Red River Blue
Part Two
Chapter 1
…I've heard a lot of stories about when the world fell. There were more dead than the living. And it started to look like the world would go cold. It felt like it was almost there. Almost. Some people survived by connecting with each other. Making found families. Others gave in to the darkness. That was a long time ago. And it's now. Will it be tomorrow? We've come so far. Lost so much. It's hard to trust when anyone can go at any time. But the people who die and the people who go, aren't lost forever. I believe that. I have to. And remembering their voices is how we keep them alive…
"Judith! Monroe! Get your heads out of those journals and help!"
Judith's head snapped up as she tucked her pen into the binding of her well worn journal. Monroe was already up and heading across the small space, rocking the pontoon boat slightly with her hurried movements. Judith slid out of the small seating area and skirted around a stack of fishing poles. She stayed towards the outer edge of the boat, giving her brother Carl room to toss down the large wire fish trap he and his wife Wren just hauled up out of the lake.
The fish flopped and writhed in the bottom of the steel cage. Monroe was already reaching in, her braids falling forward as she grabbed the fish that were too small to eat and tossed them back into the lake. The larger fish, they transferred to a basket that was attached to the side of their boat. Judith scanned over the fish as she reached in. Most of them were bluegills. But there were a few larger bass mixed in. And down in the corner, Judith spotted one large speckled brown trout. She snatched the fish up, holding it up for her older brother's inspection before she eased it carefully into their keeper basket. Once all the fish had been sorted and removed from the trap, Carl and Wren each grabbed an end and tossed the large contraption back into the lake. Only a small blue bobber marked its location once it was submerged.
The day was warm and the sunshine was reflecting up off the water. The girls already stripped down to their bathing suits almost the moment they climbed onto the boat. Carl was in an old worn pair of cargo shorts, his hat still perched on his head to keep the sun out of his eyes. He sat down, placing his hand on the small trolling motor they used to propel the boat around the lake. He paused with his hand on the pull cord, watching Wren as she pulled her t-shirt off and gathered her hair into a sloppy bun on top of her head. Monroe giggled and poked him in the ribs.
"It's hot," she said. "Can we take a break and go swimming?" Carl smiled at her and scooted over slightly, making room for the girl to squeeze in next to him. There was nothing more exciting in the world to Monroe than driving. A boat. A car. She wasn't picky.
"One more trap and then we'll take a dip," Carl offered. Monroe nodded her agreement, the small curls that escaped from her braided pigtails bobbing around her face.
They trolled to the next bobber. The bobbers weren't the easiest things to spot, which was intentional in case anyone else decided to come looking. But Carl came out to check them at least once a week. He had their locations memorized. The second trap was filled with more of the larger fish than the first. Judith knew if they caught enough, they would have a fish fry and a big family dinner. She felt her excitement starting to build as she scrambled to grab up the larger fish and transfer them into their basket.
The moment the large trap splashed down into the water, Monroe leaped over the side of the boat. She splashed down into the cold water and came up squealing from the abrupt change in temperature. Judith kicked off her shoes and cannonballed in, hoping to send a wave crashing over the other girl's head. Carl laughed at them both, tossing a few old ragged pool noodles in after the girls. They were both strong swimmers. But a little extra caution never hurt.
Carl was prepared to jump in next. But he stopped, watching Wren as she shimmied out of her cutoff shorts. Her bathing suit was the type that tied on with little strings around her neck and on the sides of her hips. He knew if he moved the strings it would reveal the paler parts of her body where the summer sun hadn't left its mark. Wren smiled when she noticed the wolfish grin Carl was giving her. She closed the space between them and melted into his arms, tilting her chin back and pulling him down for a kiss.
"Love ya babe," she crooned, sliding her hand down over Carl's hip and reaching to grab a handful of his ass. They got married the summer Wren turned sixteen. Several years ago. But they were still just as eager for each other as they were that night. "When we get home," Wren teased, "...this ass is mine."
Carl laughed as he scooped her up into his arms. Wren didn't start kicking and squealing until he stepped over the safety railing of the boat. That's when she realized what he meant to do. Carl tossed Wren into the water, much to the delight of the two girls that were already paddling circles around the boat. Carl dove in after her, swimming underwater until he felt Judith's legs. He gripped his sister by the ankle and tugged, dunking her head under. They both popped up laughing and spitting lake water at each other. Wren and Carl floated around lazily with the pool floats under their butts, watching the girls as they climbed back onto the boat and jumped off the side over and over again. They never seemed to tire of this activity.
"One more," Carl hollered at them. "Then we've got to check the last trap and head home." It wasn't getting too late in the day yet. But the girls looked like they were starting to tire out. And Carl didn't want them falling asleep in the back of the wagon on the way home.
The third trap was always the fullest. Carl kept it sunk down in a more shallow part of the lake that was full of reeds and cattails. The area was ripe with catfish, Wren's favorite. She pulled the fat whiskered fish from the trap, eagerly transferring them to their basket. The girls were sitting at the table, dipping dried oatcakes into a small jar of applesauce and laughing at the note River stuck into their lunch bag for them. This time the note had a riddle on it. When things go wrong, what can you always count on? The answer was written on the back. Your fingers.
Carl slipped his shoes back on and pulled his shirt over his head. Then he pointed the boat towards the dock as Wren slid back into her clothes and told the girls to do the same. There was a walker shuffling around near the shoreline. Monroe and Judith crowded towards the edge of the boat. Monroe had her small compound bow in her hands. Judith had a slingshot with a bag of marbles. Between the two of them, they downed the walker in seconds and started arguing about which one of them hit it first. Wren anchored the boat to the dock while Carl pulled up the heavy baskets of fish and carried them down the dock towards the wagon, whistling for the horses. He managed to get the fish onto ice in the coolers before the day took a wrong turn.
"I think I heard someone yelling," Judith said. She cocked her head, listening more carefully than before. Carl snapped the cooler shut and turned in the direction his sister seemed to be focused on. He waited a moment. Then he heard it too. Someone calling for help. And a gunshot. Knowing full well that Judith was about to start charging in the direction of the noise, Carl made a grab for her. But he was a second too late. She and Monroe were already running in the direction of the noise. Wren took off at a run, screaming for both girls to stop as she chased after them into the woods. Carl cursed, grabbing his rifle from the wagon before he went after them.
By the time he caught up to Wren, she had her gun out and was firing it at a small herd of walkers. Carl lifted his rifle, picking off what was left of them before he turned to see what fresh trouble his sister got herself into this time. Judith was standing near a small group of strangers. Five people in total. One man and four women, though one of the women had a more androgynous look. One of the women looked hurt. There was a bandage wrapped around her head and she was being supported by the man and one of her female companions.
"Has she been bit," Judith asked. The man shook his head.
"She fell out of a tree and hit her head," the man said.
"You can come with us," Judith offered. "We have a medic." Wren's mouth dropped open. These people absolutely could not come with them. That was against the rules. Like all the rules. After the incident when her younger brother and Monroe were taken by that group they let in, no one was allowed to bring anyone back to town. Like no one at all.
"They can't come with us," Carl said before asking his sister if she had lost her goddamn mind.
"But she's hurt," Monroe argued, moving towards the strangers and looking at the bandaged woman with open compassion. She turned to Carl and squared her hands up on her narrow hips. "I'm not leaving without them." The growls and hisses of more walkers was growing louder. Whatever they were about to do, Carl figured they better do it now. The choices appeared to be leaving these people for the dead. Or taking them back to town. Neither were desirable options. Carl pointed at Monroe.
"You're explaining this to your mom!," he said. Monroe's eyes widened slightly but even with the threat of her mother's hellcat anger, she held her ground. Carl sighed and motioned to the strangers, signaling them to follow him back towards when their wagon was waiting.