Red Death: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller by D.L. Robinson Page A

could be eaten. Even the berries from the bright red cones on those scraggly roadside Sumac bushes were edible. Who knew? Tara was excited now. It wasn’t as hopeless as she thought.
    I can do this! Tara blessed the little voice that told her to buy this book. They were not going to starve if she could help it. She glanced back out at the black and gray squirrels digging through the leaves covering the daylily tubers and narrowed her eyes. All bets were off now. They were not only competition for food—they were food.
    ~
    Tara closed the foraging book and peeked out through the slats. A huge cloud of smoke spiraled up above the trees to the west. She diverted her eyes, not wanting to think about it. They had only recently begun seeing the giant smoke plume rising in the near distance. It continued day and night, thick and gray with billows of white occasionally. There was a strange smell in the air too, a mixture of burning meat and charred wood.
    “They’re burning the bodies in the gravel pit.” Lee had told her. Tara had shaken her head, slowly at first, then faster and faster, trying to force that image from her mind, to go back before it had been placed there. But ever since, all she could envision was an Auschwitz-like scenario; frail bodies stacked like cordwood, the ovens—or in this case the bonfire—failing to keep up with the enormity of the task at hand.
    She found Lee in the basement with the old stove, readying it for use.
    “I think it’s time to invite Mary to stay here with us, Lee.” He laid down the cloth he’d been cleaning with and leaned against the crutch. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that for a while now, but didn’t want to mention it yet. I believe both sides would benefit.”
    “I’m going to ask her then, as soon as she comes over today.” Tara leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He closed his warm hand over hers.
    “I’m going to go to the river for water, Lee, and hunt for some food. We need firewood too. Is the stove ready?”
    Lee nodded. “Yes, I think it’s vented out okay, and all systems are go.” He drew back, searching her eyes. “I hate for you to venture out without me. Too much could go wrong.”
    Tara sighed. “I know, but there’s no choice. We’re eating our last can of soup today, and we’re almost out of water too. Mary can go with me. We’ll take the gun. And we won’t take any chances either, I promise.”
    Tara told him about the foraging book, and how there were many things to eat if they just searched them out. She also asked him to think about some sort of trap he could make for squirrels and rabbits. She saw his face light up and knew he felt useful again. Designing a trap would give him a project, as well as self-esteem.
    Just then, they heard knocking upstairs and Tara ran up to check the door. It was Mary, and Tara ushered her inside.
    “I’ve got something to run by you, Mary.” First, it was rude not to enquire after her. “How are you doing? Any news?”
    “None.
    “How are you doing on food?”
    “I think I have two cans of corn and one can of soup left.” Tara imagined the corn simmering in a pot with the soup and daylily tubers and her stomach growled.
    “How’s your water supply?”
    “Gone, except for the tub, which I filled up before everything started—it’s down to an inch of water too dirty to drink.”
    “Yeah. We’re about out of water now too, and our last can of soup will be used tonight. We want to ask you to move in with us here, Mary.” Tara lowered her voice so Lee couldn’t hear her in the basement. “I need your help, and I think there’s safety in numbers. So does Lee.”
    “I’m glad to hear Lee agreed.” Mary smiled. “I’ve been thinking the same thing to be honest. So, yes, I’d be happy to.” Tara jumped up from her chair and hugged her, talking fast.
    “We need to go to the river, Mary, to get water, and I can filter it in our purifiers. We need firewood