Humanity Gone: After the Plague (6 page)

             
“After all I've seen today, I'm not letting anyone else easily get up here.” he says.  I nod my head.  I couldn't agree more.

             
Although the cabin was in the same park, it was a long way from the ranger’s station.  In the darkness Jon struggles to keep the car on the road. The tiny eyes of raccoons reflect the headlights at every turn as our SUV descends further into the forest. When we find the cabin, Jon parks well off of the dirt road and as close to the cabin as possible.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but it still looks the same: unaffected by time. 

Jon uses the ranger's keys to open the front door.  Both of the girls are right behind me as I shine the flashlight through the cabin.  He flips the light switch and the whole cabin is illuminated.  The place does have everything we will need: four bunk beds lined against the far left wall, a wooden stove in the middle against the back wall, a closed off area to the right with bathrooms, and a shower. 

              “Please let there be hot water…” I say hopefully.

For now this place would suffice.  We unpack everything throughout the cabin.  The girls help Jon and me bring everything into the kitchen area against the back wall, and we fill what appears to be some sort of pantry.  I begin to sort it all out as Jon grabs the last few things from the car.  I hear the car lock, and Jon returns, locking the front door behind him.  I look up at him and we both nod.

We made it.

Both girls sit on one of the benches, looking at me. Which one is which is still beyond me. “Well, girls, what do you say we get you both cleaned up?” They return with smiles. Sara, or is it Caitlyn, still has broken leaves throughout her hair.

Jon tosses two towels from our bags and a plastic bag filled with soap and shampoo.  I check the bathroom and the girls head in.  Some steam pours out from under the door shortly after they’ve turned on the shower. Another victory.  Within fifteen minutes, the girls are already out and dressed in some of my clothes that barely fit them. They look completely different now.  Their skin is almost white and their hair is nearly black-it makes their eyes seem almost neon blue.  They start to do each others’ hair into long pigtails.  I let them be.

Behind me, Jon continues sorting through everything.  He yawns, clearly exhausted by the events of the day.

“Some of this can wait.” I reassure him.

“
I know; I’m almost done.  It’s been a long day.” he answers.  His eyes look heavy. 

“
I’m going take a shower and then go to bed. I need to rinse this day off,” I say to him after I feel that both girls are situated.  He nods and I grab my things for the bathroom.
              I shut the wooden door.  My entire body feels exhausted, and I strip to nothing and stand in front of the shower head.  My bare feet shuffle through the warm puddles left over from the twins’ showers.  The water is ice cold, but it does not even phase me – I guess they used all the hot water for one night.  I close my eyes and let the water run down my face.  I start to think of the entire day: Dad, the bodies, the knife, the girls, the supermarket, the ranger.  I feel so overwhelmed that I brace myself against the wall with my pruning hand.  My heart begins to beat faster and I feel the mask that I’ve worn all day finally give out.  I crouch down and bring my knees to my chest.  The tears running down my face feel no different than the water.  This cannot be reality.  All of this chaos, death, and responsibility.  I cannot do this. 

             
I pinch the undersides of my arms. Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up.

Chapter 12: Jonathon

             
“I hope you two love chicken noodle soup.” I yell to the girls as I set another can at that end of the table.  Between the ranger and our house we have thirteen huge cans already of that alone. They only complain a little.  I think they understand.  The stacks of cans and bottled water grow as I empty the ranger’s boxes out.  The more I organize the more I start to see the bigger picture and it scares me. Before this moment, I have only concentrated on getting us here; now here we are.  I don’t know how to begin sustaining us in the woods.  I have sorted through most of the supplies, but I know they won’t last.  I need to provide for the four of us, and I need to learn how to do it yesterday.  I knew this responsibility would fall on me but it’s beginning to hit home as I place another pack of rice amongst the others.

             
“Damn…” I whisper, realizing how little I knew about hunting or gardening or farming or surviving.  Being tired doesn’t help all the questions that have flooded my mind.  I began sorting through our circumstances: What if we have to leave?  Is anywhere completely safe?  What’s happening out there?  How can I possibly know what to do if I don’t know what’s happening?  How can I protect the girls?  Exactly how much danger are we facing?  Why is this happening?

             
“Jon?” a soft and quavering voice floats across the room from the bed-side wall.  I look over to see a frightened look on Sara’s face as she sits up.  Somewhere in the past few minutes I had sat down on an old stool, and I guess I’ve barely moved.  My hand clenches in a trembling fist around a can of sweet potatoes.  As I blink, I notice how dry my eyes are: probably from letting my eyes bulge for that amount of time.

             
“I’m sorry Sara,” I say finally, exhaling.  My expression changes to a smile, "I just can't stand sweet potatoes. Have you decided where you’re sleeping? We have a lot of choices...”

             
“My sister will take this bottom bunk.  The top bunk’s a little scary for her right now.”

             
“I was never a fan of heights, myself.” I fib to Caitlyn.

             
Caitlyn nods quickly, kicking her feet as her legs hang from the side of one of the other beds.  Her hands are folded, and she, too, looks sleepy.

             
“Go to sleep girls.  We are safe out here.”  It feels good to say that, even though I haven’t the slightest clue what the rest of the night has in store for us.  I seem to have said it convincingly though.  Sara is already nimbly climbing the ladder to get to the top bunk. She is definitely the more outgoing of the two.  Through the entire duration of this ordeal, Caitlyn has just stayed in her shell. I can't really blame her.  If I don't know what to make of it, how can I expect an eleven year old girl to?

             
“Good night, you two.”  They are both asleep within a few moments.

             
The brief conversation was a pleasant distraction from the swarm of questions that had paralyzed me earlier.  I sit on the nearest bunk and lie down for a second and interlock my fingers behind my head.  I have so many questions running through my mind. How can I expect to sleep tonight?

             
Food, shelter, clothing.  We have all of these things right now.  What do we need that we don’t have? Medicine.  If one of us does get sick, the best that we have to offer right now is water and blankets.  I’ll find a way to be ready.  I do need to go bury the ranger tomorrow.  Maybe there are still more supplies in the trailer that I can bring back.  Food, clothing, shelter, medicine.  The only other thing I can think of right now is weapons, and we have a few of those.  Not that any of us know how to really use them. 

             
Jo comes out dressed to sleep.  A towel is wrapped around her hair and she’s rubbing it with her hands.  Her eyes are almost as red as the few strands of hair that fall across her face.  Droplets of water fall to the floor as she stops in front of me.  Several times, she inhales deeply and exhales quickly, clearly wanting to say something each time but not finding any words.

             
“We’re going to be alright.  We have everything we need to take the time to figure it all out,” I say, more convincingly than I had hoped.  Jo’s eyes shut, and after a brief pause, she nods. 

The other bed rustles as Jo climbs in. 

              It feels like only a moment has passed, but deep down I know that it’s been much longer.  Maybe more than an hour.  I won’t let them down.  Nobody should be able to make it out here for a while anyway, if ever. 

“
Don’t let me down again…”  Those words run through my head on loop, echoing through my mind.  Eventually, sleep breaks through and takes me.

Chapter 13: Sara

             
A creak.  It can’t be the wind; there are no other creaks to go with it.  There is no whistle, not even the sound of the trees.  My eyes dart around the room, but it’s so dark.  I remember Jocelyn went to sleep on the bottom bunk of the other bed, and Caitlyn is below me, but I don’t know where Jon is.  Please be him, please be him…

             
Another creak.  It’s coming from the front of the cabin.  Why would Jon be sneaking this late?  Maybe he doesn't want to wake us. My chest feels tight and I feel like screaming, but I don’t know what will happen.  The more I try to listen the more I hear my heart beating: faster and faster.

             
Another creak, longer this time, but it’s different.  The front door is opening!  The outline of a man becomes clear, but he’s leaving!  It’s not Jon; Jon isn’t that tall.  What does he have in his hand?

             
I can’t hold it in.  I try so hard, but I can’t do it.  A little whimper escapes me and the man turns with a start, looking right at me.  There’s no way he can see me.  It’s too dark!  Please don’t see me.  Trembling, I look at the shadowy man.  I won’t even breathe.  Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could.  Just leave!

             
Almost as abruptly as he had looked at me, the man darts out the door, silently.  I won’t move, not yet.  He needs to be far away.  My heart is still beating so loudly that I can’t hear anything else.

             
Just another moment, and then I’ll climb down.  I need to find out what he was doing.  I slowly pull my blanket back with my right hand.  A flashlight is in my left hand.  I pull it back so slowly so that when I’m uncovered, enough time will have passed.  It’s so hard to climb off the top bunk.

             
My legs swing over the head rail, and I find the rungs.  They’re cold and damp.  It feels like the room is foggy.  Three more rungs.  It’s hard to climb while holding something.  Two more rungs.  Why are they wet?  And why is it so cold?  I can’t slip!  I’ll make too much noise.  He might still be close enough to hear.  One more rung.  I extend with my right arm as much as I can so I can lower my foot to the ground.

             
But it doesn’t reach the ground.  It stops short on something, and slips.  I let out a squeal as my hand falls off the bed rail.  I fall onto this thing in a total panic.  I can’t even think.  I stand up as quickly as I can and turn on the flashlight.

             
All I can do now is scream, and it echoes through the whole cabin.  I had landed on the body of the nurse from the hospital.  I try to turn away but there are just more of the people from the hospital on the floor, lying there.  I don’t remember inhaling, but I scream again, and I keep screaming.  Why is nobody waking up?  Where is Jon?  Where is Jocelyn?  Where is Caitlyn?

             
I hear a slam and I wheel around just in time to see the outline of the man in the open door frame.

             
“Wake up!” I hear him yell, but it sounds like Jon.  He’s too big to be Jon!

             
“Wake up!” I blink and the door frame turns into the ceiling.  Jon is leaning over me with a flashlight in one hand and my shoulder in the other.  As I sit up, panting, I start to understand that I was dreaming, but the screams were real.  Caitlyn is in the middle of the room, scared, looking at me with her hands clasped at her chest.

             
“I’m sorry…”

             
“It’s okay, you’re okay.”  I look over to Jocelyn.  She’s sitting up on the other top bunk, and she has a soft smile on her face.  My breathing slows down almost immediately, but all I manage is a nod and a long gulp to try to relax.  Scanning the room, I see that little else has changed from a few hours before.  The windows let in a fraction of the morning light.  I hope we can all go back to sleep; everyone still looks so tired.

             
“Do we have to get up now?” I ask.

             
“No, sleep as long as you need,” says Jon, “You’re safe here.  Try to relax.” He lies back down in his bunk and Jocelyn returns to hers. A few minutes go by and I try to shut my eyes. I can't sleep.

             
The bed starts rocking back and forth, so I peek over the head rail.  Caitlyn is climbing up, fumbling on the ladder a little in the dark.

             
“What are you doing?” I whisper.