SNOWFLAKES DROPPED when Reeves and True Bob rode up to the farmhouse in Wellsville. Laura got down the moment the Mustang stopped. There was both feeling of felicity and sadness to her arrival at the house that she grew up during her childhood — and now returning back after all the years in the state of coma.

The house at the hinterland had gracefully deteriorated — and was weather-beaten over those abandonment years — but it welcomed them inside, away from the coldness outside wind, after more than a week on the road.

Reeves and Joe were the first to step inside with guns pointing in hands — to find its dusty interior with hanging cobwebs. Troy followed behind Laura who looked around, smiling to herself...

She remembered her mother Martha during those memorable evenings at home — the thoughts of seeing her back turned, cooking at the stove while Herbert would be having coffee at the table. The nine-year-old Robbie used to read a comic book at her favourite spot on the couch, while her twin brothers toddled around with baby talks...

Her mother turned around — and looking surprised, to see the twelve-year-old eldest daughter present. "Mimi, you have brought some guests."

Today, she had also brought Martha’s grandson back home...

Laura was grinning, and she replied softly to herself. “Yes, Mum.”

Troy heard that — and now Laura became conscious of herself saying it — the small-town-girl turned back to the 4 Intersexuals standing behind her, covering her mouth while grinning sheepishly to her last thoughts — that she too was a mother now...

“Guys, make yourselves at home.”

***

Some hours had passed — and two figures were in the open field, by the deciduous big oak tree which was the burial ground for the Jensen linage. Laura stood by, watching Reeves — who had just buried Hebert's remains in the hard frozen ground.

He was hitting a cross into the ground with the back of the same shovel. Laura was calm and at peace with herself. She did not cry — as to how she had been lachrymose when Reeves first brought up her father’s remains from the fallen Buick.

She then held Reeves’s hand close to her face, and turned her son from Herbert's grave, towards a smaller grave beside with a sagging cross...

“That’s my twin brothers' graves. Your uncles were the first to die of the virus. Johnny and Jimmy would have been about twenty-one if they were alive today. Robbie adored them like crazy — like she was their big elder brother.”

Reeves hugged her with one arm. “Come, let’s go in.” Laura then took out the faded old plastic Sponge Bob keychain from her jacket pocket — it was the one that she found in the cannibal town. She placed it on the snow-covered grave, before walking arm-in-arm with Reeves back to the house.

True Bob was using a leg pump to inflate his motorbike tire, and Reeves walked to him — Laura stepped into the house. Bob looked up to Reeves. “Winter is a real bitch, but I found some frozen dried corn in the field and made some hot soup inside — that will be our dinner for tonight with some coffee.”

“We have to go hunting later, Bob — who knows we might get a small kill or something — or else we will be starving by tomorrow,” Reeves replied doubtfully after judging the paucity of anything to hunt as provender, due to the cold season.

“When are we heading next to the border?”

“Hopefully it stops snowing’ then — we can go off by noon tomorrow,” Reeves replied wearily before he walked unsteadily into the house.

He was extremely worn out, he was the only one who rode on the whole journey without taking a nap in the Mustang, in those past weeks —right now, he just wanted to grab something to eat and find a spot and sleep it off. He intended to later wake up fresh at the crack of dawn, and go out hunting.

Laura was scooping soup from the pot for Reeves and herself. She looked up at the other two guys.

“Joe, are you still hungry? You can have some of mine if you want.” Troy instantly nudged into her benevolent nature of sharing. “Forget about him, Joe had a double portion just now. Please eat well Laura — you will need the strength once we hit the road again.”

Reeves washed his gaunt face, in a water bucket near the sink — and he heard the door opening wide, shut again with a slam...

True Bob stepped in, with his arms in the air...

Two armed women shielded behind Bob. The older woman was about thirty, pointed the rifle at all of them. She pushed Bob towards the rest. True Bob looked at Reeves, with guilt for his lax...

“Sorry Reeves — they skulked from behind me.”

“Shut up! All of you, hands up — where I can see them!”

The older woman mien in furry duster-overcoat then trained her rifle closer at them that made everyone raised up their hands. She also had a big vociferous voice — when she spoke out more...

“Who are you, people? What is your business here, on the Jensen property?”

“I am Laura Jensen — this is my father's house.”

The woman lowered her rifle and exclaimed, “Laura? Oh my God — is that you? Laura — it is me, Haley Eastman!”

Laura hurried over and hugged her amiably and repeated her name twice — they both laughed out in delight.

Reeves as the team-leader stepped forward but the younger girl with a floppy hat that hid her face, had pointed her Winchester up at him — it made Reeves retreat back with the rest of the other Intersexuals.

“Never in a million years had I expected to see you back in Wellsville, Laura — I wish Connie Pearlman was here, to see you too,” said Haley — and Laura inquired...

“Where is Connie? Did she leave during the virus outbreak?”

“No, her pappy did not want to go east like your folks.” She lowered her voice — and looked into Laura’s eyes, “Laura, Connie passed away ten years ago.”

Laura instantly commiserated...

“How? What happened?”

The younger girl in the floppy hat replied from behind. “Tornado.”

Haley Eastman finished her sentence. “Yes, the freak weather that year — a tornado hit their farm and it killed Connie and her Mama — but Carrie here survived.”

Haley led the younger girl Carrie to her side.

“Laura, you remember Carrie, don’t you? Connie’s baby sister — whom we used to tease which one of your twin brothers will marry her someday.”

Carrie removed her hat and was blushing. Laura went over and hugged her.

The Intersexuals gazed at the attractive and stunning looking blond-haired girl — that was good enough to be a magazine model.

Haley continued, “She was the only survivor when the twister hit the Pearlman household — and I have been taking care of her since she was little.” Haley then hugged Carrie, before looking back at Laura...

“She is now my woman, Laura — I made it legal and married her in town, on her 18th birthday.”

Joe mumbled softly, “Damn, what a waste of ass.” Troy smiled while pinching his own nose, to avoid laughing out.

“Who are these people with you, Laura?” Haley Eastman soon asked.

Laura introduced them. “This is my boy, Reeves — and those are his friends Truman Roberts, Troy Norton and — Joe — he does not have a last name.” Bob humoured from behind. “Mighty Joe Young.”

Haley teased Laura, after looking at Reeves...

“It must be nice to have a fine young boyfriend from the city.”

She presumed they were from the city — after checking out their vehicles outside.

“Haley, actually Reeves is my son.”

Laura was laughing now — after looking at Haley who was lost of words that her son was grown up — and was almost the same age as her own wife.

“You have a son, Laura?” Both Laura and Reeves blushed, and others laughed...

Haley Eastman looked at the Intersexuals standing nearby, she then shook their hands and said. “I have seen your kind once — Rosemary Wilson in town had a son like yours — but the boy died of scarlet fever when he was still little.”

Joe then encroached. “Hi Haley, I just want to ask, how the people in town are — are they the kind of wild cannibals, who eat human flesh?”

Haley laughed out aloud...

“Gross! Is this kid crazy or what? Is that what you people from the city think that is happening over here in these parts? I have never heard or seen anyone being cannibal — and I don't even believe that alien crop circles either, or to that end of the world zombie-apocalypse attack shit ever existed...

“Our realities are that we are farmers here, boy — we grow crops like our parents before us did — but now, we barter it in town for the supplies they have.”

Joe did not pursue any further. Haley would not believe what they had encountered cannibals recently, in the nameless town in Nevada they had trespassed.

They heard Laura inviting them over...

“Come, let’s sit Haley — we can have some coffee and catch up.”

***

True Bob made more fresh coffee. Laura and Haley were doing most of the talking at the table. The Intersexuals listened attentively to gather local information. Haley shook her head in disbelief after hearing Laura’s story, and also about Roberta...

“That is really unbelievable Laura! Eighteen years in a coma and you just got out of it a week ago. Praise the baby Jesus — it is truly a miracle!”

After ten minutes of listening to Laura, Haley dominated the conversation again, reminiscing their past...

“We have heard of this famous cop named Jensen — and I never knew it all along that it was our little tomboy Robbie.

“Remember, she hated us so much when your mother refused to let her follow you, me and Connie when we went out on our weekend biking trips. I do also remember Robbie spitting at us from the school bus window and sometimes hit us with pebbles. She was such a nasty brat back then.”

While Haley was talking, Joe was lasciviously noticing the attractive Carrie — who was helping to pour the hot coffee into their mugs. Laura replied back...

“Yes, she is a police captain now in Washington. They go out and arrest a lot of the Intersexuals for crimes — sometimes for things that they did not commit. That is why we are all on the run — because Robbie is now finding for me.”

Haley supportively nodded — and then asked out of curiosity for the latest gossips in the cities’ prevalent riots...

“What about this trouble-maker back over there — the one who calls himself the Preacher? I heard that he is responsible for killing the good lady President Rosewood.”

Troy imposed an explanation from her on the polemic topic — which was a mendacity dose of the government’s propaganda.

“Haley, hold on a sec — who is telling you all these stories?”

“Yeah, we don't have TV, radios or the Internet in farms like we used to, in the good old days of electricity — so when we go over to trade our crops for supplies in town, we get our news there — mainly from the army patrol who come in, and give the town folks the information of what is going on in other places.”

“The US Army? Are they based in Wellsville?” Reeves instigated back to her.

So far, they had been lucky with Troy’s GPS coordinates that they had not encountered any roadblocks — with the exception to the two military patrol buggies that drove into the cannibal town and met their own fate over there in Nevada.

“No, they just come and go. Five or six of them come patrolling into town every fortnight. They give us the news of what is going on in the cities. The last I heard is that the Preacher feller ran away to Mexico.”

“Bad news, ladies, he is back in the States again,” Joe spoke again with hilarity.

Haley was astounded to hear that. “Oh my god, then there will be more chaos and murders in cities. He has an army of Muslim barbarian convicts from prisons breakouts — and I heard that they are planning to take over the country, am I right Laura?”

Joe replied on behalf of Laura, he exaggerated, “Yeah, you are right about one thing there that they are savage barbarians — so go and tell the town folks to hide their pretty wives, because they will be taken away from them.”

Joe expected Carrie to laugh — but she was not paying any notice to the talks on the table.

She was boldly staring at the other seated Intersexuals — because she was intrigued by her first encounter being up close to the androgenic breed. Neither did Haley understood what Joe had meant — but the rest of the guys were hoping that the inane Joe would shut-the-fuck-up — from being any more annoying and mortifying. Troy too was humorously hoping that Haley Eastman would shoot him in the foot or nuts, for hitting at her nubile partner.

“Laura, so are you planning to be back here, and staying for good in your daddy's house?” Haley next asked. “No Haley, it is not safe here — we are leaving tomorrow. The reason we stopped here, is to bury my daddy in the fields next to the twins.”

“A wise choice you made there — a Wellsville man is always proud of his land — and deserves to be buried here.” Haley Eastman spoke in pride before adding. “Come on Laura, just stay a day longer. I will take you over to the town and show you all around to the folks there. Do you remember Tiffany Lawrence, our senior in school? She is now the town-leader over there — and everyone calls her The Sheriff, and she is the law.”

Laura reached and clasped the woman’s wrist...

“Haley listens, please don't tell anyone that I came back — because the news will get to the Army — and Robbie will also find out about me soon. Then, they will come in fast to track us down, and probably shoot and kill these boys.

“I beg you Haley — can you keep our visit a secret?”

Reeves was in full admiration of Laura’s tactfulness and purview, where she knew how to cover her tracks — his mother was now a team-player.

“Sure Laura, it is really good to see you after all these years. I know Connie too will be happy that you came by if she was still alive. We were really tight back then, were we not? The other kids used to tease us in school by calling us The Three Farmer-Sisters.”

Laura grinned, “Yes Haley — we were like sisters back then in school.”

Reeves then spoke up. “Haley, we need a big favour — we need food supplies for our trip — can you spare us some? It is winter now, and I bet there isn't many games out there to hunt. But we don't have much to trade either — and what we cannot offer you are — gasoline and our guns, or even our ammo — which are really limited.”

“Or do you want cash? What’s your price for four days’ worth of ration? How about hundred bucks? 200, name it?” Joe was now at the negotiating on the table like a nouveau riche, on their behalf...

Reeves was stumped by him — because they had less than fifty dollars in their kitty — and ‘what if’ Haley wanted more? True Bob and Troy now felt like shooting the purblind Joe themselves — the nettling fat-fuck was talking like some tycoon, to impress the young voluptuous blond Carrie Eastman in front.

Haley finally laughed — judging that Joe was farcical blabber of the group...

“Cash? No, it is not of use here — over here we trade everything among our neighbours — not to profit, but to survive over here.

“We don't need gasoline either, because no one drives in Wellsville ever since we ran out of gas fifteen years back. We walk mostly, and some folks have cattle wagons. Our Sheriff Lawrence is the only one, who goes on a horseback.”

Reeves was wondering what he can offer as a trade — but, Haley then spoke up again...

“Sure, you want food, yes, we will spare you some ration of grains and dried meat. I will do anything — for my sister of Wellsville!”

Haley stood up and picked up her rifle, and Carrie went to her side...

“It is a long walk back to the farm — so give us a couple of hours and we will come back at nightfall, with the ration.”

“We can give you a ride back and save the trouble — and collect it ourselves,” Reeves suggested.

He was glad that things were turning to their favour — and they could hit the road to the border again, with one lesser worries.

“Yes Haley, let Reeves take the two of you back.” Laura said back.

“Goodbye, Laura. I hope someday you will come back again — and decide to stay with us for good.” Both the women hugged for a long time.

***

Outside, True Bob and Reeves started their bikes. Haley exclaimed in hesitance when she approached...

“Oh, motorcycles, I never sat on one before.”

Laura called back from the porch. “Go on, it will be fun, Haley. Guess what, I can ride one those too.”

Carrie got on Reeves' pillion seat, and he reached behind and placed her hand, to strap onto his waist. Haley got on with True Bob, on the chopper and they rode off, waving. Laura went into the house, leaving Troy and Joe behind...

Joe had lots to say to Troy about the blond-haired Carrie. Troy had not seen Joe this virile and horny, since their Tombscradle days — where he gave pet names for the sex-dolls, he had mounted then...

“Damn dude, the botty-licious blond got a real nice set of racks too — and some great spanking ass there. Did you saw the way she was staring and checking me out, all the while in there just now? She’s one hot lesbo who had not seen a cock for eighteen years, am I right yo?

“...and I bet she got wet below — and was mentally, stripping me away naked just now.”

“Yeah, you are right, Big Joe — she wanted to compare if your man-boobs were bigger than hers.”

Troy laughed out to ridicule and went inside the house.