The View

The View 

Nothing.  

That was the view for miles. Of course, there were yellowing fields beating in the winds of the brutal heat, but besides that, a stray decaying fence or a tree defying the heat by living; there was nothing.  

Markus was driving, his dark hair clung to his forehead. Jonesy had rolled her window down in a desperate attempt to feel any sort of breeze, but all she gained was a warm breeze.  

“Roll the window up, Jonesy. If anything, you’re just giving us false hope,” I said. 

Markus laughed. “A breeze is a breeze though.” 

“Exactly,” Jonesy said. “Now, how long before we hit a town or gas station, or an anything? I’d buy a bag of ice just to keep it in my lap...” 

I smiled and pulled out my phone, zero bars. “I’d say your best bet is to pray, Jonesy.” 

“Shut up, Briar!” 

“Look,” Markus began, “just calm down, we just—” 

The car made an awful sound. A dying sound. The car limped to a halt on the side of the road and was silent. Markus jumped out, a string of curses leaving his mouth as he lifted the hood. 

Jonesy followed and I got out of the car. I stayed back and looked out on the yellow fields. The breeze felt nicer without being in that hot box of a car, but we were stranded now. I listened to them argue briefly before walking towards the aged wooden fence that had ancient chicken wire clinging to it. 

Sighing, I watched the field undulate. This trip was supposed to be an escape. Something to clear our minds of everything, but the brutal heat, the car’s air conditioning going out and now Markus’s car deciding to decease altogether had made the trip spiral into madness. At least it was a distraction, even if it was an unpleasant one. 

“Who is that?”  

Jonesy’s voice snapped me back and I peeked behind me to see a man on a black horse riding towards us. When his horse clopped onto the pavement, he looked like he was dressed too warmly. Jeans, leather boots and a flannel rolled up to his elbows. 

“Ya’ll need help? Saw ya while I was going by.” 

Markus hesitated, taking a small step towards Jonesy so I spoke up. “We would love help.” 

Markus shot me a look, but the man nodded with a smile. “My Momma and I run a small hotel near our house, the fare is cheap enough, but I’ll ride back, and we’ll pick ya’ll up. Sound good?” 

“Perfect,” I said quickly, and the man nodded before riding off along the road quickly. 

Markus didn’t even wait for the man to be out of earshot before blowing up on me. “Are you nuts?” 

“What?” 

“Markus—” 

“No, Jonesy! Briar just served us all up to a stranger!” 

I threw up my hands. “What other option do we have? Stay out here and get attacked by an animal or robbed by someone passing by?” 

“What if he’s gonna be the one who robs us?” 

“Look,” Jonesy said loudly, “it’s not ideal, okay? But, the car was already on its last leg whether you’d like to admit that or not. Maybe it’ll be fine. We can eat, sleep in air conditioning and who knows? They might help fix the car.” 

I looked at Markus and he closed his eyes before uttering, “fine.”  

He got into the car and rubbed his temples. 

The next two hours creeped by before I saw a beaten pick-up make its way towards us. The man from before waved with a smile before stopping. He got out and handed all of us water. Even though Markus wasn’t too happy going with the stranger he downed the water in just a few gulps. 

Jonesy, Markus and I piled into his truck with the pair of them in the back and me in the front as he turned around and headed back down the scorching road. The sun was dipping and made the yellowing fields almost look golden, fiery nearly. I looked at my hands and shook my head a bit to shove the thoughts threatening to rise. 

It wasn’t happening yet.  

“So,” the man drawled, “I’m Atticus and you all?” 

“Briar.” 

“Jonesy” 

I heard a small huff, “Markus.” 

“Wonderful,” Atticus said, nearly flying down the road in his pick-up. “Well, I got great news, my Momma said ya’ll could have a room free of charge for at least two days. Maybe three if they’re feeling awful nice.” 

“That’s awesome!” I was relieved and I saw Jonesy shake Markus a bit. 

“You hear that?” She smiled and gripped his hand. 

Markus sighed but even he looked relieved, “That would take a lot of the stress off...” 

“I figured,” Atticus wiped the sweat from his brow and looked the sky. I thought I saw a flash of worry, but it was gone before I could see it again. “Nice seeing other people! Especially people closer to my age! Haven’t seen a lot o’ people anyway because of... Well, why be a downer.” He gave a chuckle and my own thoughts swirled. 

I saw Markus grip on Jonesy tighten and he cleared his throat. “Will we be able to have food?” 

“Oh sure! None of ya’ll are veggie people, right? I mean you only eat veggies?” Atticus shook his head. “You all know what I’m asking.” 

I laughed a little. “None of us are.” 

“That makes things a lot easier!” Atticus smiled and the sun fell lower and lower to give way to the night sky. A violet haze to prelude the blue-black night. I kept my eyes on the darkened fields. I had stopped gazing at the sky a long time ago. I kept my eyes below the trees until I saw a light in the distance. 

A little farmhouse with an equally small building next to it stood under a few yellowing lights. An old woman stood on the porch with a gray-muzzled mutt lazily watching Atticus’s truck pull to a stop in front of the house. The older woman walked down with a smile on her face, her blonde-gray hair in a loose bun and a faded floral dress on her. Maybe it had been a bright blue years ago, I thought, or the sun had torched it in just a few months... 

“Welcome,” she exclaimed, “welcome! Now we ain’t gonna bother checkin’ ya’ll into one of those rooms, we gotta plenty of room in the house. Especially since...”  

I saw her gaze go upward, it would be clear now. Clear enough that I hated looking up day or night. 

“Anyway,” the woman said cheerfully, “you all can call me Charlie, Miss Charlie, I don’t care! But you’re gonna get all fed, cleaned up and God knows how long you all have been in that car! How long have you?” 

“Oh too long! I think my shirts have sweat stains that will never get out!” Jonesy laughed and even Markus chuckled as we all went into the house. 

Vague memories of my great-grandmother's songbird themed living room with the yellow floral couch came to the forefront of my mind when I walked in. Little ceramic chickens, books on plants and décor just covering every available space had to offer made the house seem like a few steps back in time. I saw a picture of a young boy with a young version of that mutt and Charlie came up by me and gushed. 

“Oh, that’d be Atticus a long while ago...” 

She picked up the picture and walked across the room and towards a door. “Must’ve forgotten this one,” she muttered and opened the door and disappeared. 

………… 

I was staring at the celing in a room with peonies lining the wallpaper.  

Markus, Jonesy and I ate steaks with Atticus and his mother a few hours earlier. Hell, even the dog had eaten a steak. Miss Charlie had brought out pies and ice cream and yet again, she gave the dog a few scoops of vanilla. I tried to ignore how her hands trembled. I tried to ignore how the dog kept whimpering. I tried to ignore how I had seen Atticus outside after my shower opening the doors so their horses could leave.  

So now I laid in this bed surrounded by peonies and my swirling thoughts. All these antiques of people who had lived their full lives without a fear of looking up. Maybe not tonight? Maybe not... Despite my attempts to not to, my eyelids drooped, and sleep overcame me. 

My rest seemed to last for seconds before I heard screaming, yelling. 

“Come on!”  

I jolted up to see Atticus rushing to me, the house shook. My eyes darted outside to see the horses running. One horse, the black one Atticus had ridden just earlier tore off into the fields, its body ablaze. 

“Come on,” Atticus yanked me up. “Your friends are up; they’re already going down so let’s move!”  

“Move?” 

“Yes,” he yanked me out of the bed and took the blanket with him. He froze seeing the horse but only for a second before grabbing my arm and barreling down the stairs. 

I followed him as the house shook again. Had I heard a crack? I dared to see his face, drenched in sweat, his eyes... I had only ever seen that look in animals that knew something we didn’t. 

He pulled me towards the door Charlie had disappeared into earlier with the picture. I looked outside one time. I looked at the sky. That blue-black hell and felt my heart beat like mad in my ribcage.  

I bolted towards the door after Atticus. 

When I was inside, he closed a door that looked thicker than any I had ever seen. The staircase was made from cold stone and seemed to stretch down and down. Concrete lined the walls and I made the descent and heard weeping echoing up them, Jonesy? 

“They’re fine,” Atticus said shakily, “scared but well you know who ain’t right now?” He walked past me briskly and I felt the entire earth tremble. 

I moved faster. 

The end of the stairs led into a spacious room. Markus was holding Jonesy in a corner who was trembling and in tears. Markus only nodded at me, his eyes bloodshot. The space shuddered around us and Charlie sat on the floor holding the mutt close. Atticus went to his mother. 

The room had lighting, but I saw candles lit for when the inevitable happened. There was a carpet in the center, some plush chairs, two bookshelves stuffed to the brim, a beat-up record player and in the corner of my eye I saw two rooms. One was filled with bunk beds, more than we needed. The other filled with cans and cans of food.  

Then there were the walls, adorned with paintings. Paintings of farm animals, people, that empty, empty yellow field but one caught my eye. I stepped closer to it as the earth palpitated around this room. 

Wildflowers hit generously with the sun glowed like gemstones in the painting. The yellow fields? They sprouted little white flowers on their stalks that I would never have guessed would bless those decayed looking fields. It looked peaceful. 

“It’s of spring around here,” Atticus said behind me as the lights flickered. 

“It’s beautiful,” I said softly as I focused on it. The lights cut in and out.  

“Well,” he whispered, “it’s quite the view.” 

I nodded as the lights cut in and out. I pictured myself seeing the field. I pictured myself smelling the flowers. The lights cut out completely. 

Maybe I can see it one day, I thought knowing full well I would never.  

Jonesy screamed and that mutt yelped but this space held. I felt tears wet my eyes. If I see it won’t be the same, but it’ll be there, I thought. I balled my fists tight.  

Even if it wasn’t the same, I would see it. The ground gave a violent lurch, and a sob escaped me. Even if the ground was scorched, I would be there! 

I sank to my knees and held myself. 

I would live. We would live.