The Prologue - Part II

Madeline sat on a stool in the women’s bathroom by herself, her clothes neatly folded and on top of a counter, and a bucket of soapy water sitting idly in front of her. It had been several days since the young woman had gone to Old Man Harris’ shop and only one thing had occupied her mind since then: she finally had the power to leave Moriston on her own. She took the bucket and poured it onto her body, gently scrubbing herself to get rid of the smell of gun oil that permeated the air around her.

It was lucky that no one noticed the scent and Madeline attributed it to the unfamiliarity of firearms in the community. However, she didn’t want to take the risk of smelling like gun oil around her father. He had demonstrated on more than one occasion that he knew a lot more than he alluded to. Perhaps that’s just a trait of being part of the founding family.

There was a knock on the bathroom door and, from the light sound of it, Madeline figured it was her mother. “Sweetie? Are you okay in there? You’ve been in the bathroom for quite some time.” The eighteen year old wrapped her towel loosely around her body before answering the door.

“I’m fine, Mom, just washing my clothes.”

“Oh? What happened, dear?” She asked with her sweet, tender, motherly voice.

Madeline chuckled a little, “I just got some oil on them last time I went out, and I thought it’d be best to wash ‘em out before they started staining.” She tightened her towel. “And, besides, I hate the smell of oil.”

“Okay, dear.” She smiled. “Just wanted to make sure that you were all right.” Madeline’s mother gently closed the door behind her, once again leaving her daughter in solitude.

She let out a long sigh, taking off her towel to dry her hair and slip her clothes back on. Taking a small peak out of the door, Madeline bunched up her belongings on top of the shotgun case and hurried off back to her room.

It looked much emptier than it had several days ago where her clothes were strewn about the floor, and various items spread over her bed. Now her room was the cleanest it’s ever been, and if she had let any of her friends or family in, they would have known that something was up.

Madeline had most of what she needed ready. She had her two guns, several boxes of amunition for both, a well taken care of backpack full of various survival materials. There were only a few more things Madeline needed to get before she was ready to head out, which included two of the most important necessities: food and a container for water.

A knock on her door made Madeline jump a little. Taking her tarp-blanket, she used it to cover up the shotgun and backpack that was on top of her bed before carefully answering the door. Unlocking it, Madeline barely stuck her head out. “Yes?”

“Heya, Maddy.”

The eighteen year-old let out another long-held sigh. It was just Mimi. “You scared me.” Madeline opened the door for her and Mimi walked in carefully, locking the door behind her as she came in. Out of all the people in Moriston, Mimi was the only person that Madeline had confided in her the plans she had of leaving.

Mimi took a seat on the bed. “How do you think your parents are gonna react when they wake up one morning and find that you’re gone?”

“I don’t really know.” She responded as she gathered some scrapmetal into her backpack. “And honestly...” Madeline leaned towards her and whispered, “I really don’t care.” They chuckled quietly together.

“Are you going shopping today?”

“Yeah. I need to get a few more things before I can leave.”

“Do you have any idea when you’re going to go?”

Throwing her backpack over her shoulder, Madeline turned to her. “In a few more days. I’m lookin’ at maybe staying here three more nights before I actually decide to leave.”

Mimi opened the door for Madeline as they walked out together. “Anything I can help you with?”

“Actually. If you could get your hands on some non-perishable stuff I could take along, that’d be really awesome.”

“No worries.” Mimi smiled. “I’ll get it to ya tonight.”

“Thanks, Mimi, I appreciate it!”

Madeline paused at an intersection for a moment to see Mimi walk off in the opposite direction of herself. When she turned a corner, Madeline continued towards Old Man Harris’s scrap shop again. He saw her coming before she even had a chance to say anything. Closing his book, he looked over his glasses. “Ah, back so soon? What is it this time?”

“Well, I still need a few more things before I can head out.” She said as she placed her scrap-filled backpack on his counter.

He looked over at her, leaning on the counter. “Okay, then, what did you have in mind, Madeline?”

“The most important thing, for sure, would be a water bottle. Or something equivalent.”

“Let’s see what I can find.” Harris disappeared into the backroom of his store and came back holding a metal military-grade canteen. “This is the best I’ve got. I can guarantee it myself. This was standard issue for the United States military before the war, quality made.”

“How much do you want for it?”

“Well.” Harris took out a scale. “I think four pounds is a reasonable price for a well-grade item like this.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have any boxes of 9mm bullets, would you?”

He looked contemplatively at the roof, gently biting on his lip before returning to the backroom. There Madeline could hear him rummaging through boxes of materials, cursing every now and then as something fell from a shelf. He eventually returned with two small cardboard boxes of ammunition. “You’re in luck. I have a box of 100, and a one of a little more than 50. I’d normally put this at five or six more pounds, but since you’re the only one who ever looks for this stuff, let’s make the total an even eight.”

“That sounds good to me.” She put her backpack on the counter and unzipped it, pouring its contents out for him to measure. “I’m sure I brought enough to pay for it all.”

“You’ve got more than enough here, Madeline.” He responded. “You’ve got about nearly sixteen pounds here. How the hell do you carry all of this?”

She chuckled. “I guess after years of doing it, it just doesn’t bother me anymore.” Madeline picked up the canteen and boxes of ammo, placing them into her backpack. “I mean, I will be trekking with what I have on my back, so I hope it’s enough.”

“Don’t you want your change?”

“No, you can keep it.”

Old Man Harris leaned forward and whispered. “When do you plan to leave?”

“In a few nights.”

“You be careful, alright? It’s a dangerous world out there.”

“I’ll be sure to watch out for myself.” She smiled at him before turning to depart.

Madeline looked down at her wrist watch to see that it was getting late and most everyone would be getting ready to head to bed. She returned to her room to find Mimi waiting right outside the door with several paper bags at her feet. She opened the door for her and helped her to carry them in before closing the door.

Her friend sat quietly on the bed as Madeline unloaded the contents of her backpack, putting the canteen next to the other items she would be taking with her and the full box of bullets with her shotgun ammo. She then took the magazine out of her pistol and proceeded to load it, one by one.

“Do you really think you’re going to need that, Maddy?”

“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “I certainly hope not, but I’d rather have it and not use it, than need it and not have it.”

“Do they work? Your guns?”

“They’re well taken care of.” She twirled the empty gun in one hand. “As far as I know, I’m not missing any parts. I’m going to test them out tomorrow if you want to come with me.”

Mimi sat quietly for a moment before answering. “Sure, why not?” There was another pause of silence. “You know, your parents are gonna send out search parties to find you. What if they do find you?”

“They won’t.” She said adamantly. “Our people only travel so far from Moriston before they get too scared and turn back.”

“That may be true. But you are the only daughter of the founding family. You don’t think they’ll try harder to find you?”

“No, I don’t think so. Something tells me my parents are gonna let me go.” Madeline got up and put the now loaded pistol next to the case of the automatic shotgun.

“Why can’t I come with you, Madeline?”

Ever since Madeline had told her that she had planned on leaving, Mimi had been asking her if she could tag along the entire time. Naturally, Madeline told her no. It would be a dangerous trip, no one knew what was out there and Madeline knew she could only take so much care of herself let alone another person.

She didn’t doubt Mimi’s conviction. The girl had a lot of spunk. The problem was that Mimi had spent her entire life working inside the Station. She never went on any scavenging trips and had never been stuck out in rain or snow by herself. Compared to Madeline, Mimi just didn’t have the survival skills necessary to tag along.

Besides, Madeline felt much better knowing that her best friend would be safe here in Moriston instead of out in the wilderness with her. If she died of something unexpected, Mimi would be left to fend for herself and she would most certainly die. And if Mimi died and Madeline survived, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself knowing that it was her fault for taking her along.

No, it was safer for Mimi to just stay here.

“I told you already, Mimi.” She smiled. “I need a level-headed person to stay here and keep an eye on everyone while I’m gone. Don’t worry, I won’t be gone forever. I will be back, I promise.”