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Post by solo on May 6, 2017 21:07:52 GMT -6
Here is a short story... I like to explore PAW events in unique situations. Here is one....
Ethan Mason stepped up to the plate. With a light tap to his right cleat with his wooden 30 inch Louisville Slugger he dislodged the lightly caked on clay that stuck during his last big swing. He had just barely fowled that one of down the left field line. “Just a tad early on that one.”
He briefly made eye contact with the pitcher, who he had known his whole life. They had grown up together in the Milwaukee suburbs and came up through the community little league program. And now, Ethan was wearing his familiar number 27, in Brewer blue while his best friend sported his number 3 in St. Louis Cardinals red. During any down times, they were the best of friends. Each being single, they hung out together, went hunting and camping together in the few months they each had off during the winter.
Ethan knew his friend well enough that he would never see a pitch like that again for not only this his second at bat of the game for probably for the rest of the game as well. The game was tight, 1-0 Brewers lead in the fourth inning, with the courtesy of the one run coming off Ethan’s bat in the bottom of the second inning. His sizable friend, Chad Demings, who shot up to around six foot, six inches tall and a rather firm two hundred fifty pounds, had left a curve ball hanging over the sweet spot of the plate.
In all fairness, the pitch was perfect, but Ethan had a way with turning great pitches into runs for his team. First off, he was fairly compact at five foot ten. His stance was also compact witch presented a smallish strike zone. His stance was set up in such a way as to maximize his power when he basically uncoiled. His hand eye coordination was off the charts as he could immediately catch the rotation of any pitch almost before it would leave the pitchers hand. Indeed, he was the next big opportunity to hit above .400 for the season as he was sitting at .402 in late August.
In that briefest of eye contact with Chad, Ethan knew… He just knew what was coming. That was almost home run number two in as many at bats and that would not do. Chad was about to send one way to the inside of the right handed hitter.
Chad took his sign, without change. It would be a fastball. Everyone in the stadium knew it. He had a nasty tail on it that he could control at will. He set up and went into his full wind-up as there was no one on the bases. Actually he hadn’t let anyone on the bases the whole game. He had only given up one hit and it had hurt the worst. Kicking his right leg up, his pivot leg being a lefty, he pushed his right foot toward the ground.
At the plate, Ethan brace as he tracked the hand in as it reach its set point before coming forward. Already tracking where that would be, he knew that Chad was dropping his shoulder and flattening out his pitch, not quite a submarine release, but just as efficient. Chad could do that. He had three pitches that he could release from any angle. And only Ethan knew him well enough to know what was coming. He sensed rather than saw the right foot come down and the hand on its way to the release point.
But at the moment Chad’s foot impacted the ground, the lights of the stadium completely went dark, plunging the field into complete darkness. And almost a fraction of a second later, Ethan felt a horse kick his left shoulder deep and close to the shoulder blade. Chad had continued on with his motion and released the bean ball and plunked Ethan in the back. Fortunately for Ethan, Chad did manage to take something off the ball before he threw it and for that Ethan was thankful.
“Dude, you okay?” Chad should into the oddly quiet darkness toward the plate as he clearly heard the impact.
“Yeah, I guess I deserved that one somehow?” Ethan chunked back at him.
“I guess your boss forgot to pay his bills again?” Chad chuckled and started to head toward the plate. As he moved forward, the crowd began to murmur. Just a little at first, but it grew in crescendo. “What do you make of this?”
Having only receive a glancing hit, Ethan was able to raise up and take a look around. “I don’t know. There is no light at all. You’d think folks would pull out their Iphones by now.”
“Check out the sounds, beyond the crowd.” Chad intoned.
“Yeah, you’re right. There is none.”
“STAY WHERE YOU ARE.” The Umpire behind the plate yelled out. “The authorities are working to restore the power.”
Ethan stepped back and looked toward where the umpire’s voice came from and quietly said, “You’ve heard from them already?”
“No, but it’s obvious that someone has to be working the problem. We don’t need you guys getting hurt wondering around in the dark and ruining your earning potential with a senseless injury.” The umpire said.
Chad found this funny, “Good one! We are all porcelain lined and lace bound.”
Ethan grinned at this though the other two couldn’t see. He did know that the catcher had already wondered off toward the dugout. Ethan could tell that he was green around the gills from the first pitch. Probably too much preparation the night before.
“Wonder where the ushers are with their flashlights?” Chad asked.
“Chad, I am getting a bad vibe about all of this. Come with me.” Chad followed Ethan closely toward the Milwaukee dugout and toward the door toward the clubhouse. Just before they reached the first step, the Emergency lighting around the field and stadium came on.
“About time the generator kicked in.” They heard the Umpire say somewhere behind them.
The lights near the top of the stadium were the brightest but they only provided a very dim glow compared to the usual playing lights. And as this was an older stadium, a number of the lights were pointed straight up into the air looking like signal lights from an airport. Ethan was looking at these beams when something caught his attention. At the same time a whining noise was growing in a Doppler type effect, louder and louder. To his horror, he realize about five second before impact a large commercial aircraft, probably a 757 or 767 in a flat spin with now external lights screaming toward the stadium.
In almost slow motion, the plane descended into the left field stands, almost the exact location where his foul ball had landed. He knew that whoever caught the ball had caught their last souvenir, ever. The plane took one final slow motion spin before hitting the stands, instantly sending a mushrooming fireball that soon engulfed the entire outfield and spread out to grab the rest of the stadium.
Ethan pushed Chad into the tunnel and slammed the heavy door closed. “Come on!” He shouted and ran. They made it to the clubhouse before the reverberations from the impact reached them. Instantly the room was full of dust. Ethan grabbed two hand towels and gave one to Chad. They both put them over their mouth before heading toward the exit. As the clubhouse was positioned behind home plate deep in the stadium, it was the furthest from the impact and this greatly increased their chances of getting out. When they came out of the stadium, bits of foam and fabric where raining down onto the street. Everywhere they looked, cars were stall out on the thoroughfare, stopped where they stopped rolling when engines died. People were mulling about, not really sure what to do.
“Follow me!” Ethan shouted to Chad. They made their way to the player’s parking lot and Ethan found his truck. His team mates often teased him for driving this ancient four wheel drive pickup when he could have easily afforded so much more. They both jumped in and Ethan said a quick prayer before he turned the ignition. The truck roared to life. He quickly exited the lot and with a little effort he was able to weave around people and knowing to stay off the interstate he was heading north out of the city. They began to see the houses start to spread out after about 20 minutes. They had seen no other cars.
“What was that? Why did we leave so quickly?” “Chad. Listen carefully. Something bad has happened and what happens next will be permanent.”
“What exactly has happened?”
“I don’t know, honestly. But what I do know is that for now and for the next little while, motion means life.” He looked over at Chad. “To stand still, even for a moment means death. There was a lot of death at the stadium. To stay there would have meant our death.”
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Post by ydderf on May 7, 2017 5:20:15 GMT -6
Good one you have my full attention!
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Post by 9idrr on May 7, 2017 13:44:54 GMT -6
Thanks for Chapter One.
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Post by papaof2 on May 7, 2017 14:42:17 GMT -6
How soon can we ask for MOAR?
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Post by solo on May 7, 2017 15:53:31 GMT -6
You guys are great... This is supposed to be a short story. But............. you never know.
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Post by 9idrr on May 8, 2017 8:31:20 GMT -6
You guys are great... This is supposed to be a short story. But............. you never know. Heh, heh, he says you never know. I'm sure that by now you've realized that we'll resort to bullying, cajoling, threats, bribes... whatever it takes to wring every last bit of a story out of authors here.
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Post by spazzy on May 8, 2017 9:04:56 GMT -6
Nice!
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Post by kaijafon on May 8, 2017 17:24:34 GMT -6
"short story" to us is a 444 chapter, 3438029 word epic just sayin' thanks! I'm hooked
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Post by papaof2 on May 10, 2017 19:56:15 GMT -6
The last time I started a short story here, it took me 2 years to finish it and it ran more than 170,000 words.
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Post by 9idrr on May 11, 2017 14:26:22 GMT -6
Here I am, in the on deck circle, knockin' the dirt out of my spikes with the weighted bat, waitin' on the next inning.
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Post by solo on Jun 7, 2017 17:17:28 GMT -6
Chapter 2: 18 Years Earlier:
“Move!” Curtis Mason shouted at the two 13-year-old boys. “You have to move! And move Now!” He yelled before pulling the trigger on his M1A Carbine three times in quick succession. The echoes from the loud reports seemed to linger in this remote hole in the ground that served as the county gravel pit.
In the middle of the gravel pit were several barrels, improvised metal structures and one old car that two rather scared boys were huddled behind. These items sat square in the middle of a firing range with a small covered structure on one end and a short row of targets on the other.
Curtis Mason was about six foot three and had rugged chiseled features with very close cropped hair he wore in a Marine Corps High-n-Tight. If he had grown it out, it would be grayer than the jet black he grew up with. His piercing hazel eyes missed nothing and they let anyone who had the savvy to see it know exactly what he was feeling at any one time.
He crept from the barrel that was furthest from the car on the opposite side from the boys. Everyone once in a while a rifle would poke over the hood and release a three round racket. Curtis would chuckle, at least they were still firing and hadn’t completely frozen….
He eased to the side of the car and when he could clearly see the boys he yelled, “Safe and clear your weapons!” The boys jumped in their skin but complied quickly, removing the magazines from there similar M1’s and then ejecting the round from the barrel, laid the rifles facing down range on the hood of the car. “That’s good. At least that has been ingrained in you!”
The boys stood rigid as Curtis approached with fire in his eyes. “I told you to move. Always move forward. Always. Chad! What did I say not more than ten minutes ago?”
“Sir, you said the keep moving.” Young Chad stated.
“Yes. And Ethan, why in God’s green country would I tell you such a thing.” Curtis asked.
“Because you said movement was life and to stay in one place was death.”
“Well, you are both dead because I was able to flank you. Rather easily. And why is that?” Curtis’ voice rose.
“We stayed behind the car. But….” Chad stammered.
“Yes?” Like a mantis about to spring his trap, Curtis smiled.
Ethan took the bait, “We had an engine block between us.”
Curtis turned and put the rifle up to his shoulder and gently pulled the trigger in two round bursts until the target at 50 yards was missing about a five inch circle in the middle. On the final round his bolt locked back in place. He released the rifle letting it swing down it sling while grabbing his Glock 17, 9mm and in a crouch fired two rounds then burst up to a barrel. He fired two more rounds from over the top, then sat down behind the barrel firing four rounds from the left near the ground and then leaning over firing four rounds from the right. Doing a quick battle reload, he squirts up and darts to the next barrel where he repeats the same drill. When he finishes, he safes his weapon and then places it back in his hip holster.
“Come here boys.” He says in an even voice. Each boy comes out from behind the car and approaches. They are both excellent shots, but Ethan’s father just scored a perfect score on three separate targets. As always, that got their attention. “Sit!” Curtis barked. Both boys crossed their legs then sat. It wasn’t lost on them that the early morning sun was to their face.
“When in a tactical situation you have to move. You sit still and you die. Like both of you just did. Movement is life! Don’t ever forget that. That doesn’t mean you just willy-nilly do it. You have got to move with a purpose, with cover and with fire, to stay alive.” Curtis paused. “Look at it this way…. In baseball, when you throw a pitch, Chad, if you just throw a curveball up there and it doesn’t move anywhere, what does that leave you?”
“A hanging curveball.” Chad stated.
“Yes, a hanging curveball. And what does that make the pitch when it gets over the plate?” He looked at Ethan.
“A sitting duck.” Ethan smiled. He had taken his share of these sitting ducks from Chad and planted them over the outfield fence.
“Yes, a sitting duck. Just like I found you two Einsteins! Sitting ducks ripe for the plucking. Now let’s hit it again!”
Both boys jumped up and ran to the beginning of the course. It took the rest of the morning but he had them moving and firing forward, always advancing on the target and always thinking of the best course of action. It wasn’t always pretty, but the foundation had been laid. Later that afternoon, he had them start working on advancing under cover fire, working on developing communication and teamwork. “Boys, it’s like football. It is a team sport. Everyone has to do their part or the play fails. The quarterback has to do what before he even approaches the center on the line of scrimmage?”
Chad jumped in, “He has to read the defense, and make assignments.”
“Yes… And good offenses always has what presnap?”
“Movement.” Both boys chimed in. The movement lesson had settled in for sure.
“Yes, you put receivers, tightends, running backs in motion; maybe even change the play. Good, Good. What happens at the snap if the Center just snaps the ball and then stands there and does nothing?” “Play dies.” Ethan said.
“Yes. In the same way, you each have a job to do when approaching a target under cover fire. You have to communicate, you have to know what the other person is going to do. If you know the tightend, lined up on the left is going cut back behind the line to the right on a run to the left and seal off the play on the backside, then the left tackle knows he has to block down to the outside, and the guard blocks down, the center and so forth. Everybody is on the same page. So let’s try this.”
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Post by solo on Jun 7, 2017 17:19:53 GMT -6
Chapter 3: Current day:
“What are we going to do now?” Chad asked still not sure what was going on.
“I don’t exactly know. Until we know for sure, I think we need to act before anyone else catches on.” Ethan said.
“Why is that?” Chad asked, he leaned his head against the windows. They were both 31 years old and neither were married or involved with anyone at that time.
“Because if this is permanent, as I am thinking it may be, then it will be about two to three days before people catch on. When they realize that their grocery stores aren’t going to get restocked and worse yet, the Welfare crowd figures out their cards don’t work now, there will be trouble.”
“Okay, knowing you, you have thought about this. What is our plan?” Chad.
Ethan smiled. Chad knew him very well and he had indeed planned his bug out well. He knew at his heart that this bad. However, he hadn’t made a plan for St. Louis and he knew he had relatives in south Mississippi, he figured that would be the way to go. If he went through Memphis, it would only take nine hours. His truck had an extra tank in the bed of his truck that gave him about 650 mile range. Still, it would be at the outer limit so he would need to fill up tonight somewhere. His bug out bag was in the back of the cab and had a weeks worth of MRE’s so food, for now, wasn’t an issue. He hated that his main stash of stuff, way up in Milwaukee, was inaccessible to him now. Most of his arsenal was there and it left him with a Winchester 30-30 lever action rifle he used for hunting that was under his rear seat and the Glock 19, 9mm he had in his go bag. The first stop he made he would have to attach that to his belt.
Chad, had nothing. He hadn’t kept up with being prepared over the years while they were both crawling through their team’s farm system and then once they made the big leagues. He didn’t have a go bag and more over, they didn’t have time to grab it if he did. He knew he was in it deep and very reliant on his friend. He did not like that feeling.
“Look, Chad. I know we have drifted a bit, but I got you on this. We are a team, let’s keep our heads about ourselves and work together. We are going to go and cross the Ohio river just north of where the Mississippi joins on 51 then work our way south to Mississippi. Along about Corinth or Booneville, Mississippi we will look for gas. It is not critical, but I want to keep the tank as full as possible.” Ethan said.
“Do you think this is local?” Chad asked, then reached for the radio. Also he heard was static.
“It’s possible, but I doubt it.”
“What about cars? If the majority are not running, they will be stalled.” Chad asked the partial question, wanting the full answer.
Ethan knew what he wanted. “We won’t see that many. Sticking to secondary roads and the time the power went out last night will drastically cut down on them. Still, we will keep our speed down and our eyes peeled.”
Sticking to the backroads, the soon crossed through Tennessee and into Mississippi. So as not to draw attention, the kept their speeds down but saw absolutely no other cars on the road. They did find an all-night gas station on the south side of the city of Corinth and they stopped. Ethan pulled up to a pump and they both got out. The lights were on, but the loud generator out back told the story why. There were two other cars present but no one was around. An older man walked out of the station with an old hinged double barrel shotgun over his arm. Ethan stepped out of his side of the truck and asked, “You have any gas you can sell?”
“’Pends.” Was all the old man said.
“I have cash to pay.”
“Then you get gas. Just add a zero to what you plan to put in.”
“Like, $50 dollars just became $500?” Chad blurted.
“Yah, ya catch on fast-like.”
“Not expecting another shipment soon, are ya?” Ethan asked.
“Not likely.”
“Okay, Ethan walked around to Chad, took his wallet and pulled out 5 $100 bills and handed his wallet to Chad. Keep your eyes peeled. We are being watched.”
“Yes you are.” The old man chimed in. “So don’t do nothin’ funny.”
Ethan walked over and handed the old man the five bills then walked back to his truck. “’afore long, these won’t be worth much.” Ethan slipped easily into a local drawl, better to not seem like an outsider now. “Set for 50.” the old man shouted over his shoulders. “’Spect so… But I might get ‘couple days use out of ‘em yet.”
Ethan began pumping the gas all the while scanning around him. It wasn’t long before he heard a light rumble coming down the road. Still the gas exchange didn’t take long and he put the pump handle up. Five motorcycles pulled into the station and pulled up to the front of the building. The Old man backed into the front door and locked it behind him.
Ethan got back into the truck and started it only to look up and see a motorcycle pull in front of him.
“Where you think you goin’?” The large man on the Harley growled.
“My business if finished, we’ll be going now.”
“Tha Hell you will.” The man pulled out a sawed off shotgun and pointed it at the cab.
Both Chad and Ethan slouched in the seat knowing the huge engine block would provide some cover and Ethan pulled his glock. Quickly, popping his door open, he traced a circle around the steering wheel, reaching the crook between the dash and the door jam; He popped off two quick shots at the man. The large man had begun to pull the trigger when he was hit and his shotgun discharged over the roof of the truck. The other four were kind of frozen in their place when Chad began to rain well place shots from the 30-30 as Ethan hit the gas, knocking the motorcycle out of the way and tore out of the station back onto the highway south. Two of the four were hit and the remaining two certainly didn’t want any of the hornet’s nest they had kicked in this stop. Unfortunately for them, their uncertainty of what to do ended shortly when the old man popped out of the front of the store and unleashed both barrels into the men killing both instantly. He then pulled out a snub-nosed .38 and proceeded to make sure all five were dead. He then called to the rest of his family and in less than 15 minutes, there were absolutely no sign that any of the bikers had ever been there.
The old man knew that justice from here on out would be quick and swift. It was his job to make sure his family was always on the positive side of that… Secretly, he hoped those two boys that just left would be too.
On the road south, both Chad and Ethan were quiet for a while, letting the adrenalin subside. Finally, Chad looked over at Ethan, “I think you need to pull over for a second.”
“Your stomach?” Ethan glanced over to his friend, but the dark hid his features.
“Not really, just want to make sure everything gets reloaded and we need to make sure our radiator didn’t get a hole or something like that.”
Ethan smiled, “Hey, look many, I know…. I am sorry, but the bike was in our egress route.” Chad had a thing for motorcycles… Especially, Harley’s.
“Yeah, Man. You know me. Not to mention I just killed two men. Who also had excellent rides.”
“Chad, this is our new reality. Soon others will see it too, maybe we can be tucked away before that happens, but you never know. It isn’t anything we haven’t trained for.”
The cab became quiet and the two road in relative solitude for the next few hours. They both were on alert for any cars in the road but really saw only two. One just outside of Starkville, a couple of college kids were sitting on the tailgate of a newer F-250 on the side of the road. Chad snarked, “Figures, end of the world or not, they would have ended up in the same spot with that Fix Or Repair Daily piece of crap.”
“Come on, really? What happened to buy American?” Ethan teased.
“Seriously? How many Fords to you think are actually built in the good Ole U S of A?”
“Yeah, there seems to be more Tundras built here than F series for sure.” Ethan surmised.
Chad chuckled lightly, “Yeah, the end of the world and this is all we have to discuss.”
“Yeah, look, it’s about 4 am… by about 8 we will be in Hattiesburg. I don’t want to go through it, but let’s stop at a couple of places to see if we can beat the crowds. We need some supplies!
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Post by 9idrr on Jun 7, 2017 17:53:05 GMT -6
Sure appreciate you continuing this here.
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Post by pbbrown0 on Jun 7, 2017 18:28:16 GMT -6
I especially liked the flashback. It helps set the scene for their uncommon frame of mind and readiness. Well done.
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 7, 2017 20:29:04 GMT -6
Excellent continuation of the finished story ;-)
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Post by 9idrr on Jun 8, 2017 17:15:55 GMT -6
Excellent continuation of the finished story ;-) I agree, papaof2. Maybe we can convince this young man that this one will never be finished but he'll always have to keep workin' on it. He writes too well for us to let him let up 'til he's at least close to our age.
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Post by solo on Jun 15, 2017 20:43:43 GMT -6
Chapter 4:
At 7:45 AM, they pulled into the service station across the street from the Tractor Supply Company, in north Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They were able to get gas without too much hassle. Being ball players, they were used to having some walk around cash. Ethan made it a point to have quite a bit on hand in his bug out bag.
Ethan eyed the TSC while he pumped gas and could see a couple of people around, but there was no sense of urgency. That was good, though he wondered how long that would last. Ethan went inside and bought 10 cases of water, and talked the convenience store into selling them three of their number 10 cans full of coffee. The store clerk finally had to ask when Ethan took their entire supply of granola bars and then took 20 cartons of cigarettes and 10 cases of Chewing Tobacco. “Just need to update my stash. Keep it to yourself, the missus don’t need to know.” Ethan winked.
He took all this out to the truck and stored it in the bed and put the tarp over it. “Here.” He peeled off 15 $100 bills and handed them to Chad. “Head back inside and get every can of veggies you can get. And any other food you can think of. Oh, and get their large gas containers as well. Matches, all the salt and condiments you can find. Don’t worry about the junk food. We really don’t have the room. I want to make a list for over there while you are in there.” Ethan pointed to the TSC.
When Chad got back he said, “I think that young man in there is on to us.”
“Maybe so, I didn’t want him to know too much. Let’s get these cans filled then head over to TSC.” Chad found five, five gallon cans and filled them all up.
Then they headed over to TSC. “Chad, stay with the truck. You know why.” Ethan then walked into the TSC and walked up to the cashier. “What is the largest enclosed trailer you have?”
The clerk didn’t miss a beat, “We don’t have any power, sir.”
Ethan smiled, “Doesn’t matter. I have cash.”
“Well, we have a 32 foot beast. Bumper ball mounted carry, drop back end with a small door in the front. Only comes in Dark Red, $9000.”
Ethan didn’t skip a beat, “I’ll take it. Can I get my partner to pull around and hook it up? Then leave it on the back to load up. I will be making a sizable purchase.”
“Well, been a long time since we had such a big spender in hnere! Last time that was was some highbrow baseball player ‘that thought he was all that!” The voice came from behind him.
Ethan smiled and turned, “Martin, How the hell are ya?” He reach and the two shook hands.
Martin with a smile on his face took in Ethan, “None too good. Power’s out since last night.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, probably some idiot took out a transformer pole. You know Mississippi Power, take their time with most everything.” Martin said.
“Ah, I’ve been around… Those guys at Mississippi Power, I’d put up against anyone. You know last I heard Jerry work’s for them.” Ethan said.
“All Man, I thought you’d heard. Jerry was in car crash last September, he didn’t make it.”
This hit Ethan like a ton of bricks. “Oh no, what about Julie? How’s she holding up?”
“Jerry was good to her. She was everything to him. They didn’t have any children though so at least there is that. She rebounded but she always kept things in; well, I guess you’d know better than most of us.”
Ethan changed the subject. “What are you doing here?”
Martin stood a little taller, “I manage this place now. My apartment is just two blocks behind here. We both chewed a lot of ground between our high school playing days, eh?”
“Hey congrats! I knew you would do well. Ever regret leaving the military?”
“Nah, sometimes yeah, but it was just getting too convoluted. We were getting shipped here and there and then not allowed to do anything but get shot at. This has its own set of problems, but at least I am not getting shot at.” He paused. “I see you are doing well. I hated it when you moved away in tenth grade.”
Ethan’s face clouded just a bit. “Yes, it seems like it was for the best. Dad married that darling gal and he moved us up to Milwaukee. I think I had more than burned my bridges anyway so maybe it was for the best.” Ethan didn’t like his step mother too much. Still with her proclivities, it did give his dad much more time to spend with him and his new friend, Chad.
“Yeah, Julie was torn up for sure.” Martin stopped himself. “I’m sorry man, I know that is a sore subject. And now she is a widow. Funny how life turns out.”
“I wish I knew then what I know now, it would have been different.”
“I know you, and I feel I can say this, you should have kept up with her. Even long distance. It was like you fell off the face of the earth. She was really crushed. Jerry never admitted, but he knew she settled for him after you left her.” Chad had walked up behind Ethan and heard this last bit from Martin.
“Hey, Martin. Ethan, I transferred everything to the front of the trailer. Still plenty of room and it is secured.”
“Hey Chad. Good thing Ethan fell in with you up north. You were a positive influence on him.” Martin spilled. Martin was their high school team’s ace pitcher and was always a little in awe of Chad when he and Ethan began to make it in the majors.
“Martin? Can’t handle that before coffee.” Chad smiled.
“Um, that reminds me. Why are you here?” Martin asked.
“We need a few supplies for the long term.”
“Okay, but what I meant was, I was watching you two on TV late last night and you were in St. Louis. Then my power went out during your at bat and I missed the game.” Pausing he smiled. “Who won?”
Chad smiled and said, “I did.”
Ethan Laughed before Martin continued, “No, seriously what are you doing here almost eleven hours later?”
Ethan’s smile faded before he just looked at Martin.
“You’re going to your family’s place outside of Purvis aren’t you?”
Ethan just shook his head slightly.
“You think that is wise? You’re father and your Aunt didn’t exactly get along well together. Though she died, last I heard, her son, Marc, owns that. Is he around? Last I heard he was in the Military, too.” Martin asked.
“Look. I think you are beginning to see the big picture. This blackout ain’t local and it is going to go on. Martin, look, get what you can and stock up. Then hide away. Here is the list I came for. It is going to get bad and it will stay bad.” Ethan said.
“EMP?” Martin asked.
“Probably, but I don’t really know. Did your car start this morning?”
“No, I always walk in. But that would explain where three quarters of my workforce is. Give me your list, then I will get you on your way.” Martin Paused. “You going to visit Julie?”
“Naw, Man, I can’t do that. You know that. She would as soon as shoot me.” Ethan said.
“She deserves to know, Ethan.” Chad said.
“Hey whose side you on anyway?”
“He’s right. We can’t leave her all alone now.” Martin said.
“She will not come with me. You know that.”
“Okay, just think about it. Let’s look on this list.”
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Post by ydderf on Jun 18, 2017 8:48:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by gipsy on Jun 22, 2017 11:36:14 GMT -6
Sure hope we will get moar soon.
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Post by solo on Aug 22, 2017 7:03:46 GMT -6
I have written a fair amount on this one: I realized I have posted on another sight and not kept up here. I am sorry for that. I am in the process of moving cross country and it has been anything but smooth. So here goes.
Chapter 5:
“You have some nerve just showing up here! How did you get my address!” The fiery 30 year-old, red headed, green eyed, petite spit ball spat out when she opened the door and saw who it was. “Julie, I am very sorry to hear about Jerry.” Ethan began.
“Sorry? Really, is this last year sorry or is this 15 years ago sorry?”
Ethan was in a dilemma. So he did what he could do. He knew it would not go well. “Julie!” He barked. “You have to listen to me. Something has happened and it isn’t good.”
She cut him off. “I’ll say! I am looking at it!”
Chad walked up at the time and hesitantly but politely stated, “Hello Julie, please hear us out. Something has happened and we need to talk to you.”
She just stood there glaring at Ethan without even acknowledging Chad. It was a good minute, minute and a half before she backed up a step and said, “Come in.” She looked out behind them and saw their truck and trailer. “Moving back home?” She snidely said.
“Yes, in a manner of speaking.” Ethan offered.
She walked into her kitchen and the two men followed. She got out three cups and poured coffee all the way around. She took heavy cream out of the refrigerator and then some sweetner and put them on the table. “Chad, I don’t know how you take it, Ethan and I always enjoyed just some cream.” Her features had softened but the she turned her attention back to Ethan. Here stare would have nailed him at 100 yards. This was indeed a woman scorned! “Out with it!”
“Is your power out?” Ethan asked. “Your smartphone?”
She cursed sharply and added, “I said out with it! Stop the 20 questions BS!”
Ethan then, with Chad filling in the blanks, told her the story of what happened to them, what he thinks happened overall and then his conversation with Martin. “So Marty is taking this seriously?” As she got engrossed with the story her face and attitude softened.
“Yes, he is heading for his folks property out near Bay Creek. We are heading down to Purvis. I want you to come with.” Ethan said.
“Really? Now? After all these years? What’s changed?”
“Nothing, that is why I am here. I made mistakes, but didn’t realize it until after you and Jerry were married.”
“So just like that, you want to jump in my bed.” She fumed.
“No, nothing like that. But I do want to see you survive. Martin loaded us up with stuff to help us get set in for the long haul. We were going to quickly stop by Sam’s on the way out to secure extra shelf stable food.” Ethan offered.
“And you want me to join you.”
Ethan cocked his head sideway a bit, put on his loopy smile and said, “Yeah, that’s sort of the idea.”
“Stop it, you know what that does to me!” She actually smiled. “Okay, if I had time to think about it, I’d say hell no! But since Chad is going along I will too to see what pans out.” She stopped then pinned Ethan to a wall before she said, “This doesn’t mean nothing! You understand? When the power comes back on, I will go my merry little way and you can crawl back under your rock!”
Chapter 6:
The stop by Sam’s was relatively uneventful as most folks still hadn’t caught on that this was dire. At least to Ethan’s thinking it was dire. They each got a flat and loaded it up with shelf stable foods and staples, rice, beans, flour, salt, lot’s of salt and what have you. For salt, Ethan got a separate load of the water softener salt. Chad bought and loaded up four 55 gallon blue water barrels and actually found some decent generic water filters in the camping section. He then came back in and filled his flat with more staples.
Julie, though, went to the paper aisle and got as many cases of Toilet paper she could manage then went to the pharmaceutical area to get a good supply of feminine products and all the over the counter meds she could fit in the basket. This wasn’t missed by the other two or three people who were in the store and they began to do the same thing.
When Ethan saw Julie’s basket, he picked up a box of pads and said, “Great idea. This is good for wound dressings as well" and he got a few more cases.
She gave a halfhearted smile and the gravity was finally settling in. “Five Gallons of Peanut Butter is going to last a long time if the power comes back on tomorrow.”
Ethan chuckled, then looked at Julie. She was looking deep within him. Looking for something. “Jules, I am really sorry.”
“Don’t. Not here, Not now, Not ever, Please.” She turned and headed for the front.
“Bud, that is going to take some time. But She’s worth it. You guys have some wicked good chemistry. That is for sure.”
Saddly, Ethan watched her walk off then turned to Chad. "Head over to Walmart next door and get as many rounds of ammo as you can. See what weapons they have too. There will be no AR’s but there will be shotguns.”
“What about the three day wait? Systems down.” Chad said.
“True. Tell you what. Grab all the air soft guns, and pellet guns with pellets and ammo you can get. That will be good to use for practice. Look for crossbows and regular bows, arrows and such. And fishing gear. I doubt they will be making too many more hooks. We’ll be over after to grab what we can.”
And they did, Chad walked out of there with a wide assortment of Air Soft products, Bows, Arrows, and all the tackle he thought they could use. He knew there was a large pond on the property that was spring fed and hadn’t been over fished. Ethan and Julie hit the clothing aisles and got a lot of rugged Dickeys work clothes, sewing products and all the canning supplies they could find.
They walked outside and just finished putting all their purchases in the trailer. “Well, garsh! Didja leave any fer us?” Ethan turned and found himself face to chest with a couple of rather large, corn fed sides of beef. The two men, obviously brothers stood at over six foot six inches tall and were almost as wide as they were tall. They each sported crew cuts and work matching grey soiled sweatshirts and worn jeans.
“Don’t need to worry, we’ll just be taking your set up.” The one on the right stated.
“Don’t think that is going to happen.” Ethan squared up. Chad had eased into the driver’s seat and was waiting.
“Oh it is. And it can be easy or you can make it hard. Personally prefer the hard, if you catch my meaning.”
“Yes, Confucius, I know what you mean.” Ethan stood his ground.
“Why you two bit little punk, I am going to…..” Two soft puffs behind Ethan told him it was time to go. Surprise filled the man on the left, who was talking, as two big welts began to raise on his cheek and forehead.
“I’ve been shot!” He wailed. Ethan took that time execute a perfect front snap kick that landed squarely in the man’s pelvic region. Before the other gargantuan could react, Ethan spun and landed a well-timed round kick to the outside of the other man’s knee, hearing and feeling a satisfying crack. As this knee was bearing the full weight of the ogre, he collapsed into a heap. Ethan slammed the back of the trailer and then quickly set the lock and ran for the passenger side. He slammed his door just as Julie, all 5 foot 2 inch and 110 pounds of her slid back into the truck via the rear window that was down.
Chad hit the gas as Ethan looked back at Julie and saw the Air Soft .45 cal replica her hand. “Dang, I’ll have to remember that you know how to get someone’s attention.”
“It’s been too long. I was aiming for the eyes.”
They left Walmart and was soon out through Oak Grove heading south on the old Oak Grove Road.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 22, 2017 9:52:20 GMT -6
As everyone says MOAR please
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Post by pbbrown0 on Aug 22, 2017 12:25:01 GMT -6
Solo,
Thank you soooooooo much. You have a GREAT story going here, and I am really glad you remembered us. I hope your move was a good one. Looking forward to the next 245 chapters.
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Post by solo on Aug 23, 2017 18:55:18 GMT -6
Chapter 7:
“It is so strange to see it so quiet out here.” Chad mused.
“Is it?” Ethan hummed. “I remember coming back on the road and never seeing a living soul.”
“Really? You expected to see someone at 1 am?” Julie snickered, then looking at Chad. “He was always a bit time challenged when it came to being out with me.”
“Yeah, like that was my fault. Time had a way of getting away from you. Like from that Shark movie with L.L. Cool J Where he quoted that line. Time is relative, one second on a hot stove will seem like an hour, but on hour with a hot girl will seem like a second.” Ethan laughed. The expected hit landed right behind his ear and it wasn’t gentle.
“Hey! I’m driving here.” Ethan chirped.
“Well, you need to keep your big mouth and your theories to yourself! Besides you butchered the movie lines.” Julie said.
“Did not. What were they then?”
“Shess! Nevermind! Chad how and why did you get mixed up with this guy anyway?” Julie.
“Well, we met the day his dad moved into our neighborhood in Milwaukee.”
“When he re-married?” Julie asked.
“Yes. We were 12 or so and we just clicked. He would visit in the summer and we would have the most fun. His dad was like a father to me too and he taught us a lot of stuff.” Chad said.
“Yeah, I’m afraid we will testing most of that learning in the next little while.” Ethan said.
Julie, encouraging Chad to go on said, “I remember you would visit here some too.”
“Well yeah, usually during spring break. We call it first pseudothaw in Wisconsin. Who wouldn’t come south then, right? Then the year that his mother died, Ethan moved up to where we were. He was a sad case for quite sometime.” Chad stopped, not sure if he wanted to continue down this line. There was a huge wound there and he figured that he would avoid sticking his two cents into it.
All were quiet as Ethan approached the turnoff. Something caught his attention in the field to the left of his turn. He quickly stopped the truck and the three of them got out.
“Julie, stay with the truck and keep your eyes open. Hit the horn if you see anything.” Turning to Chad, he said, “Let’s take a look.”
They quickly transited the barbed wire fence and spreading out a little they approach the spot a little staggered. In the middle of the field was a charred hole in the dirt. It was about the diameter of a normal size bedroom and still had some wisps of smoke coming up. The both circled the hole, Ethan knew what it was. An aircraft, probably Air Force F22 or something like that had nosed into the ground. There was very little left but he remembered seeing photos like this on the internet. Thinking a bit but doing a scan around, he surmised it was probably Air Force out of Kessler. It was only about 80 miles or so to their south. He was scanning around the field when something, a small flicker caught his attention in the woodline to he left. “Chad, there is something over there and I want to check it out, but I don’t want to lose sight of the truck. Stay here and watch both of us.”
“Okay, man. But you know the old man wouldn’t like this.” Chad.
“Yes, but this isn’t bad yet. I’ll be okay.”
Ethan moved to his left and approached the woodline. He entered the old growth white oak head and moved toward what he had saw. He figured it was the parachute from the pilot and he wasn’t disappointed. It was hanging from the upper limbs of an old oak tree and hanging under it was the limp form of the pilot. Guessing this happened the night before and that it had been so long, he turned to leave. He would let the authorities know if he could.
As he turned to leave, he heard a breathy, “Don’t go!” From behind him. The pilot was still alive.
He jumped back to the spot and looked up. The helmeted figure again hoarsely whispered. “Help me, Please!”
“Hang on, I’ll get you down.” Ethan surveyed the scene and saw that the pilot was only about two to three feet off the ground. He took his knife and getting a little on the trunk to gain some elevation was able to reach the shoulder straps. He cut on then grabbed the pilot, surprise that he didn’t weigh more.
After cutting the other strap, he eased the pilot to the ground. “Help me with my helmet.”
“I don’t know, what if your neck is broken or something.”
Again hoarsely, “Don’t care, just do it.”
He reached down and removed the helmet. As the hair fell out, Ethan found out that the he pilot was actually a she pilot and he had no clue because she had blood still seeping form a cut in her scalp, had no clue what her hair color was. “What happened?”
“Do you have water?”
“Yes, at the truck.” He said.
“Help me up. I will follow you.”
“Are you sure?” He asked as she got up and started walking. “Well, I guess so.” A little louder, he cautioned. Take it easy. Don’t over do it, you may have a concussion.
She kept walking and was soon passing the crater and Chad, “Maybe so, but it better than being there.” She pointedly looked at Chad. Then kept walking.
Ethan caught up and soon Chad did too. The pilot whipped out the mother of multitools from a slim pocket on the left leg of her flight suit and quick clipped the top three strands of barbed wire. She caught the looks of the two men and said, “What? I doubt they will need it anytime soon. Now, where is that water you promised me.
They got to the truck and Ethan got the water for her. After she finished the first bottle in just a few seconds, Ethan handed her another. “What happened?” He asked.
“Whoa there, Man. Aren’t we going to exchange something first? Like names, numbers or just get that gal in there to point that thang in another direction.” The pilot asked.
Ethan looked at Julie and nodded. The airsoft weapon disappeared, but she still kept it ready. Sizing up the warfighter before her, she felt like there wasn’t much difference from herself. Maybe an inch or two taller, darker hair, though hard to tell with the dried blood.
Chad took a fresh washrag from there Walmart stash and took a bottled water and said, “Here let me at least check you over to make sure you aren’t bleeding out anywhere.”
“Whoa, there Cowboy.” Chad had slipped on jeans and a black t-shirt after changing out of his uniform. And he did sort of blend in to the rural landscape. “I think I can do my own checking.”
He handed her the rag and the water and said, “Suit yourself.”
“Oh come on Honey, I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelin’s”
“Wow, Ethan, the end of the world and you have to find the most ornery one around.” Chad hissed.
“Wait, what’s the end of the world?” She asked.
“Well, check your radio. Is it working?” The pilot reached into her vest and check it, shaking her head. “Now last night, did you see any lights through the trees?”
“I don’t know, I was out until daylight. Been flying a lot of missions.” She said.
“15 or 22?” Chad asked referring to the fact that she was wearing an Air Force flight suit with the dark blue oak leaves signifying a Lieutenant Colonel and their two main platforms were F-15s and F-22s.
“Can’t say.” She answered.
“JSF 35.” Ethan said.
Chad did a double take, “Really?”
“Can’t say.” She deadpanned again.
“I guess technology is no match for an EMP.” Ethan chuckled.
“Wait, who said anything about an EMP?” She asked.
“Well, our car is one of the few still running, because it is older and not solid state. All the lights went out and have stayed out between here and St. Louis. And this is the second plane we have seen drop out of the sky like this.” Chad stated.
“Really?” She was trying to get her head wrapped around it. “Wait! What was the other plane?”
“I think a 757, I don’t know.” Ethan said.
“Commercial, wow. I bet that was a mess to clean up.”
“We don’t know, it was time to bug out and we did.” Chad said.
“Where?” She asked.
“Saint Louis, last night.” Ethan answered.
“Yeah, we were at our game when the light went out and this huge jet hit the stadium.” Chad said.
“What is our game?”
Ethan signed, “We play baseball. Or did rather. I play for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chad here plays for the Cardinals. Hence Saint Louis.”
“I must have hit my head harder then I realized… Baseball players?”
They both nodded.
Shaking, her head, “Well Chad? I don’t see it. My name is Gina. My call sign is Torch, though. I got yours,” She pointed at Chad. “What’s yours and hers?” She asked.
“I am Ethan and her name is Julie.”
“Okay. So you are here now. How’d you do that since last night with a full trailer?”
“We drove all night, going to my family’s place. Got the trailer and supplies this morning.”
“Okay. Just a lot to take in.”
“Well, come with us. My place is around the corner here, we can drop the trailer and then we can take you into the town and see if anyone is around that can get you looked at and back to where you need to go.”
“Back to anywhere may be a tall order. Just, if you don’t mind, let me go and rest a bit. Head is starting to ache. Cowboy, lead the way.” She pointed to Chad. They loaded back up and then drove the three mile trip it took to go, ‘around the corner’. Of course in the rural vernacular that was actually a little close for around the corner. And next door neighbors tend to be miles away, too.
Chapter 8:
The four of them reached the entrance to what turned out to be somewhat of a compound. They moved deliberately and slowly trying to keep their sound signature to a minimum, but know as it was probably the only motor vehicle moving right now, it would stand out. Obviously, since he was gone, his Aunt or Cousin had made some improvements to the property.
There was a huge steel gate at the foot of the driveway that was hinged to two very sizable metal posts. The gateway itself was about 8 foot wide, just large enough for large farm equipment so his truck and trailer fit without any problem. He also noted that the front yard had grown up and the threes were all in their second or third decade of growth. Not fully mature, but they did have some size to them. Most importantly as the drive rose sharply from the road and was only really a “Football Field” in country speak distance from the road, the natural new “Head” of hardwoods completely hid the house from the road.
Once they drove in, they pulled up to the house. It was built in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s, a modified ranch style with an added carport to the driveway “downhill” side of the house. The driveway passed this carport and went straight back toward what Ethan could see through the trees another 100 yards or so an old pole barn. He stopped briefly at the house. “Chad, would you go catch the gate? We’ll wait for you.”
“No go ahead, I am going to walk the front fence and then do a sweep around the house.” Chad stated.
“I’ll come with, I don’t think Torch here is in any shape for this.” Julie said.
“Alright, meet you here or at the barn?” Chad asked.
Ethan looked the house over, then back at the barn. “The less people know we’re here until we get settled the better. Let’s put this in the barn then we’ll check out the house.”
“Copy that.” With that Chad and Julie stepped out of the truck, which would not have been out of the ordinary under most circumstances, but in the here and now, they each had subdued clothing and Chad carried Ethan’s 30-30. He looked over at Julie and a smile grew. She was notching a bolt into a very nice crossbow.
She noticed him smiling and mouthed, “What?”
“Going all Daryl on us?” Chad smiled.
Catching the Walking Dead reference, she said, “I had too… I mean we have deputy dog Rick in the cab there.” They both chuckled as the truck eased away. Chad went to the foot of the driveway and stepped to the side of the road. The road by the house stretched from Purvis to a small hamlet out in the county called Baxterville. He looked both ways and each way the road rose before passing over slight hills. This was good as he figured they weren’t directly observed pulling in, but it could be a tactical problem later as their line of vision of what lay over the hill was compromise. Heading west toward Baxterville wouldn’t be too much of a problem as the property line ran along the crest of the hill… but to the east and to a much closer Purvis about a mile distant, that would have to be addressed. With a critical eye, he noted the trees ended at the hollow or low point between the hills about another 50 years east of the driveway and continued to the crest of the hill. The fence was reinforce, he saw, welded wire. What he didn’t notice before was a four to five foot ditch immediately inside the fence with a slight berm to the inside of that. It gave a decidedly defensive perimeter feel to the property and any vehicle trying to storm the fence may get through, but it would have a rough time. He figured if they strung enough barbed wire about knee high in the ditch it would discourage foot traffic too.
He decided to trek up hill toward the west first and entered the trees. He could move fairly quietly but had to look several time behind him for Julie as she was as silent as a cat. He couldn’t fathom that with all the training his Ethan’s dad had made them do to move silently in the woods. As they reached the top of the hill Chad kneeled and motioned Julie to him.
She looked at him and he finally whispered, “Where’d you learn to move like that? That was eerie. Good but eerie.”
She shook her head, “Anyone that has spent any time in the woods hunting for deer and such? This comes second nature.”
“Good, I’m afraid we are going to need it.” At the top of the hill there was a crossroad. They eased out of the cover enough to scan both ways. There was no sign of anything. Just a typical summer day in the county.
They tucked back inside the fence and made their way just inside the fence line following the road that ran along the crest to the south. Without noticing anything out of the ordinary, they eventually made it to the barn. The front part of the barn, the part that was visible from the house was your standard hay storage pole barn. But to the east, and addition was made that was completely closed in with large bay doors. The trailer fit in quite well with room to drop the end and unload all the supplies.
Ethan had marked off a staging area where they could unload the trailer. They pulled it back out and secured the barn with their supplies. They planned to make another run when they took Gina to see the local doctor. They pulled up to the house and parked.
The four travelers, with Gina more or less ambulatory made their way to the house with their backpack. Ethan looked it over and as expected there was no sign of occupancy. “Stay out here and keep an eye out. I would prefer if you headed back toward the barn and set up in the trees.” He said to Chad.
Chad began to ease out into the trees and noted that there were a certain type of tree that was spaced regularly. He turned to Ethan, “What are these? There are a lot of them.”
“This used to be a Pecan Orchard. There are some old trees here. Man by the name of Bass went around during the depression and bought up a lot of land for back taxes, planted them all in pecan trees.”
Julia looked at him, “Yeah, but that was all the way down in Rockhill between Lumberton and Brooklyn.”
Ethan smiled, “Yes, but you never know.”
“There are a lot of fruit trees spread out in here too. Nuts too.”
“Probably my cousin. He liked the low impact gardening. If we are right, that will come in handy.” Ethan said.
Once Chad was in place, Ethan and the two ladies entered the carport through the little side entryway. As he reached to put the key in the door, he was startled by a voice from the driveway. “Something I can help you with?” Drawled out.
Ethan slowly turned to look at the source of the voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Julia stop in the short walkway and lean against the wall where the owner of the voice hopefully could not see her.
Ethan eased his hands out to the side to show they were empty. “Not really, just checking into the old homestead.”
“Really? Don’t look like it.” The voice belonged to a short dumpy looking man who was probably in his 40’s but looked like he was in his 60’s. The voice didn’t quite match his look as we a bit on the high piercing side. There was a noticeable wheeze with each breath. Noticeably he was trying to keep a long weapon of some sort hidden behind his right leg.
“Well, Friend, I don’t know what else to tell ya’.” Ethan said.
“Well, I know the Logans and you aint them. So, maybe you can start with what was all that you put out in the barn.”
Ethan thought fast and decided to hold be a bit at first to see where this goes. “It was supplies.”
“Supplies? Fer what?”
“Living.” Ethan said.
“What, you think you movin’ in?” The man whined.
Ethan sincerely didn’t know where this was going. “For a bit. Name’s Mason. Mrs. Logan was my aunt. I graduated high Purvis High School, class of ’01.”
“Mason? First or Last?”
“Last. And you are?” Ethan led.
“None of ya business. Used to know some Masons, live over in Boggy Hollow… That you?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, remember yous all thought a lot of yerselves. Then yous disappeared. Why you here now?”
“Listen Sir, we really need to get settled in. I don’t know you and for sure don’t know why you are on my family’s land.”
The man snorted, “Your family’s land. I am s’posed to take you at yer word?”
Ethan thought. “Tell you what. I am not going to reach into my pocket or anything. This doesn’t have to escalate. I have the key here in my hand. It makes sense that if it works, I belong here.” Ethan was betting that the logical way he said it would trump the illogicality of the reasoning. After all, Ethan could have killed the owner of the key and just took it, so if it fit it did not really prove anything.
Fortunately for everyone the man agreed. “Go ahead.” He pulled a double barrel shotgun out from around his right leg and held it at low ready. “First tell the Missy to come out so I can see her too.” Gina stepped out and he got a good look at her. “She don’t look too good.”
“Yeah, that is why I am trying to get her inside and then get a doctor.” Ethan said.
“Well, the phones are out. So you can’t get an appointment.” The man said. “Ma’am you need to come out now.”
Julia stepped out from around the house to the driveway. She made a show of putting the pistol back into her holster. “Better?”
The man just grunted.
Ethan turned and put the key into the slot. There was some initial tension before the key slipped in. With a prayer, Ethan turned the key. Nothing happened. Ethan had his body shielding the door know, so the man didn’t see, but the key would not turn. Ethan froze briefly then reached for the knob to try and force the key with both hands. Upon touching the knob, it turned and the door seal broke. The key still had not moved, but Ethan removed it and pushed the door open. Then he turned to look back at the man.
“Okay. You are who you says you are. I am Bud Landry. I live up the hill there in the old Foshee place. Told Marc I’d keep an eye on his place. Saw you pull in with that huge trailer whilst I was picking my butterbeans.”
“You got a garden in? I love fresh picked veggies.” Ethan smiled.
“Well, I’ll let you get settle in. Doc Broadmore there in Purvis will see ya without an appointment. You need to get her there.”
“Will do and thanks for watching out for things.” They all parted company.
Ethan leaned over and helped Gina off the wall and helped her inside. The entry room obviously was the original carport that have been converted to two rooms. One the entry room and the other a bedroom. It was on a slightly lower level requiring steps to get to the main floor. Looking around the entry room there wasn’t too much to it but two deep freezers and an old cedar upright wardrobe. “Here, hang on to Gina for a second.”
The freezers were left with their doors swung up while they weren’t in use. Ethan looked into the freestanding closet and saw shelves of jars of canned vegetables. There were crushed tomatoes, squash and what looked like sweet pickles. He smiled and grabbed a jar of the sweet pickles looked at the date (canned five years before) and then helped Gina upstairs. The door at the top of the stairs was more of an environmental barrier than any real door to keep folks out. Usually the downstairs was kept shut off from the rest of the house to save on the heating and cooling bill.
The room at the top of the stairs was mostly a dining room. There was a table that could see 8 comfortable with a computer desk in one corner and an executive desk in another. There was a large china hutch along one wall and a small gun cabinet beside the executive desk. There was a door standing open straight ahead that lead into a formal living room and then into a bed room that had two full size beds in them.
Ethan instead turned right through another open door that led to a kitchen. It was dated with linoleum on the floor and dark hand crafted cabinets. There was a bar that separated the kitchen from the family room where the TV was. He took Gina and let her sit in the old recliner that was there. He went to the kitchen and on a whim looked into the Fridge. It was cold. Ethan began to wonder about back up power but decided the important thing was to get Gina cared for. He opened the Freezer and pulled some ice. Found a ziplock bag, filled it was the ice, wrapped it in a kitchen towel and took it to Gina. She took it and put it to her head with a wince. He could tell it was pounding. He went to the sink and turned on the water. It came out with good pressure. He thought, well water! But how. The house was also cool in the now muggy June day.
He opened the cabinet next to the sink to the left and pulled out an old bottle of Advil. The use by date was a couple of years out but he knew that didn’t make it harmful, but just lessened it’s efficacy. So he pulled three capsules out and taking a class from the cabinet to the right of the sink, he filled it with water then took it to Gina to take. “You probably have a concussion. We’ll get you looked at in a bit. I want to check out the rest of the house.
“Concussion or no, with no power, there isn’t much you can do about it. Don’t worry, I’ll live.” Gina said.
“You’re one tough one! I’ll be back.”
“Hey, Ethan, thanks!”
“No problem. I just hope I am wrong about all of this.” Ethan said.
“Me too. Interesting walls.” She looked around.
The walls had thick tongue in groove pine planks. It gave the place a rustic feel. Ethan glanced around and smiled.
He went back to the dining room and to the gun cabinet. Looking inside he saw it was empty. Smiling he put his hands on the side and pulled the cabinet out. Behind the cabinet was an in wall gun safe. Remembering the combination, he had it opened in short order. Though what he found inside didn’t thrill him too much. There was an old M1 carbine, open sights, in mint condition, a Remington semi-automatic .22 and an old Winchester model 1200 12 gauge shotgun. There were about 50 to 100 rounds for the Carbine, a couple of bricks for the .22 and two boxes of 6 shot, for squirrels. He closed the door and was putting the cabinet in place when there was a shout from the other room.
Ethan ran in and saw that Gina had passed out and all but fallen out of the chair. “Help me grab her, we need to head to town now!”
Julia got a little laugh when Ethan reached for Gina and didn’t exactly know where to grab to maintain modesty and eventually he just said, the heck with it she needs help. He grabbed her around the chest and lifted her up until he could reach and put an arm behind her knees carrying her out to the Truck. Chad saw this and came running up. Ethan look at both and said, “One of you needs to stay. Julia, come with me incase she needs help undressing ecetera…”
Once loaded, they pulled quickly down the drive and turned toward Purvis. Chad quickly scanned for anything out of place then eased into the house and closed the door.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 24, 2017 7:17:18 GMT -6
Good update
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Post by headlesshorseman on Aug 24, 2017 11:48:36 GMT -6
Great story that you have going. Thank you for the MOAR.
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