Rotten (11 page)

              We moved on again, the woods beside us thinning out into meadow and marsh, and I felt exposed as I could see our shadows on the water as the drifting clouds revealed the moon.  Highland pulled to the opposite side of the river, across from where the town of Arlington lay, and stopped next to tall grass, killing the motor.  The streetlights set at intervals along the bridge glowed against the sky, but we couldn’t see either end of the expanse, and didn’t see any movement on top.  We entered the first tributary we encountered, and Highland pulled out oars.  The small creek was about six feet wide and only a couple feet deep at most, and in some areas we scraped the bottom of the sand and had to get out and push the boats along until the water deepened again.  

Shielded by the tall yellow grass, we stopped often, listening and scanning the bridge with binoculars, our fear palpable.  We were close to the bridge, pushing the Jon boat and pulling the canoes over the sand where the water was only inches deep, when we heard the sound of engines.  Ducking down beside the boats and hoping that the angle and the darkness would work in our favor, we watched as the headlights came into view.  The vehicles, a couple sedans, several SUVs, and a covered military truck sped by going well over the posted speed limit and entered Arlington.

“They sure don’t seem to be looking for anyone,” Highland said as we began pushing the boat again. 

“Getting the hell out of dodge is what they’re doing,” Rotten said.

We pushed and pulled the boats under the bridge and the water in the tributary deepened a few inches, not enough for us to climb back in, but enough to not have to work as hard.  We heard more cars coming as we came out from under the bridge and stopped, waiting for them to pass.  These sped by just as quickly, if not faster than the last group, and we felt the pressure to move. 

“The river is right over there.”  Highland pointed. “Since we’re out of water here, lets just carry them over there and get back on the damned river, we’ve got to get out of here.”

We quickly distributed the supplies to even out the weight in the boats and carried them across the marsh, which was no easy task, but we made it to the water with everyone and thing intact.  We reloaded the Jon boat, and got back in the canoes.  As Highland started the small trolling motor and set it in the water we heard another vehicle on the bridge, this one moving slower.  “Go,” he whispered.

Those with paddles paddled with all they had as the vehicle above slowed and the sound of a radio drifted down to us.  Highland paddled despite the motor propelling him along, and a spotlight moved through the trees above us.  I looked back to see an SUV parked in the middle of the bridge, the plume of exhaust indicating that the motor was still running, and I prayed they couldn’t hear us as I watched the spotlight move down to the water.  The radio crackled again, and the guy with the spotlight spoke, his voice carrying over the stillness. “The bridge is clear.”  The light clicked off and a few seconds later the SUV pulled away. 

I don’t know how far we traveled, but I knew everyone paddling had to be exhausted because it felt like we were shooting over the water, so much so that there was wind in my face.  The woods on one side opened up into a field and Highland pulled onto shore.  “We need a break,” he said, getting out of the boat and tying it to a post that held a barbed wire fence. 

Moonshine rode his canoe up onto the shore, rolled out onto the ground, and lay on his back on the sand, breathing hard.  “I thought they had us, I really thought they had us.” 

Mrs. Williams stepped out and tied the canoe to the same post that Highland used.  “God was looking out for us.”

“That’s what my dad would’ve said.”  Will jumped to the ground, pulling the rope from the inside of the canoe.  “Did you feel how fast we were moving?  It almost doesn’t seem possible to move that fast upriver without a motor.”  He laughed and knotted the rope around the post. 

Sully caught his breath and picked up the binoculars, scanning the field.  “I think we’re on someone’s back forty,” he said.  “I don’t see anything but field and more field, probably someone’s cattle farm.”

“Let’s rest for a bit before we go on, I’m starving.” Moonshine stood up, and starting digging for food in the Jon boat. 

I pulled out the opened candy bar from my pocket, the one I had opened right before Mrs. Williams and Sully came running out to warn us of soldiers in the field, and took a bite.  I dropped my backpack, pulled out a bottle of water, and sat on the ground.  We all sat, feeling both drained and exhilarated, and ate. 

“It’s ten o’clock,” Sully said softly. 

“Do you think we’re safe?”  Princess said between bites.

“I hope so, we’re about forty miles up river from Blacksport.  We need to decide if we want to keep going tonight, or just get some sleep here, we’re all exhausted,” Highland said.

All I wanted was some sleep, but I didn’t comment, and finished my candy bar.  I stared at the water and suddenly realized that the surface was a light shade of purple.  “What the…” I began.

“Look!” Will pointed.

The sky danced with color, a dome of green sat on the horizon toward Blacksport and pulsing lavender spears shot up into the air.

“It looks like the Northern lights,” Sully said, getting to his feet.  “But we never see them this far south.” 

We all walked to the fence and watched the colors move through the air.  “That’s crazy,” Will said.

“It’s scary,” Princess added.

At first, so captivated by the unusual sight in the sky, I wasn’t really aware of the small vibration I felt under my feet until Will said, “Do you feel that?”  Just as the words left his mouth the earth groaned, snapped, and bellowed with what sounded like a boulder rolling over concrete and we were thrown to the ground.  The earth shuddered again, harder this time, and we were lifted a couple feet and then dropped to the sand.  I screamed, and grabbed onto the nearest person, which happened to be Rotten. 

“Shit!” Moonshine yelled as the world shook a third time, and the water slapped against the shore as though a large boat had passed leaving heavy waves in its wake.  The lights in the sky winked out as if someone had hit a switch, and it was over.

“It everyone okay?”  Moonshine said, standing up, and helping others to their feet.

Rotten pulled me up and we stared at each other in shock.  “An earthquake?  They can cause earthquakes?”

“Apparently so,” Rotten said.  “I always thought it was a conspiracy theory, though.  Guess I was wrong.” 

“Is that what that light was,” Will asked. “Some earthquake causing laser beam from space?”

“I have no idea, kid.  Like I said, I didn’t believe it until this minute.” 

“I’ve heard of earthquake lights, but that was ridiculous,” Sully said.

“Please don’t tell me you think this was a natural event,” Rotten snapped.

“If it was natural it’s one hell of a coincidence, and you are all psychic because you knew it was going to happen,” Sully said.  “I don’t know what I think, any rational person would say it’s impossible to cause an earthquake, but I gave up being rational about twelve hours ago.” 

“Thank God for that,” Princess said.  “You’re quite an asshole when you’re rational, Sully.” 

We laughed, all of us, including Sully, and then heard the beat of helicopter rotors off in the distance and grew serious. 

“They are already responding,” Princess pointed out. 

“I guess we should camp here, I’m not too sure the river will be safe after that earthquake, it could have broken the dam.”  Highland ran the beam of the flashlight over the waves in the water. 

The idea of camping out cold and wet and during the zombie apocalypse didn’t sit well with anyone, but no one said a thing and then Will spoke up and I was really starting to like the kid.  “I know where some cabins are.” 

“What cabins?” Moonshine said, and we all focused on the boy.

“Bob Arnett and Grady Goodall, friends of me and my dad, have cabins up here.  I’ve stayed at both of them.  Bob’s is small and pretty run down, but Grady’s is nice, got electricity and everything. They both have docks on the water, so they should be easy to find in the dark.” 

We heard sirens in the distance, which made us think we were still too close to Arlington, and looked back at the river.  “It looks like the waves are calming down,” Rotten said, standing at the edge of water.  “How far away is the dam, anyway?”

“Sixty miles or so, it’s up in the mountains.”  Highland joined Rotten and stared down at the water. 

“If it broke wouldn’t we know by now?” Moonshine said, stepping between them and squatting down.  “The waves are slowing down, but it took a hell of jolt so there’s probably debris in the water, logs and stuff knocked loose from the bottom and floating.  We’d sure as hell have to take it slow and we’d need to use the spotlight.”

“How far away are the cabins?”  Highland focused on the surface of the water

“It’s not far, Grady’s is probably mile or so up, Bob’s is a little further out.  My dad and I used to boat up from Peachdale and I always used the Arlington bridge as a marker to know we were close to Grady’s, I’ve even canoed down to Arlington by myself a couple times, I wasn’t supposed to, but I did.  I’ve even stopped at this field before, looked at the cows, and fished.”

Sully joined the guys by the water.  “I don’t think it broke the dam upriver, although the one down river above Blacksport is probably damaged.”

“When you say nice, how nice?” Highland said.  “TV and Internet?” 

“Yeah, he’s got some fancy satellite system, we’ve watched ballgames on TV and I surfed the Internet there one weekend when the fish weren’t biting.”

“Okay, we need to get warm and dry, and we need to see what the world outside is saying, so let’s try it.”  

“Is there food there, Will?”  Mrs. Williams said.

“Yes, ma’am.  He keeps the place stocked.”

“We should leave some stuff here and lighten the load in the boats,” she said, and pulled a bag of cookware out of the boat.  “Sully, would you get that case of water?”

We set most of the supplies beside a tree, kept only what fit in our backpacks, and then stared at the empty boats trying to formulate our next plan of action while listening to the sirens in the distance.  Highland and Moonshine made the decision that Highland would use the built in motor and we would tie the canoes, one after another, behind his boat and he would essentially tow us up the river, while we’d use the paddles to stabilize the canoes.

Will climbed on the front of the Jon boat and clicked on the spotlight, while Rotten took his seat in front with the oar, and Princess and I were left still sitting in the middle of each canoe with wet and cold butts.  It was a little unsettling at first, but the waves left in the wake of the earthquake had slowed considerably by the time we got back on the water.  We hadn’t been moving long, and were just getting the hang of it, when a huge explosion lit the sky behind us and a couple fast moving helicopters passed just over the tops of the trees following the river toward Arlington. 

“Log straight ahead!  Go right!” Will yelled over the sound of the helicopter blades, and Highland smoothly steered around it, pulling us along.  “If I had turned out the light when those helicopters passed over we would have hit it.” 

“Good job.  We can’t worry about them seeing the light right now and have to hope they are busy with other things.” Highland said.  “Are we getting close?”

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be long.” 

“I wonder what blew up.” Rotten looked back at the orange glow in the sky.

I shrugged and another helicopter passed, this time heading toward Blacksport.  “No telling.”

“There’s a dock coming up, but it’s not the one we want.  We want the third one, we’re getting close.”  Will leaned even further out over the water.  “Trees!” He yelled.  “Go way, way left.”