America's Demise 01 - Wasteland by Druga Jacqueline

Author:Druga, Jacqueline [Druga, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-12-12T07:00:00+00:00

8. Bathing

Falcon truly hoped, for his daughter’s sake, there would be some green as the highway crossed through the Daniel Boone National Forest. It extended so long, how could there not be? That was what Falcon thought.

But nothing. No green.

It looked as if wildfires had ripped through the forest. He recalled seeing the smoke a year ago and wondering what it was. Someone said it was the forest, but to Falcon there was no way it was all gone.

Maybe it wasn’t.

Maybe north it remained,

But where they were there was nothing but broken tress, blackened and dead.

They saw a man camped out off the road just as they hit the edge of the former forest at New Mt. Vernon. He had a small tent and Falcon watched as he walked from his roadside camp to the road, waving his hands.

His eyesight was still good and Falcon immediately looked for others who might be hiding. His senses didn’t tell him it was an ambush. He couldn’t see any others and the man wasn’t armed.

Falcon was and he pulled his rifle to his lap as he slowed down the horse.

“Daddy?” Lilly asked in a tiny whisper. “Why’s he stopping us?”

“Don’t know. I’ll find out.”

“Do we have to stop?” Josh asked. “We should just wave and keep going.”

That wasn’t a bad idea, but Falcon couldn’t do it, especially when the man smiled as they stopped.

“Well, hey, where you folks headed?” he asked. His face wasn’t too dirty, not like some of the other transients Falcon had seen.

“North. How about you?”

“I’m headed south, trying to get to Tennessee. Heard there’s green down there. At least a good bit of green.”

Falcon shook his head with a shrug. “I haven’t been that south in years, so I wouldn’t know. We’re headed into Indiana. Know much?”

“Not been to Indiana,” the man replied. “Just Ohio. Will tell you this though, if you can, avoid, Ohio. Lot of dangerous transients there but haven’t heard much about Indiana. You can’t get through Lexington. Road’s gone. There’s a bathing and transient place just about a mile west and a road that will take you through Louisville.”

“That safe?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” the man replied. “Saw nothing or no one after the station.”

“Thank you,” Falcon said. “We appreciate it. If you take this road straight south, you’ll be safe as well. Did you need anything?”

“No, I’m good. Just was wondering what the passage was like. Well … safe journey to you.” The man tipped his head.

“Safe journey to you too,” Falcon replied and moved the horse.

Josh asked, “What’s a bathing station? I keep hearing that.”

“To be honest, I didn’t think they were real. Just tales, you know,” Falcon said. “But they’re places where the government brings in water so people can get clean, have a drink, and rest safely as they move from one place to another. “

Josh whistled. “Boy, a lot of people must move.”

“They’re called transients,” Falcon explained. “They have no homes and they just go about looking for a good place to settle.

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