The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Twenty

"What made you turn around for me then?"

"Honestly, I heard my mother's voice. Not in a crazy way. It's just... before I left, we saw this young girl being attacked, and my mum insisted that I help her. I figured helping you might be good karma for my journey."

"Good karma for your journey? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Alright, whatever, it worked didn't it?" Kade shot back.

"You're the first person I've talked to in years who has a heart," Cali said. "The world needs more of that."

"The second I helped you back in the desert, you zapped me and took off with my bike."

"And obviously you're still not over it. This is now the hundredth time you brought it up. Look, I'm not saying be like me. I'm not perfect. I guess... I don't know, you make me want to be a better person, you know? Before all this craziness happened with the world, human civilization was in a good place. For the most part, we were kind, we cared for one another. Now look at us. Everyone's living in a constant state of fear. Always looking over their shoulder, waiting for someone to stab them in the back. I was forced into a world of being one of those scavie scum and I needed to reclaim a sense of my humanity. I hated who I was becoming."

"There are still good people in the world. You can be the change you want to see."

"Okay, Ghandi."

"For what it's worth, I appreciate you saving me back there," Kade said.

"Don't mention it."

"So where did you learn to fight like that, and ride?"

"My mother," Cali said with a sense of sorrow.

"Was she a rider?"

"Not really, but she was sort of a master of whatever skill she wanted to pick up."

"Sounds like an incredible lady. Is she still alive?"

"I don't know."

"What about your father?"

"What about him?"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know, dude, what is this, a therapy session?"

"And the walls go up," Kade said. "Geez, you don't have to be so guarded all the time. I'm trying to connect with you."

"We can exchange backstories later, right now we need a plan," Cali said, eager to change the subject.

"Okay, fine. So what's your plan?" Kade asked.

"There's a saying I heard once that described travelling with a flashlight. It said even though you can only see ten feet in front of you, you can make the whole journey that way. So for me, I'm only looking ten feet ahead of me. Step one was to escape. Step two was to make it to some sort of functioning society. After that, it's anybody's guess where I go from there."

Kade didn't respond. There was a long moment of silence before Cali said, "Okay, you first."

"Me first, what?"

"Tell me about yourself — where are you from, what was your life like, do you have anyone who cares for you back home?"

"Not much to tell," Kade said, reflecting on his life. "Former junkie, rider, friend, son. I live alone with my dog Digi."

"Both parents still alive?"

"Just my mother."

"What happened to your father if you don't mind me asking."