He saw that dozens of paperback books lay in the dust around him, their pages flipping wildly in the restless hand of the wind, and to the left were the remains of a little clapboard structure with a hand-painted SULLIVAN PUBLIC LIBRARY sign. A small caf�� had also collapsed, except for the sign that read GOOD EATS Every step an exercise in agony, Josh walked past the crumbled buildings. A sign flapping back and forth on its hinges advertised TUCKER'S HARDWARE AND FEEDS, but the store's front window was shattered and the place looked bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard. There was a Texaco station with one pump and a garage whose roof had collapsed. He saw no cars, no hint of light or life. The dark town-just a scatter of wind-ravaged buildings and a few widely spaced houses on dusty lots-beckoned him onward.
He looked to the side, and something small-a jackrabbit? he wondered-darted out of sight behind the ruins of the caf��. Something moved at the corner of his vision. He lifted his foot and kicked at its center, knocking it off its hinges, and they crossed the porch to the front door. "Wake up, now." She mumbled, and he set her down then he tried the door but found it latched from the inside. Josh walked across the dirt lot and up the porch steps to the screen door. The hand-lettered name was Davy and Leona Skelton. The mailbox, supported on a crooked pedestal, was painted white and had what appeared to be an eye, with upper and lower lids, painted on it in black. He and Sister entered the woods after the shuffling figure of the man in the ski mask and left the highway of death behind. His ribs ached where the beast had hit him, and his legs felt like short pieces of soft rubber. Artie looked over his shoulder, terrified of more lurking predators coming up behind him. They had no choice but to hurry after him. "You broke my screen door," a woman's voice said in the gloom. He headed for the next house, further along and across the road. He approached one of the houses but stopped when he saw a body curled up like a question mark on the front porch steps. She held onto that Cookie Monster doll like life itself and occasionally flinched in her tormented sleep. Josh was stiff with cold, and he knew Swan must be freezing, too. We'll come with you, Mr.-"īut he was already moving again, heading into the edge of the dense forest. It took Sister about two more seconds to make up her mind. He saw the woman's gnarled finger on the trigger. Josh had just put his hand on the knob when the door flew open and the barrel of a pistol looked him in the eyes. "Friend, that's going to attract every scavenger within smelling distance-and believe me, some of those bastards can sniff blood a long, long way." Johns is about four or five miles west." The man looked at Artie, who was dripping blood onto the snow. There may be a few people left, but after that flood of refugees washed in from the east I'd be surprised if you'd find much in any town along I-80. Hazleton's the nearest town of any size, and that's about ten miles south of St. Josh could see the outline of her head, but not her face her head angled toward Swan. If not, I'll say have a good trip to Detroit." If you want to go back with me, you'll be welcome. My cabin's about two miles north of here, as the crow flies.
"Sounds like the makings of a stew to me. Whatever Sullivan had once been, it was dead now. He thought he must look like a zombie, or like the Frankenstein monster carrying the fainted heroine in his arms. He carried the exhausted child in his arms, as he had for the past two hours, and walked stiff-legged, the soles of his feet oozing with blisters and blood in shoes that were coming apart at the seams. The wind was still shoving mightily at his back, but after what seemed like eight hours of walking yesterday and at least five today, he was about to topple to the ground. we've got some corn, and green beans, and boiled potatoes." "Money ain't worth nothin' no more I'd blow your damn head off if I wouldn't have to clean up the mess"
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