Matthew Mark - Dark Days Rough Roads

Bobby, being a typical 14-year-old kid, said “Shut up bum. You’re a bum and always will be.” He left David’s side and walked right up on her. David tried to call him back, but he didn’t listen. “Bum, bum, bum, bum,” he taunted. She swung her walking stick at him like a golf club and it glanced off his forehead at just the right angle, splitting it open. Being a facial wound, it bled like crazy. Bev thought how odd head wounds bleed like crazy, but aren’t that bad. David picked up rocks and starting throwing them at the woman and chased her away. He had grabbed Bobby then and rushed to the Halidays’.

Haliday had never been happier to see the Michigan border as he drove through. He felt better about being back in the state, but not about the current state of the situation. They were coming up on US12, aptly named Michigan Avenue. You could actually take this from downtown Detroit to downtown Chicago. No one really did this though, unless they wanted a sightseeing tour. Too many small towns and stops in between.

He kept looking for a place to pull off. He couldn’t continue driving for much longer and with the amount of time most likely left, the break would do him good. He looked over at Mike, who was hovering between sleep and consciousness. He asked him to look in the binder and see if there were any notes written in the margins regarding the area. Mike looked and said something about campground races.

Ah yes, he thought. The year Earnhardt senior had taken a fatal right run during a race, Haliday and the family had become weekend rednecks. They started following NASCAR very consistently. Rather than haul their camper to the track itself, they went about half an hour further to enjoy a small out the way campground. After his divorce, Haliday and Kayla continued the tradition each year up until she left for college.

He still knew the area very well. Since it was closed for the season, it might make a great place to stop for a while. He glanced down at the binder and got his bearings. He told Mike what the plan was. Mike offered to drive, but Haliday told him he needed to get out of the truck for a while and give his ribs some rest. “Besides,” he said, “the rest will do us all some good.”

They passed farm after farm of crops that had been cleared weeks ago. Corn and soy beans were the top crops. Over in Hillsdale, not far off, there used to be a Pillsbury plant that had closed a few years back. It just reminded him of what he took for granted. Pop the can open, biscuits in the oven, enjoy. Nope, home made from now on and for who knows how long.

He turned the lights off and approached the small dirt road that led to the campground. The main gate was about 200 yards off the main road. He told Mike to wait here for 20 minutes, then drive around the main gate and then the secondary gate and stop about 25 yards from the camp store. He told Kayla to come with him. They set off on foot toward the wood line.

Mike waited and then did as he had been instructed to do. When he got there, he placed it in park and noticed there was smoke coming from the stovepipe in the roof of the little store. He noticed a regular house trailer was attached to it. He then waited. He was going to make sure he thanked Haliday for using them as bait.

Just about five minutes later he heard a voice command them to exit the vehicle and put their hands up. Mike looked at Linda and they climbed out. A spotlight turned on and illuminated them. “Walk to the front of your truck and face the hood.” They complied. Max jumped down out of the truck and sat and watched the activity.

A man in his mid to late forties approached them. “Don’t get any bright ideas and try anything stupid,” he told them. “What’s your business here?” Mike looked at Linda.

Linda said, “We used to stay here, well, I did, years ago during the races. We are trying to get home and needed a place to stop. My ex husband thought this would be a good place.”

The guy looked at her. “What do you mean your ex?” he asked “Where is he?”

“I don’t honestly know exactly where he is, but I would assume he’s watching us right now.” The guy looked around and then looked back at them.

“Well, I have a few guys out there myself. Not sure he could handle them.” Linda was thinking the opposite.

Linda said, “Listen, we don’t want any trouble, we just wanted a place to stay for a bit while we rested. It’s been a rough few days and we are beat.”

The guy said, “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Are you the owner?” she asked

“Close enough,” was the reply. Linda went on to explain a few things.

“You still have the old Ms. Pacman in the arcade? Your boat rentals are actually across the main road by the dock. You keep a cinderblock on top of the dumpster to keep the raccoons out and a chain on it so the cinderblock doesn’t go missing. The pump out station has a sign that says ‘this here honey hole ain’t sweet, wash your hands before leaving’.”

The guy said, “Ok, sounds legitimate, but what we have here is quite a pickle. I’ll tell you what, you call your ex-husband in and we’ll go from there.”

Linda said, “Ok, but you call your guys in after that.”

“Deal,” he said.

Linda called out, “Roger, you hear that?” Roger appeared a couple minutes later. As he approached he watched a red dot dance across his body. He looked over and saw another dance off Mike.

He walked up, looked at the guy and said, “Hey George, thought you’d be gone by now.” George recognized him; he had seen him for five years now every August. George took over running the campground from his dad who had retired. That explained him not knowing Linda.

“Well, we were planning on it, but we still hadn’t finished the season. We extended it this year to host a Halloween weekend. Thought we would make a few extra bucks.”

George whistled and two guys came walking up, one with a hand held spotlight. These were George’s two sons who helped him run the campground now then closed up each year before they all headed to Florida for the winter. Max walked over and inspected them then walked back to Haliday and looked at him as if to acknowledge his approval of the guys. “Want a dog?” Roger asked.

Linda said, “Kayla will be mad─keep it up.”

Haliday asked him if he knew what was going on. George told him that he listened to the campers enough to know some were preppers or survivalists or whatever they called themselves. He had taken some basic precautions himself. He figured it was serious when everything went dark. He had used the old tractor to go into town to confirm this. He said he went back as soon as possible and bought as much food as he could before people figured out there wouldn’t be any soon.

George said, "I never figured you to be one of those folks."

Haliday said, "What kind of folks do you mean?" George didn’t really say anything he just shrugged his shoulders. Haliday said, “Ready, I’m just ready.”

George looked at Haliday; “Hey can I ask you a question Roger? She mentioned Kayla. Where’s your daughter? Is she at school?” George was shocked by the answer.

“No sir, she’s out there with a bead on you guys as we speak.”

George looked around. “You can call her in.” Haliday had noticed the two lasers and knowing he only had two sons he was comfortable calling Kayla in. Kayla came walking in.

“Dad, it’s cold out here,” she looked and said, “Hi Mr. George.”

“Hi sweetie,” he said. “Let’s all go inside.” They walked inside and it was warm and comfortable in there. Kayla stood by the wood stove to warm up a bit.

“George, you going to call in your third man or leave him out there?” George laughed, went to the porch of the store and blinked his flashlight a couple times.