THIS IS YOURS

It was just past sunset and usual hovering of blue lights droned across the dust filled sky. Leaving eerie shadows as the passed over the ground. Hannah and her little brother sat inside the remains of a car. Running all day with little food and water had tuckered them both out. Still slightly panting, she reached into her old backup to retrieve two canteens. Passing one to her brother she warned him sternly “Do not suck it all down. It is all we have left.” Sweat ran down both of their faces only to be absorbed by their tattered clothing.

Her brother, Timothy, looked at the bottle in hands then back his sister. Slowly he raised the canteen to his lips and took a long gulp before quickly twisting the cap back on. Hannah was peeling off her blood-stained camouflaged jacket while looking out the back window of the car. She grunted slightly as she squinted to see through the falling ash drifting down from the sky.

Hannah reached back in her mind while trying to slow down her breathing. It had only been three years ago since she heard the EBS Warning screech from her cellphone. The sky had been clear and warm. She remembered the sirens calling out from the poles throughout her town. Now, the cold never ceased and the only light from the sky came from strange craft that drifted about at night. She slowly spun back around and slid back into the seat.

“Hey sis, I think we lost them a day ago. Quit worrying so much.” Timothy said as he patted her thigh. Hannah brought her legs to her chest and hugged them laying her face upon her knees. She looked at Timothy, he had sprouted at least three feet in the last couple of years. Even with eating meager rations and what little else they could scrounge from the forest. Hannah, only eighteen years old, felt dwarfed by his sudden burst in height.

Her brother was engrossed with cleaning his rifle with precision. Just like their father had taught them. Hannah closed her eyes and thought of his face. He was the one she missed the most. The man never wavered, he always knew the right things to say, gave the most thoughtful gifts, going the extra mile for both her and Timothy.

For days they have been on the run from vagabonds. Hannah’s mind spun back to the last camp they had found. That boy, that one handsome boy with his confident smile. He reminded her so much of her father. He made Hannah feel so safe. The night she gave into his persistence and even allowed herself to enjoy his hunger. Only to discover the next day all her belongings were gone and so was he. Hannah and Timothy were seen stealing clothing for her and water. After such, they had no choice but to run. Hannah shook her head as is attempting to sway away gnats. Her blue eyes opened for a moment to see her brother already asleep. Leaning into his shoulder, she did her best to mimic his rest.

The next day had been unusually quiet. No riff raff, no other refugees, nothing but the remains of a Red Cross camp. Decomposing bodies littered the ground. Hannah was desperately sweeping the area with her Geiger counter. The only items Hannah found that were not too hot was a half used first aid kit, some water bottles, and a pack of batteries. She set her Geiger counter down on the ground. Timothy was looking about the charred terrain with his binoculars. He looked down at the map he had in hand, thumping the compass he had mounted on his knee. Hannah finished filling their canteens with the water.

“We should get going Hannah. The east winds are picking up, that is going to bring more fallout our way. According to my map we are not more than a day or more away from Sulpher Springs. I am pretty sure we are already in West Virginia?” Timothy spoke loudly over the whipping winds.

Hannah pulled her long blonde rat’s nest on her head away from her face. She saw Timothy beckoning to her with a free hand.

“Come Hannah, let’s keep moving, we will be in Greenbrier before you know it!” he yelled out.

Hannah stuffed the supplies and Geiger counter in her backpack quickly. She trotted towards her brother. He smiled at her as she approached. He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle tug. They slid onto their bicycles and began to peddle away. The pair had only moved a few feet when they saw a cloud of black dust in the distance coming off the ground in the distance in front of them. Out of the debris, they recognized government vehicles. Since the war, all encounters with the military ended terribly for civilians. The two of them had seen this countless times in their travels. She looked at Timothy as if to ask what now? It was as if he read her mind, touching the handle of bike pointing directly east. She saw ominous swirls of black clouds, her heart jumped into her throat as their bikes changed direction.

“Timothy we can’t go into the storm! It is suicide!” Hannah cried out.

“I know! but remember the las time we ran into motored travelers?! We both were almost killed. Back at that encampment?!” he retorted loudly.

“Timmy it’s crazy to go into the storm, everyone knows that!” sweat was pouring down her face.

“Exactly, that is what I am hoping for, hopefully they won’t follow us! We’ll veer off soon” Timothy said looking to the left. His eyes looked very concerned “Oh shit! More company!” Timothy pointed towards a ragtag mix of vehicles approaching them from the other direction.

Hannah and Timothy peddled off the cracked road into the charred field. The vehicles from the North were coming into sight. The green Humvees were barreling faster down the road.

“Come on Hannah, faster!” Timothy screamed. Her brother was several feet in front of her heading towards what appeared to be a large crater. The crew of cars coming from the south had already stopped except for one. Men and women were getting out of their cars. Weapons pointed at the oncoming Humvees. The sound of automatic weapons pierced the air. The Humvees swerved off the main road continuing to bear down towards Hannah and her brother. A few seconds later one of them exploded, raining down parts on the ground. Another flipped into the air and began to roll after impact.

Weapons on both sides at this point were loose. A full-fledged fire fight was just behind them. Timothy’s bike slid and came to sudden stop. An immense deep crater was just before them. Hannah stopped beside her brother. They looked at each knowing what entering that hole would cause. Timothy pointed towards the edge of the crater, one of vehicles from the south was inside approaching their direction quickly. Hannah looked behind her to view a small contingent of soldiers running their way carrying rifles.

“Stay where you at or we will open fire!” one of the soldiers screamed.

Timothy pushed his sister causing her to fall to the ground. He dropped on one knee into a firing position. He let loose a few rounds from their father’s old hunting rifle. Two of the soldiers fell to ground, the group was almost upon them. Timothy stopped firing and began digging in his pocket for rounds. Hannah looked up, still a bit dazed from the fall, just in time to watch the vehicle from inside the crater careen out and plow into group of soldiers. Several were instantly crushed, but a few escaped.

A young man jumped out of the vehicle, pulled out a pistol, and began firing at the few remaining soldiers. Hannah was on her knees at this point and digging through her backpack for her gun. She looked at the man fight furiously with skill. Ruthlessly dropping one opponent after the other until a loud burst rang out loudly, dropping their unsuspecting hero in his tracks. He dropped to his knees. The soldier who shot him walked up, pointing a firearm at his head.

Hannah remembered her father’s words, almost as if whispering in her ear “Sight your target, both eyes open, take a deep breathe, and exhale…” Fire erupted from the end of Hannah’s pistol. She did not count the amount of times she squeezed the trigger, but it was enough to remove the head of the soldier. She stood up and ran over to the young man that had saved them. He was laying on his back. His skin was partially melted from his face and bare right arm. His breathing was heavy, sweat covered his face, a hole in his chest was seeping blood.

“That…tha…crater…it was still hot…so hot…” he began to cough up a bit of blood.

Hannah had encountered radiation burns and sickness before but never to this level. The nurturing side of herself fought with the churning of her stomach. Her jacket was off folded over the wound. She was pressing hard, hoping to clot the bleeding. Timothy had joined them. Cradling the man’s head as he placed a blanket under it. Blood was flowing from beneath his body on the road.

“Hey, don’t waste your time. I am a goner. Its ok.” Blood and a bit of foam formed at his lips. A slight familiar little smirk formed on his face. Eyes met eyes and the veil of identity no longer remained shrouded. She could not believe what she was seeing. The man reached up and fumbled with a button on his front left pocket of his shirt. Reaching inside, he pulled a white gold locket. A few tiny diamonds were still set surrounding its heart shape. Hannah’s mouth dropped open, the locket her father gave her all those years ago.

Several cars pulled up and stopped. A small group of men and women exited their vehicles. Walking over they stood silently over the three on ground. The storm from the East was approaching quickly. The winds were picking up, bramble, and dust flew by in a violent manner.

“Garner, you are in charge now. Get these two out here.” The wounded man said abruptly.

“But sergeant, we can take you back to the camp, we have a doc now” Garner replied.

“Look at me, Garner, I am not going to make it. Get these folks out. Back to camp, all of you. Protect them from scum like me” the coughing started all over again. He grabbed Hannah’s left hand and let her locket fall into her palm.

“I never can return what I took from you that one night, except…I believe…I believe, this is…yours, your heart” with those words his left hand fell to the ground and his body went limp. Tears welled up in Hannah’s eyes. The sensation of her locket in her palm brought back more memories than she cared to remember. The anger and betrayal she had carried around for weeks faded to pity.

“Let’s move out, now!” Garner shouted. “The storm is getting to close”

The company of people piled into the vehicles racing away from the blustering storm of black clouds. Heading quickly towards the west. Hannah looked back to see the body of the young man be swallowed in darkness.