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  My words seemed to have an effect. Some life warmed his eyes, and his rigid expression relaxed. “Yeah, maybe. Yeah….”

  “Let’s get this shit into the house,” I suggested, gesturing toward the back of the truck. Anything to keep him from slipping back into the funk. We loaded up and hurried back inside through the curtains of ash.

  “The others should be here soon,” I said to everyone after closing the door and dropping my load on the floor. “Let’s keep busy. Sara, take your stuff into my room. Connor, take yours and Julia’s into the spare. We’ve got to make room for everyone.” While they complied, I remained on the main floor, lighting candles, mind racing.

  Our tasks complete, the four of us sat coupled up on the lay z boys in the living room. None of us wanted to be alone. Connor and the girls recounted the horrors they’d seen on the streets and in their homes. Outside was a war zone. Death surrounded this house now.

  “We went to each of our houses together, so none of us had to be alone.” Connor wiped his eyes. “I covered up the ones we found, the dead. Then I took the stuff I thought we needed. Only what we needed.”

  Julia whimpered into Connor’s shoulder. He put his hand on her head.

  “There’s more useful stuff out there, in other people’s houses, in the stores. We should check it out before..... Well, we should check them out soon.”

  I nodded, knowing that he meant before the bodies started to decompose and the stench became unbearable. “The others will bring supplies too. Then we’ll take stock, see what else we need.”

  No more was said until the door again opened. Earl could be heard bitching to himself as he pushed his way into the house.

  “Joel, Connor, you guys in here?” He spoke clearly: nothing in his voice hinted that he’d endured the horrors that we had. We rounded the corner anxiously to greet him, sliding on the tile in our socks.

  “Earl!” I took a box from him while Connor helped with the bags. “Nobody left at your house either, I take it.” What else could I say??

  Earl sat down at the kitchen table. “Oh, there were people alright: dead people. But people all the same.”

  Connor put a hand on his shoulder and led him into the living room. “Sorry, buddy, there’s no good way to state the obvious. You want to talk about it?”

  “No. But we need to start thinking about tomorrow.” I thought I heard a light giggle escape him. “I got more shit out here if you want to help.”

  “Sure man, be right with you.” I replied. When Earl left the room as quickly as he’d entered it and ventured outside, I beckoned to Connor. “What was that? Should we be seriously concerned about him? That was really creepy.”

  “Hey, what do we know, right?” Connor raised his palms. “Everybody’s going to react differently to this.”

  Sara spoke up. “That response was not normal, Joel. I don’t think he’s all there.”

  “I know, but he’s dealing with his family’s death. He’ll snap out of it.”

  “We have to get him to talk. To grieve is the only way to get past it. It’s unnatural to block it out. It’ll blow up in his face.”

  “Sara, let it go.” I squeezed her shoulder gently. “It’s his call, not ours to make for him.” After kissing her, I helped Earl with his baggage, which included a mini-arsenal.

  “Shit, Earl, getting ready for that third world war?”

  He stopped and gently pulled me aside. “Joel, look around you, the war’s over.” He pointed toward town. “This cache is for the continued survival of our group. I won’t end up like the others; I am not ending up like that, Joel, poor fuckers. I raided the gun shop on Elm: figured the stiffs in there couldn’t use ‘em no more, so I grabbed everything I could carry.”

  “Well, let’s hope we never have to use them. A good precaution, though.”

  “Oh, I was going to get more. There was a lot more than this: guns of all types, bows and arrows, crossbows, animal traps. Shit, Joel, I’ll have the perimeter of your property so well guarded a squirrel won’t make it in.”

  “You hearing this Connor? Earl’s calling martial law.” I picked up a gun and pointed it skyward. “Shit...”

  Suddenly we heard a car skidding to a halt on the wet gravel outside, followed by a snapping sound. We rushed to the garage entrance but visibility was poor.

  “Can you tell who it is?” I asked.

  “We’ll have to go out there to see,” Connor replied. “That didn’t sound too good.”

  We adjusted our parkas and ventured into the smoke. Just then three figures approached from the darkness, bags in hand.

  “Holy shit!” It was Freddy’s voice. “Earl, is that you?”

  “Damn straight. Who else have we got here?”

  “It’s me, John, and Caroline’s with me too.” They were close enough now for us to see them clearly.

  “Hi guys...” Caroline was a mess. Ashes streaked her hair and face, and she clutched a backpack for dear life. “Are Sara and Julia here?”

  “Yeah, they’re in the house. Come on in.”

  “What the hell happened to your brakes, John?” Earl asked as we filed inside. “Sounds like you almost missed the place.”

  “John drove that piece of crap like a champ all the way up here,” Freddy declared. “We almost went off the road ten times. His brakes aren’t shot, it’s the roads. That ash - it’s brutal.”

  Kevin and Jake were the next to appear. Bags in hand, their faces were indelibly marked by what they’d seen. Soon afterward Gil and Seth showed up. They were crushed, we all were, but Gil seemed to show it more intensely. There was a black melancholy about him that made you uneasy. He chain-smoked, hands quivering, while Seth spoke.

  “There are definitely survivors out there, but that’s not necessarily good news. We saw two guys beat another one to a pulp. I’m pretty sure it was Danny and Donny Jinks, dicks. People like that are going to use this as an excuse. We saw people pouring out of the church on Wellesley too. Not sure if it was a riot or what. Then there were the shots fired in the distance. I’m afraid the violence is escalating out there and that we’ll have to be just as ruthless to stay alive.”

  Sara broke in. “That sounds like we’ll have to kill to survive.” She was as white as… as a shroud.

  “I just know that if we can’t do the same - if only in self defense – we’re already dead.” Seth scanned the group as though looking for a weakness in our lines. “They’re killing each other in the streets! We must learn to defend ourselves.”

  “Agreed.” Earl didn’t need persuasion. “We have to accept that people will not be the same after this. I brought the guns and ammunition here for that very reason.”

  I lifted my hand. “Let’s just settle down a minute here. What Seth and Gil witnessed tonight may only be people’s initial reaction to the situation. However, it does make sense that people who are hungry and frightened will do anything to remedy that. We can’t take on any more people here other than Sonny, Sidney and Tom. We don’t have the resources, so yes, we will have to defend our property from those who would take it from us.” I looked at Earl. “I want you to scope out the best positions in the house to monitor any outside movement. “

  He jumped out of his seat and went to work. I then addressed everyone else. “I want you all to keep watch but also keep your heads. We’re in a pretty obscure spot up here and I doubt we’ll ever meet up with anyone else, with the hopeful exception of the military. I still believe they saw us pull in here today and will return to help us.”

  Connor spoke up. “The fact is that we don’t know what’s in store for us, and the more prepared we are for the worst the better off we are in the end. Gathering supplies and hoarding food and water should be top priority tomorrow morning. Meats and dairy won’t be edible in a couple days if we don’t get it back here and in the cold cellar.”

  “Good thinking,” I agreed. “We should go back to town and see what the grocery stores can offer.”

  “How was it at y
our house, Seth?” I asked. “Was anybody left behind?”

  “Not a soul, actually. I’m hoping they got out with the others who went north.”

  Gil kicked the wall and lit up another cigarette. Seth placed a soothing hand on his arm. “I’m afraid Gil’s experience didn’t hold out as much hope for his family,” he said. “My house was empty, but Gil’s was full. I mean, it was like half the town had come to his place - just to die.”

  Gil whimpered. Caroline hugged him.

  “My parents were in bed when it happened.” Kevin’s voice broke. “I don’t know, maybe they suffocated or something. Just died in their sleep. I wrapped them as best I could, made them comfortable. My sister was at her boyfriends the night before last, I didn’t see her. I left Dali with her before I came up to the lake so, I guess she’s still with her...”

  Then Julia volunteered the details of her own nightmare. “My parents are divorced, so I only found my mom,” She spoke slowly, like she was still in shock. “I kissed her face. She was still warm but I guess that’s just because of the heat…” She trailed off. Connor’s touch brought her back. “My dad lives hours from here. Maybe he’s still alive. My baby brother was with him this weekend. They have to be alive...”

  “I think they all went quickly,” Sara said. “I know my family did. We covered them up when we arrived. Remember, Julia? Remember how peaceful they looked? It’s as though they never saw it coming. Like Kevin’s parents, went in their sleep.” She sank her face into my chest.

  “When John, Caroline, and I first visited their houses I was praying that somehow my house hadn’t been affected like the others.” Freddy clenched his fists. “Goddamn...” His fist shot through the drywall. “Fuck!” He took a deep breath and then surveyed the damage. “Aw, Joel, I’m sorry, man. There’s a hole over here now.”

  Before I could respond, we heard someone come crashing through the door downstairs. It was Sonny, and he was alone. No Tom, no Sidney. Earl had to pick him up off the floor. He was black with ash and trembling all over.

  “You alright, Sonny?” Earl asked.

  “The hell kind of a question is that? I can barely breathe.” He was the picture of an angry man, not one who’d just seen his entire life taken away, not a man who had the images of dead family fresh in his mind. “Where’s Joel? I need to tell him something.”

  “I’m right here, big guy, what’s up?” I helped him get his balance. Jesus, he was heavy.

  “There’s a group of people not far from your house. They’re coming this way.” A pause. “They got guns.”

  Earl’s expression turned grim. “So do we.” He headed for the garage, followed by Connor and John. When they returned, Earl passed me a pistol.

  I checked the clip. “Where are Sidney and Tom?”

  Sonny stared. “They’re not here yet? They left town way before I did. I stayed back to get my dad’s van for the ride back here. The two of them were supposed to come here together in Sidney’s car. That was a good two hours ago.” Wiping the sweat and ash out of his eyes, he went on. “The damn van broke down on me about a kilometer from here, so I dragged most of my shit the rest of the way.”

  “Well, they’ve never shown up, so something must have gone wrong on their way back.” I glanced out the window, but all I could see were swirling ash and darkness. “How long before that group gets here, you think?”

  “I figure about ten minutes. I passed them on the road up. Rowdy bunch- they shot at me.”

  “Let’s just hope that Tom and Sid didn’t run into those guys.”

  Sara approached me with gun in hand. “Earl’s showing everybody where to position themselves. He wants to talk to you.”

  I found Earl cracking open the south window in my parents’ bedroom. He beckoned me over. “Stay right here, Joel. I’m going to set the rest of our crew up around the house.”

  “Only fire if fired upon, okay, Earl? Promise me that. We don’t know who they are. I know they shot at Sonny, but they’re desperate... and they may have Sid and Tom.”

  Earl nodded, and continued placing the troops. We were at war: the Reaper’s actions were only the beginning. Now that we were facing our first possible battle, anxiety gripped me, testing me. I reminded myself that it wasn’t just me; we were all fighting the same fear. “Breathe, just breathe, Joel,” I told myself. I focused on the sweat as it dripped from my nose. I wiped it away. Okay.

  “Joel, I’m with you.” Jake tiptoed into the room. “Earl won’t let me have a gun: he thinks I’m too screwed up. He doesn’t trust me, so I’m gonna stay with you.”

  “Shit, Jake, what are you sneaking up on me for?” I motioned for him to sit by the wall. “Where is he placing the girls? Where’s Sara?”

  “I think she’s in the addition- he’s got half the crew in there.” Jake pulled out a smoke and lit it up. “Earl says that it’s the best defensive spot in the house. He says we’d be able to hold off an army from up there.”

  He was obviously quite taken with Earl’s ability to command a situation like this. I was impressed too. But right now I needed something to cool me down- I was still shaky. Gesturing toward Jake’s cigarette, I said, “Set me up with a drag off that, will ya?”

  Jake handed it over. “You can have a whole one if you want. Me and Kevin filled up on them before we came back. There must be a hundred cartons in his car.”

  “Don’t get me hooked on one of your bad habits.” I took a deep drag and handed the cigarette back. “Thanks.”

  “Fuck it, Joel, live it up, ‘cause it don’t look like we got much livin’ left to do.” A twisted giggle escaped him.

  “Don’t say that, Jake. We’re going to be saved: the military will come for us. Until then we’ll defend ourselves and wait.”

  Jake just shook his head, as if he didn’t understand where this optimism of mine was coming from. Frankly, neither did I.

  “Joel!” John shouted from the main floor. “Joel, get to the addition!”

  I ran across the hall, Jake close behind me. “What, what is it?”

  “They’re here!”

  Chapter Ten

  Earl flew around the corner and headed up the stairs toward me.

  “It’s go time, buddy!” he declared. Grabbing me by the arm, he guided me into the addition.

  “Can you see them?” He pointed to the end of the driveway while the others frantically blew out the candles. We peered into the dimness and saw some shadowy figures approaching the house. “They can’t see us, not with our lights out.”

  Sonny’s lips moved as he counted. “I think I saw six guys in their group when I passed them, but it looks like they’ve got eight or nine now.”

  They drew closer. I kept praying they’d turn back, but they continued. Just as I was on the verge of shouting a warning, a familiar voice called out.

  “Joel! Anyone there? It’s me, Sid.”

  Behind me, everyone sighed with relief. Thrilled to know that another friend had returned safely, I opened the window further. “Is Tom with you?” I shouted back.

  “Tom was with me, but we got attacked and I lost him. Listen, I’m coming in. I’ll tell you everything in a minute.”

  Connor and I opened the front door with guns in hand. Sid staggered in while a dirty bunch of strangers remained on the porch, eyeing us warily.

  “God, am I glad to see you guys!” he exclaimed. “Look, do you mind if we set these people up with some water? They’ve heard there’s a migration of sorts headed north and only want to stop for a drink. They saved my life, man.”

  “Sure. Bring them in.”

  We set them up with a large cooler of water, which they gratefully accepted. Before leaving, they told us that a northbound pilgrimage was in progress, and they wanted to join it. I recalled that the military planes had flown north. They could be setting up a huge compound, collecting survivors. But how would these people know about it? What was driving them north? These questions hit me after the party departed, forcing me to go without
answers.

  “So what happened? Where’s Tommy?” Sonny asked.

  Sidney sat down at the dining room table. He looked exhausted. “After we left you, Sonny, we went to the grocery store to pick up what we could. Tom was having a real hard time. You know Tom, he’s a wreck. Well, nothing was easy to look at or accept especially after we saw his house, right?”

  Sonny nodded. “It was a total loss. We couldn’t salvage anything.”

  “Yeah, well, I wish my house had burned to the ground too. Would have saved me from seeing what I saw.” Sid swallowed hard and continued. “So, we were having a rough time with the bodies and all that on the street and in the store, but I was keeping it all down right? Tom couldn’t, he kept on puking ‘til all he had left were the dry heaves. So he’s off puking for the tenth time as I was working the canned goods aisle, hoping to bring back some food for the house. Next thing I know, Tom’s running out the far door, yelling for me to follow. Naturally, I high-tailed it out of there. When he finally stopped and I caught up, I asked why we were running. He tells me he’d seen the bodies of dead people get up and lash out at him. He said they were grabbing for him. I just chalked it up to paranoia in the face of all that was happening; I think I might have even laughed. That’s when he really froze, and I took a look around me. We were being swarmed.”

  “So what next? You both ran in opposite directions, and that’s the last time you saw him?” Sonny asked, his voice tight.

  “Hey, I reasoned with them best I could.” Sid looked offended. “When they got close enough I saw that I recognized two of them. I’m sure one of them was my 3rd year soccer coach from years ago. I pleaded with him to back off. Used his name and everything. Then I saw Mrs. Klein, from the library. She was spouting some biblical bullshit. So we’re getting backed into a corner, right. I finally got through to Mr. Banks, the soccer coach. He explained they only wanted what I had, the box of food. I told him to go get blown. There was plenty to go around. He grabbed for it and I hoofed him in the nuts. What I hadn’t counted on was Tom bailing on me.”