Page 8 of His to Take

“Well, you ladies can have all the dresses that might still exist. I’m looking for a pair of work boots and some trousers. Mainly for the same reason as you two.” John laughed and looked over at Stephan. “What about you, buddy?”

“Books, John. Always books.” He’d gone through the library, as they all had, and had even commandeered a few notebooks to write in. He hadn’t been wasteful with his time, either.

“And you, Rex?” Stephan asked his son, but Rex just stood up and walked away.

“There won’t be any baseball teams for him to sign with, I’m afraid,” John said softly, and Stephan nodded.

“No, he’s going to have to do the same as the rest of us from now on. He can’t mope in his room anymore. He’ll have to pull his weight out there.”

“Out there? So, we’re all going?” Ann asked, hope alive in her eyes.

“We’ll all go tomorrow, test it out, see what it’s like. Gasoline will be dead by now, so we’ll have to walk out. I doubt there’s any animal or plant life that can sustain us, so we’ll have to take plenty of MREs, but I know there was a town not far away. We can see what’s there.” John wiped at his face and leaned back in his chair.

Amanda and Stephen got up from the dining table set up at the edge of the patio area and said their goodnights. There was an excitement in the air now, a hope that hadn’t been there before.

“Do you think it will be safe out there for us, John?” Mary asked, her worry evident.

“I don’t really know, Mary. I can’t promise anything. I do know I’m tired of being in this bunker though, and if we can get out of it, even if it’s only for a little while, it will be worth it, won’t it?”

“I’m with you, Dad,” Ann cut in, her mind already on the possibilities of what could still be out there. “I want to see what’s left.”

“Then that settles it.” Mary’s smile spread over her face as she spoke. “We’ll go. On one condition.”

“What’s that?” John asked, but his eyes said he already knew the answer.

“We leave this place secure so we can come back to it if we need to.” She paused and looked at her husband and daughter for a long moment before she spoke again. “And we don’t go more than a couple of days away from this place. I want to come back to it quickly if we have to.”

“Sensible as always, my dear. I agree. Now, I’m going to bed. I have to get up early to make sure everything is ready. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Dad.” Ann kissed his cheek when he leaned down as he walked by her. “See you tomorrow.”

“That you will, sweetie.”

They watched him go and then they got up. They weren’t tired yet, and knew they’d need to start packing now. Mary went and found enough rucksacks for them all and they started to fill each one with the necessities. If one became lost, they’d have what they needed to survive, and the others wouldn’t suffer without if it happened.

Each bag contained MREs, matches, an extra pair of coveralls, combat boots in each person’s size, a pot for boiling water, a knife, fork, and spoon, toilet paper that they took off the roll, a camping blanket, first aid kits, and quite a bit more. The bags were heavy when they finished, but it would be possible to carry them with a few breaks to rest.

Their coveralls would also carry more gear they might want to take, and Ann added a couple of notebooks to each bag. Paper might come in handy for a variety of reasons. Mary added a variety of hygiene products that both men and women might need, and an extra first aid kit, just in case. By the time they finished, it was late, and both were exhausted but happy with their work.

All that would need doing in the morning was to take the place offline, seal it up, and get on their way, soon after breakfast. Ann went back to her room and stared at the metal box, full of her drawings and thoughts. She had the key around her neck on a slim chain that ran down between her breasts. She didn’t want to leave it all here but knew it would just be more weight she didn’t need to carry.

She went through the notebooks as she sat at the piece of smooth plywood that served as her small desk. The tiny lamp was on, an old-fashioned desk lamp, but it illuminated the pages well enough. Her skill had improved over the years, and she could draw each member of her apocalypse family perfectly now. She’d learned a lot these few years, and it made her sad to leave it all behind.

A new life awaited her, though, one that had the promise of far more than the bunker life she’d resigned herself to, one where Rex might not be such an asshole, where he might even treat her nicely. That would be great, she thought as she put the notebooks away and took off her coveralls. She’d pushed the running shoes off of her feet when she came in, as was her habit. She was always a tidy person, and even if there was very little dirt down here, she didn’t like to track anything into her room.

She settled under the cotton sheet and blanket with her head relaxed on the two pillows beneath them. She’d soon be outside, in the world, under the stars even. Real stars, that lit up the sky and twinkled on those below. Would Rex kiss her under those stars?

A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about the moment she longed for. Her fingers would tangle in his blond hair, and she’d melt against the body he kept in rock-hard perfection. She’d seen him running, his body was just as defined as it was when he was 16. Her lip trembled in the dark as she thought about him, about how he’d press his body to her, how he’d tilt her head back and kiss her with undying passion.

Somehow, he grew taller, and his hair turned black. And when he pulled away, the eyes that stared back weren’t Rex’s clear hazel eyes, they were an odd shade, an inhuman shade. They were an orange color that reminded her of an orange-colored sapphire she’d once seen at a jewelry store in L.A. As she pulled away from the extremely tall man, she realized he wasn’t Rex at all.

But she was hungry for him and more than ready to give what he demanded.