August 18, 2033 – AT 6 Autumn Waxing 9 (6.5.9)
I don't know how to write this, but Raven said I need to get it out. Squirrel is dead. So is Dean. So is another man. I shot him.
I guess he saw us when we were in Ukiah and decided to follow us. We saw him walking up the road from the East when we were at the Goat Farm. I guess he didn't see the Village, it is off the road about a half mile so he might not have noticed it. The Goat Farm is right on the road, the road goes by the open fields for more than a quarter of a mile. Anyway, we saw him, Bruce and I did. I called out to Dean, who went to meet him. He looked pretty scary and crazy. I could hear him from the barn where Dean told me to go.
He said his name was Cody and he was told by god to finish killing all the people, then he pulled out a knife and stuck it in Dean!! Georgia was close and carrying a gun. She shot at Cody but missed him. He ran away, but we were all sure he wasn't really gone. Georgia got her dad into the pickup and drove him up to the Village. The rest of us got guns and set up a watch line around the Goat Farm. I was on the South side, away from the road. I could see Squirrel a ways away from me on top of a rock to my left and I could see Bruce a ways away from me to my right. About a half hour later John and Ronald and Champak came back with guns and extra ammunition. They filled in the watch line. About another two hours later I heard Squirrel scream. I looked over and Cody was leaning over him on the rock. I took aim like Anthony taught me and shot him in the head. Blood spurted everywhere and I puked.
Cody broke Squirrels neck. Raven couldn't save Dean. She said he was bleeding inside and she didn't have the tools to do the surgery he needed. We buried all three of them at the Goat Farm, a little ways past the pond. I asked if I could speak words over them. I wrote them down first and this is what I said.
“Today we lost two of our friends. They both survived the catastrophes and the Long Dark Time and they made it to this, the Fifth year of the After Times. Cody survived all of that too. I did not want to kill him, but I had to. He wanted to kill us all because he was wounded in his soul. I don't hate him, I respect him for surviving. We all know that was not easy and that most people did not survive. We have to go on. I honor Dean, who helped us a lot. He was a good builder and a good farmer and a good dad to Georgia and Robert. I honor Squirrel. He was a little boy but he not only survived he kept his brothers and sisters alive all by themselves. He was always ready to help and he took the responsibility of a much older person. Do not hate Cody. Honor him for surviving, pity him for his soul wounds. We are few and we need more of us if we are to survive for long. We also have to leave behind the war and feuding that destroyed the world in the Before Times.”
Then I cried and we all cried and Bruce and Thomas and Anthony all held me until we were all cried out.
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Mother Rainbow's Children: The Cave
