Relle woke early as usual. However, she felt more awake and ready than she had in a long time. She made her way to the living room and made herself a cup of coffee.
Despite being short on seasonings and canned goods, there was more than enough coffee. After making herself a large, warm mug, she walked out onto the front porch.
The sun was only a glimmer of yellow on the eastern horizon. Pinks, purples, and reds painted the sky like watercolors. Relle sat down on a chair and gazed out.
Even when her parents were around, she woke up early. It had been expected of her. As the eldest child, she had always done a fair share of the farm work. Before they left, her parents had even started Cedar on some of the work.
As she sat in the golden light of dawn, Relle couldn't keep her mind from wandering. What if Sage was right?
She had always assumed her mother and father were on their way here, perhaps just detoured by the explosion. But what if they actually were in trouble? What if they needed help? She wasn't sure what to think about that.
The idea of leaving the farm was always in the back of her mind, but now it had slipped its way to the front. Despite loving the farm, Relle wondered how long they could stay where they were.
If her parents didn't return, they'd be left to fend for themselves all winter. She knew from experience that Montana's winters were brutal. Once the snow fell there would be no leaving the farm. With supplies dwindling, Relle worried what being stuck all winter would do to them.
Relle sat pondering. It was Cedar who found her first.
"What's wrong?" He asked, noting the worried look across his sister's face.
"I... It's alright, I'm only just thinking about winter," she said, choosing not to share the entirety of her concerns.
"Are you worried about not having enough wood?" he asked.
"A bit, yes. I also am worried about the snow. There's no one here to plow us out."
"What if we leave?" Cedar asked nonchalantly.
Relle let out a sigh, she had been wondering the same thing. "We could...it's just...we don't know what's out there. Ever since those explosions happened, the world has been...weird. We don't know if it's safe."
Cedar gave his usual shrug. Despite their strange circumstances, Cedar was still just a ten-year-old boy. The concept of being in danger didn't scare him much. He had no idea how bad something could be.
Relle, however, did have some idea of how bad things could be. She watched as her brother walked back into the house and slipped her hand into her pocket. A folded letter sat stiffly in her jean pocket.
She gazed back to the rising sun. Relle wondered about what they would do if they left the farm. There was so much world out there and she knew so little of it. Yet, staying at the farm could be a death sentence. She hoped that as the day continued, she would know what to do.
<><><>
The day continued as normal. Relle spent much of the day in the fields behind their house, tending to the rows of crops. Without running water and the help of her parents many of the crops had died. Relle only was able to keep a small portion of potatoes, beans, and tomatoes alive.
The nearest source of water was a small, winding creek that was about a half-mile from the little house. It wasn't a long walk but walking back and forth several times every day with buckets of water made for tiring work.
Despite what she hoped, Relle did not find clarity to her decision. Staying at the house felt like the safe option, but if they were to run out of food or heat, it would mean death.
However, leaving the farm was a step into the unknown. Relle had no idea what waited for them outside. They hadn't left the farm since the explosions happened. She had no idea what to expect from the world around her.
Relle continued to work in the fields, thinking about her decision. The hardest part to consider was her siblings. They were just kids, and she needed to keep them safe. Just as she began to worry a bit for little Sage and Cedar she heard a strange sound in the distance.
At first she was sure it was just wind. As it continued on, she suddenly realized what it was that she was hearing. In the distance, tires grinded on gravel.
"Mom, Dad?" Relle's heart lifted.
She left the bucket beside the river and sprinted back toward the house. She ran as fast as she could, excitement pounded in her chest. It had been months since anyone drove down the old dirt road that ran past their house. She was certain that it was her parents.
Relle arrived back to the farmhouse, out of breath but full of excitement. She walked around the house to see a mid-sized RV parked in front of the driveway. Sage and Cedar stood beside it talking to a man. At first, out of pure hope, Relle thought it was their father they were talking to.
However, as she walked closer, she saw that the man Cedar and Sage were talking to was not her father. Her father was a slender man with messy brown hair, this man had deep tan skin and a much more muscular build.
The stranger was roughly her father's age with black hair that was sprinkled with grey. Relle's heart dropped. She rushed toward her siblings.
"Cedar, Sage," Relle called to them as she walked up from behind them. The two turned towards her. The man they were talking to looked up and met her eyes. In an instant, Relle didn't like the look of him.
The stranger wore a plain t-shirt, cargo pants, and a belt covered with tools, knives, and a pistol. Relle forced herself not to focus on the weapon that sat on his hip. Instead, she focused on his eyes.
"I'm Relle," she said, trying to sound calm as she stepped in front of her siblings. "I see you've met my siblings."
"He says he's going to Billings," Cedar said, looking up to Relle.
"I'm Arlo," said the man simply. "I was headed to Billings, but I think I got turned around. You know where the interstate is from here?"
"Billings? Why are you going there?" Relle asked curiously. After all, that was where her parents had gone to before the explosions happened.
"Resupply," said Arlo. The word did not clarify much for Relle but she figured it was best to not ask any more questions.
"The interstate is about twenty miles in that direction, but you have to make sure you don't miss the turn. It doesn't have a sign up anymore but you'll see a group of trees right over where you'll turn," Relle explained as she pointed down the gravel road.
Arlo gave a stiff nod.
"Can we come with? Our parents are supposed to be in Billings, but we haven't see them for-"
"Cedar," Relle said sharply.
"What? You were just talking about leaving?" Cedar said back.
"To see mom and dad?" Sage spun around to face Relle.
"We're not going with him," she explained, losing her patience with her siblings. "If we leave the farm, we'll take the spare car, in the shed." She glanced at Arlo, "sorry about them...we just have been...we haven't seen our parents for a while and we're just a little worried."
"I can drive you as far as Billings," Arlo offered in a surprisingly kind voice, "but I should warn you...If you've been on this farm since the bombings then you should know that there is a chance you won't find what you're looking for."
Relle stared for a moment at the man before her. She knew he was right, but it felt surreal to hear it out loud. The explosions were bombs. She had known that, but she had never wanted to think of it so plainly.
"Thank you," Relle said. "But we don't need to bother you, we have a car here that we can take."
Arlo nodded. "Suite yourself, finding gasoline isn't easy. And by now much of what is out there has started to degrade."
He turned back to his RV and opened the side door. Arlo grabbed something from the back pocket of the passenger seat. He unfolded the paper. It was a map. He handed it over to Relle.
It was a map of North America. It was old, presumably at least twenty years old, with yellowing edges. Almost every large city in the US had a circle around it.
"Thanks, but I have a map," Relle said. "I don't need to take yours."
"I think you'll want this one," Arlo said. "You'll want to avoid all the cities circled."
Relle stared at the map. "All these cities..."
"Yes, I saw Toronto and Chicago, or what is left of them."
"Billings isn't circled."
"No," Arlo nodded. "That's why I'm going there. I hope to find supplies there."
"Do you think there will be gasoline? If I get all the way down there, would I find enough gasoline to make it back to the farm?" Relle asked him. Despite her weariness towards Arlo, he seemed to have more information about what was going on than she did.
He gave a small shrug. "I doubt it, but I suppose it's not impossible. I don't know how bad it is there." He turned back to the RV and began to rummage around in a large bag just within the doorway.
Relle nodded. It would be a major risk to drive down to Billings. However, staying at the farmhouse could be just as risky. As she thought back to the hard decision she would ultimately be faced with, a cool breeze picked up and with it came a dark cloud.
"Are we going to Billings?" Cedar looked to Relle.
"I'm not sure yet," she said, "but why don't you take Sage inside and start the fire. I think it will be a cold night."
Cedar nodded and grabbed his sister's hand, taking Sage into the old farmhouse. In all honesty, Relle was not worried about the day's sudden change in weather.
She just needed an excuse to talk to Arlo without her young siblings around. His back was still turned to her as she began her question.
"How long have you been traveling for? You say gas is hard to come by but you also claim to have seen Toronto and Chicago. Besides if you really came from that direction, you most likely would have passed Billings on your way here." Relle couldn't help but distrust the older man.
Arlo turned back towards her. "I came from a bit of a round-about way," he explained. "I'm eventually headed south. However, I suppose I'm taking a bit of extra time to avoid the bombed cities and see a bit of the country before heading down."
Relle nodded. She felt as though he was still leaving some details of his journey out, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She watched as dark clouds began to gather in the skies above.
"Billings is about four hours from here," she began. "And it looks like it's about to rain. Why don't you park your camper here for tonight. We have plenty of food to share for dinner."
Relle had been raised to be hospitable even to strangers. It was the way her family was. Besides, she was curious to hear what Arlo's travels have been like. She was curious about the bombs and the destroyed cities.
She told herself that if they were going to leave the farmhouse, then it was best to gather all the information they could find, including whatever Arlo was willing to share with her.
"That's kind of you but I think the storm will hold off for a bit," he said. Just as he finished his sentence Relle began to feel large raindrops fall onto her head and shoulders. In the distance she heard a deep rumble.
"We have fresh squash and pork sausage," she continued. "And I would like to know a little more about what I will be getting myself into if I leave."
After some hesitation, Arlo agreed to wait out the storm.