Sundown, part 83

The story so far.

It takes them another two days to reach the outskirts of Boston, since they have to economize on the van’s charge to keep moving at night. Plus the road’s in shitty condition, and on a couple of occasions they have to leave the turnpike and take local roads to get around the abandoned cars.

That really makes Cassandra nervous. In the small towns, last survivors are almost more dangerous than the bloodsuckers. She would know.

Finally, though, the towns and woods blend into a single undifferentiated suburbanland that grows taller and taller until they’re driving into Boston itself.

“I always wanted to come here,” Jason says. “Now what?”

Sundown, part 82

The story so far.

Jason’s asleep in the driver’s seat. She thumps his shoulder. “Wha-?” he says, looking around blearily.

“You should’ve woken me,” she tells him.

“Sorry,” he says. “I meant to stay awake until daylight and then let you drive.”

“Ican stand a watch, you know.”

He flinches. “I know. But…you’ve been through a lot. That’s all.”

That’s true enough. Her aches have aches from sitting for so long, after getting tossed around in the explosion, and then the fighting and the running, and…

“Hey, you okay?”

“No,” she says, looking out the window so he can’t see. “Look, just drive, okay? I’ll take over in a little while.”

Jason, wisely, doesn’t argue. He just powers up the recharged engine, and moves slowly off into the day.

Sundown, part 81

The story so far.

They sit in the front seats for awhile, watching the darkness. They’ve had to power the van down entirely to conserve what battery power is left, though it means a slow startup if they have to move.

Neither of them observes that if they have to move, it’s too late.

Finally Jason says, “You should get some sleep.”

She nods, though she’s too tired to even move, even as much as crawling into the back of the van and lying down. All the aches and pains from the explosion and the running and everything else are sinking in.

But she guesses that she does sleep, because the next thing she sees through the windshield is daylight.

Sundown, part 80

The story so far.

Cassandra can’t think of anything to say to that. Boston’s a big city. They might not even be able to find them.

“I hate to say this,” Jason says after a moment. “But power’s getting critical.”

Cassandra nods. “Stop the van.”

“Those things are–”

“They won’t come after us again.” She hopes. “They know we’re going to do what they asked, and we’re far enough away that their addictions won’t draw them after us.” She’s not sure about that, either. Not enough hope left for all the work it has to do.

“Okay,” Jason says.

And then pulls over, even though there hasn’t been any traffic on this road in years.

From the Sundown diary

The story so far.

Jason likes me far too much.

It’s going to get him killed.

Sundown, part 79

The story so far.

Jason’s quiet for a long time. Then he says, “I thought they considered us food.”

“They do. It’s kind of complicated to explain.” She thinks for a minute. “Okay. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that there was a drug from which you could also derive the nourishment necessary to survive. Minimal, but still enough.”

“Like some kind of mushroom, or something.”

“Sure, if you like. But it’s so good that it’s all you ever eat. Even though really, it’s not quite enough.”

“And that’s why they start to look like…”

“They’re starving, yes. Because they are. I don’t understand all the metabolic stuff involved. Maybe these people in Boston can. If we ever get there.”

“And if,” Jason adds, “they even exist.”

Sundown, part 78

The story so far.

The van picks up speed, at least in part due to the ramp’s descending slope, and then ambles down the highway. The firelight fades behind them. She watches out the back windows. There’s no pursuit.

She scrambles to the front passenger seat and collapses into it with a sigh. “Good work, Jason.”

He shakes his head. He’s still got a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. “I do not understand anything of what just happened. I don’t even understand how we got away! And why did they try to kill us after you agreed to help them?”

Cassandra sighs again. “Call it their lower nature. They’re addicts. They can’t help it.”

Sundown, part 77

The story so far.

The tremendous belch of the flamethrower is far too satisfying–and far too brief. Almost as soon as the gout of flame finishes sweeping across the mass of them gathered on two sides of the van, it’s gone. Cass hauls the doors shut with a bang. “Hit it!”

“I am hitting it!” Jason shouts from the front. The van ambles down the onramp like they’re a family on a sustainability tour. Cass wants to scream. At least the massive torch behind them has distracted those few not caught in it. “We’re almost out of power.”

Cass scrambles to the front seat. “Go as far as you can. Then…then, well, we’ll see.”

Jason doesn’t look reassured.

Sundown, part 76

The story so far.

“Where am I going?” Jason shouts.

“Get back on the highway. Head east. Fast as you can.” The fucking van is creeping along. Power’s low. Too low. It’s like a turtle trying to run away from a cheetah. They’re going to die.

The bloodsuckers are pacing them. Some of them are grinning. It’s the ones that aren’t that worry her.

“Cass?”

“Keep going! And tell me when you’ve reached the onramp!” It’s a curve to the left from there.

It feels like an hour before they reach it. The bloodsuckers aren’t really letting them go. Just keeping pace. No way this is going to work.

Except they’re sort of gathered to the rear of the van, now. Rear and to the right. Two sides are better than four.

The van begins to negotiate the curve, picking up speed.

Cassandra kicks open the van’s rear doors and lets them have it.

Sundown, part 75

The story so far.

The flamethrower is fucking impossible from inside the van. The holy water isn’t much better–and after the events of the last few days, she’s dubious about its efficacy.

She drops the flamethrower in the van’s rear and grabs the crossbow from where Jason left it on the floor. She returns to the cracked window and takes aim. “Jason?!”

“Working on it!”

“Work faster,” she says, and looses. The bolt hits just right of dead center. Dammit. She’s jarred. They’re not going to win this.

The van starts to move. Cassandra stumbles to the rear, scoops up the flamethrower, and heads for the rear doors.