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Post by iamnobody on May 20, 2022 8:27:11 GMT -6
They started talking. Her name was Leah and Clint told her his name. She was from a big city on the east coast. She told him of the passing asteroid, it didn't hit the Earth but within 24 hours of it passing, people started dying. Speculation was it had brought some disease that was killing most people. When people caught the disease, they had blood coming out of their eyes and ears and died a horrible painful death in 12 hours. It didn't matter what race a person was, man or woman, old, middle age or babies, it was killing most people. Very few people were immune from the disease. The government people had went into their underground bunkers before the asteroid and hadn't been seen since.
She had got in her car at the 1st sign of people dying and headed away from the city. It was slow going, weaving around stalled cars on the road. She had got lost out here in the Appalachia and then her car had run out of gas several miles from Clint's place and had started walking.
She had found his place and checked it out, expecting to find it empty or a dead body. Instead she had found Clint in his bed. She was scared of him, thinking he would soon show signs of the disease.
He asked her about his livestock and garden. It turns out that 1 rooster and 3 hens had survived and 1 pig was alive. She had lured them back into their pens and closed the gates. His garden had some produce and would be able to supply some things to eat. He found out she had been sleeping outside, so he told her she was welcome to stay inside in the living room. Leah asked him what happened to him. Clint told her his story, his accident and Lori leaving him.
Clint had a lot to think about, finding out the asteroid had brought a disease and killed most people.
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Post by iamnobody on May 20, 2022 8:29:12 GMT -6
Any one else having problems getting on here?
I am getting a lot of messages saying "PAW BOARDS ERROR" that the board is experiencing problems.
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Post by solo on May 20, 2022 9:13:18 GMT -6
Compassion comes in many forms. This one may be a keeper. She needs to know about Lori and her paramore. They remember there was some food, even it she viewed it as dog food, left behind. They will be back.
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Post by solo on May 20, 2022 9:22:27 GMT -6
It took a couple tries to upload my latest chapter... So yes, it is squirrley today.
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Post by sniper69 on May 20, 2022 9:37:42 GMT -6
Any one else having problems getting on here?
I am getting a lot of messages saying "PAW BOARDS ERROR" that the board is experiencing problems.
It has been intermittent the last day to day and a half. Usually if I wait a couple minutes and try again, it works.
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Post by iamnobody on May 20, 2022 10:56:44 GMT -6
He continued exercising his leg, trying to regain the use of it. There was less pain now and not having to crawl everywhere now that he had the crutches back was helping. The doctor had told him with therapy, he should regain most of his leg movement. His eyesight was a different matter. Leah had suggested warm compresses on his eyes may help. At least it wouldn't hurt.
The electricity was still on due to automatic systems at the generating plant, but how long it would stay on was unknown. There was wood for cooking and heat. Clint told Leah about the water spring and where it was, they would still have water. There was still a lot of Spam, corn beef hash and instant oatmeal. A few eggs a day and some produce from the garden.
It was now early fall. There has been no sign of any other people, no radio or anyone on the internet forums, no planes overhead. The internet was still up and Clint had Leah doing research on the internet, learning about things. He could listen to videos and her reading articles but it still made him uneasy not being able to see it for himself.
Clint had her maintain OPSEC, keeping an eye out around her, having the lights off at night and he was glad the smoke diffusers on the chimneys were working. People wouldn't be able to see his smoke from a distance.
Clint and Leah were often talking, she was encouraging him in his therapy and when he was down about his blindness. He talked of his younger days and she talked of her past. She had grew up in the bad part of the city, bars on the windows and not going out after dark. Her parents were poor and money was always in very short supply.
Leah was in the garden working, picking the last produce of the season. Clint was standing on the porch with his crutches, enjoying the fresh air. Leah lifted a cucumber vine and a blacksnake scared her. She screamed. Clint took a step forward and his crutch went off the edge of the porch. He fell down the steps and blacked out.
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Post by sniper69 on May 20, 2022 12:09:36 GMT -6
Here's hoping he gets his sight back from the fall.
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Post by iamnobody on May 20, 2022 13:49:58 GMT -6
He comes to and his head is hurting. He sees an ant crawling past him and an inch from his nose is a big fresh pile of chicken manure. He had just missed landing in it and having his face smeared in it. It was very sunny. Then he realizes he can see again!
He hears Leah calling his name and turns his head to see a woman coming towards him. She is only 5 feet tall and he guesses her weight at 350 pounds. She is breathing heavy as she crouches by him, asking if he is okay. He sees she has very short hair cut a little above her ears and there is a long ragged scar running down her left cheek. Again she asks if he is okay. He asks “Leah?”
It took a moment for her to realize he could see her. Then she started crying and turned away from him. She asked if he was going to send her away now. Why would he send her away? Because she was an ugly overweight woman and no one wanted her near them. People never wanted her near them.
Clint touched her arm and told her she had done nothing but good and helping him since she had arrived. That he wasn't sending her away and she could stay as long as she wanted. Leah was sobbing uncontrollably now and looking at him in disbelief. Smiling, Clint asked what made her scream. Sheepishly she said a pesky blacksnake had been under the cucumber plant. He chuckled and told her to sit on the porch steps with him and have a glass of tea.
Leah said she had never seen any tea in the cabinets. Clint pointed out the peppermint plant right next to the steps.
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Post by udwe on May 20, 2022 20:01:51 GMT -6
Yes! He got his eyesight back!
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Post by iamnobody on May 21, 2022 5:04:41 GMT -6
There was now a chill in the air as late fall arrived. Clint showed Leah how to use the wood heating stove. He had enough cut and split wood for 2 years for both of the stoves. His leg was getting better but it would still be some time before he could walk with no crutches and undertake major tasks.
They had done assorted tasks around the farm. One hen had gone broody, Clint had left her set on 8 eggs, 7 had hatched out. He would set more eggs next spring. The female pig, they decided to not butcher and save her in the hopes of finding a male pig to breed. Whatever disease the asteroid had brought, it didn't seem to of affected animals.
Some of his garden produce had went to seed which was saved. Clint had enough seed for 2 years and if they carefully saved seed each year, they should be fine. Leah was worried if they had enough food to live through the winter. He mentally debated with himself about revealing to her his trench full of food and supplies but she had already proven herself as a trustworthy person, so he showed her.
Taking her down to the basement, he opened the door and showed her his supplies. He said they could probably stretch the food for 2 years if they ate 2 meals a day. She was very happy when she saw the feminine supplies he had set back for Lori. He also took out the 3 guns and ammo. He could hunt and defend them. Though so far they hadn't seen any sign of another person. But the PAW stories he had read, always had bad guys surviving and trying to steal and kill. The beginning of December the electricity went off.
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Post by iamnobody on May 21, 2022 10:04:11 GMT -6
Clint and Leah were now getting up at daybreak and going to sleep at night. He had a few candles but he wanted to save them in case of an emergency after dark. Clint had showed her how to use the guns. At first she was scared because back in the big city, only gangs had guns, TV told everyone how evil guns were. According to the TV, guns would jump up off tables and kill people with no one holding the gun.
Once she got over her fear and saw that a gun was only a tool to do a job, she started enjoying shooting. Clint had been teaching her how to hunt and cook wild game to supplement their food. He had taken 2 deer so far and she had shot several squirrel and 1 rabbit. Clint had used the 22LR on the deer with shots in the head. He was trying to save the 30/30 ammo in case of 2 legged problems.
Before the snow came, they walked out the road to see about any neighbors. That way they wouldn't leave a lot of sign of their travels. His leg was better and he was rarely using the crutches but he took them for the trip because of the distance.
They came to Leah's car and no one had touched it. A short distance on was his nearest neighbor. They could smell the faint scent of decay when they got near. He recognized the clothing on the lump near the mailbox, his neighbor. The man was old and lived by himself, his wife having died years ago.
Entering the house, they looked for food and anything else of immediate value. There were 30 cans of assorted food in the kitchen pantry. Leah squealed with excitement when she found a chocolate candy bar. Clint was happy when he found a kerosene lamp and several jugs of kerosene for it. In the bedroom they found a 308 rifle and 1 box of ammo. When they checked in the basement – JACKPOT! There were 100 jars of vegetables and 20 jars of fruit that his neighbor had canned. They stacked what they wanted near the door.
They couldn't find a key for the car sitting in the driveway and Clint didn't want to try poking in the rotting lump of his neighbor to find it.
They kept walking and searched 3 more houses. Each was the same, dead bodies and little food. They found keys for cars but each time the battery was almost dead and barely cranked the motor.
The last house looked like a vacation place for some rich family. Expensive things inside, big screen TVs in every room, but no food. There were 4 bodies, looks like dad, mom, and 2 teenagers. One of the teenage body hands was still clutching an Ipad. In the parents bedroom was some lines of white powder on a mirror. Clint just shook his head in disbelief. They had a small poodle dog, its body was laying in the living room. It must of died from lack of water but he could see where it had fed on its owners bodies before dying.
There was a diesel pickup parked under the carport. He found the keys. He saw where a trickle charger had been connected by the dead owner, he disconnected it. Insert key, wait for the light, and it grudgingly turned over and finally started running. It showed a ½ of a tank of fuel. ALRIGHT! They wouldn't have to walk back home and would be able to load things they found at each house.
On the way back to his cabin, he suddenly thought of Lori and whether she had survived. Clint would never know it but both she and the man she left with were dead. They had stolen his $10,000 and instead of trying to buy food, had stopped at a city bar. Lori and the man were getting drunk and started flashing large sums of money which caught the attention of most people in the bar. When they left the bar, they could barely walk from being so drunk. As they reached their car and unlocked it, they were laughing and never noticed the 2 men come out of the shadows and barely felt the knives entering their bodies and draining their life. The 2 men took their wads of cash and then searched the car where they found the rest of the $10,000 and then slunk off into the night.
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Post by iamnobody on May 21, 2022 13:26:36 GMT -6
Clint and Leah got their salvage home and unloaded. He parked the truck a distance away from his cabin and made it look like it was abandoned. His leg was sore from all the walking and he went to sleep early.
They continued getting more things from the houses now that they had a truck. Blankets, clothes for him, none were close the size Leah needed. They used the truck to jump start the cars, ran them to recharge the batteries. They all had varying amounts of gas and he found some more gas in sheds and garages.
Snow would lay on the ground now, a few inches then it would melt. It did that throughout the winter. Clint and Leah stayed at home and did things around the farm. They both slept in the living room to conserve heat.
Spring finally came and once the ground warmed up, they used a rototiller that had been found at the neighbor's place. It ran rough on the old gas but he was finally done with his garden. Next year he would be preparing his garden with a spading shovel. They got the garden planted with his seeds and even found some old potatoes in a basement that they planted. Some ear corn was found and even though it most likely was a hybrid, it may produce something, provided it wasn't GMO. Now all they had to do would be to hoe it and keep animals out. They couldn't afford to lose the garden.
They still had the female pig and 1 day they noticed another pig outside her pen. When Clint went near, the other pig ran away a distance, then stopped. He started feeding his pig to keep her occupied, then opened the pen gate and stepped behind the pen wall. Soon the other pig came near, smelled the food and searched for a way in til it found the open gate. It went in and Clint closed the door while both pigs were eating. He noticed it was a male. He was excited when he told Leah. Now they could have baby pigs.
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Post by udwe on May 21, 2022 18:57:03 GMT -6
Cool!
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Post by iamnobody on May 22, 2022 9:34:43 GMT -6
The weather was still normal even though the asteroid had been a near miss. Their garden was doing good and they preserved as much as they could. More chickens were hatched out and extra chickens were ate. The pigs had a litter and they were looking forward to the meat. Clint built a curing hut for preserving meat in preparation for butchering.
There was still no sign of any other person. They had listened on the car radios but no signal, just static. No planes in the skies, no noise. In a way it was nice but on the other hand it meant there were few people left out there. Clint had toned up his body with doing all the work. Leah also had been losing weight too, she was down to around 300 pounds. Her hair was growing out and she seemed a lot happier than when she first came to the cabin. Clint had learned that she had a good heart. Looking back, he had been with some very beautiful women but they had showed him a very evil heart. Leah always had a ready laugh, she helped with no complaints and she would talk with him about many things.
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Post by texican on May 22, 2022 18:15:49 GMT -6
iam,
Good story line.
Now when will the bad guys show up that far in the sticks.
Given time Leah will be down to her ideal weight.
Texican....
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Post by iamnobody on May 23, 2022 7:03:24 GMT -6
They canned the garden produce with equipment found a the neighbors. Also more wood cutting. The chainsaw he had was a smaller one and it ran rough on the old gas but they were able to cut enough wood for the following winter season. Next year they would be cutting wood with an ax.
While stacking the wood, Clint and Leah's hands touched and they both jumped back. They both felt like an electrical bolt went through their bodies. They shyly looked at each other and continued working. Weeks later Leah was brushing her hair out. She caught Clint watching her in the reflection of the mirror. After a minute, Clint asked if she needed help brushing her hair, she nodded yes. He took the brush and her heart did flip flops as his hand held her hair and started brushing. His hand was shaking as he brushed. He finished up and told her she had lovely hair, it was down to her shoulders now.
The winter cold season came and they had been flirting with each other over the months. One day in winter, their flirting turned serious. They were in an embrace and hands were moving all over their bodies. Coming up for air, Clint told her that he wanted her as his wife. She looked at him and said how would they get married, there were no government officials to get a marriage license.
He explained that they could vow to God to be husband and wife til death. That marriage license was a fairly recent thing and before that it was this way. Government did not control marriage, God was.
Leah told Clint she would be his wife. Holding hands, he vowed to God that Leah was his wife til death, she did the same thing. Then they consummated their marriage and we will give them privacy.
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Post by udwe on May 23, 2022 20:00:55 GMT -6
Great story!
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Post by texican on May 23, 2022 22:35:40 GMT -6
iam,
Leah told Clint she would be his wife. Holding hands, he vowed to God that Leah was his wife til death, she did the same thing.
Great two lines in a great chapter.
Thanks,
Texican....
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Post by iamnobody on May 25, 2022 9:28:43 GMT -6
Over the winter, Clint and Leah enjoyed married life. They both blossomed from the love. Come spring, they were tidying up from the winter. They had a hen already setting on eggs to hatch and he was sure the pig was pregnant. They had already started spading the garden for planting. Both were always carrying their guns. There had been no sightings of people but occasionally they sighted a bear and would hear coyotes and sometimes the scream of a mountain lion.
One morning they heard a loud rumbling. Was that thunder? The sky was clear. Then down the road came a military Hummer. As per their plans, they separated, each one going behind a pile of logs for bullet protection. Their guns not in view but at low ready.
The Hummer came to a stop and 2 people came out. Clint and Leah were almost laughing. The flag flying on the Hummer was barely recognizable as the US flag. The basic things were there but the stripes were no longer read and white. They were rainbow stripes, still a blue background but the stars were neon pink. The 2 people had on black uniforms with a rainbow across the chest and arm bands that read “FEMA Police.” They were wearing helmets with dark visors.
The FEMA people called out that they knew someone was here. Clint and Leah stepped out, guns held politely but ready. The 2 people said they were from the government and were here to help. Clint felt a chill run down his back as he heard the most fearful words. He asked were the government had been when they were needed during the asteroid.
FEMA told him it was none of his business. Clint told them to remove their helmets so he could see them. Slowly they took off their helmets to reveal a man and woman. The woman said her name was Kevin and the man said he was Karen. Clint said “but you are a man.” Clint was told there was no longer any genders.
The FEMA people informed Clint and Leah that they were being arrested for various crimes.
They violated the no gender law.
They violated the “pairing” law which prohibited people living together.
They trespassed against “Mother Earth” by living out here.
They were abusing those poor animals which had rights too.
They hurt “Mother Earth” by cutting her with their spading.
They killed trees and used them to burn.
There were other crimes and the FEMA people advised them they would most likely get 15 – 20 years each, at a work labor camp and have to attend re-education classes at night so that they could become better citizens. They were now under arrest and were to place their guns on the ground and prepare to be handcuffed. Their goods would be confiscated for the common good. Clint and Leah looked at each other in amazement.
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Post by sniper69 on May 25, 2022 10:02:05 GMT -6
Wow fertilizer showed up just in time.
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Post by gipsy on May 25, 2022 10:37:43 GMT -6
Food for the pregnant pig for sure.
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Post by accountant on May 25, 2022 15:05:33 GMT -6
I don't know you keep putting out such great chapters on a regular basis, Iam, but please don't stop.
Thanks for all your hard work and your two fingers.
A.
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Post by texican on May 25, 2022 16:49:43 GMT -6
The 2 people said they were from the government and were here to help.
Just when will this be more common place in America?
Texican....
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on May 26, 2022 9:44:34 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by iamnobody on May 26, 2022 10:01:07 GMT -6
Clint said they did not know of the laws. The FEMA police told them “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Them having guns was an automatic 10 years of hard labor for each gun. If they had killed a person with the gun, that was another 2 years, if they had killed any animal with the gun, that was 5 years for each animal.
Clint asked when these laws were passed. They said the World Governance Forum had made them. When was they passed – after the asteroid passed and the WGF was in the bunkers. Who elected these people on the WGF – no one, they appointed themselves because they were fit to rule and knew what was best for the citizens. Did the people vote for these laws – no, there was no more voting, the WGF made all the laws using their great wisdom to decide. The citizens were just to do whatever the WGF told them to do.
The FEMA police again ordered them to lay down their guns and submit to their arrest, resistance is futile. To resist their arrest was an automatic 10 years hard labor, to injure or kill a FEMA police was a death penalty.
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