Elysia: Ignite [Elysia Trilogy Book 1] (EDITING) ✔

CH8: The Beginnings

Jessica

Once again we were driving in the Cadillac. I was on the wheel now, because Erik seemed vexed all morning from the dream he refused to tell me about. He was constantly zoning out with bags under his eyes. I took pity on the boy in the doldrums and offered to drive. Josiah's trailers and the doctor's van were speeding along behind us on this deserted road---it was really the start of a new chapter in our journey; the actual beginning.

It turned out that the doctor had a frequentel in his possession. Although Nikole ventilated her fury in a strangely collected way at the fact that he had been hiding the rectangular device all those years, it was used along with our own freqs to contact each other in separate vehicles in case we had to make a stop or inform one another on matters of high significance. Such as; taking a piss.

We were headed toward a gargantuan chain of towering mountains that created formidable shadows across the vast meadow. In order to get to Grand Canyon, there was no choice but to cross it. We stopped one time to discuss which road to take at an abandoned convenience store parking lot. Doctor Mikhailov spread out the map of southwestern America on top of the bonnet of Erik's Cadillac and ordered all of us to gather around him.

"This is an old map, a pre-War one. But as far as I know, the roads are all the same," he said.

"We need to take into account that the aftershocks of the War could have damaged them. Some are crowded with discarded cars. Or broken off because of bombings," Josiah suggested, crossing his arms. "I've run into those kinds. It takes a long time to find another way around." His career as a supply runner had molded him into a prudent, bright individual when it came to roads. He and Soeun were honestly the most experienced in this field. I myself was a wanderer, but I was an aimless one whereas the two were a meticulous type as it was their job to find new roads and adequate supply havens.

"Do you have an updated map?" Mikhailov queried.

Throwing a confident smile as a sign of affirmation, Josiah jogged back to his first trailer and brought with him two large maps in each arm. Soeun plopped down on the ground, back against the front tire of the car as he watched his boyfriend scuttle out from their van.

"I have one for southern California and another for southwestern America."

Mikhailov folded his map, putting it away in his coat pocket, and let Josiah unravel his maps on the bonnet. I stepped closer to see all the colorful markings that had been made on the timeworn piece of paper. There were x's and o's on some highways while stars and multilayered circles highlighted important places that probably provided copious valuable resources. Water. Food. Wood. And the written list went on. There was even Condoms. I sniggered and nudged Erik once, to which he responded with an adorable blush and a following scowl.

"You haven't ventured this area," I pointed out. The direction we were taking was to the southeast but Josiah's map littered with scribbles was almost clear of any writings or marks near Grand Canyon.

"I've never been to Arizona. Radiation," he answered, scratching the back of his head.

"We didn't think diving into a radioactive pool would profit us," Soeun added without even rising to his feet. "Dying of radiation poisoning is the worst way to go."

"Very true," the doctor agreed. "Yet we must go. So, Nolett, which road to take?" He turned to face the man considerably taller than himself.

"Sica," Josiah suddenly called me. "You said we have two weeks?"

"13 days from now, so uh...that's October 23rd." I counted the days with my fingers.

"Alright. Then we have plenty of time. We should go around the Sierra Nevada and across the southern part of Nevada." Josiah put his left hand to his hip and traced a certain yellow squiggly line with the index finger of his other hand. There were no x's or o's on that road.