Critical Failure: After the Crash Book 4: (A Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series) by Tara Ellis & Mike Kraus

Author:Tara Ellis & Mike Kraus [Ellis, Tara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Muonic Press Inc
Published: 2022-08-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

WES

Duncan Farm

Redemption, South Dakota

Scattered clouds burned with various hues of oranges and reds across the expanse of sky over the Duncan farm as Wes and his dad trotted up the long driveway. The warmth of the day was already fading, leaving behind enough of a chill that he’d want to grab a sweatshirt before heading out to the fields.

The absence of artificial light through the valley made it possible to already see faint stars in the twilight. Wes was drawn to them, mesmerized by the timelessness of the heavens. Even the closest of the visible stars was four light-years away, with the oldest over ten billion, meaning the light he was seeing could have been traveling through the vastness of space for billions of years. He’d always found solace in stargazing, especially when he needed to be reminded of how insignificant his life and its problems were in the scope of the universe.

“Wes.”

Closing his eyes briefly, Wes then shifted in the saddle to look at his dad, who proved to be a stronger force than the Milky Way. His current dilemma was far more complicated than the issues he’d faced as a teen lying out in the back field.

Trent rested his hands on the saddle horn, his profile in silhouette. With his cowboy hat tipped back and the last remnants of painted sky along the ridge of mountains behind him, he could have been a western painting. “Nights like this, without all of the noise and lights and pressure of being instantly connected to everyone all at once—it makes me think about what we’ve been missing. Not as a society, really, but as a family and individuals. How much of our peace and joy to simply be in existence has been overshadowed by the pressure to always get ahead? We’ve been so busy wanting for more, that we never slowed down long enough to really appreciate what we’ve already got.”

Wes didn’t answer right away. His dad wasn’t known for being philosophical. Trent Duncan was a simple man; hard working and honest. They were traits that proved hard to live up to, and for most of Wes’s life, he’d felt like he was constantly letting him down. But in that moment, that night, with the world reduced to just the two of them, his father was speaking to him as an equal and allowing him to see another, more vulnerable side. He deserved an honest reply.

“You tried,” Wes said after a minute of silence. “You’ve always tried to show me that, and now I understand why. After spending a few years in the city before this…all happened, I wish we could go back. Those years of working the farm, fishing in the creek after swimming in the watering hole, riding the trails and then having to wash up before going to the church potluck where mom would always bring one of her homemade pies. It was a good life, Dad. You’ve given us a good life, and I wish to God I’d appreciated it more.

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