Camping at the Truckstop

Posted on Thu Jul 11th, 2024 @ 11:01pm by Hale Stratton & Lydia Dunham & Joshua MacCallan & Kimberley Hathaway

2,911 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Winter is Coming
Location: Revere Truckstop Off I-95
Timeline: September 6, 2010 - 2:30 p.m.

It took a bit of time, but soon they were gathered in the small diner, bowls of hot potato soup in front of them with a loaf of bread from the store, which was still fresh enough, to help fill their stomachs. The hot water they had boiled had been used to give them all a chance at a bath of sorts, and now they were all feeling cleaner and better.

Josh spooned up soup and smiled. "Wow, very nice" He said. "Are you a chef Kimberly?"

She gave a small smile. "No. A housewife who had very picky eaters at one stage and I had to figure out how to cook for them using certain ingredients."

He grinned at her. "Well I think this would be a top seller in any restaurant in NYC."

Kimberly merely said "Thank you" with a small feeling of pride. "It will be dark soon" she added softly.

Josh nodded. "I think we can barricade the shop's main door. As long as no one can see us in there, we may be safe to sleep in here tonight."

Lydia stopped, the spoon halfway to her lips and her mouth pursed as she prepared to blow softy across the surface. "In here," she repeated, as she put the spoon back into the bowl, "no. I'm, uh, I'm going to sleep in the van."

Josh was about to argue but he stopped. "Okay but keep weapons close." he said softly. He knew why. She didn't feel safe unless she slept there.

"I have bear spray," Lydia said, relieved now that her sleeping in the van wasn't going to be an issue, "and from what I hear, nothing can see with that in their face."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that. There is really nothing here to attract them." Kimberly said as she ate. "That said, no one understands them at all do they?"

Josh shook his head. He looked at Kimberly, "Will you stay here? Or are you looking to move on?"

"I am not sure where to go now." She admitted. "Florida is not looking like an option any more."

Josh nodded. "True and if they bombed Boston..."

"I don't think I was built for the apocalypse," Lydia said after a moment. As it often did, her appetite deserted her when she was under stress and she placed her spoon back in the bowl, folding her hands in her lap. "Florida. Boston. Ten blocks down the street. It's all so frightening, isn't it? I don't know any thing about fighting back against ... whatever you call them ... The van has solar power and a generator so everything works even now but how that translates to setting up a life somewhere? I have no idea. Do we group together? Try to find people we can trust? Do we stay on our own?" She shook her head even as she turned toward Josh, shrugging lightly. "Way out of my depth here."

Joshua nodded. "We all are" he admitted. "And its perfectly fine to admit it. I think it helps to admit that this is not something any of us expected."

Kimberly nodded sombrely. She gave it a moment. "If... you allow, May I travel with you both?" She asked softly. She knew if they said no she would accept it, try to find her own way.

"Sure," Lydia said and her smile when it came was genuine and welcoming. "But tonight, let's just remember what was. What might never be again. I'll start." She lifted her glass of room temperature water in a salute. "Here's to never getting my Master's and never taking that year in Paris with my Grandfather where I was going to paint on the shores of the Seine and we were going to spend days at the Louvre."

Kimberly smiled. "Here is to paths not taken, to my not using the degree I got in University, to not taking that job offer in NY when I graduated."

Josh nodded his head. "Here is to not going to Tennessee when my baby sister invited me for 4th of July, here is to not taking her words seriously about not working to hard. I should have listened." He touched his glass to theirs with a matching smile. "Here is not to taking that vacation my wife wanted me to take in Jamaica."

Wife, Lydia thought. Figured, right. Big time lawyer would have a big-time wife. She shrugged the thought off and took a sip of water. "I miss lattes and crowded subways and my studio and sitting in front of the fire at night, reading in the library, with Grandfather in his wing chair with his feet propped up." She took a spoonful of soup and continued. "I miss steaming hot showers and all the possibilities for restaurants and getaways and the theater."

Kimberley sighed. "A hot shower.. now that is a dream."

Josh nodded. He was enjoying the soup. "I was thinking about that second truck ... if I can find the keys I will put the bike in the bed and hook my camper up. Three cars are better than two and a bike." He ate another bite. "I also want to try and fill some jerry cans with fuel."

"How," Lydia asked. "I've seen people siphon off gas from the tank of a car, nasty as that is, but from a storage tank at a gas station? Wouldn't require some sort of a pump?"

Josh nodded. "The tanks are out back. There is a manual pump there. It's used to test the fuel properties. I think the more we can carry with us the better."

"I usually keep enough full gas cans in my garage to refill the tank on the van but I can take more if needed." She pulled a tendril of hair forward, twisting it around her finger, as she spoke. "The truck would give us more storage too. Food and the like. Keep us going or maybe to trade along the way. Like a housewarming gift when you go visiting. Always best to come with something."

Joshua nodded. "Yes and with that trailer it gives us more." He looked at Kimberly "you have a tow hitch?"

Kimberly nodded "yes. I can tow the trailer."

The notion of toting everything you owned along with you was something Lydia had grown used to in the short time she'd been living in the Van. What made her uncomfortable was the idea of being noticed ... watched. Big vehicles with a trailer packed with stuff. That was obvious and for a moment, she felt the room receding from view, her breathing quicken. She closed her eyes, focused on her breathing, and and willed it all away. This is the new reality, she thought. This is how it is. Nothing to be done but just get through it. This is the new reality ... It took a few minutes for her vision to clear; she let the conversation slide across her, without participating which was when she saw something moving out in the parking lot.

Joshua noticed her distraction and frowned then followed her line of sight. He peered through the boards and slowly lowered his spoon and said "okay... everyone draw back slowly."

Lydia nodded, her mouth gone dry, as she slid out of the seat and moved backward. She crawled into one of the banquette seats and crouched down far enough that she couldn't be seen above the top.

Kimberly followed suit while Joshua lowered himself down so he could track the progress of the currently lone Walker.

Kimberly softly made her way to another booth and hunkered down.

Josh kept watch hoping that the Walker would continue on. It's presence screwed their plans for getting fuel and things packed.

The walker, who had wandered down the path from another, adjacent parking lot moved slowly and, given lack of motion or sound, drifted to a stop. After a moment or two, he, a man in jeans, with patches of ground-in dirt, and ripped out knees and a t-shirt that advertised Bob's Pancake House, wandered slowly. Hovering. Waiting for whatever drew his attention next.

Josh barely breathed as he watched the walker. Slowly as the head looked the other way he ducked down and crawled silently as possible to the booths. He sat between the two where both women were hiding. "Just one so far." He breathed. "We need to blockade the store doors and the back doors as best we can, as silently as we can."

"How are we going to do that," Lydia said gesturing at the glass door. "We'll be seen."

Josh nodded. "Do you both think you can get to the garage section?"

Kimberly gauged the distance. "Maybe."

Lydia studied the layout for a moment or two before answering, looking for cover. "Doable," she said at last. "If a bit gymnastic. Crawling to stay below the level of the windows, using cover. We can do it." She paused a second, her forehead wrinkling into a frown as she considered Josh. "Why are we doing it?"

"I want the two of you safe" He replied as he looked towards the store area. "I am going to see if he is alone out there, if he is, then I will go and try and take it out."

"Alright," Lydia said. She watched him toward toward the windows. "Be safe." Her voice had dropped, low and heartfelt, but having said that, he turned immediately towards Kimberley. "Come on," she said. "I think I see a path we can take."

Kimberly nodded. "Lead" she agreed.

Lydia crawled, staying beneath the level of the windows and using whatever she could as cover, until they reached the door leading into the garage. She reached up, with a shaking hand, and turned the knob moving quickly into the garage. With the big doors down, they could stand up and stay beneath the level of the windows in here. She sighed and as Kimberley moved through, closed the door behind her.

Joshua moved towards the doors that lead to the shop and slipped through them, almost on his belly as he grabbed his baseball bat which he had left by the doors.

Joshua, kept low to the ground, as he crawled between shelves. It was getting dark outside and he wanted to deal with the Walker before it got too close and too dark. He came to the door and watched the walker continue with its shambling walk towards the far end of the car parking area. It was only a few meters past the doors so, Josh slid out and stood. He looked around carefully, letting his gaze linger on ever section of the area then, hefting the baseball bat walked after the walker. He crept up, and swung the bat hard at the Walker’s head, breaking the neck, making the head slump to the side. The body, with its now broken neck, slumped to the ground like a puppet without strings. He hit it again, smashing the skull with the baseball bat.

Then Josh turned and ran back to the store, the bat dripping gore. He wiped if off on the mat beside the door and went inside and once inside he slid the doors closed and began dragging a large shelving unit in front of the doors.

He knew the noise was an issue but defence was better than nothing.

When Lydia heard the sound of the shelf moving, she peeked through the door and nodded toward Kimberley. "It's safe now, I think," she said to Kimberley. "Go ahead back in. I'll join you in a moment."

Kimberly gave her a steady look and then nodded after a moment. She headed in to get to Joshua.

Once Kimberley was gone, Lydia closed the door again and walked over to her van, pressing her forehead against its dusty while surface.

She lived on the floors. Crawling. Kneeling. Eyes down, my beautiful slave. You aren't worthy to look me in the eyes. Hot breath on her cheek as he crouched behind her. Do you want to dare it, slave? That could be fun ...

Her breathing came faster and the world started to recede from her view.

Feet tucked up under her bottom, legs spread, hands upturned on her thighs. Gaze trained on the ground. And always, always, always, the feel of a metal collar and a long heavy chain.

Lydia climbed into the van, pulled the door shut, a last conscious thought, and fell to the floor.

[In the Store]

Joshua was finishing moving the shelve and then he grabbed bags and began filling them with everything he could find. He looked up as Kimberly tentatively entered the store. "Hey" he said. "Its dead. We need to get things packed asap. And we need to get the jerry cans filled. "

He looked past her. "Where is Lydia?"

"She said she would be right in." Kimberly turned frowning.

Josh frowned as well. "I will go check on her. I think we need to get as much bottled water we can and as much canned and such food. Can you do that?"

Kimberly nodded. "I can."

"Good Keep low and I will be back as soon as I can." He handed her a bag and Kimberly began to fill it and others.

Joshua made his way to the garage and found the van closed up. He rapped lightly. "Lydia?" He called out sounding worried.

There was no answer from within. Lydia, in the throes of a full-blown panic attack, had not yet returned to herself. She lay where she had fallen, in the narrow walkway between the cabinetry that left from the front of the van to her bed in the rear.

Concerned Joshua opened the door to the van and spotted her. He scrambled into the van and grabbed her wrist even as he cursed and said her name again. "Lydia. Come on Lydie, wake up."

She came to in a rush, scrambling backward, not quite out of the panic attack. She didn't see who it was but she heard the anger, felt the hand close on her wrist and reached blindly for something to defend herself with. She bit the hand and once released, grabbed the only thing she had at hand, bear spray. "No," she said softly. "Not again."

Josh cursed and snapped out. "Lydia! Its me Josh!" He flattened himself to the floor of the van to avoid the bear spray.

She wasn't seeing yet but the harsh sound of a male voice threatened to bring on another attack. Breathing hard, not really focusing on him, she backed down the short aisle until her back was against the bed the aisle itself was short and he was close ... too close ... too close.

Josh didn't move. "Lydia!" He repeated. "Open your eyes, listen! You are safe no one is hurting you."

She dropped the bear spray on the floor and climbed up onto the bed, putting as much distance between her and him as she could in the narrow confines of the van and focused on her breathing, slowing herself down, focusing on the moment rather than the past. It took a bit, before the world came back into focus, but she managed and once the fog cleared, so to speak, she turned toward ... Josh. "What are you doing in here," she asked in a shaky voice.

"Checking on you. Getting bitten. Good reflexes" He commented as he shook his hand where she had bit him. "Good thing you are alive right?"

"Yes," Lydia said, her voice was quiet and a bit shaky, but she tempered that with a bit of a smile. And because more was warranted, she added, "panic attack." Her gaze dropped to his hand and she shook her head. "Quiet works best. Gentle. I'm not really there so I'm reacting on a more instinctive level."

Josh nodded. "Okay well I will leave you to it. I am going to help Kimberly and get the cans filled with fuel. Its getting dark soon, so we need to be quick. If we are lucky we can move on tomorrow."

Lydia watched him leave, pulling her knees up to her chest, and shrugging off the sting of it. It wouldn't be the first time someone ran for the hills at the idea of having to do something during a panic attack. "It's alright," she muttered to herself. "I can handle it on my own."

Kimberly raided all the shelves in the store. She grabbed whatever she could in dry food, like cookies, candy, noodle packets. She kept low and put them into bags which she stored inside the diner. Then she found a small section of automotive items and she grabbed all that she could. She was not sure what was going on between Joshua and Lydia but she had a feeling it was private. As she grabbed as much as she could, she kept an eye outside the building. She dragged the cases of bottled water into the diner and listened just in case.

Once she had the items stacked for transport to the garage she went to the door to the garage section and listened, before stepping in to see if she could help.

Josh joined Kimberly and murmured that Lydia needed a moment. He did not want to intrude further.

 

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