Peregrination to the Promised Land

by Alden MacManx


Chapter Six- Allentown

Shortly after sunrise, the three rose and struck camp. Joe drove to the horse farm, where they picked out four harnesses that could be adjusted for a decent fit. “With these, I won’t have to buck a tree to pieces, I can just tie a line to the harness and pull!” Marsha observed, working out how to put the harness on.

“That was one thing I was thinking about when I found them, Marsha. The main thing is remembering what I had to use back in Nanuet. Going up the hill was easy, but coming back with a loaded wagon, not so much fun,” Joe said as he drove.

Sticking to Interstate 78, the roadway was sound, but they could see that in some places, it had flooded over, and the shoulders were beginning to fray. Off the freeway, they could see some washed-out roads. “I’ll give these roads about five years before they really start deteriorating,” Marsha said as she watched the New Jersey countryside roll past.

“Before, they said ‘too many people, too little planet’. Now, it’s the other way around,” Linz replied.

“Yes, it is. Why would we come back so soon? It’s like we’ve been selected to pave the way for others,” Marsha wondered.

“I heard from Alexandria that our marks have meaning. That’s one thing I want to study more of when we get there,” Linz said from where she sat, petting Trixie.

Marsha turned to look at her mark, that of a fern leaf in a reddish color, contrasting with her dark green fur. “I think mine is due to my interest in botany. I’ve always liked plants, even though I never could grow a garden.”

“That’s what you get from growing up in Harlem, Marsha. Not too much green there to practice on. What I’m wondering about is why I have a grappling hook on my backside,” Joe said from the driver’s seat.

“Or me and my mark,” Linz added, which was that of a gray circle with two green spots in it, like cat’s eyes in the dark. “Or why the marks are so… distinct. Meant to stand out.”

“Some sort of magical identifier mark, to tell the world something about ourselves?” Marsha speculated.

“Hopefully, we’ll find answers in Alexandria.”



It took much of that day to go from Clinton, New Jersey to Allentown, Pennsylvania, again because of frequent stops to clear debris from the roads, like fallen signs, tree branches and broken cables, to name a few items. It struck them that there were no abandoned cars, no wrecks marring the side of the road, no trace of what happened. It was like as if everyone who was driving vanished at six-thirteen a.m. on the twenty-third of May two thousand fifteen. True, it was a Saturday morning, and traffic would have been light, but still, they all agreed it was creepy.

One thing they had all agreed upon before setting out is that whoever was driving controlled the music player. All three of them had different music tastes, Joe liking eighties and nineties music, Linz more the early two thousands, and Marsha preferring classical and jazz. Each had their own mp3 players, and those in the driver’s seat jacked in their players to listen to while they headed west.

Arriving in Allentown later than they would have liked, they prowled about some before finding a good camp site. Once they found one, they went about setting up camp. Due to the lateness of the hour, incoming clouds, and Joe’s feelings about the weather, they set up the campsite a bit different, namely that they decided to sleep in the bus, with the doors and windows open, and a tent fly protecting the door, which was positioned so that the expected rain would not blow inside the bus. Joe then called in, telling Fred where they were, and they planned on staying put until the rain stopped.

“I’m not going to tell you three how to do your jobs, not from here. You’re the ones on point, and if I didn’t trust you, I would not have sent you. The prep team will head out in about a week, and the main force two weeks after that. We’ve got gardens started, and they are growing faster than we expected,” Fred reported from Belvedere Castle.

“Glad to hear some good news, Fred!” Marsha called out, the satphone being in speaker mode. “We’ll check in tomorrow, okay?”

“You do that. Good night, all.” Fred said before hanging up. Just then, the first drops of rain hit the tent fly.

“Good thing we packed camp stoves.” Joe observed.

“There will be one good thing if we’re stuck here for a day or so,” Linz said as she broke out the cooking gear.

“What’s that?” Joe asked.

“Fresh bread tomorrow. I can set up an oven inside the store entry and bake a few loaves and a mess of rolls,” Linz said with a smile, the prospect of baking bread pleasing her.

“Plans like a sound to me. Linz, you stay here and cook while Marsha and I check out the store. Deal?” Joe quasi-ordered. It was the usual breakdown of labor, unless something was found that a unicorn’s glow would be a big help with.

“Deal. Dinner should be an hour. Take your radios!”

Doing so, Joe and Marsha headed into the store, headlamps on. They found a couple of broken windows, but the tree branches made clear how the windows were broken. The store’s goods were virtually untouched, with very little vermin activity noted. Some dead rats were found in the back area, likely from poison bait. “Not as bad as it could be. I found some places in Harlem that were putrid,” Marsha observed as they made their way around, noting what was there.

“Some in Nanuet, too. The broken windows must have allowed enough ventilation to dissipate the rotting smells,” Joe observed. They didn’t stay long, just doing a quick check. The detailed search would take place during the day, when there would be some more light.



The next day dawned gray and damp, low clouds overhead. After breakfast, Linz and Marsha set up the camp ovens on the store’s covered walk, avoiding streams from the gutter. Joe took the paint pack and started marking the trail, but soon gave up when he found wet paint and wet metal won’t bind. With a note to do that later, he went on with his next task, searching for intelligent life.

Joe pulled for altitude, to get a better overview of the deserted part of the city. One thing he did not expect was when he ran into the cloud deck… and bounced. Surprised, he regained his flight balance and tried again. This time, with more speed, he went through the cloud to the other side, sprawling ON the cloud.

“I can get to like this…” he said to himself as he sprawled on the white upper surface of the cloud. It was soft, yielding, and comfy, so he caught his breath there, wings spread. He felt more than heard a paint can work free from his pack as he sprawled, and the paint can fell through just like the cloud was… a cloud. Joe found he had to work a bit to dig his hoof into the cloud surface, but if he did not bend his will to doing so, the cloud was more like a very soft yielding surface. “Cotton ball clouds, oh yeah!” he laughed, digging through the cloud, watching the color of it grey out the deeper he dug.

Breaking through the bottom, he firmly told himself to get back to work, so he did. First thing he had to do was reorient himself, because while he was in/on the cloud, it had moved. Finding the ribbons of concrete that was I-78, he managed to figure out where he was. “Good thing the wind is going west to east- I remember the exit ramps…” he muttered as he flew lower, to better scope out the ground.

He let himself drift east, intending to check out Lehigh University, which signs had told him was a bit more to the east of where they stopped. What he was NOT expecting was the fusillade of bottle rockets that started popping under him! Joe let out a yelp and did some fast jinking, looking back to see where the rockets had launched from. That task was aided by another flight of bottle rockets, a roman candle, and several spark volcanoes on the ground, where he could see a manlike figure waving.

Joe aimed for the figure, which resolved into what appeared to be a dog on its back legs. Landing about twenty feet away, he furled his wings. “That’s one way to get attention!” he laughed.

“Yeah, I saw you flying, and I had these leftover fireworks, and so I set them off trying to get your attention!” the doglike being said. Close up, Joe found the being stood about his height, with grey toned fur and floppy ears, like a basset. The voice was that of a young teenager, and the shorts the boy wore were rather tight, as the pup was quite round in the middle.

“Well, you did. I’m Joe Velloti, and we’re just passing through. Who are you, and when did you wake up?” Joe asked.

“I’m Benjamin Cutler. I woke up a few days ago, in my bed, like this. I don’t know what happened. Do you?” he asked.

“I know A story of what happened. I don’t know how true it is. I woke up in February. How old are you, Ben?”

“Fourteen. I’m in my freshman year of high school. How can a horse fly with those wings?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know the HOW, I just know they DO. If it works, don’t question it, right?” Joe said with a smile.

Ben nodded in agreement. “Right. The how can come later. Speaking of which, where are you going?” he pleaded, giving Joe a lost puppy look.

“Myself and two others are heading for Alexandria, where there is a colony of ponies like me who are gathering together there. If you are up for a walk, I can take you to them. I’m sure they would not mind if you came along for the ride,” Joe said with warmth, noticing Ben’s apprehension about being left behind.

“Would you mind if I pack a bag? I hope I can find some bigger clothes, too. Everything in the house is too small!” Ben exclaimed as his too-tight shorts ripped slightly as he started dancing with joy.

“You go ahead and pack, I’ll just call ahead and let my friends know about you. I’ll go stand on the porch there, out of the rain,” Joe explained, pointing with a wing.

“Okay! I’ll be right out!” Ben said before running inside, his shorts splitting up the back as he ran. Joe went to the porch before pulling out his radio and calling in.

“Eight-Nine to Eight-Patrol. I found another survivor,” he reported.

“What did you find, Joe?” Linz asked after a moment.

“A dog, like Serena Knapp in Manhattan. This one is a young teenage boy, who woke up only a few days ago. He’s packing right now, and I need directions,” Joe said before giving his location, looking at a street sign.

It took a couple more minutes for Linz to break out the map of the area and translate where she is and where he is into understandable directions. “Okay, then, expect us in a couple hours at most. He’s scared and lonely, and I doubt I can carry him on my back,” Joe said when Linz finished.

“You do what you think best, Joe. We’ll be ready when you get here.” Linz said before signing off. Joe, however, did some thinking. He looked at his butt mark and thought, an idea coming to mind.



A few minutes later, Ben came out of the house, wearing a snug pair of sweat pants and carrying a bulging backpack. “Okay, which way?” he asked.

“We’re parked at the Giant. It’s about an hour’s walk from here. But, would you like to try an experiment?” Joe asked.

“What sort of experiment?” Ben asked, puzzled.

“I’m not going to try to carry you on my back, but I will try to carry you in my hooves. I’ve noticed I can shift large trees if I get a grip on them, and if we can fly there, it will save time. Just how much do you weigh?” Joe asked.

“I was one twenty-five before. Now, I don’t know. Let me go check.” Ben put the pack down and darted inside, coming out a minute later. “Okay, I’m still one twenty-five, but I wasn’t this fat before.”

Joe nodded, thinking. “Okay, I think I can do this. I’m going to ask you to put the pack on and lie down. I’ll see if I can get a grip on you with my hooves.”

Immediately, Ben did as Joe suggested. “You won’t drop me, will you?” he asked.

“Nope. I have not dropped anything I have picked up yet, unless I wanted to drop them. Ready?”

“Ready!”

Joe spread his wings and flapped slowly, going to a hover. Slowly, he moved over the prone boy and lowered himself until his hooves touched Ben’s legs and shoulders. Willing himself to hold on, Joe flapped for altitude. Much sooner and easier than he expected, he took off, Ben beneath him. Quickly, he set course to the Giant.

“This is cool! I’ve flown before, but this is something else!” Ben shouted.

“It is, isn’t it? Now, keep as still as you can. If you shift your weight too much, I can lose my balance here and we’ll do a splat down. That will hurt you more than me!” Joe hollered back as he slowly pulled for altitude, aiming for the Patrol van, once he found it.

Ben promptly held as still as he could. “Okay, sir. I’ll do my best.”

Winging it, they were back at the store inside of ten minutes, Joe flying low and slow once he found his target. He landed behind the Patrol van, in sight of the cooking area Marsha and Linz had set up. The two ladies were staring at Joe and Ben in startlement as they gently landed. “I had an idea…” Joe tried to explain as he let go of Ben and landed himself.

“Looks like it worked, Joe. That was the fastest two hours I have ever seen,” Marsha said from where she stood.

“Hey, if I could shift trees, I can shift dogs. It was easier than I thought,” Joe reported as Ben got to his feet, removing his pack.

“When’s lunch?” Ben asked.

“Not for a while yet, Ben.” Joe said before doing introductions. “Put your pack down there in the dry and grab a flashlight. We’ll go in and see what we can find in the store, okay?”

“Yes, sir!” Ben said eagerly, doing as he was told.

“More explanations to follow. I think he’s imprinting on me,” Joe said quietly to Linz and Marsha.

“I’m not surprised,” Marsha said, also in low tones. “the same thing happened with Serena. She imprinted on Troy when he found her, and she won’t leave his side for long.”

“Well, I hope this fellow is a fast learner,” Joe said before Ben came into earshot, carrying a big five-cell flashlight. Joe put on his headlight and led Ben inside the store.

The two rummaged for an hour, finding what was good and what was not. Fortunately, one thing they did find was bigger clothes for Ben, which he happily changed into, finding comfort in something that did not dig in. Joe searched for other items, like batteries, cat food and litter, and something he hadn’t had to search out before- canned meat, other than fish. Also, a couple more can openers.

With two-handed help, Joe soon had more goods stored in the Patrol van, and the two males also did some rearranging, making the sleeping area a bit larger. The whole time, Joe talked to Ben, bringing him up to speed with what was going on in the world, as far as they knew. In exchange, Ben told Joe about what he went through, four days of isolation, raiding the stores his parents had in the house, his parents being ‘doomsday preppers’, they had a lot of preserved foods stored in the basement. “Doomsday did come, but not how they expected,” Ben said as he worked.

“Would you object much to my marking the place for future raiding?” Joe asked.

“I don’t see why not. Best use it before it gets ruined, right?”

“Okay, then. I’ll send the address to New York when I check in, and once the rain stops, which won’t be until tonight, I can blaze the trails to here and your place,” Joe told his new friend.

“How do you know it won’t stop raining until tonight?” Ben asked.

Joe shrugged. “Part of being a pegasus is having a good weather sense. When flying, I’m very aware of the weather conditions. My mother is a pilot, and I remember her teaching me how an airplane flew when I was young. It’s like I can almost SEE the instruments and know what’s going on.”

“What can a dog like me do?” Ben asked.

Joe thought. “I really don’t know for sure, Ben. Where we are going, they have a library there, provided by those who made us what we are. I’m sure we can find out once we arrive,” he wound up saying.

Ben hugged Joe gently. “Thank you for being honest, sir. Most would try to lie and bluff. You didn’t.”

Joe hugged back with a wing. “We all have to be honest with each other. We’re thrown into a strange world, in new bodies, and few people know the full story why. I know bits and pieces, but I don’t know much more. Honesty breeds trust and friendship, which we will all need to survive here,” he said quietly before Trixie stuck her head out of her travel box and let out a loud meow, which caused Ben’s ears to flip straight up for a few seconds before flopping down.

“You didn’t say you had a cat here!” Ben shouted in surprise.

“You didn’t ask. Will that be any problem to you?” Joe asked.

“If she doesn’t scratch me, it should be okay,” Ben said as he carefully reached out to Trixie, who sniffed at his finger before giving it a lick.

“Cats and dogs living together… what has this world come to?” Joe asked, only to get skewered by glares from both Ben and Trixie.