The World We Once Knew

Chapter Seven

Logan

We stay and make sure that the fire is out and her remains are turned to ash. My grandma Ginny collects what she can of the ashes and puts it into a container, which she hands to Grandpa Mason. He takes it but can't bring himself to speak. She understands and just squeezes his hand. We have to get going, there is still a few hours of daylight left and we can get just a bit further. Dad goes over to Grandma Reagan's bike and finishes stripping it. He's been doing that while her body burned. He packs up the pieces and mounts his own bike. He looks expectantly at us. The rest of us walk over very solemnly and start our bikes. I take one last look at the smoldering pyre, flip my visor down and press the gas. I never really liked her and she never liked me but she was my grandma. Family is everything, if you don't have family then all that's left is destruction and chaos. Family balances that out. Family is good.

We will always keep her memory with us, just like with my mother. We will never forget her. We ride a little further and finally stop for the night. Complete silence, nobody says one word that night. We set up our tents, eat, and go to bed; I hear the saddest thing in my entire life: a grown man crying over his wife's death.

I fall asleep to the sound of my grandfather's crying. I dream of my mom. She is standing by a fire like usual. I always see her when I dream. She is in her traditional Native American War dress. I always love seeing the pictures with her in those clothes, with war paint across her face. She looks so strong and yet soft, beautiful and yet tough. I hope that I look like her when I have to fight. I run up to her and grab her. I tell her all about what had happened and she sits there holding my hand listening. I know I can count on her to listen. Once I'm done talking, my mom looks at me and kisses my forehead. She looks into the fire and sighs, "All you can do is move on. You can't change the past, you have to look towards the future. Like a fire you may be brought down to a smolder but you will never go out, eventually you will rise and burn brighter than ever before. It will be as if someone lit a new match underneath you and you will never be stopped."

 I look into my mom' s milky brown eyes, "What do you mean by that?" I ask her. 

She simply replies "In time all will be understood"; kisses me on the forehead then I wake with a start.

It's still dark out, so I lay in bed for what seems like years. Grandpa Mason has finally stopped crying. Quite honestly I don't think I could have taken anymore because I too would have started crying. Finally I can't stand it anymore and get dressed. I pack everything up and put it next to my bike. I go for a little jog through the woods to clear my head. I haven't trained since I was in New Boston. I miss it there. They were starting to rebuild the old city. Apparently it used to be a gorgeous city. It had brick buildings and brick roads, it was an original city when the country was first built. Now they are trying to rebuild. Trying to rise from the ashes and rule. I stop bend over and puke.

It's just too much. First my mom dies then Grandma Reagan. Is everyone around me going to die? Should I just off myself right here and save them? Am I to blame for my grandma's death? No. I'm not. I have to stop thinking this way. It's not my fault, I had nothing to do with my grandma's death. There's nothing I could have done. I just wish that there was something that I could have done. Wait there is something that I can do now. I can start training again and when I find those guys I can kill the people they care about and then kill them once they've really suffered. The only problem is that I am traveling and have no place to train. Man I sure do miss the guys back in New Boston. Kevin, Ryan, and Kyle would totally help me right now. I look up and see that it's getting late. So I run back and by the time I get there, the rest of my family is awake and packing up.

It's still silent. No one talks and there is a solemn mood about everyone. We eat our breakfast in silence and mount up. I decide to ride next to Grandpa Mason. He looks at me and when I look back there seems to be something missing in him. I look behind me to see if everyone is ready. They are so I start my engine and go. We have another six hour trek ahead of us, if nothing happens.

I stay next to Grandpa Mason but we don't say a word to each other. Eventually he falls back and rides with my dad. We stop for lunch, but Grandpa Mason doesn't eat. My dad tries but he refuses. After the fire has been put out we get back on our bikes and start riding. Within a few hours we reach an old ruined city. "Logan go scout for a building that we can stay in tonight. We'll stay here. You know the signals." my dad says to me. 

I nod and start off. The city is super creepy, especially if you're by yourself. About three miles after leaving my family I find a building that I think will work. I circle it twice then stash my bike and bag in an alley off to the side. I double check to make sure my glock is loaded but decide to go with my bow and arrows because I won't alert people to my location that way. I search the building twice and then walk out back to my bike. I grab the can of spray paint and walk back to the building. I spray paint the symbol to signify that it's safe. I look around then walk back to my bike. I reach the group within 10 minutes: "You'll see the symbol on the North side of the building. I'll catch up. Make sure no one see's you guys.", I say to them. They nod and start off. I wait a few minutes. It's nice to be alone when you're constantly with people. Finally I go.

Once I get to the building, my dad has already started a fire and his tent is up. My grandparents are working on getting theirs up, except for Grandpa Mason, he's just sitting there doing nothing. So I set up my tent. I go in and set up my stuff and put my bike in. I change, come out and pick up Grandpa Mason's things. I set up his tent and make up his bed and put his bike in there. When I come out, Grandpa Shane is sitting with Grandpa Mason. Dad's cooking and Grandma Ginny is in her tent. Dad looks at me and I look away. I sit on the ground by myself and wait for dinner to be ready. Grandma Ginny see's me but doesn't come over. She sits down across from me, they know to give me my space when I am like this. Dad passes out plates with some deer on it. Everyone but Grandpa Mason eats. He gets up and goes into his tent. Once I've eaten and cleaned my plate I head into my tent. Soon the fire is out and everyone is in their tents and asleep.

Is that an engine? "Dad! Dad! Stop!" Why is dad yelling? Groggily I get up. "Dad, Stop! Where will you go?!" I unzip my tent. Grandpa Mason is on his bike. Everything is packed up; he's got everything with him. 

"I don't care! There's nothing left! I'm done!" he shouts. 

And with that Grandpa Mason speeds off into the night.