The Returners (3 page)

They spent six months hiding in the upstairs of their house. Making it inaccessible from below by blocking off the stairwell with a wall of boards. Jessica kept a ladder in the room with them so they could get out and scavenge for supplies without compromising their safety.

Winter arrived with a heavy snowfall, the first storm dumping two feet of heavy wet snow on the ground. There was no heat and as the temperatures dropped they found it harder to find ways to stay warm. Their food was nearly gone and Emily was starting to get sick. That was when Jessica made the decision to try and make it to the old family hunting camp before things got any worse.

She knew there were supplies and plenty of wood there. It was always left stocked well, plus it was way back in the woods, which hopefully meant no Returners were there. For some reason the cold and snow seemed to keep the Returners at bay, at least to a point. She wasn't sure if it dulled their senses or just made it hard for them to move around. If there was a time for her and Emily to get out, this was it. 

After spending several days planning out what they needed to do, she finally had a solid plan. The road they lived on had been abandoned fairly early on. She figured they might be able to find a decent amount of supplies in the abandoned houses further up the road. They could use the snowmobile and sleigh her neighbors the Carter's had.

It was late by the time the plan was laid out and solidified, so they slept and waited for morning to arrive. When daylight came she wadded through the waist deep snow to the shed, and luckily for her found it unlocked. Mr. Carter had let her and Danny borrow the sled a few years ago to go on an ice fishing trip. She had made sure Danny showed her how to operate it in case something happened to him while on the trip              

The sled was out of gas, but she found a couple of canisters filled with fuel. She was lucky Mr. Carter liked to do all his own work around the house. He always had plenty of gas around for his machines, hopefully it was still good. You never knew if the ethanol blended gas would break down or be stable enough.

After filling the sled up she took a few minutes to look around the shed and found a chainsaw and some fishing equipment. Both items would be useful tools for the journey and packed them along with the extra gas containers in the back of the sleigh. It took a few pulls, but the sled came to life. Smoke from the exhaust filled the room as it pushed the old gas through its cylinders.

Jessica lightly revved the engine to make sure it wouldn't stop and then quickly opened the large twin doors of the shed. Jumping on the sled she pressed on the throttle and exited, heading straight for her house. Before coming outside she had packed what they would need into two bags and placed them near the back door of the house. She'd told Emily to wait upstairs until she heard the sled coming. Then she would go down the ladder, grab the bags and get the sleigh packed.

They needed to do this as quickly as possible in case any Returners were still in the area. Returners seemed to be drawn to noise and she didn't want to waste any time or take unnecessary chances. Even though it had been almost a month since she had last seen one, you never knew where they might be lurking.

As Jessica came around the house to the back entrance Emily appeared with the two bags. Putting them in the sleigh and making sure they were secure she jumped on with her Mother. The two of them beginning their journey to what she hoped would be their sanctuary.

Along the way they checked several of the houses they came across for food and other useful items. It wasn't hard to get into most of the houses, most of them were not  locked. People either had been infected or fled in a panic. They managed to find a decent amount of canned and dry food. They also found a .22 rifle with a scope and a couple of bricks of ammunition for it.

Only once did they encounter any Returners when entering the houses. It was one of the last houses they were going to stop and search. They were just finishing up their search of the house when one came at her and Emily. One shot from her 9mm quickly dispatched it. That was the last time they stopped, she didn't dare risk stopping again until they reached the cabin.

That was four months ago. It had been a rough winter, but they had survived. There were no other cabins in the area that she knew of and no roads for miles. Just a few four wheeler and snowmobile trails. Between what they had found, and what she managed to get hunting food hadn't been an issue. They currently had enough to last them another month or so before they'd start getting low. 

She felt safe and secure here. At least she had until this afternoon when she'd first noticed the smoke over the trees. Now she wasn't so sure. One thing was definite, no harm would come to her daughter. She would make sure of that, doing whatever it took to protect her. 

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Emily asked as she approached her from across the cabin. She had noticed her staring out the window and began to worry.

The sound of her daughter's voice snapped her out of the daze she was lost in. "Nothing sweetheart. I need to go check something out." The look of concern in her daughter’s eyes obvious.

"Okay," Emily's voice was shaky and nervous as she struggled to just get that one word out. A single tear rolled down her face. Something was wrong and she knew it.

"Don't worry sweetie I'll be right back, remember what we went over?" Jessica said as she wiped the tear from her daughter's face.

Emily's bright blue eyes looked back at Jessica as she nodded her head yes and walked away from her mother. Right then Jessica couldn’t help but think how much she looked like her father. She had his blue eyes, his skinny nose and red hair. Emily was tall for her age and most likely be tall like her father was. Danny would be proud of the young lady his daughter had become.

Jessica watched Emily retrieve an old single shot shotgun from the corner of the cabin and walk back to her.

“I remember everything you taught me mom.”

Even though Emily sounded nervous Jessica had confidence she could take care of herself. These last few years had made her strong and resilient beyond her years. Even at the age of eleven she could handle herself if need be. Confident in that fact she opened the door to the cabin and stepped outside.

“Love you. Be right back,” Jessica said

“Love you too,” Emily said as her mother turned and began walking away.

The sound of the door closing and the lock sliding shut told Jessica that Emily was doing exactly what she'd been taught. Looking over her shoulder she saw Emily's eyes through the opening in the boarded up window and smiled. Her smile quickly fading as she turned her head and walked in the direction of the smoke, unsure of what she was about encounter.

Jessica made her way cautiously towards the stream. In her hands she grasped the .22 rifle. Though the .22 wasn't powerful it was accurate, plus she had the added benefit of  the scope. This enabled her to remain hidden in the woods and be able to see what was going on without giving away her position. Being unsure of what she was up against, this was probably the safest course of action.

It would give her time to assess the situation and figure out what too do. It had been so long since she'd had contact with anyone but her daughter and was both frightening and exciting at the same time. Then again, who knew if this person was friendly or not? That was the part that both excited and terrified her. If they weren't, was she capable of killing a person? Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but there was always that chance. One way or the other she would soon find out.

After moving slowly and methodically through the brush. She stopped about forty yards from the opening and found a good place to observe. Jessica knelt near a cluster of birch trees, here she could remain undetected until she figured out what her next move would be. It was a perfect spot as long as she was quiet. Even without the scope she could make out a faint whisper of smoke coming from the fire. A man leaned against the large fallen log that ran along the stream. Other than the man she couldn't make out any other people. Raising the .22 rifle and resting it across a branch Jessica peered through the scope. It would help her remain steady and not move and keep her from giving away her position.

With her eyes now peering through the scope she got a better look at the man. He was asleep, that much she could tell. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties and not much younger than her. The man's long, dark brown hair and unkempt beard made it hard to tell for sure. His beard reminder her of how her father's used to look when he came home from hunting camp. There was a shotgun leaning against the log next to him. A Fish hung over the fire on a spit and a backpack lay on the ground next to him. She also noticed a beagle lying with it's head in the man's lap. The fire looked like it had just about died out. 

What to do? That was the question she asked herself. Risk taking the chance of approaching and have him be dangerous, putting her daughter and herself in danger? Wait and see if he passed them and their cabin by? Or take the chance he was just another soul like herself trying to survive and doing his best to avoid the chaos that had taken over the rest of the world? Or the one she didn't want to think about. Take the clean shot and ensure the safety of Emily and herself.

She wasn't a killer and didn't want to do that, but her mind went to dark places and what he might do to them. Her mind raced a hundred miles an hour as she tried to sort everything out. Knowing whatever she was going to do she'd have to do it quickly before the man woke and the option were taken from her.

Jacob's mind went to strange places in his dreams. It had been a long time since he had slept so deeply. He dreamed of his childhood and summers growing up in the small town of Stewart. Baseball games at the park with his friends. Making out at the beach with Kara his high school sweetheart. Spending time at the lake with his mother, father and younger sister. All warm memories that brought brought an instant smile to your face.

It was one of those vivid dreams that seemed like you were watching old home movies of your life. Except they unfolded in random snippets and didn't make any sense, had no rhyme or reason. It was odd and incoherent, but filled him with a sense of happiness and peace he hadn't felt in a long time. A smile crept across his face as he continued to dream about what once was.

Jessica continued to watch the man as he slept. In fact he was sleeping so deeply she could hear him softly snoring. Usually in the forest on a warm spring day the sounds of wildlife overpowered almost anything that wasn't extraordinarily loud. This bothered her, besides the man being here something wasn't right. It was then she noticed the dogs head snap up. It was staring off to the left and began to growl and bark, the hair on it's back standing up.

Jacob was standing in an empty field. There was nothing surrounding him, no trees no buildings, nothing but grass and open space. He was confused and kept turning and trying to look around, but couldn't see anything. It was like he was caught in a giant field with no visible end. The sky above him loomed dark and ominous.

A dog began to bark, but it sounded miles away. He began to run towards the sound of the barks, but couldn't tell exactly where they were coming from. They must be coming from Flash, because he was nowhere to be seen. Flash never left his side, panic began to set in, something was wrong.

Jessica could now see what the dog was barking at. A small black bear had wandered into the campsite about fifty yards down the stream. She could barely make it out, but could definitely see what it was. It must have gotten wind of the fish cooking over the fire and been drawn to it.

Weeks ago she had seen bear tracks down here in the melting snow. This was probably the one that had made them, and his territory. The .22 rifle wouldn't be any good against the thick skin and skull of the bear. The best she might do is scare it off, but more than likely would just make it angry. She was way out of the range of her 9mm pistol.

A few minutes before the bear arrived she'd made the decision to take a chance and approach the man. If the situation went bad she would defend herself, but she had to take the risk the man was good. Now she didn't know what to do, the bear was only about fifteen yards from him now. The beagle stood barking and growling, yet he still did not wake. Pulling the 9mm from its holster, Jessica slipped the safety off and ran towards the opening.

Jacob stopped, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. It seemed as though he had been running for hours, every muscle in his body ached. The surrounding landscape was still nothing but a large green field of grass. The barking was getting louder, and he could now hear growls mixed in with them, but Flash was still nowhere in sight.

Scanning the area he hoped to catch a glimpse of his dog somewhere on the vast open plain. From out of nowhere a heavy fog rolled in and engulfed him, he couldn't see more than few feet now. The air became thick and heavy making his lungs ache. Jacob started to run, but after only a few steps his body slammed into an invisible wall. It felt like someone had punched him in the gut and dropped him to the ground.

Jessica was now only feet from the opening, jumping over a fallen log she burst into the clearing. The bear turned towards her, rose to its back feet and let out a loud roar before dropping down and running towards her. Jessica watched as the little beagle valiantly charged towards the bear barking and growling. It's teeth bared in defiance as it leapt towards the bear. The dog was swatted away like a rag doll and flew through the air, crashing to the ground several feet away.

The dog had taken attention off her long enough for her to take action. She stopped and got into the shooting stance her father had taught her. It was a quick natural reaction her brain didn't even have time to process. Aiming for the heart of the bear she squeezed the trigger.

Jacob lay on the ground trying to get his bearings when the loudest clap of thunder he had ever heard echoed through the sky. He covered his ears and closed his eyes as the sonic boom seemed to make the earth shake under him. A second clap of thunder roared, this time his eyes opened. He was back by the stream and there was a woman standing about ten yards from him with a gun raised.

She wasn't pointing it at him and he turned to see what she was aiming at. It was then he saw the bear charging. The sound of the gun rang out and the bear crashed to the ground a few yards from him.

"Holy shit!" Jacob said as he continued to watch the bear. Not daring to take his eyes from it.

The bear made one last attempt to get to its feet as the woman took a few steps forward and fired two more shots. It slumped to the ground in a heap. The final two shots snuffing the life from its body. The woman now turned towards him with her pistol aimed at his head.

"Put your hands above your head. Now!" Jessica barked out with as much authority as her voice could muster.

Jacob raised his hands above his head. His brain still trying to process what was going on. He suddenly realized Flash was no where to be seen and a sense of dread came over him.

"My dog? Have you seen my dog?" His voice filled with worry.

"Your dog saved you. He ran towards the bear trying to protect you. The bear cuffed him and knocked him away." Motioning with her head where the dog had been knocked aside.

Jacob began to rise to his feet.

"Not so fast mister." She took a few steps towards him.

"Listen lady you can shoot me if you want, but I'm going over there to see if my dogs still alive, whether you want me too or not." He could now see Flash laying a few feet away from the bear. The dog’s chest heaved slowly up and down, his white and brown fur matted with blood.  

Jacob walked towards the animal, as he got closer he could see the gaping wound in his belly where the bears claws had slashed. He dropped to his knees and took the dog's head in his hands.

Flash looked up at him with big playful eyes that seemed to say to him, “
You're okay, I protected you.”

Tears streamed down Jacob’s face as he looked into his dog's eyes. "I'm sorry boy, I screwed up, I should have been more careful." His words broken by sobs. “I love you buddy.”

Even in its hurt state the dog sensed Jacob's sadness and licked his hand. He patted Flash's head as he began to convulse and the last remaining air escaped from his body. Flash lay still, his life force gone. Jacob shut Flash's eyes and lifted the dog holding him in his arms. Tears streaming down his face as he walked back towards where he'd been sitting. 

Jessica had all she could do to hold back tears watching the situation unfold before her. She had to be strong and make sure this man wasn't dangerous and kept her gun fixed on him as he moved towards his things.

"What are you doing?" Jessica said, his movements making her nervous.

Jacob turned and looked at her, his dog lifeless in his arms. "I'm going to bury my friend. He saved me, he deserves that." His voice shook with emotion.

Something came over her, a realization that this man wouldn't hurt her or her daughter. She didn't know what it was, but something inside told her she could trust him. Lowering her 9mm she slipped it into its holster.

"I'm sorry," Jessica said, ashamed of how she had acted. Ashamed she had let fear get the best of her.

"Don't be sorry. I wouldn't trust a random stranger out in the middle of the woods either," Jacob said, his voice calm and collected. He laid Flash down and opened his backpack up. Taking a shirt out, he covered the dog up with it.

"I don't know how I'm going to bury him. I don't have anything to dig with." The frustration starting to show in his voice.

              "I can help you with that, just give me a few minutes," Jessica said. She truly felt sorry for him and what he was going through.

              "Thank you," Jacob said as he sat down on the log and stared at the shirt covering his dog and best friend, trying to process what had happened.

              When she didn't answer, he looked up and saw her walking into the woods. Disappearing like she was never there.