Post by Jen Morrietti on Jan 29, 2018 13:10:51 GMT -5
Jen had promised herself that she wasn't going to stop. Not for anyone. The journey from New York to California had been fraught with trouble and danger, and by the time that she had finally entered the state, she was so hellbent on finding her brother that she would have run down anyone and anything if it meant that she could find him. So then why was it that she had a man around his age, sitting forward in her passenger with concerned eyes and white knuckles?
Maybe it was because he had kind eyes. Maybe it was because he had looked so lost, almost like a terrified puppy despite his gargantuan size, that Jen couldn't help but give him a ride. Maybe it was because when he pleaded for a ride and explained that he had lost his brother and needed to find him, the desperation in his voice mirrored her own. Maybe it was because as he had told her that they had been separated and that his brother was in great danger, she saw truth in his honest face. Or maybe it was even because now that she had been to her brother's school and found him to be gone, she felt truly alone in the world.
When her husband's compound had been overrun, Jen wasted no time taking off to try and find Adam. She watched that place burn to the ground in her rear view mirror and hadn't felt a thing. For so long, all she had cared about was finding Adam, and now that he was nowhere to be found, Jen didn't even know where to start looking. California was a big state, and it was only made more impossible to traverse by the world ending. It almost looked as if the state had been nuked, to add insult to injury. Perhaps if she helped this stranger find his brother, they could help her find her own. With no leads on Adam, what else did she have to do?
"So, Jesse," Jen started, and even her own voice sounded strange to her as it broke the tense silence. "Have you lived in California long?"
But the man only stared out the windshield, his hands gripping his knees. His knuckles were white and his back was straight, and he looked almost like a loyal dog searching for its master. His eyes, hazel and filled with worry, stared forward, and it was as if he hadn't heard her. She gave him a moment to answer, but when he didn't, she said, "Jesse?"
"Hm? What?" The man looked her way. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
Jen offered up a small, sad smile at the distracted man, and as she kept her eyes on the road, she said, "I had just asked if you have lived in California long."
"Oh, uh, no," Jesse shook his head and directed his gaze back to the road. "My brother and I are from Alaska, actually."
"Oh, that's interesting. I've never met anybody from Alaska." Jen let out a small, silent breath as the conversation between them quickly died. He reminded her almost a little bit of Adam. Her younger brother would get focused like that, too, when he was stressed or upset. But they were approaching the spot where Jesse said they would meet up with his brother, so hopefully, all of this stress and pain could be alleviated soon. At least on his end. Having lost everything, Jen would be happy to see a moment of pure bliss, even if it was short-lived. Jen could really use a win right about now.
But she had been silly to think that it would be that easy, and as they approached the crossroads that Jesse had navigated her towards, they found it to be empty. Jen slowed to a stop just before the roads met, and as she looked around, she heard Jesse's breath hitch. "Am I in the right spot? Crossroad with a huge tree on the corner?"
Jen was met with silence at first, but then as Jesse's eyes darted around the road and his jaw set, he said, "Something's wrong."
"Okay. That's fine. I'll keep driving until we find the right spot." But as Jen went to take her car out of park, Jesse reached out and touched her hand. The simple contact was almost like a jolt of lightning, and having not been touched by another human in such a long time, she almost jumped.
"No, no. This is the right spot." Jesse pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair, and his chest began to rise and fall at a faster pace. "But Wyatt's not here. Something's wrong."
Jen removed her hand from the shifter and touched his shoulder lightly. It had been a long time since she had touched anyone, and she was surprised to feel his brawny muscles at her fingertips. He and his brother were well-fed and well-trained, and that was her logic when she offered up her condolences. "Hey, I'm sure he's okay. Maybe he's just late."
"No, no." Jesse continued to scan the street, as if waiting for his brother to suddenly appear. And when he didn't, he let out a shaky breath and covered his mouth. "Wyatt was closer to the meeting spot than I was. He's never late. If he was able to be here, we would be here."
Jen didn't want to suggest the obvious reality. In this world, if people went missing or got separated from each other, they were as good as dead. Even if they weren't, it was nearly impossible to find them, so they were basically dead already. It was a harsh reality that Jen didn't like to dwell on. Deep down inside, she knew that she would probably never see Adam ever again, even if he was safe and alive somewhere. Her heart ached at the thought of it, and as Jesse turned to look at her, there was such fear in his eyes that Jen couldn't even fake a smile.
"Can you take me to our cabin?" Jesse asked. "It was the last place that I saw him. I could walk, but if he isn't here, then that means that he's in danger. And if he's in danger, then I need to get there as quickly as possible." He paused and seemed to gather himself before continuing. "I'll give you anything you want. Anything. Just please help me find my brother."
Realistically, Jen didn't need anything. The Mafia had had a plentiful amount of supplies before the raid, and the vast majority of it was covered by a blanket in the back of her SUV. She had enough food, water, weapons, and supplies to last a long, long while. The panic in Jesse's eyes and the desperation in his plea was enough to convince her to help. And in a way, if she could help Jesse find Wyatt, maybe it could help her have faith in finding Adam.
"I'll take you." Jen smiled and squeezed his shoulder, and she took the car out of park. "Lead the way."
Maybe it was because he had kind eyes. Maybe it was because he had looked so lost, almost like a terrified puppy despite his gargantuan size, that Jen couldn't help but give him a ride. Maybe it was because when he pleaded for a ride and explained that he had lost his brother and needed to find him, the desperation in his voice mirrored her own. Maybe it was because as he had told her that they had been separated and that his brother was in great danger, she saw truth in his honest face. Or maybe it was even because now that she had been to her brother's school and found him to be gone, she felt truly alone in the world.
When her husband's compound had been overrun, Jen wasted no time taking off to try and find Adam. She watched that place burn to the ground in her rear view mirror and hadn't felt a thing. For so long, all she had cared about was finding Adam, and now that he was nowhere to be found, Jen didn't even know where to start looking. California was a big state, and it was only made more impossible to traverse by the world ending. It almost looked as if the state had been nuked, to add insult to injury. Perhaps if she helped this stranger find his brother, they could help her find her own. With no leads on Adam, what else did she have to do?
"So, Jesse," Jen started, and even her own voice sounded strange to her as it broke the tense silence. "Have you lived in California long?"
But the man only stared out the windshield, his hands gripping his knees. His knuckles were white and his back was straight, and he looked almost like a loyal dog searching for its master. His eyes, hazel and filled with worry, stared forward, and it was as if he hadn't heard her. She gave him a moment to answer, but when he didn't, she said, "Jesse?"
"Hm? What?" The man looked her way. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
Jen offered up a small, sad smile at the distracted man, and as she kept her eyes on the road, she said, "I had just asked if you have lived in California long."
"Oh, uh, no," Jesse shook his head and directed his gaze back to the road. "My brother and I are from Alaska, actually."
"Oh, that's interesting. I've never met anybody from Alaska." Jen let out a small, silent breath as the conversation between them quickly died. He reminded her almost a little bit of Adam. Her younger brother would get focused like that, too, when he was stressed or upset. But they were approaching the spot where Jesse said they would meet up with his brother, so hopefully, all of this stress and pain could be alleviated soon. At least on his end. Having lost everything, Jen would be happy to see a moment of pure bliss, even if it was short-lived. Jen could really use a win right about now.
But she had been silly to think that it would be that easy, and as they approached the crossroads that Jesse had navigated her towards, they found it to be empty. Jen slowed to a stop just before the roads met, and as she looked around, she heard Jesse's breath hitch. "Am I in the right spot? Crossroad with a huge tree on the corner?"
Jen was met with silence at first, but then as Jesse's eyes darted around the road and his jaw set, he said, "Something's wrong."
"Okay. That's fine. I'll keep driving until we find the right spot." But as Jen went to take her car out of park, Jesse reached out and touched her hand. The simple contact was almost like a jolt of lightning, and having not been touched by another human in such a long time, she almost jumped.
"No, no. This is the right spot." Jesse pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair, and his chest began to rise and fall at a faster pace. "But Wyatt's not here. Something's wrong."
Jen removed her hand from the shifter and touched his shoulder lightly. It had been a long time since she had touched anyone, and she was surprised to feel his brawny muscles at her fingertips. He and his brother were well-fed and well-trained, and that was her logic when she offered up her condolences. "Hey, I'm sure he's okay. Maybe he's just late."
"No, no." Jesse continued to scan the street, as if waiting for his brother to suddenly appear. And when he didn't, he let out a shaky breath and covered his mouth. "Wyatt was closer to the meeting spot than I was. He's never late. If he was able to be here, we would be here."
Jen didn't want to suggest the obvious reality. In this world, if people went missing or got separated from each other, they were as good as dead. Even if they weren't, it was nearly impossible to find them, so they were basically dead already. It was a harsh reality that Jen didn't like to dwell on. Deep down inside, she knew that she would probably never see Adam ever again, even if he was safe and alive somewhere. Her heart ached at the thought of it, and as Jesse turned to look at her, there was such fear in his eyes that Jen couldn't even fake a smile.
"Can you take me to our cabin?" Jesse asked. "It was the last place that I saw him. I could walk, but if he isn't here, then that means that he's in danger. And if he's in danger, then I need to get there as quickly as possible." He paused and seemed to gather himself before continuing. "I'll give you anything you want. Anything. Just please help me find my brother."
Realistically, Jen didn't need anything. The Mafia had had a plentiful amount of supplies before the raid, and the vast majority of it was covered by a blanket in the back of her SUV. She had enough food, water, weapons, and supplies to last a long, long while. The panic in Jesse's eyes and the desperation in his plea was enough to convince her to help. And in a way, if she could help Jesse find Wyatt, maybe it could help her have faith in finding Adam.
"I'll take you." Jen smiled and squeezed his shoulder, and she took the car out of park. "Lead the way."