Chapter 18
It was impossible to move quietly through the streets with the horses.
Their shoed hooves clattered against the blacktop as the foursome raced down the street.
Sarah’s history with horses wasn’t deep or long, but she knew enough to get by.
Her parents had two horses when she was a child, but after they passed of old age on the property, they’d decided not to get more.
By that time, Sarah was just starting high school, and her world was her friends and education.
Still, it gave her enough insight to know what she was doing for the most part.
Glancing behind her, she saw that Adam was struggling to stay in the saddle as his horse trotted along with the others.
She couldn’t help but chuckle a little to herself.
The two young women were incredibly resilient.
Without slowing, they continued down the main drag as the sound of the mob behind them started to fall into the distance.
They couldn’t stop until they were as far away from the danger as they could safely get with the horses.
She had no idea how riding would change their trajectory.
While the animals could cut their travel time in half, it also meant more mouths to feed.
They couldn’t catch fish and feed them to the animals, and they’d need a fresh water source as well.
While the sisters seemed to be prepared for their journey, they were obviously still frightened, and Sarah could understand why.
She wondered what all the girls knew about what was going on as they raced across the bridge that would take them to Ocean City in Maryland.
As soon as the horses crossed onto the sand, Sarah understood they’d be just fine staying along the coastal water.
When they’d put a good ten miles between themselves and the popular beach community, they finally slowed to a walk to give the horses a break.
Seeing her opportunity to find out more about their new companions, Sarah stretched out and looked back at Rose and Bella, who were in the middle between Adam and herself.
“So, how long have you all been traveling, Bella?” Sarah asked.
“We’ve been moving since everything went dark. We hadn’t been at the shop long, but we knew we had to keep going.”
“What about when this all started? Where were you when the solar storm passed through?”
“We were all staying at a bed and breakfast that had a stable. Before the first night was through, it got overrun by people. It’s been a real mess from the start,” Bella said.
“We barely even got out of there,” Rose said. “We grabbed the horses and tack, and we didn’t bother to look back. As soon as people knew there wouldn’t be anyone to stop them, the chaos started.”
“I knew it would get pretty bad, but I had no idea people would lose their minds that fast. I figured we would still have some time to travel before chaos completely erupted,” Sarah said. “I’m glad you made it out of there.”
“You mentioned something about a solar storm,” Rose said. “I remember seeing something about that, or maybe I overheard someone talking about it. Is that what started all of the power outages in the area?”
“From what I understand, the solar storm passed through and caused everything to go into darkness. We’ve been on the road for less than a week, but it’s something that seems to have affected everything.”
“So, we’re not the only ones going through the power outage? Is it something that is localized to the East Coast?”
Sarah’s eyes darted to Adam. She knew she had to tell the girls the world was in turmoil.
Their mother, depending on where she was, might never make it back home to them.
Her heart lurched for the young pair. Even once they reached the girls’ home, could Sarah leave them alone with a clear conscience?
They were both so young. She couldn’t think about it at that moment.
They had a right to know what was happening in the world around them.
Sarah cleared her throat and quickly told the sisters everything they knew about the solar storm and the disaster that had followed it.
When she was finally finished, they rode for some time in silence.
Sarah knew the girls were struggling to process everything she’d just told them.
It had been hard for her to hear for the first time and to tell others.
The reality of their situation, though, was dire.
Sarah had to make sure the girls were prepared for whatever they might face when they reached their mother’s property.
If bandits and roving gangs hadn’t already ransacked it, Sarah knew they’d come eventually.
The closer the nation got to winter, the more desperate people would become.
As long as they were together, they had some level of safety, but the girls were young and attractive.
The sleazebags would be crawling out of the woodwork now.
Without knowing what the pair’s plans were once, they reached New Jersey.
“Do you have any more family out at your mom’s place, or is your family all here?” Sarah asked.
“There isn’t any more family, but the housekeeper is still there. Should be at least,” Rose said.
“Look, I can’t promise what we find there is going to be good. I need you to be prepared for whatever you see. If the mobs were that bad back that way, then you know they’re going to be like that everywhere.”
“What do you mean?” Bella asked. “It’s not like there’s a lot there for people to take.”
“Yeah, but people could have taken over the property itself. It’s hard telling what people are looking for, but I’m sure that having a safe and warm place to stay is at the top of the list. There’s just no telling what we’re going to find there.”
“If that’s the case, then we’ll fight to take it back. That’s our property,” Bella said.
While Sarah was happy to see such determination in the young woman, there was no telling what they would actually run into once they got them back home.
The world was fighting amongst itself, and there were evil people running free throughout the country.
Still, she could understand the urge to want to fight for what was rightfully hers.
After all, it was one of the reasons she was heading back home to check on her parents.
Part of her wanted to fight with Rose and Bella if the need arose, but the fact of the matter was that some things might be better left alone, and Bella needed to understand that.
“I just want you to understand that something like that might not be possible. If they have more people than we do or if we are outgunned, it might be better to just leave them be,” Sarah said. “Still, we just don’t have any idea what we’re going to find when we get?—”
“It doesn’t matter what we find or who they have,” Bella snapped. “We’re not going to let our home fall into criminal’s hands.”
The group fell silent as they rode. Sarah wasn’t going to press the issue anymore.
It was obvious the conversation had upset Bella.
While she didn’t want to scare the young girls, she also wanted them to be prepared for the worst. Still, it was a lot to process all at once.
Plus, there was no question in her mind that the girls were exhausted.
It was no surprise, given how frightened they had to be in the week since the power went out.
Sarah couldn’t imagine being their age, alone in a city they didn’t know when the entire world was going to shit.
Sarah silently made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t let anything happen to the pair.
They needed someone to look out for them, and she was happy to take on the responsibility.
They had a two-day ride before they reached the girls’ homestead if they moved quickly.
At that time, Sarah had to convince them they were safer if they all stayed together.
At the very least, she and Adam would need to stay with them at their mother’s property long enough to make sure it was secure.
As her list of dependents grew, she prayed her parents were still safe and alive.
Every detour they took pulled her farther away from getting to Harmony Homestead, where she was raised.
Her conscience wouldn’t let her turn her back on someone who needed them.
All she could do was trust that her parents were capable of defending themselves for a little while longer.
They would understand why it took her so long to get to them.
The couple had raised Sarah with a strong moral compass.
When someone needed her help, she would always answer the call.