Suzy’s Strange Saga
Epilogue 10: Trader of TRASH
The Future…
“So that Bobby guy was really your ex-boyfriend? He was fucking creepy.” Jenny remarks as you drive away from the compound.
“Yeah, well being head of a cult will do that I suppose. He wasn’t quite as creepy when I met him though. In any case it’s good that his sister Diana’s not in the picture anymore. I guarantee if she was still alive, this little peace between us and the Cult of Tiamat wouldn’t even be possible. Mel should be pleased about that.” You say.
“Yeah, we even got some good stuff from them. I’m surprised he gave us as much clean water as he did….you think he still likes you?”
You laugh.
“No, I’m fairly sure Tiamat is the only love of his life, with his sister Helen trailing behind, though maybe he did remember the good times we had together and decided to be generous with the supplies…or maybe this is all a trick and he actually poisoned the water with something hoping it’ll kill everyone.”
“Oh shit! I didn’t even think about that! You think so?!” Jenny remarks.
“Nah, I’m just joking. I mean I suppose it IS possible, but that’s not the cult’s style. Besides, if Bobby DID do that, he most likely would’ve secretly warned me so I don’t drink it at least.”
“So you think it’s safe?”
“I dunno. Doesn’t matter anyway since I’m going to go trade it to New Security for their fizzy soda. Can’t get that anywhere else and it’s not like we need anymore water, we currently have a good supply.”
“See that’s why I like coming on these runs with you. It’s more interesting than just staying home listening to people argue all the time.” Jenny remarks.
“Hm, trust me if I could, I’d rather stay home all the time, but unfortunately that’s not the way the world currently works that allows me to relive the days of my more carefree youth.” You say.
At this point Jenny asks you again about your “former life” but like you always tell her, there isn’t much to it. You didn’t do much, but you get the impression she’s just fascinated by the fact that you went from your humble beginning to what you currently do now along with all your survival skills you’ve acquired. Maybe it’s a bit inspiring for her, you don’t know. Though sometimes when you think about it, it is a little impressive.
“Hey you ever think about revisiting your old house just out of curiosity?” Jenny asks.
“Actually when all the crazy shit in town died down and there weren’t crazy cannibals running around everywhere, I did. I sort of made a detour there during one of my solo runs.”
“Really? I never heard about that.”
“Why would you? I never told anyone about it before. Anyway, I sort of went there partially out of curiosity, but also because my brother Ben built an underground shelter in the backyard of the place. Probably nothing the scale of one of those Ground Zero shelters like they used to annoyingly run ads for in the old days though.”
“Yes, but didn’t you tell me your brother killed himself?”
“Yeah, but knowing him, he probably still had that thing well stocked, so I figured it was worth a shot to look for. Unfortunately I looked and looked and looked in that backyard for hours and I couldn’t find the fucking entrance. I don’t know how the hell he moved it around and hid it like he did, but he did and like I said, I couldn’t find it. Who knows? Maybe it’s completely collapsed now anyway.”
“So nobody was squatting in your house?”
“Not that I could tell. There were a couple times where I felt like someone else was there, but nobody ever showed up. While there were some signs of natural decay and some things had obviously been looted everything else was mostly intact. My own room was completely vandalized though. I mean it looked like someone even tried to set the place on fire and there was some graffiti with the usual vulgarity on the walls. Sort of weird really and I didn’t stick around too long there. Guess it’s like they say, you can’t go home again.”
“Well you have a new home anyway.” Jenny remarks.
“Eh, I have a place to put my stuff and sleep, but I dunno if I’ll ever feel at home at the trailer park. I mean I get along better with everyone there now than I did, but I still just don’t fit in. The further I travel on these trading runs, I sometimes wonder if I shouldn’t just strike out on my own. I certainly have horded enough shit to be a travelling trader if I wanted to.”
Jenny at this point gives you a concerned look.
“But you wouldn’t just suddenly leave like that would you?”
You look back at Jenny and you think about telling her that you don’t really have much attachment to where you live. It’s not even your long lost basement that you once loved so much. You also think about telling her you have even less attachment to most of the people who live there. Sure some of them are okay, and some you even get along better with than you did with your own family, but it’s not enough to keep you around.
But then you think, maybe that isn’t entirely true.
Jenny is about the same age you were when Donna just suddenly abandoned you. You remember when that happened you were a bit numb. Some of it wasn’t surprising, but nevertheless you did feel a great sense of betrayal due to believing you were building a new and stronger relationship with her at that time. You got over it pretty quickly mainly because there were so many other fires to put out at the time, but you didn’t ever forget.
Whatever happened to Donna you suppose you’ll never know. Maybe she died, maybe she’s living well. Who knows?
What you do know is over the years Jenny has sort of followed you around mainly due to her own mother basically not giving a shit about her and then later dying in an explosion due to Dan’s failed attempt to create a new “meth lab.”
You suppose she probably believes the pair of you have a bond too. Probably a bit more of misguided “hero worship” on her part and her ties to you are probably stronger than yours to her, but you aren’t going to do what Donna did to you.
“Nah, I just think about it sometimes that’s all. I’m a bit too old to go traipsing across the nuclear wasteland, sleeping in a truck and worrying about fuel and the like on an everyday basis. However, if I ever do decide to leave, I’ll be sure to let you know.” You say.
“So I could come with you?”
“Yeah I suppose it would help to have someone watching my back if I was going to do it.”
“I think that would be great adventure! And I don’t think you’re too old. If my mom was still alive you’d only be like a couple years younger than her. In fact sometimes I think of you as my…”
You tense up. You don’t want to hear that…
“Stop. Just stop right there Jenny. Don’t even finish that sentence. I am NOT your mom.” You say with a stern look.
“I wasn’t going to say that. I was going to say I sometimes think of you as my big sister that I never had.” Jenny remarks.
You cease being tense.
“Oh. Well…okay. Yeah. I suppose that’s okay. I guess in some ways you’re like the younger sister I never had.” You respond with a smile.
“But you did have a younger sister.”
“Yeah and she was a slutty and ultimately selfish cunt. Like I said, you’re the younger sister I NEVER had.”
With a couple of minor chuckles from you and Jenny about this comment, the pair of you begin speaking about various things as you drive to your next destination.
You never imagined you’d wind up as a trader/scavenger for a trailer park community, but in the scheme of things it’s not that bad of a life in this new harsh world.