The Last Magician

Part 3 : TBA - Chapter 21 : On The Road

The eye of the sun glared red and angry over the land, finally heading into the horizon as Jack and his new-found family walked towards their uncertain future.

The air occasionally buzzed with a distant hum that could neither be identified nor located, while the burning heat that had dogged the day retreated with the approach of night.

Walking down the stony road, Jack wondered whether they should have been so quick to leave the house. The illusions of the ruined building being his home continued to fade into insignificance, but in the end a shelter was a shelter. Presently they were leaving behind the safety of the familiar and the one place they could consider relatively safe from the hostiles the night could release.

Between them the group carried the small bundles collected at the house, although it amounted to a lot less than a survival kit.. They had matches to burn, the rifle and a handful of sharp objects to defend themselves with, but beyond that they had nothing that would help their survival. Their belongings contained no food and very little water. Anything else was worthless if they died of dehydration or starvation.

“I’m hungry,” Dylan said, as if reading Jack’s thoughts.

“I don’t think you’re the only one, kid,” Kurt muttered, patting the child on the head.

Jack noticed Dylan flinch so very slightly at Kurt’s touch, as though he still subconsciously distrusted everything about the world around him. It was not surprising considering the state they had discovered him in. Without Amanda, Jack knew he and Kurt would never have tamed the boy. There were some things that needed a woman’s touch.

“Jack,” Amanda said. “Do you think there’s a chance we’d find anything inside the buildings down here? This stuff survived inside the house so maybe…”

She tailed off, seeming unwilling to put a jinx on the possibility of further discoveries.

The series of broken buildings that had been the village’s shopping area stood ahead of them once more, only hours it seems since Jack and Amanda had rescued Kurt.

“I don’t think it can hurt to take a look,” Jack said, believing in his heart their search would prove fruitless but willing to hold his bleak thoughts to himself. “We just need to be careful. Any of those buildings could come down at any time.”

“When are we going to see the Magician?” Dylan asked.

“Not just yet, Dylan, “ Amanda told him in her sweet, motherly tone. “We need to go on a treasure hunt first. Don’t we?”

She directed the question at Jack, who could only nod. Amanda was nothing short of amazing in his eyes. She had been his saviour when he needed someone, and her ability to talk to the child was a revelation. Jack wondered of her life before this. He had not asked her much about her past, and maybe it was better not to dwell on the lives they had lost. It was clear that what lay in the past was not coming back.

“Come on then,” Kurt said. “Let’s get on before the lights go out. I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough of dark confined spaces.”

The sight of the ruined buildings lost none of its shock value on second viewing. Bare cracked earth and torn tarmac surrounded the skeletal buildings that shimmered as they slowly emitted the heat they had gathered over the day. It was not clear just how deep or how unstable the fissures coursing the area were and there was a strong possibility there could be hidden flaw lines just beneath the surface.

“We’ll start with that one,” Jack said, pointing to the central structure. “It seems to have fared a little better than the others so maybe there could be something to salvage inside.”

The agreement was quickly made and within moments Jack was crouched by the crumbling front wall.

“There seems to be quite a bit of light inside,” he said, peering through the gap in the stone. “Most of the roof is out.”

“How safe do you think it is?” Amanda asked over his shoulder. “Do you think we should all go in?”

“Well it’s standing. I guess that counts for something. Maybe you and Dylan should stay out here, just by the opening.”

Amanda bit her lip. “I don’t know which one is more appealing.”

“It’s creepy in there,” Dylan said.

“I guess that decides it then,” Kurt said, stepping over a small heap of broken stones and into the building.

Jack looked at Amanda, seeking some kind of confirmation. She paused a moment then simply nodded.

“If you see anything at all out here, you shout for us,” he told her. “Anything, ok?”

“Sure,” she replied with a small smile.

Jack returned a smile he hoped would reassure her that it wouldn’t come to that, then turned away and followed Kurt through the broken wall.