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After the excitement of the first night, the kids enjoyed the next three days of peace. They took stock of their supplies and repacked them for easier access. They had decided to take the van with them in case one of the other vehicles broke down. They traded the guns and ammunition to the Sheriff for things that they didn’t have and took as many hot showers as they could. They knew that once they left, it would be back to sponge baths and boiled water. By the third day, Josh’s face was a rainbow of colours but most of the swelling had gone down so he could see better. It had been nine days since they left Disneyland and they were all anxious to keep heading homeward.
Alex couldn’t help thinking of Emily and David and wondering how far they had come and if they were safe. She tried hard not to think of her family and all the “what-ifs” or she would sink into depression. They planned to leave the next morning as early as possible to take advantage of the daylight and get as far as they could. The days were getting longer but the sun still went down before seven at night and they wanted to push hard after staying in the town for three days.
They had dinner at the Sheriff’s house the night before they left and they were all happy to see Luke full of energy and happiness. With the resilience of young children, he seemed to be none the worse for his ordeal. The physical scars on his small body would take time to heal but his mental state seemed good. His mother, Jane, was a charming hostess and bustled around mothering all the teens. She seemed not to be affected by the fact that she had shot a man in the back only days ago.
Alex remembered what Dara had said in the change room, about a return to the old ways and guessed that it really would be a new world. They left the Sheriff’s house feeling good about what was to come and went to bed early for the next leg of their trip home.