Harvest Earth by J.D. Laird Read Free Book Online Page A

focused. Five deep breaths are all it takes to regain his composure.
    After trying the phones Gabriel takes advantage of his brief moment of clarity for a slight detour. His first objective is clothing. Just as Gabriel had noticed when he had first woken up, he still reeks of urine. Gabriel stinks. He peels off his overalls and hangs them over a dressing room door. He then changes into a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. Gabriel also procures a belt and from it he hangs his keys and flashlight. In the back of his waistband he tucks in the barrel of his empty revolver.
    On everything he takes off the racks, Gabriel saves the clothing labels with the prices. Gabriel tears them off and shoves them into his pocket. If whatever is happening ever ends and things returned to the way that they were, Gabriel hopes to repay the store for the things he is taking.
    After leaving the dressing room Gabriel debates whether or not to leave his work uniform or carry it with him. He had worn the same overalls nearly every day for two years. He knew every stain and every home-mended stitch. On the chest of Gabriel’s overalls his name was embroidered in red thread. Over the years, Gabriel had thought about asking for a new pair. At least one additional set to ease his laundry bills. However, Gabriel had stayed quiet. He figured that he would be a given a new one before long. Some CEO or high powered executive would see him passing in the halls and complain to the building manager. They would make a stink about how it looked to have someone so filthy wandering the halls. Then they would have to get him a new pair. It wouldn’t be for him, and not because he had asked, but because someone whose voice mattered had made them listen.
    The holes, the dead buildings and the empty streets. These images and the one of the large shape he had seen in the sky, all of them come to Gabriel. He leaves the overalls where they are.
    Gabriel only briefly allows thoughts of what he is already considering “the old world” to creep into his mind as he raids the gourmet food section of the department store. Handfuls of nuts pour into his mouth. The surreal nature of the world and Gabriel’s actions in them is conflicting with Gabriel’s need to see his daughters again. The need to rationalize and his love for children compete for his attention. Love wins out as Gabriel finds a backpack in the school supplies section. He fills it with all the food he can find. He chews on macadamia nuts as he packs. Each bite subsides the painful feeling in his stomach that had threatened to overwhelm him before.
    As the chewed up bits of nuts make their way into Gabriel’s gut he can feel his nauseous feelings become less frequent. But he still needs water, something to soothe his aching throat and tongue. There is a water fountain near the department store’s restrooms but they don’t work. Instead, Gabriel finds his way into the employee break room. There is a refrigerator. The temperature inside is equal to that of the room without. It is yet another jarring experience that Gabriel pushes aside. He tries not to think about how long the refrigerator has been without power as he grabs a half-finished bottle of chocolate milk and pops it open. The sweetened milk feel so good in Gabriel’s mouth that he let out an audible sound of relief after letting it run down his face and throat. Gabriel is even more grateful that the milk product is still runny and lacks any coagulation or the smell of rot. There are other items in the refrigerator as well.
    These items have names on them. Names like “Bobby”, “Susanna” and “Mark”. Names of people who have left their lunches with hopes of returning later to open and enjoy them. They are the names of people that had once worked in the store. People that are now missing. Gabriel shuts the door to the fridge forcefully and pulls himself away. He pushes his children to the forefront of his mind.
    With a belly full of gourmet