The Surviving Son (Valkyrie Book 2) (13 page)

Ten days in and it was becoming easier for Abel to open up to
me, and thankfully show a little mercy. But, still my days are long
and rough, the temperatures has continued to skyrocket with no rain
in sight. The forest has become dangerously dry and the insect
population as congregated around us for their only source of water.
Mosquitoes and Mooseflies added an irritating sting to my daily
chores, and yet they do not seem to bother with or even notice the
boy. But of course, Abel has made sure to collect some natural bug
repellent for Steph, wild citronella, which occasionally she would
throw me a few bunched up leaves when he was not looking. But it
didn’t seem to help me any.

The transmission of the virus via insects has been a concern for
many years, however according to my research it only occurs in rare
cases, and even then the infection is sometimes too weak to take
hold. Worrying about it would be a waste of time, I have other
matters to take care of, most importantly was ending Abel’s tyranny.
It was more important that I reach him, to convince him that I needed
to finish my research, and return to the GFS.

“Why do you disobey your father?” I f
inally asked as he
watched me stacking wood. But he did not answer, nor did he look
at me. “I know this is not what he asked of you. He knew how
important it was that I complete my mission.” Still no response. I
thought carefully as I carried log after log over to the wood-pile,
how could I persuade him to speak, to confide in me.

“Would you still like me to read your father’s journal to you?”
I asked, and his eyes lit up in excitement as he nodded impatiently.
Dropping the handful of logs I entered the cabin and pulled the
deteriorating journal from my pack. The pelt cover still stained with
brown splotches, blood Mia’s blood. Slowly I brushed my hand
over it, praying that story-time would open up his barriers and let
me in. My intention was to play on the boys love and infatuation for
the mother he has never known.
Stepping out of the cabin I found the boy already seated upon
the ground, legs crossed, and his chin resting in one hand. Steph sat
next to him, smiling at me in confidence of my actions. It was just
like the children of the GFS when many times before I read this same
book to them. Selected entries of course, some of his tales are just
too much, they need not be reminded of the current state of the
world. They live it every day.
Slowly I flipped through the aged and brittle pages, searching
for a story about his mother, something that would hopefully entice
his compassionate side. Something that would be both exciting and
would give him some insight into the mysterious life of his parents,
both of whom were taken from him too soon. And as I skimmed the
aged pages the boy rocked back and forth in unadulterated
anticipation.

In the hopes of giving Mia a little taste of beauty which these
mountains are abundantly lavished with, I have decided that we
would take a trip up to Grand Falls. Of course, these falls are
nothing in comparison to that of Niagara, but spectacular none the
less. Seeing nature’s raw power should be both surreal and
inspiring for her ever expanding mind. Of course, the view is more
for this precious girl, for me, there is an ulterior motive.

It was a long journey, made all the more longer as we hauled a
hefty wheel-barrel along with us, but not for our own supplies,
which we carried upon our backs. But, for the possibility of
recovering a propane generator from the river’s edge. Back in the
day, these generators powered ear-shattering sirens in order to
provide fair warning of violently rising water from the scheduled
releases of Flagstaff dam. I just hoped the shed’s which sheltered
them from the elements have held up to the tests of time.

It took us five and a half uneventful days of following the long
and old King Bartlett Rd to reach the trail head to the falls. The road
itself has held its own over the years and made traveling all the more
easier. On the other hand, the narrow foot trail that led from the
road to the falls proved to be our biggest obstacle. It seemed ever
fifty or so yards we would come across a wash out or even a downed
tree which blocked our path. What could have taken an hour or so
to hike, became a six hour haul of strenuous labor. But, thankfully,
we now sit at the river’s edge just above the falls, resting and
waiting for night fall as we listen to the roar of the waters angst.

Dropping straight down fifty or so feet, and over one hundred
feet across, it remains an awe inspiring glimpse at the full power of
nature. As the sun drifts further down behind the tree line, its rays
blaze through the billowing mists of the falling deluge creating a
myriad of rainbows of all shapes and sizes. The most brilliant
seemed to arch across the entire span of the river, and then there
were the colorful rings that seemed to float in the midst of the
charging waters, and others which resembled starburst, rising and
falling with the crashing of the cooling mountain flow.

“Can we go swimming tomorrow?” Mia asked as I coaxed our
fire to life.
“Maybe, below the falls that is, and a bit further downstream.”
I answered with a wink.
“Why can’t we swim down there, it looks deep enough?” She
pointed down into the basin of swirling blackened water beneath
plumes of foam stained brown with river sludge.
“Too dangerous. The currents would easily pull you under and
drag you towards the falls.” I cautioned. “But there is a calm eddy
not far from here, it will be much safer.”
Mia went silent once again, her mind wandering, lost in the
pounding of water to rock. One can almost hear Mother Nature’s
heart beating from this location, majestic and calming, yet all too
ominous. As she stared off into the wild, I built the fire up some more
and then built a make shift spit to roast a couple squirrels I had shot
along the way. Although all seemed peaceful, I was still on edge,
this was uncharted territory, a vacation spot from my childhood. I
knew little of the dangers awaiting in these mountain ravines.
The thunder of the river, deafened any approach, from the
Infected, or from the living. Bears and wolves potentially looking for
an easy meal, or unthinkably a wandering pack of inhuman
marauders, seeking only the thrill of pillaging, raping and the smell
of bloodshed. I just hope that Nova’s keen senses are not hindered
by the falls, she is our best early warning system, fierce and loyal,
and when need be, deadly.
As night closes in, and the dusky sky fades to black, the view we
have enjoy thus far is also fading away, as well as our vantage
points of the surrounding areas. So after we eat, I will be shuffling
Mia off to sleep as I build the fire up to give us as much light as
possible. And then I shall settle down for a long, endless night of
watchful safeguarding.
* * * * *

Dawn slowly closed in, and blackness gradually transitioned
into gray, and the stars above that watched over us faded over a
blanket of thick clouds. The temperature had fallen some during the
night, and although it was still quite warm, the humidity had risen
drastically. It was a foreshadowing of a long and wet day to come,
which revealed itself just as the shadows of the forest around us
diminished in the morning light, and a downpour drenched the
landscape. Mia woke instantly.

The fire, although burning vigorously, did not last long in the
deluge from above. So I coaxed Mia to get motivated, packing up
our gear, and we headed down below the falls for some morning
fishing. As we hiked the trail towards what remained of a man-made
stone staircase, we took a moment along a small overlook almost
adjacent to the falls themselves. The view from there was grander
than that from our campsite, almost definitely the site that gave these
falls its name. We could see the entire stretch of falls and even peer
down to the bottom where it crashed and eroded the mountain stone.
Also, it gave us a perfect view of the river upstream as it stretched
through the tree lines and curved out of sight. It is there that I saw
the silhouette of a couple wayward Dead, slowly making their way
down the river’s edge.

As not to alarm Mia, I ushered for her to follow me, knowing
the way down would be too treacherous for those shambling
corpses. She hesitated at first, lost in the magnificence, but
eventually pried herself from the view and followed along. Within
minutes we were below the falls and had found the eddy that I
mentioned the day before. Even though we were soaked to the bone,
the temperature remained warm, and Mia did not hesitate to strip
down to her undies and jump in, as Nova barked and howled in
protest at the river’s, but eventually built up the courage to follow
her. I myself moved up river, closer to the falls, the weather couldn’t
have been more perfect and it was time to fish.

My first cast was a prelude to the bounty before us, a nice and
fat Rainbow Trout, maybe twenty inches in length. And the catch
continued with each cast, sometimes just a curious strike at the
waters service, others a ferocious assault on my line. Within ten
minutes I had three fish in my basket, and still the water around me
was constantly erupting with splashed of the hungry predators.

My fourth fish, a small brookie, was pulled up just as a loud
boom echoed over the raging falls and torrential downpour. I
assumed it be thunder, and by the echo it was still a ways off, so I
showed no concern and continued to fish while allowing Mia to
enjoy the water. My fifth catch of the day was a nice salmon, the
biggest fish of the day, pushing a good five pounds or more. A
perfect slab of meat for smoking.

Even though searching for a generator was my main goal, the
excitement of such an easy feast had overcome me and the natural
fisherman inside pushed to catch even more. Filling my basket to its
rim would be ideal, and worth some loss time. Besides, there was no
rush getting back home, we were on vacation as one may say,
enjoying all that this primitive life has to offer.

I was close to a dozen fish when another echo overcame the
ravine, this time a series of loud concussions, definitely not thunder.
Concerned, I scanned the rivers edges, and peered up above the falls
but there was nothing but falling water. Still, the series of
concussions continued, sometimes just one, then moments later a
few repetitive booms. I tried to tell myself it was just the storm, but
there were no flashes of lighting, and deep down my stomach
churned with anxiety.

Mia and Nova soon left the eddy and waded closer to me to get
a better view of the falls and to check out my catch. Carefully she
pulled herself up onto an exposed rock beside me and knelt there to
watch me reel in my next catch. Nova on the other hand had found
a small school of fish near shore, too small for me, but perfect for
her to practice hunting. Chasing and pouncing like a silly pup, not
even those continuous echoes perked her ears up.

“What’s that noise?” Mia
eventually called out to me.
“Thunder.” I answered with a lie.
“Shouldn’t we get out of the water?”
“It’s far away. If it gets closer we will.”
I caught a few more fish just as the sun burnt its way through

the clouds and the rain ceased. Having such a bounty of fish I
decided to head back to shore and search for those elusive
generators. We spent the day walking further and further
downstream but to no avail. I assume prior years spring melts had
washed them away, so we set camp for the night and planned on
heading home in the morning. Mia had worn herself out so much
that she fell asleep with her head resting upon my lap before dinner
was even cooked.

There was more to this entry then what I had read to Abel, even
the last paragraph was conjured to allow the story to end peaceful.
In truth, their day turned rapidly into disaster, and although the boy
was more than capable of handling the rest, I felt it better to leave
his image of his parents in a good and peaceful light. And even
though I had read this tale many times before, I decided to read it to
myself once more. For me, it is a fascinating insight to the grit that
these two souls possessed.

I reassured Mia that all was well, even though my stomach
tightened at the sound of one more boom, this one much louder than
before. Casting my line out again, I continued to scan the area,
waiting and dreading what might come for us. But nothing did, at
least as of yet, and as my line tightened with the last catch of the day
I hauled in another beautiful Rainbow that seemed to fight me with
every ounce of strength it had, unwilling to succumb to its own
demise.

Gazing over its elegant patterns of black spots over a golden
canvas, and that vibrant band of pink that stretched from head to
tail only put faith in a majestic creator from above. Mia leaned out
from her rock to get a closer look as I removed the hook and gently
lowered it back into the river. This one I decided to set free so that
its beauty will continue to reign over this river. Within seconds it
regained its energy, and with a powerful burst it swam out of my
hands and into the deep.

Mia still knelt upon the rock, leaning out with her hands firmly
planted against the stone to remain balanced. I caught myself
staring, partially nude, her breast hung seductively over the flowing
current. I’m not sure how long I stared for, nor am I sure if she had
noticed, but my stupor broke when I saw that the rock she was
perched upon was down below the water’s surface. Normally the
water does rise during a rainstorm such as this, but the rivers roar
had also become louder, and more ferocious.

Just as I glanced back up at the falls, a tidal wave of water
breached its edge. The enraged flow was littered with fallen trees,
leaves and other debris. And amongst it all, a few dozen of the
Infected bobbed and tumbled over the high ledges. My heart raced,
my knees trembled, and without thought, I grabbed hold of Mia and
rushed through the water to the river’s edge. The pressure of the
rain building up behind the neglected and worn dam walls had
become too much, and the contents of Lake Flagstaff breached the
blockade with the force of a God, washing anything in its path along
with it.