Dark Inside (22 page)

She stopped in electronics first to grab some batteries. They were a much-needed asset for the flashlights. At the Duracell section something caught her attention and she moved farther down the aisle. In front of her were dozens of handheld receivers. Walkie-talkies, her father used to call them. He had given her a pair when she was younger. They used to take them camping and talk to each other, pretending they were survivors in the wilderness. She pulled down two of the most expensive packages she could find.

She was about to move on when someone coughed.

She ignored the pain in her leg and spun around. The aisle was empty. Cold shivers ran along her spine. She’d definitely heard something. But from where? And who? It couldn’t be Nathan and Joy. They would have said something.

Cautiously she moved along the row, stepping quietly, preparing herself for the moment when something jumped out at her. But nothing happened. She turned the corner, holding the flashlight ahead of her body, ready to use it as a weapon if need be. But the main aisle was empty too.

Maybe she was hearing things. But then something caught her eye over by the bedding displays, a pink futon with purple pillows.

A shadow moved. She heard the click of another flashlight as the bright light shone straight into her eyes, blinding her. She squinted, trying to see.

The light fell away from her face as the person in front of her dropped to their knees. A man wearing a black hoodie and torn jeans rocked back and forth several times before toppling over on his side, the flashlight falling from his fingers. He didn’t make a sound as he landed on his stomach, his face away from her. Black hair spread out across his cheeks. She moved toward him, wondering if she should say something. She wished she had a proper weapon. She should have gone into the sporting-goods section and grabbed a baseball bat. Why didn’t she think of that before?

Aries moved closer until she could see the man’s face.

The breath caught in her throat.

It was Daniel.

Her sneakers had a hole in them. She couldn’t remember ever wearing a hole through a pair of shoes before. Not like this. Not from walking.

She was tired. Her legs ached in a way they’d never hurt before. Her feet were on constant fire. There was a permanent knot in her lower back, and her shoulders hurt from carrying the backpack. She knew she should be taking breaks but was afraid she’d be unable to get up again once she sat down. For two days she’d continued down the road. Two days without seeing a single person. The latter she wasn’t complaining about, although in this new world she missed having people to talk to.

Dear Heath, I talk to you a lot these days. It’s kinda nice, although I wish you could actually talk back. I miss you. I don’t think I ever thought about it before. You were always there, even if it was just a phone call. But did we ever have full conversations? You’re my brother. Shouldn’t we have said more?

I really hope you’re alive and waiting for me. It’ll justify all this talking in my head. I’ll know that I really am reaching you and not a ghost.

She thought about the last sentence and repeated it a few times over in her mind. She didn’t want to believe but secretly accepted that there was a good possibility her brother no longer existed in this world. She tried not to think about it. She wanted to continue being the optimist. She needed that destination; if Heath was dead, then her journey was pointless. Where else would she go?

If you are dead and in heaven or whatever sort of afterlife you’ve discovered, tell Mom and Dad I’m doing fine and that they don’t need to worry about me. They raised one tough cheerleader daughter. Go team!

She stopped, reached back, and grabbed her water bottle, which had been filled at the last stream she’d passed. Taking a long drink, she barely even noticed the cool liquid slide across her tongue. Nothing tasted right anymore. Even her taste buds were exhausted. When was the last time she ate? She couldn’t remember. Food no longer held any interest.

Night came, but she barely noticed. Her feet continued to slap the pavement, one step at a time. Right, left, right, and again left. One and two and three and four, one and two and three and four, two-four-six-eight who do we appreciate? Yay, Glenmore Goblins! Football seasons and forgotten cheers haunted her mind. A repetition of rhymes echoed with each step. A few times she almost walked right off the road, only noticing when her shoes stumbled over grassy hills instead of pavement.

When she finally fell, it didn’t register in her brain until she was tumbling through the air. Surprised, she didn’t even have time to put out her arms to brace herself. She hit the grass sideways and rolled down the embankment and into the ditch. Landing on her back, she blinked several times before realizing she was staring up at the night sky.

It was glorious. Millions of stars glittered down at her, the moon full and bright, a perfect circle. She could see the craters etched on its surface. She reached out her hand and tried to touch it, but it was just beyond her reach.

“The Big Dipper,” she spoke out loud. “Cassiopeia. Orion’s Belt.”

These stars would always be here. Hundreds of millions of years in the future, when mankind was gone from this earth, they’d still exist.

How long till she was gone?

I’m going crazy, Heath. I’ve heard of that happening before. Lack of sleep can do strange things to people. I just need to rest, but I can’t sleep. I’m so afraid. I don’t know what to do. Help me.

There were no answers. Heath wasn’t taking her calls.

It was peaceful lying there in the ditch. She knew she should get up and continue on. But she couldn’t. Her legs finally decided they’d had enough.

I’m paralyzed.

The fear left her. Nothing she could do. Nothing except close her eyes. It would be so wonderful to do that.

So she did.

She woke with a start. Confused, she sat up abruptly, immediately scanning the area for clues. Her clothing was damp and covered in evening dew. She couldn’t remember why she was there.

As she pulled herself up, her knees popped, and her legs were stiff. Stretching, she walked back up to the road and looked around. She was in the middle of nowhere, on a road she couldn’t remember. Bits and pieces came back to her: tripping and falling into the ditch, staring up at the stars.

The sun was in the west. She looked down at her watch
and saw it was a little past four. That meant she’d been asleep for over sixteen hours. She didn’t remember a single thing. There were no dreams, just blissful, obviously well-needed, deep sleep.

So that was the big secret, huh, Heath. All I had to do was walk myself to the brink of death before I finally managed to get some shut-eye. I guess in a way it was a good thing. I didn’t die. They didn’t find me. Maybe now my brain won’t start to freak out every time I try to sleep.

She took a long drink of water and started walking.

She found the main highway around six. She followed the sun and turned right. The road was completely empty, not even a single parked car that she could borrow. By seven the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a brilliant reddish pink.

She didn’t exactly know where she was anymore. Maybe Montana. The countryside was changing. No mountains yet, but they were coming. She could see them just beyond the horizon, small, bumpy breasts on the landscape. Soon she’d be right in the middle of the Rockies. Hopefully she’d have a car again by then.

Dusk was completely upon her when she turned the corner of the road and saw the beginning of a town. Stretched out in between the trees was a gas station with a large parking lot filled with empty cars. She could see a sign up ahead but couldn’t read it from where she stood.

“Finally,” she muttered.

She would tread carefully. She stepped off the road and into the woods, determined to walk around to the back of the building first to make sure it was empty. But it was easier said than done. She was a prairie girl, used to wheat fields and flat open skies; going through the underbrush was alien
territory. Branches snagged at her hair. Her arms collected scratches, and twice her feet got stuck in the millions of roots that seemed to have no purpose except to trip her up.

Ahead she could see a clearing in the fading twilight. Excited, she pushed herself along, climbing over some rocks and navigating a monstrous tree stump. The terrain spread out before her, a strange puzzle that required full concentration. Her focus was so intense, she almost walked face-first into the legs. A small yelp poured from her throat when she looked up and saw the body attached to them.

Scrambling sideways, she hit another one. The body jolted, spinning around lazily from her touch.

They were everywhere. Dozens of bodies hung from the trees. Some of them had their hands tied behind their backs. They swayed in the breeze. The ropes around their necks continued up into the high branches above. She moved forward into the clearing until she was surrounded. The smell hit her, assaulting her stomach, forcing the water she’d drunk earlier to rise into her throat. Pulling her shirt up over her nose and mouth, she held her breath.

She studied the clearing until she found a path that led her from the death site without her having to touch any more of the bodies. Running along the trail, she couldn’t get away fast enough. She didn’t stop until she came out at the side of the gas station.

She would go in and get what she needed. Find the keys to one of the parked cars and get the hell out. She didn’t want to linger. Not while all those bodies were so close.

The front doors of the gas station were busted. Glass covered the ground, and she carefully stepped over it, trying to make as little noise as possible. Inside, the place was trashed. The aisles were littered with chocolate bars, chips, and all
other sorts of roadside goodies. Motor oil bottles had been opened and thrown against the walls, leaving a slippery pattern on the floor. Footprints led behind the counter, where the cash register lay opened and emptied. Cigarette packages were strewed across the surface.

The glass doors to the cooler were shattered. Most of the items were gone, but she managed to grab a few bottles of water and a can of Pepsi that had a big dent in it.

Just beyond the counter were doors that led into the truck-stop restaurant. She decided to try her luck over there. More than anything else in the world she wanted to find food that didn’t come from a can. Stepping past a toppled gum machine, she carefully avoided the colorful marble-sized balls. The last thing in the world she needed was a broken ankle.

The restaurant was gloomy. The sun was almost completely set, nothing left but a bit of reddish glow. The blinds had been pulled down, the coffeepots smashed; the remains of month-old key lime pie stuck to the walls.

She wouldn’t have even seen the guy in the corner except he moved. Instantly she froze, debating how many steps to the door and whether or not she could get there before he grabbed her.

“You can relax,” he said. “I’m cool.”

He sat in the back booth, his hand cupping a mug, spinning it around casually as if he was simply waiting for the waitress to bring him a refill. He was young, around her age, his long brown hair combed back from his face and tucked behind his ears. She couldn’t make out his eyes in the fading light, but the look on his face was gentle. Sad. But everyone looked sad these days.

“Are you?” she asked. “Why are you sitting there in the dark?”

“No place else to go.”

She nodded. She completely understood that.

“But you can get what you want. I won’t move.” The guy held up his hands and placed them on the table. “I’d leave, but I just don’t think I have the energy.”

She moved closer to him. The voices inside her head didn’t scream to run. There was so much sorrow in his voice. If he was tricking her, then he was the best actor she’d ever met.

“You’re not going to run?” He sounded surprised.

She shrugged. “Should I?”

The guy chuckled. “I said I was safe, didn’t I? Maybe I need to be more cautious of you. But you strike me as normal. Though, what is normal these days? I don’t think I know anymore.”

His fingers were long and graceful. She’d always been attracted to hands, something about them, the way they moved. His looked like a musician’s; they tapped against the table to a silent tune.

“Do you live here?” she asked. “I mean this town. Not this diner.”

He shook his head. “Just passing through. You came from around the back. I watched you walk past. You saw the bodies, didn’t you.”

“Yeah.”

“I think they rounded up the entire town. There are more in the streets. They’ve hung them from the lampposts. I think they gathered them up and hung them like some old-fashioned vigilante thing. Only I don’t think the Baggers are extracting justice.”

“Baggers?” She sat down across from him at the table. “Why do you call them Baggers?”

“I dunno. Got it from Billy. Said he overheard it from this
guy down South. It’s ’cause when they catch you, they bag the hell outta you. Like when someone says ‘I’m gonna go bag me a deer.’ But they’re killing more than deer, aren’t they.”

“Makes sense.” She wanted to ask him who Billy was, but the look in his eyes when he mentioned the name was enough to make her not do it. Instead she offered up her hand to shake. “I’m Clementine.”

“Michael.” He took her hand and gave it a quick pump before going back to twisting his cup. There was a bit of liquid at the bottom, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Not like it mattered out here—no one was going to card him.

She pulled out her dented Pepsi and opened it. Took a long drink. The carbonated sugar water felt wonderful on her tongue. She put the can down and waited for him to speak. It was awkward; she didn’t really know what to say. It had been too long since she’d talked to someone.

The last of the sun was gone and they were sitting in the shadows now. Soon it would be too dark and they’d have to use a candle. She had some in her backpack but didn’t bring them out. They’d have to go into the back room. From where they sat, a little light might attract someone.