Page 139 of Into the Mist

Ford nodded. “It’s like Warm Springs. Remember, I told you I could see the fog was still there, even days after the bombs.”

“Yeah, that town was in a low valley too,” said Stella.

“Butno onelived?No onewas like us, able to survive the fog and change because of it?” Mercury turned her gaze from the bloatedbodies of two women who had died with their arms around each other.

“They were exposed too long?” Stella stopped the truck in the middle of the road and look at Mercury. “This is proof thatwecan’t even continue to expose ourselves to that stuff.”

“That makes sense,” Ford said. “It’s logical that the human body can only change so much before it quits being able to adapt. We know it kills men, whether right away or after a few days, it still kills us. You ladies have to stay away from it too—until or unless we can figure out how much exposure becomes deadly.”

Mercury shivered. “I’m not volunteering for that scientific study.”

“Yeah, me neither,” said Stella. “This is going to be gruesome, but let’s get as much stuff loaded as quickly as we can and then get the hell out of here.”

“I’m all for that.” Mercury redid the ponytail she’d hastily pulled her hair up into before they left the Painted Hills. “I really do not like dead things.”

“Just remember that they can’t hurt you, Acorn, but I’m with ya. I don’t like them either. Makes me feel like someone’s watching us.” Stella let the truck creep forward again. “Okay, jackpot! Up there on the left side of the street, next to that little post office, is the Wheeler County Trading Company—and I do believe that sign also says groceries, sporting goods, and hardware.”

“It does! And across the street is the Feed ’n’ Farm.” Ford pointed. “There should be garden seed in there and tools, like the shovels and picks we need to dig the latrine. Oh, and also Imani’s straw and sand.”

“Maybe they’ll have some chickies?” Mercury said hopefully, then her shoulders sagged. “But it’s been six days since the apocalypse. They’re probably dead chickies by now.”

“I’ll check,” said Ford. “Stella, if you stop in the middle of the street between the two stores, I’ll take the Feed ’n’ Farm—”

“And we’ll take the grocery,” Mercury finished for him.

“I’ll turn the truck around so that we can get out of here fast. We’ve seen how the green fog can creep into low places without any warning,” said Stella.

“Are your spidey senses tingling?” Mercury asked.

“We need to be here. I know that. But I’m also thoroughly creeped out—so much so that I can’t tell if it’s my intuitionscreaming to hurry and get the fuck out, or just regular ol’ common sense.”

“Either way, let’s be fast,” said Ford.

“One more thing.” Stella looked from Mercury to Ford. “We need to be quiet.”

Mercury’s stomach heaved. “I thought everyone was dead.”

Stella nodded. “I honestly believe everyone who was in this town when the fog rolled in was killed. So, maybe it’s just respectful not to make a bunch of noise in what amounts to a tomb.”

“That’s fine with me,” Mercury said.

“Yeah, I have nothing to say to the dead,” added Ford.

Stella turned the truck and parked it in the middle of the street between the two stores. She left it running, with the emergency brake engaged, as the three of them got out. Ford opened the tailgate and then they split up.

Mercury and Stella walked so close together that their arms brushed as they stepped up from the curb to the sidewalk and headed to the open front door of the Wheeler County Trading Company. Just inside there were three putrid, flattened bodies. Stella strode to the nearby wall—the only one not decorated with the stuffed and mounted heads of stags—and pulled down a US flag, a Confederate flag, and the state flag of Oregon. She draped the Confederate flag over the three bodies.

“That’s the best use of that stupid flag I’ve ever seen,” said Mercury.

“Yep,” Stella agreed. “Stay here in the front of the store while I take a sweep around and cover up anyone else.”

“Thanks.” Mercury grabbed two handheld shopping baskets and headed to a nearby shelf that held analgesics, Band-Aids, cough medicines, and other over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. “I’ll fill up baskets with this stuff and start running them to the truck.”

The women worked quickly and quietly. They avoided the coolers. Nothing that needed refrigeration was still viable. But Mercury was impressed by the amount of canned goods, dried goods, and housewares the store carried. In the hardware section, there were lots of pots and pans, as well as several axes and some decent-sized saws.

“Oh Goddess, yes!” Mercury held up a copy ofStillhouse Lakeby Rachel Caine. “I just found the book section! There’s everything over here from mysteries to young adult novels, and even some picture books.”

From across the store Stella said, “That’s fantastic! We can read aloud to the kids at bedtime.”