The Road Home by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 42

When four graduate students put their minds together, many things can be accomplished. After Maya pulled herself together, she was, once again, able to think clearly, organizing her thoughts into a finely tuned instrument. Their plan was finally coming together and with their list complete, they ventured out into town seeking the resources needed for their survival. But Maya was looking for one additional item – signs of human activity. November in the Rockies meant snow, and this made it easier for her to spot any tracks left behind by anyone still living in the town. The only thing she needed to determine was the difference between fresh tracks and old tracks. For this, she would have to rely on instinct, but she could always enlist Aurora’s woodsman skills.

Having wrapped themselves in blankets, the four former students began their exploration of Cle Elum. Their first stop was the service station. Having already paid it a visit, they knew its layout, but in the glaring light of day, the memory’s map was not needed. Carefully crawling through the hole previously left by Maya’s powerful swing, they stood in the store with eyes searching the shelves and displays. There was still a great deal left, if only in cans and boxes, but it was a start and grabbing a few plastic bags, the group began stuffing them with items specified on the list – plus a few bars of chocolate. One should always be willing to spoil oneself on occasion.

With their bags filled to overflowing, they walked the short distance back to the house, where they organized and stored their most recent harvest. Yet, everyone realized that more was needed in the very likely event of being snowed in. The Rockies, like any other mountain range, generated its own weather regardless of the season. Just before leaving the house, Maya took out the map she had acquired from their last visit to the service station and unfolding it quickly located the town’s grocery store. This promised to be the mother load they needed and walking in that direction, Maya hoped to find some camping equipment as well, thinking it would be good to have a means of cooking.

As small as Cle Elam was, the walk to the grocery was shorter than expected, but once there the group discovered a familiar situation. The double doors were magnetically locked, leaving only one means of entry. Maya, having enjoyed forcing her way into the service station, sought out something to, again, gain a violent entry into the store. However, feeling a bit of envy for the delight Maya took in the opportunity for destruction, Aurora stepped up for a similar chance. “Hey,” she began. “My turn now.” Maya, already holding a sizeable rock, inquired about her request.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t know if you’re strong enough to do this.”

Despite Maya’s doubts, Aurora insisted, feeling eager to blow off some steam.

“Just give me the rock,” she replied. “I really need this. I just want to smash something.” Of the four of them, Aurora seemed to be going through more on an emotional level, and seeing her need to exorcize her demons, handed her the rock. Aurora’s face lit up as she clutched its cold weight and, shifting it into a better grip, raised it above her head.

“Oh, fuck yeah,” she said.

Using all her strength, she launched the rock towards the tempered glass and, striking its center, shattered into a hail of gravel-sized shards.

Her display of exuberance was nearly palpable but well deserved and with heightened senses, she turned to Maya in celebration.

“That was fucking awesome!” she said. “I want to do that again.”

The group let out a brief chuckle as a broad grin came to Maya’s face. But it was time to get back to the matter at hand, and one by one, each crawled through the window and into the store. It was an appropriate size for the town and well-lit by the light of the November sun. “Alright, guys,” Maya began. “We all know what we need, so let’s try to get this done as quickly as possible.”

Everyone grabbed plastic bags and fanned out through the store, but something seemed off as Jackson, foraging near the cash register, noticed an odd smell. It was something he was not accustomed to, and following it ventured closer to the area behind the counter. Lying on the floor behind the counter was the body of a young girl, likely in her late teens. Still wearing a name tag, she had obviously been an employee. Now, her body lay bloated and riddled with raised bumps, her skin discolored and slipping into a puddle on the floor. Suddenly overwhelmed by the sight and smell of what had become intolerably acrid, he ran to the back of the store, where he vomited explosively. The sound instantly drew everyone’s attention as they clamored towards Jackson, who, on his hands and knees, continued retching until his stomach was empty. Although his brief bout of death-induced sickness concluded itself, there was still pain as his muscles tightened themselves into knots.

“Fuck!” he said.

In spite of the crippling pain he was experiencing, Jackson still managed to utter his disgust at what had forced him to expel the contents of his stomach.

“Oh my fucking God, that was gross.”

Suspecting that he may have been exposed to the plague that had killed countless people, the group stood around him, but at a safe distance. “Jackson,” Maya said. “What happened? Were you exposed?”

No one had come into contact with anyone since Nathan’s death, so it was unlikely that he had picked up the virus, but there was still the question of what brought on Jackson’s sudden lapse.

“Jackson,” Maya continued. “Hey, what’s going on? Tell me what happened.”

With his stomach quieting, he pointed to the front of the store with words of warning. “She’s dead. And there’s not much left.” Maya knew it was inevitable that they would encounter those who had died of the weapon that had been unleashed by a hostile nation. However, the thought of seeing death in an advanced state was one they tried to avoid. Now, the group was only a few yards from confronting it and no one was willing to investigate what had made Jackson so violently ill.

After his sickness subsided, Jackson rolled from his hands and knees into a sitting position. Needing time to recover, he grabbed a bottle of water to wash down the taste of bile that stuck to the inside of his mouth and throat. With the pain of cramped muscles having receded, he rose to his feet and, grabbing the bags he had filled, stumbled towards the door. Stopping mid-way, he turned back to the group.

“We’re leaving now, right?” he asked. A momentary pause wafted over the group, still concerned but at a loss of how to process what had just happened.

“Guys,” he continued. “I’d like to get the fuck out of here.”

With the moment having passed, Maya was first to prompt the rest into leaving, and weighed down by their newest haul, they hurried towards the door. But unbeknownst to them, a breeze made its way through the shattered plate glass and moving around the store picked up the scent of decay. Aurora was the first to notice it.

“Jesus Christ,” she said. “Is that what I think it is? That’s revolting.”

Having also detected a whiff of decomposition, Maya and Eli were quick to pick up the pace as all four hastily left the grocery store. However, as they made their way back to what they now considered home, Maya engaged Eli in quiet conversation.

“You know,” she said. “We’re going to have to come back, right?”

His only response was a simple nod as he glanced at her with a grave expression. It seems that the reality of their new life was beginning to catch up to him, that the days of academia and discovery had long passed. The challenge of simply living was now fraught with risk, and one misstep could bring disaster crashing down upon all of them.