Okefenokee

A kid on a skateboard flew by their view going side to side like he was in a half pipe. The rough road against the wheels was making the horrible sound and he was just out of their site when another went by right down the center of the road laughing and letting out occasional screams while pushing off with his foot for speed.

Then another, but this one was a girl moving down the center of the road quietly. Lastly another boy who was having trouble keeping up the speed of his skateboard. The road was flat so it was their push off that gave them any speed and his was weak. The last two, the girl and the guy, hopped off their board’s right near the bikes that were propped up against the mailbox of the first house they searched. They looked around. They must have noticed that these bikes were not there the last time they went by. They discussed it among themselves as the first two were out of site at least from Cyndi’s vantage point, crouched down on the floor peeking out.

Cyndi panicked, “quick go change completely into some city clothes from that bedroom where you found the sneakers.” She went into the parent’s bedroom and returned wearing a nice outfit. She had a white blouse and jeans accompanied by sneakers.

Junior didn’t ask any questions. He put on jeans and a polo shirt. He couldn’t help being excited seeing the kids even though they appeared a little older and they could be carriers of the deadly pestilence. “Mom, you really look younger without your swamp clothes and your face seems prettier too.”

She smiled, “Thanks, we don’t want them knowing anything about us should we meet and we are going to try hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She went back to the front door and peeked out at the mailbox with the bikes. The kid’s skateboards were setting there but no sign of them. “Just what I was afraid off. I think they went inside the house looking for the owners of the bikes. We have to get out of here. Keep an eye on them.” She went to the rear of the house and looked out the rear windows for an escape route. The backyard was closed in with heavy shrubs and a fence behind them. They might be able to climb the fence but what would they find on the other side? She returned to the front for an update.

Junior waved his hand downward so she crept up to the door. The kids came down the walk from the house back to the postbox and had a discussion. They didn’t seem interested in widening their search. Noise erupted down the street. The other two were coming back. After they huddled and had a talk they all mounted their boards and continued on their way.

Junior was excited seeing these kids. He couldn’t control his emotions. He had wild thoughts like maybe they are not infected, so not an immediate danger to them. Maybe he would get to know them and be friends with them. Oh, how he wanted some friends.

Cyndi, “I don’t like it. The bikes got their attention. They wouldn’t give up that easily if they wanted to know who parked them their.”

Junior, “Maybe there are others like them in town. If they know there are others they might give up.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“We were beginning to think the town had no people. There may be more then what we saw. The town’s population according to Rob was a couple of thousand. If ninety-eight percent died from the virus there could be fifty still here. It’s been twelve years so how many left to join family elsewhere, were elderly or just looking for a better life or resources?”

“I hope there are more kids like me.”

Cyndi looked at him realizing he had a desire to be around kids his age. “Let’s venture out and have a look around maybe walk the bikes a bit and see if they are waiting ahead of us.”

Junior nodded opening the door and walking out to the lawn while looking far down the street. “No sign of them. We can make it back to the boat without the bikes if we have to.”

Cyndi followed him to the street and back to their bikes. “It will be easier with them though.”

They bicycled back past the closed hospital and turned onto the main street to return to Rob’s home. It seemed clear. They stayed out of the center of the road on the sidewalk. They didn’t realize they were being watched. Then the four youths came running out from behind buildings from all angles startling them and screaming “Stop right there!” They were on top of them quickly and their antiquated bikes would not go fast enough to attempt an escape so they came to a stop.

Cyndi and Junior looked them over wondering what they wanted before she spoke to them. “Please don’t get close to us. We are not immune to the virus.

One of the kids nicknamed Bart with black hair and a pale thin build seemed to understand saying, “So you have never been exposed. How is that possible? Everyone was exposed. That’s why they are not here.”

“We have camped in the swamp and this is the first time we came into town.” She wasn’t giving any useful information to them. “Do you have natural immunity?”

The girl nicknamed Surfer said, “That is what we were told. We were getting ready to begin kindergarten when everybody started getting sick. It was a long time ago, but it was weird that it had no effect on us. My parents died quickly so I met up with these boys soon after. They became my new family,” she waved her under sided hand in their direction.

A second boy nicknamed Beach because of his blond hair and thinly muscled tan body wore a cutoff shirt showing off his arms. He said, “Most of the adults that didn’t die left town for different reasons I suppose, but none of them cared about what would happen to us. We weren’t their children. The elderly couldn’t take care of themselves so they eventually died.”

Junior’s only idea of elderly was his Grand Mom and he couldn’t believe how cold blooded Beach sounded, “You said they didn’t care about what happened to you. Did you care what happened to the elderly?”

The last boy named Yancy who was heavy in a round sort of way and wore a red and white horizontally striped shirt and shorts that did not fit him well said with his raspy voice, “No why?” He didn’t flinch when he said it. His comment was cold blooded.

Junior looked at his Mom shocked at the attitudes of the group. He began formulating a different view of these kids already.

Cyndi, “Only kids your age had immunity? What about children from other grades?”

Surfer, “We were the only children in our families. We showed up to school not knowing what else to do. No other children showed at all from any other grades.”

Bart, “So what about you? Are there any more of you around at this campsite?”

Cyndi responded quickly, “No we are alone. We were afraid if we came to town we would die.”

Bart showing he was the leader of this group blurted out in a not so friendly way, “So what changed with you. Why did you come to town now?”

Junior sensing his Mom struggling to reply said, “I was born at the campsite. I have been waiting my whole life to come to town. She finally agreed.” He had no trouble saying it because it was true.

Surfer showing a less controlled side of herself, “You expect us to believe that you two alone survived all that time alone in the wilderness. What did you eat?”

Cyndi, “Fish is abundant, enough to last a life time.”

Beach took his turn at questioning, “Where is this campsite? We may want to see it.”

Cyndi internally panicked. They were going to keep insisting we feed them information. Sooner then later one of them would slip up so she changed her plan. “We don’t know on a map where we were but we can take you there if it’s important to you.”

Junior knew his Mom was flying by the seat of her pants now. His Dad liked that expression and it fit this situation. He would follow her lead and be ready for what ever she had up her sleeve.

Yancy was last in the pecking order and somehow subordinate to the others even though he was considerably larger and would give all of them together trouble if he got mad enough. “I think seeing your camp would help us settle whether you are being truthful or not.”

Bart, “We are the only people left here and it is our town. We own it and you are trespassing. We will have to decide how to deal with you. In the mean time telling lies is forbidden and will be met with the harshest punishment. Bare that in mind. Come with us,” they walked them to the police station and actually put them in a jail cell without searching them. Seeing them as a woman and a younger kid they did not seem threatened.

Cyndi. “There are laws about your conduct still you know.”

Bart, “We don’t recognize the laws of the weaker people who all died. We are strong. We did not perish and we make any laws that are to be followed here.”

Cyndi looked at Junior as if this could be trouble. He nodded understanding her concern.

Yancy finished by locking the cell door and sitting down at a nearby desk as the others left the room. Bart told him, “Keep an eye on them until we decide their fate.”

Junior felt Yancy was at the bottom of their group because he was a little slow witted. He decided to strike up a conversation. “Do you think the evil virus is still around and will it get us if we have contact?”

“Don’t know,” showing little interest in their heath and safety.

Junior gave his Mom a worried look. “When was the last time anybody died from it?’