The End Boxset: Postapocalyptic Visions of an Unstoppable Collapse (32 page)

They turned up a steep hill ahead into a rural wonderland. After a few back roads, alongside acres of land, they were at her parent’s house. It was more or less a farm, but, Alice never thought of it that way. She never wanted to tell anyone that she was raised on a farm. “This is where I should have gone all along,” Alice thought. For her, it was perfect. But what could she expect beyond the front door? More misery and suffering? She had no way to find out until they arrived. It was late Friday night when they pulled into the front of her parent’s house. The lights were off, and it didn’t seem as if anyone was home.

“Just park here,” she told Jeremy.

Jeremy parked the car and turned to face her. “Like I said, this is where we split up. I took you where you needed to go. Now I’m going to take this car with me.”

“Fair enough,” Alice said. She wasn’t going with him. There was nothing to argue about. “Just let me see if anyone is here first, then I’ll get my kids,” she added.

Alice walked up the cobblestone walkway to the front door and knocked on the door, loudly.

At first there was no answer. She knocked again. Suddenly, a light came on.

“Who is it?” an old woman’s voice said from the door.

Alice’s heart raced with excitement. They had power and they were home. She couldn’t ask for anything more. “It’s your daughter!” she shouted.

Her mother opened the door in disbelief. She was wearing a bathrobe, and her silver hair was tied up in a bun. “Alice? Is that really you?” she asked.

Alice grabbed and hugged her mother like she never had before in her life.

“My!” her mother said. “What’s got into you?”

“Nothing,” Alice said squeezing her. “I’m just glad to see you. Do you guys have power?”

“No, but we’re running off the generator. The power’s been out for days. So what are you doing here?”

“I need to stay with you guys. Well,
we
need to stay with you guys for a while. Me, Kiya, and Brian.”

Her mother was stunned and unsure what to say. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“I’ll be right back,” Alice said. She ran back to the car and banged on the hood.

“Brian, Kiya, wake up,” she said. They rose from their slumber disoriented and unsure of their surroundings.

“Where are we?” Brian asked.

“We’re at your grandparent’s house, let’s go,” she said.

Kiya was less responsive as Alice pulled her from the car. Brian followed them to the house.

“Oh, well look at this,” her mother said with wide eyes. “I haven’t seen you children in years!”

Both Brian and Kiya were too tired to respond or care at the time. Alice pushed them in the house.

“Just sit somewhere while I get your stuff,” she said.

“Is Jeremy going to stay with us?” Kiya asked.

“No Kiya, he’s got somewhere else to go,” Alice said. She looked at her mother.

“Put them on the couch or something. I have to grab their stuff.” And then she was off.

Alice took their belongings from the car. She thanked Jeremy again, as he waited patiently for her to get everything. It was weird for her to thank a man who had previously held them at gunpoint. But she grew to understand and relate to his desperation. She wanted to believe there was still a healthy dose of humanity left in him. A humanity made apparent when he and Kiya had their conversations. Something Kiya saw in him that Alice couldn’t. Jeremy was uncomfortable with accepting any gratitude. He knew all too well that he was prepared to leave Alice and her family out there to die. She closed the doors and Jeremy drove away, hoping that he could find his way to Gatlinburg without issue.

Alice walked up to her old house; the house she had been raised in and fled from so many years ago. She felt a sense of awakening, but also deep sadness. She didn’t know what the future held for her or her children. So far, she had kept them safe, as she promised herself she would do. As long as she was around, she would continue to do so.

Jeremy drove that night for hours. The cabin wasn’t much further. With any luck, he would find his safe place too.