After the Event (9 page)

The winter that they thought would never end eventually did.
The bright white days with snow and ice gave way to dark days with endless rain, but they had made it through.

Ben stood outside, during one of the few moments when it wasn’t raining and watched as Alya and Joseph played on an old tree.
Joseph was standing next to the tree looking up at Alya who went from branch to branch.

Ben could still remember the fear everyone felt when his sister was sick. He had never seen his sister like that, he had never seen
anyone like that, and during those dark days he came to the realization that they had almost lost her. That wasn’t supposed to happen; kids weren’t supposed to die. The revelation that was possible had shook Ben to his core and the world looked a little different after that. He couldn’t exactly say how but it wasn’t the same.

“You still with me son?”
Jack smiled when Ben turned around embarrassed that he had been caught not paying attention.

“Yes sir.”

“Don’t worry that is a symptom of being young, you’re not able to pay attention to anything for more than a couple of minutes.” Ben smiled. “Now like I was saying if you go over to that fence line real quiet and peak out you might see something you like.”

Ben crouched down and moved like Trent had taught him.
He walked carefully and on the balls of his feet. The less of his foot that was touching the ground the less likely he was going to make any noise. The thought of Trent caused another feeling of embarrassment to go through his body. The man had tricked him. The man had used him to spy on his own family and if his father hadn’t caught him the man would have caused him to steal from his own family. His father told him that Trent had helped save Alya’s life and helped them escape the raiders, but he still didn’t want anything to do with the man. He was a constant reminder that Ben was still just a kid.

The boy approached the fence separating their property with the empty field.
As soon as he peeked into the field he knew what Jack wanted him to see. In the field were three of the most majestic animals he had ever seen. Ben had seen horses on TV but that old electrical device wasn’t capable of translating the true beauty of the creatures. As they stood there grazing in the field the sun reflected off their coats making them seem like shiny beacons in an otherwise drab world.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?”
Jack whispered. While Ben was staring in awe the man had managed to sit right next to him and he hadn’t even realized it. “Looks like they managed to escape from someone’s property and survive the winter. Resilient things.”

Ben merely nodded.
After a few more seconds he managed to find his voice. “I’ve never seen a horse up close.”

Jack chuckled.
“Nothing like on TV, huh?” Ben nodded again. “I’m sure there is still some hay in that old barn on my property. It will take a while to earn their trust but with enough patience I’m sure we could catch a couple of them.”

The boy looked at the man as if he had just given him the ability to fly. “Are you serious?”

“If it’s alright with your dad, yeah I’m quite serious.”

As soon as Ben’s brain registered what the old man had said he was running back to the house.
All he needed was his dad’s permission and there was no way his dad wouldn’t agree to this. He heard his father say himself that the day would come when they were completely out of gas and he didn’t know what they were going to do. Thanks to Jack they now had an answer. Ben could master riding horses and then he would be the one going into town and running errands.

He was smiling ear to ear and didn’t believe anything could take that away, until he turned the corner and was at the front of their house.
The smile slowly disappeared as he watched Alec putting on a back pack and Trent with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

Trent glanced over and saw Ben standing there. “Hey squirt, your brother and I are heading out, going to see if we can find some supplies in abandoned houses.”

Ben turned his attention to Alec. “Can I come?”

“Better not. We’re still not sure how dangerous it is out there. You better stay put and protect the fort.”

Alec talked to him like he was a child; they all talked to him like he was a child.
Ben felt his face getting flush. He turned around and walked away. Alec didn’t even like Trent, it wasn’t fair they got to leave and go out into the world. Trent was his friend first. He was sick of everyone treating him like a child.

Ben took off for the front door and in his haste he ran straight into his father.

“Hey kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not a kid!” Ben screamed as he pushed his way past Grant and stormed into the house, leaving his father standing there with a bewildered look on his face.

The house sat alone, seemingly abandoned but they had to be sure.
Spring had only just arrived but the grass was already ankle high in the yard, despite this he could still see a rake sticking up in the grass and a few yard gnomes peeking out from the green grass. The gravel road leading up to the house was being overrun by weeds and was starting to blend in with the rest of the yard.

Alec scanned the area for signs of recent human activity; beside him Trent did the same.
For the last several days this was what they did. They traveled down the back-wood gravel roads, scoping out abandoned houses, hoping to find much needed supplies. They had been fairly successful. They hadn’t found anything breathtaking, still no guns or ammo, but they had managed to find some basic medication, some clothing, shoes, and in one abandoned farm house they found a few gallons of gas.

Alec had to admit it was a little frightening how many of the places were completely abandoned.
Places that were once so full of life now sat empty with little evidence they had been used. He was thankful they had not found any bodies but was well aware if they continued doing this it was only a matter of time.

“I think we have another clear one.” Trent said.

Alec scanned again, he had to be sure. After everything they went through in the prior winter he understood they needed to have as many supplies as they could gather, but he wasn’t going to steal from others. Even worse is if they happened to break into a house that someone lived in. He knew what he was willing to do to protect his family and the things they needed, and he would expect nothing less from someone else.

His thoughts turned to his family for a moment.
They had made it past the winter. Alec didn’t want to admit it but there were days when he thought they were going to starve in that frozen house, but they had made it through. Part of the reason they had survived was because of Trent. Alec still didn’t like the man but he had proven useful. It was even harder to admit the other reason was because of his father. The man had not only remained by their side but every day he was out hunting or setting snares to provide them with food. Alec wanted to be mad at the man because it was easier to hate him. He had always thought his drinking was an excuse. Something that Grant could blame all his weaknesses on, but Alec had watched him struggling at Jack’s house. He had walked in right when his father found the bottle of vodka, and he had watched as the man seemed to fight an imaginary demon right in front of him. It was a fight that his father had won. That was not something he had been expecting.

Trent turned to him.
“What to call it?”

Trent’s words brought him back to the moment.
He nodded and they both proceeded forward. Trent’s rifle was at the ready and Alec touched at his hip to make sure his knife was still handy.

“If there is anyone in there we are not here
to hurt you!” Trent shouted at the house as his last warning. “We are searching for supplies and if you are in there let us know and we will leave.”

They were met again by silence so they proceeded to the door.
The house’s windows had been boarded up and they soon discovered the front door was as well. The both shared a questioning look. Whoever lived here was trying to keep someone out. They were aware of the bandits that patrolled near the town but hadn’t run into any others this far into the country, yet.

“Let’s go around back.” Trent yelled.

As they walked around to the back of the house they confirmed all the first floor windows were boarded up but not the second story windows. Trent noticed as well.

“They weren’t worried about someone
climbing?” Alec asked.

““It might not have been someone,” Trent glanced up at the windows then back out to the woods.
“It could have been something.”

When they got to the back of the house they discovered that all the boarding up of the windows had been useless.
The bottom half of the back door was pushed in. Whatever the former residents of the house were trying to keep out managed to force a way in.

Trent put his shoulder into the door and gave it a push.
The door groaned in protest for just a second then, with a loud crack, gave up and fell to the floor. Trent caught himself against the side of the house and walked inside.

Before Alec stepped into the house he was hit by the smell.
The rancid wave attacked his nostrils and came to rest in the back of his throat. He fought back the urge to puke and almost lost. If the smell bothered Trent the only sign of it was a brief pause before he continued into the house.
Breath through your nose
Alec told himself as he followed in behind.

Alec had learned that a house that has been abandoned has a notably different feel then one that has people living in it.
It felt cold in a way that had nothing to do with temperature. As Alec’s eyes adjusted to the dark room he realized that what used to be the living room was nothing more than a collection of torn up furniture and debris. A large couch was tipped over backwards in the middle of the room surrounded by dozens of books and a broken book shelf leaning against the wall. As Alec got closer he could see the couch had been ripped in shreds, he wasn’t sure by what.

Alec walked through the living room into what used to be the kitchen and that is when he found the remnants of whoever used to live there.
It was hard to tell at first. Initially he thought he was looking at a pile of tattered clothing but a large bone sticking out from underneath that clothing revealed what he was actually looking at. As his eyes adjusted to the dark room he noticed the dark blood stains splattered throughout the floor.

“Animals,” Trent’s voice behind him nearly caused him to have a heart attack.
“Coyotes maybe, probably wild dogs.”

Once again Alec fought the urge to vomit.
“Dogs did this?”

“You take any animal, domesticated or not,
and let it go long enough without food and watch what happens.” Trent surveyed the house, his face grim. “Pets with no one to feed them have to learn to fend for themselves.”

Trent walked off into another room and Alec couldn’t find the means to move.
He stared at the bundle of clothing mixed with blood and whatever else was left of the previous homeowner. Animals had broken into this house, killed the owner, and ate them whole.

“Alec, looks like we have some can goods over here.”

Alec gave the clothing once last look before he turned away. If there had been any doubt in his mind that things had changed, it had just been permanently erased. This was a world he no longer understood. In his mind the old world was gone, he, along with everyone else, were now in a new world.

“Alec, Joseph won’t play with me.” yelled Alya as she darted towards a fleeing Joseph.

Alec watched as Joseph took off running into the house with Alya right behind him. He couldn’t help but smile. Joseph may have been two years older than Alya but you never would have been able to tell. What he lacked in the strength to defend himself from his sister he more than made up in his ability to outrun and avoid her.

He looked out towards the open field, it was a perfect day.
The bright sun was overhead with just a few fleecy clouds lazily drifting through the sky. The air was full of the pleasant smell of spring as the first flowers began to bloom.

Grant came outside and had to dodge Joseph as he cut inside the house and then jump out of the way as Alya came barreling in after.
He saw Alec standing alone in the yard and smiled, “I don’t think that will ever change.”

“No, it probably won’t.”

His father walked over next to him and they stood there in silence. Alec had been trying, his father even more so. Part of Alec knew he was being too hard on his father. Part of him wanted to bury his head into his father’s chest just like he used to when he was younger and his father was sober. Another part of him wanted to punch his father in the face for all the times he wasn’t sober.

“We seem to be doing ok.”
Grant said.

It wasn’t exactly a question and it wasn’t exactly a statement.
Also it didn’t seem to just be about the family.

“Yeah I think we made it through the worst.”

Grant turned to him and started to say something but didn’t. He cast his eyes downward and took a deep breath. Before he could say anything Alec said it first.

“Thank you.”
His father looked up quickly and Alec was ashamed that he saw surprise stationed there. “Thank you for helping us and for being there. I know it wasn’t easy, that I didn’t make it easy.”

“I’m sorry you feel that you have to thank me for that.”
Grant looked back toward the house as Joseph and Alya came out the back door and went running around the house to the front. “I’ve had more failures in my life then successes. Every single one of my failures was my own doing, and every single one just gave me another excuse to keep doing what I was doing. When I think of what I’ve put you through, I won’t lie, it makes me want to go back to the bottle.” Grant wiped tears from his eyes.” But then I see the strength in you. Then I see that despite all that you have been through you keep fighting, and you continue to be there for the people that need you. I was supposed to be your role model, I failed you there, but in the process you have become mine.”

Alec didn’t realize he was crying until he felt the tears running down his cheeks.
He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t even really sure how he should feel.

“Alec you have become a remarkable individual.
My flaws have caused you to take on more than you ever should have. If you will allow me I will do everything in my power to help share the burden you have taken on.”

The boy wanted to run.
He wanted to turn away and run into the woods until he couldn’t run anymore. He wanted to run into his father’s arms and feel the safety he once felt. In his mind the memories of being alone with his mother flashed in his mind. The feelings of hatred for his father, the feelings of abandonment, and strongly of all he remembered feeling alone.

“Mom still loved you.”
Alec didn’t bother wiping the tears anymore. “That is what made me so mad. You abandoned her when she needed you the most but she still loved you. I remember hating you and she told me I had to forgive you. The woman was lying in a hospital bed dying while you were out drinking or doing whatever in the hell you did, and she was lecturing me about how I had to forgive you.” Anger, pain, despair, grief, all these emotions wracked his body causing him to fight to say each word but he knew he had to keep going. “There is no reason I should ever forgive you. There is not a single reason that I should ever love you again.” Alec wiped the tears so he could see his father’s eyes. His father stood there and in his eyes he saw the same emotions he was feeling. “But I do forgive you dad. I remember being so mad at myself because even then I still loved you.”

His father grabbed him and held him tight.
Everything that Alec was feeling poured out of his body. In his father’s arms he felt that security that he had been missing. All the memories where his father had been there came rushing back into the forefront.

“I love you son.”

“I love you too.”

Who knows how long they would have kept holding each other if they were given the chance.
This moment of forgiveness and love was interrupted by the sound of gunfire.