Apocalypsis 03 - Exodus

like to be searching for a home and worrying about surviving the night in a strange place.
    “Hey!” yelled Rob from the boat. “Come on, guys! We can’t wait out here all night!”
    “Get in the canoe, Bryn!” ordered Trip. “I’m coming to get you.”
    I faced Trip. “You might as well just go. I’m not leaving here unless they can come, too.”
    Trip’s face screwed up in anger and his grip on the pole tightened until his arms shook. But then he released it and his face dropped into its regular mask of prideful beauty. “They can get in. But when we get back, I’m talking to Kowi, and then they’ll be sent away. And you’ll have to deal with what you’ve done tonight, too.”
    I was so tempted to mock him, I had to literally bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. Paci put his hand on my back for a second and said quietly. “Just take a breath. Don’t say anything else until we’re in front of Kowi.”
    I nodded once.
    “Who’s this Kowi guy?” asked Jamal. “He someone we should be worried about?”
    Paci moved to help bring the canoe closer, wading out into the water, so I answered.
    “Kowi is one of the chiefs. Trip is the other. They decide who can stay and go in the swamp.”
    “Two chiefs? Is that normal?” asked Ronald.
    “In this world? Yeah.” I glanced back at them and they were looking at each other, shrugging. I really didn’t get any vibes at all that they had ulterior motives or were working for canners. Other than the fact they’d made it all the way here from Tampa alive, there was no reason to suspect their story. I knew Jimmy and Sissy weren’t canners.
    “So where’s that Bodo guy?” asked Ronald.
    I cleared my throat and looked at the ground. “We … uh … had a little problem with some canners who live in town.”
    “Oh, man. I am so sorry. That’s bad. Really. My fault, my fault. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
    “You talk too much, Ronnie,” said Jamal. “Sorry to hear about him. About Bodo.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” I said, willing the tears away. Bodo is not dead. He is not dead. He’s just … stuck somewhere and waiting for me to come get him . Which I was going to do sooner than soon. My leg was hurting, but not as much as I would have expected after jumping in the water and swimming to shore. That meant I’d be ready to go in just a few days, max. Don’ t worry, Bodo. I’m coming! I looked out towards the town, back in the direction of the house we’d blown up, sending vibes out to him, just in case he was able to pick them up.
    The canoe pulled up onto the sand, distracting me from my thoughts of my boyfriend. We all got in carefully, Ronald and Jamal almost gingerly. Jamal, the tougher-seeming of the two, looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
    “What’s the matter?” I asked jokingly. “Can’t swim?”
    “No,” said Jamal in a tight voice.
    “You’re kidding,” said Paci, clearly not believing him.
    “No, he’s not kidding. Neither of us can swim.”
    “But you’re from Tampa!” I said. “How can two guys from Tampa, on the coast, not know how to swim?”
    “Black people don’t swim, okay?” said Ronald. “Everyone knows that.”
    “Whaaat? You’re nuts,” I said. “I know for a fact that LaShay swims.”
    “Who’s LaShay?” asked Ronald. Jamal seemed incapable of speech right now. He was staring out at the water with stark fear etched into his face.
    “She’s a girl who lives with us. And she’s black and she can swim like crazy, even with … well, never mind. She can swim her butt off.”
    “Well, she’s special then. Because none of my friends could swim and neither could anyone in my family.”
    “And yet you came to live in the swamp,” said Trip, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Brilliant.”
    “You live here, and the place is full of gators and snakes and whatnot. Didn’t stop you,” said Ronald.
    “I’ve lived here my whole life,” Trip argued.
    “In the swamp? I don’t think so,” challenged Ronald.
    “Whatever,” said Trip, angrily. “Doesn’t matter if you can swim or not because you’re not staying.”
    Ronald said nothing, looking to me for support. I patted him on the hand, shaking my head at him so he’d stop talking. It wouldn’t serve their purposes at all to remind Trip that I held the tie-breaking vote right now, so I wasn’t going to say a word either. All I had to do was convince Kowi this was a good idea, and it was a done deal. The