Through the Storm(54)

Between tears, Madison repeated various combinations of how, why, and pointed to the clipboard.

Conner explained the situation to the woman.

“I’ll find out what I can.” The woman hurried to the tent.

After a few minutes, Conner led Madison to the shade of a nearby tree. Through teary eyes, Madison kept watch for the woman as, over the next hour, her tears subsided to sniffles.

After more minutes of sad silence, the woman left the tent. Carrying a clipboard and plastic bag, she walked toward them. Conner stood. Madison did the same and clutched Conner’s hand.

“I don’t have much information. Everyone is just trying to keep things going until the electricity is back on. Ah … your father was admitted at the same time as your mother.” She glanced at the papers in her hand. “He had symptoms of a heart attack and passed away about an hour after admission.”

Madison bit her lip and seemed ready to cry again.

“Your mother had repeated strokes and passed away the next morning. I’m very sorry.”

“No. I don’t believe it.” Madison shook her head. “How could two healthy people just die like that?”

“Sometimes these things happen.”

“I need to bury them.”

The woman cringed. “I’m really very sorry, but any unclaimed bodies are buried in a mass grave within twenty-four hours. I am so sorry.” She held out the plastic bag. Madison took it and the woman hurried away.

“Their wedding rings.” Madison said, looking through the bag. “My dad’s wallet.” She slid to the ground in tears.

Conner sat beside her. He let her cry and held back tears of his own. When she gulped in deep breaths, he realized she had stopped weeping. Then he retrieved his weapons and they left on their bikes.

Just outside the perimeter fence, Madison stopped. “Where am I going?”

Conner felt thoroughly confused. “Home.”

“My parent’s home? Is it home now with both of them dead and a body in the dining room? How could I live there ever again? Where will I go? Back to college? Is it even open?”

Conner stared at her, searching for an answer to at least one of her questions, but he had none. Until this day, his goal had been much the same as Madison’s—get home. He had no idea what he would do if he arrived at the farm and found Drake dead. He hadn’t wanted to spend the weekend babysitting his little brother, but he should have been there. Guilt surged within him. Had his father made it home? Would Madison go to the farm with him? Should he even ask her?

“That’s the bike!” Madison ran to a man standing beside a “For Trade” sign. Around him were a couple of bicycles, wagons, assorted MREs, and canned goods in cardboard boxes. “That’s my friend’s bike. You stole it!” Madison thrust her finger in the direction of a newer bike with a four-foot trailer.

“I didn’t steal nothing.” The man jumped between her and the bike.

Madison edged closer. “Yes, you did!”

Conner shook his head in disbelief. Why did she care so much about this?

Madison grabbed at the bike.

The man pushed her away.

Afraid that she would start a fight, or worse, get herself killed, Conner spoke. “I’ll trade you for it.”

“What’ya got?”

Conner pulled his backpack off and opened it. He didn’t have much, a tarp, sleeping bag, a canteen and some matches. Then he pulled the pistol from his pocket. “This for the bicycle and the trailer.”

The man smiled. “Good trade. I’ll swap you another bike for that rifle on your shoulder.”

“No.” Conner handed him the pistol and, with a bike on either side of him, walked to Madison. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

Glad that Madison had calmed down, Conner put his bike in the trailer of Arnold’s and the two biked toward her home. “You can go faster. Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“No.” She shook her head. “There’s no hurry. There’s no place I need to be.”

Tears occasionally rolled down Madison’s cheeks, but no words passed her lips until they neared her parent’s home. “You traded for the bike, but can I give it back to Arnold?”

“Sure.”

She sped past her house, climbed the steps to Arnold’s porch, and banged on his door.

Arnold opened it with a smile. “You brought my bike back!” Still staring at the bike, he asked, “Is your mom okay? Is your dad here?”

“No!” Madison shouted. Tears erupted and she ran into her parents’ house, slamming the front door behind her.

Conner turned to Arnold. “Her mom and dad are dead, but she wanted you to have the bike back. I’m not really sure why.”

Conner left Arnold’s bike and trailer and joined Madison, who had exited her parents’ home and sat on the front porch. He sat with her in silence, unsure of what to do or say.

Madison turned to him with a weak smile. “Thank you for helping me get home.”

“I wish it had been a happier homecoming.”

She stared at the house over her shoulder. “There’s nothing left for me here.”

More silence passed between them as Conner mustered his courage. “Earlier you were wondering where home is. You’re welcome to come with me to the farm. I’ve really gotten to like you. I’m not saying we have to—”