Epilogue

314 days until extinction.

Harper wasted no time in lingering in the city despite her body demanding some manner of rest and by nightfall she had already made it to the outskirts of Philadelphia. She was not entirely sure if this Captain individual would rise to her instigation, but either way she needed to get clear as she still had the one thing he seemed to desire.

Glancing back at the skyline she could not help but the pang of regret at leaving Jackson behind, never getting to hear that music once more.

In the distance she heard what sounded like the revving of a small engine, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

Her mind raced with math. There was no way they were located any less than twenty minutes from the apartment they confronted her in, adding in five minutes to relay the information there was no way they could mobilize quick enough to already be on the road for her.

Slowly the sound of the engine grew louder. Some type of four wheeling all terrain vehicle.

Maybe she made a mistake. Somewhere she had miscalculated.

And then she got her answer.

“Harper!”

The familiar voice of Jackson Smith rang out over the roaring engine of the beat up but still functional ATV he was driving.

She stood dumbfounded at the sight as the young man stopped in front of her and dismounted.

“Jackson, what the-”

He rushed toward her and shoved her hard pushing her back a few steps. It was then she noticed the look of anger and betrayal on his face.

“What the hell Harper!”

For the first time in a long time Harper had nothing to say. All she could do was shrug in confusion.

“You left me!”

“I…but the letter.”

He pulled the slightly crumpled piece of paper from inside his jacket and shoved it at her, she caught it yet stood with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“Yeah I read it, but it’s also total bullshit.”

“It’s what?” She couldn’t help but being slightly hurt by the comment, she had written it from the heart. This young kid would be better without her.

“It’s bullshit. Because the thing you are forgetting in that letter is your own involvement.”

“My involvement?”

“The only reason we went there in the first place is because you were there to help support me. Hell I probably would have died before even getting there, and probably would have gotten caught by those goons that work for the Captain if I had managed to make it.”

She smiled at him, his words were stirring and while true she didn’t want to expose him to that much danger.

“Jackson, I appreciate that but I just stirred up the hornets nest. He’s going to be looking for me, and you being around puts us both in danger.”

There was a pause of hesitation as Jackson considered what she was saying, momentarily she thought she had bested him before he countered.

“Well then why don’t we just go back?”

“What? Back where?”

“Back to where Gabby and Keila are. It’s protected, there’s lots of folks watching out for one another-”

“Jackson.” Harper tried to interrupted but the young man would not be cut off.

“You said that I needed to be exposed to the people there, and you were right okay? That night was so much fun, and playing for them all made me happier than I ever thought I could be.” He smiled at her, and she felt proud like a big sister. “But I think you need the same thing.”

“What?”

“You told me a bit about what you’ve been doing, wandering. You’ve been doing what I was doing, we were surviving but not really living. Keila helped show me that this time needs to be something to live for and not just exist through. Because then why not just take the easy way out.”

His eyes moved to the rifle still slung over her back, and she unconsciously shifted it slightly further back.

Silence fell between them then as Harper digested everything he was saying. It was hard to refute that she had felt a great enjoyment spending time with Jackson the past few weeks. And being able to begin the steps to making amends with Gabrielle, none of that would have been possible without wanting to protect the young kid with a dream.

“I think you might be right.”

The anger faded from Jackson’s face, which was lit by the silvery light of the moon and the lights of the ATV casting a strange glow behind him that gave him an almost empyrean appearance in the moment.

“Damn right I am!”

Both Harper and Jackson then erupted in a loud and barking laughter that rang out through the night for several minutes until both were struggling to catch their breaths.

“What about your clarinet though?”

“We can probably make a trip up there to grab stuff. I’m sure they could use some of the supplies we have in that pantry.”

“Alright then, lead the way Jackson.”

Getting on the back of the ATV Harper held on to the bars at the back for support, smiling as the Philadelphia skyline came slowly closer into view.