Hollow Rock

Posted on Fri Jan 16th, 2026 @ 2:46pm by New York Survivor Amythyst & New York Survivor John ("Dodger") Smith & New York Survivor George Brooks & Survivor Elena Marwick

2,157 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Safe Harbor
Location: Hollow Rock
Timeline: 23rd September 2010

The Flatbed boat pulled up on the rocky beach of the island listed as Hollow Rock. It was early morning, the group having left just before dawn, leaving Briar in charge.

Amy was in the front of the boat, crouched low watching. Nothing, well nothing human. She looked back at the two boys who were at the helm area. "Looks empty" she said softly, and then she jumped to the beach with the dock rope in her hands. She pulled it taunt around a large bolder as the front of the boat lowered with a thud to the beach.

Dodger was next off the boat, His eyes scanning the surrounding landscape as Amy's had. "So far so good." he said to no one particular. "Let's go and see what we can find." This said to Amy.

Amy nodded and looked back at George. "you coming?" she asked him as she hefted her machete.

Once they had landed the boat, George turned off the engines, pocketed the key, then popped open the fuse box and pulled the main breaker, carefully wrapping it in a cloth he brought with him and putting it in another pocket.

Nodding to Amethyst as he approached, he gripped his roller hockey goalie stick in his right hand. "Yeah, just wanted to make sure no one could get away with our boat. Not easily anyway." He then followed her ashore.

Amy led the way, crouched low but yet moving carefully. She looked around as they reached the top of the rocky beach, and they found themselves surrounded by fruit trees. Apples, Plums, .. a pear tree, and low blueberry bushes. They were loaded with fruit.

Dodger brought up the rear. he was holding his trusty baseball hat in hand as the trio began to investigate the island and soon found themselves in the mist of fruit trees. "Wow. never expected to see so many different fruits trees." He stated softly.

Amy nodded. "And they are full of fruit, we can dry it and make packs for eating and such." She was glad they had brought a number of hessian bags for such things.

George looked around, wary of their surroundings. "Its pretty late in the year for trees like these to be fruiting naturally, isn’t it? Someone must have been tending them." He looked around again. "Let's just grab what can and get out of here."

Amy considered it and her face scrunched up. "When i was ... 7.. my mother and i visited people on a farm in Connecticut. They had fruit trees, it was nearly October, I think... the leaves were starting to turn in Central Park... so maybe not so unusual." She pulled the bags from her backpack. "Lets stock up."

Dodger nodded, his eyes still on their surroundings watching for anything out of the ordinary. So far all appeared safe. he held a hand out to take a bag from Amy so they could begin to gather fruit,

Together, the three teens quickly filled their bags, careful not to bruise the fruit as much as possible. George still didnt feel right, exposed out here like they were. The hair kept standing up on the back of his neck, as if they were being watched, but when he glanced around, he saw no one.

Dodger loaded his bag with fruit but was constantly looking about as like George he felt they were being watched but he saw no one. It was a creepy, eerie feeling and the sooner they were done and off the island the better he would feel.


She woke to the sound of an engine.

For a moment, Elena thought she was dreaming again—another cruel fantasy of rescue that would dissolve when she opened her eyes. But when she lifted her head from the makeshift bed of rags, the low growl of a boat motor pushed through the fog of her exhaustion.

Someone was here.

Her heart thudded weakly against her ribs. She tried to stand, but her legs trembled violently beneath her, and she had to brace herself on the doorway of the toolshed. The morning air was sharp with salt and cold. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

Please… please let them be real.

Voices drifted through the orchard. Young voices. Alert, cautious. She couldn’t make out the words, only the rhythm—soft footfalls, the rustle of branches, the murmur of people who were not talking to themselves.

Her eyes stung.

She hadn’t heard another human voice in nearly two months.

Her fingers clenched the doorframe. “Hello?” she tried to call out, but it came out as a rasp, barely louder than breath. She coughed, a tearing pain ripping through her chest.

Pain didn’t matter. If she didn’t make herself known, they might leave.

She tried again, forcing air into her lungs. “Please…”

A twig snapped nearby. Three silhouettes moved between the fruit trees—crouched, ready, armed. Fear jolted through her, but desperation anchored her in place.

“Please… don’t go,” she whispered.

For a moment, the world held still. Then one of them stepped toward her—small, quick, wary. A girl. Maybe fifteen. Maybe sixteen. Her shape solidified between the slanted morning rays: a machete in one hand, a pack slung over her shoulder.

Elena felt her breath catch. She clung to the doorframe and stepped forward, into the light. She knew she looked terrible—hair matted, clothes stained with dirt and sweat, legs trembling from hunger and disease. She’d spent weeks shrinking into a ghost.

Still, the girl didn’t raise her weapon. She only watched.

“You’re… real,” Elena whispered. She hadn’t meant to say it aloud.
They were real.

“My husband…” Her voice cracked. She had to swallow before she could continue. “He… he left. In July. Took the boat. Said he couldn’t… watch me die.” Her throat tightened painfully. “I thought I was alone.”

Dodger stopped at what sounded like a whisper carried on the wind, faint and gone in an instant. he turned in the direction it came and saw her,,,,,, an adult. His sharp eyes looked her over, She was thin but didn't look infected and what had she said? Her husband left her in July? That ruled out her being infected. he shifted his stance but didn't make any move toward her. Instead he asked a question, "Who are you?"

Elena stared for a moment as her mouth moved and eventually the words came out. Her vision swam slightly and she swayed. "My name is Elena Marwick." she got out.

Amy asked softly. "You have been here alone since July?"

Elena nodded and blinked like she was blinking back tears.

"Your husband just left you here all alone?" Dodger asked appalled at the thought of someone just abandoning another living human being. Yet, inwardly he was thinking what a scumbag. He knew none of them would ever leave another member of their group alone.

Elena nodded weakly. "I have cancer." she admitted. "He wanted to save his resources so he could live safely if things went bad."

"What an asshole." Dodger replied. He would never understand how you could simply abandon someone you love.

Hearing the woman say that she has cancer caused a pang of guilt to blossom in George's chest. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Stepping forward, he asked softly, "W-What kind of cancer?"

"Ovarian" Elena said softly. "5 months if untreated.." She gave a wry smile. "Less now obviously. It is nice to see alive people before.."

Dodger glanced at Amy and then at George. He didn't know for sure how the others felt but he knew how he felt and that was no one deserved to die alone. It made him think of Dante, the former Infernals leader who just up and left the group in the middle of the night. He didn't know what had happened or if Dante was still alive but if he was dead, he hoped Dante hadn't died alone. He took a step forward. "Why don't you come with us? You don't need to be here alone. It's ....." His voice broke and when he spoke it was thick with emotion. "It's not right."

Elena gave a shrug. "Life is not fair or right." she studied the three teenagers. "Where did you come from?" the accents were varied, but two were definitely New Yorkers.

"New York" Amythyst said softly. "Well, Dodger and I are, but we all left New York a few weeks ago. It... was bad."

Dodger bit back a comment at Elena's comment about life not being right or fair. he was well aware of the fact as was Amy George and Briar. "So, what do you say? Come with us and you will be surrounded by people who care."

Elena was tempted. "I would only put you at risk." She said softly. "When I die, I will become the undead like all others."

Amy stared "You are infected?"

"Everyone is. It was suspected back in April, and all but confirmed in June.." She paused. Kids would not know really. She studied them. "You didn't know?"

Amy shook her head. "No.. We... thought a person had to be bitten.."

"No." Dodger's voice carried across the open space. "No." He repeated at hearing what Elena said. His mind whirled. Was that why Dante left? He knew the truth but couldn't tell him and the rest of the Infernals. He refused to believe all the hard work they had done was for nothing and that they were simply going through the motions.

George spoke up. "We don't have any cancer meds." He seemed at a loss to what to say. "Do..do you have a method planned to keep from...coming back?"

Elena looked at him. "I was going to go swimming." She admitted. "I figure if I sink deep enough.."

Amy swallowed at the words. "How long do you think you have?"

"A few weeks, maybe two months. I will be dead before Christmas." Elena said lowering her body to the ground.

Amy's hands opened and closed. She wanted to find the man and kill him with her bare hands, reanimation risk or not. She glanced at the other two."Get your things" She said softly. "WE are not leaving you here."

Dodger nodded his head quickly in agreement. "Right. You are coming with us, not leaving you alone. Where are your things? He asked Elana.

She pointed to the toolshed. "There. Not much" She admitted. She looked at them. "There is a black laptop bag. Its important."

Dodger nodded and headed off toward the toolshed. A few minutes later he came back with a white duffel bag and the black laptop bag. He showed them to Elana. "This is what you were talking about?"

She nodded and took the bag as if it held the crown jewels. "Yes." She nodded at the bags they had been using to get the fruit. "There are goats here too. I could not catch them or kill them."

Dodger looked to Amy and then George. "What do you think? We try to catch a couple and bring them back with us?"

"Be a different milk sauce" Amy said as she looked around the island.

"That's true. "Dodger agreed. "Isn't there something called goat cheese as well?"

Amy nodded. "yes." She said as she looked around the area."I will load the fruit into the piloting area of the boat. Goats eat everything."

"Good deal." Dodger answered and l looked to Elana, "Let's get you to the boat and then we can try to catch some goats."

The woman nodded and Amy helped her to the boat.

Elena sagged onto the deck behind the wheel in the wheelhouse and closed her eyes, her bag beside her.

Once Elana was on the boat, Dodger looked to Amy, "Okay, any ideas on how we're going to catch some goats?"

"food" She said. "The goats at the Zoo ate anything." She spoke of the Central park Zoo.

"I get the idea of food Amy, let me rephrase the question how are we going to get them to stand still long enough to catch them?" Dodger asked.

She gave him a helpless look. "I am not sure.. we do not have rope or anything to corral them with..."

"What if we leave bits of food like bread crumbs leading them onto the boat?" Dodger suggested.

Amy nodded. "Good Idea lets get to it."

"Right." Dodger said as he began to leave tiny chunks of some fruit on the ground for the goats to eat all leading to getting them on the boat.

It took them a few hours, but eventually the three teens had managed to corral 10 goats, of different ages.

Amy looked at their 'loot' gave a nod and then they boarded the boat and headed back to their island hideaway.

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