Rubble

The man’s scarred face and unkempt appearance makes him look well beyond his age. He turns away to let out an empty cough, then resumes helping the girl tie her pants around her boots; occasionally pausing to brush the tattered hair out of his face. This is the first time in his life that his hair has been long enough to get in his eyes. His daughter laughs as her long hair is done up tightly in a bun and out of the way.

“Always remember to have no open areas for the ash to get in.”

“I know Dad, you tell me every day.”

“Well, I tell you every day because it’s important and I want you to be safe.”

“I’ll be fine,” Jocelyn rolls her eyes.

Henry finishes tying her pants then looks up with a heavy sigh.

“Jocelyn, you know you can’t wear the necklace.”

She removes the dirty piece of cord from around her neck and gazes upon the oversized gold locket attached. She carefully brushes the heart-shaped locket clean before opening it. Henry steps close and puts his arm around her as they look at the picture inside; the last picture of the three of them.

“I miss her too, sweetheart. But I’m sure your mother would not want you to wear her locket to the store either. It’s a giant bullseye, our neighborhood or not.”

“I know.”

Jocelyn carefully sets her necklace on the counter and continues putting on her makeshift protective clothing. Henry helps tie her gloves over her sleeves, then helps with her gas mask, hood, and backpack. Henry packs a TASER device in Jocelyn’s belt holster.

“Fully charged,” he assures her.

“You worry too much, it’s not like I’m leaving the neighborhood.”

“Other people still come in.”

Jocelyn gives Henry a squeeze hug.

“I’ll be careful.”

“You’re all I have left to worry about.”

“I love you too Dad.”

They enter a partitioned area and Jocelyn prepares herself at the door while Henry grips the doorknob and adjusts his mask. Jocelyn gives the nod; Henry nods back then quickly opens the door. Jocelyn rushes out as Henry is already closing the door against her back. Henry double checks the door is secure before wiping himself off. He takes off his mask, walks over to the counter, and frowns when he notices the locket is gone.

Jocelyn playfully boulders over the large sections of concrete that were once the apartment complex next door. Several people are condensed in an area, scavenging through the wreckage. Everyone has some level of protective gear; but most are in makeshift masks as the majority of legitimate gas masks have been allocated for the children. The sky is overcast as the sun has been partially shaded by the enveloping clouds of ash from the barrage of recent attacks.

Jocelyn waves to the group as a few of them wave back. Jocelyn is instantly recognizable in her red and green striped sweatshirt. Her neighborhood has come together as a community and looks out for its own. One of the group yells something in her direction, but it only sounds like gibberish inside the gas mask. Jocelyn gives another small wave to that person and continues on. After clearing the debris, she proceeds down a section of cleared sidewalk. Jocelyn skips along as she pokes at pieces of ash in the air like she once did with snowflakes.

A young man walks towards her, wearing an older style mask with a hose protruding from the chin area that isn’t connected to anything, and carrying an overstuffed backpack. As he passes, Jocelyn recognizes him from when their high school still existed and quickly grabs his arm.

“Andy?” Jocelyn screams through her mask.

Andy stops and waves exaggeratedly.

“What are you doing with the backpack?”

“I can’t hear a damn thing in this mask!” Andy yells back.

Jocelyn grabs him by his jacket and pulls him close, so their masks are touching.

“What’s with the backpack?”

“Job opportunity.”

“Job? Where?”

“Downtown.”

“Downtown? Are you crazy?”

“No, it’s the real deal. Real money; gold money.”

“And you’re walking there by yourself?!”

“It’s cool, I know a guy,” Andy snickers.

“It’s not cool Andy!”

Andy becomes serious, “I have a gun.”

“That doesn’t make it better you idiot!” Jocelyn jumps around in frustration then tightly grabs his jacket to pull him in again. “That makes it worse!”

“Look, I have to go. Don’t worry, I’ll see you again.”

Andy gives Jocelyn a hug while she still has a hold on his jacket. She gazes upon him with concern, fearing she will not see him again. Jocelyn watches as Andy turns and continues walking. She waits for a minute, then continues down the sidewalk, this time without skipping.

There is one more downed building to maneuver through on her journey and here she finds another group of scavengers. They all exchange waves, less as a friendly greeting and more as a form of communicating that they see you, identify you as a friendly, and have no hostile intent. Which is perhaps its own friendly greeting.

A block later she strolls up to the store, knocks on the front door, and waits. A woman appears, identifies Jocelyn, and gestures to another inside. The woman’s hair starts blowing as she signals by holding up three fingers to which Jocelyn nods. The woman counts down to two, then one, then quickly opens and closes the door, allowing Jocelyn minimal time to get inside.

The front area of the store is separated with painter’s plastic. The woman takes a broom to Jocelyn’s full body. There is a man in the corner riding a bicycle connected to a fan, blowing the ash off Jocelyn’s clothes and into an air duct behind her. They are both disheveled and completely covered up.

Once the woman is satisfied with Jocelyn’s sterility, she allows her access to the area behind the plastic. This part of the room is small, empty, and clean. They all remove their masks; the man stands next to a doorway, guarding it.

“Hey Jamie, long time no see.”

“You were here yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, time is relative and all that.”

“You here for food?”

“I am here for food, hopefully cabbage.”

Jocelyn’s smile quickly fades from the look on Jamie’s face.

“The cabbage didn’t come Jocelyn, sorry.”

“Any word on meats?”

Jamie looks down and shakes her head.

“Anything other than carrots and potatoes?”

“No,” Jamie perks up, “but we do have carrots and potatoes.”

“Guess I am thankful for that.”

Jocelyn reaches in her pocket and pulls out paper money.

“Oh,” Jamie is hesitant, “you didn’t hear?”

“Didn’t hear what?”

“There was another attack on the capitol, and I guess this one was successful. The money isn’t worth anything anymore. I’m sorry; barter only.”

“But I don’t have anything else.”

“Look, I’ll give you one small carrot for today, but no more charity after that. Hopefully that will give you a day to come up with something.”

Jamie motions to the man, who goes into the room he is guarding. He comes out holding a small carrot and hands it to Jocelyn. Jocelyn wipes most of the dirt off then quickly bites into the carrot, chewing feverously. She eats half the carrot and secures the rest in a zipped pocket. She starts to don her gas mask but pauses.

“What if I had something really valuable? Would you make sure I got my money’s worth?”

“Jocelyn, I’ve known you since the day you were born, your mom was like a sister to me, I look out for you, you know this. I wouldn’t give anyone else a free carrot.”

Jocelyn reaches into another pocket and carefully pulls out the locket. She runs her finger over the etchings on the outside and takes in every detail.

Jamie’s eyes light up when she sees the locket.

“Is that real?”

Jocelyn nods her head.

“It’s real gold?”

“Yeah, it’s real gold.”

Jocelyn reluctantly hands over the locket. Jamie pulls out an eye loupe and examines it closely. She looks up at Jocelyn and studies her for a minute.

“It’s got some weight. One month of your usual order of food.”

Jocelyn beams from smiling then calms herself and thinks about the offer.

“Two months.”

“Month and a half.”

“Okay but I get first dibs on cabbage when it comes.”

“If it comes.”

“And meat when it comes.”

“Honey, the meat isn’t coming, but I can get you rat as soon as you’re ready.”

“Yeah, definitely not ready to eat rat. I can live on carrots and potatoes.”

“For now.”

Jamie holds out her arm and the man comes and collects the locket.

“Wait!”

“You changing your mind?”

“No, but I get to keep the string and the picture inside.”

“Fair enough.”

Jamie nods to the man who hands Jocelyn the locket. She quickly removes the string and the picture without looking at it and secures them in her pocket. She holds the locket lovingly while looking it over.

“This isn’t just gunna feed you and your dad you know. This is going to let me buy more food for the whole neighborhood.”

“Wait,” Jocelyn looks up with disapproval, “you’re gunna sell it?”

“Of course I’m gunna sell it. I’m gunna melt it into a rod and use it to buy food and supplies. I’ve got no use for it otherwise.”

“Okay wait. Before you melt it, give me a chance to buy it back.”

“I love you like you were my own, but how are you going to buy back gold? Especially now that the money isn’t even money.”

Jocelyn becomes determined, “give me one week.”

Jamie pauses again to look her over, “I’ll give you one day.”

“Three days.”

“Two days, but I’ll throw in a cabbage when you don’t get it back. If they ever come in.”

“Deal.”

Jocelyn hands the locket back to the man who takes it into the room and returns with a basket containing carrots and potatoes. She packs the food into her backpack then Jamie helps her don her protective gear. She has to wait for the bicycle driven fan before the door can be opened for her to leave.

Once outside she hurries quickly through the tattered remains of her city. She passes the groups of scavengers without returning their waves. As she approaches her house, her stomach drops at the thought of telling her father about the locket. Jocelyn throws up a little in her mouth but swallows it back down. She collects herself then gives the sequence of identification knocks on the front door. Shortly after, there is a knock on the door from the inside and Jocelyn responds with a double knock. Henry does a countdown from three knocks to two, to one, then quickly opens the door barely long enough for Jocelyn to enter. Henry brooms Jocelyn off then helps her get out of her gear.

“I got food,” Jocelyn exclaims with a smile.

“How? I heard the news; the money is worthless.”

“I, uh...,” Jocelyn stumbles with her explanation.

“Oh Jocelyn, please tell me you didn’t sell the locket.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I did, but for one and a half months of food.”

“Sweetheart, that’s just not worth it. We’re gunna need to eat past that. Is there any chance you can get it back?”

“I have two days to buy it back or it’s going to be melted down and sold for food.”

“Two days?” Henry pulls at his hair while he paces the room. “There’s no way we can buy gold in two days Jocelyn.”

“It’s okay Dad, I have a plan.”

Henry stops and turns to look at her, “plan? What plan?”

Jocelyn gives a heavy grin, “you’re gunna want to sit down for this.”