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The village of Santa Flores lay on a gentle decline toward a valley and a tributary of the Atrato River (Rio Atrato). So Matt and Billy, on their way to bathe, with soap and towels in hand, were strolling almost happily downhill and around a slight curve in the road, and there before them opened up that whole area, tree-lined river and little wooden bridge on a road leading toward distant hills and perhaps a larger town beyond. Matt remarked, "This is too far from the village for people to carry water. They must have had a truck or a horse-drawn wagon." "Well, the horse is dead, so where did the truck go? Asked Billy, in a foolish mood as he anticipated a swim in the fresh water. "As far as it could take the driver, I'm sure." Said Matt, adding to Billy's nonsense. Then he slowed and said: "Billy stop." Billy was almost ready to offer another silly question, until he saw Matt was serious. "What's up?" He asked. Matt was viewing the river, and through a gap in the shoreline trees he saw what appeared to be two logs lying at odd angles on the opposite bank, but they weren't logs because, while Matt stared at them, they moved. "Aligators!" Matt growled. "Or maybe crocodiles!" --Also, even at this distance of a few hundred yards, they could see ripples and little splashes in the water, indicating fish and, no doubt plenty of snakes along the banks, all overseen by a mass of insects swirling and darting in all directions. Matt and Billy were passing from a village of the dead to a river teeming with life, predatory life for which they were food and nothing more. "Billy, turn around slowly." Matt instructed, and they both retreated back up the hill and around the corner out of sight. Billy could see Matt was scared, truly frightened. "Did they see us?" asked an equally frightened Billy. "Not at that distance, but if we came much closer they would certainly have smelled us. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I should have realized!" "Realized what?!" Billy asked, now thoroughly alarmed. "Only us warm-blooded mammals and birds are susceptible to viruses! Reptiles and insects are immune! My God! They're going to take over the World! There's nothing and nobody to stop them!" Matt was overwhelmed by this revelation. But Billy reacted differently. "Not here they won't! Come on Matt, let's go back to the jungle and get those guns!" And Matt had to agree. So back up the cobblestone street to the safety of the general store, there to pack the next day's supplies and tools. It was too late to start back into the jungle, unless they were willing to sleep there among all its creepy night predators. The little general store also had camping supplies, including little pillows, sheets and light blankets, so they bedded down in the store's two aisleways and tried to sleep. But the utter loneliness of their situation weighed down upon them, and after shifting on the hard floors for awhile they talked about it. "What's going to happen to us?" Billy asked. Matt thought for a minute and replied, "We'll try to live here until we can travel and look for Maria Alvarez and the mail carrier, and any other survivors we can find. Then we'll form some kind of community, perhaps here. This was a lovely little village. Perhaps we can make it so again. But if we do stay here, we need to show honor and respect to these poor people by giving them the Christian burial they would certainly have given each other if any of them had survived. I'm sure the church probably has archives on all the families that lived here." So, with the gentle ghosts of Santa Flores to dream about, they slept. |
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Back to Contents John Talbot Ross |