Between Rubble and Ruin: Chapter 1 – An End
In the times I live, there is more danger to be found in compassion than in violence. It is an ugly truth that I learned hard, but still, I refuse to let it change me. I refuse to become a product of the hole that I fell in.
Chapter 1: An End
She flinched and giggled as the chicken pecked and snatched up a seed a mere nails-width from her eye. Judith lay upon her back in the chicken coop, a thin pane of glass held just above her face had been covered in seed and a few of the hens had taken it upon themselves to get atop it and eat their fill.
“What the hell are you doing?” a disappointed voice asked with a grumble. Judith glanced over, careful not to shift her weight and roll off the hens, to find that her sister had silently sneaked into the coop.
“I wanted to know what it was like to be seed.” she replied as if her behavior would make sense to any but her. Her older sister sighed in aggravation.
“Oh. My. God. I’ve been up since dawn getting the livestock ready for migration and this is what you’ve accomplished?
“This is ‘feeding the cluckers’ like ma’ asked.” Judith said in retort before adding a qualifying “in a way.”
“They seem pretty well fed!” the older sister yelled, causing some of the hens to cock their heads nervously at the commotion. “Get the eggs, and move to your next chore.” she demanded, stern of voice. Judith rolled over, scattering the seed upon the floor and sending a few fowl fluttering and clucking.
“Sorry Patience.” she pouted, as her sister could do naught but sigh yet again.
“Whatever.” Patience replied, flipping her hand up in casual dismissal. She left the coop as her kid sister got back on her feet and tried to wipe clean the dander and seeds that now clung to her raggedy clothes.
“Okay!” She said to herself in an attempt to reform her scattered brain. Judith grasped a woven basket sitting nearby and gathered up as many eggs as she could.
She exited the coop and climbed down the cart that it sat atop, using a wheel as a makeshift step ladder. It was a windy day on the prairie and the air was starting to get cold. Her clan would be taking the caravan south in the morning, looking to find a milder winter within the decrepit expanse of suburbia that still had not been eaten away by the encroach of nature. The camp was in varying states of dismantlement, with most of the clansmen having packed up their tents into the half-dozen covered wagons that dotted the prairie. Still a few tents stood, including that of her family.
Done with her mother’s task, Judith strolled happily towards home. She passed one of the clansmen working tirelessly on an old rusty truck that had been with them the last few migrations, but had many worried it wouldn’t make one more. The clan barely had enough oxen and horses to pull what they had, and such a trip was likely to claim the lives of a few of the old animals. The man swore as he banged about with tools Judith had no idea the use of.
She approached the family tent, made of thick canvas still in surprisingly good condition that had been salvaged from one of the pre-fall cities when the clan was still nothing more than a couple families trying not to die. Voices could be heard inside as she reached out to open the flap, but a few words made her stop and listen.
“She’s nearly thirteen!” Her sister’s voice argued. “You need to bring her into reality.”
“Patience.” Her mother calmly replied. “Being able to be a kid is a gift in our times, let’s not ruin it unless we have to.”
“Things were different with you.” Her father chimed in. “I’m sorry, but you know how bad it was back then.” Judith silently peeked into the tent in time to see her sister place her hand upon her forehead.
“This isn’t jealousy, dad!” She stated with a grumble. “This is about preparing her for reality. What if something happens? What if she’s all alone?” Her parents both sighed, looking like they were at a loss for words. Judith chose this moment to push inside.
“I won’t be, Patience. Why would I leave?” Patience looked surprised at her sister’s presence and seemed to show a hint of awkwardness as she said her sister’s name.
“Judith, I.”
“Come now.”Her father interrupted. “This is enough of this. We’ve our hands full until the migration is over. We can pick this up then.”
Judith wasn’t sure of what “this” was but times had been pretty good to her. She knew of the dangers that lurked in the darkness and in the cities, she had seen them on the road. The clan had always kept her safe, however, and she saw no reason that would change.
“Judith, honey, it’s getting chilly.” Her mom cooed while handing her a shoulder coat. It was the young girl’s favorite and was made of the patchwork scraps of her childhood blanket. Mother and daughter exchanged coat for eggs and Judith put on the warmer garment.
The Miller family’s day proceeded peacefully and uneventfully, her mother looked in on the clan’s sick while their father helped out in breaking camp. The girls proceeded with the various chores their parents had set out before them. As the sun began to set the four gathered beside the fire outside their tent. Scavenged pre-sliced canned carrots had been added to broth and some mystery meat and cooked into a thin soup of sorts. This was a special treat when accompanied by the scrambled egg Mrs. Miller had prepared for all, as two different meals was rare indeed.
“Did you girls work hard today?’ Mr. Miller asked in between spoonfuls of soup. Judith nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh for sure. You know me!” She stated. Her sister sighed and playfully nudged her shoulder.
“Playing with the cluckers sure is important work, huh?”
“About as hard as fawning over Sam.” Judith stabbed back.
“You little stalker!” Patience growled. Their mother giggled at the sisterly squabble.
“Oh Patty, I didn’t know you had a thing for Sam!” Patience blushed between knife-like glances at her little sister. “He’s a nice young man.”
“Mom!” She yelled in exasperation. Mr. Miller took a few more bites of his meal, looking even more awkward than his eldest daughter.
“Well do take care,” Mrs. Miller smirked, clearly enjoying teasing her daughter. “Last thing we need is you two sproutin’ out a new mouth to feed.” Mr. Miller coughed, choking somewhat on a hunk of carrot.
“Mother, please!” Patience pleaded, red of face. “Can we not?” Judith giggled at her sister’s embarrassment.
“I have to agree with her here, Sweetie.” Mr. Miller said to his wife. Mrs. Miller leaned into her husband, resting against his shoulder.
“Oh you know what we were up to at their age, dear!” Every single member of the family bar the mother went dead silent. Mrs. Miller laughed, having achieved her goal.
“Don’t fret, Patty. Judy’ll be boy crazy too soon enough.”
“Never!” Judith proclaimed, turning aghast towards her sister. Patience solemnly nodded before playfully grabbing her sister’s shoulder, bringing both of them to a giggle.
The meal proceeded as such until they finished eating. The family retreated to their tent for sleep, bar the father who was one of the men on watch that night. Judith, still wearing her patchwork coat, burrowed herself into a cocoon of blankets and fell asleep easily, as she always had.
* * *
~BANG~
A gunshot pierced the night, followed by another and then another. Judith awakened, squealed in fright and curled up even tighter into her blankets. Patience shot up from the floor.
“Mom?” She asked in worry as she procured the family’s old rifle from a chest beside her. A few more gunshots thundered through the prairie. Their mother was on her feet and peering out of the tent’s front.
“Patience, you shoot anything that comes in.” She said to the older sister who was clutching the rusted old rifle. “I need to find your father.”
“Mother, don’t leave!” Judith pleaded, still wrapped in her blankets. Mrs. Miller ignored this order and instead again addressed Patience as she ducked out of the tent.
“Protect your sister.”
Their mother had now vanished into the mystery of the outside and the sisters were left staring at the tent flap as yells and gunshots became a constant chorus all around them. Patience’s hands shook as she clutched the rifle like a lifeline. Slowly she summoned her courage and crept up to the front of the tent. Night was giving way to day as she peeked outside. The sights brought a gasp to her throat.
Death was everywhere. Many strange men dressed in armor of salvaged rubber and metal fought with the clansmen. She scanned the area, seeing her father among the rallied guardsmen entrenched behind the wagons and firing into the distance. The right side of the camp fared worse, as the raiders had begun to overrun it, slaughtering the men and taking the women. If not with guns, they cut down the clansmen with axes or bludgeoned them into nothing with hammers. Patience felt her stomach churn. It wasn’t her first time witnessing violence, but as much as she told herself she could face it, death was a horrifying thing.
“Judith get up!” Patience demanded, letting the tent flap fall closed.
“But..” The younger sister argued.
“We need to get closer to dad. It is safer over there.” she explained while pulling Judith up and out of her blankets. Judith stumbled forward and shook her head.
“We should wait for ma’”
“It isn’t safe.” Patience argued, sitting down briefly to lace her boots. “Put your shoes on!” Judith did as her sister demanded. Patience tied back her dark and flowing hair and raised the rifle up before pulling her sister to her side.
The sisters burst out of their tent, Patience leading Judith with one hand while clutching the rifle in the other. They raced towards the side of the camp that had yet to be over-run hoping to take cover. The sight of her father and a few others still fighting bravely heartened her, but it wasn’t to last. Suddenly their was a massive blast and dirt erupted from the earth. The sisters hit the ground and lost hold of each-other. Patience looked up, ears ringing, and desperately searched the scene for her father. There was no wagon for the guardsmen to duck behind anymore. There was nothing but dirt, wood,and gore. Still she searched the camp for her father, expecting to find him sitting behind another of the wagons as if she had been looking the wrong way this whole time. Judith’s screaming smashed reality into her head as she rose to her feet and turned around.
Judith screamed for her sister’s help as one of the large men dragged her away by the wrist. Patience shook as she raised her rifle and yelled for the man to stop. Surprised initially, his confidence returned upon finding he was being confronted by nothing but a teenage girl. He smiled menacingly, eyeing the young girl who was clad in little but a sleeping dress and boots.
“You’ll fetch a good price too.”
Patience watched in horror as he marched towards her, still pulling her sister behind. She aimed her rifle as steady as she could, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. Nothing. The man guffawed at her misfortune as she looked at the old rifle in dismay. It was loaded. Why wasn’t it firing? Her eyes darted back to the man who was a mere 3 paces away. Patience changed her grip on the rifle, now holding at like a hammer. She screamed with the ferocity of a cornered animal and charged him.
She swung hard, but he caught the rifle, letting go of Judith in the process. He ripped the rifle from her hands and smashed the butt into her gut. Patience grunted as she hit the ground in pain. He towered over her in glee, enjoying the struggle of his prey. Patience looked to her sister who was frozen in fright. Suddenly as if from nowhere a figure tackled the man to the ground, sending the rifle flying.
Mrs. Miller screamed and raised a hunting knife over her head, about to plunge it into the raider’s flesh. Again the sister’s felt hope, and again it would be wrenched away from them in the worst way. The man reached to his side and drew a handgun and fired hastily upwards.
The mother fell backwards off the man, her brains scattering upon the prairie while her knife dropped to the ground. Patience screamed in horror while her sister began to wail in sadness. The man got up, wiped his brow and turned to Judith.
“Pity.” He grumbled before making a move to accost the younger sister once more. Patience fought through the sadness and the pain, rose to her feet and charged for the knife. The raider realized what she was doing and went to grab her with his free hand. Patience ducked under his grasp, proving to be a slippery target and plunged the knife into his gut. He gasped in pain as she kicked at his legs, bringing him tumbling to the ground. Before he knew what was happening, she was atop him, plunging the knife first into the arm that held his handgun and then into various spots on his chest. She stabbed and stabbed, crying out in anguish before a glance of her sister’s face brought her mind rushing back to the situation. Judith sat on her knees, splattered in the blood of her own mother. Patience, as bloodied as her sister, reclaimed her family’s rifle, slung it over her shoulder and picked up the raider’s gun. She grabbed the hunting knife with her other hand and offered it to her sister. Judith simply looked at her in horror.
“Patience, what’s..” But her sister did not reply. Patience forced the young girl to hold the knife. She looked first at her mother, any hope she had survived was dashed upon seeing the lifeless body sprawled out upon the grass. She then looked out at the camp. The battle was over and her clan was no more. The men lay dead and more raiders led the tied-up and sobbing women into the center of the camp. A few of them had noticed the commotion and approached. She raised the handgun and fired two shots in panic. The first hitting nothing while the second connected with the shoulder of one of them, sending him stumbling back.
She grabbed her sister’s wrist and pulled her away. Judith’s hand reached out towards her mother, grasping at the air, but Patience forced her away and the two ran as fast as their legs would carry them towards the wooded area in the distance. There were some shots fired by the raiders, but they were merely meant to scare. These were slavers, and though her sister had no idea, Patience knew the truth of what the meant for the girls were they to be caught.
They dashed into the treeline, Judith’s feet barely touching the ground with each stride as she was pulled by the arm by her adrenaline-wrought sister. They zigged and zagged, hoping to lose their pursuers whose longer strides would allow them to catch the girls eventually. Branches whipped their limbs as if attacking, bringing small cuts and scrapes to any uncovered flesh they could find. Patience watched behind her as she ran, knowing the men were just out of view. Suddenly her front foot didn’t meet ground and the sisters tumbled down into a riverbed. Patience helped her sister up and the two plunged into some shrubbery on the bottom of the 6 foot drop-off they had just fell from. The voices neared and with a flash of cognition Patience reached out and desperately wiped away the marks of their landing, leaving the dirt hopefully looking untouched at a glance.
An unknown number of the men soon gathered just above the riverbed.
“Did we take a wrong turn?” one asked.
“Who cares?” another said. “It is just a few girls. Let them run.”
“My brother is dead!” yet another growled, presumably at the one that had spoken before him.”We’re-” Two gunshots blasted into the air, bringing a sudden silence to the woods. Patience instinctively covered her sister’s mouth and the muffled breathy gasp that followed proved it was a wise choice.
“Quiet!” a fierce voice demanded. “We don’t let any escape, Badger. That’s our way.”
“Sorry..” the one named Badger whimpered, clearly bowing to what Patience began to think was their leader.
“Take the men, salvage what you can from that camp and get the slaves back home.” the leader’s voice commanded. “Paulson, pick 3 of your men and we’ll give chase. These ones don’t have to be brought back alive.
The one called Paulson laughed in anger, apparently wishing revenge upon the sisters who had struggled to end his brother, however unfair that might be given the circumstance. Footsteps led away from the river and Patience released her hold on Judith’s mouth. She gasped in some air before looking to Patience. Both sisters were at an absolute loss for words.
