“What was what like?” Jamie replied.
“Watching the bomb go off.”
“I can’t describe it. It was like…like I was seeing a star falling. Then the sky turned white and a mushroom cloud bloomed in the air.”
Once again, silence overwhelmed the room.
The firestorm began to die down.
Kevin turned his eyes on his children. “That’s enough of this for tonight. Our food’s getting cold.”
Most everyone agreed.
Dakota looked over at Jamie. His sad eyes instantly struck him.
What’s it like, to see the end of the world?
He couldn’t think about it.
If he did, he knew he wouldn’t sleep that night.
“We’ll just keep it to ourselves,” Jamie said, settling a blanket over the two of them on the bottom bunk in the youngest boys’ bedroom.
It hadn’t taken much to come to the agreement that they keep their relationship under cover for the time being. While Kevin didn’t seem like a prejudiced man, he didn’t seem like one who could be easily trusted. He asked too many questions, Jamie said. He’s nervous by nature.
Nervous people were never able to maintain their composure, especially not during the end of the world.
“Jamie?” Dakota said. “Why did you tell them that?”
“Because they deserve to know. And because they deserve to be told the truth.”
“Aren’t you worried that they’ll think of you differently because they know you’re a soldier?”
“Was,” Jamie corrected. “I’m not anymore.”
Shrugging, Dakota settled his head against Jamie’s shoulder and sighed when he felt the man’s arm curl around his back and his hand settle against his ribcage.
“You ok up there?” Jamie asked, tapping on the support beam that held the top bunk in place.
“Yep,” Desmond said.
“Just making sure, bud. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Jamie, Dakota.”
“Night,” Dakota said, closing his eyes.
He hoped tomorrow would be better, if only in scope.
A knock at the door woke him from sleep.
“Dakota,” a voice whispered. “You awake?”
Dakota blinked. He almost didn’t realize where he was at first.
Are one of the kids talking to me?
“Shh!” another voice whispered. “Don’t wake ‘em all up!”
“I’m not!”
“Yes you are!”
Careful not to wake Jamie, Dakota slid out of his boyfriend’s grasp and walked to the door. He made sure to press his finger to the lock before he turned the doorknob so it wouldn’t click out of place.
Arnold and Mark stood in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Hey,” Dakota smiled. “Is something the matter, guys?”
“Jessiah was wondering if you wanted to come walk around the property,” the youngest boy said, eyes wide with wonder.
“I guess,” Dakota said. He cast a glance over his shoulder to find Jamie and Desmond still asleep.
“Does Desmond want to come too?” Mark asked.
“He’s still asleep,” Dakota said. Arnold smacked the back of his brother’s head when he opened his mouth to say something else. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs in a minute.”
“We’ll be waiting,” Mark said. He scampered down the hallway and stampeded down the stairs, much to his brother’s distress. Arnold rolled his eyes, shrugged, then offered Dakota one last smile before disappearing down the hall.
What reason would the older one have to talk to me? he thought, pushing back into the room to find his socks and shoes.
He couldn’t think of any particular reason. He’d hardly paid the boy any attention last night, let alone spoke two words to him.
Doesn’t matter. Might as well give them my time while we’re here.
Dakota bowed, picked up his shoes and socks, then made his way into the hall, careful to lock and slide the door into place before making his way down the stairs. “Hey,” he said, nodding when he caught the boys’ eyes. “Sorry it took me so long.”
“That’s ok,” Arnold said.
Dakota seated himself in the recliner and pulled his socks and shoes onto his feet, all the while aware of the children’s rampant stares.
Are they keeping something from their father? Is that what they want to show me?
“How come your brother wanted me to come with you guys?” Dakota asked, standing.
“He wanted both of you to come,” Mark said.
“Probably just to get to know you better,” Arnold said. “We could hardly talk with Dad and Jamie going back and forth.”
“Who’s Eagle?” Dakota asked. “And what’s his story?
“An Indian,” Mark said. The response promptly received a smack on the head from his older brother. “Hey!”
“He came from the reservation down the road,” Arnold said, giving his brother an eye as they led Dakota toward the front door. “He’s been here for the past month.”
“And you guys have been here since they started evacuating, right?”
Mark nodded. He opened the door and ushered them outside before closing the door behind him.
“Where’s your brother?”
“He said he’d meet us out by the wood pile,” Arnold said.
“How come you guys are still burning wood?”
“To keep the house warm,” Mark said.
“Isn’t your dad worried about the zombies finding you?”
“Eagle said the house is too hard to find.” A smirk crested the boy’s lips. “He was obviously right if you guys had to get lost to find it.”
Mark chuckled and ran out in front of them, his laugh increasing in pitch as he ran around the curve of the house. Dakota caught sight of a barn in the distance, but thought nothing of it as they came around the back of the cabin. Jessiah came into view, poised atop a log with a cigarette between his lips. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” Dakota replied.
“Your friend not awake?”
“Nope. He and Jamie were doing most of the driving. They wouldn’t let me because I hit my head.”
“You all right?”
“I’m fine now, yes.”
Jessiah hopped off the log and gestured Dakota and his brothers to follow him. “Sorry I didn’t say much last night. My bronchitis has been getting worse.”
“Which is why you should listen to Dad when he says not to smoke,” Arnold said.
“I’ve cut back. You know I have.” Jessiah raised his hand to cough. Arnold frowned. Mark ran out in front of them and did a little spin as he jumped off a slight bump in the hill. “Careful. You know the hill’s steep in spots.”
“I know!” Mark called back.
Jessiah smiled. He set the cigarette back to his lips and took another drag. “You guys are trying to get to Idaho?”
“Jamie said that he and his friend Erik told each other they would meet back up there if something happened.”
“I’m guessing something did then?”
Dakota sighed. “We were staying in a converted building when the zombies broke into it. We got split into three different groups. My best friend is with Erik and Ian.”
“What about the other group?”
“I don’t know where they are. I’ll probably never see them again.”
The younger man frowned. He dropped his cigarette, stamped it out under his shoe, then shoved his hands into his pockets. Dakota took place beside him as Arnold ran out ahead of them to join his younger brother.
“You feeling ok?” Dakota asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Jessiah said. “It just sucks, being so sick.”
A drop of rain fell from the sky.
“Rain’s coming,” Jessiah said. He looked up to where his brothers were running along the fence. “Come on, guys! Let’s go in before we get soaked!”