Calamity Island

4 | ECHO

They split ways after they reached Little San, a survivor settlement built in the ruins of the old factory district. Jem ventured down into the Junkyard, while Casper headed north, to climb the long steps that led up to the Anthill.

Most of the old buildings in the old district had been destroyed in the Cataclysm. But the settlers had managed to piece together a decently-sized village from old wood and scrap metal. Shipping containers lined up end-to-end formed a labyrinth of corrugated metal in the dirt — a dimly-lit marketplace they called the Junkyard.

Jem walked the narrow dirt paths, bag slung over her shoulder. It was evening now, and smoke spilled out from the food shops into the alleys, carrying with them the tantalising scent of grilled meat and charred vegetables. Jars hung from cables strung between the containers, glowing with yellow light that diffused in the smoke.

As always, the Junkyard bustled with life. Familiar tunes jangled from an ancient CD player. People hunched over the crate chairs in the bars, drinking and playing cards. Kids chased each other over broad planks of wood balanced between containers, up on the second level where most of the settlers lived.

Towering still over them stood the Anthill, a mountainous soil structure peppered with car-size holes, constructed by the giant insects that had lived there until the survivors had chased them out and reclaimed the space. That was where the scholars and alchemists stayed, where it was quieter and they could study in peace.

Jem's stomach growled as she passed the grill shops. She longed for a proper, warm meal, but the eateries here only took prongs — small battered silver coins that formed the new economy of Little San. Jem didn't spend enough time in the settlements to earn enough to spend, so every time she dropped by she either had to time her visits to the Anthill so she arrived just as they were getting dinner, or furiously barter with the vendors for something to eat.

She got lucky at the Black Barnhouse. She had picked up some sorrel root the last time she went out, and Wort, the owner, was happy to trade for a couple of drinks and some skewers. Jem sat at the table in the back, sipping on the bitter beer they brewed in Little San, and let out a long sigh.

It was supposed to be a simple outing today. She didn't like putting Casper in danger — she still felt responsible for him, and that pressure made her uneasy. It was easier when it was just her, and whether she lived or died was down to her own stupid decisions.

But he always asked her to take him out with her when Jem went exploring. And she did need a second pair of hands for the Pearl Snake. Everything else that had happened after had been out of her hands.

She sank back down in the chair and sighed again. They'd made it out alive. So what was she getting all wound up about?

Jem watched the settlement bustle around her, draining her glass. The air was alive with sound and laughter, but Jem still felt restless. She always found the settlements kind of muted, compared to travelling outside. That was part of the reason she never stayed too long in Little San at a time.

But this was different. Something pulled at her chest, a nagging feeling like she'd forgotten something important. It was still bothering her after she'd finished her meal and headed back out into the Junkyard.

Maybe she just needed a proper rest. She'd crash with the alchemists tonight, and hopefully tomorrow her head would be in the right place. Jem wandered though the streets of Little San until she came to the steps that led up to the Anthill.

It was a long climb, but Jem liked it. There was a resting point halfway up, once she could see over the high metal walls surrounding the settlement, and from that vantage point there was a panoramic view over Santcosmo, in all its post-Cataclysmic glory.