Stay Together Chapter 15 by Maira Dawn
Chapter 15
(COPYRIGHT©2024 MAIRA DAWN)
James shielded his eyes from the sun as he watched smoke billow on the horizon, a dark omen that hung heavy in the air.
The remnants of a what looked like a once peaceful neighborhood burned. Given the vast area of blackened houses, it must have burned through the night.
The weight of the responsibility he carried for his family’s safety crushed down on him like a vise. He prayed his neighborhood wasn’t in the same situation.
“Come on,” he said, turning away from the sight and focusing on the road ahead. This area held a tangle of abandoned vehicles. They had tried to start a few of the more promising ones, but so far any they had gotten into hadn’t started.
Liz and Emily followed close behind him, and his son was at his side.
“Stay together,” James said for what seemed the thousandth time, even though they were as close as possible. The phrase was becoming a mantra. He often repeated it without even realizing.
As they navigated the area, the sound of distant sirens cut through the eerie silence. James paused, at first soaking in the sound’s normalcy. Maybe they were heading to the fire. Someone there was sure to need help. But they were just as likely heading to break up some rioting or other criminal activity.
That made him feel exposed. He and his family were out in the open without even a car door between them and the outside world. It was a risk, but a risk they had to take if they were ever going to get home.
“Watch our six, Ian,” he instructed his friend, his voice tense.
Ian nodded solemnly, his eyes darting from one place to another with practiced vigilance.
“Hey, Dad?” Mike piped up, his voice wavering. “Where do you think everyone in these cars went?”
James hesitated. “I’m not sure, buddy,” he admitted softly. “Maybe they are just trying to get home, too.”
Determined, James forged ahead, leading his family deeper into the city’s urban wasteland. Something smoldered on the pavement in front of them. When they reached it, he studied the debris, then noticed two small Cessna planes laying in ruins in a small field beside the road.
“Make sure no one is stuck in them,” Liz said.
While he agreed with his wife, James really didn’t want to take the time needed to check out the situation. But he looked at Ian and tipped his head toward the downed crafts. The two men carefully made their way through a minefield of tiny fires until they reached the first plane.
Ian leaned forward and glanced inside. “Empty.”
“Ok. Good.” James moved toward the next one. Maybe this wouldn’t take long.
Though tipped on its side, this plane showed no signs of a fire, and the door remained closed.
James climbed upon it and yanked the door open, almost falling inside. He caught himself as he landed hard on his knees by grasping the side of the door.
Inside the Cessna, he saw a sight he would never forget. A man — but almost unrecognizable as such. The crash had done damage, but the gun beside the man had finished the job.
James pushed himself off the plane and shook his head at Ian. “The guy is gone.”
As they moved on, the picture of what was inside the plane kept invading James’ mind, no matter how many times he pushed it away.
“Look!” Emily suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a convenience store tucked between a couple of two-story buildings. Someone had smashed the glass in the door and left it open. “Would it be a good idea to find some supplies in there?”
Will nodded. “I’ll need more to get where I’m going.”
“I agree,” James agreed, his eyes scanning the building for any signs of life. “Stay close and watch for others.”
Cautiously, he entered the room and gestured for them to watch their step as they navigated through the shattered glass on the floor. With each step, his heart raced in anticipation of what - or who - they might find in this unfamiliar store.
Staying in pairs, each group took a different aisle.
“Found some canned food,” Ian called out from a couple of aisles, his voice tinged with relief. “Not much variety, but it’ll have to do.”
“Good,” James replied. “Grab what you can.”
Will joined them with a canvas tote he’d found laying on the floor. They hastily picked over the cans and then added more water to their individual stashes.
Liz grabbed a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the cooler but steered away from the lunchmeat sandwiches since it was no longer cool.
James heard a gasp and swung toward the sound. Nancy pointed to the back door, probably leading to a storage area. “Someone is here,” she whispered.
He and Ian moved toward the doorway, ears straining. James couldn’t be sure, but he might have heard the light scrap of a shoe on cement.
He called out. “If anyone is in here, we aren’t stealing. I have a little cash, and I can pay. I planned on paying.”
The men waited for an answer, but there was no reply.
“Hello?” He called out again. “Is anyone there?”
When it was still quiet, James glanced at Nancy. She shook her head multiple times. He nodded back. If the woman said she’d seen someone, he believed her.
Ian indicated he would stay by the back door while the others made their way out of the building. Once they were outside, the older man hustled through the building to join them.
“I didn’t leave any money for our supplies,” Ian said, giving the inside of the store an uneasy glance.
“Don’t worry. I got you covered,” James replied.
Just as they turned toward the road, a loud crash came from inside the store.
As Andrew sauntered out of the store, Emily’s heart fell. She couldn’t believe he was there, standing in front of her. In school, he had always given her a sense of unease, with his piercing eyes and smug grin. She wanted to flee from his presence, but that would only make things more awkward. So she forced a tight smile and greeted him.
“Hi, Andrew. What brings you here?”
He seemed surprised to see her too, but Emily couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had been expecting her.
“I was trying to meet some friends at that new restaurant near the airport last night. But my car died, like all the others, and I’ve been stuck here ever since.” He gestured towards her dad and Will. “They kindly offered to let me hang out with them instead of being alone.”
“Yeah. Well, I wouldn’t want to be by myself either,” Emily replied, quickly walking away to join her mother, hoping to distance herself from Andrew’s unsettling presence.
Of all people, why did it have to be him they ran into? She glanced back to find him staring at her. A chill ran down her spine.
Continued . . .
Please remember this is a developing story and in a rawer state than what I publish. As such, it has only been self-edited and you will see some errors.
In addition, some changes may occur between now and publishing, including major storylines. I try to avoid this, but it sometimes happens.
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