The night she spent on her brother’s couch was the best night’s sleep Beth Ann had had in months. When she awoke, Christopher was on his security shift, so she caught up with her sister-in-law, Tanya, and helped get their active two-year-old daughter ready for a new day. She was shocked to see Tanya preparing a simple breakfast and was informed that everyone at the “retreat” was rationed for two meals every day. Sitting on the counter beside Tanya was a mug filled with a dark, steaming, fragrant liquid.
“Is that...coffee?” The sides of her tongue twinged at the very thought of the bygone luxury.
Tanya chuckled. “Sort of. One of our neighbors showed us how to make this from chicory root. You know, those plants with the little blue flowers that grow on the side of the road?” She poured some into a mug and handed it to Beth Ann. “It’s not too bad...at least, it’s the closest thing we have to coffee. I think our neighbors mix the chicory with a little bit of coffee to make their supply last longer, but we ran out in February. We cook the leaves, too, so we transplanted a bunch on Peter’s farm.”
Beth Ann gripped the mug with both hands and stared into the shimmering surface. She blew off the wisps of steam and sipped. Not coffee...but not bad for a desperate substitute. She smiled at Tanya. “Thanks!” Now her days would start better.
After they ate, Beth Ann played with little Molly while Tanya busied herself with preparations for the day. She felt safe, being with a family. The night before, on the dark walk between Butch’s house and Christopher’s, Beth Ann had told her brother that their parents had never returned from their trip to Florida. She told him that she had moved in with the Howards and that they were both gone now. But there was so much more to tell.
“Molly! Beth Ann! Time to go!” Tanya called, her voice clearly heard from the next room. Beth Ann wondered where they were going but held Molly’s hand as she toddled toward the sound of her mother’s voice, chattering all the way.
In the kitchen, Tanya was tying her shoes, a pair of old, ratty sneakers that had seen better days. She tossed a tiny ball of fabric to Beth Ann that turned out to be a pair of Molly-sized socks. Beth Ann set the little girl on the edge of the counter and fought with her wiggly feet to get the socks on.
“So, where are we going?” Beth Ann asked as Tanya took Molly to put dirt-caked lace-up shoes on her. Beth Ann sat on a kitchen chair to put on her own shoes–the only pair she’d brought with her. Then she pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail.
“Garden duty!” Tanya said. “Come on. I’ll explain on the way.”
The threesome stepped out onto the small front porch and into the bright sunshine. It was going to be another sweaty day. The farmhouse looked pretty much the same as when Beth Ann was there for Thanksgiving, with a few subtle differences. Two footpaths had been worn in the high grass forming a “v” through the yard from the porch steps. Tanya hadn’t put out the pretty rattan furniture or filled pots with petunias and ferns. The side door was dented on the outside and bore evidence of suffering, from the hole where the deadbolt lock should be to the two window panes covered with plywood. Overall it gave off a downtrodden, weary vibe.
Tanya, carrying Molly, led them down the left-hand path that disappeared into the woods. Beth Ann was pretty sure that this was the path Christopher had brought her on the night before. On the way, Tanya informed Beth Ann that they had joined with a “retreat” just up the hill, swapping labor and their chickens for food and security. The retreat members had prepared for a long-term disaster, so they had food and supplies and manuals stored to get them, and their families, through this time. Peter’s farm was included, as well as a couple of other nearby neighbors. The doctor and his wife had been brought into the mix in December, not long after the power outage, and they had moved in with Peter and Helen. Altogether, there were close to thirty people in the group, including children.
“Are they all soldiers?” Beth Ann asked, remembering her interrogation.
“I’m not sure who they are or what their background is–they’re pretty secretive–but I’m positive that several of them have military training or something similar. And some of them do wear camouflage when they’re out patrolling. The one who found you is Brody,” Tanya explained.
“Well, he scared the crap out of me!” Beth Ann laughed nervously and changed the subject. “So, what’s involved with gardening duty? I worked on the Garden Team in town, so I can definitely help with the garden here.”
As Tanya explained the retreat members’ joint duty on the two-acre garden plot, raised beds, grapevines and large greenhouse, they came into the clearing where Peter’s house sat. In the daylight Beth Ann could see that the front of the century old farmhouse was dotted with random black spots, like the ones she had seen in the living room. Tanya saw Beth Ann’s quizzical expression and explained that the retreat had been attacked several days earlier by a large group. It had been a terrifying ordeal for everyone, and one of the neighbors had been killed in the watchtower. Since then, they had changed their security strategy a bit and had been running practice drills for different scenarios. They would have to bring Beth Ann up to speed.
Beth Ann heard Tanya’s words as she spoke them, but she processed the information more slowly. With fresh anxiety, she realized she had conjured up a false expectation of security, thinking that once she and Christopher were together, everything would be fine. Mr. Andrews hadn’t been lying about the raiding and looting forces, apparently, and he had provided a safe perimeter for the Tionestans. Maybe she had misjudged him....
“Here we are. Do you want to plant, water or weed?” Tanya asked, breaking Beth Ann’s mental wandering.
Beth Ann looked up. At the edge of the large clearing behind Peter’s house stood the largest garden Beth Ann had ever seen; she couldn’t even see the other side of it. On the edge of the garden nearest to the house stood two long rows of raised beds. The greenhouse was a short distance away, partway up the adjacent hill in a southern-exposed clearing. She counted nine people, including a couple older children, already working in various areas of the garden. A faded red barn stood nearby and on the other side of it, a fenced-in pasture. Closer to the house was a trellis covered in a gnarled, brown vine fringed with new green growth, and a line of rough posts coming off the trellis joined by rows of wire. Between the posts were new plantings; they were obviously expanding their grape crop.
Tanya picked up a hoe and took Molly by the hand. “If you have any questions, just find Peter...or Emily. You haven’t met Emily yet, right?” Beth Ann shook her head. Tanya shielded her eyes with one hand to look over the garden workers, while Molly yanked on her other arm. “That’s Emily, in the brown tank top. See? She and Peter are basically in charge of making sure this works. Alright, Molly! Go!” Tanya turned her attention to the little one and was dragged away.
Unsure where to start, Beth Ann stood and watched until she noticed a woman approaching with a distinctive waddle and recognized her as the “Maria” Darren had introduced. If she was a retreat member, it now made sense that Darren had hesitated, referring to her as “a neighbor.”
“Morning!” Maria said with a broad smile. “You look a bit better than when I saw you last night.”
“Yeah...feel better, too!” Beth Ann replied self-consciously, thinking of how ghastly her bruised face must still look. “How can I help?”
“I could use some help planting in the beds,” Maria suggested. Beth Ann picked up a spade from a work cart filled with tools and followed her. They passed two other women who appeared to be only a few years older than Beth Ann. Maria stopped and introduced them as Rachel and Rose. Rose smiled and thanked Beth Ann for helping, but Rachel just nodded an acknowledgement and kept working, When Maria and Beth Ann reached their spot, Maria pointed out quietly that Rachel was the widow of the neighbor who had been killed in the attack a few days earlier; she hadn’t spoken since, and Rose had been spending a lot of time with her.
Digging her hands into the sun-warmed soil, Beth Ann already felt an attachment to these people who had welcomed her with open arms, but what she really wanted was to get some time with her brother.
***
Brody and another retreat member, Caleb, were assigned to cart water for the garden and greenhouse, a job which required an abundance of brawn. The Allegheny River was nearly a mile away, but one of its branches cut through both Peter’s property and the retreat, making it a closer and safer option for obtaining water. This being their first summer to live entirely off the land, they were hoping that the little crick didn’t dry up in the heat. Unfortunately, water always cut through land at its lowest point, Brody complained to himself as he leaned his weight into the cart. No matter where they got the water, they would have to haul it uphill. Caleb grunted as the cart hit a rock in the path, jarring his shoulder.
They stopped at the garden first to fill the assorted buckets and watering cans. Distributing the water into smaller containers made it more portable for the gardeners, especially considering that many of them were children. That would use up over two-thirds of their haul, but it would significantly lighten their load to take farther uphill to the greenhouse. There they would offload the 50-gallon trash can, which had been previously bought for this purpose and never used for trash, with the remaining water and take the empty one in the dolly back down the slope for a refill. Several trips to the stream had to be made on days when it didn’t rain, especially with the early unseasonably hot weather. Their very lives hinged on the garden being successful. Damian was researching ways to tap into the wells on the properties without use of the electric pumps, but for now they had to haul the water.
Setting down the last bucket, Brody caught a glimpse of Christopher’s sister kneeling beside Sean’s wife, Maria, in one of the raised beds, transplanting young vegetables that had been started in the greenhouse. There was something about her that made him want to know who she was and what made her “tick,” maybe because she had been so vulnerable when he found her and his protective nature was kicking in. Seeing the deep purple and green marks on her face had made him want to rip someone apart limb by limb. He watched her tuck a stray piece of dark blonde hair behind her ear and wipe her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Take a picture–it lasts longer!” Caleb said quietly into Brody’s ear. Then he straightened up to drink some water from his canteen, his laughter ringing out between sips.
Brody punched him in the arm, embarrassed at having been caught. But caught doing what? Curiosity wasn’t a crime. He was just making sure the girl he rescued was doing okay. Wouldn’t anyone?
***
Beth Ann was surprised when Tanya came over to her a couple of hours later, carrying her fussing daughter. “Molly’s had enough for now, and so have I. Wanna take a break with us?”
“Sure, thanks,” Beth Ann said gratefully as she stood. She was hot. While they had been working, the clouds had moved in and gradually thickened. Although it was temporarily a relief from the sun, the humidity had risen and made the air mighty uncomfortable. Peter’s sweet wife, who was too frail to do the harder labor, had walked around to all the workers a few times with cool water to drink, but Beth Ann felt she could use a few minutes to lie down in the grass and stretch her aching back.
Beth Ann followed Tanya, but was confused when her sister-in-law sped past the house and into the woods. She jogged to catch up. “Wait! Can we just leave like that? Did you tell Peter?”
Tanya laughed. “What do you mean? We all help out, but we come and go as we please. We have other responsibilities, too.”
Beth Ann didn’t realize how much she had bought into the regimented, guarded system in Tionesta until she exercised the freedom to walk away from the garden when she needed a break. It blew her mind.
When they reached home, Tanya wiped Molly down, gave her a small snack and put her to bed for a nap. Then she woke Christopher and he joined the two ladies at the kitchen table. Over glasses of cool water and a handful of freeze-dried peaches, Beth Ann told Christopher everything. He and Tanya grieved over her words, but Beth Ann felt cathartic relief.
Christopher reached across the table to clasp Beth Ann’s hand. “Oh, Sis. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” His eyes were full of anguish and his voice thick with emotion. “I just kept thinking that the electricity would come back on any day. By Christmas we had run out of food and I walked to town to see if I could get help. The Sheriff–some new guy–had all the roads blocked going into town and his officers wouldn’t let me through, even when I told them my parents lived there! It was unbelievable. Then, on my walk back home, some ruffians jumped me, but I had nothing for them to steal so they let me go. I was stupid and hadn’t even taken my little Remington.”
“I remember that gun!” Beth Ann interrupted. “Dad got it for you as a graduation present, didn’t he? And mom was mad because he didn’t tell her.” They both chuckled softly over the memory, the way people do at funerals. Tanya swiped at her eyes.
Beth Ann broke the long silence, her gaze piercing into her brother. “Christopher, what are the chances that mom and dad...might be...might come home?”
He lowered his eyes to their clasped hands and sighed. “I saw Sean briefly during my watch and asked him the same question.” He shifted in his seat. “It’s his opinion, just opinion, that they would have very little chance.” Her tears began to flow down her cheeks in a steady stream, and as he patted her hand in comfort, she could feel his hands shaking. “You see, they were in a crowded tourist area that would have run out of supplies quickly. They’re older, so they would be ill-prepared for a difficult journey of a thousand miles without food and proper gear. Then there are bad—”
“Yes! I get it. I understand,” Beth Ann cut him off as she dried her face with her sleeve. She didn’t want a picture painted in her head of all the possible ways their parents might have died.
Christopher changed the subject. “I didn’t know you were all alone, Beth Ann, honestly. If I had known half of what was going on in town I would have found a way to get to you. I’m so grateful for the Howards taking you in like that.” Christopher ran his hand through his tousled hair. “I...just can’t believe they’re all...gone.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Tanya asked quietly, “Did you talk with Damian?”
“Yes, dear, it’s all taken care of,” Christopher said, giving his wife a disapproving look.
Beth Ann caught the subtle exchange. “Take care of what? Does this have something to do with me?” She lifted her eyebrows and leaned forward into the table.
Christopher sighed and paused before answering. “The retreat as a whole has limited supplies. We can’t just take people in. The retreat members have to vote and I will have to find a way to come up with extra food for you, or re-distribute our rations to include you.”
“Vote?” Beth Ann cried. “You mean they could send me back? I won’t go! They can’t make me! I won’t eat much, I promise–we only got one meal a day in town anyhow. And I’ll work double-hard! I’ll dig holes for people to poop in! I don’t care, but I won’t—”
“Beth Ann!” Christopher raised his voice to stop her rising panic. “I said it’s taken care of. You’re staying with us.”
Beth Ann hung her head in relief and clasped her hands to stop them from shaking. It had never crossed her mind that seeking her brother’s help would cause his family a hardship. Molly fussed and Tanya left the kitchen to get her.
“We do have to introduce you to the retreat members, and they have questions for you about what is happening in Tionesta. Damian asked for us to come just before dark tonight.”
Beth Ann nodded meekly. She suddenly felt exhausted...and nervous about being interrogated by a bunch of soldiers.
***
That evening, Christopher and Beth Ann walked up the hill to the retreat cabin. Along the way he pointed out different things: the path to the river, a watch tower, a “spider” hole. The retreat itself was much bigger than the house they grew up in, but it looked like a regular house. It was sided in a natural brown with a metal roof; the narrow front porch had just enough room for rocking chairs, and the beautiful windows made it look inviting. From one end of the house rose a rock tower that gave the house an older, mountain lodge appearance.
Damian and Brody met them on the porch. While Christopher continued inside with Damian, Brody stopped Beth Ann.
“Hi, I’m Brody,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand.
She stared at his hand for several seconds, then finally reached out and timidly shook it. It seemed strange to Beth Ann, now that she was accustomed to the town rules.
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better,” he said.
“Yes, yes, I am. Thanks. I’m Beth Ann, but you already know that,” she responded with a crooked smile, dropping her gaze to her feet. “Sorry to make you carry me. But...thank you.” She dared to look up into his sky blue eyes.
“No problem!” he said with a comfortable laugh. “I’m just glad you didn’t hit me with that shovel!”
In spite of feeling a little disconcerted being alone on the porch with the guy, she found herself chuckling at the thought of her swinging a small shovel at all that muscle. She turned toward the front door–she had to find a pocket of air somewhere away from Brody so she could breathe.
Brody held the door open for her. “I just wanted to officially meet you before you got sucked into the madness...,” he said with a grin, gesturing inside the house. Beth Ann took a breath and stepped bravely into the din.
Damian was waiting just inside the door. He took Beth Ann’s elbow and escorted her through the throng, making introductions as they went. Beth Ann noted that he was very business-like and didn’t waste any time. Meanwhile, Christopher never left her side. She was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people congregated there; she knew she would never remember them all. At least they weren’t all dressed like soldiers; they seemed like regular people. Everyone treated her kindly and the children seemed fascinated to have an outsider in their home. The group quickly settled into the large, wide open great room for the meeting. Even with nearly twenty people in the room, it didn’t seem crowded because of the living, dining and kitchen spaces all flowing together under a cathedral ceiling vaulted with rough-hewn beams.
Beth Ann could tell right away that Damian and Sean, the tall soldier who questioned her at Peter’s, mostly ran the show. But the people in the room seemed to respect them, and Damian and Sean respected them back by asking their opinions and ideas and working out solutions together. Brody took the leadership on security items, and two other men–Randy and Andrew–took some of the leadership as well. When it was her turn to speak, Beth Ann gave them the short, edited version of her story and then they threw dozens of questions at her. They had obviously been curious about what was going on in town and had been too isolated to find out.
She had thought it would be best to stay as positive as possible, but it backfired. One of the wives, the Emily of the brown tank top, asked, “If things were good in town and food was being provided, why did you run away?”
Beth Ann shot a panicked look at Christopher and then dropped her gaze to her tightly clasped hands. She couldn’t tell these strangers her deepest, darkest secret. Especially with children in the room. And that nice soldier, Brody–what would he think of her? She simply shrugged and Christopher came to her rescue.
“With our parents presumably dead, she wanted to be with me, her only remaining family,” he explained. “Is there anything else? Beth Ann needs more rest and I’d like to get her home now.” He stood and pulled Beth Ann up to her feet.
They said their goodbyes and walked down the path toward home in the twilight. Beth Ann shivered as the wind picked up. It smelled like rain.
“Thank you, Christopher,” Beth Ann said softly. “I’ve probably never told you before, but I love you.”
He pulled her toward him and kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to take care of you from now on. I promise. And believe it or not, I love you, too.”