Inside

The van came to a stop and I lean forward to catch a glimpse. Disappointment washed over me. “It's his birthday.” I remind myself. We drove seven hours in the dark and rain, to end up in the same. We pull off the highway and are enveloped in forest. The road fades away and we are gone.

 We stop and I climb out of the van, grabbing our kits. We pile everything into our ATV and head deeper into the forest beyond the lane. All sounds fade away and we’re left with just our footsteps. The darkness breaks away and we come to a clearing. Scott unloads our supplies at the site, then we take a walk around the campgrounds. We laid claim to flat spot by a ravine in the woods. A couple old buildings still intact had been turned into cabins for the adventurous. But Scott says if we want a real experience, we should camp. So, we’re camping. We continue walking towards the sounds of conversation.

Scott carries on conversations into the evening with some students and their chaperon. We light a fire and eat dinner. Theories of the history explode and my mind wanders until sleep calls for us all. The next morning, the mood changes to a serious tone. “I have our route all mapped out Moose, food and water rationed. I think today we should scout out the area. Get a feel for the western side.” I inform Scott, trying to be enthusiastic. “Hmm,” He turns the map slightly. “Sounds good. Let’s stick to the outskirts. We have all week but it's just the two of us.” He throws me a worried glance. “Less chances taken the better, right Chipmunk?” I give a cheesy smile and stow away my map. We begin our trek into the deep forest.

A dilapidated shed sinking into the greenery piques Scotts interest. Making our way over, I spot the edges of an old road. Stopping dead in our tracks, we stare ahead. I can’t believe we found it. Windeville was reported as small town in all our textbooks, but walking away from the known. The trees gave way to a neighborhood. I count 23 houses from our post. This is bigger. This is more than they said. What will we find? I think this question resonated within Scott as well. We looked at each other, then emerged from the green. Everything had a surreal cloud over it. All was still, unchanging. Doors open welcoming the nothing. It was a sense of loss in the heaviest form. It hit your heart. All these homes, empty houses. “Listen Paula,” Scott whispered. “Absolutely nothing.” He put his arms around my shoulders, and I silently cried for all that used to be.

Our third morning dawned as we packed up and headed towards the epicenter. The further we ventured, the more my excitement grew. The field gave way to cracked blacktop and at the end stood a few larger homes. “You go left, I go right?” I asked Scott, replying only with a slight hand gesture that said “Move out.” I started out towards the house closest to me, moving slowly as I climb the porch steps resting my hand on the doorknob. I tell myself to relax, shaking away the unwelcome fear. "Focus and open the door." I tell myself.

Light floods the room and I let my eyes adjust to the dark, I stay beside the door. Scott's’ voice invades my head making me put my glove and respirator on. I gauged the air and atmosphere constantly the whole way, but better safe than sorry. Three clear chirps and my mind is at ease. Cautiously, I enter the home.

Basic layout, found in all the books. Rooms for meal taking and cooking. A lounge and washroom. Stairs leading up to more living quarters. I walk around, confused as to the state of the building. Once you hit a certain point walking towards the ruins of Windeville, you can see the difference from places like the Docks instantly. Everything looks worn down, used up and dried out. Forgotten, abandoned but more than that, it carries a sadness. Just like in all the books. This is different, although everything is old and outdated. Ridiculous devices that I didn’t understand the purpose of. This just feels as if they all left, like they would come right back. And as I thought further, I came to realize the same of the surrounding area. No down trees, the windows were still intact. I didn’t think the loss of lives years before my time and those of strangers would affect me this much.

I spent some time going through the house. Raiders had obviously not came this far in. I felt so close to the family that had once lived here. A father, a mother, two sons and a small daughter. I find the little girls room and pause at the door. "She could’ve been me." I think. Sadness overcomes me and I walk to her desk. On the shelf is a small trinket box with all her jewelry inside. A piece of space untouched and waiting. I’m drawn to a small heart shaped locket. I desperately try to open the locket, but the clasp is tight and will not budge. “I will not be defeated by childrens jewelry.” I mused to myself, stashing the treasure into my pack. "This is mine, I was meant to find this locket." I head back downstairs and out of the house. Now to find Scott.

I close the door and step off the porch, full of longing and sadness. A window shatters in the distance and I'm on alert. "Scott's so careful and stealthy. There's no way he did that." I think to my self.  I bound down the stairs and through the yard heading towards the sound. I edge around the corner of a building, blade in hand, heart pounding. I hear faint steps walking towards me. Ducking low, I crouch around the corner to spot a familiar set of shoes. "Hey there Chipmunk," Scott whispers " You hear that too?" Instantly we hear more glass shatter and crashing in the distance. I check the air quality and scan the surrounding area. "Nothing on my screen. Nothing in the air." I assure Scott and myself. Carefully creeping along the edge of the neighborhood, we head away from the commotion, telling ourselves its raiders. Or the kids.

With dusk approaching we had put in a few miles in distance and in thought between us and that house. "Might as well set up camp here before we lose much more light, get a fresh start and find downtown." All the while holding his face with a carefree demeanor, Scott's voice gave way to the worry deep down. "I'll get a fire going and you get some water out. How's that screen of yours reading?" I give him my readings and we settle in, watching the fire. A wind kicks up and Scott grips my arm. "We need to move, NOW!" I scramble and gather as much of my gear as possible before he pulls me away. As I run blindly, a loud crashing comes from behind us. We run silently into the woods, keeping our eyes down and bodies in the brush. "Whatever that was it's been following us." He says. "I saw movement in one of the houses before we left." We stop for a moment, and a crash broke the air. "KEEP RUNNING!" He yells to me.

Branches hit my face and I trip countless times as I run down an embankment. Looking back for Scott my foot catches and I fall on my face, sliding down into mud. Scott lifts me up and pushes me forward with a growling "Move." We run for what seems like forever, still the crashing is right behind us. I stumble trying to find my footing my mask is ripped off my face. I smack into a tree and fall. "Leave me, leave me!" I scream. "I can't run anymore!" I push him away. "You have to get up, we need to run!" He put his hands on my face "Keep going." he pleads. Using his bodyweight to pull myself up only for us both to get knocked back down the ridge, I feel as if I had been by a truck. I shake my head and look around only to see Scotts body being dragged further into the night. Stumbling, I chase after him half guessing which way to go.

Dawn breaks and I make out some buildings in the distance. "Wonderful! I'm alone in the woods. No mask, no scanner, no weapon.  No water, no food, no Scott." I ramble to myself. Fear of being alone was overriding everything. I had been walking all night with no path to follow. I was on the edge of breaking down when I looked up. The outbuilding. I run ahead into the fields and sure enough I'm back where we started. Sounds from the left of me startle me. Those were footsteps. I know it. Scott's like a cat, noiseless and agile. That's not you.

I check my pockets and pack for anything I could use as a weapon. Frantic, my hands plunge into my pack grabbing for anything. I pull out items and my eye catches the golden gleam of the heart-shaped locket I ]found before. I pause and collapse. Crying to myself wondering if I'll find Scott and if we'll make it out of here, I put the locket around my neck. "I can do this, I can save us. Yes I'm afraid, afraid of what I'm going to lose. And that makes me fearless." I stand up and compose myself. Stepping out of the security of the weeds and building, I ready myself to face the unknown.

A force hits me from behind as I step out into the field. Screaming, I try to run away but am pulled back through the thicket. I kick and scream, wrestling for my life. I break away once only to be knocked back down. Busting my head against a rock i let out a roar. I can feel the warmth running down into my eyes. I shield myself from blow after blow. I can hear nothing but my own screams.

Everything goes black and still. I can't move. I hear rustling nearby, but I could care less. I sit up slowly and wipe the blood from my face. Opening my eyes i assess any damage, checking over my arms I see out of the corner of my eyes a figure moving towards me. I scream climbing over myself backwards. Time stands still and fear takes me once more. I see a small figure standing over me.  Everything is going hazy from terror. Suddenly, I hear a woman's voice in the distance.

"Melanie!" It shrieks. My eyes go black and a feel my hair being pulled. "Here!" A tiny voice retorts. I open my eyes to see a child-like figure perched over me, tugging at my neck. I can't move as i force myself to look. No hair, no eyes. I couldn't call the skin, skin. I am frozen. "Melanie," the woman calls. "What are you doing?!" A teasing tone behind the voice freezes me further in my terror. "I've asked you time and time again, love. Let someone know when you leave!" Ripping the necklace from my limp body, Melanie jumps towards the woman.

 Laying there bleeding I listen to their conversation continue into the distance. Happily, Melanie recounts her tale of her night in the woods. "You need to focus on other things besides scaring the tourists Melanie, I've told you not to do that!" Tearfully she proclaims "They stole my heart locket! I had to get it back!" Black covers my eyes and my body starts to spin. "Happy birthday Scott." I mumble aloud as the darkness takes me.