Jogging the Mind

Posted on Thu Jan 25th, 2024 @ 9:20pm by Hale Stratton & Ethan Thompson & Alonzo Blazevic

1,531 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Bangor or Bust
Location: Stratton/Blazevic/Thompson Quarters, Bangor Safe Zone, Maine
Timeline: 30 August 2010 - 06:00 a.m.

Hale woke up slowly, reluctant for the first time in his life, to open his eyes let alone move. He'd been getting up at dawn for as long as he could remember. Back home, there had been animals to feed, wood to bring in, water to haul and any number of other chores that had to happen before breakfast hit the table. Every morning of his life, Hale, his brothers, his father, and his grandfather got up as the first threads of sunlight creeped over the horizon; by the time he was fourteen, it had become a part of who he was.

Until today. 6:00 a.m. and here he was still in bed with no desire whatsoever to move. He lay on his back, the covers pushed back to his waist, listening to Alonzo's deep, even breathing and thought about things. All that had happened last night and what should probably happen today.

Sleeping in was not uncommon for Alonzo and the 6:00 a.m. morning was nothing more than a trip to the bathroom to relieve his bladder or feed the family cat. Aside from that, Alonzo was often sleeping at least until eight. This wasn't abnormal. He was a journalist and reporter with weird hours. Sometimes, he had to pull all-nighters.

He stirred a bit this morning, not having to feed a meowing cat knocking things off a nightstand nor did his bladder feel terribly full. He just naturally stirred perhaps realizing subconsciously that Hale was awake. Alonzo rolled over a bit and opened his eyes.

Not a dream he immediately realized. It wouldn't have been the first vivid dream he had about Hale, but this was reality. "Good morning," he said softly. The nice thing about teenagers was that six in the morning was prime sleeping time.

"I had a good night" he said to Hale with a small smile. Even if they didn't entirely explore everything, they had spent most of the night with their bodies close together. Hale made Alonzo feel safe. "You?"

"The best," Hale said. "Can't remember when I slept in this late before."

"This is sleeping in?" Alonzo looked at Hale and shook his head. "You haven't lived until you sleep well past this. There's only so many cans of Monster and a long night staking out a place for a news article you can take before needing to crash hard."

Hale chuckled. "I usually go out for a long run at first light." He nudged Alonzo gently. "Maybe you could join me?"

"I know you say it's safe here," Alonzo replied softly. He had a flash of a concern in his eyes. "I'd like to join you. I would, but Ethan. " It was not an excuse that Alonzo was trying to use to escape the run.

Alonzo placed a hand on Hale's chest. "I can't leave him here alone by himself. Safe or not, he might wake up and if nobody's here? I don't want to worry him."

Hale fixed Alonzo with a quizzical look. "You remember he runs track, don't you? He'd probably love a good run. Same as me." His eyes lit as he added, "hey, let's wake him up. We can put in a good five miles before I have to get to work."

That was something Alonzo could agree to. "Okay, but you are the one waking him up. I'm not dealing with a 6am teenager" teased Alonzo. "I will get him a quick breakfast together while he gets dressed."

"Sounds good," Hale said. He kissed Alonzo (thoroughly) and then all but leaped out of bed. He pulled on his jeans and left barefoot to rouse Ethan from his dreams.

Ethan's Room

Hale knocked gently on the door and, when he entered when he heard a more awake "come in" than he'd expected. Ethan was lying on the bed reading a worn copy of 'Percy Jackson and Lightning Thief'. He looked up when Hale entered. "Found it in the bookcase," he said as he folded the corner of the page, closed the book, and set it on the nightstand. "What's up?"

"I was going to go for a run," Hale said as he ran one hand through his shoulder-length hair. "Was wondering if you were interested. I remember you saying that you ran track in school. Thought maybe you were as desperate for it as I am."

"Yeah," Ethan said as he pulled back the covers and slip out of bed. "Hasn't been too safe for that sort of thing but … before … well, I used to run every day. Mom would …" He broke off abruptly and started looking for his t-shirt.

"It's alright, you know," Hale said quietly. "To talk about them. Remember them." He walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I keep seeing them, the way I found them," Ethan said quietly. "Like pictures on a closed-loop in my brain."

Hale nodded in understanding. "It gets better. It just takes time. After awhile, you start remembering the good times. But until you do, Alonzo and me, well, we're here for you. Can't sleep? We'll sit up and play cards or basketball or just … talk. Whatever you need."

"Thanks," Ethan said. "And I mean that. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Well, that's one thing you'll never have to worry about," Hale said as he rose smoothly. "Downstairs in ten?"

Ethan nodded and went back to getting ready as Hale returned to the bedroom he shared with Alonzo. Felt good to say that and he found himself smiling as he walked down the short hallway to the master bedroom. Our room.

"Breakfast is on the table downstairs for Ethan," Alonzo said slipping on a shirt and finishing getting ready. He noticed the look on Hale's face, the subtle smile. "I take he's up? You look to be in a sunny mood" teased the journalist.

He took Hale's hand and pulled the man close for a brief kiss. It was nice to to be able to do that, to act on those inklings naturally. Though Alonzo was careful to just express this with Hale in private.

Hale responded, one arm looped around the reporter's lean waist, the other threaded through his hair. "Mmmm," he murmured. "Up and ready for a run though I gotta say, it's tempting to just … you know … stay here?"

"The world keeps moving, Major" stated Alonzo. No truer words. "We can jump place to place to place. The chaos outside, the panic, it can cripple what we knew as life, but the world will still keep moving. As tempting as it is to stay here right now, we need to keep on with our lives and try to find a sense of normal."

"Well, look at you being all philosophical before coffee," Hale said as he ran one finger along the line of Alonzo's jaw. "Seriously though, I'll get a better sense of how things are once I get to headquarters. If I can, I'm going to take a team out and do some reconnaissance."

Alonzo looked at Hale glaringly. "Be careful " he replied in a sharp and serious tone. "I've read enough apocalyptic books in my time. The shit I've seen the past few weeks, a quick spiraling of humanity. You get all the information you can but I'm not taking any unnecessary risks or chances. I'm responsible for that kid."

"You watch the home front and I'll go out and do what I do best," Hale said, nodding. "I don't feel comfortable here." He shrugged lightly. "Well, not here, here's great, I mean in Bangor itself. Feels … unsafe … which is why I need to find out more. So that I can protect you and Ethan." He kissed Alonzo lightly. "Right back at you. Be careful. Be cautious."

The journalist scoffed "You are the soldier. You're at more risk than I am" quipped Alonzo. People were getting desperate and military personnel were armed and had the big guns. People loved big guns. "Ethan and I will be safe. Worse comes to worse, I'll hot wire a car and get out of dodge."

"I'll come back," Hale said, "but if something happens, we should probably have a meeting place in mind. Somewhere you and Ethan can wait for me." He pulled Alonzo close. "I don't want to lose you."

"Ram," stated Alonzo. "If anything happens, meet me on Ram island. I'll have Ethan with me" and that was the plan Alonzo put into place.

"I'll find it," Hale said. "If worse comes to worse, I'll find you both." He kissed Alonzo once more. "Stay safe. And now, I'm going to take Ethan on that run. Great way to clear the mind."

Alonzo nodded. "Nothing like Bangor morning breeze to clear the mind" he agreed. Though clearing the heart was a whole other matter. He did his best to let the kisses land and then remember that his first priority was Ethan.

"...ah, the smell of shambling corpses wafting across the barricades," Hale murmured. He grinned and headed out of the room, calling out as he went, "Ethan? You ready yet?"

 

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