Wither With Me

CHAPTER 29 - DEAD END

The white, almost sparkling particles scattered randomly over the patch of dirt with each delicate swing of her hand, giving it an appearance that reminded her of powdered sugar icing. She grabbed the hand rake and proceeded to mix it all evenly into the soil. Once she was done, she inched forward a little bit on her knees, and repeated the entire process on a different patch of dirt.

Claire had spent the last couple of hours working on the crops that covered the courtyard of the building. Her mind was so absorbed into it that she barely heard William approaching her from behind.

"We've finished loading the truck with supplies and weapons. We'll be leaving soon." he said.

"I see. I'll try to hurry up. I'll join you as soon as I can." Claire kept working the soil in silence for a while. "I said you could count on me for this, but I don't think I'll be able to do much after all, right...?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I get the feeling we won't be back for a while... I don't think I'll be able to properly care for these plants until their next harvest. I can give them one last meal before I go, but..."

"It's okay. You did what you could." William took one last look at the courtyard before he turned around and started walking away, back towards the door he came from. "Take your time."

Claire watched him as he disappeared into the darkness of the building.

'This place still reminds him of her, doesn't it...?'

"Alright, come on... You need to eat well...!" she said, while applying another handful of fertilizer.

The leaves shined under the morning sunlight, thankful for still receiving love and care in a world that had none left to offer.

******

"Turn right..."

...

"Alright, um... Go left."

...

"Is that a roundabout ahead? Okay, take... the second exit, I think?"

...

Nora's directions came at irregular delays, full of reluctance and self-skepticism. However, she never had second thoughts once she decided on any particular direction.

On most occasions, she'd indicate the correct path to take right away. Sometimes, they'd need to stop the truck momentarily, as she seemed to suffer from mild headaches when trying to focus too hard on her thoughts. Or visions. Or voices, or whatever they were.

William watched her groan while she rubbed her forehead in the passenger's seat. He sighed. There were many things on his mind, but he chose not to bother her with them. He kept his hand on the wheel, and his foot on the pedal, awaiting her signal.

"Nora... Are you okay...?" asked Claire, peeking from the cargo compartment trough the rear window of the cab.

"Yes, I'm fine... It just... hurts." she answered, resting her head against the headrest. Some moments later, with her eyes closed, she raised her right arm, pointing towards a nearby street. "...that way."

William put up with the situation and diligently followed her instructions. And it wasn't because he believed in what was going on inside her head. No, the reason was a lot more tangible.

Every so often, they'd run into subtle, yet obvious hints along the road. Knocked-over cars. Shambler corpses scattered around, crushed under the weight of something big and heavy. Skid marks on the asphalt. When connecting the dots, the result was crystal clear: they were following a trail.