We travel for about another two hours. The roads becoming more congested and traffic is making our travel time even longer. Jason pulls into a gas station to fill the gas tank and soon we are back on our way. Soon, Jason takes us off another exit where the roads are vacant. Only a couple buildings and no one seems to be out.
“Why the hell did you pull off this exit?” Saige says looking out the windows at the dark sights.
“Because it’s the only one we’re going to find in the next couple miles.” Jason says. “Besides it’s not so bad.”
“I think we should just try to find someplace to stop and find directions, please.” Kimberley says.
It’s another five or ten minutes before we find some people walking around and a building where there are some old looking cars parked around.
“Where are we?” I ask petrified of the town. Deserted and dark are two adjectives to describe it.
“I don’t know but as I look at it, I just hope someone knows directions and we can get out of here!” Kimberley says starting to close the curtains
“Oh come on,” Blake urges, “Don’t think we can handle this town. If anything this place can’t handle us.”
Wish I could be as cocky as you. I think to myself. Kimberley just rolls her eyes.
“Your call Kim, what do you want to do?”
“All we need is directions, I think this town we’ll be fine.” She decides. “Besides, I just don’t feel like driving any longer.” She says, stretching
As we keep getting closer my stomach keeps tightening. I don’t want to go to this place, but we need to find directions.
As we park across from the bar there is an old beat up sign reading Welcome to Graven. The houses here have beat up windows, blocked doors, and holes in the roof. Kimberley though, is the first to open the door and step out. Saige, and I follow.
“I’m going to hang back with Jason.” Ivan says. “Keep him company.”
“Fine, if you’re too scared why don’t just admit it.” Saige says to her brother.
“Hey, stop it,” Blake says flicking his sister in the head. “Let’s just go, come on.”
We walk across the road to the bar. I flinch when I see a little girl standing on the side of the road with a doll in her hand. She has on a muddy, ripped white dress with messy long hair. Her whole body is covered with dirt and filth. I just pray she isn’t a demon watching us. “Wait guys.” I run back across the street and tell Ivan to hand me a can of any food. He hands me some green beans.
I run back over and walk slowly to the little girl. I hold out the can for her, gesturing for her to take it. She doesn’t move an inch. I’m surprised, a person with weapons would defiantly scare me off if I was her size. But she just looks up at me with wary eyes. Her body is all bones. No muscles.
I crouch down to her level, open the can, and extend my hand again. She hesitates then steps back like its poisoned.
“Come on take it,” I reassure her in a soothing voice. I take one out and put in my mouth eating it. “You can have it. It’s okay.”
She stands there for minute before taking a step forward. Then dropping her doll, rushing over to me, taking the can in her scrawny hands and devouring the can like she’s a little animal, afraid it will be taken away from her.
I stand back up and watch her. She then looks up once at me. I grin once and she gives me the slightest smile she can muster, then runs back to her doll. I take one last look at the girl before walking back to the group. They all stare at me, like I just murdered someone. “What, it’s just one can.” I say.
“We know, it’s just really nice what you did.” Saige declares looking back at the little girl. “Her parents are probably dead. She has nowhere to live.” Saige then turns her eyes towards me. “She’s an Outcast.”
Kimberley looks down with a sullen face. That’s probably what we all looked like at one point in our lives. I open my mouth to say something then sigh, depressed. Even if we could take her along, she would never make it. No matter what we could do for her, she would die in a short period of time. Her life is dwindling away as we know it.
Kimberley looks at her again before turning around and walking towards the entrance of the bar with Blake beside her. We follow them into the weary place.
It is dark and smells of alcohol and stale bear. Men are all cheering and yelling around a wrestling ring. Kimberley though ignores them and walks over to a bar in the far wall.
Men were sitting at tables watching the other drunk people scream for a fight being held in the ring. A man picks another man up and pounds him to the ground. I flinch watching in horror as the man viciously punches the man on the ground. The smaller man squirms under him trying to figure out what to do.
I flinch at each blow and soon have to turn my head.
A woman soon sees us and she comes over. “What are you kids doing in a bar like this?”
“Looking for directions.” Kimberley says.
The woman looks at one of us then goes down the line, scrutinizing each of us from top to bottom. As she does that, I look at her. Her hair is shaved on one side while the other side has it pin straight only going down to her jaw bone. It is black then changes to red half way down. She wears a black tank top showing off her muscles and tattoos on her arms. A scar runs down her cheek and down her neck. Her eyes are a brown, chestnut. She seems in her early twenties.
She grins at us like we’re easy prey to kill. “You kids aren’t from around here, are you?”
“What makes you say that?” Saige snaps.
“Well, let’s see. Youngun’s like you never walk into a bar like this, you’re not wearing beat up clothes, and your all are together.” She grins picking up a glass and cleans the inside. “Where you kids from huh?”
“Northern Michigan, traveled a long way to get here.” Blake answers.
“Where you travelin’?” She asks curious leaning over the bar table. A loud pound rings throughout the bar. We all turn to see the bigger man standing up showing off his muscles in victory. The other man, that was fighting him, is sprawled out on the floor not moving.
“What the hell?” I say freaked out. “Is he…dead?” I ask slowly. Pointing to the man.
“Probably.” The woman says putting the glass away not even caring. “Yeah, this bar isn’t a kid friendly joint punks. You guys better get going.”
“Can you give us directions?” Kimberley asks quickly following her down the bar. “Please?”
The woman stops to look at her. “I don’t do anything unless it’s for money kid. That’s how it works in this town. Ask someone for something you need to pay up, or get beat up. Your choice.”
Kimberley narrows her eyes and reaches into her pocket pulling out a wad of money. She takes a hundred out. The woman tries to grab it but Kimberley pulls it away teasing her.
“Here’s how it’s going to work for me. Give us the directions, then you get this. Got it?” The woman chuckles with delight, “You know how to play sweetheart. I can see that straight away. Alright, deal. Where do you want to go?”
Kimberley hands the hundred dollar to me and pulls out the map. She spreads it on the table. “Where’s The CM Experiments Facility located?”
The woman looks up from the map almost shocked, “In Canada?”
“Yeah, do you know where it is?” I snap but Kimberley puts a hand on my chest telling me to take it easy.
The woman stares at me. “Yeah I know where it is. Actually got captured and was taken there. But anyway,” she clears her throat, and looks at the map again. “Where are you all crossing?”
“Once we get to North Dakota we are going to head north.” Kimberley puts her finger on the map tracing her finger from North Dakota into Canada.
“Well, there’s your first mistake.” The woman says. “You want to keep heading west. The Lab is in New Oregon, near the Pacific Ocean. It’s on an island. You get to it by walking across the Oregon Bridge. There, it’s located, so no prisoners can escape.”
“So the only way off it is to swim?” Blake comments.
“Like I said there is the bridge but they pull that in every day making sure the prisoners are only surrounded by water. I got out by chiseling away my prison cell and stowing away on a ship garbage Shute. Once I got back to land I just ran, ran until I found a car, hotwired it, and headed back here. When I left, this place was fine. People lived their lives and it had no worries about the government or Union soldiers. Then when I came back it was torn down. I was eighteen. People said it was attacked and burned down. Only some people made it and rebuilt some houses but soon got lazy and quit. Town’s been in ruins ever since, just like Chicago.”
“Chicago? What happened there?” Blake asks. "Last time I heard Chicago had been bombed the least."
“Yeah, Chicago just go bombed in the past few years. Now it’s in depression. Riots start out, and fights, God it’s awful.”
“Wow,” Blake sighs. Another scream rings throughout the crowd as another competitor steps in the ring to battle the man who won.
“Anyway,” Kimberley takes the hundred dollar bill from me and hands it to the woman. “Thanks . . .” She strays off at the end wanting to catch her name.
“Names Razor kid, what’s your guy’s?” She moves her finger from all of us.
“Kimberley,” Kimberley says.
“I’m her sister Ronnie,” I introduce myself.
“I’m Blake and this is my sister Saige.”
“Nice to meet you kids. You guys better get going, looks like the fighter is almost done fighting his competitor. Don’t want to see another one.”
“Thanks.” Kimberley says folding up the map and putting it back in her coat.
“Hey, if you guys ever need anything,” she takes a napkin and rites something down. “Don’t be afraid to call. I’m here every day working my ass off.”
“Thanks again.” Kimberley calls back. Razor nods once the goes to take someone’s order.
As we are walking back to the door someone calls out at us. “Hey,” we all turn. The man was in the ring pointing straight at us. “You kids aren’t welcome in my bar.”
“Your bar,” I speak out not afraid of the man. “What makes you think it’s your bar.” The bar murmurs in surprise that I spoke out.
“Get up here kid, and show me a real fight!” The man growls in anger. Now I take a step back. But Kimberley stands in front of me. Shielding me from the man. “I’ll fight you asshole!” Kimberley volunteers.
The whole crowd gasps in horror at that comment. I grab onto Kimberley’s arm but she rips it away angrily. She hands her weapons to us and the money to Blake.
“What are you doing!?” Blake snaps.
“Trust me.” She says looking at us. She then turns her head to me and smiles.
“Get up hear and fight!” The man demands going into the corner of the ring. “Let’s see if you can move as fast as your mouth.” Kimberley hesitates before walking up to the ring. The crowd makes a pathway for her to get up into the ring. She stands in her corner making her hands into fists and her feet spread out shoulder length.
The man gets down like he’s playing football. A man yells from the crowd telling everyone to place their bets on who’s going to win. Mostly people just think Kimberley is a disgrace. She’s a girl and is only fourteen.
Many bets are placed for the other man. Kimberley puts her hair up into a high ponytail then goes back to her stance.
Blake bets a hundred on Kimberley and people just laugh at him. For a minute when he comes back I’m scared he made the wrong bet. But the doubt soon fades when both people strike.
The man is like a football player, trying to tackle Kimberley like a raging bull would try to do. Kimberley strikes like a tiger, ready to kill its prey.