299

It was only about fifty miles to civilization. 

HWY 299 west over Buckhorn summit.

Elevation thirty-two hundred something.

A destroyed road 

That switches back on itself

Because it doesn’t want you to leave.

Now it was a killing field.

Full of dead cars

And people I know

Fleeing their homes.

The only traffic jam in Trinity County history.

I came home the back way

And got lucky.

The gunshots were still going on

While the ones stuck in the wilderness fought it out.

We’ll never drive this road again.

Not at fifty five

With the windows down.

Holy shit, never again?

It’s been two months since they nuked America. 

Well, seventy three days. 

Five cities?

Hard to know. 

Things are hard to believe these days. 

I was at boot camp.

Wilderness training.

It made running easy.

Home seemed the safest place. 

A place I knew.

It hadn’t been my choice to leave in the first place. 

It was the government.

Fuck them twice.

Or five times.

Someone sure has.

So I come home.

Seemed like everything was on fire,

Or trying to be. 

Everyone thought they were ready

For the end of the world.

I know we did.

That’s the thing

Time doesn’t stop just because the world has ended.

It don’t give a shit. 

You know?

People still gotta eat,

And fight.

And fuck.

And pray.

People are still sick.

How do you make medicine?

You don’t.

You die.

Or find it.

I’m supposed to care about that. 

I don’t know why I do. 

Calloway’s daughter needs insulin.

He told me.

Showed up at my front door.

Said he heard I made it in.

Wanted to know if I was interested in going out.

As a favor 

To the richest man in the world.

He couldn’t answer why that mattered anymore.

Guess he never considered being broke.

Still.

He said Doc had tried…

Ain't been back.

What an idiot. 

Who sent the doctor into the woods?

Will this be forever?

Maybe?

The dinosaurs died

and they weren’t at fault.

As if intention matters to extinction.

You’re drunk.

Should have stuck with beer.

You’ve said that for the past two months.

That’s ok. 

Tomorrow.

Yeah…

Tomorrow

I’ll go take a look.

Might as well,

I don’t know where mom and dad are.

The house was locked up

And fully stocked.

Like they left me a present

Before the rapture.

It’s only fifty miles there,

Fifty miles back.

Fuck.

Hopefully I don’t find mom and dad—