War, p.19
War, page 19
part #2 of A Journey Through Hell Series
“No, not yet. It’s just the news for now,” Betty-Sue replied.
“Oh,” Billy said, deflation in his voice.
“Breakfast is on the table,” Grandma said, turning towards Billy. “I made your favorite, French Toast.”
Billy went into the kitchen, made himself a plate, then came back and sat down in the living room to watch TV.
“Where’s dad?” Billy asked, licking syrup from his fingers.
“He, Uncle Arthur, and Uncle Ralph took the produce into town to barter with Cap,” his mother replied.
“Oh yeah,” Billy said and then asked, “Are things going back to normal?” He sensed something he hadn’t felt in a while, hope.
“Hopefully so,” Grandma said.
“William, you sure do ask a lot of questions,” his grandfather chimed in, annoyed with all the interruptions.
“Sorry Grandpa,” Billy said before stuffing a forkful of French Toast in his mouth.
Henry parked out back at the loading dock behind Caps. Ralph and Arthur hopped out and removed the tarp covering the back of the truck. Then they started loading the produce onto a dolly from the loading dock, while Henry went inside the store.
Snaking his way through a corridor, Henry stepped into the back of the store. Instantly he noticed a small group of people congregating around the register and spotted Cap on the other side of the store.
“Hey Cap!” Henry said, walking over to him, removing his hat and pointing to the group of watchers.
“Oh, hey Henry! Here to drop off your produce?” Cap asked.
“Yes sir, my brothers are unloading it now,” Henry said. “What’s going on over there?” he asked, pointing his hat toward the group of customers.
“You haven’t heard?” Cap asked.
“No!” exclaimed Henry.
“The news is on! One of the major studios in New York is up and running!”
“Really?” Henry said, striding over and joining the group in front of the TV.
It felt strange watching TV as it was something he hadn’t done in what felt like forever.
“When did this start?” Henry asked, turning toward Cap.
“Sometime this morning. When Doug tried the TV this morning it was on.”
Henry recalled seeing Doug, Cap’s brother, working on the TV the other day when he was in.
“What are they saying?”
“Well, they said the sickness is gone.”
“Gone?”
“That’s what he said. Said we shouldn’t be afraid to go outside. Said to help one another.”
“Anything else?”
“Said the message is on a loop and they’ll be back on later today with news about rebuilding.”
“That’s good news! Damn good!”
“What’s good?” Ralph asked, poking his head into the store.
“Dave was right,” Henry said, turning toward his brother.
“Our brother?” Ralph asked.
“Since when has Dave been right about anything?” Arthur asked jokingly, joining his brothers in the store.
Henry told them about the recent developments and how Dave was certain he had heard something last night while tinkering with the TV.
Cap wheeled over a cart loaded with the supplies he agreed to exchange for the produce and said, “I believe you specifically requested this,” and handed Henry a four pack of toilet paper.
“Oh, how my ass has missed you!” Henry said, squeezing the package of Charmin, causing everyone to laugh.
“See you back in a week?” Cap asked.
“Yes, sir,” Henry replied.
Chapter 37
Stoughton, Massachusetts
That night, Susan climbed into a cold bed with an empty stomach. She stared at the ceiling for hours before sleep finally found her. As she drifted off, a warmth slowly crept into her bed. It started at her feet and pushed upward. The freezing cold sheets thawed and felt warm, like when she laid on a towel on the hot beach sand. Her pillow was cold and hard, but it softened, becoming fluffy like a cloud on a summer day.
It had been years since she slept so cozy, not since before her husband passed. As time passed, she found it hard to recall his face, which had become blurry in her memory of him, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember his face. But now she could recall his facial features, and she even swore she felt his touch.
Susan’s eyes fluttered open, and a smile washed over her face. She found herself back in her honeymoon suite again and felt a presence in the room with her.
“Henry!” she joyfully cried out.
Yes, my dear, answered a voice.
“Where are you?”
I’m here with you, my love.
“I can’t see you.”
I’m here with you in spirit.
“Are you… dead?”
I’m free of my body.
“I miss you so…” Susan said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Don’t cry, my dear. We will be together soon.
“Soon?” she asked, wiping away her tears.
Yes, but I need you to do something.
“What?” she asked.
Winter is coming. I need you to pack up and head south.
“You want me to leave our home?” she asked, not understanding.
Yes.
“Why? We’ve lived through cold winters before.”
Annabelle and Stephanie.
“Are they in danger?” she asked, concern in her voice.
Yes.
Susan sat up and looked around. She noticed that beyond the sliding glass door there was a wall with strange carvings on it.
“Where am I?” Susan asked, getting out of bed. Her feet touched the floor, and it felt cold. Standing up, she was shocked to find the bed was a slab of stone.
“Stephanie?” Susan said, confused at the sight of her granddaughter lying on the slab. Her mind was racing and then suddenly stopped. Susan’s face went flush, and her mouth gaped open as the feeling of dread washed over her.
“No!” Susan screamed. “Not my granddaughter!”
Susan woke up trembling and startled to find Stephanie sleeping next to her like she had been in her nightmare. Instinctively, she reached out to ensure her granddaughter was alive and a wave of relief came when she felt her little chest rise and fall. She moved strands of hair that hung over the sleeping child’s face and leaned over, gently kissing her forehead.
Susan climbed out of bed into the freezing room. She covered Stephanie with an extra blanket and headed to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat.
Just before dawn Annabelle arrived back at her mothers. She slipped in the front door and into the kitchen.
“Was that the wisest thing to do?” Susan said from the kitchen.
“Oh mom, you’re awake,” Annabelle said startled.
“Yes, and I found your letter. What the hell were you thinking?”
“We needed food,” Annabelle said, holding up the pillowcases.
“Annabelle,” Susan said, taking a bag of food from her. “We need to have a serious talk about what we’re going to do!”
“I know mom,” Annabelle replied.
“My god!” Susan exclaimed. “Is that blood?” she asked at the sight of Annabelle’s stained clothes.
“Yes,” Annabelle said, putting the pillowcases down and began sobbing.
“Are you hurt?”
Annabelle shook her head no. Her bottom lip curled in as she cried.
“Whose blood is it?” Susan asked, trying to console her daughter.
Not wanting to tell her about the men who tried to rape her, knowing it would make her mother’s anxiety go through the roof, so she lied and said, “A dog attacked me. I stabbed it before it could bite me.”
“You were smart to bring a knife with you.”
Annabelle nodded, trying to compose herself.
“Well, you need to get out of those blood-soaked clothes and washed up before Stephanie wakes up and sees you like that.”
“Okay,” Annabelle sobbed.
“Why don’t you go wash up in the bathroom and I’ll bring you some clean clothes.”
Susan began putting the groceries away while Annabelle was washing up and started a pot of water on the stove.
“Thankfully, the gas still works,” Susan said, opening the oven door, releasing much needed warmth.
Annabelle stepped over in front of the oven and rubbed her freezing hands in the heat emitting from it.
“All the food you brought from your house won’t last long,” Susan said, sitting down at the table.
“Mom, I know,” Annabelle said, with a worried look.
“I think we should consider heading south. We won’t survive a long harsh winter here.”
“And you think it will be easier out there?” Annabelle asked, nodding her head toward the window.
“No, but a month from now the snow will be flying. Then what?”
“I don’t know mom.” Concern was visible across Annabelle’s face.
“I say we pack up what we can for food and clothing, load up Stephanie’s red wagon and head south.”
Annabelle looked out the window, knowing snow would cover the ground soon. She also knew the temperature would plummet to the single digits, or even worse, negative.
“In a month’s time we could be far enough south and away from the snow.”
“But mom, where will we go?”
“Well, it’s funny you should ask. I’ve been having dreams lately of Florida.”
“Really?”
“Yes. In my dreams we’re at the Disney resort that your father and I stayed at on our honeymoon. It’s so beautiful and warm there and has all the accommodations. Plus, there’s a man in my dreams.”
“A man mom, really?”
“Yes, dear, but it’s hard to see his face. It’s always blurry, like a shadow, but he is in charge and he cares for everyone. He’s like the Mayor or something.”
Annabelle sat there recalling her trip to see the Mouse back in college, and she remembered how sunny and warm it was. Then, as if on cue, Stephanie called out, “Mommy, I’m cold.” A moment later she rounded the corner adorned with a blanket around her which trailed down the hallway.
Chapter 38
Mystic, Connecticut
“Is anyone else concerned why this man has a mattress in the back of his truck, or is it just me?” Cass asked.
“Well, given that he drove from Nebraska and there are no hotels open, I assume he used it to sleep on,” Sara said, stating the obvious.
“Oh,” Cass said, looking down.
Grant squeezed his wife’s hand and whispered into her ear, reminding her of what had happened to Cass’s friends, so she was probably looking at the mattress through a different prism.
Drew sat in the front seat and it felt good seeing a familiar stretch of road.
Breaking the silence between them, Stan asked, “Where in Stoughton do you live?”
“Do you know where the Target is?” Drew asked.
“Yeah, right off of Route 24.”
“I live about a mile down on the left.”
“So, do you think it’s quicker to go straight up I-95 to I-93 then?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Which way do you recommend then?”
“I-95 to 295, back onto I-95 and then get off at exit 9 for Foxboro.”
“Why would we go 295? That’s longer.”
“It will add about fifteen to twenty minutes, which is better than driving right up 95 straight through the heart of Providence. There are a lot of tall buildings right next to the highway, including the Providence Mall, which provides dozens of ambush sites.”
“True,” Stan said.
“Plus, with all those interchanges, I bet it’s clogged with a ton of cars. Going 295 seems longer, but it will be the fastest.”
“Wow, you’ve really given this some thought. I bet you got the entire trip planned out in your head.”
“Yup!” Drew said, turning his head, and looked out the window. He didn’t feel like explaining what it was like growing up with an abusive father and always having to plan around his temperament. It was one of those things that just stuck, and Drew applied it to everyday life. See the issue before it arises and avoid it or try to have a plan if it does.
An uncomfortableness filled the cab of the truck that didn’t sit right with Stan.
The miles passed as they made their way north straight up I-95 until they reached Warwick, Rhode Island where Stan moved the truck over to the far left lane and prepared to get on 295 which was one of those unusual left-sided exits in New England.
After making the turn, Stan thought about what Drew had said. Blinded by the desire to get home to see Carol, Stan acknowledged that he had overlooked that stretch of I-95, recalling how traffic usually backed up there when he had to travel to and from Pennsylvania for work. Breaking the silence, Stan told Drew that taking 295 was the right call, and the tension seemed to ease immediately.
In less than an hour they were back on I-95 and crossed over into Massachusetts, and a palpable excitement filled the cab.
Within minutes they reached their exit. Slowing, Stan snaked the vehicle down the offramp and onto the main road.
An eerie feeling washed over Drew as they made their way through the desolate streets, and anxiety replaced his excitement.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at Drew’s house.
“It’s up here on the right,” Drew said as they rounded the corner and passed beneath the high-tension power lines. Drew’s Spidey sense was in full swing and he had butterflies in his stomach.
“Right here,” Drew said, pointing to his driveway, sweat forming on his palms.
Stan pulled into the circular driveway just after the brick wall adorned with decorative lions.
“Fuck!” Drew shouted, hopping out of the truck before it stopped.
Stan threw the truck in park and yelled to the group in the back.
Steve looked up just as Drew ascended the front steps with his rifle at the ready and stormed into the house.
“Oh, no!” Cass said at the sight of the busted open front door.
Chapter 39
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Drew charged up the stairs. Using his foot, he pushed the door open and entered the house with the rifle at the ready. His heart was pounding in his chest at the sight of the pair of legs sticking out from the kitchen doorway.
Storming into the kitchen, Drew scanned the area for any threats. Looking down, he felt relieved when he saw that the individual on the floor was a fat bald man. It was apparent by the amount of blood on the floor that the man was dead.
Stepping over the body, Drew made his way down the hallway and stopped when he spotted another pair of legs sticking out of Stephanie’s room. Drew could tell it was another man, deceased, with a knife sticking out of the back of his neck.
Proceeding slowly, Drew stepped over the legs and peeked into his daughter’s bedroom. Seeing it was empty, he looked down at the man and recognized his face. It was one of the Reynold’s brothers, known troublemakers in the town.
“Annabelle!” Drew shouted, making his way down the hall into their bedroom.
Empty.
Drew ran back the way he came, stopping to whip open the basement door and shot down the stairs.
Outside, Steve jumped over the side of the truck and chased after Drew. Entering the house, Steve heard Drew screaming for Annabelle and stopped short when he noticed the pair of legs next to the refrigerator.
Cass hopped down from the truck upon hearing Drew shouting his wife’s name and raced into the house. Steve turned as Cass came running in and stopped her from entering any further.
“Don’t go in there,” Steve said, holding onto Cass.
“What is it?” Cass asked. “Is she dead?”
Steve fought to hold her from going past and tried pushing her back outside.
Cass leaned hard to the right and caught a glimpse of a pair of legs on the floor with blood pooled around the body.
“Oh, God!” Cass said, her shoulders slumping down at the sight of the body.
Drew quickly searched the basement and noticed blood in the sink behind the bar. He stood there a moment staring at Annabelle’s wedding rings sitting on the counter next to the sink covered in dried blood.
Back outside, Grant and Sara stood talking to Stan in front of the truck when Steve and Cass came out.
“Everything okay?” Stan asked.
Steve shook his head no and wrapped his arm around Cass.
“This isn’t good,” Sara said.
“I guess Drew was right, something bad happened,” Grant said.
“Are they both dead?” Sara asked.
Just as Steve and Cass reached the truck, Drew came sprinting around the corner from the back of the house. Stunned, the group stood there staring at him.
“Let’s go!” Drew shouted, running around the truck, and jumping into the driver’s seat.
Steve released Cass and jumped in the front seat, leaving the others to scramble and hop into the bed of the truck.
Drew glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure they were all safely in, then floored the gas.
Chapter 40
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stephanie stood in front of the bay window playing with her dolls when a black pickup truck came barreling into the driveway and skidded to a halt on the front lawn.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Stephanie started shouting while jumping up and down.
“What?” Annabelle called from the kitchen table.
“Not this again,” Susan said. “The poor girl.”
“Mom, she lost her father.”
“I know that.”
