Fellow Travelers Novels & Stories

"Max Cairncross, I will ask you one last time. Are you lending me the money or not?" I said each word clearly. "No. I am not." Dylan completely broke down. He yanked a necklace out from under his collar. It held a transparent bottle pendant, smaller than his pinky. Inside the bottle was a rolled-up strip of paper that said: "Max Cairncross is my only best friend." I had one around my neck too. Mine said: "Dylan Price is my only best friend." We gave each other those bottles after graduating high school. They symbolized lifelong friendship.

It was just that I sometimes felt like there should be someone next to me, but I just couldn't remember who that might be. I traveled all the way south. Fortunately, I managed to avoid all the dangerous areas from my previous life. On my way, I bumped into many kind and courageous individuals. There was a skilled female physician named Winnie Lynch; an agile, retired soldier named Charlie Dale; and an elderly man skilled at farming named Nelson Ware. We teamed up and traveled together, helping and supporting one another. None of us looked to anyone else for salvation. Instead, each of us did our very best to survive.

Part 1: The Keeper Encounters Travelers on the Road and Decides Whether to Reveal Herself** The road south was mud and melt. Day 15 thaw had turned ice to water and water to questions. The keeper walked with her hood low, apple-seeds in her pocket from the festival. She wasn’t watching the border anymore. She was watching people. Three travelers came around the bend. Two men, one woman. Pack animals. Dirty boots. Fear in their eyes.

Like the shop clerk in Scotland, they have bills to pay. Luke shot footage of the travelers milling about in the main gathering area of the hostel, some preparing to leave and some arriving for a well-earned respite. Bella marveled at the diversity of people who'd made it their goal to travel at least part of the Camino. They were all ages and nationalities, the common thread among them being their determination to be part of a journey that held for each one a deeply personal meaning. Luke and Bella filled the remainder of their day chatting with the different people they encountered. One hiker they met was a young American man from Florida who was traveling alone, his father's ashes tuck

I giggled, thinking about my clever plan. Jim dropped me off at school, and I looked at the big, old building. Jim said my school was famous and old, and I had read about the word “famous” just yesterday. It meant many people knew about it. Just like Scooby-Doo! “There you go, little man.” Jim handed me my backpack and ruffled my hair. “Have a great day at school.” “Jim,” I whined, “I am a big boy, don't do that.”

They had faced countless challenges together, and now they were extending their support to me. As the hours passed, we continued our journey, the conversation shifting to memories of our past adventures. Freda shared stories of her pack's triumphs and struggles, their unwavering determination in the face of adversity. Listening to her tales, I felt a sense of belonging, as if I had found a new family in these extraordinary individuals.

Slowly, we approached the source of the noise, our hands poised near our concealed weapons. To our relief, the disturbance turned out to be a group of weary travelers. They were dressed in worn clothes, their faces etched with fatigue and worry, but they all seemed happy with each other. It seemed they too had been on the road for quite some time. The leader of the group, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a friendly smile, stepped forward. "Good evening, travelers," he greeted us warmly. "It's not often we come across fellow wanderers in these parts. Might I inquire as to your destination?"

As Liam traveled in the direction of the safe zone he and the others were talking about, the first safe zone they were going to encounter, he encountered the group of travelers. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. For days, he had journeyed alone, grappling with the mysteries of his newfound abilities and the uncertainty that loomed on the horizon. Now, faced with the company of fellow survivors, he felt a glimmer of hope flicker within him once more.

As Alpha Jax and I had planned, we continued to maintain a careful watch, but we also went out of our way to make visitors feel welcome. I started strolling in the evening to get more acquainted with the people and it was on one of my strolls one day, that I came across a group of travelers in my path. They were exhausted and hungry, and they had lost most of their belongings to bandits in the forest. When they stumbled upon my path, I recognized their need for help. I approached them and offered my assistance, and they gratefully accepted.

The couple wandered the streets of Philadelphia, migrating towards a touristy strip of the downtown area. Jade thought her guide seemed to be oddly familiar with the inner-city as they moved about. He'd instantly pointed his toes in the direction they needed to travel, knowing every-which-way to turn. Just when she couldn't imagine having to take another aching step, they reached the warm foyer of a Holiday Inn. Her teeth relentlessly chattered as she greeted the receptionist and paid for a room for the night.