We've been on the road a couple hours now. I think I'm going to like this job after all. Our journey picked up slowly as we got used to the bicycles. They're fairly large and not nearly as cool as the ones I dreamed of owning back when I was just a kid- where the element of balance was involved in riding. These were easy to adapt to, therefore making the most difficult lesson how to navigate between cars. But that became pretty self-explanatory too.
In the survival-packs we were given, one of the tools was a sharp gadget that could carve through metal like a can-opener. Our instructors stopped us at a large, overturned cargo truck and showed us how to use the tool to open up the metal siding and retrieve more resources for our journey. After that, they turned back and left the ten of us on our own.
I remember that moment feeling much more liberating than I'd expected. We were officially on the clock now, I guess.
During our second stop there was nothing more to discuss regarding survival, which allowed us some time to introduce ourselves to each other. The boy who had bumped my arm to share his joke spoke his name the loudest; a greeting between him and one other seemed to be a statement to all nine of us.
His name was Augustus, and although he may have been just a few years older than me (In actuality, on paper I was considered 22) he was tall, fit and charming. It only took a few minutes for everyone to deviate to the circle he was a part of.
Like most of the younger recruiters, Augustus had grown up within the barriers of the SafeZone, and never really experienced the full breadth of the apocalypse devastation. He and a couple others in the group were Ramechan natives. The rest were older, and had seen -to some extent- their share of this reality. They were much more cautious, but the warm, inviting nature of Augustus's conversation persuaded them to stop peeking through the window blinds and spend a moment off guard.
We were inside a gas station. Most everything had already been ravaged if it wasn't already well past its expiration date. There were a few products I wondered would be worth the extra weight in my bag.
I noticed the chubby girl paying attention to an item- she wasn't interested in making small talk with the others. I wasn't sure what she was looking at because the aisle between us blocked my vision. She picked it up and slipped it in her bag, returning to gaze out the window.
I pretended it was a coincidence that I had also decided to scope out that particular aisle. She picked up duct tape. When wasn't duct tape useful? When I was certain she wasn't looking, I too threw a roll into my bag. I didn't want her to think I was watching her.
"The sun hasn't set yet," I heard Augustus announce, his voice filling all the space in the small building. "We should ride for a little more."
We were all surprised by who decided to counteract his proposal. "We should stay here," spoke the girl firmly.
Her tone was stern, enough to earn a moment of respect from Augustus. "What's your name?"
"Eva."
"Well... Eva. I know you might be tired. We all are. But the more distance we cover, the larger our paycheck. So I say we ride."
She pressed her lips together as the others brushed past her, refusing to accept their condescending glares. She did look up at me.
For the brief moment our eyes matched up, we both understood that we were in agreement. It was not a wise choice to continue at this time of day.
Eva and I trailed in the back. The wind was too loud for much more communication than basic signals. After half an hour she pumped her fist forward twice. I wasn't sure what that meant until she began speeding ahead of the group. I followed her, dashing through more narrowly spaced vehicles in order to catch up to the front.
She'd halted the entire group. We all took off our helmets to hear hat she had to say. Again, she suggested, "We should stop here."
"You're wasting our time!" Augustus growled, "We've got plenty of daylight-"
"We don't have enough to get us safely to the next stop."
"I understand you're scared, but-"
Suddenly she was yelling. "I am not scared, and I'm not your burden! Now all of you, get that thought out of your head and listen to me!"
Everyone was silent. Her last words had definitely gotten the attention of us all; she'd even widened her gaze to the entire group. She didn't have to look at me to confidently explain, "We just passed a sign that said last stop for the next thirty miles. Maybe we could get there in time, but why risk it? Driving like this... weaving through cars in the dark... I don't imagine its easy, and this is our first night. We should turn back- I saw a motel just a mile off the freeway a little ways back."
It was the voice of reason, and though none of us expected it coming so assertively from her, we knew she was right. Another girl piped up, "I saw that sign too."
"Alright, fine," Augustus sighed.
Our motors back to life, the team followed Eva this time.
The motel was a good choice for many reasons. We were given sleeping bags, but laying on a floor somewhere would have made us all stiff and cranky for the next morning. Another pleasant surprise was that we found other people. There was an older lesbian couple- the owners- who had proudly wielded their rifles to protect anyone who came through in exchange for food and company. They welcomed us in willingly with what we had to bring.
Currently the only occupants other than those women was a family of three- a father and his two sons of eight and fourteen.
There was an awkward hesitation- everyone was privately wondering whether or not we should recruit them for Ramecha. We all knew that the young teen would be turned down at the door. When the father asked us who we were, however, one of the girls in our group felt obliged to explain.
"I get more worried every day," he heaved a defeated sigh after we mentioned our age cap was thirteen. "Luckily we have Barb and Milly. I'm sure we'd be up with their mother right now if it weren't for those two angels."
As our group began to filter into the remaining secured rooms of the motel, I noticed Eva depart. I followed her until I saw she'd stopped at the door the family of three resided in. As she knocked, I hid behind a wall.
It was only incomprehensible mumbling at first, but after a few minutes I could hear a clear sob break from the father's chest. "Thank you," he cried, "thank you so much!"
When the door clicked shut and I heard Eva's footsteps on the porch hallway, I tried to make a casual escape. She stopped me.
"What's your name?"
"Jace," I turned to look at her. I was afraid of the curious expression I might have been wearing now that I had permission to gaze upon her. "What did you tell that man?"
"There's a way to get into Ramecha when you don't fit the age requirement. You heard about it?"
Now I felt put on the spot in an entirely different way. I could only shake my head.
"I noticed that the older boy has a scar on his leg. If he fakes a limp well enough, they'll let him in. They're usually lenient in evaluating disabilities if the family has more younger children involved."
I did know that. It just never pertained to me since I was an only child. I knew it wasn't in my place to question the ethics of her statement- but to keep up with my own lie- I asked her if she truly felt that was right.
She bowed her head. "I'm only seventeen, you know?"
"You're not an adult yet? You don't have to serve..."
"Eh," she shrugged, cutting me off, "I wanted to. I was sick of my family. I have two younger siblings, and we don't have a dad. I knew my mom couldn't do it anymore on the road. We came to Ramecha when I was fourteen, and they wouldn't let me in. My mom read the guidelines and figured out that obesity counts as a disability. She wasn't willing to permanently injure me to get all of us in, but after I gained all the weight I was never able to lose it, so I guess you can say it was permanent."
It all made sense now- why she looked so young yet knew so much about survival. I felt sorry at once for ever thinking her size was caused by gluttony, when in fact it was created in pure selflessness. I wonder how she might react knowing I too was just around her age, but what had I sacrificed?
"You must've lived outside too, she added after some silence. I nodded.
"Let's stick together," she said, "I know what I look like. But you and I know better than anyone how to survive on these roads."
She offered her hand, and I took it with a firm grip and a smile.
The next morning, Eva and I led the pack.
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