Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 65

After a bit of conversation, Emma offered them a place to sit. She seemed quite happy to be in the company of people who were not bent on killing for pleasure. Having allowed Ryan and Abby into her life also acted to keep her sanity intact, having anticipated living in isolation indefinitely. But there were more pressing matters to attend to and, feeling the rumble of hunger, she asked if they would join her for dinner.

“Well, we don't want to eat you out of house and home,” Ryan said.

Emma was already setting out a skillet and loading firewood into the bottom of her stove.

“I don't think you'll be able to do that,” she replied. “I go hunting almost every day. I don't have a refrigerator—at least not until winter sets in. But I'm always well-stocked.” Ryan and Abby agreed and sitting around Emma’s makeshift table, they were soon treated to a feast of venison steak. “There you go,” Emma said. “Hot off the skillet.” Sitting in front of their plates, Ryan and Abby stared down at the steaming slabs of meat, cooked to perfection. The smell left them nearly catatonic as saliva ran from their lips. Trying to break their gaze, Emma slapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Hey,” she said. “You going to eat or what?” Ryan’s attention snapped back from a mental stillness. He felt the slap on the shoulder, but barely heard the words. Abby was not so preoccupied and was already taking her first bite of something she had never tried before. As the cooked meat touched her tongue, she looked up at Ryan with wide eyes.

“Oh my fucking God,” she said.

She was accustomed to grocery food, and the experience of eating something that recently wandered the woods was as close to an epiphany as she would get.

The remainder of dinner was spent in silence as everyone consumed what was nothing short of a miracle. Emma, however, having become used to such food, sat spell-bound watching the two eat as if overtaken by starvation.

“You guys might want to slow down just a little,” she said. “I can keep you from choking to death, but I can’t make you any smarter about how you eat.”

Hearing this, both slowed their pace, taking the time to enjoy every bite. Any other comments were muffled by the sound of chewing. “So,” Abby began. “Is there a lot of this around?”

“Sometimes,” Emma said. “I usually have to walk quite a ways to find, but I always get them on the first shot—right under the arm.” Abby looked up with a confused expression. “Why under the arm?” she asked.

“That’s where the heart is,” Emma replied. It then occurred to her that she had saved the animal’s heart as well.

“Oh, wait a minute,” she said. “I still have that. You want to try some?”

After some hesitation, they agreed. At the first mouthful, both were stunned by the taste of such a fine delicacy. Twenty minutes later, Ryan and Abby sat back with their hands on their stomachs— satisfied beyond any expectations.

“Holy fuck,” Abby remarked. “That was so damn good.” Ryan was beyond words and was beginning to drift off. Abby turned to Emma with a playful remark. “Looks like someone's a little tired,” she said. “Yeah,” Emma replied. “A good steak will do that.” Ryan began leaning forward towards the table, only to be caught by Abby and Emma.

“Is there a place where we can put him?” Abby asked. Looking around the modest cabin, Emma offered a suggestion. “Let's move him over to the bed.”

Together, they began the task of lifting him from the table and, with each arm around their shoulders, moved him to the bed nearby. Ryan was already asleep, even before his head hit the pillow.

After struggling to get Ryan to the bed, Emma and Abby sat at the table for what would be a lengthy conversation. Emma had a great deal of questions about what happened and what thing were like outside the safety of her cabin. What she was told shocked her. “I knew something had happened,” she said. “I mean, I saw the lights in the sky, but I didn't know things were that bad. Jesus Christ, what now?”

Abby had very little advice to give, but what she did say only served to unnerve Emma even more. “Do you think I should dig an underground shelter?” Emma asked. She was truly frightened by the reality Abby had described, especially after hearing her talk about what had happened at the bookstore at Albany.

“Well,” Abby replied. “It might not be a bad idea, considering that people have, pretty much, become animals.” Emma was beginning to panic. She had not seen anyone since taking refuge in the woods but had heard the sound of distant gunfire. This was enough to keep her on her toes. “You know,” she said. “I don't think it's a bad idea. You know, just in case. But I'm going to need some tools and probably some lumber.”

Emma looked over at Ryan, who still lay in a food-induced coma. “He's not a bad looking guy,” she said. Glancing back at Abby, she noticed the obviousness of an early pregnancy.

“I take it he's the father?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Abby replied. “We got a little careless.” Emma looked at her with an astonished expression. “I guess so,” she said. “So, what are you going to do?” Until now, Abby tried not to think about it. But with the topic in plain view, she had become struck with terror as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I don't know,” she said. “I don't think I can even take care of a baby.”

Emma reached out and gently grasped her hand. “I'm supposed to be in college studying art and here I am holed up in the woods and pregnant. And I don't have a fucking clue about what I'm supposed to do.”

She looked back at Ryan.

“I don't know how he's going to handle this. We never really did talk about it. I guess I'm just afraid he's going to bail on me once this kid is born.”

Her face had become flushed with the pain of uncertainty, as tears began streaming down her face. Emma slid her chair around the table and up to Abby's side and putting an arm around her, she did her best to find a few consoling words. “I don't think he's going anywhere. It's pretty obvious that he loves you. Besides, if he tries to take off on you, I'll beat the shit out of him.”

Her unusual words weren't so much comforting as they were comical and brought a smile to Abby's face, followed by a quiet giggle.

“You're right,” she said. “I don't know what I'd do without him.” Raising an arm, she wiped the tears from her face, doing her best to compose herself. It should have been obvious from the beginning, but the idea of leaving entered Abby's mind. They had been on the move for what seemed like forever, and the thought of staying in any one place for an extended time had never occurred to either of them.

“Well,” Abby began. “I guess I should wake him up so we can get going.”

A wide-eyed look of disbelief came over Emma's face. “Wait,” she said. “You're leaving? Why don't you stay here?” Her voice was almost desperate. She had been alone long enough that she had lost track of time but tried to keep busy with ongoing upgrades to the cabin she had earlier confiscated. Now, in the presence of two fellow human beings, she found herself reluctant to see them leave.

“Um, well,” Abby replied. “We don't want you to think we're taking advantage or anything.”

Suddenly sitting back in her chair, Emma extended an insistent invitation for them to remain.

“You're not taking advantage,” she replied. “I'd love to have you guys here, and I could always use a couple of extra hands with this place. What do you say? And I won't take no for an answer. Plus, you're going to have a kid, and I doubt Ryan would be able to handle delivering a baby.”

Abby knew she was right. The idea of going into labor in the middle of the woods brought her no comfort, and they would have shelter, food and water as well as Emma's company. Between the three of them and the eventual birth of a child they could become a family and that would be a considerable step forward for all of them.