already settling in for the night. I ignored Starke’s amused gaze my way even as I felt it on my neck.Deciding to take the semi privacy offered by one of the shelving units, I began spreading out my thin blanket and trying to figure out a way to roll myself up in it like a burrito.

Starke followed me. “Need help?”

“No,” I replied, craning my neck around as he started to lay out his blanket as well. “Really? You have this whole place to lay down and you’re picking the spot I picked?”

“I decided I’d allow you the pleasure of my company.”

I rolled my eyes at him in the dark. “You are so egotistical.”

“Okay, then maybe I prefer your company? Is that better?”

I was glad for the dark, so he didn’t see how much his words affected me. “Whatever, dude. Just don’t be a snorer, okay? I don’t want to have to suffocate you during the night.”

His slight chuckle wafted over me. “Anyone ever tell you you get cranky when you’re tired?” He paused for a moment. “And hungry. And scared. Frustrated—"

“Okay, I get it. I don’t need a list of my shortcomings,” I growled as I snapped my blanket once more and let it settle over the cold concrete. Turning my back to him and ignoring his chuckling, I rolled into my cocoon.

After the sounds of everyone settling down, a hush fell over the room. I don’t believe anyone was asleep, but we all joined in the pretense. We should have been exhausted. Sleep should have come easily, but my mind was all over the place, wondering what we were walking into. Wondering if the falls were actually our ley line or just a dead end. Wondering if Asha was, at this moment, tracking me and planning an attack. It was enough to drive you insane. Not to mention the cold seeping into my bones. Walking in the sun had kept us warm all day. I hadn’t noticed the cold. Tonight was a whole different story.

The temperature must have dropped at least twenty degrees from this afternoon. It felt like maybe even thirty every time a gust of wind crept through the missing roof and swirled through the room. My burrito blanket did little to keep me warm, and my teeth soon began chattering so violently I expected to be spitting out teeth. I raised my hands to my face, trying to stop the chattering and blow on my fingers to warm them up, but they were shaking even worse than my teeth.

“Are you okay, Jette?”

Starke’s whispered question made me jump.

“I’m…fine,” I chattered back.

“Hmm. Doesn’t sound like it. Is that your teeth chattering?”

“It’s…effin’…cold,” I whispered back, wondering why he wasn’t freezing his balls off like I was.

“I find it comfortable.”

“Weirdo,” I muttered, burying in my blanket up to my nose, but all that succeeded in doing was uncovering my feet and legs to the freezing air. My chattering only increased as I unrolled myself and tried to start over.

“What the hell is that noise?” Someone huffed from across the room. “Go to sleep already.”

The complaint annoyed me to no end.

“Sorry…to be bothering…you…while I freeze to death,” I growled at whoever had spoken. “Maybe we should…risk a fire?”

“Nope, not gonna happen,” they hissed back, and my insides shriveled up a little bit more. I didn’t have to worry about dying at the hands of leeches or cannibals tomorrow. I was going to freeze to death here tonight. Sighing in frustration, I spread the blanket out once again and lay down, preparing to roll up.

There was a shuffling near me, and I squeaked in surprise as a body dropped on the blanket beside me. Starke. It was disturbing how I recognized his scent so easily.

“Come here,” he growled as an arm wrapped around my waist and dragged me close. His blanket, still warm from his body heat, settled over both of us. My first instinct was to pull away and I actually stiffened to do so. Being this close to him, feeling his solid frame against my back was unsettling to say the least. But dammit, I was freezing and he was giving off enough heat to boil a kettle.

“What are…you doing?” I tried to protest, even as my traitorous body snuggled in closer to the source of wonderful heat, so that every inch of my back had a part of him attached to it.

His low chuckle tickled my ear.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, sounding immensely pleased with himself as I wiggled closer and stuck myself to his frame like someone had poured melted glue between us.

“Don’t make this weird,” I muttered. “You’re just so gloriously hot, okay.”

“Aw, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Okay, you’re making it weird.” I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. Not hard, but enough to make him grunt with laughter.

He lay silent for a bit, letting me believe he was actually going to stay that way.

“Hope you’re not a sleep drooler.”

I sighed at him. “Seriously? Go to sleep.”

“Or a sleepwalker.”

“Shut up already.”

“And just to let you know, whatever I may do while I sleep, I hold no accountability for…”

“Okay, freezing to death is a better option than this.”

I tried to move away from him, but his arm tightened around my waist and his chest vibrated against my back with laughter.

“Sorry. No more. I’m done. Let’s just sleep. This feels…nice.”

Nice was putting it mildly. This felt fantastic. Even with the threat of the unknown facing us tomorrow, I was enjoying being in his arms just a little too much.

We lay in silence for a bit, my eyelids gradually settling over my grit filled eyes.

“What did Amy mean when she said you had to find your mother?”

My eyes popped open and I jumped a little.

“For Pete’s sake, I was half asleep. Thanks for the heart attack.”

“Sorry.” He sounded anything but. “What does your mother have to do with this?”

I pulled the blanket higher, covering my cold nose.

“I’m not sure. Like a million other things in these worlds, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve dreamt her a few times now. And every time she says the same thing to me. Those words Amy said.”

“Invenient mihi. Find me.”

“Yup.”

“But why ‘find me’? She’s been gone for years. Why are you dreaming her now?”

I shrugged. “A question I have no answer to. And how am I supposed to find a dead woman? Does she want me to find her grave? Where she’s buried? Her astral being? I have no freakin’ idea. Anything rolling around in that big noggin of yours?”

“If you mean do I have any idea what it all means, then no. But I believe in the message. She wants you to find something. Not necessarily her, but maybe something she possessed? Something she made?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?” I slanted my eyes over my shoulder at him. “You scare me half to death, deprive me of sleep, only to end with that? Hmm?”

“Well I guess I could have said I know sweet-dick-all, but I felt hmm would suffice.”

“What the? Sweet-dick-all?” I chuckled at the totally unlike Starke words coming from his mouth. “Who taught you that phrase? Jill or Gordo?”

“Will you two shut the hell up already,” someone whispered from across the room again.

My chuckle turned into a snort and I covered my mouth with my hands to hold my laughter in. I could feel Starke’s chest rumbling against my back.

“We best be quiet. We don’t want them suffocating us after we fall asleep,” Starke whispered in my ear.

“Or worse, Gordo talking us to death.”

We snorted again. They reprimanded us again. I bit my cheek to try and stop the laughter bubbling in my gut. Finally, the urge tapered off and I settled back against Starke.

“Go to sleep, Princey,” I muttered over my shoulder, feeling safe in the comfort of his arms. “Sweet dreams.”

He nestled his chin against the top of my head. “You too, little rabbit.”