Wastelands

The door shut in their face. A small cry crept out of the woman's mouth while she pulled the two other people close to her. She buried her face in the neck of the young boy. He patted her gingerly on the back, the girl just looked around, she bit on her lip as her eyes passed over every rock.

I leaned against my jeep watching the three people. Weighing my options in my head, I decide to help them out instead of just leaving them behind. The boy could be of some use while on the way to the next camp... even the girl could do something. Not that I really need any help. But it has been awhile since I traveled with anyone, alive anyway. I sighed to myself while walking up to them, hands shoved deep in my pockets.

“What happened?” I titled my head to the walls. They looked at me wearily, the boy's eyes were mere slits as he glared. “Listen, I know what you've probably heard about me, and I don't particularly care, I was just being a curious passer-by. If it was somethin' minor I was thinking about droppin' you off at the next camp, but you're makin' it pretty clear that you'd rather be out in the open with 'em, so bye.” I shrugged my shoulders and began strutting back to my jeep.

I'm not going to waste my time trying to help people who don't want it. Even though, they probably just want that single promise of protection. I don't normally even extend this much of a helping hand, I guess, it's just the human in me, the boy reminds me of one of my cousins, that look in his eyes. He used to cause trouble in our group, as well.

“Wait, wait, wait,” the older woman stepped away from her family. She walked up to me, wringing her hands in front of her. “It was my son, Clayton, he didn't mean anything by it, but they upped the taxes even more and we were barely meeting it before... he just wanted to know why.” I turned around, hands still shoved deep in my pockets.

You could tell she had worked all of her life. Her hands were covered in callouses, her stringy hair was pulled into a low pony-tail, wrinkles sat around her brown eyes. The two with her were just as tiny as she was. “Well, like I said, I can take you guys to the next camp, we should be there in at a few weeks, or a little more depending on the stops. I'll do the best I can to protect you. I got some food in the jeep, if you three get hungry along the way.” She looked behind her at her son, Clayton, and the other girl.

I had already reached the car before I looked back and noticed that they were all having a silent—actually, a wordless conversation. To me is seemed all they were doing was looking at one another. Basically, wasting my time.

I sighed loudly, rolling my head back, and popping a few joints in the process. People, it's like they think I am going to use them as bait or something. Sometimes I wish I was more like my father, he wouldn't think twice about leaving a family on their own. “They knew what they were gettin' in to when causin' a ruckus, ain't my problem” is what he would say at my one of my aunts who would want to pick up more people.

“Listen, the sun is going to be settin', and they are even more active at night, I don't want to be just standin' out here so do you want a lift or not?” I hollered over to where they were. The woman snatched their hands and began dragging them over. I opened the back seat door for the mother and the son, the other girl climbed into the front seat. I hopped in and wiped some dirt from the window. “Well, since we have that settled,” I grunted while trying to get the piece of shit jeep started, “my name is Miranda.”

The jeep squealed loudly in protest. I muttered a single curse before pushing open my door and jumping out. “Hey, you,” I pointed at the girl, “when I say start, turn that key, 'kay?” she nodded while sliding into my seat, her hand trembled over the key-switch.

I stood in front of the jeep and began kicking it, after a few seconds I smiled the best I could, “start it up.” She fumbled while turning the key, a few seconds passed and the engine jumped to life. She scooted over as I walked back. I slammed the door shut and then locked all of the doors. “Names and age,” I didn't look at them as I backed up and began heading south. “Might as well get to know each other a bit.”

“I'm Eliza,” the girl beside me replied, her browns eyes looked me up and down. “I'm twenty-two.” My eye-brows popped up - I was surprised - she barely looked it. Her hair was dusty blond, it was short all over, but her bangs stopped at her high cheek-bones that were lightly dusted with freckles. Her bony shoulders stuck out from the tank-top that loosely hung on her.

I looked in the review mirror at the other two. “Clayton,” the boy mumbled, keeping his brown eyes focused on the passing earth outside of the car. “Fifteen.” He had the same dusty blond hair. His arms were folded over his chest, and he had a deep tan. He must have been one of the people who were forced to work outside. Someone's got to keep the grounds clean.

“I'm Sheryl Stevens, I'm their mother, and I'm forty-three.” she continued to fidget in her seat. You could tell that her hair used to be the same color as her two kids, but it was now graying. “I used to own a nice garden, sold a lot of produce. Until they started taking everything. James, my husband, was even drafted to keep watch on the upper level...” she tried to blink away tears. “Was attacked.” she ended quickly. Her son looked over at her, his lip twitched and he grabbed at one of her hands. He rubbed circles on her palm with his thumb.

“I'm sorry for your loss.” I sighed inwardly. “Life ain't as easy as it used to be, so I've heard, anyway.”

The conversation quickly died, and I didn't make any attempt at resuscitating it. Sheryl laid her head against the window and seemed to drift off to sleep. Clayton continued to stare out the window. Eliza was looking all around the jeep, then she would look out the window for only a few seconds. She bit her lips every time she saw a rock and couldn't see behind it, which I assumed is why her lips were so chapped.

We drove for a few more hours before pulling over. I completely shut off the jeep. “What are you doing? It's dark, isn't is dangerous just to be sitting around?” Clayton tried to hide the fear in his voice, but it still broke as he said around.

“I can't drive without sleep.” I grumbled. I reached over Eliza and pulled up a black cloth and tacked it above the window. “Do this to y'alls windows, too.” I fixed my window, the front window, and Clayton got the back. I turned on one of the lamps and gave it to Clayton. “This way you aren't totally in the dark. If you're quiet,” I continued to lower my voice, “you can talk among yourselves. We blacked out the windows so that nothing can see us, the windows are reinforced so they are hard to break. We are semi-safe if there isn't anything big. I'm going to set up something, so I'll be right back—lock the door behind me.” I double checked to see if my gun was beside me and reached under the seat. I pulled out some wire and got out of the jeep. I waited until I heard the clicking of the locking mechanism.

I walked five feet from the jeep and began setting up the wire. I wrapped two separate wires that set only a foot off the ground and a second one that set up four feet. One or the other would be tripped if someone or something stepped over it.

They were only visible where I shined the lights at. I dusted my hands on my pants and scanned the vicinity. I didn't see anything. I climbed on top of the jeep, which I forgot that people were in, I almost fell back as I heard a scream. Grumbling a sorry, I scanned the area once more, then knocked on the door.

It unlocked and I crawled in, locking the door behind me as I settled down. I scooted down in my seat. “It may not be that comfortable for awhile, but I don't think it's safe enough to sleep outside.” I whispered. They nodded. I told them where the pillows and blankets were if they needed them.

After only a few minutes I began drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep. Images flashed through my head of my family, of the things we killed, of what I wanted to happen to their murder.

Then my eyes snapped open as I heard a soft jingle.