Jacqueline Druga - What Tomorrow Brings

Kit gasped in shock when she saw the names Regis and Mark, written in the dirt on the car door.

“They rested here,” Abe pointed. “Against the car.”

“That meant they were walking.”

“Yeah,” Abe replied solemnly. “They did this for you. They knew you were coming. They weren’t in any condition to walk, Kit. We may have to keep an eye out for them.”

“It’s been three weeks, Abe.”

“I know.”

“I hope they made it. I really do.” Kit walked back to the car and got in.

They continued on, more diligent about looking out.

Every couple miles they’d see another car or truck with their names on it. It showed how frequently they stopped. Then the handwriting grew worse, the stops were closer and the names transformed into only initials.

Then they stopped.

Kit knew something was up when they went four miles without a name.

Either Regis and Mark had gotten a ride or they went off to the side of the road, unable to go on.

“There’s a town two miles ahead,” Abe said. “Let’s try there. Maybe they got a ride there.”

“The town is probably shut down.”

“We can still ask. We don’t need to go in.”

They pulled off the exit for Four Lakes, leaving the car behind just on the outskirts on the residential town. It was more of a community and the town square was small. Unlike all the others, Four Lakes wasn’t closed off. In fact, people were on the streets in tents. It was a chilly day and people sat around camp fires, all of them looked at Kit and Abe as if they were aliens.

Abe stopped before a family, that was camping outside a beauty salon. “Are you folks from here?”

The man shook his head.

“Have you been here longer than three weeks.”

Again, the man shook his head.

“Anyone you know been here that long?” Abe asked.

“Try there,” the man spoke and pointed to the coffee shop.

“Thank you.” Abe crossed the street with Kit.

“Please don’t tell me they’re selling coffee in the middle of all this,” Kit said.

“I doubt it.”

“I was joking.”

Abe stopped. “That’s the first time in a while you haven’t been serious. I’m glad.”

The door to the coffee shop was open and the front window boarded.

When they stepped in, the conversation stopped. It seemed as if the twelve people there were having a meeting.

An older man at the table looked up. “We’re low on everything. We can’t give, but there is space out there if you need to rest up.”

“We’re not here for a place to bunk,” Abe said.

“I’m looking for my family,” Kit added. “My brothers. They came this way. They were writing their names on the cars and it stopped a few miles back. We were thinking they may have come here, or stopped here.”

“A lot of people come through here,” he said. “Was it just the two of them?”

“Yes.” Kit nodded. “They were walking. They were sick. Their names…”

“Rege and Mark,” a woman spoke up then emerged from the back of the room.

“Yes,” Kit said excitedly. “That’s them.”

“Catherine,” the man at the table said. “Were those the two men a few weeks back you were talking about?”

“I believe so. I gave them a ride.” Catherine walked up to Kit and Abe. “I saw them on the side of the road. I offered to bring them here, but they wanted to go to Spokane. I even offered to wait for them, but they wanted to stay. I can show you were I took them.”

“Oh, no need. Just knowing they got there is good,” Kit spoke upbeat and pulled out the map. “I have my brother’s address and I’m sure I can find it.”

Catherine gently lowered the map. “The map isn’t going to help you. I think it would be easier for me to show you.”

If it was under any other circumstances, Kit would have been suspicious, but there was genuine concern in Catherine’s eyes and voice and that worried Kit.

It was supposed to be unscathed, spared by the bombs. It was supposed to be a gleaming city still standing.

It wasn’t supposed to be gone, but it was.

Like she did with Regis and Mark, Catherine broke the news to Kit and Abe on the short drive there.

A misguided missile or perhaps on purpose, whatever the reason, the bomb fell just north of the Spokane, obliterating most of the city.

“They weren’t well. They weren’t well at all, I could see how sick they were.” Catherine said. “I felt really bad leaving, but they didn’t want to come, or have me wait. There was a lot of love between them, you know, you could feel it. My heart broke for them. I knew what they would find.”

Kit didn’t know what to say. She just stared out the window watching the destruction as they drove by. She kept her arms folded tightly to her chest. Abe reached over, giving a gentle reassurance squeeze to her shouldar.

It was three weeks. Where did her brothers go? Did they even leave? If they stayed, how did they survive?

At least Mark found resolution. It wasn’t what he wanted to find, but he knew the truth.

That was what Kit aimed for in her search for her own child.

Catherine stopped the truck. “This is as far as I can drive. They walked down that way.”

She shut off the truck and stepped out.

Kit opened the door and she and Abe followed Catherine.

She had a sick feeling in her stomach, a sad one as well, and as she walked closer, she saw that her brothers never left.

A figure of a man, covered in a blanket sat in the middle of a flattened home. He was larger, it had to be Regis.

“Rege!” Kit called out and picked up her pace.

“Kit.” Abe tried to stop her.

Kit ran, but only a short distance. Twenty or so feet away she could see a pair of legs crossed at the ankles, they extended from Regis’ side from underneath the blanket. A back pack was next to them, and it looked like Regis moved slowly back and forth, front to back.

“Regis.” Kit ran again. A few more steps and she stopped cold when she heard the growling.

“Stop.” Abe grabbed hold of her shoulder.

Kit ignored him and inched closer learning Regis wasn’t moving, it was two dogs, one a smaller German Shepherd, the other a terrier. They defended their meal as they viciously tore into the bodies of Regis and Mark.

“Get away!” Kit screamed as she bent down lifting a small piece of wood, while running she hurled the wood at the dogs, hoping to scare them off. “Get off him!”

The wood landed a foot from the two dogs, but it didn’t scare them off. Instead, it sent the dogs rushing her way. The Shepherd leapt at Kit, its front paws slamming into her and sending her back.

She heard the firing of a gun, but Kit couldn’t see what was going on. She tried to fight off the dog, who snapped for her face while snarling. His jaws were dripping saliva, his breathe was rank smelling making her gag.

He was too heavy and she lacked the strength to push him off her. She didn’t know how long she struggled with the animal, it could have been only a few seconds, but each one was terrifying.

The dog was lifted from on top of her and she saw Abe. He had the dog, but it wasn’t an easy fight for him. He threw it to the ground and reached down for something. As his hand gripped a piece of debris, the dog stirred to his feet and lunged for Abe.

A single shot fired and the dog, flipped back, landing on the ground.

Out of breath, Abe looked at Catherine. “Thank you.” He helped Kit to her feet.

“We’ve been having problems with dogs. They’re pretty rabid,” Catherine said.

“You okay?” Abe asked Kit.

“No,” Kit whimpered, staring at the bodies of her brothers.

Regis’ body was now slumped over.

“I’m sorry,” Abe said.