The Road Home by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 52

Within a few hours, the group found themselves at the outskirts of Spokane. The idea of keeping track of time was pointless. With the world having achieved it's falling into a terminal death spiral, the concept of time was reduced to the position of the sun -- the seasons measured by air temperature. They had been on the road long enough to hear the call of sleep and looked forward to a few days of secluded rest. Stopping briefly, they studied the darkening cityscape of Spokane and, looking out over the seemingly endless mass of steel and concrete, were shaken by the absence of lights. It was during Maya’s phone conversation with Marty that the world went dark and although the group did what they could to avoid it, seeing Spokane buried beneath a shroud of darkness set their reality in stone. First, there was silence as the group absorbed the haunting image of what was once a busy metropolis brimming with commerce and all manner of human activity. Had any of the trio lacked a fear of the dark, the sight of a city now deceased left them a feeling of terror they had never experienced. Although the evening light was rapidly dimming, all eyes were scanning for movement, and seeing none, Maya suggested they move on.

Following her suggestion, Eli put the RV into gear and, touching the gas, continued to their decided destination. Driving through the city, the air seemed to take on a different feel, and Aurora was the first to comment on it.

“Does anyone feel that?” she asked. “It’s like walking into a crypt, or am I the only one?”

“Yeah,” Maya replied. “I feel it too.” Fear is a strange creature. It can raise its head over something obvious, such as an oncoming car. But fear can do far more than warn us of what is conspicuous. Sometimes it presents only silence -- the thing you thought you heard, or a small movement glanced from the corner of one’s eye. Look in that direction and it’s gone. However, fear reaches the pinnacle of its existence through darkness, hiding what would otherwise be in plain sight. One can sit in front of a roaring campfire, enjoying the illusion that its light keeps us safe. But, that light travels only so far and illuminates the borderland of darkness beyond the trees through its absence. Nothing escapes the dark while fear sits high atop its lofty throne, waiting not to unleash some hellish monster, but for the human psyche to tremble and fracture.

Eli decided that driving faster would mean spending less time out in the open, and pressing on the gas pedal pushed the speedometer to forty-five miles an hour – then fifty. Feeling the increased acceleration, Aurora became concerned that given the number of cars that had spun off to the side of the road, a loss of control could result in disaster.

“Eli,” she began. “Do you think it’s really a good idea to drive this fast?”

Maya agreed that they should minimize the time they spent out in the open, but driving at fifty miles an hour presented its own risks. “I have an idea,” she began. “What if you turned off the headlights and slowed down a bit? We can still maintain a low profile and still get to the state park in one piece.”

It was an acceptable compromise, and Eli slowed to thirty-five and turned off the lights. “Better?” he asked.

“Yes,” Aurora replied. “We’re trying to avoid getting smallpox. We don’t need to get killed in the process.”

Normally, Eli would have taken Aurora’s words as scolding, but under the circumstances, he knew she was right. Aurora, however, wanted to be certain he understood that what she said was not meant as criticism.

“Eli,” she said. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to sound…”

Interrupting her, he put her mind at ease. “Aurora,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. I know what you mean.”

The girls glanced at each other in disbelief, wondering if this was the same Eli they had been traveling with since the beginning. Or perhaps, he was simply growing up and taking command of his part of their journey. Many difficult decisions lay ahead for them, and Eli appeared to finally have his head on straight.

Route 90 seemed to go on forever as the girls, having positioned themselves at the side windows, continued to monitor the darkness for anything that might pose a threat. Maya, holding a flashlight, occasionally went back to the map looking for the turnoff to the state park and finding it called out directions to Eli. “I know we’re not quite there yet,” she began. “But there’s a turnoff at Gateway Regional Park. According to the map, the park is on the left, but the turnoff is on the right. You’re going to take a right off the highway, then turn left. I’ll guide you from there.”

His attention focused on every word as he studied the highway in front of him, occasionally steering around the errant car. Driving in the dark was difficult, but with a full moon sitting high in the clear night sky, everyone could see the road in detail once their eyes became accustomed to the sun’s absence. They could see the abundance of cars strewn along the highway, along with the sporadic sight of contaminated bodies lying haphazardly on the asphalt. Many were still sitting behind the wheel, bloated and discolored. The ever-presence of death was something they would have gotten used to, yet none felt strong enough to completely accept the damage done by something that could only be seen under a microscope. Unbeknownst to the girls, Eli, now having witnessed the true devastation of what he believed had spread across the entire country, sat at the wheel near tears. For him, the passing on of the world had taken hold of his mind, shaking his senses and scarring his heart. He realized that the world as he knew it would never resurrect itself, and that the best he could do was to look out for the girls. They were his world now, and he would go above and beyond for them – even dying that they may survive. One could say that he had achieved an odd sort of enlightenment. But to spare the girls any sense of guilt, he vowed to himself that he would never talk about it. Maya was a strong person, but even she could crack under pressure. If need be, Eli would have to take on the role of leader should Maya be unable to. He would have to be strong.