Chapter 27: Mist Haven
“I don’t like this….” Eli murmured.
What had once been a pristine, four-lane highway that carved a wide path through a hilly, wooded area had become a shadow of it’s former self. Almost literally. After centuries of neglect and abuse, the once-smooth road had been reduced to a narrow, uneven, broken pathway through a dense, dark, overgrown wilderness. Massive oak, pecan, and Osage trees towered above the earth; each one was easily taller than a ten-story apartment building, with sprawling branches that stretched out and overlapped one another to hide the sky. The winding highway was more akin to a dark tunnel through the forest than an open road.
Slices of golden light passed through the sparse gaps in the canopy to create glowing, diagonal beams across their path, like spotlights shining across a dark theatre stage. Wild blackberry shrubs and other bushes crowded the areas between the trees, and a thick layer of fallen leaves, twigs, and other woodland detritus carpeted the entire area, half-burying the ancient highway.
A wailing, sorrowful elk call, hopefully an elk, anyway, pierced through Eli’s nervous system like a banshee’s shriek. The crowded foliage beyond the tree line reduced line-of-sight to about five paces from the road. Anything, or anyone, could be lurking in the mass of leaves and shadows, hidden in the shrubs and undergrowth, and Eli would never know……until it was too late.
“I really, really don’t like this…” He repeated.
“We’re fine.” Sophia assured him while gazing out the open passenger window. “Can you hear all the birds?”
“Yeah. That’s about all I can hear. There’s a shit-ton of them.” He squinted as a particularly loud blue jay cried out nearby.
“Mhm. Not just birds, though. Squirrels too. I can hear them scurrying around in the trees.” She smiled at him. “I also hear the sounds of deer grazing, and rabbits running through fallen leaves.” Her eyes closed as she tilted her head to the side, listening to the sounds of the forest. “Animals are great at sensing danger. Birds and small critters hide or flee if there’s any ferals or spitters in the area. The animals are only this active when they feel safe. A loud forest is a safe forest.”
“Hm.” Eli raised his eyebrows appreciatively. “That….actually makes a lot of sense. Do ferals attack animals the same way they attack humans?”
“Yup. Anything that moves, really. People, animals, birds….we’re all just food to those rotten bastards.”
“Hmmm.” Eli mused. “I’ve actually thought about that a lot over the years, and I don’t think we’re just food to them. Not exclusively, anyway. When ferals attack animals, how do they do it? Like, which parts of the animals do they eat?”
“Everything. Well, everything but the bones. I’ve seen racoons and deer that were eaten by ferals; nothing left but bloody piles of bones covered in bite marks.” Her lips curled in disgust.
“Okay, so animals are clearly seen as a food source.” He muttered. “And how do they attack people? Which parts do they eat?”
“Uh, just whatever they can, I guess?” She squinted like her own answer confused her.
“Sort of, but not really. In my experience, they always go for the neck first, like they’re instinctually trying to incapacitate the victim as quickly as possible. But….” He looked into her eyes, “…they never actually eat people. They take a few bites, a chunk of flesh, maybe a limb, but they always leave the body mostly intact. I don’t think we’re just food to ferals; we’re a means to create more ferals.”
Sophia looked at him with narrowed eyes, like she was studying his face, or trying to see how his mind was working.
“You disagree?” He grinned. “I’m open to other theories.”
“No. I actually think you might be right. It’s just…I’ve never really thought about it before. Hell, I don’t think I know anyone who has. Usually when people talk about ferals it’s just about how many were spotted in the area, or arguments over the quickest way to kill them.” She absentmindedly pressed a hand to her bandaged hip.
“Well, to be fair, both of those things are more pressing concerns than what motivates ferals to attack people.” He smiled, then gestured to her injury. “How you holding up?”
“Oh, I’m fine.” She moved her hand away to look at the bandage. “It still hurts, but at least it’s not bleeding anymore.”
“Good. What about your head, though? Any dizziness or headaches?”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m alright.”
“Okay. But if you do start feeling dizzy or anything, let me know.” He said.
“Yes sir.” She teased while rolling her eyes, her cheeks turning a faint shade of warm pink.
The winding, circuitous trip through the dark and eerie forest continued in near silence as they both listened to the sounds of birds and animals. Twice they were forced to detour from the main path. Once due to an old-growth tree that had fallen across the road, just like Sophia had predicted might happen, and the second detour avoided a section of highway recently buried by a landslide.
At one point, they passed through an old campground, complete with twelve creepy, half-decayed bunkhouses, a large two story main house, and the broken remains of tennis and basketball courts. The whole place gave Eli Camp Crystal Lake vibes, and he almost expected a huge psycho slasher wearing a hockey mask to run out of one of the derelict cabins.
About halfway through their journey, the convoy made a pit stop for food and other necessities. They found a side road, and set up an impromptu rest area a couple miles away from the main highway. Bandages were changed, wounds were cleaned, and mediocre vacuum-sealed food was prepared. They checked on the prisoners to make sure they were still alive, but they didn’t give them the luxury of time out of the trunk. Vivi had wanted to break into the caravan’s wine stock and have a couple drinks with lunch, but a reproachful glare from Julie put a stop to that idea, so they resumed their travels sober and alert.
They had just passed over the crest of a particularly steep hill when Eli finally caught a glimpse through the treetops of a vast, calm lake in the distance.
It’s shoreline waters were the greenish-brown color that was common of the eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas regions. No doubt, the shore would be rocky with red clay underneath. Where the waters deepened, they transitioned to a darker blue-green color, and the lake’s glassy surface perfectly reflected the the surrounding forest, reminding Eli of the many scenic oil paintings he’d seen hanging in southern themed restaurants and diners.
His view of the lake only lasted a few brief moments before it was once again hidden by the trees as the road descended.
“Alright.” Sophia straightened up in her seat. “Take the next right, then just follow the road to the gate.”
“Got it.” Eli murmured in response as Sophia radioed the same instructions to Julie and Vivi.
The road leading from the highway to Mist Haven was significantly more maintained than any other road Eli’d traversed in the wastelands. Smooth rocks and dirt were packed into the many holes and gaps in the asphalt to make a somewhat even surface, and the brushy undergrowth had been cut away from the pavement to give the road better visibility. It wasn’t a nice road by any standard, but it was a huge improvement over the typical decayed pathways everywhere else.
Cruising at a slower speed so that the others could catch up, Eli hung his left arm lazily out the window as he drove. The air was crisp and cool with humidity, and the scent of wild herbs and flowers was almost overwhelming after living the desert life for so many years, but it was relaxing nonetheless.
Julie and Vivi had caught up with them moments before they entered a wide clearing. The forest had been cut back, away from the settlement, creating an empty field between the wall and the forest. Moss-covered stumps littered the grassy area leading up to the defensive wall, and, holy shit, it was an impressive wall.
A row of massive trees had been left standing when they cleared the land, forming a natural semicircular border around Mist Haven which ran up to the shore’s edge on either side. Logs were wedged horizontally between the trees, stacked up to create wall sections, with each section standing roughly three meters tall. The settlement itself was hidden beyond the barrier, but a few gray rooftops and a tall windmill peeked into view, and trails of smoke wafted up from the tops of red brick chimneys.
The backwoods road lead to an entry gate fashioned from dozens of mismatched panels of scrap iron. Years of weather exposure had turned the gates an orangish, rusty red color, except for a few patches of newer metal plates from recent repairs. A pair of guards stood atop a wooden lookout tower just inside the wall, and they seemed to be arguing very animatedly about something. The shorter woman must have won, because the taller woman heaved a sigh and descended the stairs by herself.
“Turn the motor off.” Sophia said as Eli stopped the roller in front of the rusty gate. “The guards need to do vehicle inspections before they allow entry.”
“Heh, yeah, I’m familiar with the process.” Eli chuckled about his own experience as a gate guard before switching off the motor and radioing Julie and Vivi to do the same.
A normal-sized door beside the main entry gate swung open, and the taller guard from the lookout tower stepped out. Three more guards followed in her footsteps, and all four of them wore matching brown leather arm guards and vests over long-sleeved gray shirts. Curiously enough, only the first guard carried a rifle. The other three women carried recurve bows, and each of them had an arrow nocked and held at the ready. But the arrowheads were strange. They looked like judo points1
, except they had a luminous green orb the size of a marble attached where the tip should be. The little balls looked to be made of glass, and were filled with a swirling, bright green liquid, kind of like a glow stick before it’s cracked.
The first guard strolled around Eli’s car to stand by his open window, like a police officer during a traffic stop, while the other three spread out to take positions near each vehicle in their little convoy.
“Name and purpose of visit?” The female guard said gruffly, like she was annoyed at having do do her job.
“Hey Maggie. It’s me.” Sophia answered before Eli could respond, leaning over the center console to smile up at the guard.
“Sophia?” Maggie looked genuinely surprised as she looked back at the caravan’s other vehicles like she’d just recognized them. “Why’re you back so soon? Weren’t y’all supposed to be gone for two weeks this time?”
“Maggie.” Sophia said in a low, serious voice. “You’re not going to like this, but we’ve got prisoners you’ll need to take into custody.”
“Prisoners?” Maggie raised an eyebrow. “How many, and what are their crimes?”
“Two. They’re slavers, and we caught them in the act. They tried to capture Eli…” She gestured to him, “….and they planned to kill his mother and sister.” She pointed to the women in the cars behind them.
“Oh shit.” Maggie mumbled. “Alright. Gather the rest of your caravan, then we’ll handle the inspection and prisoner exchange.”
“Umm, well, that’s the thing….the prisoners are Meli and Maria, and they’re all that’s left of the caravan. They were using the caravan as a cover to kidnap, rape, and sell young boys.” Sophia said with disgust.
The guard ran a hand through her wavy auburn hair and sighed. “Well, fuck. This sounds like it’s gonna be a pain in the ass. Okay, here’s how we’ll do this….” She stepped back from the vehicle and raised her voice so that the other guards and Eli’s mother and sister could hear her. “Everyone exit your rollers and gather up here. Hand your keys over to the guards and leave the doors open when you get out.”
Eli did as she asked and handed over his keys when he got out of the car. The guard waved toward the side of the road, indicating that he should wait over there. Sophia made her way around to meet up with him, still limping slightly from the pain in her hip. Julie and Vivi had also followed instructions and were walking up the line of vehicles to Eli’s position. Two of the bow-wielding guards accompanied them, while the third remained stationed near the back of the caravan.
“Now, then.” Maggie said when everyone was gathered. She pulled a small leather bound notebook and a rough graphite pencil from her pocket. “Names and place of residence?”
“I’m Eli, and this is Julie and Vivi. We’re refugees from Lancaster.” Eli said.
Maggie quickly scrawled down their names, but her hand stopped when he said they were refugees. “Refugees? From what?”
“From an invading army.” Julie answered. “Lancaster was captured by a hostile force from the east. They killed nearly half the residents and imprisoned the rest.”
Maggie stared at Julie with wide eyes. “You’re shitting me.” She breathed in disbelief. “Are you shitting me?”
“No, ma’am.” Vivi shook her head. “There were hundreds of enemy soldiers in Lancaster when we escaped, and they were way better armed than our own militia. We didn’t stand a chance against those bastards.”
Maggie looked to Sophia, who nodded solemnly. “Fuuuuck me.” She groaned, snapped her notebook shut with the pencil still inside, then shoved them back into her pocket. “This shit just gets worse and worse. Alright, one thing at a time, where’s the prisoners?”
“In Rico’s trunk.” Sophia pointed at her car.
“Hmm. Change of plans. You four will come with me to the guardhouse for further questioning. And you ladies…” She pointed to the nearby guards. “Proceed with the inspection, then bring the rollers in. Lock the prisoners in the holding cell and let the captain know what’s going on. And call the governor to meet us at the guardhouse, he’ll want to hear all this.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The two younger women said in unison before replacing their nocked arrows into the stiff leather quiver at their hip. They swiftly marched to Eli’s car to begin the inspection while one of them pulled out a radio to alert the governor.
“Right, then.” Maggie huffed. “Follow me.”
Her wavy hair whipped about as she abruptly turned on her heels and stomped toward the access door by the gate. Eli, Julie, Sophia, and Vivi hurried to follow behind her, and Julie nudged Eli with her elbow to get his attention.
“Hey…” She whispered, pointing to the machete on her hip and the pistol strapped to her thigh.
“I know.” Eli whispered back. “The security here might need some improvement.”
When they approached the door, Maggie turned the rusty iron handle and shoved the heavy door inward. They followed her through, and Eli was met with the most picturesque settlement he’d ever seen. Though, to be fair, he’d only ever seen Lancaster.
The area inside the wall was roughly divided into two halves, with the half near the entrance being dedicated to dozens of fenced-in crop fields and livestock pens. Tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, wheat, beans, squash, and a handful of plants Eli couldn’t identify flourished in the rich lakeside soil. A group of chickens clucked noisily as they roamed around a huge coop, pecking at the dirt while following a mean looking rooster. A family of cows lazily chewed at a patch of clover while a young calf stood with it’s head shoved between two of the fenced wires, it’s eyes closed like it had gotten stuck and simply fell asleep that way. A flock of goats were perched atop a lean-to shelter in one of the animal pens, and they curiously watched the small group walk past, their dangling beards and ears swinging in the breeze. Women in the fields all stopped working to stand up and stare at Eli and his family. Three young girls rushed to join each other near the corn field and started gossiping excitedly about the unknown visitors. Judging by the smirk on Sophia’s face, they probably weren’t saying anything bad.
A tall windmill attached to a circular stone building separated the fields from the town, and as they walked past, Eli glanced inside to see two women working the large grinding wheel to produce flour. The town of Mist Haven was a sight reminiscent of the small rural towns that used to exist in the area hundreds of years ago, before the bombs. Wood and stone colonial style two-story houses with wrap-around porches and clotheslines in the side yards. A row of square, flat-top brick buildings lined up on either side of the main street in the center of town. A wide, rusty, sheet metal water tower with the settlement’s name painted on the side on the outskirts of the buildings. The cracked road ended at a boat ramp on the lake, next to a long warehouse with an adjoined dock and parking area which housed a half dozen rusty cars and pick-up trucks. The town looked like, well, an actual small town.
Most surprising? Many of the homes looked newly built, and each house had a generator sitting behind it. These people had gas-powered generators to produce electricity. And plenty of them. What’s more, all of them were humming with life as they worked, and Eli could smell the burnt ethanol in the air from the nearest machine.
“No fucking way.” Eli murmured to himself as he stared at the generator in disbelief.
