“The human mind is truly the scariest thing of all.” I had heard this voice before. Why was I hearing it? Where was it coming from? I didn’t know. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had to move. I didn’t even know where I was going, yet I felt a strange sense of urgency. It’s as if my brain knew what to do and didn’t want to give up any information: I was just its vessel. I figured I knew what I was doing even when I didn’t know what I was doing. I know this makes no sense, but it’s the only way I know to describe it.
My feet carried me to an abandoned Walmart. Of course, the automatic doors didn’t work, so I had to pry them open. I walked inside and looked around for something to eat. I hadn’t been too hungry lately, so I assumed I was picking stuff up out of instinct. I managed to find a shopping cart and filled it. As I was leaving, I heard footsteps. Before I could think, I had abandoned the cart and called out to the sound. Two girls came out, each holding a canteen and carrying a backpack. One couldn’t have been older than ten. The other was either a teenager or a very young adult.
“Hey,” the oldest said. “What do you want?”
“Just wondering who was there.”
She looked at me for a moment, then to the younger girl. “You…you got any extra food?”
I smiled. “Actually, I just happened to find enough to fill a whole shopping cart.” I pointed toward the open doors. “Come and help yourselves.”
The youngest smiled and dragged the older to the cart. The kid seemed very friendly, but the older one seemed a little more cautious. Understandably so. You never know who you can trust in this God-forsaken wasteland. It must have been beautiful before some horrible disaster ruined it all.
We’d gathered a couple of cans of vegetables and started a fire. While I was cooking, the oldest said, “Thanks for doing this. Quincy can’t talk, so it’s hard to figure out if she needs anything sometimes. We hadn’t had a lot of supplies lately, so I was worried she was getting hungry.”
“So the girl’s name is Quincy. Well then, what’s yours?”
“Crystal.” She extended her hand. “And you are?”
I shook hands with her. “I…don’t know. I woke up one day with a world in shambles and only vague memories of how it got this way.”
“Ah. Must’ve hit your head or something. Well, seems to me that you can’t just walk around without a name,” she turned to Quincy. “Whatcha think? Should we pick one out for him?” Quincy grinned and nodded. “Alright. Let’s see…Andy?”
Quincy tilted her head to the side. Then she shook it.
“Jake?”
Quincy shook her head again.
“William?”
Quincy snarled up her nose and shook her head vigorously. Guess I just wasn’t destined to be a William. Too regal, I suppose.
“Everet?”
Quincy jumped up and clapped. She nodded approvingly.
“Guess you’re Everet now.”
I think she made a great choice. From that moment on, I had a name. When I was given a name, it felt like I was meant to find them. As the evening went on, that feeling got stronger and stronger. I felt I had to protect them. It was more than compassion driving me as well. It was like I’d found what I was made to do. When we’d finished eating, Quincy yawned and smiled at us sleepily.
“Uhh-oh. I think it’s time somebody went to sleep, don’t you?” Crystal turned to me.
“I’d say so. It is quite dark out.”
The young girl nodded and pulled a blanket out of her dusty pink backpack. She curled up next to Crystal and fell fast asleep.
“So,” I whispered, “where are you two headed tomorrow?”
“Honestly, I’m not quite sure. I want to get to the city, but all the bridges we’ve come across are out or taken over. I make sure we avoid those. I don’t want any trouble.” She stared distantly into the fire. “I just want to find them,”
“Find who?” I asked.
“My family,” she responded. A slight smile crept across her face.
“Oh. You got separated?”
She turned back to me, and her smile faded. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
We both stared at the fire for a moment. “Do…would you mind if I came with you?”
She thought earnestly before turning back to me. “I guess so. I feel like I can trust you.”
I smiled. “Thank you. You look tired. Get some sleep. I’ll take the first watch.”
“I am tired. Thanks,” she yawned. She removed a tattered jacket from her backpack and draped it over her like a blanket. As she settled next to Quincy, she jokingly warned, “We get moving early, so when I wake you up, don’t try to go back to sleep. I won’t hesitate to use the pot and spoon as an alarm.”
“Alright,” I laughed. At last, I wasn’t alone.