All was silent
as the Mai-Thai sputtered to the dock. The tide slowly rubbed the bow on the
wooden boards and Ike leapt up with line in hand to tie up the remains of their
rescue vehicle.
The quiet was
deafening. Only the splash of the waves on the shore and the scraping sound of
the Mai-Thai against the splintered timbers interrupted the quiet.
Ike stood and
looked slowly around the abandoned dock. There was no sign of life or that life
had existed here for some time.
“Hey buster,
what about me?” Ginger said as she stood on the rocking deck with arm
outstretched.
Ike lean over
and with a grasp to her forearm, jerked her up to the dock.
“Thanks!” she
huffed brushing herself off, “ Where is everybody?”
The both froze
as if in a vacant time.
The hulk of
Ike’s car, the Silver Bullet still sat in wait of its former owners, but only a
shell of its former life.
As Ike and
Ginger approached they saw the silver body, doors open, rag roof down and trunk
open. All the tires were flat and the dashboard had been torn off with only
dangling wires hanging from the holes where the latest technology had occupied.
Ike stood at
the door and looked down at the ripped leather seats. He had spent many miles
in this chariot. The memories flooded his mind in a quick flashback journey.
“Ike!” Ginger
screamed as she had wandered off toward the shipping station.
Ike turned and
jetted to her side, body tense.
“There….there.
Look at that” she stammered.
Behind the
shipping station were bodies. Bloated by the sun. Some were charred. Some were
with suitcases as if to travel. Others were partially clothed.
“Don’t get too
close,” Ike restrained Ginger’s inner emotion to go and assist. “We don’t know
what we have here.”
He looked
around for some sign of life. There was no one.
Backing away
from the dead, he peered into the stations window. Wiping away the dust, he saw
more shadowy figures on the floor, some on top of each other. There was on
lying at the desk, face down, arms limp at the side.
“Let’s move on,
there is nothing here for us.”
He turned
toward the road that had brought them to this point so many months ago.
“What about
transportation?” Ginger said, slowing the pace.
“You want to
call a taxi? I through away the Silver Bullet’s keys and I don’t think it is
going anywhere anyway. “
“Maybe we
should try to use the phone?” she turned to the station.
“Do you want
to go in there?”
“Ah…..no.”
“OK then,
let’s move on and see what else we can find.”
Ike thought to
himself this might have been the results of the riots, but why weren’t there
anyone else around. Army? Police? EMS? Fire?
“Do we need to
take anything from the boat?” Ginger asked.
They both
turned back and smiled as the Mai-Thai gave its last gasp and sank next to the
dock that could no longer hold her up. A loud splash followed as the entire
dock sank like dominoes into the water.
So they both
turned and started walking down the road.
The sun was
about to go down. Ike knew there was a small inn about a mile from the docking
area, so that was his next destination.
As they
arrived at the inn, there was complete darkness. There was no moonlight or any
sign of any life inside. Only the shapes of dark against the sky gave sense to
direction.
They felt
their way toward the building, hoping to feel a window or a door.
“Oh” said
Ginger as her foot stepped on softness. She poked her foot around the object
and said, “ It’s another body.”
“I’ve got a
couple over here too, step over them and move forward.”
“Yuck” Ginger
winched and stepped over the mass of rotting flesh. “The smell around here is
not so good either” she said poking here foot in front of her searching for
more death.
“Follow my
voice,” Ike said, “I’ve found a doorway.”
“Do you think
anyone is….” Thud. “Damn!”
“You OK?”
“Yeah, I
tripped over another one of these corpses. They are everywhere.”
Ginger picked
herself up and continued to move forward. Thud. Another roadblock with a kick
of frustration.
“OK, looked
for a flashlight or candle or something that will light this place up. We’ve
got to see what is going on.” Ike said in his most professional voice.
Once inside
they split up gently feeling their way in the blackness. Opening cupboards and
rubbing along counters. Reaching inside on drawer, a discovery.
“I’ve got a
wax stick!” Ginger cried out.
Ike joined her
and reached into his pants pocket. His trusty knife had been wet, but it might
still work. He pressed a button and a spark briefly brightened the room.
“Ow!” he said
as the light dimmed and the knife dropped to the floor. “Damn I never remember
which end that thing lights up” Ike said in the dark, licking his hand.
After
retrieving his pride and his knife, he pressed again and the spark became a
flame. Ginger held the candle and the light brightened.
“Here’s
another one” she said handing Ike another lit candle.
Back to back
they surveyed the area.
There were no
bodies inside the room. Everything looked as if time had stopped. Plates and
glasses were on the dining room table awaiting a meal. A clock on the mantle
above a stone fireplace clicked in sequence. Ginger touched the quilt over the
back of the deep sofa.
“Let’s light a
fire.”
A little
resourcefulness and some trying, the room was a glow with warmth and light.
They found some candle holders, matches, and the most important, bottles of
wine.
“That’s a
great wine cellar” Ike smiled as he popped the first cork with his trusty knife’s
corkscrew.
“What’s the
year?” Ginger quipped grabbing two glasses off the table.
“Does it
matter?”
“Not really”
Ginger quietly said placing the glasses for Ike to pour the red refreshment.
“So what do you think happened here?”
Ike filled his
glass and walked to the window. There were shadows on the ground lit by the
fireplace. Mound after mound of desperate yet unsuccessful flight.
“I don’t know
but it seems it happened very fast.”
“Was it the
riot?” Ginger remembered her quick retreat.
“No, I think
this is bigger than that. A lot bigger.”
Searching
around the room for a note, or message, or newspaper to hint at the disaster
befalling this place.
“What’s this?”
Ike questioned picking up a radio.
Having already
tried the electricity and realizing there was no power, he unplugged the radio
and turned the knob on the top of the small metal case. Click.
“…..” Ike
tuned the knob, then….” This is an emergency message….this is…emergency
message…..this…….emer….” Ike continued to turn the knob.
“THIS IS AN
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION TO ALL PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. THE A2O2 FLU IS SPREADING
AND THERE IS NO MORE MEDICINE. STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM ANY CONTACT WITH
ANYONE ELSE. NO CONTACT! EVEN YOUR FAMILY. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE FOR ANY REASON.
THE A2O2 IS BEING TRANSFERRED ON CONTACT. MONEY, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, DO NOT
TOUCH ANYTHING. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION. …THIS IS AN EMERGENCY
NOTIFICATION TO ALL PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. THE A2O2 FLU IS SPREADING AND THERE
IS NO MORE MEDICINE. STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM ANY CONTACT WITH ANYONE ELSE. NO
CONTACT! …” the message continued.
“Ike?”
Ike stood
quietly looking at the box, then glanced out the window again.
“Ike, we touch
those…those bodies!” Ginger screamed panic in her face.
“You feel OK?
I feel OK. I’m not hot or sick, maybe a little drunk.” Ike calmly replied
trying to calm Ginger’s nerves.
“Yeah, I feel
OK I guess. Give me another shot.” Ginger smiled stretching out her empty
glass.
“Let’s sleep
on it and see how we are in the morning when the sun comes up.”
Sipping from
her refreshed glass Ginger yawned,” OK, just one more glass.” Her eyelids
started to drop.
Ike looked out
the window at the shadows and thought.
“What was
this? What had happened in such a short time? How far did this go? How long had
it been since the world was healthy and normal and “Puppywoods” was the center
of their universe?
Turning back
to the light, he quietly walked over to Ginger and covered her with the quilt
on the sofa. Eyes closed she smiled and pulled the corner toward her.
They would
sleep tonight but there would be little rest.
1 comment:
You need to read King's "The Stand."
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