The Traveler

A Story by ben

A purple bumblebee and a Monarch butterfly share a flower and wondering what is being said, turns to look towards the roadside café. Under new management is displayed on the marque and thinking this oddly funny, once through the doorway there comes a raspy voice. “You there, two pennies gets you a bowl of soup and hunk of bread.”

News appreciated; he removes from around his neck a cord fastened to a small pouch. Untying the knot, shakes free what is needed and after the proper amount of coin is handed over, the one in charge says to him, “Here’s your ticket (which is really a piece of paper) It’s going to be just a moment longer before the bread is done baking. In the meantime, help yourself to a seat. Oh, just one more thing. There is no smoking as we got kids around.” That said, the woman slips away to her duties.

All that is left for him to do is to pull the door open and after entering the dining hall, all at once arms and elbows move off tabletops as hopeful faces look in his direction. Hope fades to discouragement after seeing that he is just another strangler.

Making his way down the center aisle, finds an open spot to his liking and no sooner is the bedroll off his back, a kid in need of a haircut approaches him. “Mom wants to know if you are the Traveler.” A glance around the room tells him that everyone else wants to know as well. Dropping his weight upon the bench, he places his elbows on the tabletop before he leans towards the boy, “Tell your mom that she is more than welcome to join me if that is what she wants.” Wide eyed, the kid nods his head before leaving him and thinking it won’t be long, here comes the kid with his mother.

Sitting opposite him, every scar is studied before she says to him, “It has been two days since I have held her. Two days, Traveler.” The emotional surge has him promising nothing, but it must have been enough as she and child leave him be.

After the humble meal of vegetable soup and fresh baked bread has been eaten, he gets halfway across the foyer when the woman in charge walks towards him all the while talking in that raspy voice. “A rough looking bunch they were, and right away I felt something wasn’t right. But it was too late. As for fighting them off, you saw for yourself that most folk around here are barely alive since...anyways, they’re heading south.” That said, the crunchy looking woman goes back to her counter and he off to following the posted signs making it easy to find the southbound ramp to the I-5 corridor.

Staying along the fog line, the main drag is filled with every make and model and paying little attention to the relics of yesterday, moves his eyes off the highway towards the steep embankment running alongside. Further up is cyclone fencing that is supposed to keep pedestrians away from the danger of walking along this once busy road. Now it is covered in thick ivy and overgrown brush. Thinking that this is what happens when ninety-nine percent of the world’s population disappears, he remembers the day of him being summoned to the great room on the eve of this event. Izzo is walking with him, her arm curled around his waist as she keeps saying smalls things that he will hold onto forever when she holds his face in her hands before they kiss. Prepped him, she did, with all of those little things. He doesn’t mind as he walks along being fully aware that he is wearing a goofy smile that disappears when he focuses on Preacher Tom building up quite an army. The council of twelve, well, they thought enough is enough so here he is finding the world looking like a ghost town and being oddly fascinating, on the other hand, he is certain Preacher Tom is aware of his arrival and with that in mind, steady is his footfall as each step brings him a bit closer in coming home to Izzo.

Over time, the highway takes on a new look of being a two-lane thoroughfare that ropes its way over fields of tall yellow grass waving gently in a soft breeze. Taking it all in, and with miles yet to go, by the looks of things he has an hour or so before the sun will force him to look about for suitable lodging for the night. Letting go of the chore lying ahead of him, what slips around in working its way to the front is the earlier scene of the woman seated across from him.

Three men, she said. Brutal in their want, he is left wondering how many other mothers share the same sorrow which sets a fire and though Izzo told him to behave himself, he thinks if she were here, Izzo would understand. Clearing his mind of this distraction, after a long while of staring at nothing out of the ordinary, the road dips into a curve and coming around the bend, he is met with an official looking sign warning of the reduced speed ahead. What is even more interesting is that there is a scruffy looking female ahead of him, and thinking it is too early for the weirdoes to be out scavenging, he is left with an open box of curiosity and thinking it might be best to walk right on by, and after doing just this, a voice calls out, “Please tell me you are him; I mean, if you are the Traveler.” Logic tells him that there is a good chance that this young lady is being used as bait to lure in another unsuspecting victim while the emotional side of him wants to find out whether or not this is true. Locked in battle, he blurts out. “A thousand years is as long as the tick of a secondhand.”

She looks off from him then and coming back around, she folds her arms across her chest and then takes a step forward before she says to him, “What does that even mean, a thousand years and whatever else you said.”

“Tis a formal introduction.”

“Oh, so you are him. Okay, cool. Listen, you don’t have to do anything, but three dudes took off with my mule the day before yesterday. Said they needed my mule more than I did and ever since, I have been following after them. Anyways, seeing that we are going the same way, I was hoping I could walk along with you till we part ways, if that’s alright.”

Thinking of Izzo telling him to do better while he is away from home, he says to the young lady in front of him. “If this is your will.” With that said, he turns to leave and after going only a short ways by his standards, he casually looks back and seeing that she is having a hard time in keeping up, he gets to minding his manners by slowing down to where she is able to fall into a rhythmic step aside him.

No words are exchanged during their walk and being fine with him, judges that there is an hour left of the day that tells him it is best to find shelter and after checking out what lies ahead, the stand of majestic evergreen gives want of getting there and stepping over the concrete barrier, he suddenly remembers he has company.

Looking behind him, sees that she is in the middle of climbing over the barrier. Once her feet touch the ground, she works her way over to his side. Flushed, and breathing hard, he gives her a minute in letting her catch her breath before he asks, “Are you thirsty?” She rubs the back of her hand against her lips before she nods yes. Going about filling a cup a little over halfway, hands it over to her. “There is more,” he adds. Water gone in a second, he hands her a portion of smoked salmon first, and then goes about refilling her cup. “You got a name,” he asks.

“Lilly.” That said, the girl named Lilly stuffs the last of the smoked fish into her mouth and after chewing it down, she polishes off the water and in handing the cup back, she says to him, “Thanks, it’s been a while.”

“So, are you ready?”

Wearing a quirky smile, Lilly says to him, “I’m good, but I am starting to feel tired. Guess I am not used to all of this fresh air and exercise.”

He gives a weak smile. “We’re not that far away, not much further to go,” he says to her all the while knowing Lilly has no clue that she and everybody else on this level will spend the night looking up at a starless sky in being witness to all the bad each has been done on one long continuous loop till morning breaks over the land. Pushing this aside, maintains an easy stride of cutting a trail to the tree line. Along the way, the grass is waist high and full of unexpected thorny vines and doing his best in stomping these down, after a while, the ground fades into pine needles.

Glancing over, Lilly looks a little off centered that sends his eyes skyward. Inches away from the hour, he levels his eyes on hers and Lilly looks right through him all the while mumbling words. Thinking she is trying to tell him what is going on in her head, she up and turns away from him and walks to where she has a clear view of the sky.

So, it has begun, he thinks.

Dropping his bedroll and pack, being under the last squeeze of any kind of light, he uses his time wisely by gathering up fallen branches which are in abundance. Back to where he put his gear, he drops his armload and after giving Lilly a curious look as she has fallen to her knees, he sets about scraping out a shallow pit and needing some, builds a wall. One good spark and a breath of fresh air gives him fire and with enough wood to last throughout the night, pours himself a glass of freshly boiled water to go along with a few bites of smoked salmon and hard cake cheese.

Times such as these, has his mind wandering over to where he is thinking about Izzo. “The earth is a garden if you know where to look,” she would often tell him. Looking at his meal lacking, pledges to do better by adding to the fire before tucking himself inside the bedroll. Using his pack as a pillow, the dancing flames lull him to sleep.