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Post by papaof2 on Nov 13, 2017 16:15:18 GMT -6
If he has a hot water tank (not a tankless heater) then he has some number of gallons (liters) of water available. If he goes to the lowest faucet (hydrant), he can drain the piping in the house. With two stories over a basement, I can get several gallons that way but it will need filtering because the backflow of the water will break loose some of the scale that builds up in pipes over time (house is 40+ years old).
In any disaster, there will be those looking to "lead" so than can tell others what to do, perhaps starting with "All the food should be collected in one place so we know how much there is. We pushed the car into the drive so our garage is empty."
Don't go looking for food unless you're invited to dinner. You might find the residents only give away tainted food - something called lead poisoning...
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Post by accountant on Nov 14, 2017 8:04:56 GMT -6
Aw shucks papaof2, it looks like you have been reading ahead. Now you've ruined the surprise for everyone else.
You have to remember that Paul is just a regular guy who hasn't thought about the hot water tank or the toilet tanks yet.(That's why he was made to take a cold shower earlier). And yes, although it may sound disgusting, the water in the toilet tank is perfectly potable.
On the positive side...WOOOHOOOO!!!!!! We made it to page 2!!!!
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 14, 2017 14:10:45 GMT -6
The quality of toilet tank water might depend on the age of the fixture. A recent model with mostly plastic parts has very little to corrode but an older model with brass/copper internals can leave the water a bit murky. Under the circumstances, a Brita (or equivalent) filter pitcher might be adequate for cleaning the tank water.
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Post by accountant on Nov 16, 2017 15:15:27 GMT -6
Chapter Nine
It was later that evening when Paul realized that he had a problem. He was busy making an inventory of all the other food items that he had in his pantry and cupboards when he felt his stomach start to gurgle. Paul had to poo. He also realized that his toilets probably wouldn’t flush. He would have to do something about that.
Paul grabbed a large Tupperware container from the cupboard and headed to the powder room on the main floor. He put the bottle of liquid soap in the container, took the roll of toilet paper of the holder and put that in the container as well. He grabbed the hand towel off the rack and threw it over his shoulder.
Going back into the kitchen, Paul grabbed a bottle of bottled water and put that into the container as well. Taking his tea light cup in the other hand, Paul went into the backyard with his supplies. Finding a nice, private spot on the far side of the garden shed, he put down his supplies and took out a trowel and shovel from the shed. Using the shovel, Paul dug a hole two feet deep and one foot wide.
Satisfied with his work, Paul brought his supply container close, dropped his pants, and bent over the hole. Once his business was completed, he used the toilet paper to clean up and dropped that in the hole as well. He then pulled his pants back up and washed his hands with the liquid soap and bottled water, drying them off with the towel on his shoulder. Paul then used the trowel to put dirt back in the hole, just enough to cover his deposit plus a couple of additional inches.
Stepping back out from behind the shed, Paul saw Angie’s grave in the distance.
“Sorry you had to see that.”, he said as he passed where his daughter lay.
Going back inside, Paul took his supply container and put it under the sink in the powder room. He suddenly felt extremely exhausted both mentally and physically. Rather than head up to the master bedroom, Paul decided to sleep on the sofa in the family room. How many times had he fallen asleep on this couch watching a movie or TV show? As he lay down, he noticed all the electronic items all around him. There was the big screen TV on the wall, the DVD player, surround sound system, the two gaming units, and the cable TV PVR system in the cabinet. All useless now. He saw all the knickknacks around the room from his life. The snow globes from Walt Disney World, Los Angeles, Texas, New York City, and Aruba, the adobe bowl from Arizona, the figurines from Jamaica, the statuette of Big Ben from London, and the miniature Eiffel Tower from Paris. He also saw the framed pictures from better days. Ana, Angie, and Shawna smiled at him from so many places around the room. Paul couldn’t take it anymore. He blew out the candle and closed his eyes as the tears began to fall.
In that one explosion in the air, his whole life had been shattered. It certainly wasn’t the perfect life, nor the easiest, but it was his and he had loved it. Time and time again, he had been tested. He had been beat down and laid flat by the fickle hand of fate so many times, but he had always managed to crawl back up and put one foot in front of the other to keep moving forward. Paul didn’t know if he had the strength to do it again.
He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but he woke up to the sun rising in the east. Sitting up, Paul noticed that he was still sore all over from the exertions from the past few days. He hated sleeping in his “daytime clothes” but knew that this may be the new normal from now on. He went to the kitchen and filled the now room temperature water from the freezer and poured it into a large plastic Rubbermaid pitcher. He took that to the powder room to wash is face, and was about to start splashing water on his face over the sink when he stopped. “Why waste the water down the sewer line when he could use it to water the backyard.”, he thought.
Taking the pitcher, the liquid soap, and hand towel, he went to the deck and washed up. Since it was March, the air was still crisp from the winter thaw and the chill helped to clear the sleep from his head. Paul got his toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant from his bathroom brushed his teeth and made himself feel a little fresher.
Now he had to deal with his hunger. Paul retrieved a small saucepan with a lid, and a cup from the kitchen and went back to the deck. He poured water from the pitcher into the cup and from the cup into the saucepan. Firing up the barbeque side burner, he placed the saucepan onto the burner and put the lid on it so the water could come to a boil quicker. Paul went back inside, pulled two pieces of bread from the half loaf in the fridge, and the sandwich bag of bacon and put them on a plate along with a pair of tongs. Once back on the deck, he could sense that the water was boiling, and taking the lid off the sauce pan, he poured the hot water into the cup. He then toasted each piece of bread over the flame using the tongs, and warmed up a few pieces of bacon. Shutting off the gas on the barbeque, Paul went back inside to finish making his breakfast. He put butter and strawberry jam on the toasted bread. He took out the old bottle of instant coffee that they had bought years ago and put a spoonful into the cup of hot water along with a spoon of sugar from the sugar bowl. Paul normally took his coffee with milk and sugar, but there was no hope in that now. He ate his breakfast in silence thinking of the things he would have to do that day.
He needed to finish his inventory list, help Sam and Pam, secure the house better, separate the recycling bin for things that could be burnt and things that couldn’t, go to the meeting called by John Rockwood, and think about what he and Shawna were going to eat once all the food ran out.
One thing was for sure, he hated instant coffee without milk.
Getting up from breakfast, Paul wiped dirty dished with with a damp paper towel and put them away. The paper towel he put in the small recycling box under the sink to let it dry. He then got back to his inventory listing. It took him another hour to finish writing everything down but he was glad he did it.
Dry Spaghetti 5 packages Dry bow tie noodles 1 package Dry lasagna 2 boxes Kraft Mac & Cheese 4 boxes Cup-o-soup 6 packs Pasta sauce 6 bottles Canned soup (veg or tomato) 8 cans Curly noodles 2 packages Canned kidney beans 4 cans Canned chickpeas 4 cans Canned fruit salad 2 cans Whole wheat flour 10 lb. bag White flour 5 lb. bag Dry Yeast 1 bottle Dry bread crumbs almost one package Rice 7 lb. bag Dry kidney beans 3 lbs. Dry green lentils 2 lbs. Dry orange lentils 2 lbs. Potatoes 10 lb. bag Sweet Potatoes 4 Red onions 3 lb. bag Sugar 6 lbs. Brown sugar 1 lb. Salt 3 lbs. Milk powder 1 lb Gatorade dry mix 1 can Hot chocolate mix 1 can and 4 packages Orange pekoe Tea 200 bags Green tea 60 bags Honey 1 large bottle plus a little bit Chocolate chip cookies 2 packages Other cookies 4 packages Chips 1 family size package regular, 1 family package salt & vinegar Pickles 1 jar Coke 23 cans Ginger Ale 12 cans Bottled water 46 bottles Spices assorted in spice rack Turmeric powder ½ lb Cumin ½ lbs Steak spice 1 small bottle Scotch 900 ml Glenfinnich Rye 600 ml Crown Royal Vodka 700 ml Grey Goose Rum 500 ml Captain Morgan spiced Rum 400 ml Bacardi white Gin 500 ml Bombay Sapphire Tequila 300 ml Jose Cuervo Bailey’s 250 ml Kahlua 300 ml
Reviewing the list, Paul knew that he had a lot of food, but he also knew that it wouldn’t be enough to last forever not to mention what would happen at the meeting and after the looters came.
He started thinking about how to solve this problem when he heard a knock on his back door.
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Post by accountant on Nov 21, 2017 9:31:33 GMT -6
Chapter 10
“Hi Paul”, said Sam as Paul opened the door for him and Pam.
“Morning Sam. Morning Pam. How was your night?”
“Not too good, I am afraid. We spent a lot of it trying to figure out what we were going to take with us and what to leave behind. The problem we are having is that we have way more stuff that we want to take than we can carry.”
“Let me come over and take a look”, said Paul.
They all walked back to the other house and Paul noticed the pile that was in the kitchen. It contained food, water, clothes, footwear, cooking supplies, and toiletries. It was also too much for just two people to carry on their backs.
“Yes”, said Paul, “I see what you mean”.
“We figure it will take us about a full day of walking to get to the farm with a light load but this much will probably take us longer even if we could carry it all.”
“Say”, said Paul, after being thoughtful for a while, ”Don’t you have a couple of mountain bikes?”
“Yes”, said Pam, “We thought about that, but we wouldn’t be able to ride properly with all this stuff on our backs.”
“Who says you have to carry all this on your backs? Let’s go get them.”, said Paul
“Pam, Sam and I will get them from the garage. Could you please grab your laptop bags, your gym bags, and a couple of buckets?”
Paul and Sam went into the garage and brought the bikes inside the house. Paul also grabbed a roll of duct tape from the garage as he came inside. By this time Pam had brought all the other items that Paul had requested.
Standing the bikes up on their kickstands in the kitchen, he began to attach a laptop bag and gym bag to one of the bikes by their straps to the crossbar. Seeing what Paul was doing, Sam did the same thing to the other bike. Taking the duct tape, Paul securely taped a bucket to the headset of the bike and around the handlebars so the bucket could not move, but the bike could still be steered. Sam did the same thing with the other bucket.
“There. Now the bikes can carry more stuff and there will be less weight in your backpacks. You will also be able to get to the farm faster on these bikes. I have a feeling you will be needing to use them there later on as well.”
Sam and Pam quickly packed their piles into the laptop bags, gym bags, their backpacks, and into the buckets. The pile was considerably smaller now.
“Thank you, Paul. This was great. We don’t know how to thank you.”, said Pam.
“I was thinking about something. What if I am wrong and things do go back to normal soon? Knowing how John Rockwood is, once he finds out that your house his empty, he’ll say that it would be deemed abandoned and take it over, for the good of the community, of course. I think I might have a plan to stop him from doing that, in the short term at least.”
“I sure don’t want John to get his grubby hands on our house and our stuff so whatever your plan it, I’m all for it.”, said Sam emphatically.
‘You can count me in too.”, said Pam.
“I think that you together should right a document stating that you are officially transferring all rights to the property and contents to me effective immediately with a clause stating that either one of you can re-take possession at any time in the future. You both can sign it and we can get Chuck Davidson from across the street to witness it. It won’t hold off John for a long tome but will hold up for now. Now, John is a lawyer and to make this contract legal and binding, I’ll have to give you something of value in return. Hang on a second.”
Paul went back to his house and quickly returned.
“Here you go.”, said Paul as he placed two cans of soup on the counter.
“Two cans of soup?”
“Yes, that will make it legal and binding.”
“That’s the most expensive soup I’ve ever seen.”
"Actually, they were on sale. Buy one, get one free."
Pam quickly drew up the contract, including the part about the two cans of soup, and Sam went to get Chuck from across the street.
Soon, the document was signed by Pam and Sam and witnessed by Chuck. The four of them headed out the front door with the laden bikes as a small crowd was forming in front of the Rockwood home.
“Are you folks going to the meeting?”, asked Chuck.
“No.”, answered Sam as he handed Paul the keys to the house, “We don’t have time for that nonsense.”
Chuck shook Sam’s hand, hugged Pam and wished them well before heading to John Rockwood’s meeting.
“Thank you for everything and take care of yourself”, said Pam as she hugged Paul.
“If you need anything from the house, it’s yours.”, said Sam as he hugged Paul, “Please be careful. When the looters come, let them have whatever they want. It’s just stuff.”
Paul stood in the driveway and watched his friends disappear into the distance before he turned and headed to the meeting.
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Post by kaijafon on Nov 21, 2017 15:10:57 GMT -6
it's gonna be an interesting meeting that's for sure!! thanks so much!
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Post by accountant on Nov 22, 2017 15:28:39 GMT -6
Chapter 11
Paul walked up to the Rockwood driveway just as a few other neighbours were walking up.
“You’re late”, said John Rockwood to all the newcomers.
“We don’t have a working clock.”, responded Carol MacNeil who lived next to Chuck Davidson with her husband, Brad, and their two children, Beth and Mark.
John was a little disturbed by that retort but tried hard to not show it.
“Well, let’s get started.”, he said, “Whatever happened a few days ago was a serious issue. I went to speak with Dave Bridges, our city councilor, yesterday and he had no idea what was going on or when things would be getting back to normal. Everything has stopped working including 911, police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. You can also forget about garbage collection and recycling too. The fact that we have no water running either is also going to be a problem. It looks like we are on our own for the foreseeable future folks. The fact that we are fairly secluded and away from the main road is a good thing but we will still need to be watchful. The main things we will need to worry about right now is food, water, and security. We have eight families to take care of and we need to make sure that everyone is safe, and has enough food and water for right now. I’m sure that everyone has some bottled water in their homes but that won’t be enough for the long run. Luckily, we have the stream that flows through the ravine so we can haul that up in buckets and use that once the bottled water runs out. With the craziness that is happening in Toronto, I expect that hungry people will start roaming up here to find and take our food. I think the first order of business is setting up some kind of security for the homeowners. Our son, Leroy, and I have our hunting rifles so we will help to provide protection for our street. I suggest that we move a couple of larger vehicles down the street to block the road to prevent looters from coming in. Since Mrs. Brady’s home is the one closest to the main road, I think we should use that as a lookout post to see if anyone starts wandering done here.”
“Wait a minute.”, said Mrs. Brady, a small older woman, “I didn’t agree to that. You can’t just take over my home like that.”
“I know, Mrs. Brady”, replied John, “We are not taking over your home. It’s just better and safer for the community as a whole if we use your home. Everyone has to do his or her part. You understand, don’t you?”
Mrs. Brady looked indignant but didn’t say anything further.
“Good”, continued John, “We will also need set up a community kitchen to make sure that everyone has enough to eat in the short term. Since our house is at the far end away from the main road, Joan and I are willing to give up our kitchen for the use of the community. We can set up a couple of barbeques for cooking and have our meals on the deck. We should pool our food so that we all share equally and make sure no one is left hungry. We will need to set up a work routine as quickly as possible as well. There will be four hour shifts of work. We will need a security detail, a group to haul water from the stream, a group to cook, and a group to clean as necessary. For those of us who have backyards that face south, we will need to turn the soil and start to plant seeds to grow. Hopefully, we can start to grow our own food soon too. We have a lot of work to do, but if we work together, we can get through this.”
“So let me get this straight”, said Bill Dowling, “We have to give you all our food and in return you and Leroy will be providing us protection?”
“No.”, replied John, “We are going to keep all our food at my house because it is the safest place to put it since it is the farthest from the road to keep it away from the gangs and looters that will be coming and I assure you, they will come sooner or later. And, as for protection, yes Leroy and I are happy to do our part to protect us from the people who will try to take what is ours. Look folks, this is going to get hard and it is going to get rough but if we work together we can get through this.”
“Joanie and I are keeping our food. It’s ours. We need it for ourselves and for Katie”, said Chuck.
“I know it sounds harsh, Chuck.”, said John, “but what are you going to do when Paul and Ana..”
“Ana’s dead.”, said Paul, cutting him off.
“I’m very sorry to hear that, Paul, truly I am.”, said John, “Chuck, what are you going to do when Paul runs out of food and comes knocking on your door? What are you going to do? Are you not going to help him? What if Paul is too proud to ask for a handout? Are you going to let him starve? And what about Mrs. Brady? Would you let her starve? No, it’s not the Christian thing to do. We need to band together to make this work. By the way, has anyone seen Sam and Pam Dixon?”
“They just left.”, said Chuck.
“Then I think we can consider their house community property and can be used by all of us.”
“No, it can’t.”, said Paul, “They transferred ownership of their property to me today and Chuck witnessed it. I am responsible for it and it is not community property, just as your house is not community property. I have a document to that affect.”
Paul took out the paper and showed it to Bill, Carol, and John.
“Yep, looks legit to me.”, said Carol.
“I see.”, said John, “Okay, we can deal with that at another time. In the meantime, I suggest that everyone go back to your homes and start to get the food together so that we can have it all together here tomorrow at the same time. Also, please bring any seeds that you might have so we can start the gardens as soon as possible. Paul, since you have control over the Dixons’ place, you can bring their food here tomorrow as well, please. I will have the work details set up by that time as well. Thank you all.”
“I don’t like this.”, said Bill, “It sounds like you are making yourself king over us. Just because your house if farthest from the main road suddenly you will have control over our food and will only meter out to us what you deem appropriate. I don’t like it one bit.”
“I agree.”, said Chuck, “What is to stop you and your family from eating more than your fair share and leaving us with scraps?”
“The only reasons why I thought we could have all the food at our home is because our house is furthest from the main street and it will be safe there. It only makes sense.”
“Why don’t we keep the food at the Dowlings’ house next door?”, asked Brad.
“I don’t have any problem with that if Bill doesn’t have a problem with that. Nevertheless, the same question should apply to Bill and his family. How do we know that they won’t eat more than their fair share?”, asked John.
I don’t have a problem with that, but I don’t have as much space as you do. I think we can leave the food at your place.”, said Bill.
“We should at least have an oversight committee.”, said Carol, “We need to make sure that the food is used equally and the work is done fairly. Since Paul is an accountant, I nominate him to be on the committee and to keep accurate control over the food."
“Since Mrs. Brady grows tomatoes and vegetables every summer, I nominate her to be on the committee as well to oversee the gardening.”, said Chuck.
‘And since Leroy and I will be helping to provide security for our group, I nominate myself for the committee. Since we are a small group, I don’t think we need more than a committee of three.”, said John, “Since no one is disagrees, it looks like we have an oversight committee. I suggest that the committee meet every other day at noon and then report back to the group as a whole at 3pm. Is that fair to everyone?”
There was a slight murmuring in the group, but no one disagreed.
“Good. Then I suggest that everyone go back to your homes and start collecting all the food together along with any seeds you might have. Let’s have all of it here by noon tomorrow. Paul, if you can be here at that time to record what we have, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again, everyone.”
The crowd slowly started to dissipate and Paul ended up walking with Chuck, Brad, and Carol.
“I’m sorry to hear about Ana, Paul”, said Carol as they walked, “She was a really nice person. Are you holding up okay?”
“No, but I’m holding up.”
“What about Angie and Shawna.”
“Angie died but I was able to find her before she went so I brought her back here and buried her in the backyard. I don’t know about Shawna, but I can only hope that she is still safe.”
“We are truly sorry. If there is anything you need, just let us know.”, said Brad.
“What do you think about the meeting?”, asked Chuck.
“Well, it could have been worst.”, said Paul, “I knew that John would make a play for control. It’s his nature. But, he did make a few good points. It makes sense to have our food together so that it can be used efficiently and to make sure everyone gets fed. His idea for planting gardens is good for the long run as well. Personally, I don’t like the fact that the people with the guns also have all the food, but at least we have an oversight committee to watch over it. I don’t like the idea of blocking off the road as it will tell others that walk by that we have valuables and that will be a big flashing sign for the looters and gangs that will come. But, at this point, I don’t have a better solution. Let’s see how it goes for the time being and if we need to change things up, we can always do that later.”
As Paul walked into his house, his gut told him something just wasn’t right.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 22, 2017 18:10:32 GMT -6
There's a reason the Brits call them "solicitors" and many US communities have laws about solicitation ;-)
Every responsible citizen should learn about and bear arms. If someone breaks in to steal, shoot them on their way out so you can truthfully say they were taking your food and would have left you to starve so they are guilty of attempted murder. The ideal weapon is one that's historic - your grandfather (or your spouse's grandfather) bought a pistol/rifle/shotgun at the hardware store in 1953. That store closed in the 1970's and now no one has any idea A) that he had the weapon or B) where it went when he died.
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Post by accountant on Nov 28, 2017 9:57:29 GMT -6
Chapter 12 The next few days went smoothly in the community.
The food was consolidated, organized, and catalogued at the Rockwood home. Cooking teams were organized and the seven families ate their meals together, mostly in silence or spoke in hushed tones.
The grass was taken off a few of the backyards to prepare the gardens. Donated topsoil, triple mix, and compost was mixed together and spread out in the new gardens. Tomato, beans, cauliflower, eggplant, and pepper seeds were planted under the watchful eye of Mrs. Brady.
Security patrol teams of two were sent out to watch for any signs that people were walking to the enclave. John and Leroy always carried their rifles with them on patrol but did not let others use them.
Paul’s minivan and the MacNeils’ SUV were pushed down the street to help block the road as John had recommended.
The hardest part of the day was lugging buckets of water up from the ravine multiple times a day to make sure there was enough for cooking, washing, cleaning, and to irrigate the soil for the planted seeds.
The community had also set up a shower station behind one of the homes under the desk. A hose was attached to a large bucket with a garden sprinkler head at the other end of the hose. A rope was attached to the hose and when the rope was released, gravity would allow the water to run to the shower through the sprinkler head. When the rope was pulled above the level of the bucket, the water stopped.
Paul had not been idle during this time either. While he had donated half his food and all of the Dixons’ food to the communal food store, he had carefully cached the other half in several different locations within the ravine along with other essentials and supplies in the middle of the night. He didn’t like doing this, but he knew that he needed to take precautions for when the looters came and for when Shawna arrived. He also had a feeling that some of the others in the group were doing the same thing.
One morning, Paul heard a ruckus at the Rockwood home as he was headed there for breakfast.
“Where is it? What happened to it?”, Carol was yelling at John as Paul entered the house.
“What’s going on?”, asked Paul. He could see that Carol was frustrated and upset, while John was looking quite defensive.
“Last night, there were six and a half boxes of chocolate chip cookies stored and that’s what the inventory count said. When I counted this morning, there are only six boxes. There is half a box of cookies missing. No one had access the food storage since dinner last night except John, Joan, and Leroy. I want to know who took the other cookies.”
“Are you sure there were six and a half boxes last night? Maybe they were miscounted.”, said John.
“No, Chuck and I did the inventory count together last night and I am sure there were six and a half and now there are only six.”
“Yep, there were six and a half last night.”, said Chuck.
It was at this time that Leroy came down the stairs with his rifle at low ready.
“I don’t know what happened to the other half box. Joan and I went to bed pretty early yesterday after we did our cleaning shift and Leroy would have been pretty tired since he did the second overnight patrol. Maybe someone came in and took the cookies while we were sleeping and Leroy was on patrol.”
‘Sure”, said Carol sarcastically, looking directly at Leroy, “and maybe the mice came and took it.”
“Now, Carol, I don’t like what you are implying. My family has been more than giving during the crisis. We have opened up our home for the group and helped in every way we could. We would never steal from the group and to imply that we did is very insulting. Anyone could have taken the cookies. There is no proof that anyone in our family did this.”
Paul knew he had to diffuse the situation as quickly as he could before it escalated further.
“Hang on, everyone.”, he started, “We can’t start accusing anyone if we don’t have proof. I don’t know what happened to the cookies, but it is done and over with at this point, and we can’t fix it. What we can do is move all the food to the office. We can change the door handle on the office door so that it opens with a key. The door will be locked and the key will be held by one of the people who had control over the room for the last meal until it is time for the next meal, then the key will be transferred to the new meal team who will do an inventory count. That is the fairest way to control the food situation. Is everyone agreeable to that?”
Not hearing any disagreements, Paul continued, “Carol, let’s take a walk and talk. Bill, can you help with breakfast? Carol can take your place at lunch. Carol, let’s go.”
Paul ushered Carol out of the house and into the crisp morning air hoping it would help cool her temper.
“I know it was them.”, said Carol as they walked.
“I know you think so, but honestly, it could have been anyone, even me.”, said Paul.
“No, Paul. I know you could never do something like that. It was that Leroy. He’s nothing but a slacker and a thief. And a perv. Yesterday, when I was taking a shower, I could have sworn that I saw him trying to sneak a peek at me. Just because he and his dad have guns, he thinks he can do whatever he wants. He only brought up one bucket of water when everyone else brought up two. He’s lazy and disgusting and always keeps that rifle on his shoulder. I think he does that to intimidate the rest of us.”
“I know that he seems like he is lazy, but you have to remember that he really hasn’t had to every do any work in his life. John and Joan provided a nice home for him, cooked and cleaned for him, and all he really did was go to school and spend time on his computer and Xbox. He’s still young, Carol. It’s going to take time for him to adjust to this new life.”
"Oh, Paul. What are we going to do? This whole thing is so stressful. It’s not just about the stupid cookies. It’s the whole mess. We shouldn’t have to live like this. We were a modern society. We could get whatever we wanted just by clicking a mouse and having it delivered to our door or flipping a simple light switch. Now we are living like people in a third world country, we have to be careful about how much we eat, we have to carry our own water, we have to shower outside. It’s fine now because it’s springtime, but what are we going to do when winter comes and this isn’t fixed. How will we live then?”
Paul didn’t want to tell her about his thought on the coming winter or about the looters who would be coming sooner than that.
“Carol, listen to me. We will be okay. It’s spring now and we are preparing for the winter now by planting those seeds. Over the summer we will get more food from the ravine as well. I have seen deer and turkeys in the ravine so there must be food there as well. We can also cut down the trees during the summer in the ravine for firewood during the winter. We will make it. We just need to help each other along the way. It will be tough at times, but if we lean on each other, we will be able to make it.”
Paul didn’t know if he was just lying to Carol, or to himself as well.
“Now, come on. Let’s go back. I’m starting to get hungry”, said Paul as he took Carol’s hand.
“I don’t know how I am going to face them after what I said.”, said Carol as they walked back.
“It will be fine. I’m sure they will understand. Everyone is a little stressed right now.”, replied Paul.
“That boy is still a perv.”
“That boy is still a teenage boy.”, said Paul, “I will have a talk with him.”
By the time they got back to the Rockwood home, all the families were there and breakfast was almost ready.
Carol walked up to John and said, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I know that I didn’t have any proof so I shouldn’t have accused anyone. I really shouldn’t have said some of the things I said. I apologize.”
“Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it. Actually, what happened today helped us see that there was a weakness in our control over the food. Now we can plug that hole so that we have better control over it. Thank you for bringing that to everyone’s attention. Now, let’s eat.”, said John.
Later in the day, Paul was walking back to Rockwood home after taking a locking door handle from one of his doors from his basement, when Brad came up to him.
“Hey Paul. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I saw you talking to Carol earlier and I appreciate you calming her down. I know it’s probably nothing but I noticed you holding her hand when you were walking back to John’s house. It’s just that Carol is my wife and it bothered me, you know?”
“Brad, Ana was not just my wife, but she was my best friend and her and the girls were my whole life. I had just been a little over a week since I lost her. Hell, I couldn’t even find her body. You and Carol are my friends and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that relationship. I was just holding her hand to let her know that she wasn’t alone. I just felt like she needed that comfort from someone. I really am sorry if you felt offended. I apologize.”
“I’m sorry Paul. I didn’t mean it that way. I just..I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry. This craziness has messed up my head and I don’t know what to think. Before all this started, Carol and I had been having problems and this just makes it worse.”
“I understand. But perhaps this whole thing will give you and Carol some time to talk and work out some things in your marriage. It’s probably best to clear the air now before things get worse. I don’t know, but maybe it will bring you two closer.”
“Maybe you’re right Paul. Carol and I do need to talk.”
“Sometimes we all need someone to talk to for support. If you alone or both of you together need to talk any time, just come find me. I may not be able to fix anything but I can always lend an ear.”
“Thanks Paul. I appreciate that and again, I’m sorry about what I was feeling about you.”
“No apology necessary. I would have felt the same way. Now, can you help me put this lock on John’s office door?”
The two men had just finished moving all the food into the office and locking the door when Chuck came running into the house.
“We’ve got company.”
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Post by pbbrown0 on Nov 28, 2017 12:44:11 GMT -6
Great Chapter!
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Post by accountant on Nov 30, 2017 10:18:04 GMT -6
Chapter 13
“How many are they.”, asked Paul
“Two guys. No weapons visible. John is holding them at the entrance.”, replied Chuck.
“Okay. Let’s go.”, said Brad.
“Hang on a second.”, said Paul as he headed to the Rockwood’s kitchen.
Going to the knife block, he pulled out the chef’s knife, a large carving knife, and a large Santuko knife. He handed Chuck the Santuko knife, and the carving knife to Brad.
“Okay, we can go now.”, said Paul.
“Keep an eye on the ravine, there may be others hiding and watching.”, said Paul as the three men walked to the end of the street.
There they found John waiting on one side of the vehicles blocking the road. There were two men standing 20 meters away in the middle of the road. Their jackets and jeans looked fairly clean and seemed to fit them well. Their clothes gave Paul an indication that they had been upper middle class and belonged in the neighbourhood. One appeared to be in his fifties and the other in his mid-twenties.
“What’s going on?”, asked Paul of John.
“These guys say they are father and son and live on Jameson Street. They said they want to talk. People on that street are wondering if anyone knows what is going on. I’m not sure about them.” “No weapons?”
“None that I could see. I had them take off their jackets, raise their hands, and turn around so they didn’t have anything that I could tell.”
“Let me talk to them, then.”, said Paul, “Just keep me covered until I give the all clear.”
Paul handed his chef’s knife to Chuck and walked around the vehicles, making sure to stay clear of John’s line of sight.
“Hi guys. How are you today? I’m Paul.”, he said as he held out his hand.
“Hi Paul. I’m Martin Stevenson and this is my son, Jerome. We live up on Jameson Street and have been walking around to see if anyone in the area knew anything about what happened. I can understand you needing to be careful.”
“We’re just trying to keep everyone safe, Martin. Say, would you happen to know the Walters?”, Paul asked.
Paul had been doing the taxes for the Walters family and had become good friends with Jason Walters who ran a mechanics shop just off Airport Road.
“Yes, we know Jason and Mindy and their two boys, Charlie and Eric. They live just up the road from us at number 137. Jason is a terrible poker player but he grills a mean steak. He own Simply Auto Repair on Walkers Road and has been fixing my cars for a few years now.”, replied Martin.
“Thanks Martin. I hope they are doing okay.”
“They are doing as well as anyone under the circumstances.”
Paul was satisfied that the men were who they said they were and waved for John, Chuck, and Brad to come over. Introductions were made all around and John invited the men to come and chat on the front porch of his house.
Paul took the chef’s knife back from Chuck and had Brad and Chuck stand watch at the entrance of the street while John took the guest to his house. He then quietly slipped away into the ravine to check for others. Taking a round loop following animal trails so as not to make too much noise, Paul slowly and quietly moved around the ravine and came up from the other side of Brad and Chuck.
“The ravine is clear.”, said Paul.
“Thanks for checking, Paul. Do you want to go down and be part of the conversation? Chuck and I can hold down things here., said Brad.
“I’d rather not hear John brag about all we have done here. I have a feeling he will let slip more than you and I would. Those guys seem okay for now, but if a bigger force comes to them asking questions, they will probably tell them everything in order to save themselves or their families. Not that I would blame them, I would probably do the same thing too.”
“Well, you’re on the oversight committee so it’s better you than us.”, said Chuck, jokingly. Paul walked back to John’s house where he saw John and the two visitors sitting on John’s porch enjoying some coffee.
“Hi Paul. Martin was just telling me about the situation on Jameson Street. They seem to be doing okay for water since they are close to Professors Lake. Like us they are having problems with food though. It seems the Walmart on Queen Street has been looted and burnt to the ground and so some local thugs have taken over the Fortinos grocery store. The mall is still safe though since the police station is across the road from it and the police are setting up it up as a refugee crisis center. Apparently, a lot of the people from the retirement home down the street are there and they are bringing food to those who can’t make it to the mall. The problem is that the retirement home is running out of medication and oxygen. Some are already dead and others are on the way.”, explained John.
“Yeah, I thought that might start happening. It’s unfortunate but there will be more of that. It won’t just be the old and inform, but also the younger folks who need daily medication, like those with diabetes. Things will start to get tougher for those poor souls. Thankfully we don’t have anyone in our group with those problems.”, said Paul.
“Martin, you haven’t seen any military presence yet, have you?”, asked Paul.
“No, not yet. And I’m worried. There have been stories about gangs from Toronto moving up to the southern part of Brampton looting, killing, and taking people. It’s ugly down there. I’m worried that they might come up here.”, said Martin.
“Hopefully, they will stay south and head across to Mississauga and Oakville. There are more people, stores, and stuff down there and it’s close to Lake Ontario.”, said Paul.
“We can only hope.”, said Jerome, “In the meantime, we may have a temporary solution to our food situation. There is a Sobey’s distribution center about 10 klicks from here to the east almost out in the country. I don’t think the gangs have gotten there yet or they may not even know about it since there are no big signs on the building. It should be full of food. We were thinking that a bunch of us from different groups could go there and check it out and bring back as much as we can.”
“That seems like a good idea.”, said John, “and it will give some of our people a chance to meet some of the other groups.”
“When do you plan on going and how many other groups have you met?”, asked Paul.
“We are planning on the day after tomorrow. There’s a large group down in Springdale, a group over by Treeline, and a group down by Humberwest that we have met. They are all interested in sending people. If you are interested, we are meeting at the McDonalds on Bovaird at 9.”, said Martin.
“What about security?”, asked Paul.
“The Springdale group has the most firearms and they said they would help provide security but every groups is sending people armed.”
“That makes sense.”, said John, “We will discuss this with our group but will definitely be sending a contingent from here the day after tomorrow.”
“That would be good. We can all help each other and somehow get through this. Jerome and I better get going. We will see you some of you folks the day after tomorrow.”, said Martin, standing.
John and Paul walked the pair back to the end of the street and shook their hands.
“Tell Jason and Mindy that I said hello.”, said Paul.
“Will do. You take care now.”, said Martin as he and Jerome walked away.
“Be safe.”, said Paul.
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Post by accountant on Dec 6, 2017 15:57:58 GMT -6
Chapter 14
Later that afternoon, John called the group meeting to order.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the first order of business I would like to discuss is the recent visit by a contingent from the group down on Jameson Street by Professors Lake. They provided some vital information that I wanted to pass along to everyone here. The Walmart on Queen Street has been burnt down, the Fortinos has been taken over by a gang, and the Bramalea City Centre mall has been turned into a refugee crisis center and is a safe zone due to the police presence. There have also been stories of large gangs moving up from Toronto and taking over large parts of southern Brampton. Things do not look good out there folks. But, there some good news to pass along. It seems that there may be some additional food available at a Sobeys distribution center about 10 kilometers away from here. The Professors Lake group as well as a group from Springdale, a group from Treeline, and a group from Humberwest will be heading there to look it over and possibly bring some back. I have told them that we would be sending some of our people along as well. They will be leaving the McDonalds on Bovaird at 9am the day after tomorrow. I think this will not only help our food situation, but will also give us a chance to meet and find out how some of the other groups are doing. I’d like to open the floor to a discussion at this time.”
Carol was the first to speak. “You said that there was gang activity at the Fortinos and the Walmart is gone. What would happen if the people going out meet looters or gangs along the way or on the way back?”
“That’s a good questions.”, said John, “We don’t know what we will find, but all the groups will be armed and apparently the Springdale group has the most firearms and will be providing security for just such a contingency.”
“Ten kilometers there and back is a long way especially when we will be hauling food. How are we going to carry it all?”, asked Brad.
“I was thinking about that.”, said John, “I have the old trailer at the side of the house that we use when we go camping. The people who are going can use that to bring the food back. Once it gets loaded up, it might take two or three people to push it, but we can do it.”
“How do we know that we can trust them?”, asked Mrs. Brady, “How do we know they won’t come here while we are short-handed and take all our food?”
“We don’t, Mrs. Brady. Nevertheless, I have to believe that our neighbours haven’t sunk that low yet. This is a risk that I think we should take in order to increase our food supply. I think we should send four people on this expedition to see what we can find. That way, the food can be brought back on the trailer while we still have people here to provide security. I think we should send Paul, Chuck, Brad, and Bill. The trailer will be heavy so that is why I suggest sending stronger men on the expedition.”
“Hang on, why not you or Leroy? I hope you aren’t picking these guys and not anyone from your family because you are worried about the danger.”, asked Carol.
“No”, said John, “I have thought about this and Leroy is still young so I don’t think he would be able to add value on this trip and as for me, with Paul being selected, we still need leadership here in the group and as a member of the oversight committee, it is my duty to stay back.”
“You’re nothing but a..”, started Carol.
“it’s fine. I agree with John. I’ll go.”, said Paul, cutting her off, “Chuck, Brad, Bill, are you guys okay to go?”
“If it’s good for the group, then I’m in.”, said Chuck.
“Me too.”, said Bill.
Brad looked at Carol and saw the concern in her eyes.
“If we have to do it, we have to do it. I’ll go”, he said.
Carol turned and stormed back to her house.
“Since that is settled, I suggest we make a list of items that we need and hopefully we can pick up as much as we can tomorrow. That’s it for now. Thank you everyone.”, said John as he closed the meeting.
As everyone started leaving the driveway, Paul saw Leroy turning to go into his house. It was then that Paul remembered what he had said to Carol.
“Hey Leroy. Have you got a second?”, he asked.
“I guess.”, replied Leroy, hesitantly.
“I just wanted to see how you were holding out. I know that this has been a big change for everyone and not just for the adults in the group.”
“I’m okay, I guess. It’s kind of weird not going to school and being with my friends.”
“Yes, I get that. It must be hard not having anyone your own age around.”
“It’s just that I don’t get to have any fun anymore. Before I used to have fun with my friends at school and then play Xbox with them. Now it seems that all I do is work.”
“I know. It’s not the same life anymore. Our group is pretty small and it is a lot of work. Hopefully, when things get settled, we will be able to do more things with some of the other groups and, with luck, maybe there will be more people your age to interact with. How old are you now?”
“I turned seventeen in September.”
“I remember seventeen. Back then, I was pretty stupid and I did a few stupid things. I bet you’ve done a few stupid things too, haven’t you?”
“No.”
“Leroy, I’m going to be frank with you. You’ve been seen sneaking a peak at the ladies while they are showering. We can’t have that. It’s just not right. Do you understand?”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t tell my parents.” Leroy was visibly shaking.
“I’m not going to tell your parents as long as you put a stop to it right now, okay? I know what it’s like to be seventeen, but we can’t have anyone in our little group feeling uncomfortable.”
“I promise, I won’t do it again. I really am sorry.”
“I know you are, Leroy. Let’s just put this behind us, okay? We have a lot of work to do, yet.”
“Thanks. Can I ask you a question? Is this going to be our new life from now on? I mean, is it every going to get back to the way it was?”
“Well, I think we have some hard times to get through but I’m hoping that there will be some kind of normal later on. I know it’s tough right now and we just need to get through it together.”
“Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I gotta go. I have to help haul water.”
“Take care, Leroy.”
Paul watched as Leroy headed down the ravine to the stream. Leroy wasn’t a bad kid. Like the rest of them, he was just in way over his head.
As he walked to the end of the street to do his shift on security, he couldn’t help but hear the argument going on in the MacNeil household.
He wondered what tomorrow would bring.
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Post by accountant on Dec 6, 2017 16:02:07 GMT -6
Hi all,
I just posted Chapter 14 and I was thinking about the characters. I would love any feedback you might have related to them, particularly Paul. Are they too two-dimensional? Do they need to be fleshed out more? Which ones do you like and which ones do you not like and why? I still have a few weeks to go before we get back to the original path in chapter 1 so I'm flexible.
Thanks a bunch!
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Post by accountant on Jan 26, 2018 9:36:46 GMT -6
Hi all,
I'm back. Sorry I've been gone so long. Life gets in the way sometimes.
Here's the next chapter for your review and approval.
Chapter 15
Paul woke up in a cold sweat.
He had the same dream, rather nightmare, that had come to him repeatedly since that first day. He was in the backyard playing tag with Ana, Angie, and Shawna and he was “it”. They were all smiling, laughing, and trying to get away from Paul. Suddenly, there is a loud crash and Paul sees a large fireball in the distance. When he looks back at Ana, he sees her screaming and turning to dust. Turning to Angie, he sees that she is also screaming with half her leg missing. She also fades away. Paul looks around for Shawna but can’t find her anywhere and screams.
Paul sat up on the couch where he normally slept and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It was still dark out so he had no idea what time it was. He grabbed his half-finished glass of water and went out on the deck. Looking up at the stars, he was still surprised how bright they were without the light pollution of the big city to hide then. So many points of light. An infinity possibility of life out there in the universe. Was Ana out there in another form? Was Angie? Was Shawna? Were they looking down on him and trying to give him comfort? Or were those lights just distant memories of balls of gases which had fizzled out aeons ago.
Paul had always found comfort in the stillness of the night. He always perked up when he used to hear wolves howling at night. Ana used to joke that he had probably been a wandering lone wolf in a past life and his kin were calling him to come home. The wolves were still calling him, but he had to stay, for Shawna.
Paul had done his calculations and prayed that she was safe and on her way home. It had been more than two weeks since the day and he hoped that she was getting closer.
He had also done other calculations as well. Based on the rate that the community was going through their food stores, it wouldn’t be long before they ran out. At most, they had four weeks of food left given the rate they were going through it. If they started to ration now, they might be able to last an extra week at the most. The gardens had been planted, but it was too early to tell what the results would be, if anything came of it at all. They desperately needed there to be food at the distribution center if they were going to last until the gardens produced food.
Then there was the question of being able to cook the food. The group had eight and a half tanks of propane for cooking, but how long would that last. It was the end of March now, but things start getting cold in late August. What would the community do for heat when the time came? How would they stay warm when fall and then winter hit?
Paul also thought about hygiene and medical supplies. Did the group have enough soap? They definitely didn’t have enough medicine. People were already starting to get cuts, bruises, and dry, cracked hands from all the manual labour. Sooner or later, someone would get an infection of one sort or another, and they didn’t have any antibiotics to suppress it. Would a simple sinus infection kill someone?
All of these things were moot points if the gangs came north. These people in the group weren’t fighters. They were suburbanites who were used to living a comfortable life. Not a single one of them had ever been a member of the armed forces. They would easily be picked off one by one and the gang would take everything and everyone they wanted.
“Why is God doing this to me?”, Paul thought to himself, “I didn’t do anything wrong. I have no one left. I didn’t even have time to mourn Ana or Angie. Why did He make responsible for the survival of all these people? I’m just an accountant, for Christ’s sake! I can hardly take care of myself. They are not even my family. I shouldn’t have to bear that burden. It’s too heavy a load for just one man. God should know that. Sooner or later, they are all going to die and there won’t be a damn thing I can do about it. It’s too much. It’s just too much.”
Paul felt himself spiraling into hopelessness. He willed himself to stop. He had to stay focused on one ideal. Shawna was on her way home and she needed him. No matter what happened, he had to stay strong. When she got there, then he could break down. Then he could let the worry and fear overtake him, for a little while anyways. But for now, he had to hold onto that one single fact. Shawna was on her way home and she needed him.
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Post by pbbrown0 on Jan 26, 2018 12:46:30 GMT -6
So glad to see a little more from you, accountant. I really appreciate your genuine talents, and your sharing them with us. I also appreciate the added perspective from you and others among our brothers and sisters across that imaginary border to our north. It is good for those south of that line to be reminded that this is not all about "US". Thank you for your insight and honesty.
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Post by forthteller on Jan 27, 2018 19:58:13 GMT -6
Hi all, I have enjoyed reading many of the fine writing by all the creative writers on these boards. The imagination that you possess is incredible. You have inspired me to get my creative juices flowing and so I have started a story on my own which I hope you will enjoy. I have noticed that all of the stories I have read on this and other boards is very US-centric. As someone who lives in Canada, I thought I would write something that is more northern-based and I hope you will like it. We don't have as much of a gun culture up here as y'all do down there and I wanted to bring the Canadian flavour to my work. The back story is based on things I have gone through so I know where the main character is coming from. I hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcome. Thanks! .Nice to see a fellow Canadian on here. Its funny that you say the American culture is gun centered. I must be living a little too close to the US boarder, 2kms, because I am a little guncentric as well. Might also be the prepper in me.
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Post by 2medicinewoman on Jan 30, 2018 4:16:46 GMT -6
Accountant - I like the story. I have no idea how big city people survive and thrive in a situation like this. I don't like the idea of turning over food for community use. If I had a family with me, I can be as hard as nails when it comes to protecting them. I guess I would be the one making waves. LOL
Thanks for sharing your gift with us.
2med
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Post by accountant on Jan 30, 2018 16:18:50 GMT -6
2med - if it was just me, I'd take as much food, clothing, and other essentials and head up north to any old abandoned cottage. I'd live it up fishing, setting traps, and foraging through God's great natural table until the whole thing blew over. But that wouldn't make much of a story, now would it?
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Post by texican on Jan 31, 2018 15:48:32 GMT -6
2med - if it was just me, I'd take as much food, clothing, and other essentials and head up north to any old abandoned cottage. I'd live it up fishing, setting traps, and foraging through God's great natural table until the whole thing blew over. But that wouldn't make much of a story, now would it? Accountant, The story would be getting to the old abandoned cottage.... Then having to defend it by yourself.... Now several dogs would help.... As would companions, including the fairer sex.... Now as to the other essentials, just how much food, medicine, firearms, ammo and other essentials could you carry if you had to hoof it? Is a game cart part of your essentials? Just wondering.... Texican.... An American Christian.... Live Free and Die Free....
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Post by texican on Jan 31, 2018 15:49:17 GMT -6
Accountant,
By the way, moar would be greatly devoured by the Moar Hounds....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Feb 2, 2018 21:34:53 GMT -6
Chapter 14 Later that afternoon, John called the group meeting to order. “Ladies and gentlemen, the first order of business I would like to discuss is the recent visit by a contingent from the group down on Jameson Street by Professors Lake. They provided some vital information that I wanted to pass along to everyone here. The Walmart on Queen Street has been burnt down, the Fortinos has been taken over by a gang, and the Bramalea City Centre mall has been turned into a refugee crisis center and is a safe zone due to the police presence. There have also been stories of large gangs moving up from Toronto and taking over large parts of southern Brampton. Things do not look good out there folks. But, there some good news to pass along. It seems that there may be some additional food available at a Sobeys distribution center about 10 kilometers away from here. The Professors Lake group as well as a group from Springdale, a group from Treeline, and a group from Humberwest will be heading there to look it over and possibly bring some back. I have told them that we would be sending some of our people along as well. They will be leaving the McDonalds on Bovaird at 9am the day after tomorrow. I think this will not only help our food situation, but will also give us a chance to meet and find out how some of the other groups are doing. I’d like to open the floor to a discussion at this time.” Carol was the first to speak. “You said that there was gang activity at the Fortinos and the Walmart is gone. What would happen if the people going out meet looters or gangs along the way or on the way back?” “That’s a good questions.”, said John, “We don’t know what we will find, but all the groups will be armed and apparently the Springdale group has the most firearms and will be providing security for just such a contingency.” “Ten kilometers there and back is a long way especially when we will be hauling food. How are we going to carry it all?”, asked Brad. “I was thinking about that.”, said John, “I have the old trailer at the side of the house that we use when we go camping. The people who are going can use that to bring the food back. Once it gets loaded up, it might take two or three people to push it, but we can do it.” “How do we know that we can trust them?”, asked Mrs. Brady, “How do we know they won’t come here while we are short-handed and take all our food?” “We don’t, Mrs. Brady. Nevertheless, I have to believe that our neighbours haven’t sunk that low yet. This is a risk that I think we should take in order to increase our food supply. I think we should send four people on this expedition to see what we can find. That way, the food can be brought back on the trailer while we still have people here to provide security. I think we should send Paul, Chuck, Brad, and Bill. The trailer will be heavy so that is why I suggest sending stronger men on the expedition.” “Hang on, why not you or Leroy? I hope you aren’t picking these guys and not anyone from your family because you are worried about the danger.”, asked Carol. “No”, said John, “I have thought about this and Leroy is still young so I don’t think he would be able to add value on this trip and as for me, with Paul being selected, we still need leadership here in the group and as a member of the oversight committee, it is my duty to stay back.” “You’re nothing but a..”, started Carol. “it’s fine. I agree with John. I’ll go.”, said Paul, cutting her off, “Chuck, Brad, Bill, are you guys okay to go?” “If it’s good for the group, then I’m in.”, said Chuck. “Me too.”, said Bill. Brad looked at Carol and saw the concern in her eyes. “If we have to do it, we have to do it. I’ll go”, he said. Carol turned and stormed back to her house. “Since that is settled, I suggest we make a list of items that we need and hopefully we can pick up as much as we can tomorrow. That’s it for now. Thank you everyone.”, said John as he closed the meeting. As everyone started leaving the driveway, Paul saw Leroy turning to go into his house. It was then that Paul remembered what he had said to Carol. “Hey Leroy. Have you got a second?”, he asked. “I guess.”, replied Leroy, hesitantly. “I just wanted to see how you were holding out. I know that this has been a big change for everyone and not just for the adults in the group.” “I’m okay, I guess. It’s kind of weird not going to school and being with my friends.” “Yes, I get that. It must be hard not having anyone your own age around.” “It’s just that I don’t get to have any fun anymore. Before I used to have fun with my friends at school and then play Xbox with them. Now it seems that all I do is work.” “I know. It’s not the same life anymore. Our group is pretty small and it is a lot of work. Hopefully, when things get settled, we will be able to do more things with some of the other groups and, with luck, maybe there will be more people your age to interact with. How old are you now?” “I turned seventeen in September.” “I remember seventeen. Back then, I was pretty stupid and I did a few stupid things. I bet you’ve done a few stupid things too, haven’t you?” “No.” “Leroy, I’m going to be frank with you. You’ve been seen sneaking a peak at the ladies while they are showering. We can’t have that. It’s just not right. Do you understand?” “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell my parents.” Leroy was visibly shaking. “I’m not going to tell your parents as long as you put a stop to it right now, okay? I know what it’s like to be seventeen, but we can’t have anyone in our little group feeling uncomfortable.” “I promise, I won’t do it again. I really am sorry.” “I know you are, Leroy. Let’s just put this behind us, okay? We have a lot of work to do, yet.” “Thanks. Can I ask you a question? Is this going to be our new life from now on? I mean, is it every going to get back to the way it was?” “Well, I think we have some hard times to get through but I’m hoping that there will be some kind of normal later on. I know it’s tough right now and we just need to get through it together.” “Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I gotta go. I have to help haul water.” “Take care, Leroy.” Paul watched as Leroy headed down the ravine to the stream. Leroy wasn’t a bad kid. Like the rest of them, he was just in way over his head. As he walked to the end of the street to do his shift on security, he couldn’t help but hear the argument going on in the MacNeil household. He wondered what tomorrow would bring. Hey fellow Canadian. I like your story so far. I also like how your post apocalyptic book is different from most. Most stories usually have the death of a majority of the population and the few left are scavengers with years of food and medicines to access. Their whole mission is to protect themselves from the other groups. Zombies, Zapheads, or violent criminals.. The reality is that with the currant population and no means of production we only have 2 months at best before we run out of food. Without a rapid move to organize and get production quickly ramped up we would be killing one another out of desperation in very short order. The real apocalypse is when 8 billion people attempt to survive in a world that can now only support a tenth that population. Just a thought. As the hoards of people from the urban areas head out to the rural areas, do we welcome them or turn them away? If we turn them away, how do we defend ourselves from hungry, well armed and emboldened gangs?
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Post by accountant on Feb 5, 2018 12:31:27 GMT -6
Hi Forth,
I'm glad you are enjoying my story as much as I am enjoying yours.
In terms of your question relating to the population and no means of production, in reality rather than thinking of 8 billion people in a post apocalyptic world, we should be thinking more in terms of a population of 280 million people, namely Canada and the US. People from Europe/Middle East/Asia/Oceania would not risk making the trip across the vast oceans to reach our shores. They will have their own problems to deal with. People from Mexico and other North American (yes, there are other countries beside the US and Canada in the North American continent), and South American countries will move closer to the equator and other temperate regions where crops are already being cultivated (they started as agrarian societies) and ignore the US as a wasteland full of crazy people.
Of the 280 million, 20% will die from starvation/succumbing to the elements within the first year from lack of knowledge and taking stupid risks. Another 15% from known medical issues when they run out of the medication that is keeping them alive. Still another 5% will perish from self-euthanasia. That wipes out 40% of the population within the first year, leaving 168 million and a whole lot of dead bodies.
If you study human history, you know that humans started as nomadic tribes which then settled into rural stationary groups of hunter/gatherers. These groups got together into small towns which formed meeting and information hubs. These towns grew bigger as other people settled there to get protection from looters/bandits/marauders/pirates on the open roads. These towns had elders/leaders, a security force, medical services, sharing of food, and local religions that they supported. Sooner or later one town would be assimilated into another through peaceful means or not so peaceful means. This lead to the formation of city states.
In my PAW, I envision that we would start with nomad tribes (the gangs), rural stationary groups (farming groups), and other people (urbanites and suburbanites) settling with the rural stationary groups for protection or trying to make it on their own in the wilds. Certainly, there would be groups in the mountains and up north who have been there for generation and know how to live off the land.
The question becomes, how would the rural folks deal with refugees from the towns and cities. How would they decide who to allow in and who to not allow in? There is no right way or wrong way to answer this. Each group would have its own reasons for reaching conclusions.
Truth be told, in the US and Canada, there will be more than enough food to maintain the population within the first year. People will just need to know where to look. Like in my story, there are food depots full of canned foods and dried foods which would last a while. There is more than enough flour and sugar in bakeries, both retail and commercial, to last. Other food manufacturing plants will also have plenty of raw materials, mainly dried product, to sustain people. Let's not forget about the multitude of fast food restaurants and coffee houses. The pizza shops should have flour and yeast. The coffee houses should have plenty of coffee and tea to last as well. There's also health food stores like GNC and pet food stores. If it has food in the name, it has food. It may not be the best or edible, but it would be food.
In terms of protecting food from hungry, well armed, and motivated individuals, I have always been a believer in guerrilla gardening and hiding it in plain sight in nature. This will lead to a heartier stock of seed for future generations, easier pollination as the bees are already out there, and more protein as herbivores will be looking for food there. And when it comes to an attack from an outside force, I believe in a strong presence of force as well as guerrilla tactics on the sly.
I'm not sure if you've read "Alas Babylon" or "One second after", but I have certainly enjoyed them.
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Post by papaof2 on Feb 5, 2018 15:22:58 GMT -6
Food distribution warehouses don't always have "food" in their names. Some people might make the connection to Sysco from seeing those trucks at restaurants but other people won't because of their "Look, even the truckers eat here!" response. That response was correct for Carl's on a US highway in Alabama but it's not the only reason those trucks stop there. Cheney Brothers, Inc. doesn't sound like food but they are a distributor in much of Florida. Neither does WJ Import Warehouse in Georgia. Illinois has a web page about grain co-ops and warehouses in the state - a good thing to have hardcopy of if you live near any of those places. Other states have similar information available. It's just something you need to know about now, not be hunting for when the grid is down. A warehouse with "ADM" on its sign doesn't sound like food, but it probably is and they also handle feed for animals plus various fuels www.adm.com/The Amazon distribution warehouses have some amount of food (clothing, batteries, solar power, camping gear, etc) in them and they are scattered across the US (don't know about Canada but you could track back on things you've purchased from Amazon and see where they originated). I know there's an Amazon warehouse near Chattanooga, TN, and you'd expect one near every major metropolitan area (next day delivery and Prime's two day require it). Lots of warehouse do NOT identify the owner with an obvious sign. Computer Discount Warehouse has (had?) a big warehouse near Memphis, TN, but the only identification was a small "CDW" sign - people didn't need to know that there were $$$$$$ in electronics in that building ;-) There are probably similar treasure troves in every area, you just need to do the research. Even the transfer warehouses where trucks are unloaded to split out shipments to other places could be a treasure trove. Owner-operators are likely to drop the trailer and drive home in the event of a national disaster. A few might take the trailer with them but not if it's a long trip - running bob-tailed in a Peterbilt means you can get over and through things that would stop other vehicles (sounds like something from the A-Team ;-) If you're not in the middle of a city, living in a brick or stone house could be a real advantage, with much of its outside surfaces being bulletproof for typical firearms. Get some brown, white, gray and black spray paint and paint "smoke" marks above the windows and doors and along the eaves. Then cover the windows and doors with plywood and toss some scraps of pink insulation out in the yard. You've made the house uninviting, harder to get into and you potentially have set up better light discipline. If you precut and store the plywood, you could have the house ready for lockdown in a matter of hours. Add 2x lumber bars inside the doors, secured to multiple studs with lag screws. With the house that closed up, you'll want periscopes, door-style peephole viewers at each window and maybe enough solar power to run some cameras to be able to see and hear what's happening outside. Wonder what a Personal LifeStraw water filter would be worth a week or a month after the County's water stops pumping? I have an eight inch Fresnel lens that would be a good start on a solar flash distiller. Wonder what that lens and the plans would be worth then?
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Post by texican on Feb 5, 2018 23:56:47 GMT -6
Wonder what a Personal LifeStraw water filter would be worth a week or a month after the County's water stops pumping?
A lot, but not as much as firearms and ammo....
Texican....
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Post by accountant on Feb 7, 2018 15:28:05 GMT -6
Chapter 16
Early in the morning, Paul stood at the side of John’s house with Chuck, Bill, Brad and John. They had just finished oiling it up so that it could be walked smoothly without too much strain. Paul had made up the wish list of items they would want from the distribution depot after they had finished an early breakfast. The trailer was loaded with water and a dry lunch for each of them and was ready to go. It was decided at supper the night before that the rifles would not be taken, but each man carried a long knife on his belt for protection.
“It will take you about a half hour to get to the McDonalds so you better get going.”, said John.
Chuck muttered something under his breath as he lifted the hitch at the front of the trailer and Paul, Bill, and Brad pushed from the back.
The four men quickly moved the trailer down the street to the end of the road. As they passed the McNeil house, Paul noticed Carol watching them leave from the window. He also noticed that Brad kept his eyes focused on the road.
As they turned onto the main road of their subdivision, Paul realized that this was the first time he had left the cul-de-sac since the day everything happened.
Everything looked normal on that crisp spring morning. There were cars in driveways, semi-neatly manicured lawns with a few dandelions starting to poke their heads up, and the neighbourhood squirrels doing their thing. But it was quiet. There was no sound of cars as people headed off to work, or school buses stopping to pick up kids. Just the sound of the four men making their way down the road with the trailer.
Paul felt like he was walking through a ghost town where all the people had suddenly vanished but he knew there were people in those houses. He could see the tops of heads peaking to look out of windows watching their progress. For the first time in his life, Paul felt strangely uncomfortable in his subdivision and wanted to get out on the main road as quickly as possible. The main road of the subdivision was a wide boulevard so the men had no problem going around the few cars that had died on the road, but Paul wondered what Airport Road would be like.
Soon, but not soon enough for Paul’s liking, they reached the main intersection with Airport Road. The men stopped and took a moment to take it all in. There was a line of 5 cars waiting in the left hand turn lane to head south onto Airport Road. They cars looked like they were patiently waiting for a light that would never turn green for them. An SUV was just about to turn out of the strip mall and another just about to turn into it. The biggest shock was Airport Road itself. As a semi-major throughway with three lanes headed north and three lanes headed south, it was always a busy street. Now it looked as if a giant child had been playing with his toy car set and set cars, SUVs, a dump truck, a bus, and few tractor-trailers down willy-nilly throughout the lanes. Some had their doors open and looked like they had been rummaged through. “Wow”, said Chuck, ”How are we ever going to get through this mess?”
“We’re not going through it.”, said Paul, “We are going around it. Let’s take the sidewalk.”
The team turned the trailer and headed south on Airport Road.
As noiselessly and as quickly as they could, the men pushed the trailer down Airport Road, past Sandalwood and were soon at the intersection of Airport and Bovaird. Paul was thankful to see a large group standing by the golden arches on the corner.
‘Hi Paul”, said Martin as they approached and put the trailer next to another one.
“Hi Martin”, replied Paul, “You remember Chuck and Brad. This is Bill.”
Martin made introductions with his group. They included Jerome, Jason Walters, and a couple of other men. They had brought a trailer which looked like it had previously been the back end of a pickup truck.
The Treeline group were made up of five men and one woman. They had a combination of strollers, and wagons.
The Humberview group only had three men and they all had shopping carts.
The Springdale group had the largest contingent. They included twelve men and three women. They had two trailers between them all. Paul could see that they all carried either a handgun, a rifle, or a shotgun.
“All right everyone.”, said a burly man who appeared to be in his late thirties, “I guess everyone is here. My name is John Davidson. I’m with the Springdale group. We have a long way to go, so we might as well get started. My folks will have one trailer at the front and one trailer at the back to keep us all together. We will also have two spotters running point for recon purposes. We’re hoping that there won’t be any trouble along the way, but if there is, we have the firepower to take care of it. Let’s go, team.”
Paul felt uneasy about John Davidson and the Springdale group and wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because they all had guns, John Davidson has a Glock on his belt and a rifle over his shoulder. Maybe it was the fact that they were all smiles and looked reasonably happy. Maybe it was because he could see them give each other knowing looks.
Or maybe he was just being paranoid.
Chuck and the others moved their trailer behind the shopping carts of the Humberview group. “Oh well,” thought Paul as the convoy started to move, “We are here now. In for a penny, in for a pound.”
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