G Hopf: Sanctuary

Brittany was breathing very heavily. Blood poured freely from the large wound. She stared blankly into the gray sky above her.

“I’ve got you! You’re going to be okay, I promise!” Gordon exclaimed. He examined her wound and discovered that most of the blast hit her in the upper shoulder, although she had some small pockmarks in her neck, right arm, and chest.

She had been hit with number-7 birdshot, but at close range, the spread of the shot was concentrated. The damage to her right shoulder was severe but survivable, if she could be treated quickly.

“Tyler,” she whispered. The pain was evident in her trembling tone.

Gordon looked over his should and saw him still frozen in his spot.

“Tyler, I need you! Come over here. We need to get your mother inside so I can treat this!”

Tyler just stood staring over Gordon’s shoulder.

“Please take care of my boy,” Brittany whispered.

“Shh! You’re going to be fine. I just need to get you inside,” Gordon said to her softly. He was applying pressure to the wound with his left hand. Looking back toward Tyler he yelled, “Tyler! Get over here!” He then saw that Tyler was pointing at something down the road, his hand shaking.

Gordon swiftly turned to face the direction Tyler was pointing down. “Shit!” he yelled out once he saw the sets of headlights coming their way. He pulled Brittany up by the shoulders and began to drag her toward the car.

Brittany began crying out in pain as he pulled her.

“Tyler, come on! Open the door!”

Tyler finally responded, running over and opening the rear car door. But before they could even lift her in, three vehicles surrounded them and men poured out of the doors. One of the men hollered out, “Put down your gun, we are Marines!”

Sebastian stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Having hot showers every few days was a luxury few knew anymore, and he was grateful for the chance. He ran his hand over the thickening beard he was growing. Even though he had the supplies to shave, he opted to groom his facial hair with scissors. Plus, Annaliese liked his beard, and to him that was more important than any other reason. As his fingers rubbed his face, the gold wedding band on his left hand glimmered in the bathroom light.

The past weeks since their arrival in Utah had been very eventful. He and Annaliese finally admitted their love for one another and he proposed to her. Her uncle Samuel wasn’t in support of the marriage, and at first neither was her mother. Eventually her mother did come around, and was able to convince Samuel that Sebastian, though not a Mormon, was a responsible man. Their engagement was short compared to engagements before, but these were not normal times. Not knowing what tomorrow could bring, they decided to get married right away. Samuel agreed to officiate the wedding even though Sebastian refused to convert. This refusal by Sebastian expanded the rift between both men.

Annaliese had spent a lot of time trying to convince Samuel that her love for Sebastian was more than a young girl’s urges, as he had put it initially. She was physically attracted to Sebastian, but their love was sincere and intense. They had been through a lot together in such a short period of time. In so many ways they had lived many lives. The events they had journeyed through together had shown her the kind of man he was. She could trust him not only with her safety but her heart. Sebastian had shown her that he was a man who could keep his humanity in this new world. That was an important trait. So many were abandoning it, but he had proven he was a man who she wanted to be with.

Before the lights went out, Annaliese never would have met, much less fallen in love with, a man like Sebastian. The realities of the outside world changed her outlook and challenged her faith. While others ran toward religion for an answer as to why their world had collapsed, she began to believe that God had abandoned his people. She had not given up on God per se; she had given up on the dogmatic beliefs of a religion that in many ways had already acknowledged a God that was hands-off.

Sebastian was taking his time in the bathroom, soaking up the warmth of the steam from his shower and the feeling of being clean. Soon he’d be back on the road to find his brother. He and Annaliese had many conversations about his departure. While she wanted him to stay, she knew he was determined to reunite with his family. The past few weeks at Uncle Samuel’s compound provided him the time he needed for his leg to heal enough so he could walk without the aid of crutches. The leg was still bandaged and would be for another six weeks, but he couldn’t wait around anymore.

She had argued to go with him, but he didn’t want to risk bringing her on the road. This was the only thing that he and her uncle agreed on. But Annaliese was strong willed, and continued daily to press the subject about her going. However, Sebastian was not easily swayed and he flat-out refused to put his new wife in imminent danger.

Sebastian hadn’t been outside the compound since his arrival weeks ago, but he heard reports coming in via Samuel’s ham radio. The reports coming in from all over the country painted a bleak picture. Many of the massive migrations from the east were being corralled in large FEMA camps. However, the survivors soon realized that they weren’t safe zones, but death traps. The government had quickly run out of supplies, so those encamped turned on each other and what government forces were there. The government’s response was weak or nonexistent. Every time a glimmer of hope was broadcast, it was quickly dashed with another report of mass riots and killings. Pestilence and disease were also starting to occur in towns and cities throughout the country. Sebastian lay in bed each night wondering when the bad news would stop.

The information that Sebastian heard daily expedited his decision to leave as soon as possible. His plan was simple: head north to Idaho, find Gordon, then come back to her. He just needed to know that Gordon and his family was safe, but he didn’t want to risk her on a first-time journey. Samuel had set up checkpoints along the route; each checkpoint represented a friendly group that could be trusted. They’d make sure Sebastian would make it and provide support if he needed it. Though thorough, the coverage wasn’t complete and there would be many miles without a friendly person nearby. Thinking about this, he began to nervously turn the gold band on his finger. The ring had been Bishop Sorenson’s; it was a gift to him from Annaliese’s mother, Sariah. Though she only tepidly supported their marriage, she was grateful that Sebastian had saved their lives, and that kept things friendly enough between them.

The knock on the door shuttered his thoughts about his journey.

“Yes?” he called out.

“Can I come in?” Annaliese asked.

“Sure.”

The door creaked open and Annaliese stepped inside and closed it. She was wearing a long nightgown.

Sebastian watched her come up behind him in the reflection of the mirror. He smiled ear to ear as she embraced him from behind.

“You smell… clean,” she said as she began to kiss his neck and right shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said. The smile on his face vanished.

“You’re always thinking,” she snickered as she continued to kiss him.

Her comment brought back the smile to his face. “I’ve been thinking that I want…”

She turned him around so they were looking at each other face-to-face. “Shh,” she said, putting her index finger to his lips. With her other hand she pulled off his towel and let it fall to the floor. “All I want you to think about is this,” she said as she pressed her warm body against his.