"There"s a way," his father said. "If the street"s still blocked, I"ll show you how we got in along the power lines."
They took a sharp turn at the end of the street, and Daniel reached for the oh-s.h.i.t handle where it would have been in his mom"s car. It wasn"t where he expected, so his other hand went to the bench seat to steady himself. It landed on the back of Anna"s hand, which retreated as if bit.
"Sorry," Daniel whispered. He wiggled in his seat to demonstrate a new level of commitment to keeping his balance.
"It"s okay," Anna said, folding her hands in her lap. The two of them gazed out their windows and enjoyed the breeze as the Bronco rumbled through the neighborhood.
"There"s a bad one up here," Edward said. He pointed over the dash and slowed down as they pa.s.sed a house that had lost half its roof. Globs of pink insulation hung in the trees like cotton candy. Rafters stuck out like ribs over a gaping void, like G.o.d had been in the middle of a heart transplant when he got called away.
"We talked to the owners yesterday," Anna said. "They"re staying with neighbors. Their story of the night of the storm was horrific."
"I bet," Daniel said. He met his father"s gaze in the side view mirror. Something in his dad"s frown suggested that his own survival story would be hard to match.
"Looks like they got that tree parted."
Daniel and Anna both leaned toward the middle of the seat so they could peer through the windshield. Ahead, Daniel could see that it was one of the ancient oaks framing the neighborhood"s entrance that had fallen across the road. To the left, the head of the tree lay in a crumbled heap, the long arms of the great oak broken and twisted and sprouting bushy plumes of leaves up toward the sky in every direction. On the other side of the drive, a round disk of thick soil had levered up to vertical with the ripping of the roots. A clod of mud with tendrils poking out of it formed a ma.s.sive wall at the base of the tree. The tufts of gra.s.s clinging to the other side were still green and seemingly oblivious to their topsy-turvy fate.
Daniel whistled at the sight of the fallen monster. It had fallen parallel to the main road, right across the entrance to the neighborhood, and had to be six or more feet thick. With the deep drainage ditch beyond, it had once been an impa.s.sible barrier. But now it was cut. Edward steered for the gap in the tree where a chunk not quite a lane wide had been removed. Daniel wondered just what kind of saw had been able to chew through the thing. He felt his shoulder brush up against Anna"s and tried not to pull away without it seeming like he was lingering on purpose. Any extra pressure might be seen as flirting, and too forward. Anything less would be intolerable to him.
As the Bronco crept through the gap in the tree, Anna leaned toward her window and Daniel reluctantly did the same, there no longer being an excuse to linger in the middle. He watched the yellow wall of concentric circles pa.s.s close by, the smell of fresh wood pervading the car. There were jagged splinters standing out near the center where the weight of the cut piece had ripped as it was pulled out. The bite marks of several angles of attack from various saws met in rough ridges. As they pulled out the other side, Daniel saw the removed piece was actually several. They had been dragged away, leaving a smear of bark in their wake. A car pa.s.sed along in front of the Bronco, creeping down the main road at half the speed limit, a bank of shocked faces turning to gape at the fortress wall lowered over the neighborhood"s entrance and now cut clean through.
"We should stop and take pictures," Anna said. She leaned out her window and aimed a small camera back at the tree. It made fake shutter sounds.
"On the way back," Edward said. He turned to Daniel. "Which way?"
"Right," Daniel said. He repeated the directions his mom had given him. "Down 105 for a few miles, then right on Harvey. The neighborhood"s called Willow Falls. Second house on the left."
Edward nodded and hit his blinker. They turned slowly and headed down the highway. Several times a mile, each of them would take turns pointing to another scene of destruction: a large tree pushed off the road, a power line down and tangled up in the tree that took it, a snapped power pole, a mobile home that had been lifted up from its foundation and set back down roughly in the front yard, its walls canting to the side.
"Look at that barn," Daniel said. He pointed to the old wooden structure, its red paint chipping; it was leaning over to one side and completely ruined.
Anna laughed. "It was already like that."
"Oh." Daniel remembered. "You"re right."
She slapped him playfully on the arm, and both men up front laughed.
"This is a lot more clear than when I came through," Daniel"s father said. "We actually stopped and cut that tree." He pointed. "It was one of the ones we couldn"t drive around."
The first stoplight they came to hung still and lifeless. Daniel was surprised to see it hanging at all. Edward slowed to a stop, waited for another vehicle to move funeral-slow through the intersection, then pulled across. Daniel tapped Anna on the shoulder and pointed down the road to where two power trucks were parked, both of their booms tucked down tight.
"Are they doing anything?" she asked, leaning closer to get a good look.
"Doesn"t look like it." As far as he could tell, they were just taking notes. He could see an entire line of power poles leaning over into the woods, like the toppling of one had dragged the rest down with it. "How do they know where to even begin?" he asked.
"My friend with the company said they"d be getting a ton of out-of-state help," Daniel"s father said.
"I imagine most of that help will be routed to Columbia and Charleston," Edward pointed out. He pulled into the other lane to go around a large limb, then came to a stop on the other side of it. "Even if we were hit the hardest, there"s probably more damage in dollar values and in terms of population elsewhere." He turned toward the back seat. "You kids wanna haul that limb out of the road?"
Daniel and Anna popped their doors and hurried out. They smiled at each other as they hoisted the large piece of timber and staggered toward the shoulder with it.
"On three," Anna said.
They counted together and tossed it to the side. Daniel rubbed his palms as it tumbled into the ditch.
They hopped back in the Bronco, and Edward put it in gear. As they trundled along, a drive that might"ve taken fifteen minutes any other time was stretched into over an hour. Daniel and Anna jumped out anytime there was debris to move. The chainsaw was used twice to cut down trees leaning out over the road that looked like they could go at any time. These were cut into smaller pieces and hauled into the ditch. Daniel waved at a man in a pickup who drove by while they were working. Being seen out on the road, volunteering his time to pick up after the storm, filled Daniel"s heart with a slightly selfish pride. He couldn"t believe how much fun he was having moving trees around. And when his father asked if he wanted to cut the second tree into logs, an appraising glance from Anna made it impossible to refuse. He listened to his dad"s instructions, cranked the thing on the first try, then chewed slowly and hesitantly through the middle of a tree as thick as his thigh. He enjoyed the vibration and the shower of yellow snow kicked up from the tool. After the saw dipped through the end of the tree and the upper half sank to the road, he hit the power switch and handed it back to his dad. The smile on his father"s face as he took the chainsaw remained fresh in Daniel"s mind as he helped Anna and Edward drag away the upper half of the tree he"d just bisected.
It was strange how normal it all felt. Driving along a road with the barest of traffic, working to clear it of debris, listening to his father and Edward exchange small talk, tapping Anna on the arm to point out something, laughing at a joke someone made, taking sober instructions from his father-it was all such a bizarre transition for Daniel that he nearly forgot where they were going, that they were primarily out to find his brother. And that his brother would have no idea Daniel was coming, or who he"d be bringing with him.
22.
"There it is," Daniel said, pointing to the "Willow Falls" sign on the side of the road. It was an old wooden sign and partially obscured by a fallen tree. Edward turned the Bronco onto a dirt road wide enough for a single vehicle. The ground to either side was rough with weeds and looked to be mostly sand and crushed sh.e.l.l, the kind of ground that reminded Daniel they weren"t far from the ocean. Edward piloted them down the lane, dodging a limb or two. Mailboxes highlighted the occasional driveway, but the neighborhood was even more heavily wooded than Daniel"s. The houses were set back far enough to be invisible from the road. To either side, though, Daniel could see the effects of the storm. Jagged spikes of timber stood up everywhere, the tops of the trees angling down like they were taking a bow. Fallen limbs formed an odd sort of underbrush. A smattering of trash could be seen along the banks, likely ripped from a garbage can or scattered by scavengers.
"That"s the second one," Daniel"s father said, pointing.
Edward slowed and turned onto the gravel drive. The tires crunched along, the smell of salt in the air through the open windows. "We"re gonna need the saw," Edward said, rubbing his beard. Daniel and Anna leaned into one another and peered ahead. Two large trees crisscrossed the driveway ahead, their limbs throwing up a hedge of green.
They stopped the car, and Daniel"s dad let Daniel make the first cuts. The trunks of the trees were held off the ground by their limbs, which made cutting all the way through them easy. Daniel had less fear of the tool this second time. He pushed the blade deep against the trunk, letting the spiked collar on the chainsaw hold fast, giving him something to pivot against. He let the chain do the work and stood back as the two halves parted. Another smooth cut through the tree, and two through the other one, and Daniel shut the chainsaw down. He handed it and the plastic goggles back to his father.
"Nice work, Son," his dad said. He slapped him on the back. The newness of that trite and cliched moment-learning a skill from his father and putting it on display-made Daniel feel slightly dizzy and more than a little resentful. He found himself smiling, against his will, and saw that Anna was smiling back at him.
The four of them dragged the two trees out of the road, the limbs sweeping the gravel behind them. Back in the Bronco, they trundled along, heading for a house partially visible at the end of the long and wood-lined alley.
"Good golly," Edward said, as they exited into a clearing at the end of the drive.
"Holy s.h.i.t," Daniel"s father said.
Daniel leaned his head out the window to see. The Bronco came to a crunching stop, the brakes squealing. He followed his father"s pointing arm to see his mom"s Taurus parked in what must"ve once been a shady spot. The tree that had formerly created said shade was lying on top of the Taurus, the vehicle now flat from hood to trunk.
"Holy s.h.i.t," Daniel whispered.
He felt Anna leaning across him, her hand on his shoulder, straining to see. Daniel would"ve delayed the moment had he been thinking clearly. Instead, he opened the door and stepped out, allowing Anna to spill out behind him.
"Mom"s gonna flip," he said. He walked out toward the car, then turned as a screen door slammed by the house.
"Daniel?"
His brother stomped down the wooden steps leading up to the single-story house. He broke into a trot, hurrying his way, his face a mix of surprise, relief, and joy.
"Oh my G.o.d," he said, throwing his arms around a stunned Daniel, who just stood there. "My little brother," he said, his hand on the back of Daniel"s head, his other hand slapping his back.
"You okay?" Daniel asked. His brother let him go, and Daniel saw a young-looking girl standing on the back deck of the house, a hand on her hip and another shielding her eyes.
"We were gonna set out in the morning on foot if n.o.body came by," Hunter said. He turned to the Bronco and waved at Anna. Edward was walking around the car, his hand brushing along the hood. The pa.s.senger door clicked open- "No f.u.c.king way," Hunter said.
He took a step back toward the crushed Taurus, shaking his head.
"No way."
"He"s only staying for a little-" Daniel started.
"h.e.l.lo, Son," their father said. He took a step toward Hunter, who took another step back. Daniel watched Anna"s eyes dart between the two of them, a frown on her face. Suddenly, Daniel felt the embarra.s.sment of his family"s dysfunctional nature. He wanted everything to be okay, and fast, even if just for appearances.
"What are you doing here?" Hunter asked.
"Hunter, this is Anna." Daniel waved her direction. "That"s her father, Edward. They were kind enough to bring us over."
Hunter waved him off. His eyes hadn"t left their father, who at last remained still, a dozen paces from the two of them.
"Do you want to introduce us?" Daniel pointed toward the house.
"That"s Chen," he said, his eyes not wavering. "Chen, this is my little brother Daniel and my a.s.shole of a father that I"ve told you about."
Chen waved tentatively.
"Is it just you two?" Edward asked. He walked toward the Taurus, scratching his beard.
Hunter nodded. As Daniel had suspected, his brother had lied about Chen"s parents being home.
"Maybe we can have a moment alone?" their father asked. He pointed down the driveway.
Hunter grunted. He looked around to Chen, who was hugging herself on the back porch and biting her lip. He looked back to his father and nodded. "After you," he said, waving him down the driveway. He refused to budge until their father had already started shuffling away.
"Chen, why don"t you see if they need anything to drink?" Hunter called over his shoulder.
Daniel"s eyes hardly left his brother during the several exchanges. Somehow, Hunter seemed so much older than Daniel thought of him being. He seemed like their father"s peer, the kind of man that played host to other people and owned a house and had a wife and that sort of thing. As his father and older brother walked away, back down the narrow and heavily wooded driveway, Daniel felt Anna tugging him toward the house. He let out his held breath, managed to suck a deep new lungful, and reluctantly followed her.
aaaa "Hunter talks about you a lot," Chen said. She poured water from a gallon jug like the kind you buy at the grocery store for a buck. She handed Daniel the cup.Anna cradled hers, and Chen began filling another for Edward, who told her to pour half as much for him.
"What does he say?" Daniel laughed and heard the nerves in his voice. Everyone had become uncomfortably quiet after the scene outside.
"Mostly good stuff." Chen smiled, her dark eyes shining. She turned and slid some papers off the kitchen counter. "We managed to get into the glove box through the broken window. Hunter was dying to know if the insurance was up to date." She handed a card to Daniel. Anna finished taking a sip of her water and leaned over to look. "He said he couldn"t rest until he knew. Our phone"s been dead, and the driveway was blocked even if the car"d been okay. You should"ve heard it when it hit." Chen shook her head. Her hand was trembling as she poured herself a cup of water.
"It"s just good n.o.body was hurt," Edward said. He looked around the kitchen and out the back door. The tall gra.s.ses of marshland could be seen beyond, an old wooden dock slicing out over them. "No major damage to the house?"
"No." Chen took a sip of water. "We were real lucky. My parents, though, were in Columbia, so they have to be worried sick. Do any of your phones work?"
They all shook their heads.
"Columbia got hit pretty hard, too," Daniel said. "Lots of tornados spun off, according to the radio."
Chen laughed. "The only radio we had was the car"s. We actually managed to squeeze in and turn it on, but the battery didn"t last and the antenna must"ve been messed up. We heard mostly static."
"You"ve had plenty of food and water?" Daniel asked.
Chen nodded. "We"ve been heating stuff up on the grill outside. The cover got sucked off it, but everything else is fine. We were actually going to try and walk to your house today, or at least until someone gave us a ride, but decided to wait one more day to see if the phones came back."
"The phones are going to be out for a while," Edward said. "But we"ll give you a ride out of here. Why don"t you gather some things together and maybe write a note to your parents just in case."
"Yeah," Chen said. "Okay." She smiled at them and headed down a hallway off the kitchen. "You guys just make yourselves at home," she called out. "I"ll just grab a few things and be right back."
aaaa Daniel peered out the living room window at the demolished Taurus, past the Bronco, and down the shaded driveway. He thought he saw movement out there, but couldn"t be sure. He was glad the conversation was taking place somewhere private, but he was dying to know what was being said.
"You okay?" Anna asked. She walked out to join him by the window.
Daniel turned and smiled. "I"m fine. Sorry to drag you guys into my family c.r.a.p."
"Are you kidding?" Anna stepped beside him and peered out at what was left of the Taurus. "Somebody needed to come out here. That would"ve been a long walk back to your house."
Daniel watched her lean forward, cup her hands around her face, and press the sides of her palms against the window to peer out. The back of her neck, the faint whiff of her presence, so much about this girl he had spent all of a few hours around seemed so intimately familiar. He wondered if he was going crazy, if he was insanely desperate to be with someone, if the storm had triggered some sort of apocalyptic, end-of-the-world, one-last-time, one-first-time, procreation urge. Wasn"t any of that infinitely more likely than love at first sight? Did people even believe in that bulls.h.i.t anymore?
"Whatcha thinking?" Anna asked.
Daniel"s brain whizzed back to reality from wherever it had gone. He saw that Anna was looking at him, and that he had been staring at her. He was pretty sure he looked like a creeper in that moment, the sort of blank stare from hyper-concentration (or complete lack thereof) that made him vastly unpopular.
"Nothing," he lied, looking away. "I just s.p.a.ced out there for a second. Tired, I guess."
Chen paced though the kitchen and joined them in the living room. "I"m almost ready," she said. She set a black suitcase down by the door. "Just need to write a note and grab some food that might spoil."
"I"ll help with the food," Anna said. She reached over and squeezed Daniel"s hand for the barest of moments, then turned and followed Chen to the kitchen. Daniel"s hand leapt up in some delayed response. He looked at his palm and wondered what had just happened.
Had it happened? What did it mean? Just a friendly gesture, right? Commiserating with his family stuff. Understanding him, what with her parents living apart. Or had he found someone as crazy as himself living just four houses down?
Outside, Edward walked by, having circled the house. He seemed to be surveying the roof and the siding for damage. Beyond him, Daniel could see his brother marching up the driveway, his arms stiff, unswinging and powerful before him, hands balled into fists. He wore an adult scowl and moved with purpose. Daniel grabbed the black suitcase, pushed the screen door open, and hurried toward the Bronco.
"Chen"s inside?" Hunter asked, meeting Daniel by the Bronco.
"Yeah. She"s rounding up some food, I think."
Hunter pointed to the suitcase, which Daniel loaded into the rear bed of the Bronco. "That hers?"
"Yeah."
"So I guess we"re going with you guys?"
Daniel turned and nodded toward the Taurus. "Were you gonna stay here? She said you guys were gonna start walking tomorrow anyway."
Hunter shook his head. He ran his hand up over his forehead and through his hair. "Why"d you bring him here?" he asked. "Why would Mom let him stay?"
"He traded his boat for a chainsaw," Daniel said, wishing he could make his brother understand-even though he knew it was all a lot more complicated than it seemed in his head. "Did he tell you he quit drinking?"
"Yeah," Hunter said. "He also told me that seven years ago and a hundred times since."