In the Aftermath: Burning of the Dawn Page 35

  “And we’re yours now?” Anthony sought for a bit of reassurance.

  “You are.” Mary gave the boy an affectionate yet haughty side gaze. “You two are in my posse now! You’re the buddies to my bosom! My friends, with benefits all around…”

  “Thank you, Mary.” Serena was satisfied with Mary’s answers. The girl was a killer, a murderer even, but she was not an evil person, and Serena was infinitely thankful to have her on their side.

  “You’re welcome, Mama Bear,” Mary looked from Serena and into the distance. “And there she is.”

  Through the trees and between the hills, the first glimpses of Lake Tahoe appeared before them. The lake would soon vanish behind the thick trees, but it would reemerge as the highway steered its travelers south.

  “You think we have time for a short stop?” Serena asked. The place was beautiful, but between dodging animals and navigating the neglected highway, it was difficult for her to admire much of the sights.

  “All the time in the world, sorta,” Mary answered. “Further south is better though; just over the border.”

  “All right, we’ll stop there.” Serena drove onward, happily anticipating one of Mary’s surprises for a change.

  Anthony didn’t know what to make of the lake. The sky was a crystal clear blue with not a cloud to be seen anywhere; the weather was calm and cool; the trees were mostly a dark, lush green with the occasional tint of autumn colors emerging early. It should have been perfectly picturesque, yet the large lake gave Anthony the chills. Its waters were dark and vast, and he knew that the lake was very deep. Neither Mary nor his mother seemed to be the least bit alarmed by this place, and he, too, could sense that it was not dangerous – no more than any other place. The great, dark emptiness of it was just too hollow for his liking; it was like a strange void had been torn into the earth and something aberrant was waiting beneath those shadowy waters.

  Scenic Highway 50 soon became urbanized again as large casinos appeared in the distance – the auspicious greeting of Stateline, Nevada; where Nevada ended and California began. Serena and Anthony both felt apprehensive about entering a city again, but Mary assured them that there would be no human or alien inhabitants around these parts. The winters in Lake Tahoe were too rough and the Sayona were too frequently visiting for humankind to have much of a chance. The Sayona themselves were nearly quite literally a hop, skip, and a jump away from Carson City, so they had no reason for any extended stopovers in Tahoe.

  Despite Mary’s assurances, Serena and Anthony’s unease still subsisted as they slowly drove through Stateline. Anthony’s apprehensions came mostly from the large buildings. It just seemed odd that they would be so empty. A ghost town was one thing, but a ghost city was all the more disturbing. It was the same unease that Fallon held, but on a much grander scale. Another oddity was the lack of vehicles. Nearly every town and city had the corpses of cars and trucks of every size, shape, make and model – long dead, but still present. Stateline had none, and nearby Kingsbury, Lake Valley, Tahoe Valley and South Lake Tahoe were just the same. This haunting fact was too unnerving for Anthony to keep quiet.

  “There’re no cars.” He stated. “Nowhere.”

  Serena observed her surroundings more thoroughly. Her son was right; there were no vehicles, anywhere. That was a little odd.

  “Not many people actually lived here;” Mary commented. “It was more for tourists.”

  Mary’s answer made sense, yet Anthony did not feel any more at ease. Fallon was undoubtedly a creepy place, Anthony could admit that, but there he felt none of the things that Mary and his mother claimed to feel. This place was different; he could feel something here. It was not the dead eyes of Sayona murder victims he felt, but something else unnatural – something coming from that lake. Anthony wanted to say something, but he didn’t want to sound foolish or crazy to Mary or his mother, so he kept to his silence.

  Serena’s unease evaporated as a couple of signs caught her eye as she crossed over Stateline Avenue: South Lake Tahoe city limit and Welcome to California. In an instant Nevada was gone. Serena couldn’t hold back her smile as she looked over to Mary. Mary smirked and held her hand up to Serena, which Serena slapped and took hold of.

  “God, I will not miss that place.” Serena laughed, still holding Mary’s hand.

  “I don’t think God misses it either.” Mary added.

  “Will you miss it?” Anthony asked Mary. He tried to put his foolish unease aside. It was only petty fear that was causing his disquietude, he concluded, so he sought to rid it from his mind… or at least suppress it for the time being.

  “I will not.” Mary answered as Serena finally released her hand. “My work there is DONE!”

  “I’m sure your legend will live on.” Anthony stated.

  “It better.”

  “If there’s anyone else left to tell it.” Anthony jested, somewhat; his mind could not help but return to that awful sight the Sayona had left lying in the street that morning. Had they already killed off all of Mary’s former comrades that weren’t hiding in the lighted safety of Las Vegas?

  “The Sayona took a chunk outta my former fellow assholes-in-arms last night, but there’re still plenty more motherfuckers left to tell my tale… for now.” Mary stopped to ponder things for a moment. If the Sayona were distracted by a war in the desert, then she and the McCoys would not have to run that fast, or that far, to avoid them. “They’ll put up a fight, which they’ll lose, but ya never know. The Sayona might just get bold enough to take a shot at Vegas.”

  “Last night sure sounded like there were enough to take out any city.” Another memory Anthony would be glad to be rid of.

  “It did, didn’t it?” Mary began pondering again, this time out loud. “Denver and Salt Lake City both had their own little cliques of Sayona, but Carson has a lot more… a whole lot more.”

  “Why’s that?” Anthony posed a good question.

  “Honestly, I ain’t exactly sure.” Mary had never thought to give it much thought. She had never seen any Sayona with her own eyes, but she had heard them on many occasions. Based on sounds and death inflicted, Mary concluded that Carson City had more monsters than Denver and Salt Lake City had combined. “Maybe they like the lakes. They are aquatic, so I’ve heard. Or, could be the hunting; you saw all the animals on the road. It’s nothing to worry about in any case. If anything, it’s to our advantage.”

  “I hope so.” Anthony wasn’t sure he believed Mary on that point.

  “You know, there’s a lot of stuff still lyin’ around these parts.” Mary spoke directly to Serena now. “Everybody left this place in a hurry and didn’t bother takin’ much with ‘em.”

  Mary’s comment perturbed Anthony all the more. There were no signs of war or violence anywhere in Stateline or South Lake Tahoe, so why did everybody leave in such a hurry?

  “You think we should look for supplies why we’re here?” Serena questioned. She was glad to be out of Nevada, but she wanted to get a little further before getting too comfortable in any one place. Then again, Lake Tahoe seemed safe enough, and more food was always welcome.

  “I think we should stay awhile.” Mary answered with a coy sneer.

  “How long’s a while?” Anthony asked. He didn’t like this plan of Mary’s, but he dared not speak his concerns. He did not want to disappoint her.

  “A few weeks, maybe more.” Mary looked perplexingly at Anthony. “I mean, we need to leave before winter, but that’s a month away at least. Is there somethin’ about this place you don’t like, little brother?”

  Mary was perceptive; Anthony could see that she had caught on to his inner qualms and anxieties regarding her beloved Lake Tahoe. “No, it seems fine; I’m just a little tired is all.” Anthony had to add some truth to his story; Mary was too good at reading people. “Last night just kind of freaked me out a little. I’ve never been near any Sayona before.”

  “I feel ya… it scared the shit outta me.” Mary laughed. “I’ll tak
e on any man, or any group of man, but I want nothin’ to do with any Sayona – those bitches are crazy! But I do understand crazy, believe it or not. If we play it smart, this place will keep us safe. If you really don’t wanna stay here, that’s fine, honey. I’m just throwin’ out suggestions; nothing more, so much less. So argue with me! I like it when a man argues with me – keeps me grounded in reality, sort of.”

  “Sorry, but I trust you, Mary.” Anthony answered. “If you think we should stay, then I think so, too.” He believed his own words, but he still did not like that lake. His hesitations were simply a hindrance that he would have to overcome, and he had every intention of doing just that.

  “All right, if that’s your opinion.” Mary did not sound convinced; Anthony could also detect a hint of disappointment in her expression. She then looked to Serena and posed her next query. “How ‘bout it, Mighty MILF, whaddya think?”

  “I don’t know; I’ll think about it.” Serena was always ready to look for supplies, but to stay in one place for an extended amount of time for no real reason was a strange concept for her to grasp. The road they traveled soon provided an impressive view of the lake as it voyaged out from the city and over to the shoreline. It was, indeed, a beautiful place. Serena cherished the image. Her son did not.

  The road turned back inland as it rounded the Truckee Marsh. Serena continued on out of South Lake Tahoe and into the town of Tahoe Valley, where Mary steered her north on Emerald Bay Road. The remnants of civilization dwindled and then disappeared altogether as Serena drove into deeper woods. Wildlife was less prevalent here; the animals seemed to prefer the Nevada side of Tahoe. The tall trees all around them cast an ominous sensation over all in the vehicle. It felt almost claustrophobic to Serena and Anthony after their foray through the forsaken Nevada deserts. Mary’s unease came from uncertainty. Every so often they would pass by a pine tree striped of its bark. Mary didn’t want to spook the McCoys away from Lake Tahoe, but this was valuable information. She had to pass it on.

  “You see that up there?” Mary spoke, pointing ahead to a filleted ponderosa pine tree.

  “The dead tree?” Serena asked as she slowed her car to better see the tree.

  “The murdered tree,” Mary corrected her. “The Sayona eat them sometimes. Sugar pines were their favorite, but that’s not a sugar pine. They’ve probably killed them all by now, so they’ll just take whatever else’s left.”

  “Better the trees than us.” Serena proclaimed. The skinned tree fazed her little as she passed it by. Anthony, on the other hand, kept the tree in view for as long as he could. Do they eat trees the same way they eat people? He wondered.

  Vestiges of humankind reappeared as Serena drove past campgrounds and lodges; soon enough, however, they were back into the desolate wilderness. Two more lakes, Cascade and Fallen Leaf, resided just out of view, but between them Mount Tallac could occasionally be spotted over the treetops. Slowly, but surely, Serena began warming up to her surroundings.

  “This place would be amazing to see in the winter.” Serena stated as she observed the sights while maintaining the road.

  “Yeah, it probably would.” Mary did not attempt to hide the dubious undertones in her tone. She had no doubts regarding Tahoe’s winter beauty, but it was a sight they could never see. “Seeing it would mean our certain deaths, but hey, what’s beauty if not worth dyin’ for?”

  “I know I’ll never get to see it, but still… it would’ve been nice.” Serena happily mused. Winter in Tahoe was a sight she had one day wished to witness.

  “Are the winters here really that bad?” Anthony asked. “I know they’re not good—Donner Party and all—but are they really ‘unsurvivable’?” Anthony had no urges to see any snowy winters anywhere. The Gulf Coast was as into the wild as he wanted to get. Nevertheless, he was curious.

  “Unsurvivable indeed,” Mary answered. “No electricity means no heaters. Fires aren’t an option either; the Sayona would spot them straightaway. There’re batteries and solar cells lyin’ around here and there, but I ain’t in the knowhow when it comes to that shit. The roads will be completely blocked and we’ll be trapped here ‘til spring.”

  “It’s not even an issue,” Serena asserted. “No way are we staying anywhere near here when the cold comes.”

  As the road began to climb into the mountains, Lake Tahoe appeared again. The imposing lake proved to be an impressive backdrop to the emerald forest and the unseasonably early fall foliage that was dawning in sporadic locations while much of the pines remained ever green. To Anthony, the lake was still foreboding, yet forebodingly beautiful as well. It was still not enough to make him trust this place, not by a long shot. The road wound its way up the short mountain and eventually made it to the top. On the other side was Mary’s beloved Emerald Bay. Serena slowed to take in the sight as she continued around the mountain road, which constantly looked down upon the bay. Between the trees, Anthony could see a small island, Fannette Island, which was Lake Tahoe’s only island. It was very small, but difficult to miss within the confinement of the bay. Emerald Bay itself displeased Anthony much less than the rest of Lake Tahoe. The bay didn’t seem as dark or as vast as the rest of the large body of water. Although cars were a rare sight in these parts, the boats were plentiful. Anthony spotted half a dozen of them resting quietly along the bay’s shore. It looked peaceful and it looked safe; he could see why Mary adored it so much.

  They continued driving around the bay admiring the sites below and above. Eventually, Serena passed over the currently calm flow of Eagle Falls and soon came upon a clearing among the rocks just off of the road. It was an empty parking lot overlooking the whole of Emerald Bay.

  “Wanna stop for a moment?” Serena asked.

  “I do.” Mary answered.

  Anthony made no answer as his mother pulled into the lot and brought her car to a halt. Mary and Serena both exited the vehicle without any delay. The air was light and fresh, but much colder here than it was back in Carson City. It was also noisy. Nearby Eagle Falls and an abundance of birds provided the majestic bay its own subtle song of pulchritude and pandemonium. It was nice; Anthony did not hate it. He soon joined his mother and Mary.

  “There’s a castle down there.” Mary looked to Anthony and pointed into some trees down below them. “Vikingsholm.”

  “I don’t see it.” Serena spoke as she admired the bay. She had instantly fallen in love with the site before her. Mary’s idea of staying in this place was looking better by the second.

  “Trust me, it’s there.” Mary had been to Vikingsholm on previous visits. The place was dusty and lacked some much needed maintenance, but apart from a few broken windows, Vikingsholm had taken very little damage. Mary found it to be eerily quiet, yet still peaceful in its own way. “We can hike down and see it sometime.”

  “Maybe we should stay there,” Anthony commented, though he cared little for his own idea. “It looks pretty outta-the-way… not easy to get to.”

  “For humans, yeah,” replied Mary. The castle was an interesting visit and a decent lodge in the daylight, but it was out of the question come nightfall. “But there are no humans here, little brother; just us now. There’re houses on the mountainside that will suit us just fine, or we can head back into town and find a place there, if we decide to stay.”

  “It is beautiful here.” Serena spoke, now admiring the mountains and forests all around her. “We could use a rest, or I could at least.” Serena looked to Mary and asked, “You say there’re still supplies in the towns?”

  “Yes, ma’am, there’s still plenty lyin’ around waitin’ for our takin’.”

  “Could we hunt, too?” Anthony inquired. The idea of some freshly cooked ribs or steaks from one of the many game animals wandering Lake Tahoe would surely give this place more appeal. “Or would cooking-fires be too dangerous?”

  “Any outdoor barbeques would be courting, seducing, and fucking Trouble itself,” Mary answered. “But if we keep it on the down-low; f
ry it, boil it, and bake it indoors, then yeah, I say we borrow a few meals from the Sayona.”

  “Gunshots won’t get us into trouble?” Anthony had no clues as to how well the Sayona could hear, but he was confident that they wouldn’t hear them all the way from Carson City. Still, Mary could be mistaken. If any rogue Sayona had taken up residence somewhere around the lake, the beasts could possibly hear the gunshots.

  “I won’t need a gun.” Mary quickly put an end to Anthony’s inquisitive musings.

  Anthony then remembered Isabeau and smiled. He then remembered Amy and the smile went away. He really hoped it was Isabeau that Mary planned on hunting with.

  “When does winter usually get here?” Serena wondered aloud.

  “Mid-November, more or less,” Mary answered. “Late October is also a possibility.”

  “What’s today?” Serena had lost track of her days of the year a long time ago.

  “No idea,” Mary had lost track, too. “But we do have a few weeks at least; probably more. I’ll know when it’s coming – I’m psycho like that.”

  “I believe it.” Serena quipped; she then looked to her son. “How about it, Anthony; you okay with stayin’ in Tahoe for a while?”

  “I am… it’s a little strange here, it’s so vast and all, but yeah, I think we should stay.” Whether or not that was entirely true, Anthony did not know. He thought it was true, but silently he added: so long as we stay away from that damn lake.

  Serena, Mary, and Anthony returned to the car and traveled a short distance onward to the houses on the hillside that Mary had previously mentioned. Some of the homes were rustic and some of them were more modern – all of them had an excellent view of the bay. The house they ended up choosing was of Mary’s suggestion. It was modernized and had solar panels interleaved within the roofing. Mary had never figured out how to get any power going – not that she wanted to. It could still possibly be accomplished if somebody with more knowhow and patience gave it an attempt. Even without power, it was still a good place to say. The house had three bedrooms and one bathroom. It was not large, but it did have a garage and a small loft. Hiding and keeping a low profile were more important than living in forged luxury.