The Road Home by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 57

Once again, breakfast was the first order of the day and while Maya was organizing the meal, Aurora was busy starting the fire. The coals were cold, but she surmised that they could still be useful and within minutes, a roaring fire had been created. The inside of the RV had cooled overnight, and the warmth of the fire gave the group ample warmth, bringing them back to life after a long night. They quickly learned that in this area, there was also an abundance of wildlife and Maya spent a good portion of the night listening to the solitary call of an owl and the long lonely howl of a wolf. Her mind went back to the small store in Cle Elum where she witnessed what nature was capable of, as Nathan’s body lay eviscerated on the steps. As much as she tried, Maya was unable to shake the image from her mind as it took up residence in a grave freshly dug somewhere in her memory. Now, she could use the multitude of tasks ahead as a distraction from a mind that seemed to have become something of a haunted house. Aside from death, it was her only escape.

Breakfast was filling, but assessing their food stocks, Aurora noticed they were running low on everything. Hopefully, they would be able to find enough food while exploring the cabins lining the lakeshore that they could restock. Upon discussion, it was decided that if they didn’t run into trouble, they might stay at the lake indefinitely, living in one of the cabins. But first on the list was food, water, and firewood, and as the girls cleaned up, Eli surveyed the area near the lake. They had parked the RV in a relatively isolated area, making it difficult for him to see which cabin they would first explore. Not only had they forgotten to obtain weapons, but they also failed to pick up any necessary camping equipment. This put them at a disadvantage, especially when it came to any attempts at surveillance. A pair of binoculars would have solved that issue, as one cannot monitor what cannot be seen.

Unable to find a path to the lake, Eli, Maya, and Aurora trudged through the snow. Wearing only worn-out sneakers, they made their way down to the water’s edge and, searching the surrounding area, spotted a nearby cabin. But there was something else. Eli was stopped by a feeling he could not ignore, and looking past the cabin, saw a distant figure standing near a dock – staring at them.

“Guys,” he said. “Do you see that?” The girls, turning in that direction, squinted to make out the faraway figure. Soon, all three confirmed what they had feared. This was the person who blocked the road the night before, disappearing as quickly as they arrived. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” Eli began. “Isn’t that the guy from last night?”

Maya, straining to identify the strange figure, gave an uncertain reply.

“I think so,” she said. “They’re awfully far away.”

“What does it matter?” Aurora replied. “The fact that they’re just standing there looking at us scares the shit out of me.”

While the girls anticipated the approach of whoever stood in the distance, Eli was reaching his boiling point.

“God fucking damn it,” he said. “I really wish I had a gun right now.”

Seeing his face twisting with anger, Maya stepped up to him and, speaking quietly, tried to calm him down. The last thing they needed was an emotional outburst. This would only serve to cloud their judgment.

“Eli,” Maya said. “Relax; whoever that is can’t reach us from way over there, okay?” Eli let out a tense breath as he did his best to release the tension from his mind. “God, I need to chill,” he said.

However, even in times of crisis, he managed to employ his sense of humor and, standing near the water, directed it at Maya.

“Hey, Maya,” he began. “You know what would work? You could let me put my face between your tits again. What do you think?” Maya didn’t know whether to laugh or punch him in the face, but one word, heavily laced with frustration, quickly escaped from her lips. “No.”

His question was spoken with only half-humor and, letting out a sigh of frustration, surrendered to her lack of interest.

“I should know better,” he said. “Alright, whatever. Let’s just get going.”

Starting off again, they approached the nearest cabin and, once at the front door, turned the knob. It opened easily and walking inside, the group took their time entering, not knowing if there was anyone still occupying it. Maya knew that it was sometimes best to split up to cover more ground, but there were other times when staying together was called for. This was one of those times. Should they need to defend themselves, a group was always more effective than a single person.

Exploring the house, they were surprised to find nearly everything they needed – blankets, food, and bottled water. Searching the kitchen cabinets, Aurora managed to discover a box of powdered milk as well as a box of potato flakes, flour, and boiling bags. Continuing to investigate the house, they also uncovered two empty steamer trunks. It was a looter’s paradise and the group took full advantage of everything they could find. But after filling the steamer trunks, they found themselves in a difficult situation.

“Uh, guys,” Aurora said. “I have a question. How do we get all this stuff back to the RV?” It was certainly a valid question. There were three of them and two trunks, filled to capacity. Although Eli’s field of study had been genetic engineering, his mind was able to branch out into different directions, and within moments, he had an answer.

“Okay,” he said. “How about this? We line up side-to-side and put the trunks between us. Then, we each grab a handle, pick them up, and carry them back. What do you think?”

It was brilliant, but Aurora – being the short one and not very strong – expressed a concern. “Wait a second,” she said. “Who’s going to be in the middle? Because it’s not going to be me – I’m not that strong.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eli responded. “I’ll take that spot.”

Maya was impressed as she was going to ask the same question but complimented him instead. “That’s a pretty good idea,” she began. “Oh, you remember asking to put your face between my tits?”

Eli’s pulse increased as his face flushed, thinking that she had changed her mind.

“Yeah,” he answered.

Seeing his response, Maya grinned teasingly. “We’ll see,” she said.

Surprised at what seemed to be an offer, his face achieved a deeper flush as his hands began to tremble.

“Really?” he asked.

Maya’s grin quickly turned to a malicious smile. “The answer’s still no,” she replied. “I’m just messing with you, but great idea about the trunks.”

Eli didn’t care to be teased, but his frustration transformed into the strength he needed to lift the trunks, and with the girls on either side, they began carrying them back to the RV. It was not as easy as they had hoped and with Aurora’s lack of strength, they were forced to stop frequently. Eventually, they arrived at the RV and, setting the trunks down, each dipped their inflamed hands into the snow. With their handles constructed of leather, the weight of their contents nearly tore the skin from their palms, so the snow acted to take down the pain but regaining movement would take some time.