Chapter 45
Haley
As I get out of my boat I make sure that it’s staying secure on the riverbed. The last thing I want is to go and make my way back home only to find that the boat floated away from me.
If it was anyone else I would have scolded them for leaving the town at all, but I wasn't going to let Amy or the baby die. The the sky was orange and pink the sun was going down and it wouldn't be long before people realized I’m gone. I secure Jesse pocketknife and my M16 before walking off in the direction to the hospital.
I stepped out onto the street. Running my eyes across the tattered roof tops. Down across the rain and dust streaked windows. Then across the sidewalk and past at some open & some closed doors. Nothing left in the broken shop windows to sell. Business signs streaked with rust the droppings of birds. Tracked in patterns of animals feet. Cars sat empty along the curb, collecting dust. The streetlamps that weren't burned out projected little circles of white light onto an empty, cracked sidewalk that grew grass.
Not a human to be seen.
Silence.
As I walked my mind wondered to the hospital. I bet most of the drugs were picked clean by now but there was no way I couldn’t at least try if it was going to save Amy and the baby's life. I would die for any single person in Chester if a revenant came to kill them. Not wanting to protect them from everything else too just wouldn’t make any sense to me.
The hospital is about a day’s walk away, so I probably won’t get back for close to 3 days. I can only hope that Amy can hold on that long until I can get back with the medication. Being gone for three days though would cause most people to be considered dead. They know I can handle myself though after 12 years of being a runner. I would have to have been gone for over a month for anyone to even start to think I was dead. My family is smart, they will figure out quickly what I went to do, and I know they will all appreciate it. Still, they will scold me and tell me that it was stupid to come at all and then that it was stupid not to bring someone with me. I just couldn’t let anyone else risk their lives though when I knew it was a dangerous mission.
The further into the city I walked the more I see it's destruction. I knew it was in bad shape, but even then seeing it is a different story. I’m sure that anybody who was living here when it was still a nice city either left a long time ago or died with it. I couldn’t follow normal roads that would lead to the hospital because they were destroyed and unstable. One of the main roads seemed to have a large crack in the middle that just seemed to grow until a gap that could get a person stuck was created. The grass was long and wild which made it hard to see where I was even going. It reminded me less of a city and more like a forest with concrete and buildings.
Buildings…that reminded me that I didn’t even know the stability. I had to be careful not knowing when a half destroyed building could come fully collapsing on top of me. It being abandoned though at least meant that there would be a low chance of revenants showing up to look for people to eat. That didn't mean danger wasn't around every corner so I would still have to be careful. At the same time though a city could be useful even finding things on the road. For starters a sac that I could cross over my body and use to hold things. I put it on and continue walking down the road. Usually, I am used to walking while looking straight ahead so I can see trouble before it can see me. Right now, though I am looking down as I walk because it would be very easy to trip on these broken roads and land hard on the concrete. That would not only hurt but alert anyone to my presence and break my quiet cover.
Being alone feels more eerie to me than it used to. Before I had rules to follow but now I was unregulated.
As I’m walking through the city I can only chuckle at how I am breaking two of the biggest rules by going out alone and going out at night. Even if the town ends up hating me and ousting me though I know that I am doing to right thing be getting the medicine for Amy. Besides there seem to be plenty of other supplies on the streets. I found a small first aid kit and unzip it holding my breath. It’s full and I breath a sigh of relief because medical help is the most important think we could ever need.
It feels too uneasy on the main road though and I slip into a side road that is more dangerous because of the buildings, but safer because I am concealed. It seems to be a good direction though because I manage to find a sewing kit and fabric. Whoever lived here was probably making clothing for the city. My nose took me into a different direction, and I ended up walking into one of the halves collapsed buildings. In it I found several small containers of spices and put them in my bag as well. I didn’t know much about the use of spices, but someone else would get great use out of them to hopefully benefit everybody.
Even though I know I should be rushing towards the hospital my eye catches something on the ground and I walk over to investigate. Usually if I see something gleaning on the ground is it metal or some junk. This time thought it was a beautiful necklace in a condition that I didn’t even think was possible anymore. I knew that this was going to be for...
