stairs was a lot less spooky walking down with him behind me.
We emerged and I faced him. “How long since you ’ve been outside?”
“I was tossed in here right after the shut down.” He replied. “I’m guessing nearly two weeks.”
“Just be prepared, okay?” I asked him.
“I can only imagine.”
“No, you can’t.”
At the entrance, I grabbed my suitcase by the handle and toted it with me.
“The squeaky wheel,” he said with a slight smile. “That saved me.”
“Yeah.” I exhaled. “You sure you don’t need anything?”
“No.”
“You should be able to find whatever you need. Some of the stores were looted, but the businesses and stuff probably have machines.” I stepped outside and watched as he covered his eyes. The sun obviously was blinding him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tough to see, I’ve been in the dark awhile.”
“Let your eyes adjust. And … are you sure I can’t give you an MRE or box of cereal to tide you over ?”
“Tide me over until when?” he questioned.
“Until you find food.”
“I’m confused.” He lifted his arms. “If you have food, why am I …. Wait. Wait. No one is around. Everyone is gone. We’re not sticking together? You’re going your own way?”
“No, actually, I’m headed home.”
“What the hell, lady! Why pull me out then?”
“You asked.”
“You’re serious?” He asked with a hint of airy disbelief. “I’m not going to walk with you?”
After a second pause, I simply shook my head, said, “No,” and tugging my squeaky wheeled suitcase behind me, I slowly moved onward.
16. Dodge
My Wilkes’ watch reminding me it was the seventh of May when I glanced down to check the time as I walked from the jail property. It was nearly two. That meant I lost two hours of travel. That was eight blocks out of my way to backtrack to the jail, and I had to go those eight blocks again to return to the main expressway.
Something good did come out of it, I was able to help someone who would have otherwise starved and died in that building. Actually his name was William Cash. But he informed me people had called him Dodge since he was sixteen years old. I didn’t ask why.
I just knew it was time to move forward. I had to keep going if I wanted to make it further south and get some distance before the sun started to set.
The temperatures would drop without the sun, and with no power, no street lights, it would be too dark to travel, plus, I needed to find shelter while I could still see.
I had fully intended on going alone, but the truth was, ten steps into my walk away from Dodge, I stopped. Was I insane? I didn’t know what was ahead of me, if more people were alive, if things would get dangerous or even if I’d ever see another living human being again. Having spent so much time alone and withdrawn after the accident made me numb to the world. It wasn’t fair to him to walk away nor was it smart of me.
I didn’t know much about Dodge, actually nothing at all. I figured I would find out on our journey.
Dodge was a talker. He was also something else; I learned that right away … he was resourceful.
Not twenty feet into our walk, he stopped and said. “Wait up.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That wheel, it was all well and fine to let me know you were coming, but I think that might drive me nuts.”
“It will. But what can we do ? Transfer the stuff out?”
“Nah,” He shook his head and walked to an abandoned police car. He popped the hood.
“What are you doing?” I walked over.
“Fixing that wheel.” He emerged from under the hood with the dip stick and walked to the suit case. He crouched down before the problematic wheel and began to use the oil from the stick. “Nudge it back and forth for me.”
“Oh, my God, that is really smart,” I said.
“Not really. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. I had a friend, Jack Hanson, who used to say that.” With a grunt and cracking knees, he stood. “Try it, see if it
We emerged and I faced him. “How long since you ’ve been outside?”
“I was tossed in here right after the shut down.” He replied. “I’m guessing nearly two weeks.”
“Just be prepared, okay?” I asked him.
“I can only imagine.”
“No, you can’t.”
At the entrance, I grabbed my suitcase by the handle and toted it with me.
“The squeaky wheel,” he said with a slight smile. “That saved me.”
“Yeah.” I exhaled. “You sure you don’t need anything?”
“No.”
“You should be able to find whatever you need. Some of the stores were looted, but the businesses and stuff probably have machines.” I stepped outside and watched as he covered his eyes. The sun obviously was blinding him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tough to see, I’ve been in the dark awhile.”
“Let your eyes adjust. And … are you sure I can’t give you an MRE or box of cereal to tide you over ?”
“Tide me over until when?” he questioned.
“Until you find food.”
“I’m confused.” He lifted his arms. “If you have food, why am I …. Wait. Wait. No one is around. Everyone is gone. We’re not sticking together? You’re going your own way?”
“No, actually, I’m headed home.”
“What the hell, lady! Why pull me out then?”
“You asked.”
“You’re serious?” He asked with a hint of airy disbelief. “I’m not going to walk with you?”
After a second pause, I simply shook my head, said, “No,” and tugging my squeaky wheeled suitcase behind me, I slowly moved onward.
16. Dodge
My Wilkes’ watch reminding me it was the seventh of May when I glanced down to check the time as I walked from the jail property. It was nearly two. That meant I lost two hours of travel. That was eight blocks out of my way to backtrack to the jail, and I had to go those eight blocks again to return to the main expressway.
Something good did come out of it, I was able to help someone who would have otherwise starved and died in that building. Actually his name was William Cash. But he informed me people had called him Dodge since he was sixteen years old. I didn’t ask why.
I just knew it was time to move forward. I had to keep going if I wanted to make it further south and get some distance before the sun started to set.
The temperatures would drop without the sun, and with no power, no street lights, it would be too dark to travel, plus, I needed to find shelter while I could still see.
I had fully intended on going alone, but the truth was, ten steps into my walk away from Dodge, I stopped. Was I insane? I didn’t know what was ahead of me, if more people were alive, if things would get dangerous or even if I’d ever see another living human being again. Having spent so much time alone and withdrawn after the accident made me numb to the world. It wasn’t fair to him to walk away nor was it smart of me.
I didn’t know much about Dodge, actually nothing at all. I figured I would find out on our journey.
Dodge was a talker. He was also something else; I learned that right away … he was resourceful.
Not twenty feet into our walk, he stopped and said. “Wait up.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That wheel, it was all well and fine to let me know you were coming, but I think that might drive me nuts.”
“It will. But what can we do ? Transfer the stuff out?”
“Nah,” He shook his head and walked to an abandoned police car. He popped the hood.
“What are you doing?” I walked over.
“Fixing that wheel.” He emerged from under the hood with the dip stick and walked to the suit case. He crouched down before the problematic wheel and began to use the oil from the stick. “Nudge it back and forth for me.”
“Oh, my God, that is really smart,” I said.
“Not really. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. I had a friend, Jack Hanson, who used to say that.” With a grunt and cracking knees, he stood. “Try it, see if it
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