A Dead Man's Tale

Chapter 18 (Jessica)

The snow was thick on the ground in the rugged terrain of the northern Rocky Mountains. Jessica was wrapped in layers of blankets, coats and other insulated articles in an attempt to conserve the heat of her body and the meager fire that crackled in the furnace of her hideout's basement before her. There was little she could do during the bitterly cold days. Most of the roads were too blocked up to travel and the temperatures were too cold for any travelers. Exposed skin would be beaten raw by howling winds that chillingly cut to the bone. Jessica gripped herself tight to control the spastic shivering.

The town was surprisingly untouched by scavengers. Perhaps it was protected by its isolation in the mountains so few would bother reaching so far in such conditions. Some buildings had been emptied, probably by fleeing families or the odd scavenger that did manage to find the town. For the most part the houses still had fuel; either in cars or in cans, there was wood in plentiful supplies and some canned foods that were still safe to eat. Jessica also noticed the complete lack of noise in this part of the world. No corpses shambled around looking for their next meal with their constant moan neither was there even the sound of animals. Only thing Jessica could hear was the wind and the sound of her own breathing.

Of all the places in the world for Howard's family to be held up in it had to be one so far north. Cold weather in Missouri was mild most winters, occasionally a harsh snow storm blew through the area but never had she experienced anything like this. The cold was becoming a part of her body no matter how much warmth she coaxed out of the furnace's flame or how many layers of clothing she forced onto her growing layers.

She spent her days slowly scavenging the abandoned houses and town. Plenty of books had been abandoned, giving her much reading material to pass the time and fuel to keep her alive. She saw forgotten images hanging on walls of families that were either destroyed or torn apart. Jessica thought of the family she lost since the beginning of the outbreaks which then made her think about the loss of her two companions. Craig's body was either lying under a pile of rubble or slowly roaming the world in search for food. She wished she had gone back to confirm he-or his corpse at least- had been put down. Dennis was doing what he was made for, being the soldier he always wanted to be. Jessica knew he wanted to stay with her but Dennis couldn't wander aimlessly without a purpose. Surviving was not living to Jessica, not anymore. Now that Craig was gone.

With so much spare time Jessica had ample opportunity to better organize her journey come the spring. Maps found in homes gave her an advantage, planning out a primary path with a variety of secondary and tertiary ways to get to Seattle. Food was not an issue either, scavenged from the long abandoned homes. Despite her decent supply she continued to ration the resources, old habits day hard and it was better to save the food rather than gorge herself on canned soup and beans.

Cabin fever began setting in from being forced inside for so long and it was beginning to take its toll on Jessica's sanity. Her appendages began to twitch with nervousness and apprehension. She began to talk to herself, holding conversations about random subjects to figures she perceived were there only to answer herself in a circle. The maps noted a highway a few miles away from the town, from there she could travel to the next town but there was the ever present question of warmth.

Jessica could very well make it to the next town making camp in roadside buildings and constructing small fires to stave off a frigid death. She thought back to her time as a scavenger at the school turned survivor outpost. She enjoyed being out on her own. The silence gave her time to escape the world and the events at the school that offered so much safety. All that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Suddenly, there were footsteps above her. Jessica's heart was racing, sending lukewarm blood pumping through her veins. Shedding the layers of semi-warm covering, Jessica went to the bottom of the stairs that led into the basement. She had her knife ready, wanting to save as much of the ammunition as possible. The footsteps continued to the door and whoever was in the house with her knocked on the door, not just bumped into it like some corpses do it was an actual knock.