S Ison - Russian Doomsday

Ahead, some people were walking their way. “Pretend you don’t know what they’re talking about if they ask you anything. Just tell them we’re out for a walk. If they ask about our phones, we don’t have them.” He felt rather than saw her nod.

As they passed, he nodded to them. One man stopped. “Hey, you guys know what happened? Our car just stopped. There’re a bunch of cars back there and none of them work.” His face bright red in the fading light.

Dalton made a frown. “No, not sure. We’re just out for an evening walk. Maybe someone in town can help you.” He made to walk on when the man reached out and grabbed his arm. Dalton froze and looked at him, his face carefully blank.

“Say, can I use your phone? Mine isn’t working.” The man was smiling, but looked frustrated.

Dalton pulled his arm away gently. “Sorry, we left our phones at home. Like I said, maybe someone from town can help.” He took care to keep his voice soft and modulated, calm. He nodded and began to walk Peggy around the man. The man didn’t say anything else and Dalton let out a breath when they got farther away.

“How did you know, Dalton? How did you know he’d ask us?” Peggy asked, wonder and surprise on her face.

“It’s what I would ask. It’s what I’d think about if I didn’t know what was going on. Right now, folks are just confused. But later they’re going to get scared, and when people are scared, they get stupid. Stupid people are dangerous.” He looked back briefly, then turned forward again. He made sure to keep their pace steady, their strides long but not hurried.

He knew they had a long way to go, and Peggy would tire quickly. They’d stop by her place first, he figured about three hours, then head to his family’s farm. He was glad he had grabbed the water bottles and food out of his car. The tire iron had become warm against his leg. He’d hooked it through his beltloop.

The preacher man came to mind again, sending a shiver through him. He recalled what the man had mouthed to him that day he was going to the hospital. Run for your life . The hair on his arms and neck rose. He was, in fact, now running for his life. He had an overwhelming need to get home and get a weapon, a real weapon. He knew his family kept guns on the farm, be they for shooting coyotes or putting down animals.

What he didn’t know was if they had more than just shotguns. He hoped one of his brothers had an AR15, a Glock, or something with power. He knew people would show up, and after a while they’d stop taking no for an answer. Then the violence would begin.

He looked down at Peggy’s feet and let out a breath. She was wearing boots, not heels. Thank God for small mercies. She’d have been crippled by the time they got to her apartment if it’d been heels. Or he’d have needed to carry her.

“Do you have a gun at the apartment?” Dalton asked quietly.

“I got my daddy’s old .38, but it only has four bullets. I don’t have any more than that,” she said just as quietly. He saw her look nervously around them.

“Good. We can at least have something to use to protect ourselves if we have to,” he said.

“You really think it will come to that? The power just went out, for goodness sakes. It hasn’t even been an hour.” She shook her head.

Dalton looked over at her, but didn’t say a word. She’d just have to see for herself. It was hard for people to comprehend just how panicked humans got when their live were threatened. As they walked, it got darker, but there was still just enough light to see their way. They passed countless people and answered the same way each time they were asked . We don’t know, we don’t have our phones, we’re just out for a walk .

Near eleven, Dalton guessed, they got to Peggy’s apartment. They climbed the stairs quietly, though there were a few people sitting outside, having left their doors open. They walked to her apartment door and she unlocked it.

Stepping into the darkness, Dalton turned on his flashlight.

“Dalton, I’m just going to stay here,” Peggy said quietly.

“What? Are you crazy? You aren’t safe here! In a day or two, people are going to break down your door,” he said, his voice low and harsh.

“I’m not crazy, and I have my daddy’s gun. Your family doesn’t like me, and I really don’t want to go and stay with them.” She wrinkled her nose, threw her purse down on the couch and sat down, her mouth turning down in the stubborn slant he knew so well.

He brought his hands up to his head, and grabbed his hair and pulled. He was trying to stay calm. Anger wouldn’t help. “Peggy, listen. If you don’t come with me, you will die. Please, come with me. It’s the only safe way.” He dropped his hands to his side.

“I think this is all bull cookies. The power will come back on, and if not, the police or the government will make sure we’re safe. I’m fine here, and if I change my mind I’ll come to the farm. But I don’t want to go and I’m not going.” She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing in challenge.

Dalton stared down at her, torn between anger at her and fear for her. She had no idea, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t carry her out of here. So he took the tire iron out and squatted down in front of her. “Pegs, you’ll die here. And it won’t be pleasant. I don’t care what my family thinks, please come with me.” His hand covered her knee.

She shoved it off and her brows drew together. “I care what your family thinks. I’m not coming. I’ll be fine. I’ve a few friends. I’ll go stay with them, but I’m tired and I’m not moving another step tonight. Go home, Dalton. Go to your farm. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”

The pain in Dalton’s gut reminded him of the time his brother had punched him. He couldn’t understand why she was acting like this. He looked around, then looked back at her. “Can I have one bottle of water?” he asked. He thought she’d say no, but she reached over and pulled out a bottle. She gave it to him, her mouth a straight line. He’d thought she cared about him, trusted him. Why wouldn’t she come?

He shook his head and stood, then put the tire iron back down his pants. He picked up the bag with the poncho and food and sports drink, then turned and walked to the door.

He put his hand on the knob, then looked back, into the darkened room, holding the flashlight low so as not to blind her. “Make sure you lock the door, and get to your friends as soon as you can. Don’t stay here by yourself, Peggy. My home is waiting if or when you want to come. But Peggy, don’t bring anyone else. They won’t be welcome.”

He heard her suck in her breath and harrumph. “Whatever, Dalton. Just go.”

And Dalton turned and walked out the door. He walked down the steps and around the people sitting there. He didn’t look at them but kept walking. It would take him a couple days to get home. He shook his head again. He really couldn’t figure Peggy out. Why hadn’t she come with him? Hadn’t she believed him? Couldn’t she see with her eyes what was going on? He couldn’t say, but he wasn’t going to beg her to come. He wasn’t going to force her to come. Life was going to get hard and he felt sorry for her, but perhaps, she was one of the stupid ones. Perhaps he was better off without her.

Harley turned on the windshield wipers. It was starting to rain. He was in Emerson, NC, almost home from being gone three days. He was trying to beat the rain home. He really didn’t like driving in it. The forecast had called for heavy thundershowers.

All at once, his car died. Everything stopped: music, lights, windshield wipers. Then something big hit him from behind and his body slammed into the steering wheel. The airbag didn’t deploy, his brain screamed before he was knocked senseless.