The Journey South

The man and boy's relentless trek southward through a barren, ash-covered America, seeking warmth and survival.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Setting Out

The Journey Begins The First Morning In the cold dark woods, the man wakes and reaches out to touch the child sleeping beside him. He pushes aside the plastic tarpaulin and looks toward the east for any light, but there is none. He knows only that the child is his warrant. They set out along the blacktop, shuffling through the ash, each the other's world entire. The Road and the Cart The man pushes a grocery cart; both carry knapsacks. They cross a river by an old concrete bridge and come upon a roadside gas station. The man searches for anything useful, finding only a half quart of motor oil for their lamp. The boy asks for a story, and the man agrees. The First Signs of Desolation They pass through a stark black burn, dead trees and ash everywhere. They see the shape of a city in the grayness like a charcoal drawing. The man uses binoculars to scan the country, looking for any sign of smoke or movement. The boy asks if they are going to die; the man says not now and that they are still going south.

Crossing the Burned City

The City of the Dead Entering the Ruins They pass through a burned city at noon. The man keeps the pistol to hand on the folded tarp. The city is mostly burned, cars caked with ash, a corpse dried to leather in a doorway. He tells the boy: 'Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever.' The Lake and the Memory He recalls a lake from his childhood, a perfect day with his uncle. They rowed out, dragged a stump, and returned in the evening. This was the day to shape the days upon. The memory is a brief respite from the horror. The Ashen Scabland They bear on south, solitary and dogged. They cross a high gap and look out over the great gulf where the country is burned away. The cold is intense, and the nights are long and dark. The boy has painted his facemask with fangs. They struggle on.

The Mountain Pass

The High Country The Summit They reach the gap at the watershed, a place the man recognizes from his own childhood. The boy asks what it is; the man says it's the gap. They have crossed the mountains. The Descent They slog down the southfacing slope through deep snow. The man breaks trail, pulling the cart. The boy finds a yellow toy truck and keeps it on the tarp. They camp in a bench of land, the man holds the boy's feet against his stomach to warm them. The Waterfall They come to a waterfall, a beautiful place. The boy is amazed. They swim in the freezing water, the man holding the boy. They find morels to eat. The boy says it's a good place. But the man knows they cannot stay.

The Coast at Last

Arrival at the Sea The First Sight After many days, they come to the coast. The sea is gray and cold, the sky a wall of smog. The boy is disappointed it is not blue. They sit on the beach, wrapped in blankets. The man says he is sorry. Beachcombing They walk the beach, finding glass floats, bones, and the wreckage of a sailboat, Pájaro de Esperanza. The man swims out to the boat and finds supplies: a first-aid kit, a flaregun, and other goods. The Final Camp They camp on the beach, build a fire, and eat well. The boy gets sick, but recovers. They are robbed by a thief, but the man chases him down and recovers their belongings, leaving the thief naked in the road. The boy is deeply troubled.

The Father's Death

The Final Days The Coughing Worsens The man's health deteriorates. He coughs blood, grows weaker. The boy watches him, terrified. They travel inland, but the man can go no further. He lies down in a field, knowing he will die. The Last Conversation The boy tries to care for him, but the man tells him to go on, to carry the fire. The boy refuses, but the man insists. He says the boy has his whole heart. The boy is the best guy. The Death The man dies in the night. The boy stays with him for three days, then walks out to the road. A good man appears, and the boy goes with him and his family. The boy talks to his father every day and does not forget.

early in the story, October

mid-journey, a few days later

late in the journey, approaching winter

near the end of the journey

after the coast, inland again