Snowbound

By EH Walter

Can society survive the end of the world? Seventeen year old Lara is about to find out.

Seventeen year old Londoner Lara moves with her writer father to Wisconsin for a year. Wisconsin is not the destination she would have chosen – especially as Freedom, Wisconsin is in the middle of nowhere and under threat of being cut off from civilisation by a massive snow storm. Her tour guide around Freedom is Ethan Walker, whose family farm she and her father are staying on.

Lara is on her way to the farm with Ethan and his sister Katrin when the three get stuck in the snow storm and have to wait it out. Luckily, the Walkers are used to this weather and there are always emergency provisions in the truck. When they manage to get out, they walk back to town to find most of the population camped out at the snowed in town hall. To make matters worse, not only do the snow ploughs not come from the nearest town, there are explosions and an emergency broadcast on the radio – the President announces nuclear war has destroyed most of the country and people are on their own.
The town begins to disintegrate and Lara has to find a way to survive this new world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: EH Walter
• Release date: Nov 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311682178

EH Walter

EH Walter is from Hampshire, but now lives in North London where she lives the impoverished life of a writer. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to be kept up to date and have the chance to contribute names for characters.

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Snowbound

by

EH Walter

Copyright 2015 EH Walter

Smashwords Edition

Cover by Tirzah L Goodwin at acleverwhatever.blogpot.com

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Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

With thanks to my 'cultural advisors': Sean, Gail, Beth, Andrew, Mary, Christie, Christina, Bobbi, Steve, Mirakel, Sarah and Stephanie. Any mistakes, of course, are my own.

Dedicated to my little Eden. I hope we build a better world for you.

Chapter 1

The Butt End of the Universe

When Dad said America I visualised sun, palm trees and beaches. If I thought about a city, the bright lights of New York came to mind. So when he said Wisconsin the first thing I had to do was get out a map to see where the hell it was.

Seriously Dad? I said with my finger poised on the atlas, You have fifty bloody states to choose from and you go for the dairy capital of the US. The 'Badger State'? What's wrong with California, New York or even Montana?

Gary lives in Wisconsin. He says it's very nice.

Who’s Gary?

You know, the freelance book designer I told you about. We became friendly when he took over my series design.

Gary the gay one?

Yes, he is gay. Dad laid down his notebook, the book into which everything was written.

And he know you're not, right?

He knows I have a daughter.

Like that's a badge saying ‘straight’. So Gary lives in Wisconsin and that's why we are going there, not somewhere a little more… fun?

Dad pushed up his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It's the kind of place my character would wash up, help people and go on his way.

This is after your character leaves the army, right?

Dad nodded.

Dad, you do realise your character is becoming more like Jack Reacher by the day?

No he's not.

I shook my head. Dad had it in mind to be the next Lee Child. All his ideas were a complete rip off, but he couldn't see it. The character was even called Zack, Zack Long.

So, because of this Gary guy and his friendship with Dad, and Wisconsin being the kind of place Zack Long might end up in, we went to what I considered to be the butt end of the universe. Wisconsin. The dairy capital of the US. To me, all that guaranteed was that the place would stink of cow shit.

Our plane got in to Milwaukee from London Heathrow, via Chicago, the day before Thanksgiving. The airport looked and sounded like any other and we made our way through immigration controls, easy when you have a blue passport (thanks Mom), and out to baggage claim. We had tried to pack fairly lightly, figuring we could buy what we needed locally, and had two bags each which were reclaimed quickly and slung on an airport trolley.

Gary said he'd meet us, Dad said as we wheeled the trolley out into America.

Gary was the one with a sense of humour I guessed as a tall, broad African American man was stood with a Chinese girl of about my age, maybe a bit younger. Between them they held a sign saying The British are coming! And had wide smiles their faces.

Gary! Dad said and was drawn into a man hug.

The girl smiled at me. She was pretty, with intense probing eyes and long, dark hair that hung without a kink or curl.

We parked the trolley and lifted off our bags.

So this is the beautiful Lara, Gary said to me. He was the least gay, gay man I'd ever met. I'm so pleased you could come. I could tell he wanted to hug me as well as Dad, but restrained himself. Perhaps he feared cracking the great British reserve.

Hiya, the girl said to me, I'm Maya, Gary's daughter.

She put out her hand, which struck me as a little formal, but I shuffled a bag to one side and shook it nonetheless.

Thanks for meeting us, I said as she took one of my bags.

Dad's been real excited about you coming. He wants everything to be just perfect.

That's very kind.

Oh I can't wait. We've never had foreign guests for Thanksgiving. This way, she said as she led us out of the terminal. Dad and Gary lagged behind, catching up.

Outside it was night time so I didn't get to see much considering it was my first sight of my mother's homeland (although I seriously doubted she had ever graced Wisconsin with her august presence). A blast of cold wind whipped through my clothes and the uncomfortable, artificial warmth of the plane and the airport was gone in an instant.

We parked as close as we could, Gary said, but we still have to catch the airport bus.

I looked at Dad, I knew he was planning this as a part of the adventure for his hero who in no way resembled Jack Reacher.

Zack Long climbed aboard the bus, grateful for the warmth that hit him after the cold night air...

No problem Gary, I'm just grateful you met us otherwise we might be going around in circles all night.

Gary laughed politely.

No seriously, I said, Dad has no sense of direction.

Dad scratched his head, Unfortunately that is true. My publishers bought me a mobile phone when I kept going to the wrong office buildings to meet them so they could at least find me.

Not that he ever turns it on, I added, so they now just send a car for him or have someone meet him at the station.

As we waited for the bus Dad and Gary exchanged news about mutual acquaintances and projects and Maya pelted me with questions about Britain:

How do you talk like that? Have you met the queen? Do you have McDonalds over there?

Their car was a big American thing, the kind that you don't see in Britain where fuel costs more and you'd have to sell a kidney to fill its tank. Maya and I climbed in the back. She chatted away, but lulled by the darkness outside the window and my heavy eyes I fell asleep.

When I came to, Gary had parked outside his house. I blinked. To me it looked enormous, but later I came to realise it was averagely sized for a country where land is plentiful.

You're sharing with me, Maya said with a smile and taking my hand she pulled me towards the front door. It's a pretty full house for Thanksgiving, but I've told them not to bother you until tomorrow. They've never met someone from another country before. They already think you live in a castle.

Who are 'they'? I asked as she turned the handle to the front door and pushed it open.

The kids. Grandma's here of course and Aunty Monique. Aunty Monique's kids are Ruby and Theo and then there's cousin Otis who's a bit older and reckons he's too cool for us so he'll probably be behind his computer game the whole time which is kind of a blessing with him. We all come together for Thanksgiving.

Inside was a large hallway, brightly lit with orange tints. It was large and the decor was mainly polished wood. It was cosy and lived in. A pair of small trainers had been abandoned to one side and a comic was on a hallway table.

I'm sorry, I feel like we're intruding in your family occasion.

She flicked her hand dismissively. You and your dad are making it more exciting and poor Ruby can't wait to get your dad to sign about a million things and she has about as many questions to ask him. Shall I take you straight to our room? I guess you must be pretty tired.

I smiled. Thanks.

She led me up to the first floor, which I learnt was called the second floor in America, and to the far end of the house. The door to her room was closed and a sign hung on it stating Maya's Room. She opened the door and pulled me inside.

The room was big, bigger than any bedroom I'd ever had, even when I'd stayed at Uncle Colin's and he was worth a few bob. She had a double bed all to herself, again something I'd never had the privilege of, and a smaller single bed had been placed beside it.

Across the walls were Maya's interests and her personality shone out. She liked the usual asexual boy bands girls of her age were drawn to and she also had some film posters with an emphasis on strong female leads played by actresses such as Charleze Theron, Sandra Bullock and Natalie Durant. But most of all her personality came through in her books, she had shelves of classics and a copy of Wuthering Heights well-thumbed and lying on her bedside table.

I liked her.

She bounced on the double bed. We brought the small one in today, but I thought since you're extra tired you might want mine and I'll sleep in the small one? The linen is all fresh.

I placed my small travel bag beside the small bed. I'm not kicking you out of your own bed, this will do me just fine.

If you're sure. Do you want a shower? I know I would if I'd just travelled all that way.

A shower would be very nice.

She leant over and took my hand again and dragged me to the other end of the room where there was a door. She opened it to reveal an en suite. Another first for me.

Fresh towels are on the side. I'm going downstairs to fend off questions from the terrible twins, I'll be quiet as a mouse when I come back up in case you're asleep.

Thanks.

If you do want to come down, we'll be in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate and watching Grandma prep tomorrow's lunch, it's kind of a Thanksgiving tradition. Join us if you want, but no pressure.

Okay.

Right, I'll be off. See you later. And with a smile she left me to it.

I felt fresher after the shower and had every intention of going down for hot chocolate. I laid down on the single bed to text my boyfriend, Felix, and fell asleep, message unsent and phone still in hand.

The next thing I knew was when I was woken by Maya jumping on the bed. It was morning.

Oh, you're awake, good! She said as my eyes opened. When you get up there are waffles for breakfast and then at nine we always watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on the TV.

I stretched my arms out and yawned.

Were you comfortable? Maya went on, I tried not to disturb you when I came in.

You didn't. I was well out of it. I'm sorry I missed hot chocolate.

No worries, the twins would have bored you to death anyway, she leant in close, "do you people really say fag for cigarette? Someone told me that and I didn't believe it."

Yep, people on the streets of Great Britain can frequently be heard saying they are 'dying for a fag'.

She giggled. That's so funny!

"If you think that’s funny, you really don’t want to know what fanny means."

I'll leave you to get dressed. Follow the smell of waffles if Grandma is cooking or burning if Dad has beaten her to the stove.

As she left I got up and found my phone on the floor. There was a screen full of anxious messages from Felix. I didn't read them, but sent the one I had been in the middle of composing the night before. It was brief and to the point. I had expected myself to miss him and I was rather confused that I didn’t. Not yet, at least.

I dressed in comfy clothes as something told me Thanksgiving was mainly food-based and an elasticated waist band might be an advantage. I didn't have slippers, they were on the 'to buy' list, so I put on my thickest socks instead. Tucking my hair behind my ears I made some effort to make the bed before leaving the room and padding downstairs.

The house looked different in daylight, less cosy – but it still felt like a family home. The scent of delicious waffles helped me negotiate my way and my stomach clenched in anticipation. The plane food hadn’t been much to write home about and I had given most of it a miss. I hadn’t had a decent meal for several days as Dad and I had been living on microwave meals since packing the house up. It was being rented unfurnished as an incentive for us to stay in the States and for Dad to write his book. Ergo, I was pretty bloody hungry.

I followed the scent of waffles through the hallway and to the back of the house where the door to an enormous kitchen was open and the sound of laughter floated out.

Lara! Maya said as I appeared and rushed to my side as if she was my personal interpreter of American culture. She led me to a high stool which was placed in front of some kind of high table or worktop. I sat on the stool and a glass of orange juice was pushed in front of me. Other people were around the other sides of the table. Opposite me was a woman who I presumed to be Maya’s grandmother. She was setting out plates and looked up and smiled at me. She had kind eyes. To my left were two small children and on my right a boy whose eyes were glued to an iPhone on which he appeared to be playing games. Another woman, younger than Maya’s grandmother, was pouring coffee which she offered to me with her eyes. I nodded and she placed it beside the orange juice, nudging a jug of cream towards me.

Maya introduced everyone to me: This is Grandma, Aunty Monique, Ruby and Theo, and Otis.

I tried to smile at each of them as they were introduced. All apart from Otis, who didn’t even look up, smiled back and Ruby stared at me with an open mouth. Then she leant over to Theo, whispered in his ear and nudged him in the rib with her elbow.

Where’s Dad? I asked Maya.

In the den with my dad, they’re looking through cover art for your dad’s next book.

Dad’s next book to be released in the States was a continuation of his most successful series which involved cute little animals living as people. The latest book was called ‘Animal Farm’ in which Dad saw no irony in whatsoever. In ‘Animal Farm’, Farmer Duck was having problems with his harvest. It was not exactly riveting stuff and Dad was sick of writing it. His boredom showed, but kids and their parents kept buying it anyway. And all the spin off merchandise.

What’s a den? I asked, pouring cream in my coffee and imagining the secret bases my childhood friends and I had created in the middle of bushes with old bits of wood and offcuts of carpet.

Maya looked confused. The den. It’s the den. Don’t you have dens?

Not the kind you have I think.

Monique put waffles on plates. She was a beautiful woman with strong cheekbones and full lips. She was dressed in a top covered with a pattern in bright, fuchsia pink and black. The den is like a study, Lara.

Oh. Thanks. We don’t have dens. Unless you’re a kid building one in the woods.

Ruby looked up at me seriously. Do you live in a castle like a princess?

I tried not to laugh. No, I live in a house. It’s thinner than this one, but taller. It’s in London. Well I guess I should use the past tense really. I did live in a house in London but we’ve rented it out to someone else for a year.

My friend Sean moved to Wales, Otis said without looking up from his gaming, do you know him?

Probably not.

Where exactly in England is Wales?

I debated correcting him and detailing the exact geography and independence of the principality and the proud nature of the Welsh, but he was already absorbed in his game again.

Waffles? Maya’s grandmother asked me and I nodded. Monique gave us all a plate of waffles. Waffles for breakfast was another first. It beat cornflakes and toast every time. Especially with maple syrup poured all over. I took a fork from Monique and tucked in, using the edge of the fork like a knife.

Does the queen live in a castle? Ruby asked with her mouth open, With the princesses?

She has a couple of castles and a few palaces too. She is far too posh to have just one.

I want to be a princess, Ruby said.

Stupid, Theo said. I want to be a spaceman.

I’d rather be a spaceman too, I said and Theo gave his sister an ‘I told you’ look. It’s more exciting. Princesses just seem to have their photos taken wearing different clothes.

Oh Ruby would have no problem with that! Monique laughed. She sat with us. Tell me Lara, what do you think of America so far?

To be honest I’ve only seen the inside of an airport, a car and this house so far.

You should spend a few days here in Milwaukee, there’s lots to see.

Maya smiled. Oh you should Lara. I can show you around.

Yes, Monique continued, you should see 'Skywaukee' at the very least.

I think Dad wanted to get off and settled as soon as possible.

Monique leant towards me, Lara, you seem like a city girl to me and maybe you need a bit of culture before your Dad drags you off in to backwater, USA.

Is the town that bad?

I wouldn’t live there. I’m sure it’s fine. Gary thought it was pretty but he was only there a few weeks and that was in the spring.

My face fell. How big is it?

I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask my brother.

It’s the house he stayed in, right?

Maya nodded.

Did you go there?

She shook her head. I had school.

What was he doing there if it’s such a backwater?

Monique spoke: He was designing the cover for some dairy farmer’s book. I think it was a vanity project, but he paid well. Gary did his cover and got to stay in the guest house. He said it was the first place he thought of when your dad described the kind of place he was after.

I gazed at the table. And I guess Dad said somewhere in the back arse of beyond?

Monique laughed and Maya looked horrified. That’s one way of putting it.

Watching Macy’s Thanksgiving parade on the TV was one of their family traditions so I tried to enjoy it, but it seemed to me a bit odd to watch something on TV when really, you needed to be there. There were only so many times you could go Oo, look at that costume... Maya and the twins enjoyed it, and although Otis joined us in the living room, his eyes stuck firmly to the screen of his iPhone.

About halfway through Dad appeared with a handful of yellow A4 sheets in his hand. They were covered in his scribble and he sat beside me and began to go through them, adding extra comments with the pen from his pocket.

Gary's been giving me lots of background detail, Dad said, oblivious to the frown Maya was giving him for talking over the television commentary, how to get around if you don't have a car, what the food would be like on the road et cetera. I've got a much better idea of who Zack Long is now.

Jack Reacher, I muttered under my breath.

As I see it, he's a man who has always been on the side of the law, but when he leaves the army he sees there are some things and places the law can't reach and he feels compelled to take action. I can't wait to make a start. I know how he gets in to the town now, there’s a bus running along the state highway that stops in the next town. Then he can hitch to Freedom.

Why would he want to hitch into the butt end of the universe?

To see the world, to see America.

I bit down on another Jack Reacher retort. Can we see a bit of Milwaukee, before we go to the butt end of the universe?

Milwaukee?

Yes, this rather large city we find ourselves in. Monique has been telling me about the different places we should see.

Dad shot a look towards the kitchen where Monique was helping her mother make Thanksgiving dinner. The look said ‘traitor’. I want to get settled in Freedom, Lara. Gary says the weather can get quite bad out there so we should buy all our supplies before it moves in.

I sighed. So not only is it the butt end of the universe, it gets shitty weather too?

Lara, please stop referring to it as ‘the butt end of the universe’. That’s hardly going to endear the locals to us.

I wouldn’t say it in front of them, would I?

I don’t know with you, Lara.

So Dad... can we stick around for a bit?

Maya jumped up, leaving her beloved Macy’s parade and came to my side. Please sir, we’d love to have Lara here for a bit longer. I’d show her all the sights.

I seriously doubted Milwaukee had much in the way of sights, but I wasn’t going to debate that when I was campaigning to stay in the city, any city, for a little longer.

No Lara. I’ve made a strict schedule for myself.

I sulked as only teenagers can and stared numbly at the TV as Hello Kitty and Snoopy floated along 6th Avenue. I have to say, as parades go it was the most polished and expensive looking I had seen. It was a little different to a load of lorries decorated with paper streamers that I was more used to in Britain.

Watching the parade made me want to see New York which in turn made me want to stay in Milwaukee because there was no way Dad would let me go to New York and Milwaukee was the next best thing.

I resolved not to talk to my dad for the rest of the day. That would show him.

After the parade, the channel was changed and the build-up for an American football game began. I’d never watched American football and I was not very impressed. At first I thought it was like rugby, but the men were too scared to play without armour and then, as the game went on it seemed to be advertisements with the odd pause for some sports breaks. I was not converted from real football. To me, it was rugby for pansies.

Is there a downstairs toilet I could use? I asked.

Maya blinked. Do you mean the rest room? We don’t say ‘toilet’.

I opened my mouth to say I wasn’t going to rest there, but pressed my lips together. Then I asked: Is there a downstairs rest room?

Just across the hallway.

I looked out of the window as I crossed the room. Outside it looked miserable and grey. I might as well still be in Britain. So much for my dreams of Californian sunshine – although we deliberately wouldn’t go there as it was where my mum had made her home.

When the rugby for pansies game finished we proceeded to the dining room where Monique, Gary and Maya’s grandmother had laid out what really was a feast.

Even Otis laid down his iPhone when faced with Thanksgiving dinner.

Laid out on the table was a dressed turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes glistening with brown sugar. There were two types of cranberry sauce, with and without berries in, and the cranberries themselves were the biggest I had ever seen. There was a huge jug of gravy which everyone poured over their plates with generous abandon.

Apple cider? Gary asked me and