Run until you can't run anymore...
In 2012, cell phones had not worked in about a year. However, the military bases had walkie talkies that allowed them to communicate back and forth. When the Croatoan virus hit Indiana, the Braeden's had been fortunate enough to get relocated to the local base before getting exposed.
Life changed drastically as Ben watched the world pass by though behind an electric fence with barbed wire. Lisa had gotten training to work as a field medic while she started to date one of the soldiers who had rescued them. Because of that, she would regularly go out in the field during the day while Ben was at school.
He was learning about the Holocaust in the military school and one day, he had made a remark to the teacher about comparing the humans to the Jews and the Croats to the Nazis. His teacher had actually looked proud at the comparison, and had remarked about how intelligent Ben was at such a young age.
Then came the day they were in class and the principle came to ask Ben to walk down the hallway with her. They went to an office, and she handed Ben a handset.
"It's your mother, Ben," she said sadly. He was confused as to why the principle was sad, until he talked to his mother.
"Hey sweetie," Lisa said. He could hear the sounds of gunfire and screams, and instantly he was worried. "I don't have long, but I need to tell you something."
"Mom? What's going on?"
"Ben, I don't have long. You remember how I made a box and put it under your bed for you to use in case the Croats ever came back?"
"Yes..." Fear creeped into the edges of his voice.
"I want you to run home right now and get it. Don't talk to anyone in the base. Just run right home and get that box."
"But mom..."
"Inside the box is a set of things for you to do. I need you to do everything that it says. Don't come to find me."
"Mom!" Ben could hear the screaming getting louder.
"Ben!" Lisa cried into the walkie. "Ben I love you. Remember that. Now, do what I just told you to do. Now!" Then there was a scream and the walkie hissed into silence.
The principle reached down to take the walkie from Ben's numb hands. A moment later the air raid siren went off. The principle turned to look out the window, and instantly Ben turned and ran. He ran out of the school, down the dirt road past the soldiers that were running the other way, not stopping for anything until he reached the place he had been living for the past two years.
There was a metal box under his bed and he pulled out, turning the key and looking inside. He found an envelope that had money in it, a map, a small flashlight and some batteries, a sheet of paper... and a gun with bullets. He bit his lip as he unfolded the piece of paper to read what was on it.
1. Grab your bookbag. Put in it some clothes. Shirts, socks, underwear. And put in everything in this box.
2. Go into the kitchen. Get a few bottles of water, the can opener, and some food and put it in the plastic cooler.
3. Run as far as you can away. Buy a bus ticket to a big city that is circled on the map. There are addresses and people to look for. See if you can find them.
4. If you can't find them, go to the nearest military base. They will help you.
I love you, Ben.
The sirens kept wailing as Ben ran and grabbed everything his mother's list told him too. He knew he was supposed to only take the stuff on the list, but he grabbed a few extra things. A picture of him and his mom. A necklace she gave him for his birthday.
The sound of the crash in the living room made him jump, and he almost forgot the cooler as he took off running out the back door. He didn't look back until he reached the fence. There was a hole in it now, and he squeezed through and then kept running until he couldn't see the place anymore and was just walking along the road on his own.
The sun was setting as a truck pulled up along the teenager sitting on the side of the road. "Hey kid, you lost?" The man had a shotgun on his hip, but saw Ben crying and knelt down. "Where are you from?"
"Cicero," he said softly.
"Cic... oh crap." He sighed and stood up. "You got any blood on you?"
Ben shook his head sadly. "My mom told me not to talk to anyone and run. But I can't run anymore."
The trucker looked up the road, then nodded. "Do you have someplace else to go?"
Reaching into his bag, Ben pulled out the map. The trucker looked at it, then nodded. "Ok, I'm heading out towards California on a run. I can drop you off close enough to this place. You help keep me awake and keep the truck clean, and we'll consider it even. Works for you?"
Ben bit his lip and looked down the road towards where he knew his mother was, then back at the trucker. The man put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I know, kid. Come on. You look like you need a nap anyway. Name's Jim."
"I'm Ben." Ben grabbed his stuff and let the older man help him up into the cab of the truck, and as they started down the road, he almost instantly fell asleep in the large bucket seat.
Life changed drastically as Ben watched the world pass by though behind an electric fence with barbed wire. Lisa had gotten training to work as a field medic while she started to date one of the soldiers who had rescued them. Because of that, she would regularly go out in the field during the day while Ben was at school.
He was learning about the Holocaust in the military school and one day, he had made a remark to the teacher about comparing the humans to the Jews and the Croats to the Nazis. His teacher had actually looked proud at the comparison, and had remarked about how intelligent Ben was at such a young age.
Then came the day they were in class and the principle came to ask Ben to walk down the hallway with her. They went to an office, and she handed Ben a handset.
"It's your mother, Ben," she said sadly. He was confused as to why the principle was sad, until he talked to his mother.
"Hey sweetie," Lisa said. He could hear the sounds of gunfire and screams, and instantly he was worried. "I don't have long, but I need to tell you something."
"Mom? What's going on?"
"Ben, I don't have long. You remember how I made a box and put it under your bed for you to use in case the Croats ever came back?"
"Yes..." Fear creeped into the edges of his voice.
"I want you to run home right now and get it. Don't talk to anyone in the base. Just run right home and get that box."
"But mom..."
"Inside the box is a set of things for you to do. I need you to do everything that it says. Don't come to find me."
"Mom!" Ben could hear the screaming getting louder.
"Ben!" Lisa cried into the walkie. "Ben I love you. Remember that. Now, do what I just told you to do. Now!" Then there was a scream and the walkie hissed into silence.
The principle reached down to take the walkie from Ben's numb hands. A moment later the air raid siren went off. The principle turned to look out the window, and instantly Ben turned and ran. He ran out of the school, down the dirt road past the soldiers that were running the other way, not stopping for anything until he reached the place he had been living for the past two years.
There was a metal box under his bed and he pulled out, turning the key and looking inside. He found an envelope that had money in it, a map, a small flashlight and some batteries, a sheet of paper... and a gun with bullets. He bit his lip as he unfolded the piece of paper to read what was on it.
1. Grab your bookbag. Put in it some clothes. Shirts, socks, underwear. And put in everything in this box.
2. Go into the kitchen. Get a few bottles of water, the can opener, and some food and put it in the plastic cooler.
3. Run as far as you can away. Buy a bus ticket to a big city that is circled on the map. There are addresses and people to look for. See if you can find them.
4. If you can't find them, go to the nearest military base. They will help you.
I love you, Ben.
The sirens kept wailing as Ben ran and grabbed everything his mother's list told him too. He knew he was supposed to only take the stuff on the list, but he grabbed a few extra things. A picture of him and his mom. A necklace she gave him for his birthday.
The sound of the crash in the living room made him jump, and he almost forgot the cooler as he took off running out the back door. He didn't look back until he reached the fence. There was a hole in it now, and he squeezed through and then kept running until he couldn't see the place anymore and was just walking along the road on his own.
The sun was setting as a truck pulled up along the teenager sitting on the side of the road. "Hey kid, you lost?" The man had a shotgun on his hip, but saw Ben crying and knelt down. "Where are you from?"
"Cicero," he said softly.
"Cic... oh crap." He sighed and stood up. "You got any blood on you?"
Ben shook his head sadly. "My mom told me not to talk to anyone and run. But I can't run anymore."
The trucker looked up the road, then nodded. "Do you have someplace else to go?"
Reaching into his bag, Ben pulled out the map. The trucker looked at it, then nodded. "Ok, I'm heading out towards California on a run. I can drop you off close enough to this place. You help keep me awake and keep the truck clean, and we'll consider it even. Works for you?"
Ben bit his lip and looked down the road towards where he knew his mother was, then back at the trucker. The man put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I know, kid. Come on. You look like you need a nap anyway. Name's Jim."
"I'm Ben." Ben grabbed his stuff and let the older man help him up into the cab of the truck, and as they started down the road, he almost instantly fell asleep in the large bucket seat.