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I’ve never seen a real train in my life but I have seen children’s books with cartoon versions of them. What waits inside of the building is a mini version of what I think a train car should be. It’s not much more than seven or eight feet in length and around five feet across. It’s completely enclosed with the top half all windows. I move slowly around it looking for some kind of engine to propel it but don’t see anything so I find the door and pull it open. It’s an easy step up and into it. There is a padded bench along one side and shelving that runs on the other. Right in the center is a triangle frame of metal with two levers on either side. Abuela climbs in behind me and pats one of the levers.
“Good thing you have a lifetime of practice with pumping the well!” I give her a confused look so she explains. “This is how you get it to move. You pump it and it turns the wheels. There is a small engine underneath that will store a charge from the pumping and also some solar panels on the roof to gather energy. It will let you take breaks and keep moving but it doesn’t last more than a few hours at a time. It can run between ten and fifteen miles per hour depending on how much you put into pumping but the engine will go faster, around twenty-five miles an hour. It’s not that fast but it will eat up the miles faster than you could walk, it’s quiet, and it will give you shelter from the sun during the day and somewhere to rest at night.”
I just stare at her thinking about all she’s told me and how I thought she was losing her mind. I take another quick look around before asking, “Show me the flying sled?”
Her laughter peels out like water. “It’s not magic, Día and it doesn’t fly.” She starts explaining about something called downward air thrust but my eyes must have glazed over because she stops midsentence and waves the rest of the explanation away. “Come, I will show you how to use the controls from the panel and then I will need your help to get the sled outside into the sun to charge.”
I watch closely as she shows me a hidden panel with switches and buttons in the floor of the cart in one corner and then follow her off of the cart. Leaning against the wall of the far side of the building is something covered by a tarp thick with dust and sand. When we pull it off it creates such a cloud that we are forced to run out the door until it settles and we can breathe again. When we can safely return, I’m totally let down by the machine she has told me about. It’s nothing more than a flat-topped, thick platform with rails around the top and rubber bumpers around the edges. When we tilt it away from the wall, I peek behind it but all I see is metal circles covering the bottom. It’s way too heavy for us to lift so we drag it across the floor, out the door and around the side of the building into the full sun. We carefully lower it down so it lays flat and I watch as she flicks latches at every corner until the rubber bumpers drop open. She shows me how the solar panels are folded up accordion style and how they pull open to fan out a good three feet on every side of the sled to soak up the power-giving sun. The irony of the sun that is slowly killing us making it possible for us to get somewhere safe is not lost on me.
Before closing the building up and going to retrieve Gloria, she runs me through the controls on a remote for the sled and how to fold it all back up so it will be ready to travel. She places the remote face down so the small solar charger on the back of it will face the sun. Before we leave, I climb up the slight incline to the tracks and take a good look both ways. I’m nervous that someone will stumble upon our sled and steal it before we’ve even had a chance to use it but every direction is deserted. There’s no reason anyone would be out here on the outskirts of town.
I’m still in awe that everything she has told me seems to be true. I’m starting to have hope now that there’s a way out for us. We hit the backyard and she secures the gate before turning to me.
“I have another map of the rail lines I will give you to take. It very important that you pay attention to where they split. You must take the third junction and continue to go east. Once you get to Coyote Rock you stop and change to the secret map. From there you will go on foot the rest of the journey. Día, I cannot stress enough that you don’t take any of the other junctions! They will all lead you to what were once major cities. Those cities are full of evil. The devil owns them now.”
I nod in understanding of her warning but am concerned that she keeps excluding herself for the plans.
“Abuela, you will be with us the whole way!”
She reaches up and cups my cheek with a withered hand.
“I would love if that were the truth but my dream also showed me that today will be my last day on this unforgiving earth. Día, I dreamed of fire! You must get your sister to safety no matter what happens tonight. Promise me!”
I clasp my hand over hers tightly. “It was just a dream! You will be with us when we find this paradise.”
She pulls her hand away and grabs me by my shoulders with a little shake. “I hope that’s true but if not, you will leave without me, for Gloria’s sake!”
I don’t want to humor her on this but there is much to do, so I just nod and then pull her into a fierce hug. She grips me just as tight and whispers in my ear.
“You make me so proud. I’m honored that you were my child to raise, know and love.”
She pushes me away and turns to the house, calling over her shoulder as she goes.
“Go get your sister. I will start preparing the supplies. Be careful and no word of this to Silvia!”
I want to argue that we should warn them of what’s coming but the screen door slaps and she is gone. I make my way around the house and head towards the center of town. My thoughts are full of everything I’ve learned and seen today. I glance up at the sun and wince at the heat and brightness of it before pulling my scarves further over my head. It’s hard to believe that the day is only an hour or so past noon. There are only four or five hours left before darkness falls and we can start loading up all we will need. I feel slightly shell shocked by the change of our circumstances. It feels like minutes ago I was pumping the well in despair. I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I don’t even see the group coming toward me before I hear them.
“Indigo, Indigo! What a treat for me to see you twice in one day. It was very rude of you not to stop for a conversation with me on your way back from the stations. But I forgive you, I was, after all, ...occupied with another matter.”
I refuse to speak to this jackal of a man so I just stare him down and wait for what he will say next. I hold myself rock stiff as he scans my body from head to toe even though I can feel the tremor of fear wanting to break free. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.
“Look at you, all grown up, proud and strong. I like that in a woman. I’ve been considering settling down lately. You are just the kind of girl I would do such a thing for.” He’s smirking at my discomfort as his pack of thugs laugh and shove each other. “You even have some nice curves. Most of the women left in this town are nothing more than stick figures.” His eyes narrow as he looks me over again, this time with suspicion and I feel a bolt of real fear flow through me. We might not have a lot of food but I know we have way more than most. He may be coming to the same conclusion. My eyes finally leave his as I look to Beck but he’s not looking at me. He’s glaring at his brother with such hatred and loathing I’m surprised that Boyd doesn’t go up in flames. My attention is brought back to him when he speaks again. This time his tone isn’t soft and menacing but hard and sure.
“I think now would be a good time to have that conversation.”
I swallow hard and brace myself to run but just as he lifts his hand to grab me, an urgent voice calls out his name causing him to turn away.
“Boyd! Boyd, you’re not going to believe what I just heard at the station! This is major!”
He waves his arm to all his men to move off down the intersection that goes away from where I need to go. He turns just his head back in my direction and the coldness I see in them has me sucking in a breath.
“To be continued...soon.”
I don’t move a muscle as they all walk away and turn the corner. Once they are out of sight, I double over with my hands on my knees and gasp for breath. He’s coming for us. I could read it in his eyes! We have to go. We have to escape before he and his men come for us. I have a very good notion of just what his man learned at the station and once they start planning for a life without rations, they will come for everyone else’s. I surge upright and dash forward. I have to get Gloria and get back to the house. I can’t help but peek around the corner to make sure the gang is far enough away before sprinting across the street but I keep my head turned to watch their backs, afraid they will change their minds and come for me now. My heart misses a beat when one of the men at the very back of their pack turns and looks my way but I realize that it’s Beck watching me so I keep going.
I'm surprised that he has so much hate for his brother in him, but then again, I haven’t known his mind since we were children. My feet fly the rest of the way to Silvia’s where I collect Gloria but I’m too out of breath to have much of a conversation. I wave goodbye and thank her for watching my sister before I practically pull Gloria down the street. When we leave Silvia’s street she finally manages to pull her arm out of my tight grip.
“Día, stop! I can’t go so fast!”
I don’t want to scare her but it’s time for her to know a few things. “You must, Glo! I have been stopped by gangs twice today. It’s not safe out here. We have to get home as quick as we can!”
I feel horrible as her eyes widen in fear and she looks all around like monsters are about to jump out and snatch her. Sadly, there are monsters and they could show up at any moment.
“Come on Glo, we don’t have to run but we must be very quick, ok?”
She nods, her eyes brimming with tears, and slides her small hand into mine. When we make it back to our street without seeing anyone else, I send a quick prayer of thanks up to the God I don’t believe in, just in case. I send her up the stairs to her room to get cleaned up and changed as I head further into the house. I head straight for the atrium. I tell myself that it’s to check the soil dampness but I know it won’t matter after today. They will all be dead once I’m gone. Other than my family and survival, the plants have been the only thing that I’ve cared about since I was a tiny girl. There’s never been anything in my life that I could do to make things better in this world. But my plants, I could tend them and nurse them and see them flourish into something good. I hope I will be able to grow more if we make it to the valley.
I push the door open and the sheer destruction has me falling to my knees in physical pain. There is soil covering the floor with most of the pots overturned. All the fruit and vegetables have been taken, there are only leaves and stems with roots exposed laying in discarded piles. My eyes flash to the corner but both of my small trees are gone, pots and all. A low moan escapes me at what I’ve lost but my next thought is for my family. I’m too late! Boyd’s gang has beaten me here. I have to find my family and try to protect them!
I use the door frame to pull myself to my feet and hurtle down the hall to the kitchen. I come flying to a stop at what I find there. Abuela is at the table with an open wooden chest. She is wrapping plant cuttings in damp rags before rolling them up in cut up sheets and placing them into the chest. I let my eyes wander the rest of the room, still in shock. There are canvas bags piled by the door with the missing harvest peeking out and next to them stand the pots with my small trees in them. I heave out a half sob causing Abuela to turn my way with an apologetic expression. She comes over and guides me to the table where she pushes me down into a chair.
“I’m so sorry, Día. I knew you wouldn’t be able to do it so I took that burden from you. But look, look - I have cuttings from every plant. They will last in this chest as long as you give them a little water every day. Once you get to the valley, you will replant them and have twice as many to tend! This will all be a new, better start for you and your sister. Let the past go and look to the future.”
I nod my head in agreement but I still need a few minutes to accept all these changes so I just sit and watch as she finishes wrapping the last plant cuttings and places them in the chest. She closes the lid and latches it before patting it gently.
“Here is your future. Protect them well.” She turns to me and pulls me from the chair. “I need your help for the next part. I still have some strength but my knees are not what they used to be.”
I let her lead me to the rarely used door that leads down into the basement under the house. It’s been a few months since I’ve been down these steps. There’s nothing of value that I know of stored down there as we eat everything almost as soon as we get it from rations or our plants. There are only three small cots that we use to sleep on a few months of the year and some old shelving. Halfway down the steps, I feel the temperature start to lower. By the time I hit the bottom, I’m closing my eyes and breathing in the earthy tang that fills the air as a delicious feeling of coolness rushes across my body. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. It’s an amazing feeling that I want to enjoy for a few minutes so I ignore the noise Abuela is making as she moves things around over on one of the walls. It is never this cool down here in the summer months and I didn’t realize it would be this cool during the rest of the year or I would have come down here every day. When she calls for me, I think about ignoring her. I think about just laying down on the hard-packed ground and sleeping right there, cool for the first time in my life but I know just how much there still is to do. Boyd’s hard eyes flash across my thoughts and that’s all it takes to get me moving again.
My tiny Abuela is trying to move a large shelving unit away from the wall so I rush over and pull her away before getting a good grip and swinging it away from the wall. At some point, while I was wallowing in the air temperature, she has lit an old glass lantern. She holds it up and squeezes past me to get to the wall. I’m surprised when what I thought was hard-packed soil turns out to be a sheet, colored to look like the soil. She tugs hard on it until it drops away and then lifts the lantern up to light what’s been concealed behind it.
At first, I don’t understand, then I don’t believe it but I rush towards it anyway and run my hands over jug after jug of what looks like water. When I can finally tear my eyes away from all that precious liquid, I turn to her and whisper, “How?”
She looks past me with satisfaction. “Eighty-two years, I’ve learned a thing or two! This, this I started when you were just a tiny girl after we lost the water wars. I knew there might come a time when the well would dry up so I built in a safety net. I used to rotate them out regularly but I had to stop around ten years ago. My knees just wouldn’t take the stairs anymore. So, the water will be stale and probably have a plastic taste to it but it will keep you alive until you get to the valley.”
She turns to meet my eyes and gives me a devilish grin. “Start hauling!”