The evening was turning a deep shade of indigo as we pulled back into the Fort Hall Reservation. The dusty outlines of the traditional wooden houses and makeshift buildings were starkly highlighted against the star-lit backdrop. As Cassidy parked Endeavor near the central square, a group of curious natives assembled around the vehicle, their expressions hopeful. The anticipation in the air was almost tangible as we stepped out of the car, battered and bruised.
Kaya led us through the group to where her father, the chief, was waiting. His stern face and rigid posture echoed the disappointment he felt when he looked inside the trunk of our vehicle. His gaze met mine for a moment, revealing a flicker of doubt, before moving to the completely empty space.
A collective sigh of disappointment echoed through the crowd. The silence that followed was punctuated only by the whispering wind and the distant cries of night creatures. It was as if the entire reservation was holding its breath, their dreams of a celebration dwindling with the sight of the empty trunk.
But Cassidy, always the one to keep spirits high, wasn't ready to concede defeat just yet. "I wouldn't say we came back completely empty handed now..." she said, her voice cutting through the silence. She moved to the back of Endeavor, her hands reaching underneath the trunk. With a quick, practiced move, she unlatched a hidden compartment, her victorious grin outshining the faint moonlight.
In a dramatic reveal, she pulled out a stack of neatly arranged bottles, around 40 in total. Their glass bodies shimmered under the moonlight, the liquid inside each one promising a taste of forgetfulness and euphoria. The bottles were a fraction of what we had gathered from the store, but at that moment, it was more than enough to break the pall of gloom that had descended over the crowd.
A cheer erupted from the natives as they rushed to unload the secret stash. The square came alive with the sounds of laughter and excitement as they passed around the bottles. Despite the hardships of the day, the strength of human spirit shone through. For the moment, the apocalyptic world outside the reservation seemed like a distant reality.
The chief nodded at us approvingly, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a smile.
"Good work son." the chief patted me on the shoulder, then turned to the rest of native and said: "Tonight we celebrate!"
***
The reservation came alive that night, the flicker of bonfires illuminating the wooden houses and traditional teepees with a warm, welcoming glow. The aroma of roasting meat wafted through the cool evening air, mixing with the scent of earth and wood smoke, beckoning us all towards the grand feast. Each of us was given a bottle of booze, the glass cold and smooth against our palms, a tangible symbol of our victory against the odds.
A makeshift stage was set up near the central bonfire, the crowd drawing closer in anticipation. It was our turn to tell the story. As the laughter and chatter died down, I looked over the crowd and was greeted by eager faces, their eyes reflecting the dancing flames, waiting for us to take them on our journey.
I started the narration, my voice clear and resounding against the stillness of the night. I spoke of our drive into Pocatello, the tension in the air almost palpable as we maneuvered our way through the deserted town. I narrated how we found the liquor store half-filled with zombies, my words punctuated with dramatic pauses that elicited gasps and whispers from the crowd.
Next, it was Cassidy's turn. She retold the way she drove Endeavor right through the store wall, flattening zombies in the process. She animatedly described the wild scramble as we loaded up as many bottles as we could, all while fighting off the horde of the undead. The crowd burst into laughter at her impersonation of Kaya, mimicking her stoic expression as she calmly shot down zombies with her rifle.
Then, Hazuki took the stage. She shared the thrilling car chase, her voice shaking slightly as she recounted the spikes on the road, the sudden stop, and the realization of being surrounded by human raiders. As she narrated our capture and the subsequent chaotic fight inside the raider tavern, the crowd sat in rapt attention, gripping their bottles tightly as if they were right there with us in the thick of it.
Finally, Kaya spoke. She told them of the showdown in the pit, her father's eyes swelling with pride as she recounted my daring rescue, and Cassidy's heroic dive into the pit to reclaim her twin pistols. The crowd cheered loudly at this, raising their bottles in a toast to Cassidy's audacity.
We ended the tale on the fiery climax of the tavern fight, the crowd roaring with laughter at the mental image of the raiders trapped within a burning tavern, as we made our daring escape, and Cassidy's triumphant reveal of the hidden stash of booze.
As the laughter died down and the fire crackled low, there was a sense of camaraderie in the air.
Perhaps its not all so bad after all...
Q: Do you drink?