The Onyx Seed - A Story of Survival by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 13

The brightness of the early afternoon sunburst into Marty’s sleeping mind as he took a sudden breath of wakefulness. The air was clear and cool as the sun sat high in a blue, cloudless sky. He started the camp stove and put the coffee pot on to boil. Coffee was always the first order of business, but their water had to be used sparingly. As the boiling water released the aroma of fresh coffee, Lucas stumbled out of his tent, blinded by the bright afternoon sun. His muscles still ached from what seemed like an endless walk up the switchbacks carved into the rocky landscape. Walking through rugged terrain was an activity Lucas was not accustomed to, much less doing it while carrying close to fifty pounds on his back. Upon standing, he looked out onto the town of Whittier. A place that had also come to an eerie stillness. But this perception had almost immediately been overwhelmed by the smell of coffee. It pulled Lucas over to the camping stove as if it had grown a pair of unseen hands. He sat in front of the stove, placing his palms toward the burner’s steady blue flame. “Is it just me?” Lucas began. “Or is it really fucking cold up here?”

Marty poured him a cup of coffee. “No, you’re right,” he answered. “It’s cold.”

Lucas wrapped his hands around the hot ceramic mug, taking the days first sip of coffee. It went down like lemonade on a hot summer day. It is the lifesaver one clings to in the turbulent sea of life’s issues and stresses. Lucas immediately felt its warmth permeating his body and relaxing his senses. And for a moment, he felt nudged away to a safe place, where bodies weren’t being burned in hospital parking lots. Where the country’s leaders didn’t hide their hopelessness behind semantics and cautious optimism. He would have to learn how to roll with the punches. But for now, coffee was a more than adequate escape.

“So, how long are we going to be here?” Lucas asked. Marty set the coffee pot on a nearby rock and turned off the burner.

“No more than a couple of days,” Marty answered. “We don’t have a lot of water and I’d like to be on the road sooner rather than later.” Lucas paused for a few moments as his mind briefly flashed back to the city.

“Hey, Marty,” he said. “Thanks.” Marty looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “For what?”

“Are you kidding?” Lucas said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead.”

“C’mon, Luke,” Marty began. “You’re a smart guy. You would’ve figured something out.” Marty changed the topic of conversation, claiming that he was in desperate need of a shower. But beneath the humor, he knew that Lucas was right. Had it not been for Marty, he would have either died or broken down, becoming another ghost, peering out from behind another window, somewhere along one of the many streets of the city of angels. A place that was, no doubt, on a long list of infectious casualties.

The coffee pot and mugs were washed out with the smallest amount of water. The hiking stove was left on a rock to cool, while Marty and Lucas carefully made their way to the edge of the rocky peak overlooking the town of Whittier. If they were going to go into town for supplies, Marty wanted to know what he was getting into. He raised his binoculars and scanned the town.

“What do you see?” Lucas asked.

Having never been outside of Los Angeles, he was more curious than anxious. And it seemed easier for him to cope with the reality of countless dead in broad daylight than to face what could be lying in the shadows during the cold, endless night. “I don’t see much of anything,” Marty answered. He directed his binoculars toward the college, looking carefully at the doors and windows. Only to see nothing. He noticed the absence of cars in the college’s parking lots.

“I hate to ask you this, Luke,” he began. “But, isn’t this about time for spring break?” For a moment, Lucas had forgotten about things like spring break and midterms. He was becoming so caught up in the need to survive and what it was like to fear for his life, that his previous life had begun to wash itself from his mind. And without the routine that society had previously demanded, Lucas had also forgotten what day of the week it was. “Um, I think that would’ve been next week,” he answered.

People are largely creatures of habit, relying heavily on daily routines and schedules to provide themselves with a sense of purpose and direction. When these things are removed, what is left more resembles a chimp pacing around within a locked cage. Instinct tells us to run, but the pointlessness imposed on us sends us in circles. Without the seeming endless boredom of routine, we become lost, our lives quickly falling to nothing. Real freedom comes at a heavy price.

Lucas wondered about the words he’d just used. Next week. He was not able to imagine a world without a next week. Yet, it lay sprawled out in front of him, begging to be understood. Still, as a creature of habit, Lucas was entirely unable to even consider the idea of life without a future. Without something to plan for. Something to look forward to. But instead of allowing this to blossom within his conscious mind, he quickly shook it off, focusing his attention, again, on the stillness of the town below. “Well,” Marty began. “If it’s not spring break, where is everyone?”

He handed Lucas the binoculars.

“What do you think?”

Lucas studied the campus closely, noticing how empty the parking lots were.

“I don’t know,” Lucas answered. “Do you think they had some warning?”

Looking down at the college, Marty gave some thought to what might have happened. “There may have been a panic,” he replied. “It’s impossible to tell. We may be able to find out more once we get down there.”

Lucas quickly turned to him while lowering the binoculars.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he asked. “After all the shit we’ve seen, you actually want to go in there? Wasn’t it you who said the bodies were still contagious?”

Marty looked at him with a slight grin. “Aren’t you just a little curious?” He took the binoculars from Lucas and examined the campus again.

“Besides, I hear that college girls are really hot.”

“Oh, that’s hysterical,” Lucas began. “You’re a real fucking comedian. Seriously, that is some funny shit!”

Marty lowered the binoculars.

“Luke, come on,” he said. “Have a sense of humor.” He raised the binoculars again and began scanning the rest of the town.

“It’s the only thing that’s going to get us through this. And no, we’re not going in there. Not without a real good reason, anyway.”

By all appearances, the town was dead. There was no movement in the town of Whittier. The campus looked as though it had been abandoned. The infection seemed to have left nothing behind. But Marty knew they weren’t alone. The fact that they were alive meant that there were others. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to meet them. There are times when it’s almost impossible to distinguish friend from foe. And Marty didn’t want to find himself in a position where he had to make that distinction. So, in his mind, it would be easier to simply avoid everyone. Lucas, on the other hand, had lost a great deal more than a chance at a college education. He missed people, not just his mother and brother. Not just Maria. Everyone. He understood that humankind had its issues and his opinion of people had not been very high. Yet on some level, he noticed how empty the world had become without the laughter of children. The hourglass shape of a beautiful woman. The sight of two people in love. Whispering to each other, holding hands. The spark of human passion had been extinguished. Lucas was neither old nor wise, but by virtue of the world, as it had become, he felt pushed into adulthood. Should he resist, he would become utterly lost. Otherwise, the process promised to be painful and difficult. And Lucas was slowly becoming aware of it.

“So, what now?” he asked.

“For now,” Marty answered. “We take it easy. Think of it as a day off. Just don’t wander too far off, okay?”

Lucas nodded, taking a deep breath of Whittier’s clean woodland air.

“A day off sounds pretty good.”

Lucas knew that Marty had been looking out for him, even before the infection had grabbed the world by the throat. They had always been good friends, but Lucas began to realize that the world had become a lonely place. He stood next to Marty, looking out over Whittier and wondered if there was anyone else out there. Unlike Marty, Lucas craved companionship and very badly wished there were other survivors they might encounter in their travels. In particular, he hoped to find a survivor of the fairer sex. He remembered Maria. And even though she would never so much as give him the time of day, he still missed her. Or, perhaps, it was more basic than that. Maria rarely spoke to him, much less offered him a relationship. Or even simple friendship. A self-imposed exile might work for Marty, but Lucas did not want to go through the rest of his life as a hermit, wandering from place to place. A roof over his head and a fire at his feet was a good start, but not nearly enough. What he wanted, under any circumstances, was the company of a young woman. To experience the soft touch of a feminine hand. To hear the quiet whisper of a caring voice, telling him that everything would be okay. The world, as it had become, would be far less terrifying if he only had a hand to hold. The soft warmth of a woman’s kiss and the gentle grip of arms to shield him during the many cold, dark nights that lay ahead. With this thought, it occurred to Lucas that, at some point, they might arrive at odds with each other over the necessity of human contact. Certainly, they would encounter people who genuinely needed help. But Lucas understood that they would also encounter people who no longer people at all. So, who would they help? Who would they leave behind? And how would they decide, without forfeiting their own humanity?

His life, having previously been restricted to the dingy streets of L.A., Lucas took the opportunity to explore. So, while Marty made himself busy studying maps and charting their escape, Lucas wandered along the rocky ridge overlooking the town of Whittier. Though they stood only sparsely along the rocky slopes, the pines of Hellman Wilderness Park seemed to call out to him, trying to find something that lay deep inside him. It was as though the very earth Lucas stood on was searching him out, trying to make a connection with his soul. Continuing his short trek along the summit’s edge, Lucas stopped occasionally to breathe in the cool, spring air. He gazed north into rows of craggy peaks and ridges that seemed meticulously set against a backdrop of the royal blue spring sky. He had once tried marijuana. But, standing here, he realized there was no substitute for the experience of living amongst the raw power of nature. With or without people, the world was a far bigger place than he could ever have imagined. He suddenly felt himself divided by two opposing impressions. The majesty of the landscape left him in a childlike state of wonder. However, the same quality also put him in a place where he felt vulnerable. Having lived his life in Los Angeles, he was accustomed to feeling fear. Yet, this was different. He found himself standing on the world stage and felt overwhelmed by it. Lucas briefly experienced a trembling within his soul as he saw himself having stepped into the footprints of giants.

He made his way back to camp where Marty was continuing to pour over the road maps he’d collected. Unfortunately, they would only get them to Phoenix. After that, they’d have to find their way to the Texas coast. And guesswork was not something they could not afford to do. Marty’s plan was to stay away from large cities unless they needed to stop for supplies. They would stay on the main highways. Away from side roads. And they would move quickly. Driving as fast as conditions allowed. With the dissolution of authority, speed limits had become a non-issue and the chances of getting caught in a chase with other survivors were far lower if they were driving fast. Lucas sat on the rocky ground, glancing at the map Marty was studying.

“Hey,” Marty said. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”

Lucas stared out at the horizon.

“No,” he replied. “I’ve just been kicking around.” Marty noticed something different in his voice. “You bored already?” he asked.

“You mean up here on the edge of nowhere?” Lucas replied. “No, I’m not bored at all.” There was a slight tone of playful sarcasm in his voice.

“But, I’m starting to see why you’ve been going to places like this. I don’t know that I’d want to live in the mountains but I like this.”

He paused as Marty continued to examine the maps. “And the air,” Lucas continued. “It smells so different from L.A.”

Marty grinned broadly, seeing that Lucas was starting to relax.

“You think so?” Marty asked.

“Yeah,” Lucas answered. “I guess when you live in a toilet, you get used to the smell of shit.” He turned to Marty with a curious expression. “Haven’t you ever noticed it before?” he asked. Marty glanced up at him and nodded. “Every time I came back from the mountains,” Marty answered.

Lucas continued with humor.

“I guess it’s good to climb out of the toilet once in a while, huh?”

While Marty spent most of the day lying beneath the cool spring sky, Lucas continued to wander the exposed woodland ridge. He borrowed Marty’s binoculars and sat on an outcropping of rock, scanning the town below. He was hoping to see someone, anyone. Especially if that someone was female. He sat for hours, looking down into Whittier, seeing only houses, streets, and parking lots. Aiming the binoculars toward the college again, he remembered what it was like. Walking from classroom to classroom. Working toward a goal. Having a purpose. Being a student meant doing a lot of work. But it also meant meeting a lot of people and Lucas missed the interaction. One day, the campus was bustling with people. Two short days later, it had become a memorial, not only to higher learning but to the definition of civilized society. He looked toward the horizon. The next day, east was where they’d be going. Lucas had spent his entire life in L.A., never having journeyed outside its borders. He had simply never thought about it. As much as he looked forward to what lay ahead, he also feared it. Leaving the familiar for the unknown. But, he also knew there was no other choice. L.A. had become a horror movie come to life. A battleground where the dead fought the nearly dead. It was a ship Lucas felt comfortable jumping from. Now, he would soon find himself in uncharted waters, looking for a peaceful island sanctuary within easy reach of whatever they needed. Yet, being left to their own devices.

He shifted his vision to Los Angeles. It was approaching the heat of the day and the city was strangely free of smog. The bulk of humanity had passed on only days ago and the earth had already begun to heal itself of a different kind of infection. Lucas wondered if those left behind might be capable of pulling themselves up in favor of a better life, one that was driven by simple necessity and calm mutual reliance. Or, would people push on, cursed by their past as selfish, hostile leftovers of what once was? Of what could have been. But, if in fact, history does repeat itself, would this day come again? Perhaps, in spite of its numerous catastrophic mistakes, it might be said that, on some level, humankind had been a somewhat accomplished species during its brief, earthly occupancy. The development of science, music, art, and philosophy were only a few facets of the gem that sat at the zenith of its existence. We had become the thinking ape. Yet, as humanity had by its own hand, been reduced to a whisper of its former self, the thinking cap had been lost and those who remained likely did so as apes once more, had we only opened our eyes.