After Oil: 2088

 

Dawn

 

To the west the sky was an angry grey; reminiscent of the cracked, worn and sun bleached pavement of this endless forgotten highway we’d been trudging along for nearly three weeks. It feels as though it’s been much longer for me as I’ve lost all sense of times passing. Yet we are ever moving along and at this mark in the road stopping was only for eating and sleeping.



The sky to the east is a sight rarely seen because through the smog is a glitter of brilliant orange rising over the horizon. It’s the first sunrise I’d seen in months replacing the dull white light in the sky that we’ve all come to consider normal. While they say the nuclear winter is far behind us it is also speculated that we will never again fully experience the brilliance of true sunlight. It’s ironic that after the oil war we rely heavily on the unreliable yet coveted solar power. If the technology had of been embraced in the 20’s today we might be living in a different world…of that we’ll never know.



I was lagging behind the others by perhaps less than a mile and yet because of the smog I was beginning to lose sight of them. This wasn’t out of the ordinary as I was mostly a solitary person I had no qualms about watching the rear of the convoy. Until a few years ago, how long for sure I cannot say, I was alone. After my mother died I didn’t have anyone and for the most part I was fine with that. I was good at fending for myself, and in that situation fending is all you can do.



Even now I feel like somewhat of an outcast. Nobody ever said as such but they really didn’t have to, we all knew it and it was hard to ignore our differences. The others thought of nothing but survival and moving on. I on the other hand would want nothing more than to settle somewhere and to make a home for ourselves. They were selfish and would kill almost anyone in order to obtain something useful. I’d rather help people than fight with them but when it came to that I had no say – we were only to look out for ourselves and one another and to leave outsiders to their own demises.



I wish more than anything that they would eventually try to join a community of people. We’ve seen ourselves communities of sometimes upwards to 300 people all living together harmoniously and off of the land. They are not selfish, and they are not in it for themselves. Unfortunately whenever we reach one of these communities we usually end up looting supplies from them, occasionally having to kill people in order to keep our whereabouts unknown.



Regardless of how I feel about their ethics the five people barely visible on the highway ahead of me are all I really have left. While I may not exactly fit in I’m still endlessly grateful to have someone – anyone – after experiencing survival on my own. The fact that they accepted me as one of their own is enough for me to be forever indebted to them. And because they helped me so long ago and even now I would do anything for any one of them. In fact I’ve killed for them, going against everything I believe in.



As I looked to the east in awe of the rare glimpse of true sunlight I couldn’t deny the faint reflection I kept seeing through the trees about a half mile away. At first it was just a slight flash through the deadened trees but as my eyes adjusted I could no longer be in doubt of what I was seeing. There was definitely a structure beyond the trees and that the others didn’t see it first astounded me. As I looked ahead of me on the road I realized that they were much too far away; it would be impossible and too dangerous to call ahead to them. Having faith that I would eventually catch up to them I headed to the side of the road, hopped over an old rusted and twisted guardrail and headed down the embankment leading into the dead forest.



I walked through the trees of grey and the crackling of dead matter under my feet was unnervingly loud. I tried to ignore the overwhelming amount of noise that I was unintentionally creating and instead focused on the otherwise silent forest. I was listening for anything remotely out of the ordinary so I could be on guard if someone decided to attack. I took my bow from my back carefully maneuvering it over my pack. I reached over my left shoulder and grabbed an arrow which I carefully positioned in my bow. I continued to walk quickly and as silently as I could while holding my weapon in both hands.



I stopped when I neared the structure. I was crouched at the tree line only about a hundred yards from what appeared to be an abandoned farm house. However I knew appearances could be deceiving and I couldn’t afford to believe that the house was really empty. After a few minutes crouched in the brush I couldn’t wait any longer. I moved out of my cover and quickly made my way across the overgrown clearing between the trees and the house. As I neared towards the house I noticed several windows were boarded up but other than that most windows were filthy yet intact. Looters almost always smashed the windows. I crouched beside the red bricked structure just to the left of a large window. I’d still yet to hear anything out of the ordinary.



Cautiously I moved towards the window and glanced inside; my bow and arrow clutched in my hand and ready to fire. The inside of the house certainly looked deserted however the filth on the window allowed me only a distorted view. I wouldn’t truly know unless I entered the house. A shiver ran up my spine at a particularly cold gust of wind and that’s all I needed to get moving. I swiftly moved around the structure before finding a door. I smashed out the small window of stained glass and reached inside to release the lock. All the while I looked around completely paranoid and exposed. As soon as the lock gave I pushed the door open and stumbled inside.



The house was somewhat dark but I could see well enough that the substantial amount of dust coving the floor and everything else was untouched. I slowly made my way through the hallway passing what would be considered a living room on the left, and a dining room on the right. Further up on the right was a kitchen and straight ahead was a stairway. The silence in the house was deafening yet also put me at ease enough to lower my bow. I entered the kitchen and dropped my pack on a dusty chair while setting my bow carefully on the table. I wasted no time opening cupboards and drawers ignoring items we already had surpluses of and removing anything useful.



I found a small pantry filled with canned goods. I quickly began removing them and pilling everything onto the kitchen table. Aside from canned goods I also took several hunting knives and a few small pots. Most of what was in the kitchen was useless to us and I was about to move on to a different area of the house when I came upon a drawer. Inside was a small radio which was crank operated and several packs of batteries which may or may not still be good. I emptied the drawer and placed the items on the table. As I moved out of the room I did a full sweep of the hallway with my eyes before deciding to go upstairs in the hopes of finding some decent clothes.



The stairs creaked menacingly as I ascended them. I stopped only once, at the landing, to peer out the window. Satisfied that no one had been following me I climbed the rest of the way to the top. Immediately at the top of the stairs to the left there was a bedroom. I entered it slowly taking in how untouched everything looked. There was only one small dresser and I rifled through it quickly pulling out random clothes that were hard to come by, like socks and blue jeans. On the other side of the room was a trunk which I made my way over to. The lock on it was so rusted that it broke in my hand. When I pushed the lid open I was somewhat shocked, and extremely delighted by what I’d found.



I pulled out a double barrel shotgun. It was in mostly good condition aside from some slight oxidization on the barrel. I set it aside as I removed 3 boxes of shells. Beneath these was a pair of military (well, former military) issued boots. I immediately kicked off my ratty tennis shoes and pulled the boots on. I couldn’t help but smile as they not only fit me but the laces weren’t even rotted. Also in the box was a decorated military jacket. I didn’t know what the patches meant but I wasted no time putting on the heavy jacket. Beneath the jacket lay a small metal box. I opened it carefully never expecting to find a long barreled revolver. I didn’t know much about guns but I was sure it was a powerful thing. I stuck it into the waist band of my jeans and emptied the 24 or so loose bullets into my pockets. I found an old woven shopping bag in the closet and stuffed it with the clothes and the shells I’d found. I was also delighted to find two unopened bottles of scotch on the top shelf of the closet. I slung the shotgun over my shoulder and left the room, my new boots making my steps much louder and heavier.



The only other room of worth upstairs was the washroom which was full of all sorts of medicine. Granted it was all expired but that’s all there was these days. Aside from the medicine I took all 4 rolls of tissue paper as well as a few towels and a small bottle of perfume and a hairbrush for the only girl in our convoy. At that thought I suddenly realized I’d need to hurry if I ever wanted to catch up with them. I quickly lugged the bag with all my finds down the stairs and into the kitchen. I’d also taken a travel bag from the bedrooms closet and loaded all the canned goods into it. I slung my bow over my back next to my newly found shotgun. I opened my own bag and emptied most of the contents before stuffing the revolver and bullets into the bottom of it. I put my things back in carefully to conceal the weapon, setting the batteries, radio and alcohol on top. I put my pack back on my back, and slung the travel bag across my shoulders making sure I could still easily access my bow. I hoisted up the other bag filled with clothes and toiletries and made my way to the front of the house, the opposite way from where I came in.



The entryway was what would be considered a mudroom and I threw the three pairs of shoes and two jackets by the door into the bag in my hands. On the bench next to the door was a crank operated flashlight and a yellowed newspaper from 2051, the first few pages bleached blank from the sun. I put both items into the bag on top of everything else before carefully unlocking the door and peering outside. Everything seemed as quiet as when I entered however I wasn’t taking any chances. I removed my bow and loaded my arrow into it as I made my way across a rotting wooden porch and down the stairs into an overgrown lawn.



At the front of the house was a driveway with a rusted out pickup truck growing weeds. To the right of that was a well preserved tin roof shed which wasn’t visible to me when I entered the house. Although I knew I should start heading back, especially because of the added weight I was now carrying, I moved towards the shed setting down the bag of clothes before jerking open the rusted sliding door. Inside was almost empty aside from a largish object in the middle of the shed which was covered with a tarp. After untying the tarp I pulled it away to reveal something I had never seen before…at least not in this condition. It was a four wheeled dirt bike. That’s the only way I can describe it as I didn’t really know what it was.



The vehicle was in phenomenal shape with little rust. The seat was cracked but the tires, although flat, were in good condition. I looked along the shelf at the back of the shed and found a small air pump. I’d seen Les do this before with the truck we had and within fifteen minutes I’d inflated all four tires. On the ground near the bike were three medium gas cans. Two were full and the third was only half empty. I quickly unscrewed the cap and the smell of old gasoline quickly filled the shed. I emptied the can into the bike and replaced the gas cap. With all my strength I pushed the four wheeled bike out of the shed. There was a key in the ignition but at this point it’d be a pretty long shot if it started. Either way I had to try.



When I turned the key I was more than surprised to hear the engine sputter. It didn’t start though at this point I had faith that it would. I loaded the bags, except for my pack, into the compartment on the back of the bike. I used several small pieces of rope to tie the remaining gas cans to the back of the bike before trying the ignition again. After several attempts the bike roared to life. The noise was extreme and I immediately became aware that anyone nearby would hear it. I climbed on top of it and slowly took off. Some part must have been seized as it made a few horrible grinding sounds before jerking forward.



I’d driven a dirt bike once before and it seemed the controls were similar. I wasn’t completely confidant but as I made my way around the farm house toward the forest I thought I was at least capable of getting back to the road. I pulled my goggles over my eyes and headed back the same way I’d come. Going through the forest wasn’t as easy as I had intended but I was still back at the road quicker than I’d thought I’d be. Once I hit the pavement I sped up, feeling the cold air rush past me. My hands and face were instantly frozen but I was too much in awe at what I was doing to even notice. It was hard to believe that I was actually driving a gas operated vehicle.



About 6 miles up the road I could begin to make out a lone figure. As I got closer I could see that it was Les, and unnervingly he was aiming at me with his big hunting rifle. I slowed down about a half mile from him but he didn’t seem to recognize me. He yelled something but I couldn’t hear him over the sound of the engine. I slowly rolled closer before shutting the bike off. Immediately I could hear him yelling that he’d kill me if I got any closer. Suddenly there was a flurry of movement as Constantine emerged from the ditch halfway between Les and I.



“It’s Teddy, you crazy son of a bitch!” she screeched at Les before running towards me. Les finally lowered his gun and started walking after her. The others slowly climbed out of the ditch and once they’d come close enough they all started talking at once. I climbed off the bike and said nothing as it was impossible to hear any one of them. Finally Les came up behind everyone, “Shut up!” he yelled, making everyone fall silent. “Where the fuck have you been you little prick? You just take off like that? Huh?” once he was close enough he shoved me backwards making me stumble. “We thought someone was following us, figured they’d killed your pansy ass.”



“I found a house; actually I’m surprised you missed it. I have food and medicine and….” He cut me off abruptly. “Well aren’t you so fuckin’ special. What am I supposed to thank you? You were supposed to be watching our backs and instead you just decided to fuck off on us?”



“That’s enough Les, the boy was only trying to help,” the raspy voice of Abe, the oldest member of our convoy, cut in. I got along best with Abe probably because I was the only one interested in his stories of how things once were. “Now let’s see what you’ve got for us Teddy.” I silently removed the gas cans and opened the compartment on the back of the bike.



“I uh, kind of threw everything all together,” I explained as I started pulling out random items. I handed around the jackets and shoes I’d found in the mudroom and the others seemed pretty pleased with that. I handed Les the three boxes of shells and he almost immediately yanked the shotgun off my shoulder yanking my arm painfully.



“This is mine. Give me those boots too,” he demanded. The others said nothing, usually too afraid to stand up to Les.



“Forget it, I found them and I’m keeping them. Besides you already took my fucking gun,” I shot back at him. “Here,” I continued, taking my pack off my back, “this should make you happy,” I said while handing him the scotch, batteries and radio. He looked at the items skeptically before grabbing them from my hands. “Woo-eee! Teddy! We’re getting drunk tonight baby boy! What else you got for us?” Les exclaimed suddenly throwing his arm over my shoulder and brutally smashing my collar bone with one of the bottles. This was the other side of him. Half the time he hated me, the other half of the time I was his right hand man. Too bad I couldn’t have found some bi-polar medication.



We spent the next half hour sorting out the food and clothing. We put the medication in Bobby’s pack with the rest of our first aid supplies. Bobby wasn’t exactly a doctor but he’d read medical books and that was good enough for us. Dallas was the final member of our convoy. He was definitely the techie of the group and the carrier of all things remotely ‘electric’, such as batteries, radios, flashlights, GPS units etc. He even had a working laptop for a while which he still carries around in hopes (high hopes) of finding a lithium ion battery for it…whatever that is.



I’m the youngest in our group but I’m far than helpless. Aside from Les I was a better hunter than the rest. I also had a keen sense of direction and was usually in charge of the maps. Personally I could care less about reading maps considering we never have an ultimate goal. We’re never going to settle anywhere at this rate, so knowing where we’re going seems like a waste of time. Granted, some areas were too dangerous for a convoy of only six people to enter; and it was also useful to know where the GPU centers were – more so before when we actually had a working vehicle.



We ended up making camp in the middle of the highway that afternoon. It wasn’t the safest place by far but we always have someone on look-out at night. Constantine made pasta with sauce which I’d found in the old farm house. Dried pasta was kind of a rarity. We sat in a circle on the pavement and ate and drank well into the afternoon. After that the others set up camp and settled in to sleep. We generally sleep during the day and travel at night – it was safest and also easier for the look-out to spot anyone creeping up on us. I was the look-out tonight, yet was surprised that Les had stayed awake as well.



“So what are we going to do with this quad?” Les asked suddenly, making me jump and hit my eye with the binoculars I’d been looking through.



“Jesus Les, I almost took my fucking eye out!” I scolded, rubbing at my face. “Don’t be such a fucking baby,” he paused, looking around; “I think we should ditch it. We don’t have enough gas for it to be of any use to us.”



“Whatever, man,” was my only reply. I brought the binoculars back up to my face and scanned the south side of the road before swinging around and examining the north. “Hey, I think I see….yeah, man….there’s someone heading towards us,” I concluded, trying to concentrate on the moving object barely within distance ahead of us. Les yanked the binoculars from my hands and examined the road ahead. “Two people,” he concluded. “Looks like they’re dragging something.” He lowered the binoculars and kicked at Bobby’s legs. “Wake up. Get up you fucker!” he added another kick when Bobby didn’t move fast enough.



“Okay, okay! I’m awake! What’s your problem?” he replied groggily before slowly making his way to his feet. “Look,” Les replied, handing him the binoculars. “It looks like one’s a kid,” Bobby mumbled before lowering the lenses and passing it back to me. “Wake everyone up and get off the road,” Les commanded. “You,” he said, pointing at me, “are coming with me. Get your weapon ready and get on the quad, I drive.” I climbed onto the bike behind Les and hung the binoculars around my neck. I got my bow and an arrow off my back and held both in my right hand while I held onto the bike with my left. Les started up what he called the ‘quad’ and wasted no time in taking off up the road. I lowered my goggles again and once I felt balanced enough I brought the binoculars back to my face.



I could see clearly now that it was indeed two people; a woman and a boy. Behind them they were pulling a small wagon. The woman’s face was clearly surprised, and the boy’s frightened when they caught sight of us. Neither made any attempt to run and within seconds Les had stopped the quad in front of them. The woman was youngish and her dark skin was evident that she wasn’t the boy’s mother. The child was filthy, his face and hair caked with dirt and grime; his clothes tattered and unsuitable for the cold weather.



“Well, well, well, what have we here?” Les taunted as he shut the bike off and climbed down. I immediately followed him but decided not to raise my weapon; they looked scared enough as it was. Les walked around the strange duo moving to their cart. He pulled back the sheet covering its contents and let out a short burst of laughter. “Teddy bear look what we have here. God damned if I ever thought I’d see a live chicken again.” I moved so that I could see what was in the cart. It contained a small cage with two chickens in it and a few other measly possessions. I looked at the birds curiously, having not seen one in almost a year when we’d gone through the last community.



“Please sir, those birds are all we have,” the girl pleaded suddenly, her voice meek and head lowered. Almost immediately Les backhanded her across the face. “Did I ask you to talk bitch?” I grabbed him by the arm when he raised his hand to hit her again. “How many times have I told you? We don’t hit women or children,” I said sternly earning me an elbow to the side of the head. I let go of Les and brought my hand to my head, I scowled at him. “No Teddy bear, YOU don’t hit women and children. I do whatever the fuck I want. Got that?” he demanded angrily. “It isn’t right,” I mumbled. The girl was sobbing slightly and the boy looked like he was ready to bolt.



“Listen girly,” I cut in before Les could traumatize them any more. “We’re taking these chickens, and then you’ll be on your way. Do you understand?” I asked as nicely as I could manage. “But...but...” She started before I cut in. “No buts’, that’s just the way it is. We don’t want to hurt you or the boy, we just want the birds.”



“Speak for yourself, I’d rather kill the bitch,” Les replied, turning to spit on the girl.



“Seriously Les, is that really necessary?” I said to him shaking my head. He rubbed at his bearded chin before giving a shrug. “I don’t know, but it is fun.”



“We wont be able to survive without the eggs; please you have to show mercy he’s only a child,” she pleaded. I thought Les would hit her again but he hesitated, looking past me and back the way we’d come. “What is that?” he asked me. I turned and brought the binoculars to my face. “It’s the others,” I explained. “No one listens to a god damned thing I say. Stay here and watch these two, Teddy. Don’t let them wander off.” Les said nothing more before jumping back on the quad, starting it up and turning around to head back the other way. I watched with the binoculars until he reached the others. I couldn’t make out much but I assumed he was power tripping like usual.



“Please, you have to help us. Let us go before he comes back, please!” the girl sobbed, tangling her hand in the sleeve of my jacket. I shook her off. “No,” I said simply. “Is he going to kill us?” the boy spoke for the first time, his voice unusually sure considering the condition he was in. “He wont kill you…I don’t think so anyways.” They both looked helpless when I said that and I instantly felt bad. See, this is how I differ from the others; I actually feel bad for people. But feeling sorry for people is no good for our convoy.



“Look, once he lets you go, about 6 miles up the road and about a mile east of the highway there’s an old farm house. It seems safe enough and there’s food and clothes there,” I said, trying to reassure them. “You’re probably just saying that,” the girl wailed. “Shut up and stop crying,” I yelled at her, shocked at how much I sounded like Les. The girl whimpered a few times before falling quiet.



After several painful minutes of silence the others finally walked to me; Les bringing up the rear with the quad which was starting to sound choked. He shut it off halting the watery gurgling sound that the machine was making. “Oh yeah Les, these two look real dangerous,” Constantine remarked sarcastically. “Looks can be deceiving sweetness,” he purred back menacingly causing her to roll her eyes in disgust. “That’s enough,” I cut in, “Lets just take the chickens and let them pass; we need to be going anyways – it’s almost dusk.”



“Sure and risk the chance that they slit our throats in our sleep,” Les accused. “Be realistic boy; these two couldn’t harm a fly. Look how weak they look,” Abe’s voice of reason cut through the awkward tension. “He’s right, Les,” Dallas added, sweeping his bright orange hair off of his face and adjusting his thick taped and cracked glasses. Les looked irritated, as he usually does when any of us don’t agree with him, but surprisingly he stayed quiet. “C’mon we might as well take the wagon too,” I cut in, pushing the girl and kid away from it, “and we really need to get the fuck out of here.”



“Whatever, we’ll let the little fucking whore and her sad fuck face puppy go on their way then,” Les agreed begrudged. “Would you two watch your language in front of the child? Lord have mercy...” Abe pleaded shaking his head disappointingly. “Sorry Abe,” I mumbled feeling somehow embarrassed. I turned away to begin moving our stuff from our smaller heavier metal wagon, into their larger lighter wood one. “You heard my boy Teddy, girl. You need to get a move on,” Constantine announces in what Bobby calls her ‘ghetto’ accent which only seemed to come out when she was around someone dark skinned like her. “Go on bitch,” Les adds, shoving the girl in the direction we’d come from. She silently took the boys hand and they started slowly continuing on their way. The girl turned back briefly and met my eyes. I simply pointed to the south-east where I’d told her to go.



By the time we’d loaded the trailer and began to move on, the woman and boy we’re barely within sight. We decided to keep the gas but ditch the quad as it was too loud and could be a detriment when it came to survival. We pushed it into the ditch along with our old trailer. It was dark by the time we started walking again; me and Bobby pulling the trailer and the rest lumbering along beside us. We were quiet and contemplative about the next coming weeks as we were to pass through several small towns before arriving at the nearest GPU center in what was once known as a city called Cincinnati.



This isn’t the beginning nor is it the end of our story. Survival is all we have to look forward to and although we don’t always get along, I’m glad I have someone that I’m able to survive with. This is my family, and this is our story.