Peshtigo Read online

going to get that boat without a fight,” Xander said. “I’m not kidding, I’m senior ranked in Taekwondo... I know how to fight.”

  They were starting to scare me, not just Dustin and Trey, but Xander, too. They’d all tolerated each other as much as they needed too, for as long as there was fishing and beer and two girls who’d drank too much. But it looked like that was over now.

  It was like last night had driven each of them a little crazy.

  “You guys all need to take a breath,” I said. “This isn’t a life or death situation here. We just need to take a vote.”

  “A vote?” Xander said. “Come on.”

  “Yeah, a vote,” Trey said. “That sounds good.”

  “Okay,” Dustin said.

  “Good,” I said. “So let’s raise hands or whatever... who thinks we should take the boat and head to town?”

  Dustin and Trey stuck their hands in the air. They were both looking over at Krista.

  She looked at me and I could see that she was unsure.

  I smiled.

  She threw up her hand. “Sorry, Miss Belly,” she said. “I don’t think it makes any sense to stay here.”

  Dustin grinned. “I guess that’s decided,” he said. “Since we took two loads over, I don’t know if we have enough room for all of our stuff.”

  “You should have enough room,” I said. “I’m going to stay here.”

  “That’s not at all fair,” Krista said. “That isn’t how it’s supposed to work.”

  “Don’t bother with her,” Dustin said. “We could use the extra space.”

  “Come on, Dustin,” I said. “Can’t you pretend for just a minute that I actually mean something to you?”

  He gave me another one of his smirks. “You did mean something to me, Isabella... and then I nailed you... that’s how it works.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “Don’t be bitter,” Dustin said. “It’s not attractive.”

  I felt angry, but I felt embarrassed more than anything else. No one really expects the first guy they’re with to be more than just a short-term boyfriend, but you don’t really think that you’ll just be another one-off, some stupid girl that doesn’t know how the game is played.

  I waited for just a second, expecting Xander to say... something. But he just shook his head in disgust, and I’m not sure he meant it for Dustin.

  I needed to disappear. I turned and ran up the stairs, hoping that no one would follow me.

  ---

  Krista waited for over twenty minutes before she came to see me. We cried and we hugged, and she tried one more time to get me to come along.

  She was acting like we’d never see each other again. She’s always been a little over-dramatic.

  I watched from a small upstairs window as the three of them got into the boat and headed out onto the lake. I couldn’t see Xander; he must have been too mad at Dustin to see them off.

  Once their little boat were almost too far to make out against the waves, I went back downstairs.

  I found Xander sitting out on the porch with a beer in his hand.

  “My father grew up in Peshtigo,” he said as I joined him. “Do you know the story of the Great Peshtigo Fire?”

  “I know the Great Chicago Fire,” I said. “That’s about it.”

  “They happened on the same night, actually. Some people say it was a comet, just like this one... well, I guess it was quite a bit smaller. There were fires all over Wisconsin, Michigan, and who knows where else. They used to say it was a crazy fringe theory, that comets couldn’t start fires. Now it looks like it was true after all.”

  “So what does that mean? Are my parents okay?”

  “Did you see what just happened, Isabella? If I hadn’t given up the boat those guys would have beaten the crap out of me. Or worse. It’s not safe out there.”

  I didn’t believe him. It’s not like the world had come apart just because of a comet and some wildfires. Or no more apart than it already is.

  “I guess you didn’t tell Dustin about the fires,” I said.

  “He has eyes, doesn’t he?”

  “I mean that the fires are all over. He thinks it’s just the one.”

  “I’m just glad he’s gone,” Xander said.

  “But if it’s not safe...”

  “Screw ‘em.”

  “And what about Krista?”

  “She chose those guys over us. And I’m glad she did.”

  He stood up and starting walking down towards the water. “I’d better get fishing,” he said.

  “Fishing?”

  “For dinner, silly. We’re going to need to eat.”

  “They didn’t leave us any of the fish we caught?”

  “That’s our food store. We should have a couple weeks of propane for the geni, but I can dry the extra fish after that. We don’t want to dig into our supplies more than we have to.”

  He walked down to the boathouse and grabbed a rod that was leaning against the wall.

  “How long do you think we’ll be staying?” I asked.

  “For a while.”

  “And how long is that?”

  He smiled at me, but there was something in it that I didn’t like.

  “How long?” I asked again.

  “It’s not safe out there.”

  “But what if our parents never come? What if no one comes?”

  He reached out and put his arm around me. His grip was tight, as though he wanted to smoosh us together into one big lump.

  I pulled away.

  “Maybe we should take a canoe and head downriver,” I said. “There must be somebody out there who can help us.”

  “You and I need to help each other,” Xander said. He turned and stared out over the lake and let out another big smile. “We were made for this time, Isabella. We’ll keep each other safe.”

  I didn’t know what to do. I stared at him a moment, trying to understand just what was happening, and what had changed in him.

  “You’re making me uncomfortable,” I said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I think I’ve changed my mind, Xander. I think we should go for help.”

  He sighed. “Don’t be stupid, Isabella. You’re safe with me.”

  I took a deep breath, surprised at how anxious I was. “No,” I said. “I don’t want to stay here with you. We need to find help.”

  He came at me. It happened so quickly.

  I didn’t realize what Xander was doing until he had me pinned against the boathouse wall. His hands were clasping my neck like I was a dog he was trying to train.

  “Enough, Isabella,” he said. “I’m not messing around anymore.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  His grip tightened around my neck. “You know what I’m talking about,” he said, almost growling at me.

  “Please...”

  “Shut up.”

  He let go of my neck and then he leaned in to kiss me.

  I didn’t turn away.

  I was too scared. I didn’t want him to hurt me.

  And I knew deep down that I didn’t want him to send me away.

  I don’t think it’s safe out there.

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  After The Fires Went Out

  Book One: Coyote - Coming December 2012

  https://www.reganwolfrom.com/after-the-fires-went-out/

  “That was the moment when I promised the universe and Cassy that I’d take care of Fiona, no matter what. I thought I might be the only person left in the world to take care of her.”

  After years of climate catastrophes and economic strife, with society on
the brink of collapse, the news came that an extinction-level comet was on a collision course with Eastern North America. Panic spread. For Robert Jeanbaptiste, being stranded away from his wife and daughter means that he doesn’t know what happened to them when the city of Toronto tore itself apart. But after the comet came and set the forest and fields alight, he finds himself with someone new to care for, a teenaged girl who’s lost everything, too. He’s made a promise to protect her from the chaos, but with food and fuel running out in a world without rules he’ll soon realize just how hard it is to keep it.

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