Boyscouts of the Apocalypse

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Scouter Mike could see the Scouts and Scouters standing back looking at the wreckage. The two vehicles, it was definitely two although where one ended and another began was hard to tell, were a mass of mangled metal.

“What’s going on? Why are you all just standing around?” Mike asked as he came up on the group.

Scouter Connall, the Troop’s First Aider, turned to look at Mike, his face a little green. Rather than speak, he pointed at a sad little lump on the ground near the accident.

Mike looked. A pile of clothes. What was that to get all worked up about… Then he saw what it really was. “Oh my god! Is that what I think it is?”

Connall looked at him. “Yup. That’s the lower half of a body.”

“Where in Heaven’s name is the rest?” Mike asked.

Connall shook his head. “I don’t know. We only just really got here ourselves.”

“We need to get these Scouts away from this,” Mike said. “They can help us out, but there is no need for them to deal with the gruesome details.”

“Agreed. If we keep them busy, they can’t dwell on what they’ve seen,” Connall said. “If you could get the Scouts to form a perimeter on either side of the accident to stop any cars, I’ll get the other leaders to help me see what we can do here.”

“Will do,” Scouter Mike said. “Scouts! Come with me.” He watched to make sure everyone heard him. A couple of the boys didn’t turn. The leaders nearest them turned them away from the carnage and gently pushed them toward Mike.

Mike waited until they were with him. “Okay, guys. Obviously, there has been a terrible accident here. We need to make sure no one else gets hurt too.”

Scout Nathan, who looked both worried and scared at the same time held up his hand.

“Yes, Nathan?”

“Did you see the clothes on the ground, Scouter Mike? I think part of somebody was still in them!”

Scouter Mike knelt in front of the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “I saw them Nathan. It’s terrible what can happen. I don’t know if that was once a person or not, but I do know I need your help to ensure that no one else gets hurt.”

“He probably wasn’t wearing a seatbelt,” Scout Peter announced. “I expect he was thrown from the vehicle and got cut in half when he went through the windshield.”

“That’s enough, Peter!” Mike said, standing up. “What you think isn’t important right now. What is important is that we stop any cars that might be coming towards the accident.” Mike looked at the small Scout who was now crying in front of him. “Do you think you can help me with that, Nathan?”

“I…I’ll try, Scouter Mike,” the boy said through the tears.

“Good boy,” Scouter Mike said, clapping the boy lightly on the shoulder. “Okay guys, come with me.”

Mike led the boys away from the accident back toward his truck. “Kyle, Martin, Todd, could you guys join us, please? Ricky, you too.”

The boys scrambled through the ditch to where he and the other scouts waited. “Okay, guys. Here’s the scoop. There has been a bad accident up ahead….”

“There are pieces of people on the road,” Peter interrupted.

Mike rounded on the boy. “Peter! Do you want to go sit in the van? Your comments are not helping us right now and I need you to control your tongue. Can you do that?”