Page 133 of Into the Mist

Stella turned to face them. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but the light of her smile put the setting sun to shame. “It won’t be easy, but it will be perfect. We’ll make our homes on cliffsides from the living clay that surrounds us, like the Pueblos did in Mesa Verde.”

Imani bounced on her toes. “We know how to do that! Remember that workshop we met in?”

Stella grinned. “I’ve never been happier that teachers learn a bunch of stuff people think of as useless. We’ll use all of it—all of the things we’ve learned from years of teaching. We will build in harmony with the earth. That is also how we will live, and it will be unimaginably beautiful. We make our new life here. We are done traveling.”

“Teachers for the win!” Mercury fisted her hand over her head.

“Teachers for the win!” The group echoed her cheer.

It didn’t take long for the truck to reach the cave. Stella parked so that the headlights illuminated the entrance, though Ford and Gemma quickly made three circular stone areas in the hard clay floor of the cave. Everyone collected brush and dry juniper branches, and within minutes they had cheerful fires burning. They discovered that there were two easy entrances to the cave and that from one of them a mountain stream tumbled clear and cold into the creek—which made Stella squeal like a preteen at a boy band concert.

There was a sense of relief that permeated everything they did that night. It didn’t take Ford long to use the tarps from the truck and his own camping supplies to create a tentlike structure within the cave, so as the night lengthened and the temperature dropped, the little group was snuggly sheltered.

Stella took charge of dinner, and somehow she made canned chili, rice, and the rest of the fresh veggies into a delicious meal. Thechildren ate until their stomachs were full, and then Imani took the one lantern they had and led them to an area well outside the cave that Ford had designated as where he would dig their latrines. The kids put on their pajamas—something they’d refused to do for the two nights Stella, Mercury, Ford, and Karen had been in Madras—and the three of them fell instantly and soundly asleep.

Stella produced two bottles of rich cabernet sauvignon, which she opened and began sharing.

“Did you say that town’s name is Mitchell?” Stella asked Ford as she handed him a bottle of cabernet.

“I did,” he said and sipped the wine.

“Do you think we can find some stemware there? We’re starting the world over, but there’s no reason for us to be barbarous.”

Ford chuckled. “I remember a few little stores. A couple restaurants, B&Bs, and such. We should be able to find something. Hey, how much wine do you have anyway?”

Stella’s brow arched. “Well, I lined each of the four sides of the bed of the truck with bubble wrap before firmly packing wine bottles, then more bubble wrap, then our suitcases, groceries, and supplies against them so they would not break. There were sixty-eight bottles in total, and that doesn’t count the three I put in my backpack. One we drank in Madras, and these are the other two.”

Ford whistled in appreciation, which made Stella grin.

“I also absconded with two bottles of top-shelf tequila and three of twenty-five-year-old Macallan Scotch.”

“Wow!” Ford said.

“And we have reefer,” Gemma added. “Lotsof reefer—including seeds.”

Ford stared at her.

“What? It’s medicinal,” said Gemma.

“Truth,” said Mercury. “Shall we smoke some?”

“Hell yes, sis!” said Imani. “But only if Stella says we’re not gonna be in any danger tonight. I can deal with some shit a little tipsy. High, I’m good for nothing except giggles and a nap.”

Stella sipped wine from the bottle before answering. “We are perfectly safe, and this is the first time I’ve felt like that since the night before the fucking apocalypse.”

“Yaaasss,” said Imani. “Gemma, if you give me a bag of bud and those papers I know Stella stashed away somewhere—”

“Both are in my suitcase,” said Stella.

“I’ll roll a couple joints,” finished Imani.

“I’m on it.” Gemma disappeared into the rear part of their temporary shelter where suitcases lined the cave wall.

“Do you think it’s okay for her to smoke marijuana?” Karen asked as Imani passed her a wine bottle.

“I think Gemma can decide that for herself,” said Mercury.

Karen opened her mouth. Closed it. And then nodded. “I think you’re right about that.”