Reset

There was a slow demonic howling sound to the steady wind that swept around them. In fact it was the only sound.

Nora and Jason walked in silence.

It was Nora’s idea to leave the confines of the area deemed for the Marshal Flight Center, hit the base and see what was out there. She told Jason, he didn’t say much and then she left.

He followed her with a simple, ‘wait up’ and he didn’t speak another word until they reached the edge of the base.

His mood was low before Meredith said anything, after… he just sank.

Nora had children, a husband, she was devastated to think what could have become of them. But she wasn’t ruling anything out. She wasn’t giving up hope. The only issue she had was how long she was in stasis. For all she knew, her eldest daughter, Lilly, who was eight, could be a fully-fledged adult.

She doubted it was a decade, simply because of the amount of growth. Some reason the world from her memory of science class, would look like a jungle in ten years.

Redstone Arsenal, the military base was the key.  Just because the NASA section was empty didn’t mean the base was, and even if that was void of people, that didn’t mean beyond it was barren.

To her, Jason, the man who was strong and positive below suddenly was an anchor to her, holding her back. Emotionally tiresome. She knew and felt where he was coming from. But Nora put her energy elsewhere. Like everyone else, she was seeking answers. She hoped to get some when she returned back to the office.

The Arsenal limits were about a mile outside of Marshall and an idea stuck her when she saw the PX, or Post Exchange on base. Some PX’s were small, and some were like large chain bargain store. This PX was large and shared an overgrown parking lot with a BBQ restaurant.

For the first time, she saw a car. Two of them were in the parking. Both had weeds that grew up to the side of the car doors and were two rows apart. Jason walked straight and Nora walked up toward the PX.

“What are you doing? I thought we were going to look for the base.”

“PX. This is like a Target. I wanna check it out. See if they have bikes. Be a lot easier to peddle across than walk.”

Jason looked humbled, nodded and said, “That’s a good idea.”

“Plus, it’ll tell us a lot. If the store is empty, there was enough time for those who were ill to get supplies. If the shelves have a lot of items, the base emptied out fast.”

She approached the first car, it was locked. She tried to clear the window, but the dirt was too thick so Nora moved to the second vehicle. A blue compact car. She tried the driver’s door and it opened.

“What are you looking for?” Jason asked.

“A date. Maybe a receipt or something.” She looked in the car and when she did, she immediately saw the toddler car seat in the back. Even though the car seat was empty, a sickening feeling hit Nora’s gut.

She looked around the car, it had a musty smell to it and a thick layer of dust formed on the dashboard and seats. There was a takeout receipt deep in the console, but that was dated a month before they even went into stasis.

She popped open the glove compartment and pulled out the plastic folder. “Louisa Martin.” Nora said. “The car is registered to her.”

“What difference does that make?”

“Thought you were the big prayer guy. Thought maybe you wanted a name to toss on your prayer list.” Nora exhaled. “Nothing. She had a child and this car was clean. To me that’s odd. She wasn’t traveling or running somewhere.”

“How do you know?”

“Think Jason, you have a child. Is your car ever clean when you travel with a child? I know mine had cheerios or crackers or something over it”

“I have a baby,” Jason replied. “I never got to that stage.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Let’s just try the PX.”

“Yeah,” Nora said sliding out and then shut the door.

They walked across the lot to the large warehouse style building. The windows were dirty, yet intact, and the automatic sliding doors were partially open allowing for them to slip inside.

The store, though dark, was untouched, almost as if they closed for the night and never reopened. Merchandise was still on the shelves. Nothing disheveled. Perfect displays, the only thing that indicated something happened was the large cold and flu supply set up near the front of the store. A dust covered sign read, ‘Flu Season is here.’

That was it.

The farther back they walked, the less dusty it was. Sealed off from the world. It was as if the world just stopped and everyone disappeared.

Nora and Jason located the bicycle department in the back of the PX. They lifted two bikes from the display rack, and found a hand pump in the store.

While Jason prepared the bikes, Nora grabbed a hiking backpack. She wandered the store, getting items she knew she needed that weren’t in those boxes from storage.

Soap, packaged tee shirts, safe from dust and deterioration, undergarments still in packs, were just some of the things. She hit the camping section, bearing in mind what she would be able to carry on the bike.