They left early the next morning, after packing their things in the blue truck, and letting the dogs get some energy out. The motorbike fit nicely in the truck bed, and Phillip threw a tarp over it. At least one of the dogs would need to ride in the back, since Esther was taking the seat up front, and he didn’t want them messing with the bike. It was a good thing they both seemed to travel light.
Virginia was only about a day’s drive, given that the storms hadn’t brought down any more trees, and they didn’t run into trouble along the way. They were headed for a bigger town, where they could get some leads, and store the bike for the time being. They would rest for a few days, then be on the road again.
“We need to take you to a real doctor, make sure you don’t have any trauma,” Phillip had said. “Besides, you need to do something with your hair.”
Esther was setting her bag behind her seat in the cab. She sat in the seat, and tried to run her fingers through it, with no avail. Her hair was halfway down her back, or had been before she hadn’t had the right tools to take care of it. Now it was a thick tangled mess, and the fact that she constantly tied it back didn’t help much.
“It’ll be nice, probably a lot lighter on my head. I really only wore it like this because my mom liked it,” Esther told him. “It was our routine to sit together at night, and she would braid it for me, so it wouldn’t get like this.”
The memory was bittersweet. Esther had never been able to share too much with her mother. They didn’t seem to have much in common, and Paula seemed to push Esther away, especially as she got older. But her mother had always set aside time at night for them to sit together, Paula helping Esther to maintain her long hair. Sometimes they didn’t speak, but when they did, it was about small things. The flowers Paula intended to plant, or the new horses at the stable.
“Who is your mother anyways? Anyone of importance?” Phillip let Pippa sit in the cab first, putting Arlo in the back for a while. “That sounded bad. I meant I’d know her family name.”
Esther had begun to think that Phillip stayed away from others longer than he had admitted.
“No, her family had been farmers in Maine, and my father met her when they were selling in Augusta one weekend. My grandparents were nice people though. I used to stay out on the farm with them when I was little, when I didn’t have school.”
Phillip settled in his seat, starting the truck. He started it, and backed out slowly, shouting at Arlo to lay down. They were on the road after that, and Esther looked out her window, getting a better view than she had been able to on her bike. The wind from the storm seemed to help bring down any remaining leaves, and the trees were bare. The landscape looked grey, and had it was hard to imagine how something survived out there, much less thrived.
Esther must have slept, because when she opened her eyes again, the sun was higher in the sky, and her arm was numb from her laying on it. She stretched as much as she could in the small space, and drank some water.
“Where are we now?” she asked. The landscape was wooded, and she could see a river out the window.
“Somewhere in Delaware, you missed the state sign,” he responded. “I’m sure you know, but this place is abandoned. Used to be a friendly place, too.”
“My cousin is from here. My aunt married the last governor, and Harvey was supposed to be next in line. Before all this happened, of course. We took in what refugees came with him,” Esther told him. “Dad had said I was too young to go with him, so I’ve never been here. But I don’t think Harvey ever got over what he saw,” Esther winced. She had thought about Harvey a lot since she left, and felt bad for how she treated him. He wasn’t her match in many things, sure, but he tried his best to fit in where he could, and she never gave him that chance.
They were silent as they drove past farms that were burnt and ruined. Esther knew that whole towns looked like this, including Dover. And there had been no justice for those who had done this to the peaceful state. What people were left preferred to keep their heads down, and found a new life where they could. Phillip had to be thinking of the same thing.
“Well you’re just as useful as the dogs when it comes to conversation,” Phillip said suddenly. “You told me you’ve killed two men. You told me part of one story, and I expect that whole one soon. What about the other one?”
Esther had forgotten about that. “Oh yeah. It was about three years ago now, but this asshole had been around longer than that. Did you ever hear of the Providence Killer?”
Phillip let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, parents were telling stories of him, even when I was a kid.”
“Ok, well this guy called himself that, and even sent letters to Governor Leigh, signing as him. I was friends with her daughter, she’s my age,” Esther had always admired Blanche, really, and the way she fit into any crowd or group she wished to. Esther had wanted to learn from her, and tried her best when they met at the yearly governors’ convention. Blanche was the opposite of Esther, more refined and less headstrong, but they still got along well.
“So this guy is killing people all over the state, and Governor Leigh doesn’t mention this when she asks my dad if I would like to stay for a month over the summer. I’m amazed my dad said yes, but really, I think he wanted me to learn some manners from Blanche. This was just about the time he and I started fighting more often.” Esther paused to take a breath. She hadn’t talked this much in a long time.
“We had fun that summer, it was nice to kind of just be there, I guess. Blanche’s older sister was already chosen to succeed her mom, so we didn’t have to worry about anything too important,” It had been nice to not have her days filled with classes, or running errands for people in the capital. They had just kind of done what they wanted with their days, reading, swimming, or looking at the art museum, which had persevered well throughout the years,
“The night before my dad is supposed to arrive to bring me home, there are a few other girls staying over, and one of them comes up with the idea to sneak out, and go swimming. By now, I had heard all about the killings, and really fought against the idea, but at the same time, I couldn’t let them go alone. There were four of us, and we walked nearly an hour to the park. My dad had given me a gun, in case of emergencies, and I deemed this one.”
She took a drink of water, and looked out the window again. The city they were driving through was a shell of what it once had been. Phillip had to drive slowly, avoiding debris in the road. He threw an arm up in the air.
“Well go on then! You need to get better at storytelling,” he told her.
Esther continued. “Well, I stayed out of the water, and so did this one other girl. I think she thought it was a bad idea too, and after awhile, she started complaining about how cold it was, and that she just wanted to go home. I told her to just wait, but the other girls started teasing her. She cried, and ran into the park. I had a bad feeling right away, and I guess I was right, because we all heard screaming a few minutes later,” she was still ashamed to have had an initial feeling of ‘I told you so’ to the other girls, before realizing her friend had been in danger. “So I ran after where I thought it was coming from, and luckily she was fighting back, making a lot of noise.
“I surprised him, and he dropped her when he saw me. Shooting him was kind of instantaneous, you know? We went back to get Governor Leigh, and she got some others to investigate. The man lived in Providence, and some of them recognized him. They found letters in his house, that he had intended to send out, and some stuff that had been robbed from the others he had killed. Blanche and her friends got into a lot of trouble though, and she didn’t write to me for a while after that.”
“And what about your dad? What did he think about it all?” Phillip asked.
“He was pretty mad I think, but also sort of impressed. Governor Blanche was thankful I was there, and she was even nicer to me after that. Since they’re such a small state, they don’t do much for export, but I’ve noticed that they’re often on our side when it comes to more difficult topics now.”
Esther was amazed to see the sign telling them they were out of Delaware. She knew it was another small state, but they had gone through it so quickly. No wonder it didn’t take much to ruin the state.
Phillip stopped the truck not long after that. The harbor where they stopped overlooked a large bay, and a few sails poked out of the water still.
“This is the Chesapeake. Locals are too afraid of radiation to fish here, so it’s mostly abandoned,” Phillip told her, looking over the water. “We’ll get there before dark.”
Esther could see the map that had hung in her classroom in her mind. She was now further from home than she had ever been before. She shivered, and not just from the cold. Swimming was fine, as long as you could see the shore, but she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in the middle of the ocean, or even a bay like this, on a craft that was liable to flip at any moment. Out of all things, the idea of being on the open water scared Esther.
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Phillip cursed, and there was a splash. Pippa had launched herself into the water, and Arlo began to bark at her. Esther had to laugh as Phillip dragged her out by the collar, soaking himself to the knees. He cracked a smile as he came out, and cursed his dog again.
“You’re riding in the back now,” he told her sternly. “She does this all the time. This damn dog’s smarter than most people you’ll meet, but is as stubborn as all hell.”
They loaded back into the truck, Phillip staying true to his word, and putting Arlo up front. The roads got bumpier and less even as they made their way out of Maryland, and Esther turned to say a last goodbye to the States that Remained. She was in new territory now. She hadn’t told Phillip her plans to see the other side of the country, she realized. It didn’t seem to be the right time though. She felt as though they would have plenty of time.
The truck was quiet again, aside from Arlo’s panting. He half lay in Esther’s lap, but he was too long for either of them to be actually comfortable. She scratched his ears, realizing she was pretty attached to the dog already.
“So why did you leave Vermont?” Esther asked finally. She had told a story of her own, she might as well get one in return.
Phillip sighed, and scowled. He started to reply, hesitated, and started again.
“I already told you that I wasn’t the biggest fan of my family, my father, or the esteemed Governor Andrew Cormac,” he replied.
“Yeah, but it has to be more than that. My dad and I disagreed on a lot of things, but he didn’t exile me for arguing with him.”
Phillip scoffed. “Good for him and you,” Esther felt bad, and chided herself. He continued. “Anyways, I had a sister once. She was my Andy’s twin.”
Esther hadn’t known that. “I’ve never seen her at the Governor's conventions, or even heard of her,” she told him.
“She died. A few months before I left,” he coughed. “She was the best of all three of us. She was smart, and could talk her way out of any situation. But she could also have you on your ass in a few seconds if that didn’t work. Erin was our dad’s favourite, and it was pretty obvious she was the perfect fit to be the next governor,” he stopped, and was quiet for a few moments.
Esther looked out the window, trying to give him a moment. It clearly still hurt him, and she felt bad for pushing for answers. She would have to tell him the whole story as to why she was exiled after this.
“She would have been good too. Erin was never arrogant, and was happy with what we had. She would have never pushed for more, I’m sure of that. So one day, we get reports of a situation on the border with Canada. My dad sends Erin, and Andy insists on going with her. It was a simple task, in theory. They would head to the border, find out what was wrong, and either solve it, or come back for reinforcements.”
“But Erin never came back,” Esther guessed.
Phillip shook his head. “Andy came back, all bloodied up, and his poor horse foaming at the mouth. It died from exhaustion. He said they were ambushed, and that Erin had died saving him. Of course, we were never able to find her body, or even any signs that the fight had taken place,” Phillip shook his head again. “But any signs of hope were gone with Erin. My dad recognized Andy as his heir, and let him really run loose. Andrew moved on from being a neighborhood bully to being able to terrorize whole towns.”
Governor Cormac had a reputation to be sure, but it was hard to see it in the man. When Esther had seen him at the convention last year, he had seemed old and thin, especially when he stood next to his son. According to Victor, Governor Cormac’s son, Edward, commanded their state military, and was a harsh leader.
“The battle between Vermont and New Hampshire was unjustified. Andy made up grievances and tresspasses, and attacked settlements needlessly. Your grandfather came to his ally’s aid, and died for it. I watched as Andrew shot the man point blank, and knew I had to leave. We won the battle, and I hope that goddamn strip of land was worth it,” Phillip finished. His voice was low and angry.
Esther knew the land he was talking about, and Vermont still held it. She had visited once, with her father, to pay respects to her grandfather. It didn’t look like much. But she now understood better why her father was so hesitant to call out Vermont on their tresspasses, especially after seeing what happened to Delaware.
The rest of the ride was quiet, and Esther tried to read some of a book she scavenged from some store. Before long, it was too dark to read, and she realized she hadn’t retained much of it. She slipped a marker in, before tossing it on her bag behind her.
“Weren’t we supposed to be there by now?” Esther tried to ask as nicely as possible. She wasn’t sure if she had upset Phillip, and knew he could easily abandon her at any given time. The idea scared her a bit.
“I had to change the route. You didn't see the bridge was out?”
“I’ve never been here, I have no idea what the road is supposed to look like,” she reminded him.
“Well, look ahead. You can just see the lights in the town,” Phillip pointed out. In the distance, Esther could see the welcoming glow of lights. She felt relieved. So he wasn’t going to drop her off on the side of the road.
The town, which was brought up by inhabitants after the wars, was a good size, and it was possible to drive through it. It had no official name, Phillip told her, and most people just called it The Frontier. It was a joke, as people who left the States that Remain saw it as their gateway into the States that Are, more of a wild, untamed place. In truth, it didn’t look too different than towns Esther had been in, though it wasn’t as pristine.
Phillip parked in front of one of the larger places, and looked over at Esther. “I’m going to guess you’ve never been in a bar before. Don’t take any drinks anyone offers you, and stick close to me. It’s not busy tonight, so we should be able to get two rooms.”
“Ok,” Esther didn’t argue. She had never even drank before, much less been inside a bar. She followed him out of the truck. “But what about the bike? And all out stuff?”
“The dogs will stay with it for now. And I’m good friends with the owners, I’m sure they’ll let us keep it in the shed.”
The few patrons looked over at Phillip, not paying much mind to him, but most of them seemed to stare after Esther as she came in after him. It made her nervous. She stood close to Phillip at the bartop.
The woman who he spoke was older, and squinted when she saw Esther.
“I haven’t seen her before Phillip! Some lost daughter?” the woman teased.
Phillip let out a bark of laughter. “Not unless she takes after her mother only. She looks nothing like me Julia! No, she’s the daughter of one of my friends from the states. They passed recently, and she was trying to get her footing as a trader before I found her,” he lied easily, and Esther figured he must have thought this through already.
“Well darling, what’s your name then? We have plenty of space this week, so you can have your own room, and bathroom as well. Phillips an old friend, as I’m sure he told you, and there’s no charge.”
He hadn’t told her, but she was sure Julia would tell her later. “Esther, m’am. Thank you,” Esther wondered if she should play up the orphan act, but decided to let it be. Best to just keep her head down as much as possible.
“You’re the best Julia, but I’m sure you know that. Esther and I could both use a haircut too, whenever you get the time,” Phillip mentioned, taking the keys she handed to him,and handing one to Esther.
Julia took a closer look at Esther, and let out a little gasp. “You get your stuff settled in the rooms, Phillip. I believe Esther needs my help immediately,” Esther tried her best not to show her embarrassment. The woman obviously had no filter, but had meant no harm. “Angel! Get out here and serve our guests!” Julia shouted into the backroom. The man who came out looked tired, but still said a cheerful greeting to Phillip and Esther.
Esther was shooed into a sideroom, where it looked like a real hairdresser’s workplace. Julia sat Esther down, and muttered to herself.
“I never meant for it to get this bad,” Esther said sheepishly. “Somehow, packing a brush didn’t occur to me until it was too late.”
Julia tutted. “Well, it’s too late now to do much with, I’m sorry to say. I’ll have to cut most of it off.”
Esther had her first real haircut in quite a few years. She squeezed her eyes tight as Julia did her best with the hair. She could feel the first chop though, and after a few, her head was noticeably lighter.
Esther had once been to her grandparent’s farm before the ewes were to give birth, and saw them being sheared. It was funny to see them going from their thick wool, to nearly naked, but her grandmother had told them it helped them to feel better in the summer. When Esther opened her eyes nearly half an hour later. Julia was comparing it, making sure it was even. It was shorter than she imagined, not quite touching her shoulders, and already was curling more than it was before.
“I did the best I could Esther. I’ll set you up with some supplies before you leave town,” Julia told her.
Esther thanked her profusely, and helped clean up the room. It was odd to see her hair falling into the waste bin. She couldn’t stop herself from touching it, and comparing it to the last time she had looked at it in a mirror that wasn’t broken.
She didn’t see Phillip as she made her way into the room Julia had loaned her. It was small, with only a bed in it, but thankfully had a private bathroom, as she had said. This was the first bed Esther trusted to sleep in since she had left.
She made a list of the few things she wanted to purchase, or at least look into while she was in town. The money her father had given her in the bag was a significant amount, but she was sure she would need to stock up on more ammo, and new sets of clothes. There was also the bike to think about. She would talk to Phillip in the morning.
As she lay in the bed, nearly asleep, Esther wondered what her friends and family back home were doing. She wondered if they missed her at all, or if they had moved on with their lives. Her mother and father had likely already let Harvey fill the space she had left. It may be a good thing though. He was less argumentative, and more willing to work with people. Maybe he would be better for Maine, in the long run. Unless Vermont decided to expand again.
The thought brought her out of her daze. If Vermont wanted to take over parts of Maine, there was little the guards on the one gate they shared with Maine could do about it. They would need more people and firepower to defend themselves. She swallowed. Though she had many mixed feelings about her parents and home that had so easily discarded her, she still wanted a home to return to in ten years time.
She tried her best to calm herself down, and made a promise to herself. No matter where she was, or what she was doing, if she heard of discontent in Maine, she would return. Maine was her home, and she wouldn’t let it fall without a fight.