Becca Read online

  Everyone was staring at me when I came down the stairs. Mom was hysterical, barely able to even stand up with Dad’s help. She lunged at me, wrapping her arms around me.

  “You be careful, honey.” she said. “I love you so much.” She lowered her mouth next to my ear. “Tell her how you feel. Before it's too late.”

  “You girls need to get going.” Dad told me. “The sooner the better.”

  “What about us?” David asked.

  “We can drop you by on the way out of town.” I said. He nodded. “Dad, are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. I’ve explained everything to Natasha and Bridget. You’re all set now.”

  “I love you.” I told him. I slid from Mom and hugged him. And it just hit me, I may never see him again. “There’s something I want to tell you, in case I never see you again.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” He patted my back.

  “Just in case. It’s not important, not with all this going on, just something I really would feel better if you knew.”

  “Okay.”

  “It’s nothing, I just... I’m gay. I’ve wanted to tell you, but I was scared what you’d say.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Rebecca.” he said. “I love you. Now you girls get moving. Your Mom and I are heading out here in just a few minutes. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “Okay. Bye Mom, I love you.”

  “You two listen to Becca.” Mom told Bridget and Tasha.

  There were people wandering around the neighborhood when we went out. I moved my bag with my clothes in it to my left hand so I could hold the gun in my right. It was scary. Dad came out with us, and he had the shotgun.

  We put the cooler and our bags in the trunk of Tasha’s car and Tasha and I got in the front, everyone else piled in the back. Mom and Dad stood on the porch watching us as we pulled away. We were all crying, but Bridget was the worst with her racking sobs.

  When we got to Amber and David’s house there was nobody there. I was standing at the front door, watching the street, the gun in my hand. The others went through the house, checking for any sign of where Amber and David’s mother might be.

  “We have to get going.” I shouted. Everyone came into the living room. “We have to go, guys.”

  “Their mother hasn’t been back.” Tasha said.

  “Well we can’t wait around for her.”

  “We can’t leave them alone.” Bridget whined. “What if she never comes back?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know.”

  They look so scared. Worried about their mother. Worried about their father, too, I imagine. What can I do? I can’t camp out at their house for days, hoping their mother comes home. And I can’t go searching for her.

  “They’re coming with us.” I said.

  “We can’t go.” David complained.

  “No, you have to go. Listen, kid, you’re not staying here alone.”

  “I’m here.” Amber argued.

  “I’m not leaving you two here.”

  “We’re not going.”

  “Listen, you can leave a note telling her where we’re going. Does she have a cell phone?” Probably, everyone except me seems to. “We can keep calling her every chance we get. Maybe you’ll get through some time. Or send her a text message or leave something on her voice mail. We can’t stay here.”

  “But... Mom is never late getting home.”

  “Well I’m not leaving you here to die. We’re going. Write a new note and let’s go.”

  They didn’t argue any more. I had Tasha write the note while Amber and David went to get some clothes. We were out of the house and down the street in less than five minutes.

  “What is this?” Tasha said. She slowed. There are five or six people standing in the road. “What do I do?”

  “Keep going.” I said.

  “I’m not running over them.”

  “So you stop and we die?”

  “You’re being ridiculous.” she said.

  “Fine. Just stop.”

  She slowed and came to a stop, five feet from them. I opened the door and got out. Everyone was looking at me. The five guys in the street were starting around the front of the car, toward us.

  “Stop right there.” I said, and I raised the gun. “Just get out of our way.”

  “Come on little girl, you’re not going to shoot.” the guy closest to me said.

  “I will.”

  “No you won’t.” he said.

  The guy on the driver’s side was getting pretty close to Tasha’s door. The guy on my side took another step closer. I aimed several feet above his head and pulled the trigger, wincing away as I did. He leaped back. The guy on the other side stopped.

  “Next time I aim for you.” I said. I could hear the fear in my voice, but I hoped they couldn’t. “Please, just move. We just want to get out of here. We have no room for you, we have nothing you want. Just get out of the way.”

  “Maybe we want your car.” he said. He looks nervous now too.

  “There’s thousands of cars around. Find a different one. Go to a car lot and break in and take the keys for all the cars. Pick whichever one you want. Just leave us alone.”

  “Maybe we want this one.” he said. He’s smiling now.

  “Behind you!” Bridget shouted.

  I spun around and aimed the gun at the guy approaching from the rear. The guy at the front stepped forward, though, and I had to turn the gun on him again.

  “Stop!” I shouted. “If you keep coming, one of you is dying.”

  “But which one.” the guy from behind asked.

  “I don’t much care.” I replied.

  He stepped forward. I swung around and fired. I hit his leg. I can’t believe that worked! I was aiming for his leg. I didn’t want to kill him. But then I spun to the front.

  “Just go!” I shouted at them.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” the guy shouted. “We just wanted a ride! You’re going to leave us out here to die?”

  “We have to go.” I said, crying. “Let us go.”

  “Okay, okay.” He stepped away from the car. “I was just teasing about the car. I just wanted a ride to my house across town.”

  “I’m sorry. Get off the streets. It’s dangerous.”

  “With crazy bitches like you it is.”

  I got back in the car and Tasha floored it. I started sobbing. I dropped the gun in the floor. I can’t believe I just did that. After all that talk Dad gave me, I figured I’d never actually have to use it.

  “You killed him.” Amber said.

  “I just hit his leg!”

  “Well with all this going on you probably killed him. He can’t go to the hospital. And those people who are sick are going to find him. He can’t outrun them with a bad leg.”

  “So I should let him drag you out of the car? Maybe leave you to be killed? Or who the hell knows what those guys had in mind, Amber. Maybe they like little girls. Maybe he had more in mind, maybe with no cops around to protect your little ass he would have decided he liked you and wanted you all for himself. You ever think of that?”

  “Becca, back off.” Tasha told me.

  “No! Dad was right, laws don’t apply anymore.” I picked the gun back up. “Whoever has this makes the rules now.”

  It was pretty quiet for the next couple of hours. The only real talking was me when Tasha would ask where to turn or me reading the map out loud and telling her where we were going. And then it started getting dark.

  “We can’t drive all the way there tonight.” Tasha said.

  “And we’ll need gas.” Bridget added.

  “I know. I guess we need to start thinking about a place to stay tonight.” I told them.

  “There’s a town back...”

  “No, Amber. No towns. It’s too dangerous. We need a farm in the middle of nowhere.”

  “There could be people there.” she said. “They could have guns, too.” she said. “A lot of farmers do.”


  “They might.” They probably do. I sighed and checked the safety on the gun for the fiftieth time. “As soon as we stop for the night I’ll need to show you how to use this, Tasha. We’re going to have to keep guard, and I don’t think I can stay up all night, so we’ll have to take shifts.”

  “Becca.” Bridget said softly. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Shouldn’t Natasha sleep so she can drive?”

  “Well I can’t do everything alone!”

  “It’s okay.” Tasha said. “I can do it. It’s fine.”

  “No, she’s right. I guess I’ll just stay up all night.”

  “I’ll help, if I can.” Bridget said. “If you can show me.”

  “Bridge...”

  “I know how to use a gun.” David interrupted. “Dad took me hunting a couple of times. I’ve used a rifle, but I think I can use the nine millimeter you have there without any problems.”

  “You’ll blow your foot off, David.” Amber told him.

  “Come on, it’s mostly going to be a lot of sitting there doing nothing anyway. I can do this.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “Good.”

  Eventually they are all going to have to learn. When Mom and Dad get there he can show them. Or... or if they don’t come within a week or so I may have to. Not that I’m an expert.

  “Turn here. We’ll see if there’s a building of some kind we can spread out in for the night.”

  “What if someone comes?” Bridget asked. “And we need gas.”

  “If someone comes we’ll take care of it, Bridge.” I told her. “If we find a farm somewhere there will probably be a car or truck or something with some gas in it.”

  “Yeah, genius, but how do we get it from their car to ours?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

  “You siphon it.” David said. “I’ve seen it done.”

  “Do you know how?” Tasha asked him.

  “I don’t know. Sure, I guess.”

  “Up there.” I told Tasha. I was pointing, but I’m not sure how well she could see in the dark.

  We pulled into the drive, up in front of the house. It was dark inside. So there has to be, what, five or six shots left in the gun? So as long as we don’t get overrun by a whole bunch of people wanting to steal the car or kidnap the kids we should be okay. I’ll have to reload later. And there’s a couple more guns in the trunk. I guess I should get one out for David, since he says he knows how to use it. I don’t know, he’s like twelve or thirteen or something.

  “David, I want you to get out of the car.” I said.

  “What? I’m not going out there.”

  “You can’t make him!” Amber shouted.

  “Will you relax. I want him to stand guard for you guys. He’s the only one who has ever used a gun. He can stand watch while I go check the house.”

  “You really want to go in there?” Tasha asked.

  “I don’t want to, but someone has to.”

  “We should all go together.” Bridget said. She looks so scared.

  “No. It’ll be okay, Bridge. I promise.”

  What will happen if I don’t make it back to the car? Will Tasha be able to take care of her until Mom and Dad make it to the cabin? She’ll have to. God, please, if something happens to me then let Tasha have the strength to keep them safe.

  “Tasha.” She was staring off at the sky. “Natasha!”

  “What!”

  “Pay attention, okay?”

  “Yeah, alright.” She sniffled and wiped her face.

  “Anything happens, if anything looks bad or someone shows up, just leave. Promise me you’ll go.”

  “I’m not leaving you here.” she said. She sniffled again.

  “Yes, you will. Because if something happens to me you have to take care of these three.”

  “No, I...”

  “You said it would be okay.” Bridget whined.

  “It will. I just have to plan for in case it isn’t, okay.”

  “You’re just going to walk up there?” Amber asked me.

  “That’s the plan. So, um, if anything goes wrong, I love you Bridget. I love you Tasha.” I really do. I wish I could tell her how much. “I don’t know you two well enough to love you, but I wish you the best.” I told Amber and David.

  “I love you.” Bridget said.

  “Be careful.” Tasha said. “I love you, Becca. Just come back, okay?”

  It was hard to walk up toward the house in the dark. There could be dogs or snakes or wolves, and there’s no way I could see them. But worst of all is that there could be people sick from those bombs, spreading their disease and attacking innocent bystanders like myself.

  Innocent. That’s funny. Okay, I’ve shot someone, made my best friend speed, ran stop signs, ignored people that needed help. Oh, and I sort of kidnapped two kids. So yeah, I’m innocent.

  I looked back and David was aiming the gun off in the distance, one eye closed. And this is who I’m trusting my life to? Great.

  I knocked on the door. I almost turned and ran just from the echo of my hand against the wood. My heart was beating so loud I could barely hear, barely think. But I could hear, and I thought there was someone moving inside.

  “Is someone there?” I asked. I knocked again. “Hello. We just need a place to sleep tonight. Just for tonight.”

  “Go away.” was the reply. It sounded like an old man.

  “We just want to sleep on the floor. We’ll be gone in the morning. I swear.”

  “We don’t want your trouble, just go.”

  “Melvin, she’s just a girl.” a woman’s voice said.

  “There’s me and my little sister, and my friend and two other kids. We’re just kids. Please. My parents made me promise to take care of my sister, I need a safe place for her to sleep. We’ll be leaving to go meet our parents in the morning. We won’t be any trouble.” I’m sobbing, begging now. “Please.”

  “You’re not sick?” he asked.

  “No. None of us.”

  “Have you been around anyone who was sick?”

  “No. Huh-uh. Please, my Mom and Dad went to get Grandma, and then we’re supposed to meet them in Colorado, and... I’m just so tired. Please, let us in.”

  There was a couple of minutes of them shuffling around on the other side of the door. I stood there with my forehead against it, crying and waiting. And then the door opened. I stepped back and looked up and found myself staring at the end of a massive shotgun.

  “You’re not sick?” he asked. An old man in overalls, probably seventy or eighty.

  “No. Not at all.”

  “There are five of you?” the woman asked. Similarly old, but she was in a long flowery dress that looked five sizes too big.

  “Alrighty, get ‘em inside then.” he said, waving the shotgun around enough to make me nervous.

  I hurried out to the car and took the gun away from David. These people are scared, they’d probably shoot him If he waved that thing around them. Or he’d shoot that old man.

  We grabbed a couple of bags from the trunk, locked the car, and hurried inside. The old man bolted three dead bolt locks, then slid a heavy dresser in front of the door. I wonder why he thinks that would stop them. I mean there’s a glass window two feet to the left.

  “Sorry to bother you.” I said.

  “You’re all welcome here.” the old woman said.

  “You can sleep in here.” he said, waving toward the living room. “I want you out first thing in the morning.”

  “Ed, don’t be so rude.”

  “We can’t take care of a bunch of kids! We’re lucky to have enough for ourselves. The whole world is going to hell.”

  “We’ll be out as soon as we get some sleep. I promise. We’re supposed to meet my parents in a few days, anyway.”

  “Do you children want something to eat?” she asked us.

  “We’ve got food, ma’am.” I said.

 
“Don’t any of the others talk?” the man, Ed, asked.

  I turned and looked at them. They’re all huddled together, and clearly terrified of this old couple. Or maybe just terrified of everything in general. Me too. But there’s no point in being rude to these people.

  “Bridget, come here.” I said. I held my hand out toward her. She shook her head no. I glared at her for a few seconds and she reluctantly slid from the others, to my side. “This is my sister, Bridget.” I said. I nudged her with my elbow.

  “Hi.” she squeaked.

  “Nice to meet you, dear.” the woman said.

  “This is my best friend, Natasha.” I said. I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

  “Thank you for letting us stay.” she managed. She’s so scared.

  “And those two are some friends of my sister, I never met them until today. Amber and David.”

  They both gave a tiny wave, but didn’t say anything. The old couple nodded. The guy looks like he’d be happy to shoot us and shove our bodies out the door. I don’t trust him.

  “And what’s your name, dear?” the lady asked.

  “I’m... just totally exhausted.” I said. “My name is Rebecca Lang.”

  “Well you’re safe now, Rebecca.” she told me. “I can get you kids some blankets to lay on, and we might have a couple of pillows. I’ll need some help carrying them.”

  “Amber, David, go with her.”

  “Why don’t you...” David began. His sister whacked his arm. “I mean... yeah, sure.”

  Ed made us move the furniture around so we would have room to sit. But he couldn’t move it, he said, his back was bad. And then when we slid the sofa he complained that we’d scratch the floor. Like his sliding a dresser in front of the door didn’t do that already?