Chandra sighed at the sight of lush green. It billowed over the guardrail and invaded the cracked roadway. She looked from the wreckage to their path, and she could tell with a glance it’d not been picked clean. Not like the 401 they’d just come from. The cars seemed almost preserved, untouched since the crash. Instinct screamed for her to get to use, to scour the vehicles for gear, food, water 0 but they didn’t have the time or energy. And she couldn’t shake the shiver that trickled up her spin. The brush was thick, dense and far more overgrown than the Rouge Valley they’d camped in. As she stared at the mass threatening to swallow the roadway whole, she swallowed. Wendigos are in there.
Everyone turned an eye on the guardrail and Chandra kept the kids at a distance from the green. It wasn’t just the threat that loomed in the valley that had her skin itching. The ruined buildings, apartments, and remnants of the dense residential neighbourhoods could come gnashing after them if they were too loud. There was nowhere to go if wendigos swarmed. Nowhere to run.
Were we wrong to come here? On the 401 Chandra had championed the idea of going with the trackers but- had I known this was their plan…
She walked at the head of their group, urging them to keep pace. There weren’t many of them left, aside from the children. Viola and Eamon were often preoccupied with their three kids, Vince too cowardly to lead. Alice and Steven were the rocks but since the beach, Alice was a different woman. Grief was a terrible thing in a world far less harsh than theirs. Chandra understood all too well the toll it could take.
Beside her Ethan took up position, walking in silent stride. The other children looked up to him. Being the eldest came with that kind of responsibility but it was more than that, she thought. He’s grown up too fast. She looked back to the bereaving with heartache. They all have.
“Chandra.” Turning, she spied Nyssa looking up with inquisitive green eyes. Nyssa was a pale girl, very milky skin but you couldn't tell now. They all looked a darker shade and as Chandra reached out for Nyssa's hand it was harder to tell whose fingers were whose.
Nyssa had been with her the longest. Her father, Franklin, lived in their neighbourhood and was part of a refugee camp that formed not long after infection broke out. Back then Nyssa had been all smiles with her father and the two adapted to this life far better than the rest. Perhaps losing Nyssa’s mother before infection helped them in some strange way. Or was it that they had each other?
“What is it, Nyssa?”
“We shouldn't be here. It's not safe. Dad always said we should stay underground or in the woods. The roads are really dangerous.”
The smiles were gone now and had been for months. Franklin left to find food and never came back, like so many others had before him. With no other family, Nyssa had joined the Singh's and they’d welcomed her into their fold.
Now it was just the two of them.
“I know it's not what your father would have liked but we have little choice in the matter. Just stay close.”
Their numbers were dwindling. First, it was Cooper’s father, Will, and little sister Rebecca. Franklin. Steven. The Young's had been soo lucky having only lost Viola’s brother, Ben, even if Eamon was wounded back in the Rouge Valley.
And Kurzon.
Chandra’s heart ached. Her husband, Kam, had gone looking for their son and... So many never came back. At night she prayed and hoped that they were safe elsewhere. Although she wanted nothing more than to go looking for her family, she stayed. With Nyssa and Cooper.
Seemingly unsatisfied by Chandra's answer, Nyssa looked ahead. “Do you really think we can leave here?”
Chandra followed Nyssa's gaze to the sled the tracker’s dragged and she sighed. “I think we have to hold on to some hope, even if we don't think it will work. We have to believe.”
Kam had always been the more spiritual of the two, often praying for the world to change. The fights they’d had, the arguments over faith and belief seemed so trivial now. Since he'd left she took up the habit in honour of him and the words were as much for Chandra as they were for Nyssa.
“I don't think it's going to get better.” Nyssa's hand tightened in Chandra's and she scrunched her face. “It's going to get worse.”
The darkness in a child so young might have scared Chandra once but they all grew strangely comfortable with dread. Death, murder and… people eating people. It was hard to believe in anything anymore.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Nodding and squeezing Nyssa's hand was all Chandra could do for her now. There were no words to quiet the dread.
“Eamon!” Viola's voice rang out shrill and loud.
Everyone stopped.
Eamon had tripped and fallen and his body hit the ground hard.
Chandra left Nyssa to make her way towards the Young’s as their children started to circle. With a cursory glance, Chandra tried to prepare for the worst, but Eamon’s wounds didn’t look infectious, just debilitating.
His wife leaned forward, trying to lift her husband up but she just wasn't strong enough. “Come on…” Viola grunted while trying to pull his arm over her frail shoulder. Peter, the eldest son, took his father’s left side and Viola lifted up his right. Cally grabbed the bag her father had been carrying and held Shane's hand.
“We're okay,” Viola assured Chandra but Laurence had already started arguing with Shannon up ahead.
“We don't have time for this,” Shannon half yelled with his pistol in hand. He always seemed to wave it around and despite proclaiming the rule to “shut the hell up”, his voice carried far enough that everyone heard.
Chandra tried to help the family along but after a few steps, it was clear Eamon could not keep the pace. Her heart sank.
“Maybe their doctor can help Dad?” their youngest son, Shane, asked his sister.
Standing just a little taller, Chandra spun on her heels and faced the trackers.
In a quick jog, she reached them while they still bickered. The three tossed complaints back and forth but mostly disagreed on what to do about Eamon while the fourth, their medic, hungover that woman.
“Please,” she said quickly and three of them turned.
Tish met Chandra's eyes for a brief moment before looking down to the ground while her hand gripped the handle of the knife at her belt. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the young woman had to be hardened to travel with the others. Or to survive at all in this world.
Shannon faced Chandra with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. She knew the kind of man he was, even if he didn’t know it himself. In another place, she would have challenged his authority and won but guns were power and there was no telling who he would use it on in a brash move.
Laurence had nothing but spite in his eyes and she looked for nothing else there.
“Your medic, he may be able to help Eamon.” Use his name. She told herself. Make them know who they choose to let die. “He's just wounded, not infected, and with some rest and pain killers, I'm sure he could make it. Ten minutes would be enough.” Promises always felt empty when these times came and she’d had seen enough men and women left behind screaming in pain. But never when a child remained. She could not make a child leave a parent like that.
Shannon shook his head as if responding for them all. “We told you the rule. You come with us you keep the fuck up. If he can’t keep up, well then he fuckin’ can’t.” He didn't even seem phased but when Chandra met his eyes Shannon backed down. All talk.
“Eamon will make it.”
Shannon shook his head and cursed under his lips. But he wouldn’t be making the choice. Not once had the boy been allowed to lead the men, so instead Chandra stepped closer to Laurence. “Just ten minutes. That’s all we’ll need,” she said.
Shannon spat. “You said it yourself, Laurence. Let ‘em rot if they can't keep up. What are we gonna do, carry him?”
Laurence stared hard at Chandra. She stared back. In their brief encounters, she knew him to be aggressive and any passive show wouldn’t sway him. So instead she met his eyes and refused to admit weakness.
“His name is Eamon. His wife is Viola,” she started and Shannon nearly threw a fit.
“We don't care what their fuckin' names are!”
“His eldest son is Peter. Peter is thirteen. Cally, his daughter, is twelve and their youngest is Shane. He is only seven.”
Shannon continued to protest but he wouldn't look at Chandra. By the time Tish walked away, even Laurence couldn't keep his eyes level to Chandra’s. Without regret, she hoped it was shame that averted his gaze.
“I am not telling them we're leaving their father behind now. Not after we’ve come so far.” And lost so many.
There had to be some sort of humanity inside these people and reminding them that this wasn’t just about survival could be the key to finding it. Why else would they look away? Why else would they have agreed to take us?
“I'll take a look at it.” Her gaze jolted to Reid as he stood from his post. “I’ll see if she’s right and if he can go on after some rest.” Approaching Laurence, Reid met his eyes. Shannon began to protest but Laurence shook his head to shut him up.
Stepping between Chandra and Reid, Laurence looked at her hard. “If you're wrong, if it's worse than you say, we're leaving him.”
The medic made his way to Eamon and his family. Chandra stood her ground until the three turned to their own business, but not before Shannon cursed again.
“Fuckin' tourists gonna get us killed.”
As Chandra started back Nyssa caught up to her.
“We're stopping?” She looked a little scared and before long a few of the other children gathered around Chandra. Their faces looked to her, hopeful and questioning. Vince and Alice hung back either to help Eamon or avoid answering questions.
“Their medic is going to look after Eamon to see how hurt he is.” Her voice was calm and she was careful with her words. It was clear now that no one else was going to step up so she would do what she must. “We won’t be stopping long. Just stay together, buddy system.” Her hand smoothed a cowlick that had formed on Cooper’s head. “And no going near the guardrail.”
Over their heads, she spied Reid speaking to Ethan who had hung back with his mother. After a moment the teen nodded and ran for Chandra.
“He says Eamon's leg should be okay. I'll go tell Laurence.” And with a nod from Chandra Ethan was off. In a moment of strength, she managed a smile. Nyssa looked back with a flicker of relief before taking Chandra's hand.
“You hear that?” She squeezed Nyssa’s fingers. “Everything will be just fine.”