I ran my hand through the leafy greens, blossoming over the side of the planter despite the cold weather.
"After Daybreak, the community came together. Stoners, college kids, the rich, the homeless, families with kids – we all created a food system that works, and feeds everyone. It was really the agricultural knowledge of the large Hispanic population that saved us."
I looked down the way at another planter. A woman and a child were pawing through it, picking out ripe squash. "How do you ration the food?"
Erika shrugged. "We don't. People know that if the vegetables are over-harvested, there won't be any seeds for next year. Besides, a lot of hard work goes into it – and there is plenty to go around. Some leftover, even, that is used for compost or shipped off to neighboring cities in exchange for other supplies. Look over there."
She pulled on my arm until we approached a rectangular, stepped enclosure. Chicken wire hung from a railing on one side, infused with vines.
"Writer Square. This used to be a fountain. We took any space we could and turned it into a food source."
As she talked I turned around, mouth dropping open. Buses facing both directions of the street sat where they had probably stalled out during the EMP. The tops were torn off and the windows knocked out. Corn stalks grew out of one, a row of fruit trees from the other. The words 'free mall ride' were still visible on the sides of the busses.
Behind us, the mall was lined with what had previously been bars, restaurants, and retail stores. On the left, all of the infrastructure was still intact. People entered and exited the building with baskets of supplies, sleeping bags and more food – like they were out for their daily shopping trip. Across the way, every single window was broken out. There were even holes in the brick and mortar façade of the buildings. Plants and herbs, growing inside, were packed in where dresses and shoes used to be.
"Brings a whole new meaning to window shopping," Erika said, nudging me. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
I smiled at her enthusiasm. A man passed, whistling. He tipped his hat at us. I nodded back. Further up the outdoor mall, a large group sat around a pair of teenagers playing a guitar and banjo. In sync clapping sprouted up and people got to their feet to dance.
Erika waived at one of them, then turned to me. "Daybreak is the best thing that could've happened to this place."
The smile froze on my face, and my ears rang with her words. I was shocked - because she was right.
Chapter 39
Expediting the Process
"It's been awhile; we had almost given up hope," Arianna greeted Shawn on the platform.
"Burns take a long time to heal," Shawn said.
Especially with no more skin graft surgery, he thought to himself.
"Let's see." Arianna gestured to his hands.
He held them up for her. The swelling had gone down. Yellow puss was replaced by angry red and pink tissue.
"Any infections?" she asked, gesturing to his unwrapped hands.
"We have medicine, for now," he replied, looking at the women assembling on the stairs. "How many will there be today?"
"As many as you can handle, Athame Wielder." Arianna moved to stand behind him.
"What about you? Aren't you anxious to be released?" Shawn asked. Without her there, maybe he could find some sort of shortcut.
She cocked her head at him, almost smiling. "I will go right before Sarah."
Of course she will. Shawn huffed.
He turned to the first waiting in line. A Water this time. He craned his neck around her, and motioned for another to step forward as well.
"What are you doing?" Arianna asked.
Shawn held one of each of his hands over the Shade's heads. "Expediting the process. My second crew just reached Denver – I need to go greet them."
Chapter 40
A Little Crazy
"Erika, wait!"
She paused and turned as we headed to where One Less set up camp.
"I have a confession to make."
She raised her eyebrow and waited.
I cleared my throat. "I…um. Well, the reason I hid in your group…um—"
"Just spit it out." She crossed her arms.
"Well, I had a thing with Shawn, and I can't see him again. I don't want him to see me."
She stepped forward, gesturing to the side of my face now caked with ink. "With the number you did on yourself, I doubt he'd recognize you."
"Maybe…" I ran my fingers through my short strands, trying to convince myself of the same.
"Look, if you want to disappear – this is the place to do it. I can make it look like our camp numbers are still whole. But you gotta make a decision. In or out."
"In, definitely in." I didn't walk all that way just to quit now. "But I thought, maybe I could stay away, just for tonight. That way you can let me know if he is there – and where he hangs out. I could just avoid those areas."