Chapter 207: Insect Plague, On the Road 6

Evelyn Ford took out her binoculars and stared at the sky for a long time. The orange-red sky looked like a sunset, almost too beautiful. If it weren’t for the swarms of insects, she would have even wanted to take out her phone and snap a picture.

"What are you looking at?"

Evelyn Ford handed the binoculars to Ronan Kendrick. "Take a look. Has the sky changed color?"

Ronan Kendrick took them and watched for half a minute. "It has changed color. The temperature is probably going to drop."

Ronan Kendrick’s words soon proved true. Two hours later, as the vehicle passed through a tunnel, the temperature suddenly dropped by five degrees.

Wyatt Vaughn rubbed his arms, rummaged through his bag for a worn-out jacket, and put it on.

"How did it get so cold all of a sudden? Geez, it’s freezing."

"It looks like the insects are getting thicker again. Why do I get the feeling it’s about to rain?" Quincy stopped the car and put on a jacket as well.

Just then, a fierce wind suddenly kicked up outside. The insects were swept up into the gale. Evelyn Ford closed the car window and held Mina tightly in her arms.

Driving across the plains was relatively easy since the road was wide and straight. Evelyn Ford suddenly told Quincy to stop the car, then pointed to the railroad tracks on the right.

"There are a few train cars over there. Let’s go check them out."

Evelyn Ford took out her whistle and blew three times, and the vehicle ahead of them also came to a stop.

Everyone saw the train cars. Grabbing their tools, they crossed over deadwood, thorns, and a wire fence, heading straight for the railroad tracks.

"There are bodies inside."

Ronan Kendrick peered through the glass. "There’s a knife sticking out of one of the bodies. These people didn’t die of natural causes."

The train doors were shut tight, so everyone started prying them open with their tools. Evelyn Ford went to another car, lifted her foot, and kicked hard.

The door quickly broke open. As Evelyn Ford entered the car, waves of a foul stench washed over her. This must have been a train forced to a halt by a torrential downpour. It was still crammed with luggage. Strangely, the train hadn’t been looted by anyone else.

Evelyn Ford took down all the suitcases. When the others came in and saw what she was doing, they began to follow her example. Soon, the few cars were picked clean.

"We found a lot of clothes and shoes. More than a hundred people died in here."

Evelyn Ford stood outside, watching the others continue to search for supplies. Serena Lynch came over with Annie to talk to her, but she didn’t even react at first.

"Evelyn Ford, what’s wrong?"

Evelyn Ford snapped out of it and gently shook her head. She didn’t know what was wrong either. ’Everything just feels so strange and absurd.’

Sometimes, she couldn’t even tell if she was in reality or a dream.

They found some personal IDs in the suitcases. Some belonged to students in their teens, others to migrant workers in their fifties or sixties.

There was a train tunnel not far away. It was highly likely that an earthquake or a torrential downpour had washed these cars here. There were four of them, with no engine or caboose, just sitting on the tracks.

’If any passing vehicles saw these cars, there’s no way they wouldn’t have stopped to open the doors and search for supplies.’

"Serena, have you ever played video games?"

"Video games?"

Evelyn Ford nodded. "In video games, illogical bugs sometimes appear."

Evelyn Ford’s head suddenly began to throb with pain. She looked up, feeling as if the sky itself was moving, and then collapsed heavily to the ground.

When she woke up again, she was already in the car. Ronan Kendrick was holding her in his arms, and Quincy was driving up front. Evelyn tried to sit up, but when she went to speak, she found her throat was terribly sore.

"Where’s the train?"

"What train?"

Evelyn Ford looked at the three of them, but she couldn’t see any hint of a prank on their faces.

"A little while ago, I saw a few train cars, so we got out to search for supplies. Then my head started hurting badly, and I passed out."

Quincy frowned at her. "There were no train cars. The temperature suddenly dropped right after we came out of the tunnel, and then you fell asleep. Ronan Kendrick said you had a bit of a fever. Evelyn Ford, you’ve been asleep for three hours."

Evelyn Ford looked out the window. The plains were gone, and now there were mountains on both sides of the road.

Evelyn Ford closed her eyes and massaged her temples. After a long moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Ronan Kendrick.

"Was I really dreaming?"

Ronan Kendrick gently brushed back her stray hairs. "Don’t worry. Tell me everything again from the beginning, and I’ll help you sort it out."

Evelyn Ford was incredulous. "You believe me?"

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Of course. Because I was just dreaming, too."

Quincy looked back at them, his expression complex. "Are you two under too much stress?"

Evelyn Ford ignored him and looked at Ronan Kendrick instead. "Your dream... was it the same as mine?"

Ronan Kendrick nodded again.

Once again, Evelyn Ford couldn’t distinguish dream from reality. She glanced out the window; the sky was still a hazy gray.

Just then, Quincy slammed on the brakes. Evelyn Ford’s momentum threw her forward, and her head smacked against the glass.

Evelyn Ford opened her eyes, frowning as she rubbed her forehead.

"Damn, there was a pothole. Good thing I’m a decent driver. Evelyn Ford, you’re awake?"

Evelyn Ford stared at Quincy without a word. In the cramped space of the back seat, she felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cave.

—

Their next stop was a small town, where they planned to rest for five hours. Everyone got out to build fires and cook. Now that they had rice and flour, they could finally improve their meals.

Ronan Kendrick got a fire going while Evelyn Ford took out an iron pot to wash rice.

Various plants and wild vegetables had already started growing by the roadside. Evelyn Ford went to dig some up, planning to make a vegetable stir-fry.

While taking things out of her bag, Evelyn Ford pulled a piece of fresh venison from her space, preparing to stir-fry it.

Quincy knew Evelyn Ford had chili peppers, so he brought over a bagful of wild vegetables to trade for a handful of dried ones.

The others went to search for supplies in the town’s houses. In a dilapidated Mountain God Temple, they found a well. It had water, but the surface was covered by a thick layer of dead insects.

By the time Evelyn Ford finished cooking, Ronan Kendrick had just returned from gathering wild vegetables. He was fast, having dug up a large gunnysack full in just over forty minutes.

When no one was looking, Evelyn Ford stored the wild vegetables in her space.

"Wash your hands. Time to eat."

The aroma of cooked rice filled the air. Even though Evelyn Ford had spent several minutes picking weevils out of the rice while washing it, it still smelled delicious.

"Mr. Ronan Kendrick, is there any game nearby? We’re planning to go up the mountain." A few people ran over to ask Ronan Kendrick about the conditions in the mountains. He pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"No."

The group was disappointed. "Really? Nothing at all? I was hoping to show what I can do."

Ronan Kendrick didn’t pay them any more attention. Feeling snubbed, the group walked away.

Evelyn Ford picked up a piece of meat and put it in Ronan Kendrick’s bowl, then leaned closer to him. "Is there really no game in the mountains?"

Ronan Kendrick smiled. "I don’t lie."

"Alright. It’s just that you hesitated for a few seconds. I thought maybe there was prey in the mountains that they couldn’t handle, and that’s why you didn’t tell them."

Ronan Kendrick just kept smiling.

Evelyn Ford took out a cup and mixed a very strong black coffee. She was feeling dazed today and needed a pick-me-up.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the others returned to the vehicles to sleep. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick continued up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables. The ones growing now had leaves and stems that looked a lot like spinach, and they left a sweet aftertaste.

Two hours later, a series of urgent whistle blows echoed. After stowing the gunnysack in her space, the two of them headed back down the mountain.