Sojourn: The Beastlands

By B. D. Messick

With help from their new allies “The Gracelanders”, Rayn and Luk prepare to take on the most daunting part of their Sojourn; the journey into the heart of the Beastlands, a landscape of nightmares, both flora and fauna. Abominations created by chemical and biological warfare before the Great Collapse roam the twisted jungle seeking out those foolish enough to venture inside.

As they look eastward across the Mississippi River toward the Beastlands, Rayn still carries the guilt for Amelia’s death deep within her heart; a growing storm of rage and hate, that threatens to consume her. She must overcome the darkness or risk losing everyone she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
• Release date: Aug 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781680463064

B. D. Messick

B.D. Messick was born in Baltimore, years and years ago. He has held a lot of jobs in his lifetime, including retail professional, board game designer, and even farm hand (best job ever).He currently resides somewhere in the Pittsburgh area where he spends his time writing as much as possible while cleaning up after FAR too many cats.

Book preview

by B. D. Messick

With help from their new allies The Gracelanders, Rayn and Luk prepare to take on the most daunting part of their Sojourn; the journey into the heart of the Beastlands, a landscape of nightmares, both flora and fauna. Abominations created by chemical and biological warfare before the Great Collapse roam the twisted jungle seeking out those foolish enough to venture inside.

As they look eastward across the Mississippi River toward the Beastlands, Rayn still carries the guilt for Amelia’s death deep within her heart; a growing storm of rage and hate, that threatens to consume her. She must overcome the darkness or risk losing everyone she loves.

Table of Contents

Sojourn, The Beastlands

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

About the Author

Previews

Chapter One

The Beastlands.

I can hardly believe that we made it. I look over at Luk and I know I wouldn't be here without him. I squeeze his fingers gently as I watch the sun dip below the tops of the trees on the west side of the Mississippi. We have a good sized fire burning in the center of a small clearing between two particularly large trees that are serving as our campsite. A pan filled with mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, and rice, bubbles slowly over the heat, held above the flames by two flat rocks. Luk and I are sitting side-by-side with our backs against the trunk of one of the big trees, watching the flames flicker and dance against the darkening night. Luk looks over at me and smiles.

Turning my head, I slip my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. I press my lips against his for a few seconds before releasing him and leaning my head against his shoulder.

Love you.

Love you, too, I reply.

A little while later, after we've finished off our mushroom and tomato stew and Luk is cleaning up the dishes and pan, I wander back toward the river. There's a small rise that overlooks the muddy waterway. Looking toward the west, I wish I could see past the tall forest of trees to glimpse Graceland one more time. I have a bad feeling that I won't be coming back this way again. I hear Luk walking up behind me and I turn, a loving expression on my face.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

He looks across the river and then back at me. You miss 'em already, don't you?

I do, I say quietly.

He takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine. Me, too.

I shake my head and sigh. Come on, we should get some rest.

We head back to our little camp. Luk pokes and prods the fire until it flares up again and tosses on two small logs while I lay out our blankets and roll up a couple of shirts for pillows. I strip off my shirt, pants, and boots while Luk does the same. I can't help but stare at his heavily muscled chest as he undresses. He's thinner now than he was back in Vegas, but it only serves to accentuate his build. I can also see the story of what's happened to us on this journey written on both our bodies, from the scars on his chest, to the puncture wounds on my upper thigh, and the metal and leather glove on my hand.

The only light now comes from the fire as it shifts and moves with the breeze, first illuminating parts of us and then throwing us back in darkness. Luk looks at me and I can see the love in his eyes. It's been a long time since we've been alone and in a place where death was not just around the corner. I take a step toward him and suddenly we're kissing, both of us eager to show the other how we feel. Our lips form together, shifting and sliding as our hands explore, sometimes hesitantly, and sometimes with more boldness. I feel his fingers slide down my back to the smooth curve just above my hips. I want more, I want his hand to move down, so I mimic his movements, letting my own hand slip down his back until my fingers touch the top of his underwear.

For a moment, I freeze and I feel him tense up and then I simply allow my fingers to travel lower, tracing a line down his buttocks, squeezing gently. He follows my cue and suddenly his hands are on my ass, on top of my underwear. Ever so slowly, his hands move across my thighs, his fingertips delicately touching each of the puncture wounds from the dunehounds and then they begin a slow upward journey until they reach the bullet wound that scars my abdomen. Before, I might have been embarrassed or even sickened by the thought of Luk touching a part of my body that's scarred or damaged, but now I find it both erotic and exciting.

It feels like I'm on fire, but in the best way possible. Every time his hand moves, it sends shocks of electricity pulsing through my body, from top to bottom. He pulls me closer and as our hips meet, I can feel his excitement. I press my lips harder against his, and allow my tongue to slip across his teeth, and finally into his mouth where his tongue meets mine. For a few moments, they twist around each other like two snakes dancing through the grass. I can feel his hand inching up past my stomach before it stops just below my breasts. Out of nowhere, a huge winged bug lands on Luk's head, probably attracted by the light of the fire. He jumps up and brushes it off and then we look at each other and I start laughing.

I guess it's not meant to be, I say, although I really, really want it to be.

Guess not, he replies, laughing along with me.

I stare at him as the shadows from the fire play across his face and chest and I sigh. I'm a little nervous about what would have been next, so the arrival of the bug is probably a good thing, but there's still part of me that would have been happy to have it happen.

Maybe we should save this for when we get back.

Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Something to look forward to.

Yeah, I say as the burning inside me slowly dims along with our little campfire.

Let's get some rest.

A little while later we're laying on our blankets, my head resting on his chest as I trace lines along his scars this time. He has his arm folded behind his head, so he can see my face as we talk.

So, what's the plan for tomorrow?

Well, I say before placing a soft kiss on his chest, first thing we need to do is find the highway again. I'm pretty sure that it's probably a little north of here. I think we drifted south a bit during the crossing.

You're probably right.

After that, we just follow it as far as we can. I'm hoping that some of the towns between here and Birmingham are in better condition than Memphis.

Yeah. I know you didn't have a chance to get out much when we were at the house, but Mona and Olson took me to see what's left of the city, he says, shaking his head. It was worse than any of the places we've seen so far. Almost all the buildings were demolished. They're lying on top of each other like a kid's wooden blocks, and most of the area is still flooded. Mona said they rarely scavenge inside the remains, they're just too unstable.

That's what I figured.

Okay, so we find the highway and head south. What's the first town?

Probably a place called Holly Springs, I say, flipping through the maps in my head.

Sounds nice.

Yeah, let's hope it's still nice.

Okay, well...if you can stop playing with my chest we can get some sleep.

I look at him and grin.

What's the matter? You want me to stop? I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.

Hey, you can play all you want, but don't blame me when you can't get up in the morning.

Fine, I say, mock pouting and sticking out my bottom lip.

C'mere. He pulls me up and tenderly kisses my cheek, eyelids, and finally my lips.

Okay, now I can go to sleep. I snuggle in close to him and close my eyes.

* * * *

We're up and on our way before the sun has even fully risen. We head along the river's edge hoping to intersect with the highway within a few miles. The terrain on this side of the waterway is quite different. Instead of the bog and swamp lands, vast fields of low growing grasses dotted with wildflowers blanket the area. We still have to watch our footing as ruts and holes can crop up out of nowhere, threatening to trip us up, or worse. Luk sidles up next to me as we walk, taking my hand, tickling my fingers playfully. I look over at him, grateful that he's still with me after everything we've been through.

It doesn't take long before we reach the old roadway, a strip of black cutting through the green landscape to the east as far as we can see, while to the west, the road ends abruptly at the river. We turn southeast, following the old cracked and pitted highway. It's similar to the roads we traveled in the Wildlands, but it’s in far worse condition with large portions of the pavement overgrown with weeds and grasses. I slip on my sunglasses as the sun rises above the trees to the east. I keep a wary eye on the dilapidated and abandoned buildings that border the road on both sides. Most of them are either partially or completely collapsed, and none of them look like they would be worth searching. After a few miles I begin to relax as the peaceful and tranquil landscape slowly causes me to lower my guard.

It's pretty obvious that it's here that the Earth is slowly and inexorably erasing all evidence of our existence, as if it's healing itself from our infestation. In the Deadlands, it's only burying our man-made constructs under the sand, but here the rain beats down, rusting and pitting the stone and metal, while the plants rip and tear at the very foundations of our greatest monuments.

Hey, you okay? Luk asks.

Yeah, why? I answer, looking over at him.

I was asking you how far it is to Holly Springs.

Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something, I say, shaking my head. It's probably about forty miles, maybe a little less, but it's hard to tell without knowing exactly where we are.

Luk nods and grins at me. For a while he says nothing and then a little way down the road, he suddenly speaks up again.

You wanna share?

What?

What you were thinking about.

Oh, it's nothing really. I was just thinking about how we're slowly being erased from the world.

He nods. That’s not nothing, he says. But I know what you mean. It doesn't seem like the things we built are going to last much longer.

And then what?

And then we build something new, something better.

You really think we have a chance? I don't see much out here but ruins. The Enclaves are about it for us, and if Atlanta's fallen, then it's probably just a matter of time for the others.

What about places like Graceland? If they're making a go of it, there has to be more.

I sigh. Maybe. But something tells me that there are more Jacobs than Elis around.

Luk stares at me and I see a sad expression build on his face, but then it slowly melts into a look of steely determination.

There might be, but we have to have hope.

Hope, I say quietly, the word meaning little as it tumbles from my lips.

Luk reaches out and takes my hand and some of the dark clouds surrounding me seem to fade away, but I feel that black spot in my heart grow just a bit bigger.

The sun is about midway across the sky when we spot two objects on the road, maybe six hundred yards ahead. We move off to the side, wading through a patch of knee high grass until I find a spot where we can get a better look without being so exposed. I slip my pack off and pick up my rifle, wrapping the strap around my arm to help me steady the weapon as I peer through the scope. The first thing I notice is how much my right arm is shaking as I hold the gun. I tighten my grip in an effort to stop the tremors.

What is it? Luk asks.

Hold on, I reply as I sweep the scope back and forth searching for any movement in the area.

Well? Luk asks again, somewhat impatiently.

It's two buses, big ones. They look burned.

Don't see anyone?

I shake my head as I slip my arm out of the strap and grab my pack. Luk helps me get the bag back on, but I decide to carry the rifle for now. Luk un-slings his bow and notches an arrow on the string. I look over at him.

Can't be too careful, right? he asks.

Right.

We stay off the road, making our way through the grass along the shoulder as we approach the buses. More details come into view as we draw closer. Not only are the two vehicles burned out, they're also full of bullet holes from small arms fire. Most of the windows are broken out, and the ones that aren't, are cracked or blackened from the fire. It looks like the vehicles used to be silver and white with a large depiction of a blue dog on the side.

We're not checking inside, Luk says.

Doesn't look like it's worth checking anyway.

We walk past the destroyed vehicles, both of us giving them one final look.

Things must have been really bad back then, Luk says sadly.

A nightmare is more like it.

A gloomy quiet settles over us as we leave the wrecks behind. I sling my rifle back across my shoulder as Luk does the same with his bow. For the longest time neither of us utters a word, our thoughts elsewhere. Life in the world now is not easy; it's a daily struggle to survive, but from what Luk and I have witnessed on this journey, things back before the collapse were far worse and people were not prepared for it. These days when you meet someone out here, you're already thinking the worst, so if something bad does happen, you can usually handle it. Unfortunately, when things started to go downhill, I think of lot of people were in denial, unwilling or unable to understand what was happening. Neighbors turned on neighbors, friends on friends and then it was too late to turn back, the die had been cast.

Suddenly, I spot something moving in the tree line a few dozen yards from the road. I turn my head back, pretending to look down the road as I keep my eyes focused on the woods. A few minutes later, I see it again, something darting between the trees, but I can't tell if it's human or animal. I slide my right hand around my back, feeling for the pistol tucked into my belt.

Keep looking down the road, I say.

What? What is it? Luk asks while following my directions.

There's something in the tree line, to the left.

I see him start to turn his head, but he covers it by looking down at me and smiling.

Person?

I can't tell, but it's definitely following us.

What do you want to do?

Nothing for now. Let's just keep moving, I say, tracking our stalker with my eyes.

I hear Luk unsnap the button on his knife scabbard.

Stay calm.

He just nods.

As we continue down the road, I keep one eye on the highway and the other on the trees in the distance. About thirty yards ahead, the woods end abruptly, leaving a sizeable gap of open terrain before the next small grove. I tap Luk's leg with my hand.

When we pass the gap, let's get off the road. Right shoulder, I say, gesturing with my head.

Gotcha.

As we move parallel to the small open field, Luk and I quickly dart off the highway, dropping down onto our stomachs. I grab my rifle and set the stock on the ground as I look through the scope. I swing the rifle right and left, scanning the woods and the open field, searching for any movement.

Anything? Luk asks.

I shake my head. Nothing yet.

Part of me wants there to be someone there so we can settle this, but another part is hoping it's just a deer or some other animal going about its business. After a few minutes of waiting with no sign of any movement, I lower the rifle. Luk looks over at me.

What do ya' think?

Well, whatever it was, it’s either watching and waiting just like we are, or it was just some animal and it's gone now.

And your vote is for?

I'm sure it was someone, not something. I look across the highway at the grassy field.

What do you want to do?

We can't just lie here all day. I guess we get back on the move and just keep an eye out for anything else out of the ordinary.

Okay, sounds good, but I'm walking on your left now.

For a moment, I'm not sure what he means, but then I realize it's so he’s closer to the woods than me, so he could potentially shield me from any initial attack. I frown at him and he shakes his head.

No arguments, it's done.

Fine.

We get up together, brushing the dirt and pebbles off our clothes, and then we start down the road again. I keep a close eye on the tree line this time without making a show of watching the road. Whoever or whatever is following us already knows we're onto them anyway, so why hide it? For the next couple of miles, we see nothing of our stalker, but I keep up my constant scanning of the nearby trees and grassy fields. Luk taps my arm and then gestures with an upward nod of his head. The road in front of us is buckled and torn, with large chunks sticking almost straight up in the air, and the damage extends as far as the eye can see, north to south. It looks like a messy blanket on a bed, with all the sudden hills and valleys.

Jesus, I say, as we approach the section of mangled asphalt and earth.

I'm gonna guess that the earthquakes in the area did this.

Probably. I don't see any bomb craters or anything.

We start to climb up the newly formed hill and when we begin to crest the top, Luk stops abruptly and I nearly run into him.

What? What's the matter? I ask, a little annoyed, and then I see why he stopped.

Hundreds of vehicles are lined up in a traffic jam that looks like it extends for miles to the southeast. They're parked everywhere; on the road, the shoulder, and the median. It looks like some of them tried to turn around, but they were blocked by the mass of cars behind them.

Where the hell were they going? Luk asks. I mean Memphis was probably already destroyed.

For a moment I just stand there, staring.

Maybe they were coming from something worse, I say quietly.

Luk takes my hand and squeezes it gently as a chill passes through me.

C'mon. We begin climbing down the back side of the hill.

There are personal belongings scattered everywhere. Clothes, suitcases, children's toys, and even some household items lay abandoned and forgotten.

Where do you think they all went?

I shake my head. I don't know, maybe they tried to go back, or left on foot.

Out here, without food or water? They probably wouldn't have made it far.

No, probably not.

From everything that I've read, people before the collapse were what I would politely call weak. I'm sure they were nice enough, smart enough, and probably thought they had everything under control, but it doesn't take much to shatter your world. Luk and I had been training for this our entire lives, preparing to enter a world of harsh realities and it's nearly been the end of us both multiple times. Back in the day, when chaos reigned, it was kill or be killed, there was little middle ground. The weak definitely did not inherit the Earth.

Strength is survival.

It takes us until well past midday to pass the last of the derelict cars. I can see a few more vehicles scattered further down the road, as if they were able to turn around but didn't have the fuel to make it anywhere, anyway. Another mile or so, and we're alone on the road again. Dark clouds have started forming from the east and the sun is already close to setting when Luk looks over at me.

You about ready to stop?

I could use a rest. My arm's been throbbing all day, but I've kept it to myself.

Let's find a spot in the next few miles.

Sounds good.

I reach over and take his hand, holding it tightly. He smiles at me and my heart warms. About half a mile further on, we spot a small building off the right side of the road. It doesn't look like much, but anything is better than nothing. We stop a few hundred yards away and I use the scope to check for any current inhabitants.

All clear.

As we wade through tall grasses that are growing everywhere, threatening to overwhelm the area, more details come into view. It looks like this was some sort of stop off for cars and trucks. A few sit rusting in the small parking lot. A couple of picnic tables are scattered about, barely visible among the weeds and grasses. Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder rolls across the area, startling me.

Jeez, I say just as the skies open up and the rain starts.

Luk and I run the last few yards up the cracked and weed choked driveway to the building, darting under an overhang just before the heavier deluge begins. We stand there, water dripping off us. I push my hair back out of my face and then look over at Luk and suddenly we both start laughing.

That kinda came out of nowhere, he says, flicking water off his hands.

Sure did, but it kinda felt good.

Luk nods at me just as a flash of lightning suddenly illuminates the area followed by another crack of thunder a few seconds later.

That was close, Luk says.

Sounds like it.

Well, let's look around and see what we got here.

We remove our packs, leaning them against the wall. After pulling my pistol, I check the slide and then dig a flashlight out of our pack. Winding the handle a few times, I click the button to test it and sweep the beam back and forth a few times. I look over at Luk.

You ready?

He nods, a knife in his right hand.

The building is only a single story, constructed of brick with glass doors leading into a central lobby. One of the doors is shattered, tiny fragments of glass crunch quietly under our boots as we slip through the empty frame. Another set of doors is located on the opposite wall, although both of them are broken. There are open passages to the left and right, one labeled MEN and the other WOMEN. Four large vending machines sit crookedly, their fronts smashed and broken. Empty cans and food wrappers are scattered throughout the room. A large map hangs on the wall with a red arrow with the words YOU ARE HERE pointing to a spot on the highway. I examine the chart for a few minutes, tracing a line along RT 78 until I spot Holly Springs.

Well, that's useful, I say. Holly Springs looks like it's about fifteen miles away.

We can make that tomorrow easy. C'mon, let's make sure we're alone.

I follow Luk into the opening with the blue and white picture of a woman in a dress hanging on the wall. He bends down and peers around the corner before standing up and looking at me.

All clear, he says.

We walk into the empty bathroom as I swing the light beam around the room. There are a few pieces of clothing lying about, but not much else. On one of the mirrors, someone scrawled "We pay for our sins with blood" in shaky block letters. I turn the spigot on one of the faucets, but as usual, nothing happens.

Let's check the other one, I say, leading the way out and across the lobby.

I walk right into the other bathroom without pausing, sure that we're alone but instead of an empty room, I stumble over two dead figures on the floor. Luckily, Luk grabs my arm to keep me from falling.

Careful, he says with a small grin.

Thanks, I reply with a gentle touch on his arm.

I shine the light on them, sweeping it over their faces and bodies. They look like they've been here for a few years at least. They're definitely not from the same era as the building itself. I crouch down and examine them a little closer. It's a man and woman, or more precisely, a boy and a girl. They look to be about our age. I don't see any obvious wounds or injuries on either of them. They're both leaning back against the wall by the entrance with their legs stretched out in front of them. It almost looks like they just fell asleep and never woke up.

They don't look like they've been here long, Luk says.

I shake my head. A couple years maybe.

Wonder what happened to them.

Don't know. Coulda’ been anything I guess.

Suddenly, a tiny glint of metal flashes just under the young man's shirt. Just as I'm reaching for it, the room is suddenly bathed in light as another lightning strike echoes through the room, scaring the crap out of me.

Jeez!

Luk chuckles and I look up at him and his smile fades quickly.

Sorry.

I reach down again and pull out a gold coin suspended on a thin white cord. As it turns slowly in the air I can read the word cut into its surface.

Spokane.

You think they came from Atlanta?

I shake my head. Maybe. It makes sense. But if they did, they didn't make it very far.

I look over the girl, but I can't find her token, or at least it's not around her neck, but I don't feel right going through her clothes and pockets. I stand up and move over next to Luk as we look down at the two unfortunate travelers.

C'mon, I say, taking Luk's hand. Let's make something to eat and then get some sleep.

We exit the bathroom, leaving the couple to their eternal slumber. Outside, it's still raining hard and lightning flashes brightly in the distance. Some of the white streaks reach down and touch the earth, while others are content to flow and dance across the sky. I wind my flashlight a few more times and then set it down in the middle of the lobby. The beam hits the ceiling and spreads throughout the room.

I think a fire isn't happening tonight, Luk says.

Probably not. It's pretty warm anyway.

What about dinner?

Uh...we've got the last of the cornbread, which we should finish off before it goes bad and a couple of tomatoes and some dried venison.

Hey, we've had worse, Luk says with a smile.

True enough.

Chapter Two

The next morning, the weather isn't much better. For a while we sit just outside the doors, sheltered by the overhang, watching the rain fall. Finally, I can't take the sitting around