Scott Wittenburg - See Tom Run

“Got to find a gas station pronto-keep your eyes peeled,” he said to Erin.

As luck would have it, the engine suddenly sputtered a couple of times then died altogether. Tom coasted to a stop.

“Screw it. Well, at least it’s a beautiful morning-perfect for a stroll in Bumfuck, Queens,” Tom groaned.

“At least we’re alive,” Erin reminded him.

He glanced over at his young passenger and smiled. “Point taken. Let’s be sure to keep it that way.”

They got out and started walking north on Twenty-First Street. It was surreal, walking along on such a bright, crisp morning and hearing nothing but their footsteps echoing dully off the concrete. As had been the case in Manhattan, vehicles were scarce and there wasn’t a soul in sight, not even a bird singing a song.

“Do you think things will ever be the same?” Erin asked solemnly.

Tom looked around at the deserted streets and empty sidewalks. In all of the time since being captured by Chappy and his sidekicks, he hadn’t given this ongoing dilemma much thought. He’d thought of his family of course, but only in fleeting moments. He’d thought of the fact that virtually everyone in the world had vanished, but had not dwelled much upon it. When your life was on the line and you were fighting to survive, all else seemed to fade into the background.

Now, at least at that particular moment, he and Erin seemed out of danger. And now, like a bad penny, the bitter reality of their bizarre situation suddenly appeared again.

“I just don’t know, Erin. I mean, here we are in the most populated city in the country and all we’ve seen are three other people-and I’m using that word loosely. Not only are there no other human beings-there isn’t even a single animal or insect! It’s so hard to conceive that what might seem like an impossible scenario has become real and that there is no rational answer to where we will go from here. I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t feel too good about any of this. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I really can’t see things just suddenly going back to the way it used to be.”

“I know what you’re saying-I feel the same way. All I can say for sure is that I’m glad I have you. If it weren’t for you, I would not be able to handle this.”

Tom put his arm around her. “Believe me, kiddo, I feel the exact same way.”

Within another few blocks, they came upon an Exxon station. Tom felt the same feeling of deja vu as he went inside and began poking around for another fuel can. Erin shopped around for snacks in the meantime. Amazingly, the shop was very well stocked and actually had a two-gallon size gas can for sale. Tom picked one up and headed outside.

There wasn’t a single vehicle on the lot but Tom spotted an old Buick further up the street. Erin stepped outside with her groceries in a plastic bag and joined him as he walked toward the car.

“I hope this old clunker has a lot of gas-I just want to get on the road and out of this godforsaken place ASAP,” Tom said as he unscrewed the fuel cap and inserted the hose.

“Want Coke or a water?” Erin asked. “Got Sprite, too.”

“Coke, please. It’ll be a perfect chaser for the gas.”

Erin giggled and watched Tom as he began sucking on the hose. In a moment, he pulled his mouth away just before gas began flowing out of it. Quickly, he jammed the hose into the gas can.

“Well, whatdya know-I’m getting better at this!”

When the gas can was full, Tom pulled the hose out of the Buick’s fuel tank.

“Let’s go back to the Jeep,” he said to Erin. “I’d let you wait here but I’m not taking any chances on losing you again.”

She handed him an open bottle of Coke. “I’m not going anywhere without you, ever again!”

Tom considered what she had just said and a funny thought came to mind. What would happen between he and Erin in the event that he was actually reunited with his family? Would the two of them simply part company and go their separate ways? Or would they try to continue their relationship in some capacity? A strange thought, indeed.

He knew one thing for certain: he was oddly attracted to the girl in a way that he couldn’t really put a finger on. It wasn’t sexual or anything like that-it was more like an invisible bond he felt between himself and her. An indefinable attachment.

Not surprising, really. After all, they had already gone through a lot of intense situations together. Erin had been his only ally in this whole absurd thing-his cohort and in fact his only tangible hope for survival. Had he not discovered her, he would probably still be back in Columbus right this moment combing the streets relentlessly for signs of life that may never again exist.

Whatever the case, he felt certain that he could never simply forget about the girl and deny himself any contact with her in the future. He felt a certain responsibility for her now-to be there to protect her and guide her if need be…

“Tom?” she suddenly said. “What are you thinking about?”

He realized that his mind had drifted off.

“Oh, nothing in particular. Just daydreaming, I guess.”

“About finding your family?”

“Yeah, you could say that. And about you, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I’m very glad I met you, in spite of the horrible circumstances under which we have met.”

“That’s funny. I feel the exact same way but couldn’t find the right way to put it. You just did it for me!” she smiled brightly.

Tom put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. Erin followed suit.

He said, “Let’s get gassed up and head back to Ohio, what say?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Erin replied, holding him tighter.

As they drove through Easton, Pennsylvania, Tom felt bold enough to ask Erin a few questions about her past. She had slept most of the hour and a half drive and awoken moments ago. The girl was still a little groggy but in good spirits.

“You warm enough?” he asked.

“Yeah, like toast. It sure is a lot warmer today than it was yesterday.”

“I hope this weather holds out. The turnpike can be rough when it’s snowing.”

Erin chuckled. “Kyle almost totally wiped out at least twice. His car was lousy in the snow-not to mention that he is, or was, a pretty bad driver.”

“How long had you known Kyle,” Tom asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

She thought for a moment then replied, “About two years.”

“Where was he from-Ohio?”

“No, he was from Long Island. I met him in Ohio, though.”Tom could already sense the hesitation in her voice. Time to back off? He’d play it by ear.

“When I lived in the city, I used to go out on Long Island quite a bit. Some really nice beaches out there.”

“I know-we went to Montauk one day, out on the very end of the island. It was so pretty! So much nicer than the city.”

“So you lived in New York, too?” Tom asked, surprised she had never mentioned it before.

Again, the slightest hesitation in her voice. “Yeah, for a while.”

“With your family?”

Silence.

Tom looked over at Erin. Her head was turned and she was staring out the window. He waited a moment and said, “Erin-you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, continuing to stare.

“I hope I didn’t say something wrong.”

Erin turned and faced him, a tear in her eye. “No, you didn’t. I just don’t really know how to answer you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t really ever had a family, Tom. I was adopted.”

Tom realized he had hit on a very delicate subject. He also wanted to know more about it.

“I’m sorry, Erin. If you’d rather not talk about it, I’ll understand.”