Find Us in the Shivering - Chapter 23

A rumble woke Josh and he found himself in the early hours of the night.  

"You idiot."  Dee dismounted her dirt bike and approached him.  "You stupid, dumb fool."

"Guilty," he admitted.  A sour aftertaste coated the inside of his mouth; he pushed himself up and motioned for Dee to share some of her water from a canteen on her bike.  She obliged but only after he spit a few times.

"Syd had a feeling you ventured off to your death," she said.  "Then I asked around and Bagley said he saw you walk out past Dalton's End.  What are doing out here?"

Josh shook his head.  "To see if this place truly will kill me or if all of you are just crazy."  He met her eyes and even in the dark he could tell she was not satisfied with the answer.  "I'm looking for something.  Wait!"  She stopped moving for her smoker paraphernalia.  "Not the kids.  Something else.  For someone."

"You need to get back to town.  Anson has called for a town meeting and you are the reason.  He wants to put you on trial so to speak."

"I'll pass on that.  I've seen and felt his judgment once already."

The smell of sulfur came off her as she began to pace.  "You're the worst of the strays so far.  Those idiots actually knew to fear Anson's warnings."

Josh finally got to his feet, recalled his dream or vision or whatever it was and looked off in the distance Dalton had ridden.  "I need you to take Walter to Sylvy."

"Who the hell is Walter?"

Josh moved to where the coyote lay still and breathed shallowly.  "He's alive...but the snipes bit him several times while he drew them away from me."

Dee approached apprehensively and then gave Josh an odd look.

Josh read it easily.  "He saved me the very first night when the jacks attacked.  Wait, no, that was you.  He warned me of them and I ran to where you eventually found me."

"And his name is Walter?"  Dee was not willing to accept Josh's words, shaking her head slowly.  "This thing has avoided all people for years.  Syd said he was just another product of the valley.  I don't think you should have trusted it.  And I don't think I should take it on my bike."

"Please," Josh said.  "I owe him more than I can give."  He looked off into the distance, planning his path.  "Are they alive, Dee?  The kids?"

She followed his look, exhaling loudly.  "Damn fool.  You can't leave it alone.  No.  I don't know.  If they are, you can't think you can do anything to help them.  Syd says the Shivering is not to be messed with.  He told me years ago when I wanted to find it that it keeps us here in the valley and enslaves us to its influence..."

"But I have to try," Josh said, hoping his conviction came through.  "Take Walter to Sylvy.  I don't expect to come back."

"I could say I will and then just dump him.  You'd never know the difference."

He met her eyes and he believed she would absolutely abandon Walter to the desert.  "Then just tell me you'll help him to ease my mind.  Maybe you'll surprise me."

She pointed up at the sky.  "You see those seven stars that form what looks close to a hand.  Follow it."  

Josh saw it but had no idea what constellation it could be or even if it was a commonly known one.

She helped him lift Walter onto the back of her bike and the limited space forced her to stand and lean forward.  Before starting the engine, she glanced back, helmet visor lifted.  "It's stupid for you to try to help them.  Whoever gave you this reckless hope deserves Anson's justice.  He'll find out and more pain and suffering will follow."  

Josh nodded, thinking of Mavis.  "Maybe that'll be enough to wake people up and fight back against Anson."

Dee scoffed, handed him the canteen, and kicked the bike on.  Her voice rose above the engine's roar, "No one wants to endure that storm!"

She rode off and Josh checked everything he had and began walking northeast, following the glass arrows scattered along the ground.  His mind raced, trying to prepare himself for the Shivering.

Leave a comment