Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 41

Making their way down Fuller Road, they passed the university and walked a nearby on-ramp to Route ninety. With Abby at his side, Ryan constantly scanned their surroundings for any movement. Not wanting to be caught off guard, Ryan was now constantly mindful of the fact that there were others who had survived whatever it was that had caused so much death. But it was unavoidable – the dead littered the streets, mostly in large cities where the population had been particularly dense. He never felt the need to discuss it with Abigail, as he didn't want her to become upset – she had been through more than enough already. However, if she felt the need to talk about anything of a troubling nature, he would gladly listen.

“How far do you think we have to go?” Abigail asked. By car, it would be almost an hour, but on foot it could take days. “I'm not sure,” Ryan replied. “Three, maybe four days.” There was a noticeable pause as Abigail considered another option. “What about walking at night? No one's going to see us, so we'll probably be safer.”

Ryan stopped to consider her idea. Traveling at night would be far safer than taking the chance of being seen in the broad light of day. And although the days were warm enough to travel, the solitude of night would likely be cold enough to bring hypothermia. “Yeah, that's true,” Ryan answered. “But it's going to be warm, so I think we'd be better off walking during the night.” Abigail became visibly uncomfortable at Ryan's response. Having been assaulted during the day, she felt somewhat leery about the risk of traveling where one could be easily seen, in spite of the observer's intentions. She simply wanted nothing to do with anyone other than Ryan and trusted him with her life. Each was all the other had and, at this point, neither could afford to be without the other.

It was near the end of November, and the cold of impending winter bore down on them. Ill prepared for the weather, Ryan and Abigail soon began to feel the effects of exposure. Abigail was the first to be stricken, developing violent shivering, numbness and a slight degree of confusion. Stopping in the middle of the highway, she grabbed Ryan by the arm.

“Hey,” she said. “I'm not feeling so good. I think it's the heat.” Stopping in mid-stride, Ryan bent down and grabbed his knees in an attempt to deliver more blood to his head. “Yeah,” he replied. “I feel it too.”

Holding his hands above his eyes, he scanned their surroundings for anyplace that could offer shelter. They were carrying plenty of water, but it would not be enough to stave off the deadly effects of the summer heat. Ryan was hoping to ration it, given how far they had to walk. But their circumstances became dire as late autumn tightened its grip on them.

“Alright,” he said. “We've gotta stop somewhere.” Abigail reached down and grabbing her knees expressed in actions what words could not as her stomach cramped up, and moments later expelled what remained of her breakfast. “Fuck,” she began. “I think I'm going to die.” Both were experiencing what felt like death encroaching on their will to live. But the effects of the heat were beginning to peak and seeking shelter was no longer an option. If they were to survive, they would have to find a warm place to rest.

Having crossed Route 87, they were approached the edge of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. To their left was Crossgates Mall. Ryan suggested that this would be a good place to stop and even with the lack of air conditioning, a quiet, dark place might still be found. However, having been there once before, Abby was less than excited about returning there, remembering her experience of sitting alone in a lightless store room. But as serious as their situation had become, she reluctantly agreed and leaving the pavement of the highway they made their way to the nearest entrance of the mall.

Out of breath and near collapse, they sat in a slightly shaded area near a set of glass doors. Ryan remembered this entrance and the sound the glass made as it shattered under the force of a rock he had used to break in. This time, such action would not be necessary and having gathered what seemed like his last bit of energy, Ryan slowly got to his feet and crawled through the hole he had previously left. Abigail was beginning to turn pale as her face turned from red to white. Unable to get to her feet, Ryan opened the door from the inside and pulled her in. If he hadn't known, he would have thought she was dead, and putting two fingers to the side of her neck felt a strong pulse. But his instincts told him that this would not be the case for much longer if they couldn't find a cool place for her to recover. And water was an absolute necessity.