Demon Wind

Part 3

1

Six months had passed since Josh and Rachel had gone into hiding. Everyone they knew was dead. Everyone they didn't know was dead. The only people that still survived were those that had found solace in holy places. When needed, Josh had made quick excursions for food and other supplies. Every place that was within a short distance from their sanctuary was now empty of consumable food.

They had ended up fleeing to Barre, a town just north of the middle of the state. On Washington Street lay Elmwood Cemetery. Toward the back of the cemetery they had found a red brick building that was used to house lawn care equipment and other tools. Inside this building is where they had been living. They had laid there, holding each other in fear as they heard the people all around being killed by the demons that had swarmed the town. There they had lain as silence had descended on them as all life around them was extinguished. There they had had many arguments over the sense of guilt they shared for all the death that was in their names. All these people had been innocent, and yet they were killed in the search for the couple. Josh desperately wanted the old man of Rachel's dream to visit them, or to be able to find a priest for guidance.

Regardless of all these things, Josh had done his best to care for Rachel and their unborn child. As the sun rose, Josh was making plans to head to Main Street to a pharmacy known as The Medicine Shop. It was less than fifteen minutes away by foot; in fact he figured he could make it in fewer than ten if he was only semi-stealthy. This represented the only store near them that he had not drained of prenatal vitamins. Josh slung the backpack over his shoulder. It was filled with only two items as always, the holy water and the bread that was given to them by Father Zach. Neither of them had been needed as of yet, and neither of them had spoiled. Josh had expected the bread to mold, but for some reason it had gotten hard but mold never grew. He cracked open the door to their hideaway and listened. There was nothing to greet his ears but absolute silence and the noise made by the slight breeze passing over his ears. No birds sang, no dogs barked, nothing. It was the oddest of all sensations in this new world, silence. Having grown up, accustomed to the ever presence of the noise associated with life, cars, planes, people, and animals, it always made both of them uneasy to hear nothing but the sound of their own breathing.

January in Vermont was infamous for its deep cold, and today was no different. The sun blazing high in the sky did little to dispel the chill that permeated everything. The building in which they hid had no heat, so the two had become used to the cold. They had done some modifications to the building since taking up residence to keep the worst of the cold at bay. At first they removed all of the landscaping equipment to give them as much room as possible inside the five hundred square foot area. Josh had over time came back with boxes that were packed with unusable items and stacked them along the walls as high as he could reach, making a layer of insulation. The last modification he had done was to make a fireplace from cinder blocks, complete with an exhaust pipe for the smoke. They only used this as a heat source on the coldest of nights for fear of the smoke giving away their position. The cold always seemed to be deeper however when they ventured outside. Breathing in deeply through his nose, Josh's nostrils momentarily froze together. This told him that the temperature had fallen well below zero. The nose freeze test had been something his father had shown him so many years ago, but it proved an accurate method to determine if it was at least ten below or colder.

Dressed in pilfered clothing suitable for this weather, Josh was making his mental preparations for his journey. He had on a tan Carhart jacket with hood. A turtle fur hat and gloves completed the ensemble. He knew that he needed to find the vitamins above all else, but they also needed food and water. They were reluctant to melt snow for drinking water because the vast amount needed would be an obvious indication that people were living there, and that was attention they did not want or need. Josh knew of a place beyond the drug store that he had not yet checked. It was a winery known as Simply Delicious. They were known for their sweets as well, and while not highly nutritious, it would fill their bellies.