Free Fountain of the Dead by Scott T. Goudsward Page A

in her paper and then in turn everyone else did the same, silent and one at a time. Gerry and Tony stacked wood for the evening bonfire but the reserves were running low. They would need to find some woodland and cut down some trees soon; the ones in the village were too busy holding up the sniper platforms. Catherine had planned on them taking them on a road trip north and put it off thinking there would always be time.
    With each ballot, whether blank or written on, Catherine acknowledged each person. When Micah went to drop in his ballot she took the paper from his hand, smiled and tossed it over her shoulder into the fire pit.  He frowned at her and tried to drop a back up ballot into the pot. That one she stuffed in her pocket.
    “Not fair.” He scribbled on is white board. He wiped at the words with his fingertips.
    “Your time will come, Micah, you’re too young for a trip like this.”
    “I need to keep track of history.” He wrote next and took the journals from his bag and started flipping through the pages, showing Catherine; practically shaking the books at her.
    “I know you feel you must chronicle the trip, leave that to me. I promise every detail will be recorded.” Micah scratched his shoulder after putting the journals away trying to think. He nodded in approval and gave Catherine a quick hug. Sharon came over and stood next to Micah; he bent down and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment. She wiped her hands on her shirt.
    “Catherine, we’re low on meat, the freezers are almost empty. We need to schedule a run to the city or a hunting party.” Sharon wrung her hands on her shirt tails ashamed of having brought that news. She was a hair shorter than Micah at fifteen and a bit chubby in the face. Running a canteen truck for several years never helped her weight.
    “We’re also almost out of gas,” Frank added. “We need fuel for the generators to keep the freezers going. Then we need to fuel the vehicles for this trip of yours. Maybe see a few deer on the road and you know.”
    Catherine brushed a lock of grey hair caught in the breeze from her eyes. She turned away to look at the colored foliage clinging to branches. The mood was broken by a gunshot and body falling to the ground.
    The lack of cooking smells and the lottery brought out everyone from their homes. Catherine sat and Micah handed her an empty journal and several pencils. She smiled and put them under her chair.
    “People, I’m going to draw the names now. After that, you’ll need to eat from your own supplies. Tomorrow we will plan the trip and the rest of you will need to go shopping. Find a spot on the road we can cut down some trees, or a yard loaded with cord wood.” Catherine looked around at the array of faces, apprehensive, scared, and excited. She reached into the pot and drew out the first ballot. She unfolded it, holding her breath. She sighed and showed the first piece; it was blank. Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd. She crumpled the blank tag and tossed it into the fire pit.
    The next four ballots brought four names, then three blanks and the next round all names. When Catherine calculated the names in her head, she emptied the rest of the papers into the fire pit. “We have our party.” She called them out one by one; those called stepped to the side and then gathered near Catherine. Micah’s face paled when he saw Sharon among the party. She looked away and then turned back and tried to smile for him. He rubbed his eyes and plodded off, with Meredith on his heels.
    “Right then,” Pierce said. “When do we leave?”
    “Tomorrow or the day after. Mr. Pierce, we need to get a hunting party formed, send people out for supplies,” Catherine said.
    “What do you mean?”
    “What it means, fuck-stick, is we need to ready our village for this run,” Frank said.
    “Everyone with a vehicle with gas will go, get fuel and forage,” Catherine said.
    “It’s ludicrous to wait. We need to leave