The End Boxset: Postapocalyptic Visions of an Unstoppable Collapse (30 page)

“Oh my God, Cheryl. I can’t believe it,” Evelyn said, holding back her tears.

“Tobias, you need to know the truth. Eliot and his wife were like us, but a few days ago they started to change. Everyone is changing. The world is changing. You see, this is all prophesized.”

Tobias didn’t know what to think. He felt confused and distrustful of his new hosts. What did they want with him, and why were they telling him this?

Paul continued, “Normally, in the event of major disasters or attacks, people naturally come together, more often than not. But after today, that will end. The world as we know it has reached a boiling point, and we’ll soon wipe each other out, until nothing is left.”

“Does that mean you guys are going to change?” Tobias asked with fear in his eyes.

“Not everyone will. The prophecy of the Future Keepers—a group we are a part of—states that a small minority of self-aware and prepared individuals will survive. But our time has not come yet, which is why we remain underground.”

“But my family. What about my family? What about my friends?” Tobias asked.

“Some will remain, some won’t. We can get you home to your family, but I can’t tell you what to expect. It’s time to tell you the facts, Tobias. Several electronic magnetic pulse bombs have been deployed throughout the nation. We suspect throughout the world. Adversary nations are launching them at us and we’re launching them at our adversaries. Though they aren’t capable of dismantling the entire world’s power grid, it will be enough to start the first step in the collapse. That is when people turn against people. It was meant to be, and if you were to walk out there now, even with a working leg, you would see looting, vandalism, desperation, and violence on a scale like nothing before.”

Tobias was speechless. Evelyn placed a hand on his shoulder. “But you’re safe down here with us.” The rest of the group clamored in agreement. Tobias had tears streaming in his worried eyes. “How do I know what you’re saying is true? How do I know any of this is real?” he shouted.

“That man you met earlier today, Eliot. He and his wife were perfectly normal just last week. Yesterday he left the bunker and never came back. You told me he tried to attack you, that he killed his wife. Eliot loved children and his wife. The Eliot we know would never do such a thing.”

“Doesn’t mean anything,” Tobias said.

“It means everything,” Paul said.

“Please, Tobias, listen to us. There is hope out there, we promise,” Evelyn added.

“We’re not saying this to upset you, Tobias. We want you to be informed. The power outage was just the beginning. The other terrorist attacks are but a small part as well.”

“Terrorist attacks?” Tobias asked.

“Yes, but not by any Middle Eastern terrorist cell, these attacks are coming straight from American citizens. They’re turning against their country because the time for renewal is here. We’ve reached the end of the line. It’s happened in every country around the world. At first we’ll attack them, but soon we’ll start attacking each other.”

“So then there should be like a nuclear bomb or something. We’ll all be dead then,” Tobias said.

“True, a nuclear bomb would be devastating. But it all depends on whether our leaders chose to focus on external or internal threats. Soon the matters of other countries won’t be a concern. Soon it will be American against American, then government against citizen, then militia against government, and then back to the beginning of the cycle. The world you knew yesterday will soon be no more.”

“Paul, that’s enough,” Evelyn said. “Let him rest.”

“I want to go home and see my family. That’s all I want. I don’t care what else is happening,” Tobias said.

Paul scratched his head in a frustrated manner. “Listen to me, Tobias, we need you. There can’t be a future without children. And you’re that future. We have to prepare you for what’s to come.”

“Take me home, now!” Tobias shouted.

A silence came over the group. Evelyn looked to Tobias with sympathetic eyes. “Just stay with us tonight and we’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she said rubbing Tobias’s leg.

“Yes, the woods are no place to be right now, trust me,” Paul said.

Tobias looked around the room the face of each person. They were looking at him with such hope and concern in their tired eyes. Tobias wondered if there was any truth to what Paul had said. It sounded like the lunatic ravings of something he would have heard from Brian’s mom. But what if he was special? What if he was unique? “Okay,” Tobias said, “I’ll stay here for the night.” The group smiled, and Evelyn tucked him in. They brought food and water to his bed, and Evelyn even patted his head after saying goodnight. Tobias lied in bed staring at the low concrete ceiling. In the center of the room the adults had gathered at a small table with a lantern in the middle. They were talking softly, drawing plans, and playing cards. Tobias’s eyes grew heavy and soon closed. That night he dreamed he was back home in his mother’s arms. She gave him a bowl of ice cream after they hugged. It was his favorite, Rocky Road.

Chapter 8: The End of the Road

Alice drove all night while Brian and Kiya slept in the backseat. Once she knew they were in deep slumber, she sobbed quietly thinking of Randall. She made a couple of stops along road to refuel. The back window was shattered, and the wind from the night air made the car uncomfortably cold. She covered Brian and Kiya in thick sweaters, plus a blanket she had stored with the rest of the clothes. She hadn’t gotten any sleep for about a day. Her mind was set on getting out of Pennsylvania, to venture somewhere safe. The day’s events played over and over again in her head:

Her bike ride through town to Brian’s school.

Climbing the fence with Brian.

Finding the Plymouth Valiant.

The parent being shot outside Kiya’s school.
Driving her car through the flash mob.

Their house, broken in and ransacked.

And finally, Randall’s lifeless body on the kitchen floor.

These thoughts repeated themselves endlessly. It was all she could think about. She could make little room to think of anything else. Her instincts told her that they needed to find a rural community, somewhere with a small population. She was unarmed and vulnerable. That much was clear. But as she made her way past the state line of West Virginia, she saw no sign of anything different. Abandoned cars were everywhere. The problem wasn’t just in Pittsburgh. She had to keep her eyes open and alert to stranded people who would often jump out in front of her path. This was a reoccurring incident, of which she soon tired from. At least the children were sleeping, so they wouldn’t question why she wasn’t helping anyone.

When Brian woke, it was daylight. His eyes squinted open. He felt a distinct pain in his head. It could have been a simple headache due to exhaustion and dehydration, or some reminisce of the fight he had the other day. He pushed the thick blanket off him and looked up to see his mother driving at the wheel guiding their car down the long two-lane state road. A cool breeze filled the car from the shattered window in the back. Brian’s throat and mouth was dry.

“Mom, I’m thirsty,” he said.

“Well, good morning,” she responded, looking at in the rear view mirror.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Thirsty, like I said.”

“We’ll stop somewhere soon. How’s Kiya?”

Brian looked to his side. Kiya rested against the window still sleeping under layers of clothes.

“She’s still sleeping,” he answered.

“Just let her rest then,” Alice said.

Brian rubbed his eyes and looked around. There were no other cars on the road, and all he could see was forest and trees. “Where are we?” he asked.

“We’re in West Virginia,” Alice said.

“So did you figure out where we’re going yet?” Brian asked.

“Yes, I did as a matter of fact. We’re going to your grandparent’s house in Tennessee.”

“Grandma and Grandpa? I haven’t seen them in years.”

“Since you were four,” Alice said.

“Why are we going there?” Brian asked.

“Because we’ll be safe there.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I’m sure as I’ll ever be.”
 

Brian always asked a lot of questions. But the last thing she wanted her children to lose was hope. Even though Alice assumed the worst, she didn’t want them to do the same. There could still be a future for them. “We can beat this,” she told herself. Brian shifted around in his seat some, bored by the monotonous scenery. He looked at his mother’s face in the rear view mirror. She looked worn and beaten down. Her eyes had heavy bags under them and her face was puffy as if she’d been crying all night. “Mom, what happened to Randy?” Brian asked.

Alice seized up. She hadn’t prepared for the question. She still hadn’t figured out what to tell them yet. “Why wasn’t he at the house?” Brian continued. Alice looked at him again through the rear view mirror. He was staring at her in the mirror, waiting.

“Randall…he left,” she said.

“He left?” Brian asked. “What do you mean, he left?”

She wasn’t ready to tell them. She didn’t think that she’d ever be ready to tell them.

“I mean that he disappeared. Our house was broken into and he was nowhere to be found.”

Brian thought to himself for a moment. “So, is he dead?” he asked.

Alice’s eyes filled with tears that she tried to fight. They began to stream down our cheeks.

“Yes, Brian, he’s gone,” she said.

“How do you know?” he asked.

“Because I know,” she said.

After that, Brian didn’t ask any more questions. He looked back out the window and just stared, a quiet contemplative stare. “Don’t say anything to your sister yet, understand?” Alice said.

Brian didn’t answer, but Alice took it as a “yes.”

Alice noticed a sign up ahead that said: “Gas and Lodging Two Miles.” This would have to be their stop. But wasn’t like she could just pull into the place, grab some Coke, fill up her tank and leave. Things were different now. She would no doubt have to hide the car and walk to the store, while not attracting too much attention. “Brian, I’m going to stop at this store coming up. But I’m going to have to park away from it and check it out. I want you to stay in the car with Kiya,” she said.

“I’m sick of being in this car,” Brian said.

“Just please do what I say,” she continued.

“I’m sick of you bossing me around. Do this, Brian. Listen to me, Brian. Shut up, Brian. Enough is enough!” Brian said with his voice raised.

Kiya’s eyes flickered open to the commotion. Alice found a spot on the side of the road and pulled over. She put the car in park and shut off the engine. “Where are we?” Kiya asked while yawning.

Alice rested her arm on the front seat and turned around. “Hello, sleepy-head,” she said. “I’m going to go to the store and get us some food and drinks. I want you to stay here with Brian and wait until I come back.”

“We’re in West Virginia,” Brian said, answering her question.

“Where are we going?” Kiya asked.

“We’re going to grandma and grandpa’s house. I don’t think you’ve even met them,” Brian said.

Alice opened the car door. “You two behave, I’ll be back shortly,” she said as she exited the car.

“Wait!” Kiya said. Alice leaned back into the car.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Can you get me an apple juice?” Kiya asked.

“I’ll certainly try,” Alice said. She closed the door and was off.

“Only babies drink apple juice,” Brian said.

“Shut up, Brian,” Kiya said back.

Alice walked carefully up the road towards the store. She didn’t see any cars or people around. Such a sight brought instant relief. Things were quiet, and Alice’s instincts told her that she was walking into a possible ambush. But was such thing possible out here in the middle of nowhere? At this point, she wouldn’t put anything past it, but she marched on, determined to get some food and drinks for the remainder of their trip. She had plenty of cash in her pocket. She always carried cash. And she would try to barter whatever she could get. As she neared the store, she was surprised to find that it looked closed. None of this was apparent though.  There was no sign on the door, but there also wasn’t a single person around. Not a car and certainly not a store clerk. The building was a single unit, with a dilapidated tin roof. There were two gas pumps seated within the parking lot. Two windows outside the store had bars on them, along with the glass door. Once she got closer, a sickness came over her similar to when she approached her own house the night before. The store had been broken into. Shards of glass rested on the ground by the door. And she noticed it was slightly opened. “I should have grabbed a knife from the house, a bat, anything,” she thought.

She peered inside the store. There were no sounds or movement from anyone inside. She slowly pushed the door opened. The inside lights had been shut off, or there was no power to operate them. She slipped inside and examined her surroundings. To her side was the check-out counter. Across from her were several small aisles that looked disorganized and barren. She looked again at check-out counter. The cash register had been overturned. Another glance towards the aisle showed that they had been ransacked and emptied. People had already gone through the store and taken most of everything that was in it. She made her way across broken glass and smashed trinkets to the drink area in the back. They were nearly empty, except for a few drinks, most likely forgotten by the looters. With no electricity, the drinks obviously weren’t being kept cool, but Alice could easily look past the inconvenience. There was one bottle of grape juice, one bottle of orange soda, and two bottles of water. It seemed this was the best offer she was going to get. She grabbed the drinks and searched the aisles for food. Some cans of sardines and bag of pretzels were all she could find. “Oh boy, they’re really going to love this,” she said to herself.