She moved up slowly, but each vehicle far ahead, turned and went back the way they’d come. By the time she got up to the front, she was shaking like a leaf. Her heart hurt in her chest and she felt queasy. Her fear was nearly over the top. Her mouth was so dry, it hurt to swallow. Tears hovered in her eyes and she tore the plastic away. A woman, in uniform, National Guard, she thought, or a private security? She didn’t know, and she didn’t care.
“I’m sorry ma’am, the city is shutting down. No one in or out until further notice.” The woman said, her mouth grim. Trish was sure the woman had been cursed at and yelled at. Trish couldn’t help it, she busted out crying. She’d been wound so tightly with constant fear, hunger and exhaustion, she couldn’t help it.
“I have three babies; my neighbor is watching them. But she won’t stay. If I’m not home, she’ll leave my babies alone. I have a three-year-old, two-year-old and a newborn. I have to go ..hoo…hoo… home.” Trish blubbered hysterically.
“What…what about your husband?” The woman stuttered, shock on her face.
“He’s deployed in the Middle East. I’ve had all this shit on my shoulders. I’ve had to work extra shifts at the hospital to get enough money for enough food. I have to get home. My Christ, I have to get to my babies. She’ll leave them.” Trish’s voice rose in a crescendo. The woman looked frantically around. She then leaned into the window.
“Go, but anyone asks you, you were turned away from coming into the city. I could get into serious trouble. I mean it. Don’t tell anyone you were let out of the city.” She hissed in a low voice.
“Thank you, God bless you. Thank you.” Trish choked out and pulled ahead, trying not to run the woman over. Her eyes were filled with tears and she heard the woman wish her luck. She wiped at the tears and sped away. She had to get home, she had to get out of this nightmare. She turned and breathed when the light turned green. She didn’t want to run a red light, but she didn’t want to stop either. She looked around and saw no police.
They were shutting down the city, she couldn’t come back. How long would it last? My god, what would others do? If that woman hadn’t taken pity on her story, she’d be stuck there! Where were people going to live? Would they put them into the Hive? Was that their plan? Once more, she thought about WashingtonD.C., was the government pushing to corral people? Was that why they refused to put out more information about the detonation sites? She wasn’t, nor ever would be a conspiracy nut, she didn’t have time for that, but things were moving sideways, not making any sense.
Wasn’t aid coming from overseas? Where was that aid? She knew with the bombings much of their food supply had been destroyed or cut off. That was why she’d gone to the box stores in those first days. As a prepper, she knew it was vital to gather supplies for the worst-case scenarios. Trish had then buried and hidden a lot of her supplies. Hogan had been the only person she’d told, and she was thankful. She wiped at the tears that were continuing to fall. The air was so cold, it made her ears hurt. The plastic taped to the window was rattling loudly.
The side of her head felt numb and she pulled her hat lower, trying to protect herself from the onslaught of the piercing wind. She trembled at the thought of others knowing what she had. Her mind went to Rina, the woman’s eyes filled with avarice and hunger, looking at her food. Number one rule about prepping, tell no one. She was glad, however, that she’d brought Hogan in. She’d known even in those first days, that she could not do this on her own. But she’d looked up information on the internet, whatever she could about the man and saw nothing that would lead her to believe that Hogan wasn’t a good man. It had been a risk, but it had paid off.
Slowing down, Trish pulled off the main highway and down toward her own road. She looked at the houses around her. There was a dusting of snow on the ground. Not much. Making another turn, she saw that some of the homes had broken windows. She and Hogan had been hearing more and more gunplay at night. People were hunting and it looked like they were stealing what wasn’t nailed down. She shivered again. She was thankful she picked her home. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was well away from the highway and you had to really know where you were going, to find it. She was sure that thieves would take out easier targets first. Along the main highway, or much traveled streets.
It was late afternoon and the weak sun was sinking, painting the skies with soft lavenders and pinks. The skies were finally clear now, and when it was a clear day, the skies were a cerulean blue, beautiful. Three months had passed and they were heading into the new year. Christmas was coming up and there would be no joyous yuletide and certainly no happy new year.
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Hogan was chilled outside enjoying the fresh air and chopping wood. He was breaking the wood down to smaller kindling. He’d gone out with Baby, who loved romping in the woods, to find deadfall. He’d left Jewel and Ralph to guard the house. He
