Roman Cesaro - Fallen Into Darkness

“Cut the frogs’ legs off, but leave them bundled together,” said Robert, as he handed his knife to Kyle. “When I get some red hot coals, I’ll roast them for us over the embers. Take the frogs’ entrails and use them for bait. Throw some lines in the water and hopefully we’ll have some fish for breakfast. I’ll peel the skins off the cattails and split up some of the food from the rafts.”

The fire continued to burn well. Kyle returned from setting the trotlines for catfish. Robert got some bagels and small boxes of cereal from the rafts. Kyle decided he would wait until morning to filter more drinking water. There was plenty of water for their evening meal. Kyle decided that to filter water they would fill all their empty bottles at the end of the day. The bottles would be set upright and left undisturbed throughout the night, allowing the sediment to settle to the bottom. The settled water would then be put through the filter. By eliminating as much sedimentation from the process as possible, the filter should last longer. They discussed straining the river water through shirt fabric as an alternative to waiting for the sediment to settle, and agreed to do what was expedient.

The three men sat around the fire. Robert poked at the burning wood and brought a pile of glowing embers closer to him. He fastened the bundle of frog legs to the end of a stick and held them near the coals. He pushed the end of the stick into the soft ground at an angle to keep the frog legs at the correct distance above the red embers, and slid a piece of wood under the stick for additional support.

“How do you like your steak?” asked Robert, with a failed attempt at humor. The others, apparently hypnotized by the fire, said nothing in reply. Fatigue was settling in.

Finally, Richard asked, “Can we split this stuff up now? I’m starving.”

They each ate an even share of the bagels and boxed cereal taken from the hotel, and devoured the frog legs. Then Robert pointed to the cattails.

“The cattails are peeled and ready to eat,” said Robert.

He was first to try a cattail. He took one gingerly from the pile and slowly chewed. Kyle was next, and apprehensively took a bite of the cattail shoot.

“Not bad,” said Kyle, “but I’m still hungry.”

“I never thought I would eat something like this,” Richard said, as he tasted the white and green shoot.

The sun began to set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains shortly after the meal. Each man placed his raft where he chose to sleep that night. Richard stayed near the upstream end of the little island. His raft was closest to the fire and remained in the open. Robert and Kyle suggested that he move to a more concealed location, but Richard had no further energy to expend. He would sleep right where he left the raft. Richard sprawled awkwardly in the raft, covered himself with a tarp, and promptly went to sleep.

Robert and Kyle both retreated to a thicket of shrubs and small trees farther away from the campfire, and the seclusion gave them a sense of security in the unfamiliar world of their new nighttime surroundings. Eager to rest, Robert and Kyle settled into their rafts. Robert chose this opportunity away from Richard to discuss long-term plans.

“Have you thought about what you are going to do when you get back home to your wife?” asked Robert.

“Yeah, I thought about it. I live in an urban area. It’ll be bad. My wife and I discussed staying in a cheap apartment for a while to save enough money for a down payment on a house. That might have been a bad idea.” Kyle paused and thought about his wife. “I hope she’s okay. She’s there and I’m here. There’s nothing I can do for her. It’s just us in that town, no family.”

“Let me tell you what I was thinking.” Robert cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and spoke. “From what you have told me and what I’ve concluded is going to happen, your situation in Omaha is bleak. Consider where you live and ask yourself how you’re going to get food and water. Your neighborhood, if not your apartment building, is going to become a war zone. I bet your wife has already heard gunshots. It’s only going to get worse. Think about it, Kyle. I killed someone with a baseball bat today. Did I ever think that would happen to me? We need to stick together. Forget about Omaha and go to Kansas City with me.”

“I’m not going to abandon my wife.”

“No, you got it wrong. We get your wife and bring her with us. There is no safe place for you in that town.”

“What about Richard?”

“We bring him, too. I wanted to ask you first.”

“What you said about cutting him loose from us still stands?” asked Kyle.

“I’ll give him a chance. If he jeopardizes us or our ability to get back to our families, he is gone… just like that,” Robert said, snapping his fingers.

“Your place is better, right?” asked Kyle.

“Let me explain,” said Robert. “My house is in suburbia. I wish it was a rural setting but it’s not, so I’ll have to deal with that. However, I’m away from the urban area. My subdivision is located close to farmland and an enormous county park. That open parkland is next to my house. It’s a new subdivision and not all of the lots are developed. Therefore, I’ll have the advantage of low population density. The parkland I’m next to has an artificial lake. The lake is fed by a small stream a short distance down my street. I’ve seen deer, turkeys, geese, and ground hogs, you name it and I have seen it walking through my backyard. That’s food and water, Kyle. Let me tell you something else. I’ve been stockpiling food, the kind of food that will last for years, and seeds, too. We’ll have time to learn to grow our own food.”

“Will you help me get my wife?” asked Kyle.

“Yes, I’ll help you get your wife and bring her to Kansas City with us.”

“I like your plan,” Kyle said, nodding with approval.

Both men hung their heads and thought about what they had discussed. Traveling and surviving with a group could have its advantages. To survive, they needed every advantage they could get. Robert’s proposal offered several safety advantages and Kyle could not think of any reason not to accept the offer.

“What did you say?” asked Kyle.

“I didn’t say anything. I’m just thinking about how we can make this work and I’m glad you agreed,” said Robert.

The men continued with their private thoughts, each thinking about travelling home and all the obstacles they would need to overcome.

“What?” Kyle asked again.

“I didn’t say anything. Get some sleep, you’re hallucinating,” Robert said, with a chuckle.

“Shhhhh…” Kyle held his index finger to his lips.

Robert froze in place. He could hear the voices now, too. His eyes were wide open and he could feel his heart trying to beat out of his chest. One of the voices sounded like Richard, very scared. The other was a deep voice, giving commands. In the dark of the night, Robert reached for the pistol hidden on the floor of his raft. His hand coupled with the handle of the pistol like they were old friends. Positioning the pistol in front of him and away from Kyle, he brushed his trigger finger across its safety. The pistol was now ready to kill, and Robert dreaded what he slowly began sneaking towards, still hidden by the brush. Stealthily, Robert and Kyle edged forward, inch by inch, on their bare feet, toward the voices. Each step felt like an eternity as their toes felt for dry twigs that might snap and reveal their presence. From a crouched position, Robert leaned around a bush and saw Richard cowering in his raft. There was enough light from the campfire for Robert to see a tall skinny man with tattoos on his arms, brandishing a machete at Richard.