with a thick lock.
“ We can’t be everywhere at once,” Tony said, “so we locked this up. When the creek’s full, it keeps the deaders over on the other side. We go south from here.”
He turned onto a narrow, blacktop road that wound its way into the hills. Two more miles passed, and they stopped at the first Mennonite checkpoint. To Cori, it seemed a strange contradiction to see long-bearded men dressed in overalls and work boots, carrying AR-15s over their shoulders. The women wore pistols like Cori’s, strapped at their hips over their plain, blue dresses.
They were a friendly group, welcoming Tony and Cori with open arms and hugs. Laughter filled the morning air as everyone gathered around to sort out the catfish. Cori's news of the outside world was appreciated. The Mennonites were worried about their communities in the region, but she couldn't provide any information about the others' status. She could only tell them theirs was the most secure area she'd passed through. They took the update with solemn nods.
In short time, Cori pitched in with Tony for the return trip. They hosed out the fish slime from the wagon. It was the first she had seen of running water in a while—a gift of deep wells in the small community. The Mennonites loaded up the wagon with vegetables, fruits, and some pies. They gently placed jars of preserves alongside the other goods. Last in was a small, wooden box full of chicks.
“ That's a mixture of two clutches, Tony. Don’t you be driving that machine hard and making a mess now.” A middle-aged man cocked a brow, his beard reaching nearly to the second button of his shirt. “These birds are too hard to get to adulthood to be losing them.”
Tony shook the man’s hand. “I’ll be careful, William. Thanks.”
Together, Tony and Cori made the trip back to Snareville, distributing goods along the way. The families in one house wanted to start their own chicken flock. They'd converted a garage into a coop with a covered, wire pen running out into the back yard through a hole in the wall. As the day aged, the two stopped to drop off the last pie at the house where Jenny and Danny lived.
Tony shut off the machine in what had once been a front yard. Long grass mixed with wild flowers filled the green space between house and street. The house itself was a huge, two-story monster. Cori saw boards bolted over the first-floor windows, with only small gaps at the tops to let in light. Over what had been doors, sheet metal from a torn-down shed had been bolted to the frames, and the same with a cellar door laid into the ground. Cori assumed one could get to the basement from inside, but all outside access to the lower parts of the house had been blocked.
Three ladies, including Jenny, worked together in the garden. The men, Jenny informed Tony and Cori, were out to extend fences and ditches. If Tony wanted, he could join them. He declined, as he hadn’t been to bed yet. He made a short report to Jenny, then excused himself to bed. Cori opted to stick around.
Jenny took the pie from her as they wandered toward the house.
“ I wish I could eat some of this,” Jenny said, sighing, “but everything just makes my stomach roll these days.”
“ Stomach flu?” Cori asked.
“ Morning sickness,” Jenny replied.
Cori shot her a look.
“ Don’t look so surprised. It's not like we've got a whole lot of protection around here.”
“ Well, no, but how can you even be in the mood with everything that's been goin’ on?”
“ You tell me. You looked pretty friendly with Chicken George up on that quad.”
“ I was trying not to fall off.”
“ So was I… when I got pregnant.”
Cori laughed outright.
“ Look," Jenny said. She paused. "We can either admit we’re on the way out—a dead species, failed experiment, whatever you want to call it—or we can fight back every way possible.”
“ Ain’t you afraid to bring a kid into this?”
“ Scared to death." Jenny held
“ We can’t be everywhere at once,” Tony said, “so we locked this up. When the creek’s full, it keeps the deaders over on the other side. We go south from here.”
He turned onto a narrow, blacktop road that wound its way into the hills. Two more miles passed, and they stopped at the first Mennonite checkpoint. To Cori, it seemed a strange contradiction to see long-bearded men dressed in overalls and work boots, carrying AR-15s over their shoulders. The women wore pistols like Cori’s, strapped at their hips over their plain, blue dresses.
They were a friendly group, welcoming Tony and Cori with open arms and hugs. Laughter filled the morning air as everyone gathered around to sort out the catfish. Cori's news of the outside world was appreciated. The Mennonites were worried about their communities in the region, but she couldn't provide any information about the others' status. She could only tell them theirs was the most secure area she'd passed through. They took the update with solemn nods.
In short time, Cori pitched in with Tony for the return trip. They hosed out the fish slime from the wagon. It was the first she had seen of running water in a while—a gift of deep wells in the small community. The Mennonites loaded up the wagon with vegetables, fruits, and some pies. They gently placed jars of preserves alongside the other goods. Last in was a small, wooden box full of chicks.
“ That's a mixture of two clutches, Tony. Don’t you be driving that machine hard and making a mess now.” A middle-aged man cocked a brow, his beard reaching nearly to the second button of his shirt. “These birds are too hard to get to adulthood to be losing them.”
Tony shook the man’s hand. “I’ll be careful, William. Thanks.”
Together, Tony and Cori made the trip back to Snareville, distributing goods along the way. The families in one house wanted to start their own chicken flock. They'd converted a garage into a coop with a covered, wire pen running out into the back yard through a hole in the wall. As the day aged, the two stopped to drop off the last pie at the house where Jenny and Danny lived.
Tony shut off the machine in what had once been a front yard. Long grass mixed with wild flowers filled the green space between house and street. The house itself was a huge, two-story monster. Cori saw boards bolted over the first-floor windows, with only small gaps at the tops to let in light. Over what had been doors, sheet metal from a torn-down shed had been bolted to the frames, and the same with a cellar door laid into the ground. Cori assumed one could get to the basement from inside, but all outside access to the lower parts of the house had been blocked.
Three ladies, including Jenny, worked together in the garden. The men, Jenny informed Tony and Cori, were out to extend fences and ditches. If Tony wanted, he could join them. He declined, as he hadn’t been to bed yet. He made a short report to Jenny, then excused himself to bed. Cori opted to stick around.
Jenny took the pie from her as they wandered toward the house.
“ I wish I could eat some of this,” Jenny said, sighing, “but everything just makes my stomach roll these days.”
“ Stomach flu?” Cori asked.
“ Morning sickness,” Jenny replied.
Cori shot her a look.
“ Don’t look so surprised. It's not like we've got a whole lot of protection around here.”
“ Well, no, but how can you even be in the mood with everything that's been goin’ on?”
“ You tell me. You looked pretty friendly with Chicken George up on that quad.”
“ I was trying not to fall off.”
“ So was I… when I got pregnant.”
Cori laughed outright.
“ Look," Jenny said. She paused. "We can either admit we’re on the way out—a dead species, failed experiment, whatever you want to call it—or we can fight back every way possible.”
“ Ain’t you afraid to bring a kid into this?”
“ Scared to death." Jenny held
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