Read Snow & Ash: Endless Winter Online

Authors: Theresa Shaver

Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Post-Apocalyptic, #Teen & Young Adult, #Dystopian

Snow & Ash: Endless Winter (7 page)

BOOK: Snow & Ash: Endless Winter
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Chapter Seven-Skylar

“Is that a cow?”

I rub my weary eyes after a night of staying up with the baby. I’m trying to figure out how this sling works that I found in one of the bags I had brought from the nursery. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that it’s next to impossible to do anything with a baby in my arms. The problem is, the sling is way too big for my skinny ten year old body so I finally have to tie a knot in the fabric to make it small enough that the baby stays pressed against me. Thank God there was a little paper handout in the package or I would have been totally lost on how to use the thing.

Dad had passed through the living room earlier and had left the door to the rest of the cave open so the sound was clear but it didn’t make sense. As soon as the baby was in the sling I went through the door looking for him. I had only had a quick look through the door on the first day when we got here so I was unsure of all that was back there. There were a few doors that were closed to rooms that had walls but the walls didn’t go all the way to the top of the rock ceiling. Looking up I could see lights hanging from a grid of metal beams drilled into the rock and it amazed me that Dad had created this place.

Past the closed doors, there were the shipping containers to the left and to the right was an empty gardening center. I counted six raised rows of empty beds filled with soil with hanging grates above them that held a lot of empty pots waiting to be filled. Past those on the far right wall were two more closed doors that were imbedded into the rock wall. The size of this place was beyond anything I had imagined when my parents had talked about Dad’s man cave. The distinctive sound of a cow came again and I picked up my pace further into the cave.

Once I had passed the shipping containers and garden area I again came to stop at the sight of the weirdest thing. A knee high wooden fence cut all the way across the cavern and on the other side of it was a four foot across stream. I tracked it across the room and saw a small pond cut into the rock floor. Looking closer at the water I saw a flash of silver as fish shot by. A silly grin split my face. Not only did Dad make a crazy huge man cave but he put in his own fishing pond. There was a little railed bridge to cross over it so I crossed and went deeper into the back.

To the right were more wooden fences but larger and made into two animal pens. One of them had a chicken coop and my eyes popped out at the six hens and one ugly rooster that were scattered around it pecking at the hay covered floor. The other pen had a real honest to goodness cow in it. It was huge and black and white and it stared back at me over the rail as it chewed hay. I stared back in amazement. Where on earth had these animals come from and more importantly, was I going to have to clean up after them?!

The scream of an electric saw had me turning to the left and there was Dad. My eyes roamed over the walls and tables around him that had all the work shop tools anyone could ever need. I had to shake my head a little in disbelief, Mom was always going on about how many tools Dad had in the garage but this was at least double that.

I wandered over towards him and saw that he was in the middle of a building project. From what I could see it looked like he was building a baby cradle. I just stood there watching him and rubbing the baby’s soft head while he worked. His face was haggard and strained and he looked like an older tired version of my dad. Again, sorrow at the loss of Mom rushed through me. Tears burned my eyes as I tried to deal with how unfair this change in our lives was.

Without looking up at me, Dad spoke.

“Can’t have the boy sleeping in a drawer, you’ll be surprised at how fast he’ll grow out of it.”

I glanced down at the tiny lump against my chest for a second before clearing my throat.

“Um Dad? How did you do all of this? I mean all this stuff, the lights and the rooms and the containers, where did it all come from?”

It took him a few seconds before he answered me as he continued to sand the board of wood he was working on. He finally dropped the sand paper and looked up.

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do all of it. I just did the finishing work, our living area and the animal pens and gardens. Uncle Bill had the majority of all this done before I even knew about it.”

I shook my head, “He just gave all this to us?” I asked in disbelief.

Dad ran a hand through his messy hair making it even messier while looking around the cavern.

“Not exactly, it’s complicated.” He paused and frowned before shaking his head. “I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore but what he did was very illegal. After I got back from my last deployment your Uncle and I spent a weekend camping out up in these mountains. We talked a lot about the future and the way the world was headed. I told him about my plans to find a piece of land up here that I could buy and set up as a fallback position in case the sh… uh poop hit the fan. We talked plans and designs and supplies. It was sort of fun to lay it all out. After that I got busy and spent the next four years building up the construction company. There just never seemed to be any time to dedicate to working on the plan and I just tucked it away for someday in the future. Do you remember when Uncle Bill and his family came out to visit for your sixth birthday party?”

I nod my head slowly with my mouth flattened into a grim line, I remember that visit very clearly mainly because of the most annoying boy on earth was with them. Uncle Bill’s son, Jackson is a few years older than me and a total spaz. He had ruined my party by popping the heads off and plucking the wings from the two Fairytopia Barbie dolls I had gotten as gifts. This had enraged me so much that I had smacked him in the head with the piñata stick causing him to fall backwards on to my Barbie birthday cake. Party…Ruined!

A brief grin flickered across Dad’s face at the memory. “Right, um do you remember after the party Bill and I went for a drive? Well, he brought me here. I was blindsided! I couldn’t believe what he had created; I mean the scope of the project was just huge! Apparently he had started working on it right after that camping trip. No one official knew about it. It was totally off the books and he had used foreign contractors to get it all done. He told me about the twin shelter back east and how he had massaged the figures to fund building this one. I’ve been working on the finishing touches for the last four years. Uncle Bill still has a hand in some of it. Every now and then I would get a text from him that I should go enjoy the mountains and that’s when I knew a delivery was coming. All these shipping containers were his doing. So he’s the reason we’re here. He saved our lives.”

Tears immediately flood my eyes as I think about Mom. She’s not here, she wasn’t saved. Dad’s face crumples for a split second before firming up again so I angrily swipe at my eyes and clear my throat. If I let the tears come I know I’ll be back in my room and this time I might not come out.

“So, Uncle Bill made all this for just us?”

Dad shakes his head, “No, it’s for a lot more than just us. We’re sort of caretakers for it. Bill knew that if something big happened that our country would need help afterwards to rebuild. The shelter in the east won’t be enough. Most of our population is in the east so it makes sense that they would start there but this is a huge country and there’s a lot resources that will be needed from the west. Unfortunately, our politicians seem to mainly focus on only two of the provinces. Bill wanted to…diversify.”

I didn’t really understand everything Dad said but I got the jist of it. I looked around the cavern again before asking,

“Seems a little small to be used to rebuild doesn’t it?”

Dad snorted out a laugh. “Oh Sunshine, this is just the tip of it! There’s two more levels underneath us filled with materials and supplies as well as a hydroelectric
plant even deeper to provide endless power. We would be able to clear the area outside and provide everything to start rebuilding when the time comes.”

My mouth had dropped open and my eyes were huge as I listened to his explanation.

“That’s amazing! When are we going to go get the people? Isn’t it dangerous for them to still be outside? What about kids? Will there be a school set up?”

My excitement and enthusiasm dimmed as he was shaking his head and then disappeared and turned to shocked anger at his words.

“No Sky, no one can know about this place! It would be over run in minutes! No, Bill has a plan in place, a timeline for how to rebuild and when and it won’t be for a long time. We just have to wait it out.”

I swear I felt my heart harden as he spoke. Here it was again, my dad looking away instead of helping people. My tone was harsh and sarcastic for a ten year old but I didn’t feel like a kid anymore.

“Kinda hard to rebuild if everyone is dead, Dad!”

His face flushed and he snapped back, “You don’t understand, you’re too young to understand what would happen if we tried to help!”

I glared at him and delivered the most painful, mean thing I could.

“Oh, you mean like driving past those kids on the road? That was to save ourselves, right? Hey, that sure worked out didn’t? Oh wait, no it didn’t, cuz Mom DIED anyway!”

My voice cracked on a sob on the last word so I just spun around and ran back to my room with the baby waling against my chest. Dad might have saved our lives but what kind of life would it be knowing that he let all those people die?

Chapter Eight-Rex

It felt like the screaming and yelling went on forever. There were even a few gun shots that scared the heck out of me. The only good thing was that they were far away and no sound was coming from the storeroom. My legs are numb and fill with pins and needles as I try to get to my feet without waking Matty up. As much as I want to stay hidden in this tiny bathroom, it’s kinda gross and I should be helping Belle and Sasha with the organizing.

Matty’s good and out, a dead weight in my arms with a line of drool down his chin so I just hoist us up and open the door. Things seem to be settling down out in the store, at least I haven’t heard anything from out there for a while so maybe they’ve taken what they wanted and left. I’m scared just thinking about what that guy said about coming back for the stuff in the store room. I don’t know what he’d do to us if he found us. Nothing I can do about it right now so I look around for the girls but all I see are piles of stuff stacked everywhere. My belly clenches and my heart stutters for a second when I think that they left me and Matty here but then I see the top of Belle’s head against the back wall and the breath I didn’t know I was holding comes whooshing out.

It’s kinda crazy. I mean, I’ve only known the girls for a few hours but the thought of them leaving me terrifies me more than the gunshots out in the store had. I don’t think I can do this on my own. I don’t think Matty and I could survive without them. I push that thought down and away as I head over to them. Belle’s sitting on the couch with Sasha laying down on it with her head on Belle’s lap. Looks like Sasha’s sleeping just like Matty.

Belle sees me over the stack of supplies and puts a finger to her lips then gently slides out from under her daughter and stands. I can’t help but be jealous for a second. I wouldn’t mind putting my head down on Mom’s lap and drifting away from all this madness. My face forms up into a scowl. No point thinking that way now. Mom’s gone and I have to suck it up and be a man for Matty’s sake.

Belle shoots me a questioning look at my angry expression as she reaches for Matty but I just look away with a shake of my head, can’t talk about it right now. I see there’s a small area that’s been cleared and they’ve set up a playpen with soft baby blankets in it. I feel my shoulders slump in relief that Matty will have a safe place to sleep. I don’t know where the rest of us will be sleeping but at least the kid will be fine.

Belle gets him settled in and covered up and then leads me by the elbow away from the sleeping kids. When were far enough away that we won’t wake them she turns me to her and tries to give me a hug but I can’t right now. I can’t be sad and I can’t be soft so I push her arms away gently and shake my head again. She’s got the softest blue eyes that are so filled with kindness that I have to look away from them too.

She lets out this sad sigh before telling me, “It’s ok honey. I’m here when you’re ready. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

I press my lips together tightly so I won’t yell at her that she can’t promise that. I know she’s just trying to help. After a few seconds she just gives my head a quick rub and goes on.

“So, I don’t think there’s anything we can do about those men that were outside talking. If they come back, we’ll just have to keep very quiet and hope they don’t find the door. So let’s just worry about that when or if it happens, ok? Now, I think we can get a lot of this stuff out of the way by filling up the lockers and some of it can go into the bathroom and the kitchen cupboard. After that we’ll just stack the rest along the walls. Once we’ve made some room we can blow up the air mattresses that Daniel brought back from the camping section.”

I’m nodding along with her but then when she mentions Daniel I have to ask her.

“Do you think that guy was telling the truth…about what happened out there? You know the bombs and stuff?”

She looks at me thoughtfully for a second before she starts nodding her head.

“Yes, I do now. At first I was just caught up in getting the supplies but then when nothing happened I started to doubt what he’d told us. After all those people came into the store and all the yelling and gunshots, well, if something hadn’t happened then where were the police? Stores getting looted and gunfire just doesn’t happen here without the police showing up. So, yes, I think somehow Daniel Ross knew what had happened and he tried to help us so I’m going to do exactly what he told us to do.”

I tip my head in a sharp nod of agreement. There’s nothing else I can think of to do so we’ll follow his plan for now and see what happens.

“Alright, let’s get this stuff sorted out then.”

Belle and I move and organise as quietly as we can but eventually Matty wakes up with a squawk and that wakes Sasha up, so we put together a meal of soup and sandwiches, cooking them on the camping stove. Then back at it until there’s finally a decent amount of floor space to blow up the mattresses. I remember Dad doing this before and it was a quick flick of a switch and a small pump blew air in. It only took a few minutes to inflate them but now flicking a switch does nothing, so my leg’s ready to fall off after using a foot pump to get the first mattress inflated. I flop down on it in exhaustion while Belle pumps up the second one.

The store’s quiet and I hope that means we’re alone in here. I’m bushed and I don’t want to have to deal with anything else tonight. Too bad that’s not going to happen. Matty crawls on top of me and starts slapping at my cheeks. The kid’s bored and I’m his favorite toy. I close my eyes for a second and just endure his patty cake on my face when the smell of a toxic Matty bomb hits my nose. Oh man, this kid is a master of gross! I do a quick peek at Belle to see if she’ll sweep in for the rescue again but she’s pumping away at her mattress and I can’t help but frown at how tired
she
looks. I’m on my own for this one.

I roll the kid off me onto the other side of the mattress and he giggles when he bounces. I stagger to my feet and grab the diaper bag. There’s a folded up plastic changing matt that Mom always uses when we’re out somewhere so I get that laid out and snag the wiggle monster onto it. Even with kicking legs and arched back I manage to get his pants off letting out even more stink. I take a quick look around hoping Daniel had somehow managed to get us a hazmat suit but no luck. I do spot a package of painter’s dust masks. I have no idea why they are here but I grab it and tear one out and get it on my face and nothing, still reeks, but the kid has frozen in place as he stares at me. I’m about to pull it off, afraid he’s going to start wailing but the biggest grin splits his face and he starts to belly laugh the way only Matty can. Good enough for me. If it keeps him happy I might be able to get him clean without poop flying everywhere.

Not only do I get him decontaminated, but I also give his small body a wipe down with the baby wipes and into some pajamas that are in the diaper bag. I know Mom always gives him a bath before bed but water’s too important now to do that so hopefully the wipes will be good enough. I lean back, happy to have got the job done only Matty lets out a screech and reaches for me. I pull off the painter’s mask and hand it to him. That’s all it takes to make the kid happy again. He spends the next ten minutes putting it on his face and pulling it off while yelling BOO before belly laughing again. I leave him on the mattress playing while I go into the bathroom and do my own clean up with the wipes. I use a tiny bit of water from a bottle to brush my teeth while trying not to yawn. I’m so tired, I just want to crash. A quick thought passes through my head that this must have been how Mom felt at the end of a busy day dealing with me and Matty. I shake it away, still not ready to deal.

By the time I come out of the bathroom, Belle’s done with her mattress and has blankets on both. Sasha has Matty on the couch with a bottle and his eyes are starting to droop closed. I go over and gently pry his little fingers from the painters mask. I shoot a quick look at Sasha’s face but she seems almost as zoned out as the kid so I start humming the song Mom always sings to him at bedtime. His lips curve up around the bottle but his eyes stay closed so I keep humming even though the tears I said I couldn’t deal with are pouring down my face. I keep humming as pictures flash through my mind of Mom and all the cool things she used to do with me, from beating me constantly at Halo to tackling me during laser tag. The hateful words I said to her over the last month to the way she looked after the van crashed, they all keep circling around in my head until my humming turns to sobs and then Belle’s pulling me away. She’s holding me in her arms and rocking me and I finally just let it all go.

BOOK: Snow & Ash: Endless Winter
7.39Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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