Free Children of a New Earth by R. J. Eliason

way her dad had taught her. “Shit,” she said.
    “Now just because you know how to cuss, doesn’t mean I approve,” Jacob warned.
    “But that means we have only come about twenty miles. We have used almost half the fuel already. We will be out before we reach . . . anywhere.”
    “Shit,” he replied. “I mean, I see your point.” He stared at the dark shadows of the forest. Already they were creeping forward. Evening would be short this side of the pass. “Well, that’s why I wanted your opinion.” He shook his head. “That pass was wicked. I don’t think we could walk it, not with packs anyway. What are the chances of finding fuel down below?” he asked.
    “Slim to nil,” she replied. “Dad always said they were running out when he came up here. I wouldn’t count on more.”
    “Even if we did find some,” Jacob went on, “we’d have to pack it back to the Jeep. No, I can’t risk it. We need the Jeep to get back over that pass, and we shouldn’t need it on any of the lower trails. We leave it here.”
    “You mean go on foot?”
    “We knew it would come to that sooner or later. I guess it just came sooner,” he said.
    He stood up and went to the others. “Listen up, everyone,” he called. “We camp here tonight. Tomorrow, we continue on foot.”
    “What!?” several voices exploded together.
    “You heard me,” he repeated. “We go on foot. You all knew it would come eventually. Well, it has come early.”
    “Why?” Mark retorted angrily. “I thought we were taking the Jeep.”
    “Jeep’s only got enough fuel to make it back over that pass. Unless you would like to lug all the supplies we need back over on foot, we need to leave the Jeep now.”
    “Why didn’t she bring more fuel?” Patrick wanted to know.
    “I made all I could,” Amy retorted.
    “Maybe we can get more down below,” Luke suggested.
    “Maybe we can trade her for more fuel,” Patrick commented to Shawn.
    “The decision has been made!” Jacob shouted. “One day and the discipline is already going to hell! Kurt, start unloading the packs. Shawn, Patrick, you get the tents. Get to work everyone!” He stomped back to his map and went back to studying it.
    The men grumbled as they started setting camp. Shawn kept shooting her dirty looks.
    “I don’t mind walking,” Willie said. “That ride was rough.”
    As soon as the packs were unloaded, Amy covered the Jeep and the trailer with a canvas tarp. She had to search for rocks and sizable logs to hold the tarp down so the wind wouldn’t blow it off.
    Amy spent the whole evening repacking her tools. She could take only the essentials. They would have to be divided up evenly between all the packs. She knew that the men would begrudge her every ounce.
    It was full dark before she was done. She went straight to her solitary pup tent. She collapsed on her bedroll thinking that she would have to remember to thank Luke for setting it up for her. No one else would have.
     
    When Luke’s voice woke her in the morning, she was too groggy and sore to be thankful. Clouds had rolled in overnight, and it was cold. She could feel moisture in the air. It’s going to be a horrible day for walking , she thought as she collapsed her tent. They ate a cold meal of yet another MRE. Whatever the men thought, Amy was not impressed with the rations at all.
    Jacob ordered rain ponchos out. He was quickly vindicated. They had barely shouldered their packs when the first drizzle started.
    They continued their winding descent along the road. According to the map, there should have been a more direct route. The impenetrable scrub did not invite them to find it. “We’ll get nowhere lost,” Jacob said.
    Thunder rolled around them, and lightning lit the otherwise dull day. They plodded along, their spirits sinking. At least we aren’t up on the pass , Amy thought. Lightning could be dangerous high up in the mountains.
    The drizzle grew to a steady rain, and their feet became soaked in