|
Post by accountant on Mar 8, 2018 8:30:41 GMT -6
Thanks Solo. Thanks Texican. You are right that some need to fall as far as possible before they can stand back up. The next few chapters may seem a little slow as Paul and Carol get ready for the trip. If it was an action movie, this would be the montage of cleaning weapons, shoving them into holsters, stuffing ALICE packs, etc. all under an uplifting rock song. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it. Also..WOOHOOO!! We made it to Page 4!!! Chapter 25 Paul and Carol were busy the rest of the morning. The first thing they would need was water. Paul went to each bathroom in the house hoping to find intact toilet tanks, unfortunately the gangs had smashed every last one of them. Where else could he find water? A light went off in his head. Why didn’t he think of it sooner? Taking a plastic container from the debris in the kitchen along with the larger plastic container which has held his “final” cache, he headed down to the basement. In the furnace room, he found what he was looking for, the 60 gallon hot water heater. Ana had wanted to get rid of this tank and replace it with a tankless hot water system but Paul had never gotten around to changing it over. Now he was glad that he didn’t. The drain valve was too low for the larger plastic container to get under so Paul placed the smaller plastic container under it and opened the valve. The water that flowed into the container was gritty and looked like it contained sediment. Paul poured it down the drain and continued the process until the water was clear. He then used the small container to fill the larger container. Soon the three gallon container was two thirds full. Paul carried it upstairs into the kitchen. Carol had been busy cleaning up the mess to make some room for them. “They took or smashed everything except for this small bottle of hot sauce.”, she said as Paul put the water on the counter. “Well, I found water. It may not taste the best, but it’s water.”, he said handing her a plastic glass. They both drank from the container and it wasn’t that good, but it would keep them hydrated for the time being. “Now that we have water, what are we going to do about food? That hot sauce isn’t going to last very long.”, asked Carol. “I may be able to come up with something.”, replied Paul, “I’ll go dig it up. In the meantime, could you look around the other houses? There are things that we will need for the trip.” Paul told her what he wanted her to look for and he headed out the back door. Paul walked into the ravine and unearthed a cache of food he had buried earlier on. The cache contained flour, dry kidney beans, a bottle of honey, some salt, some spices, a small bottle of oil, a round, flat griddle, a few packets of instant oatmeal, and some more granola bars. Carol scavenged through the neighbourhood looking for the items Paul had mentioned, specifically hiking boots for each of them, any BBQ lighters, empty water bottles, garbage bags, bars of hand soap, shampoo, and rolls of aluminium foil. She couldn’t go into her own house. Paul came back into the kitchen just as Carol was walking into the house carrying a garbage bag full of stuff. “I found everything you asked for except I only found one BBQ lighter and I couldn’t find any boots in your size.”, she said. “I guess I will just have to make do with what I have on my feet right now.”, said Paul as he handed her a couple of granola bars. “I also found some other things we might be able to use.”, said Carol as she took out a couple of large chef knives and a small pry bar, “You never know when we might need these.” They ate their breakfast in silence. As Paul finished his second granola bar, he noticed how dirty his hands had become. Taking a sniff of his underarms, he also noticed how smelly he was as well. “Now that we have some water, it might do us some good to wash up and get into a change of clothes before we leave. You are about Ana’s size. Let’s go upstairs and see what we have for you to wear now and for on the road.”, said Paul. He specifically didn’t mention the fact that Carol’s clothes were in her own house. The pair headed upstairs and into the master bedroom. Paul left her alone in the walk-in closet to see what would fit her while he went into the master bath. Whenever anyone in the family had gone to the dentist, they always came back with manual toothbrushes, trail size toothpaste, and dental floss. Sure enough, there were plenty thrown into the Jacuzzi tub, along with everything else that had been in the cupboards under the sink. Paul grabbed a handful, along with a new deodorant stick for himself and another for Carol, put them into a shower cap, and head back. “Did you find anything?”, he asked the closed door. “I found a couple of pairs of jeans, some t-shirts, sweat shirts, socks, underwear, and bras. Are you sure it’s okay that I take these?”, she asked, hesitantly. “It’s fine.”, Paul answered, “Someone might as well get some use out of them. I found some toothbrushes, paste, floss, and deodorant too.” “Thanks, I could really use those.”, said Carol with a small smile. As they headed back down the stairs, Paul stopped and picked up a couple of bath towels. Once back in the kitchen, Paul and Carol filled up the empty water bottles Carol had found with the water in the container. Once they had emptied the container, they had twelve bottles of water lined up. Paul took the empty large container, the smaller plastic container from earlier, a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo that Carol was able to find and took Carol into the basement. “We had a full bath installed when we finished the basement so you can get washed up in there once I bring you some water. It won’t be hot, but at least you will be clean.”, he explained. Paul filled the three gallon container from the hot water tank and brought it to the stand up shower in the basement bathroom. “Um, that’s not a lot of water.”, said Carol. “No, but it will do the job, trust me. What you should do is first take the small container, fill it up and pour it over yourself so that you are thoroughly wet. Then use the shampoo and soap to wash yourself. Then use the rest of the water to rinse yourself off. You’ll be surprised how far that water will go. If you need more, just let me know and I can get you another bucketful.”, said Paul While Carol was showering, Paul took that time to look for other things that they would need on their trip. He picked up a small suitcase for himself and a large carry on case for Carol and took them to the kitchen. In the garage, he was able to find the roll of duct tape that was there. Taking the duct tape, he looped one end to one of the back wheels of the suitcase up through the handle at the top and, leaving enough slack, brought it back around so that the two sticky sides met each. He did the same thing with the other back wheel. Putting one arm through one loop and the other arm through the other loop, he found that it would fit perfectly as a backpack. Paul did the same for the smaller carry on back. He then took some of the rice and lentils, put them in a plastic container, and filled it with water to soak. It wouldn’t be much of a meal before they left, but it would have to do. As he was moving around the kitchen, he noticed the small plastic aerosol bottle that Ana had used for lightly spraying oil on frying pans when she was on her healthy eating kick. He opened it up and filled it with the hot sauce and did a test spray into the sink. It worked like a charm. There were a few more things Paul needed to do but Carol came up from the basement looking good and smelling even better. She was wearing a pair of Ana’s old jeans, and a t-shirt with a sweatshirt on top. Her hair was still wet but it looked much cleaner than the greasy mess that had been there before. “Thanks.”, she said, “I feel much better after getting clean. And you were right, the water was enough.” “I think I’ll get cleaned up too. I’ll bring some more clothes for myself as well. While I shower, would you mind putting all this stuff into the suitcase and carry on bag. I think we are almost ready to go.”, said Paul as he headed upstairs. Paul went upstairs, got himself three changes of clothes, and a couple of towels, and headed back downstairs. Leaving two sets of clothes and a towel with Carol, he went downstairs to get cleaned up. He filled up the container and brought it into the bathroom. Taking off his glasses and getting naked, he slipped into the shower and poured the water on himself. He scrubbed himself with the soap and his fingers and could feel the layer of dirty and grime turn the soap bubbles grey. After rinsing himself off and towelling himself dry, Paul looked at himself in the mirror while brushing his teeth. Before the day, he had small love handles, a slight paunch, and chubby cheeks. Now his body had become lean, wiry, and muscular and his face had lost it chubbiness, revealing his chiselled cheekbones. His jawline, which used to be hidden by fat, was now sculpted by a rough beard. He looked like he had when he was in his twenties. The thing was, he didn’t care what he looked like. The only thing he cared about was finding out what happened to his daughter.
|
|
|
Post by texican on Mar 9, 2018 1:20:15 GMT -6
And the journey starts.... Search homes out in the sticks for supplies and maybe ammo and firearms? Sorry about the frown, it just appeared.... Texican....
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 9, 2018 12:54:58 GMT -6
Chapter 26,
Paul came upstairs as Carol was busy packing the suitcases. She had put the water bottles at the bottom, the clothes in the middle along with other supplies, and the food at the top.
“Hey.”, he said, “It looks like you’ve got everything packed up. Mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all. Let me know what you think.”
Paul took a detailed look at all the things in the cases.
Was twelve bottles of water enough or too much? He did some quick calculations. One liter of water weighed 2.2 pounds and they had twelve half liter bottles so they had six liters so a little over thirteen pounds of water. Each of them should drink roughly two liters a day so six liters would only last a day and a half. They should be able to find other water sources along the way but he felt that they have at least three days worth of water each so that would require an additional six liters or twelve bottles and that would mean an addition thirteen pounds on their backs while they walked every day. It was going to be rough but they would need to pack more water.
They each had two sets of clothes packed plus whatever they were wearing. Carol had also packed additional socks, bras, and underwear. She had also packed more t-shirts. There were two bath towels and two hand towels packed. Two bars of soap in a plastic container, a bottle of shampoo, a deodorant stick for each of them, and the shower cap of dental items were also packed. Carol’s pack also included her extra pair of hiking boots and a box of pads. Paul realized he hadn’t even thought about feminine hygiene products for Carol.
On top of the personal items, she has placed other supplies. Paul counted sixty large black garbage bags, six rolls of aluminum foil, the BBQ lighter, a jar of Vaseline, a bag of cotton balls, an old cotton shirt, two pairs of scissors. Paul’s pack also included the flat griddle, two plastic mugs, and some plastic cutlery.
“What’s the Vaseline and other stuff for?”, he asked.
“That’s in case we get some cuts we need to treat along the way.”
“Damn. I didn’t think of that either. What else did I miss?”, thought Paul.
On top of everything, Carol had divided the food into both cases.
“You did a great job with the packing. Have you tried your pack?”, he asked.
“Yes. It’s not too bad. I can walk with it.”, came the reply.
“Unfortunately, it will get a little heavier. I don’t think we have enough water. We only have enough for a day and a half.”
“That’s okay. I can handle more. When do you think we should leave?”
“We probably shouldn’t be walking around with packs during the daytime so I was thinking we should start walking just after dusk and walk through the night. That gives us a chance to have a late lunch, grab a quick nap, have some dinner and then start moving.”
“Sounds good to me. It’ll give us a chance to think if we missed anything. I saw that you set some rice and lentils to soak. I guess we can cook it up on the barbeque if we get some dry sticks from the ravine.”
“Okay. I’ll go grab some.”, said Paul.
Paul retrieved an armful of various size dry sticks from the ravine and put them in the barbeque after removing to cooking grates. He tried lighting some of the smaller sticks with the barbeque lighter but soon found that the fire wouldn’t hold long enough for the larger sticks to light. This was a problem that they may encounter in the future as well. Paul had to think. It had been a long time since he had needed to start a fire from scratch. He was used to pushing the lighter button on the propane barbeque or using fire logs that only required the outside paper to be lit. he had an idea and walked back into the house.
“Did you get the fire started?”, asked Carol.
“Not yet, but I will.”, Paul replied.
In the debris from the kitchen he grabbed an old yellow pages phone book and the jar of Vaseline from the suitcase.
Back outside, he ripped out a few pages of the phone book and smeared them with petroleum jelly. He made a cavity in the middle of the sticks and placed the pages there and lit them on fire with the barbeque lighter. The fire was steady and he gently placed the smaller sticks in the path of the flame. When these caught, he placed larger stick on top, leaving room for the air to move around. Soon the fire was steady and strong. Paul added some more sticks on top and put the cooking grills back on the barbeque before closing the lid.
Satisfied with his work, Paul went back inside.
“Fire’s lit. We can cook now.”
“Good. I’ve already put the soaked rice and lentils in a pot, added some salt, spices and oil, and more water.”, said Carol.
As Carol took the pot and a lid outside, Paul noticed that she had already brought more water up from the basement and filled up an additional twelve bottles of water.
“I left the lid open since we won’t know how long it will take to cook and we don’t want it to boil over.”, said Carol as she came back inside.
“Why don’t we wait outside? That way we can make sure the fire doesn’t go out and the food doesn’t boil over.”, said Paul, “And the sun will help dry your hair.”
“Okay, let me grab a kitchen towel for when we need to move the pot to a place to simmer.”
They both went to the railing and looked out over the ravine.
“Carol?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have to go all the way to London. London is a long way away and I don’t know what or who is out there. It’s going to be dangerous and I don’t know if I will make it or not. I don’t even know if I will even be able to find out what happened to Shawna. The first place we find that is safe, you can stay there. I’ll make sure it is with a good group. I’ll make sure it is safe for you. You can start again.”, Paul said softly.
Carol looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes.
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“I don’t get what?”
“You don’t get why I have to go with you to find Shawna. She’s the last one. She’s the last child of this community. You alone didn’t lost Angie. We lost Angie, just like we lost Beth and Mark. We lost Leroy. We lost all the children of our group. Shawna is the last one. Shawna is not just your child, she’s mine too. Remember how she used to babysit Beth and Mark sometimes? She’s my last link to them. I have to find her. I have to.”
Paul pulled her close as she began to cry.
The pot began to boil over.
|
|
|
Post by texican on Mar 10, 2018 20:05:40 GMT -6
Thanks A for the chapter....
Carol and Paul on a long trek will bring the two out and together....
Texican....
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 12, 2018 14:40:02 GMT -6
Chapter 27
After eating lunch, Paul thought it might be best if they rested before dinner and the long night of walking ahead.
He laid down on the couch and before he knew it, he was out like a light. He had forgotten that he hadn’t truly slept since that night in the ravine.
Carol just let him sleep. She knew how tired he was. She relaxed on the loveseat and rested for a while.
She thought about Brad, Beth, and Mark. They had been so happy once. They were just a regular family. During the spring and summer, there was baseball and soccer games to go to, and in the winter, hockey for Mark, and figure skating for Beth. Once a year over the summer, the family would make the trip to Newfoundland by car with a stop along the way at Kingston. Brad’s parents adored and spoiled the kids just like her’s did and the kids loved being spoiled by them. One night, Brad came home late from work. Soon it became once every two weeks, then once a week. He changed, rather than the relaxed, laidback loving husband and father he used to be, Brad became distant and secretive. All of a sudden, he stopped working late and came home on time every night, but he started drinking more. He still remained distant and secretive. One night, after the kids were in bed, Brad came into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Carol as she brushed her hair.
“You’re so beautiful and I am so lucky to have you in my life.”, he said, his eyes getting red.
Carol turned around and looked at him. She saw that he was in pain.
“Tell me.”, was all she said.
Brad told her about the night at the district sales conference where he and his assistant had a little too much to drink. He told her about how it soon became a routine. He told her about how guilty he felt and how he wanted to break it off a few times. He told her how he finally got the courage to do it and just did it. He told her how his assistant had gone to HR and told them that he had coerced her into having sex with him. He told her how he had been fired but in order to avoid any bad publicity for the company, they would continue to pay him for six months regularly. He told her that for the last two weeks he had been going to a park, or the mall, or the library and pretending to go to work.
Carol picked up her pillow and a blanket, and silently walked downstairs and lay down on the sofa. Brad didn’t follow her. That was two days before the day.
Now, it seemed like a distant memory.
Deep down, she knew that he had loved her and their children with all his heart. He had simply made a mistake. She also knew that she had loved him. When he had gone with the group to the food distribution depot, she was terrified that he wouldn’t come back. That night, she told him that she didn’t know what she would do without him. Brad’s response was that she would have to survive.
That is what she did on the night the gang attacked. That is what she did when they took her to the Fortinos where they kept all their captive. That is what she did when she ran away. And that is what she was going to do now. She had to, for Brad, for Beth, for Mark, and for Shawna.
When Paul awoke, the sun was starting to get low and he could tell that they only had a couple of hours of daylight left before dusk.
“Sorry.”, he said to Carol, who was sitting on the loveseat, “I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
“That’s okay. It looked like you needed the rest. Besides, I think that we are pretty well packed and just need to eat the leftovers from lunch before we head out.”, replied Carol.
Paul got up and looked at the packed “backpacks” one more time. Did they pack everything they would need? He tried to remember what was considered essentials in a BOB. He knew they would need water, and a water purification system. Well they had water. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a Lifestraw. They were supposed to have MRE’s but that was out. At least they had the barbeque lighter for starting a fire. They had rudimentary medical supplies. They were supposed to have paracord. Duct tape would have to do. They did have a pocket knife, a swiss army knife knock off. No maps, no compass, no money, no ID, no flashlights. They would have to make do with what they had. But there were a few other things that he wanted to include in their supplies.
Going through the house, he picked up a box of jumbo paperclips, a medium size ball of rubber bands, a set of nail clippers, two rolls of Saran wrap, half the phone book, six empty Coke cans, and a long extension cord and brought them to the kitchen.
“I’m not sure why we need so much aluminium foil, but I could see the need for plastic wrap so maybe we should only keep two rolls of the aluminium foil.”, he said, plopping the supplies down.
“Okay, if you say so.”, said Carol, “But what are the nail clippers for?”
“My nails are getting long.”, replied Paul.
Carol smiled at that. “Yeah, mine too.”
Paul used the duct tape and a couple of pieces of cardboard to fashion sheaths to attach to their belts for the long chef’s knives that Carol had found and it didn’t look too bad.
He then went into the garage and found the two wooden broomsticks with rubberized handles which he had used to sweep the garage and driveway of dust and dirt. He brought them inside and took off the handles and broom parts. Using one of the chef’s knives, he whittled the end of each to a sharp point so the broomsticks resembled rough spears and replaced the handles over them. They would be used as walking sticks as well as defensive weapons.
“Why don’t you plate our dinners while I get a couple of other things? I’ll be right back.”, he said.
Paul left the house through the front door and headed to Carol’s house. He didn’t want her to know where he was going or what he was going to do. Stepping inside, he saw the damage that the gangs had done and felt a little sick inside. He headed to the family room and found what he was looking for in the rubble. It was a picture of Carol, Brad, and the kids all smiling and happy. It looked like it was taken in Newfoundland with the ocean behind them. Taking it out of its broken frame, he carefully folded it and stuffed it in his pocket.
Walking back, Paul could see that it was getting close to dusk so they would need to leave soon. It would be too dark to see in the house, soon enough. He walked back into his house and went to the family room, found a similar picture of his family, and put that in his pocket as well.
By this time, Carol had plated the leftovers and was sitting at the counter. They both quickly finished their meal and drank the last of the water in the large plastic container.
Paul went to the coat closet and got out a three season jacket with a hood similar to his own for Carol as well as a baseball cap for him and a toque for her. The last thing from the closet were a couple of pairs of light gloves for each of them.
“I don’t think we will get too cold while walking, but you never know.”, he said, handing the jacket, toque, and gloves to Carol.
“Yeah, you never know.”, replied Carol as she slipped on the garments. “Are you ready to go?”
Paul hesitated.
“Actually, there is one more thing I have to do before we leave.”, he said, getting a little teary, “I want to say good bye to Angie, if you don’t mind.”
“We will both say good bye.”, was the response from Carol.
The pair walked out the back door of the house and down the deck stairs to Angie’s grave. Paul knelt down on both knees and Carol joined him. They were both quiet and lost in their own thoughts for a long moment.
“I’m sorry, baby girl. I have to leave you. I know you are not here and safe with your mom. I have to go see about your sister. I’m not sure if she’s still alive or with you and your mom. I’m not sure when I will be with you, but I want you to remember how awfully proud I was of you. You, your mom, and your sister were the best part of my life and I will always love you until the day I am with you again. In the meantime, please keep watch for Beth, Mark, and their dad. Let them know I will try to keep their mom safe.”
As Paul caressed the mount of dirt, he could feel Carol’s hand on his back.
“Thank you for that.”, she said softly.
It was starting to get dark as they stood and walked back into the house. Paul helped Carol with her pack and then put on his own. Grabbing the walking sticks, they both headed out the door and down the street.
As they reached the charred remains of his minivan and the MacNeils’ SUV at the end of the road, Paul took one last look at what used to be the safest place he knew, his home.
|
|
poppa
New Member
Posts: 17
|
Post by poppa on Mar 12, 2018 18:59:04 GMT -6
Excellent! The adventure begins :-)
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 13, 2018 12:00:28 GMT -6
Chapter 28
The pair walked all night with a few rest breaks. In the beginning of their trip, they had to walk through some residential streets in order to get to the roads that they would be taken. Paul wanted to stay off the main road as there might be looters and others watching those. Instead, his plan was to take side roads that wound through agricultural land or forested areas.
Since they were walking without any flashlights, their eyes soon became accustomed to the dark, but they remained wary of any noise they heard around them. A few times they had jumped into the gutters at the side of the road when they heard a noise, but it turned out to be nothing.
By the time the first rays of the sun started to peak over the horizon, the travellers had reached the Limehouse conservation area near Acton and Paul decided that would be the right spot to make camp.
Finding a small open spot in woods that was still protected from sight by trees, Paul and Carol set down their packs and rested. They could hear a creek gurgling in the forest so they knew they weren’t far from water.
“That was a lot of walking for the first day. Are you okay?”, asked Paul.
“Yeah, I’m okay. It wasn’t too bad.”, replied Carol.
“Let’s get a fire going so we can have some breakfast.”, said Paul.
“Um Paul?”
“Yeah?”
“I think we forgot to bring something.”
“Really? What?”
“Toilet paper.”
“Damn. I am so sorry. I totally forgot. We’ll find some eventually, but in the meantime, would you have a problem using pages from the phone book?”
“No, that will be fine.”
“I think I also forgot to bring a digging tool to make a latrine hole. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay. We can always use our walking sticks for digging.”
“I’ll dig the latrine while you get some sticks together for the fire.”
Paul found a spot that provided some privacy and started to dig with the sharp end of his walking stick. Luckily, the ground was a little moist and under the topsoil, there was clay and lime so it was easy to dig the hole.
When he came back to the camp, he saw that Carol had brought together a nice pile of dry wood and had opened the packs.
“I’ll get the fire started while you use the facilities. Take your walking stick with you just in case.”, he said.
“Thanks. I will.”, said Carol.
She grabbed the bar of soap, a bottle of water, a hand towel, and a few pages from the phone book and headed off in the direction of the latrine.
Paul cleared an area for the small fire and collected some rocks from the forest to put around it. Using some Vaseline and phone book pages, he was able to start the fire like he had done on the barbeque. Once the fire was strong, Paul placed the flat round griddle on top of the rocks to get warm. While it was warming up, he took out the small pot and filled it with water. He carefully put the pot on the grill and put the lid on it. The water would warm up soon enough.He took out the two plastic glasses and lined them with aluminum foil.
Carol came back and asked if there was anything she could do.
“Yes, could you please gather up a lot of leaves and put them over by that tree. We can use that as filling for our mattress.”
Carol was confused but she went off to do what Paul said.
The water was warm enough and he poured some into the two glasses, added the oatmeal mix to each, mixed them with the plastic spoons and added honey. While they were cooling, he picked some fresh needles from a nearby pine tree and added them to the water in the pot.
Their breakfast that morning was oatmeal and pine needle tea. It wasn’t much but it took the cold out of their bones and provided the sustenance that they needed.
“That actually wasn’t too bad.”, said Carol.
“Yes, and with the aluminum foil, there are no dishes to clean up.”, said Paul.
They both took a toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed their teeth in the woods, sharing a bottle of water to rinse.
Paul could tell that Carol was looking tired and sleepy.
“Would you mind putting all out food into a double wrapped garbage bag while I get a bed ready?”, he asked, “I’ll have to tie it up in a tree so that animals don’t come visiting.”
Carol started packing the food, while Paul took a bunch of garbage bags over to the pile of leaves. He filled up three bags with leaves and laid them down by the tree in a line. He then took the extension cord, attached it to the tree three feet above the ground, and tied the other end to another tree close by. Using the paper clips, he attached more garbage bags to the extension cord, and each other, and made a makeshift pup tent with openings at both ends. He then put the bags filled with leaves inside the tent.
“Wow, that a nice set up you made there. It looks almost comfortable.”, said Carol.
“Thanks. Why don’t you try it out?”, asked Paul.
Carol climbed into the tent and laid down.
“It’s really good, but I could use a pillow.”
Paul went to their packs and got one of the bath towels. He rolled it up and handed it to Carol.
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Okay. You rest for a few hours and I will keep watch. Then we can switch.”
Carol took off her boots and put them at the foot of the tent. Then she took of her jacket and covered herself with it. Paul couldn't tell but assumed that she fell asleep right away.
Paul took the bag of food and headed off into the forest to hang it on a tree. He then realized that he had used their extension cord to make the tent and didn’t have any rope. How was he going to tie the food in the tree without any rope?
He went back to their packs to see what he could use. He didn’t want to use up their duct tape. They would probably need that for other things. The aluminum foil would rip, as would the garbage bags. Could he use the Saran wrap? They had two rolls of 100 feet each. Paul decided that this was what he would use. He unrolled the end of one and placed two rocks on the end to hold it steady. He then rolled out twenty feet of plastic wrap and cut it. By holding onto the end, he started twisting the wrap until it was tight and rope-like. He tied one end of the “rope” to the garbage bag of food and lifted it. It held perfectly.
Climbing up a tree as high as he could go, Paul hung the bag of food off the end of a limb. He then climbed down and secured the plastic wrap to the bottom of the tree.
He stood there and looked at his work.
“Not bad for city slicker.”, he thought to himself.
Back at camp, over the next few hours, he relaxed under a tree listening to the sounds of the forest. He watched the fire and kept a few sticks burning. He wanted to keep it going so that they didn’t have to use any more of their supplies when it came to cooking dinner. Watching the shadows that the trees made, he was able to tell when it was just past mid day. He was starting to get a little sleepy himself.
He didn’t want to wake Carol, but he knew that he needed to rest too. Luckily, it was at that point when Carol came out of the tent.
“Hey.”, she said.
“Hey. How was your sleep?”, Paul asked.
“it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. What time it is?”
“It’s a little past noon, I think.”
“Okay. You should get some sleep too.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that. Thanks.”
“I’ll keep watch and wake you up when it looks like there’s about a couple of hours of daylight left.”
“Thanks.”, said Paul, climbing into the tent, “See you in a few hours.”
Paul took off his boots and jacket and covered himself with it. He laid his head on the pillow and thought “This really isn’t too bad.”
He was soon fast asleep.
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 19, 2018 8:48:48 GMT -6
Chapter 29
Paul woke up a few hours later feeling refreshed. He knew he wasn’t getting the recommended six to eight hours a day but lately he hadn’t been getting the recommended amount of anything per day.
As he came out of the tent, he saw Carol tending to the fire.
“Hey.”
“Hey. I was just about to wake you. It’s starting to get late so we should get dinner and get going.”, she said.
“Yeah. It is getting late. Sorry I slept in. Why don’t I get dinner ready, while you break down the camp.”, he replied.
Paul headed for the tree with the food and untied the saran wrap rope carefully so that it didn’t tear. Slowly, the food bag descended and he caught it as he let go of the rope.
Bringing it back to camp, he saw that Carol was carefully undoing the tent and folding up the garbage bags neatly.
She had already added more sticks to the fire and it was getting stronger.
Paul took out the aluminum foil and ripped off a couple of squares. Reaching into the food bag, he produced the small bag of flour, the shaker of spices, and the salt. Taking two handfuls of flour and putting it into one of the aluminum foil squares, he tried to remember how Ana had used to do it. He added the spices and the salt to the flour and hand mixed it together. He took a little bit of the flour and put it on the other aluminum square. He put the flat griddle on the fire to warm up. Paul grabbed a bottle of water and poured some into the flour mixture. Were they getting low on water? He had to remember to fill up their empty bottles at the creek before they left.
Mixing the water with the flour, he formed the dough into a ball. It felt a little too tight so he added some more water to it. Then it was too sticky so more flour was added. When it felt about right, Paul broke the large dough ball into four smaller balls. Taking the first ball, he gently coated it with flour and started to flatten it between his hands. Soon, it was almost eight inches wide and very flat. Paul placed it on the griddle to cook and got started on the second ball. Watching the griddle carefully, he saw when one side was cooked and flipped over the flour pancake to cook on the other side. Soon all four pancakes were cooked.
Paul didn’t noticed that Carol had been watching him.
“How did you learn to make that?”, she asked.
“I grew up on rotis. It was a staple in a lot of meals. Ana could make them puff up on the gas stove, but I didn’t want to risk trying and losing one. Normally, we would have other things to eat with it like stew or roasted potatoes and carrots. But today, we only have roti.”, he said with a smile.
Paul handed her two rotis on the aluminum foil square. He added a little oil and sprayed them with the bottle of hot sauce to add some flavor.
Carol handed him a bottle of water and he took a draw on it occasionally as he ate.
“We will need to fill our empty bottles at the creek before we leave.”, he mentioned as he sprayed his roti with hot sauce.
Just then, both Paul and Carol heard a low growl coming from the underbrush behind them.
Carol instantly had her walking stick in her hand and ripped off the plastic cover to show the pointy end. Paul looked for his and realized that it was over by the tree where he had put it before he fell asleep. With nothing else around, Paul grabbed the hot griddle by the handle. They both faced in the direction of the growl and began to back away from the fire.
Slowly, four dogs came out of the woods baring their teeth. They all had collars but were skinnier than they should have been. The largest one was a German Shepard, followed by a husky, and two labs. The Shepard was in the lead and headed straight for Paul, growling and snarling. Paul stood his ground and kept the griddle in front of him. The dog leapt at him and Paul hit him on the head with the griddle with a strong backhand. It fell with a yelp but was soon back up.
The two labs joined the larger dog as they tried to circle Paul. He knew that the griddle wouldn’t hold them off forever and his walking stick was too far away. Carol was busy keeping the husky from attacking her. Paul knew they would be dead if he didn’t do something.
He then realized that he was still holding the bottle of hot sauce in his hand.
“Here goes nothing.”, Paul thought to himself.
Quickly, he began to spray it at the three dogs. Surprisingly, they all began to yelp and paw a their faces before running back into the forest.
Paul did the same to the fourth dog harassing Carol and it was soon heading back into the forest to join the pack.
“Oh my God. Oh my God.”, said Carol in a state of panic, shaking.
“It’s okay. They’re gone. They’re gone.”, said Paul, holding her with one arm., “But we need to leave right now. They might come back.”
They quickly packed the suitcases. Paul wrapped the rotis in the aluminum foil and stuffed them in his jacket pocket. he poured water on the fire and put it out as best he could with his boot.
As they were putting their packs on their back, Carol noticed a small dog coming out of the shadows of the forest. It was a beagle mix and it came out with its head and tail low.
Instinctively, Carol pointed her walking stick at it and started to back away.
Paul reached into his pocket and took one of the roti packets out. He ripped one roti in half and tossed it in front of the dog. The beagle, quickly grabbed it off the forest floor and headed back into the darkness.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”, said Paul.
Carol didn’t move.
Taking her arm, Paul led her out of the woods and back on the road.
Soon, they were walking briskly down the road and Paul could see that Carol had started to calm down. She continued to look over her shoulder every once in a while, though.
“Why did you give that last dog our food?”, she asked.
“It was hungry. I had to. If the other dogs had come out like the last one, I would have given them food too.”, he replied.
“But they were trying to kill us.”, Carol said.
“Yeah, but they were poor, hungry creatures. They all had collars so they were probably pets who had been set free because their owners couldn’t take care of them anymore or their owners weren’t around anymore to take care of them. It wasn’t their fault. They were just trying to survive, like us.”, said Paul.
The pair continued to walk down the dark road at a more reasonable pace. They didn’t realize that a small dog was following them at a distance.
|
|
poppa
New Member
Posts: 17
|
Post by poppa on Mar 19, 2018 18:42:42 GMT -6
Such is life. a puppy :-)
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 20, 2018 11:59:33 GMT -6
Hi all,
Things are a little darker in this chapter. I would appreciate it if you could provide your thoughts on it. Thanks muchly.
Chapter 30
Paul and Carol kept walking and continued to keep an eye out for danger all around them. Paul had taken a path that would keep them north of any small towns since he didn’t know what or who they would encounter there. They bypassed Acton by heading north on 4th line and then west on Halton-Erin road. It felt safer having farmland around them.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t north enough as they made their way into Crewsons Corners. Realizing his mistake, Paul motioned for them to turn around so that they could go back to Dublin line and head further north. Suddenly, they were caught in a spotlight.
“Hey you two. Stop where you are!”, came a booming voice behind them.
Paul hesitated. Should they run?
“Don’t move or we’ll shoot.”, said the voice.
“Don’t move.”, whispered Paul to Carol.
“Turn around and walk towards the light slowly.”, said the voice.
“We better do what they say.”said Paul.
Paul and Carol turned around and walked towards the voice and the light. Soon they were close enough to see that there were two men holding guns and a teenage boy holding the spotlight.
“Well what do we have here? A pakkie and a white woman. How about that, eh Steve?”, said one of the men.
“Hey pakkie, where are you going with that woman?”, said the man named Steve.
Paul knew he had to be careful. From the sounds of things, these men were not going to be very friendly towards him.
“Hi. My name is Paul and this is my neighbour Carol. We are just headed west looking for a safe place to stay during all this trouble.”, he said, holding out his hand.
“Did we ask you your name, pakkie? I don’t think so. You just answer our questions and nothing else. Do you hear me?”, said the man who was not Steve.
“Miss, we can certainly offer you a nice safe place with us.”, said non-Steve with a sneer, “If this pakkie is forcing you to stay with him, just say the word and we’ll take care of him for you.”
Steve and the boy both laughed ominously at non-Steve’s little joke.
“No. I am his neighbour and his friend. We are walking together. We are both headed west.”, replied Carol.
“We are just passing through. We don’t mean any trouble.”, said Paul.
Non-Steve made a fist and smashed Paul in the face with it. Paul wasn’t expecting it and fell to the ground. His lip bleeding badly.
“Did I ask you anything, pakkie?”, said non-Steve, standing over Paul, “It was probably one of your camel-driving, Allah loving brothers that did this to us. Now we have to live like this. Now shut the hell up or you’ll get some more. Hell, I might just beat the crap out of you for the fun of it.”
Paul decided that it would be better not to tell non-Steve that he wasn’t Muslim.
“Please, don’t hurt him. We are just passing through. Please.”, begged Carol.
“Miss, I didn’t want to do that, but he just wouldn’t listen.”, said non-Steve.
“We control Crewsons Corners. This land has been in our family for generations. We’re just trying to keep it safe. We don’t know you and we surely don’t know him.”, said Steve.
“Now, let’s take a look at your packs. Open them up and empty them out.”, he continued, “But first take off those knives slowly.”
Paul and Carol took the knives off their belts and dropped them to the ground. They then lowered the packs off their backs and opened them up. Non-Steve emptied the packs on the road. The boy put the spotlight on the items so everyone could see clearly.
“What the hell is this, pakkie? Old cans, empty water bottles, garbage bags, an old phone book. Why do you have all these things?”, asked non-Steve.
Rather than explain, Paul decide to be succinct.
“I like to collect stuff.”, he said.
“Well, you’re collecting a bunch of crap.”, said non-Steve to a chorus of laughs from Steve and the boy.
“If you’re going to pass through our area, you have to pay a toll. Since you don’t have anything useful, the toll will be all your food and water.”, said Steve.
“But, you can’t take all our food. How will we get by?”, asked Carol.
“Sorry, miss, but rules are rules. You two are in our area. You have to pay the toll if you want to leave and the toll is all your food and water.”, said Steve.
Paul looked at Carol and nodded. There was nothing they could do. He began to put the rest of their items back into their packs.
“Just a minute, pakkie.”, said non-Steve, with a sneer, “Hey Steve, how are we going to carry this food. It’s not like we have packs.”
“Yep, you’re right. I think you folks should leave your packs with us.”, said Steve to Paul and Carol, waving his rifle.
“How are we supposed to carry the rest of our stuff?”, asked Carol.
“I see you have a bunch of garbage bags. You can put your stuff in there, like the hobos used to do.”, said non-Steve.
Paul filled up two garbage bags with all their belongings.
“Can we at least have some water?”, asked Carol.
“I tell you what, we’ll be kind and make a trade. We’ll give you two bottles of water for the pakkie’s boots.”
“No. Come on, Paul. We’ve paid their toll. Let’s get out of here.”, said Carol.
“Miss, I don’t think you understand. That was not a negotiation.”, said non-Steve, pointing his gun at Paul.
Paul took off his boots and left them on the road.
Steve handed Carol the two bottles of water.
“Let me give you some free advice. I suggest you head north on Eramosa-Erin Townline Road then go down Highway 124 if you are heading west. The folks in Rockwood aren’t as hospitable as we are, especially to foreigners.”, said Steve.
“Come on, Paul. I think we’ve had enough of these people’s hospitality.”, said Carol, fuming.
Carol and Paul slowly started walking up Eramosa-Erin Townline Road and away from the trio at Crewsons Corners.
“Y’all be safe now.”, they heard non-Steve yell after them.
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 20, 2018 12:39:31 GMT -6
Yes, accountant it is a darker episode, but it is unfortunately all too realistic. Far to many people are restrained to 'decent' behavior by the rules and laws of the society that surrounds them. When that society is disrupted 'the handcuffs are removed'. How many times have we seen on the news reports and even videos of people looting stores for non-essential goods or burning some random car in their frenzied state of mind the moment there is a hint of things not being normal. There are even instances where a mob of sports fans in a 'civilized country' have devolved to this state merely celebrating the victory of a team they admire. There are of course decent and moral people in our societies, but too many are constrained more by the risk of getting caught or having their "..." handed to them than by their moral fortitude.
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on Mar 20, 2018 15:07:53 GMT -6
Dark? Yes.
Unexpected? No.
Unfortunately, their (almost) dog isn't big enough or loyal enough to have made a difference. The hand holding a firearm becomes very weak when in the jaws of a dog.
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 21, 2018 14:56:20 GMT -6
PB, I appreciate your comments. Unfortunately, in my mind, what happened in this chapter was actually quite tame compared to what I believe would truly happen in a grid-down, EMP situation. Paul would be tortured and killed and Carol would, well, I think you know what would happen to Carol. People will always try to find someone to blame for their misfortune, and punish them even if the ones being punished are innocent. In most cases, polite society will crumble and people will revert back to the basest element of survival. The element that has been drilled into each of us from childhood through sports, education, politics, religion, television shows, and even quiz shows - it's us against "them". "They" are always wrong and we are always right. Once the rule book is thrown out the window, all bets are off. I just hope that doesn't happen any time soon. Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating communism or socialism at all. Hell, I'm one of the most conservative, right-leaning people I know. I believe in free speech, individual rights, and working hard for a living. I believe that the government's responsibility should be upholding the constitution, keeping all citizens safe, filling potholes, and not much else. PP2, a dog might bite one hand holding a firearm, but if there is another, even man's best friend isn't bulletproof. This chapter may seem dark and disturbing, but the story isn't over yet. Stay tuned. By the way, I hope you don't mind that I kept Paul's skin tone a secret until now. I wanted to ensure that the readers of the story were fully engross before I made the big reveal. TEOTWAWKI won't just affect white people.
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 22, 2018 10:32:21 GMT -6
Hi all, I've added some survival hacks in this chapter. Please let me know if you think they would work, especially the makeshift "shoes". Thanks for all your support. Chapter 31 As Paul was walking, he could feel every pebble and crack on the road. He knew that sooner or later, his feet would become sore and he wouldn’t be able to move. Once they were out of range of Crewsons Corners, Paul told Carol he had to stop. “I’m sorry. I need to do something about my feet.”, he said as he sat down and opened his garbage bag of belongings. “Oh Paul. That was terrible. Those men were wicked, evil people. How could they do that to us? We weren’t doing anything to them.”, said Carol. “I know. They were taking advantage of the situation we were in. Unfortunately, we may see a lot more of that. I’m sorry, I should have been more careful.”, said Paul, as he pulled out a couple of garbage bags, the ball of rubber bands and the box of pads. “It just wasn’t right the way they treated you... What are you doing?”, Carol asked. “I’m going to make myself a pair of makeshift moccasins. I’ll have to use some of your pads, I’m afraid. I need some protection for my feet.”, he said. Paul put one garbage bag over each foot and wrapped them around his feet and calves. He then secured them to his calves with two rubber bands each. He then took two feminine pads and stuck the adhesive side to the bottom of each garbage bag. Getting up, he tested them out. It wouldn’t provide a lot of protection and definitely no support, but at least it was better than nothing. “Okay, I think I’m good to go now.”, he said, trying to sound confident, as he put their belongings back on his back. “Paul, what are we going to do without food or water?”, asked Carol as they began to walk again. “We’ll figure it out somehow. We still have our empty water bottles. We’ll find some stream or creek to fill them up in. And as for food, I’m sure we will be able to find something along the way. At least we still have the hot sauce in my pocket.”, Paul said, reassuringly. They walked slowly down the road that night without any further interactions with anyone else. They moved north on Emarosa-Erin Townline Road and then west on Highway 124. Paul knew that they would be headed into Guelph if they continued on the highway so instead he took them north on regional road 29 to go around Guelph. By the time the sun started to peak over the horizon, Carol saw that he was exhausted and decided that they needed to rest. They found a small patch of trees by the side of the road close to a stream and laid down their belongings. “Are you okay?”, she asked Paul. “I’ll be okay. I just need to rest.”, said Paul. “I’ll set up the tent here while you rest.”, she said. Paul sat down and looked at his “shoes”. They had held up pretty well on the road and had not been shredded too badly. The pads did not swell up too much from the moisture in the night air, but he knew that he would have to protect them from any moisture from the creek and the dew on the grass. Putting another garbage bag over them would only make it too slippery to walk. Saran wrap would also not work. Paul pulled out the roll of duct tape and started wrapping the pads and garbage bag loosely with it. It wouldn’t be completely waterproof, but it would be better than any other alternative. Now that he had taken care of his feet, he needed to think about food and water. Luckily, they still have a half bottle of water left after their walk. Taking three empty water bottles, he walked down to the creek and filled them up from the bank. Not knowing the cleanliness of the water, he knew that they would need to boil the water first before drinking it. Coming back to the camp, he could see that Carol had made quite a bit of headway getting the tent up. He decided that he would get a fire going to boil the water. Paul got some sticks and dry leaves together and made a circle for the fire with rocks. He then rummaged through their belongings for the barbeque lighter. He couldn’t find it in his bag. He looked in the bag that Carol had and couldn’t find it there either. “Hey Carol. Do you know where the lighter is? I can’t find it.”, he said. Carol thought for a moment and suddenly her face fell. “Yesterday, I put it in the outside pocket of the suitcase so that we could find it easier.”, she replied. “it’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”, said Paul. He tried to remember all the different ways to start a fire from what he had read. He didn’t have a flint or steel so that was out. He knew that rubbing two sticks together would take forever and wreck his hands. He didn’t remember how to make a bow drill to make a fire. They didn’t have a magnifying glass. He could take off his glasses and use those like a magnifying glass but then he wouldn’t be able to see if he had positioned the beam properly. Then he remembered watching a video on starting a fire with a clear plastic bottle full of water. It was worth a try. Paul took some pages from the phone book and creased them in half. He then separated them and took the one with the ad with biggest black lettering on it to use. He went out into a clearing and held the water bottle upside down so that the curved part focused the sun’s beams to a fine point on the black lettering on the paper. Soon he could see a wisp of smoke curling up from the paper. Once the paper had a quarter size hole in it, he lightly added another sheet of paper on top of it, leaving enough room for air to get between the pages. More smoke came out of the first paper, and the second paper started to smoulder as well. Paul continued to added paper and more and more smoke came out. He gently waved they patch of paper around and suddenly the bundle was on fire. He took the fire and set it among the dry leaves and small twigs, which quickly caught the flames. Paul smiled. He had made fire. He added more sticks to the fire to get it going and put the flat griddle on top of the rocks. He then put the pot on the griddle and filled it up with the water from the creek. It time it would come to a rolling boil. “Wow”, said Carol, “How did you learn to do that?” “Same as just about everything else. From the internet.”, said Paul, smiling. “Okay, smart guy. What about food?”, said Carol with a smile on her face. ‘Well for one thing, I noticed that there are a lot of dandelions around and I know those are edible. I think we can have a dandelion salad to start. I also saw a bunch of cattail shoots growing over in the ditch beside the road. I remember those are edible too. But, we probably need to wash the dandelions and the shoots before we eat them. I don’t want us to get sick.”, explained Paul. “I’ll start gathering up the dandelions while you go get the cattail shoots. Just be careful being that close to the road.”, said Carol. Paul went back to the ditch by the road and broke off an armload of the fresh cattail shoots and brought them back to the camp. By that time the water in the pot was boiling and he took if off the griddle to let the water cool. Rummaging around their belongings, he tried to find the pocketknife and couldn’t. It was probably left in the suitcase. “Oh, well.”, thought Paul with a sigh. He took one of the empty Coke cans and started folding back and forth until the aluminum broke in half. Using the top half, he used the edge as a cutting blade to cut the tops off the shoots and slice off the top layer of the shoot tubes. Once he was done, he had more than enough for breakfast and dinner for the two of them. He then poured the now cooler water into three empty Coke cans. Paul took the shoots into the empty pot and washed them with some water. While they were sitting in the water, he took out a large square of aluminum foil. He put the shoots in the aluminum foil, added a little water to it and sealed it up. Using a stick, he poked a few holes in the top of the foil packet and put it on the griddle to steam. Carol came back to camp with a handful of dandelions. She gently rinsed them with water while Paul cut out two squares of aluminum foil. Carol put half the handful on each plate and Paul sprayed the plates with hot sauce. “You’re amazing, Paul.”, she said, munching on her salad, “You were able to figure out shelter, fire, water, and food. I don’t know how you did this.” “I don’t know either. It just came to me.”, he replied as he handed her a Coke can of water. “We’re going to make it, aren’t we?”, asked Carol, with a hopeful look in her eye. Paul didn’t have the heart to tell her that they were still had a long way to go and there could be more dangers along the way. “We made it so far.”, was all he said. Carol saw that there was steam rising from the packet of shoots and removed it from the griddle. She gingerly opened it and put some of the shoots on each of their aluminum foil plates. Paul sprayed each plate with more hot sauce. They relaxed and ate slowly. As they were eating, a small beagle mix came into the clearing with its head up and tail wagging. Paul saw the canine and smiled. “Come here, boy. Come here.”, he said, holding out one of the shoots from his plate. The dog came up to Paul, took the shoot from his hand, and sat down to eat it. Paul looked at the tag on the collar and saw that the dog’s name was Rex. He rubbed the dog’s head and said “You’re a good boy, aren’t you Rex?” Hearing his name, Rex lifted his head and wagged his tail vigorously. “It looks like you made a new friend.”, said Carol smiling. Paul just smiled and handed Rex another shoot.
|
|
|
Post by texican on Mar 22, 2018 19:53:40 GMT -6
Hi all, As they were eating, a small beagle mix came into the clearing with its head up and tail wagging. Paul saw the canine and smiled. “Come here, boy. Come here.”, he said, holding out one of the shoots from his plate. The dog came up to Paul, took the shoot from his hand, and sat down to eat it. Paul looked at the tag on the collar and saw that the dog’s name was Rex. He rubbed the dog’s head and said “You’re a good boy, aren’t you Rex?” Hearing his name, Rex lifted his head and wagged his tail vigorously. “It looks like you made a new friend.”, said Carol smiling. Paul just smiled and handed Rex another shoot. Accountant, Rex is God sent.... Rex can sense more sooner than the two legged ones can and warn his new family of danger.... To bad this didn't happen sooner.... Thanks A for the long chapter.... Texican....
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 23, 2018 11:21:16 GMT -6
Thanks for the support Tex. I appreciate it.
Here's a quick one. Spoiler alert - Carol manages to make a small chip in Paul's wall.
Chapter 32
Paul woke up as the first few drops of rain hit the plastic garbage bag tent.
He had noticed the clouds forming after breakfast and hoped that the rain would pass them by. There was nothing they could do about the weather. It was decided that Carol would keep first watch while he slept.
Getting up, Paul put on his jacket and slipped on his garbage bag shoes. Peaking out of the tent, he saw that it had gotten darker from the clouds and colder. Carol was putting their meagre belongings into the garbage bags. Rex was at Carol’s side.
“I see that the weather has turned. We need to cover the fire so it won’t go out. How long was I asleep?”, he asked as he took out the roll of aluminum foil.
“Not long. Maybe a couple of hours at most. I hope it’s not a big storm.”, Said Carol.
“Me too. Can you put some more rocks on the bottom of the tent? Hopefully, that will keep it secure. After covering the fire, I’m going to wrap up the dry sticks so that they don’t get too wet. If the rain does stop before supper, I want to make sure we have dry wood and hopefully the embers in the fire will keep.”
Paul threw a few more stick on the fire and made sure they caught before he covered it in a dome of aluminum foil. He put rocks on the edges to hold the foil in place. Once he was confident that he had done all he could for the fire, he wrapped the dry stick pile in aluminum foil as well to keep it dry.
Carol had placed rocks on the edge of the tent and had moved the flat griddle and pot to an open area of the field.
“What are you doing?”, asked Paul.
“I’m trying to catch as much rainwater as I can. It’s probably cleaner than creek water.”, she replied.
Paul hadn’t even thought about rainwater up to that point. Carol was pretty smart, he thought to himself.
Grabbing his walking stick and a garbage bag, Paul began to dig a hole in the open area of the field. Once it was big enough, he lined the hole with the garbage bag and put rocks around the outside of the bag to hold it in place. This would be another good way to collect rainwater.
The rain was starting to come down harder now and it was getting colder.
“Why don’t you get into the tent and try to get some sleep?”, he said to Carol, “I’ll keep watch.”
Carol climbed into the tent and Paul sat down under a tree with Rex sitting beside him. The raindrops coming off the tree were big, wet, and cold so Paul flipped up the hood of his jacket. “Paul, you’re going to catch cold out there. Come into the tent.”, came Carol’s voice from the tent.
“I’m fine. Besides, there’s not that much room in there.”, he replied, uncomfortably.
“Stop being an idiot and get in there. I’m sure Rex will let us know if something happens. I can’t afford to let you get sick.”, the anger starting to grow in Carol’s voice.
Knowing that she had made a valid point, Paul knew that he needed to acquiesce.
“Okay. Just let me put a few more sticks on the fire before I come in.”
Paul went to the fire, uncovered a part of the foil dome and put in some larger sticks on it before resealing the dome.
Feeling apprehensive, he crawled into the tent. He found that It was surprisingly dry, mainly due to the fact that Carol had added a few more garbage bags to the head of the tent, closer to the tree to keep the rain from coming in. It was also quite tight. There was not a lot of room for two people. Paul decided to sit in the area in the space where Carol’s legs were.
“Oh my God, Paul. Why are you being such a prud? We need to be practical and conserve our body heat. Take your jacket off, get over here, and lie down behind me. I won’t bite, for goodness sake.”, she scolded.
Paul knew she was right. The rain was going to make them cold and they needed to keep their temperature up. Sheepishly, he took off his jacket and laid down behind her, spooning her. He covered them both with his jacket and lay there quietly.
“Honestly, some men.”, muttered Carol as she grabbed Paul’s arm and wrapped it around herself, while nestling her body into his.
Paul laid there and his anxiety level shot through the roof. The only woman he had held like this in a long time had been Ana. She had always told him that the safest place in the world for her was in his arms. He had loved holding her and giving her that feeling. Now, he was holding another woman and this definitely wasn’t the safest place in the world. He felt the pangs of guilt as he was holding her. She was warm and soft and it felt good to be here with her, even if her hair did smell like smoke and rain. He thought back to the way she had tried to defend him against the thugs at Crewsons Corners. It felt strange thinking that perhaps he may not have to carry the weight of the world on his own.
Rex walked into the tent and laid down at their feet, looking out at the rain.
“Paul?”, said Carol as she took his hand between her own. “It’s okay. I understand.”
“Thanks.”, he responded, softly.
For the longest time, he just lay there with his eyes closed, holding her as she slept.
|
|
|
Post by texican on Mar 23, 2018 18:27:50 GMT -6
At lest Rex was smart enough to come in out of the rain without being told....
Now Paul has a lot of adjusting to do with the SHTF time....
Carol is several steps ahead of Paul....
Thanks A....
Texican....
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 26, 2018 9:14:34 GMT -6
Chapter 33
Paul woke up when Rex got up and wandered out of the tent. He didn’t realize that he had fallen asleep.
Carol was still asleep and holding his hand when he tried to slowly get up.
“Hey”, she said softly as Paul tried to sneak out of the tent.
“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That’s okay. What time is it?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s probably late in the afternoon. The rain stopped at least.”, said Paul as he look out of the tent.
“Did you get some rest?”, she asked.
“Yeah. I must have slept for a while too. I’m feeling pretty refreshed.”, he responded.
“Good. Thanks for letting me sleep.”, said Carol with a yawn, as she sat up to stretch, “I guess we should see how the fire is doing and how much water we collected.”
Paul put on his jacket, slipped on his plastic shoes, and stepped out of the tent. The grass was slick from the rain and he almost fell with the first step he took.
“Woah”, he thought to himself, “Guess I need to be careful. The duct tape is slippery on wet grass.”
“Are you okay?”, asked Carol.
“Yeah. It’s just a little slippery for me.”, he said as he gripped his walking stick for support.
“I’ll go check the fire. Why don’t you slip on another pair of socks over the shoes? At least you’ll get a little bit more traction that way.”, she said as she handed him the bag of belongings.
“She’s pretty, and smart.”, thought Paul to himself.
He found a pair of work socks in their bag and put those on over the shoes. It worked like a charm. Sure, they would get muddy and get some stains on them, but at least he wouldn’t fall, plus they added a little more cushion for his feet.
“How’s the fire?”, he asked as he stood up.
“There’s still some embers. I’m going to see if I can get the fire going with a few of the smaller twigs and some leaves.”, said Carol.
“K, I’ll see how we did on the water collection.”, said Paul as he grabbed a handful of empty water bottles and cans.
At the open area, he saw Rex lapping up water off of the flat griddle. Paul decided to let him finish his drink. He saw that the small pot was full and the garbage bag in the hole had collected a sizable amount of water as well.
He filled up six plastic bottles and two cans with the rainwater and still had some left in the garbage bag. Bringing it all back to where Carol had the fire going, he formed some aluminum foil into a bowl and poured some water into it for Rex.
Paul went back up to the clearing, poured the rest of the water into the pot and brought all their stuff back to the camp, along with Rex.
“You did a great job with the fire.”,he said to Carol, “and also, the rainwater collection was a great idea. You’re getting to be a regular Daniella Boone.”
“Shut up, you idiot”, Carol beamed and blushed slightly.
Paul put the flat griddle on the fire to warm up.
“Let’s have some of that dandelion salad from this morning while the shoots get warm. Then I’ll make us some pine needle tea for after dinner.”, he said.
Carol got up and walked to where they had wrapped up the remainder of the shoots and dandelions from breakfast. Paul couldn’t help but watch her as she walked away.
After dinner, the pair went to the bathroom, brushed their teeth, and broke camp, making sure to shake off as much water as possible from the garbage bag tent. Paul cut up some more cattail shoots and Carol collected more dandelions for the trip and packed them away.
Soon they were on their way, Paul’s wet socks squishing slightly as he walked.
They walked through the night, down Highway 124, up Jones Baseline, and down Mill Road. Just before Weston Road, Rex became alert and let out a low growl.
“Rex, quiet.”, whispered Paul as they stopped, “I think there’s something up ahead. Let’s turn around.”
“Don’t move!”, came a man’s voice from the distance.
“Aw hell. Not again.”, thought Paul to himself.
Rex started barking and stood next to Carol as five armed men came out of the darkness of the road ditch.
“Quiet that dog or we’ll quiet him for you.”, said one of the men.
“Rex, quiet!”, said Paul.
Rex stopped barking, but didn’t leave Carol’s side.
“Who are you and what do you want?”, asked the first man.
“We’re just a couple of travellers passing through.”, said Paul.
“Both of you, drop your packs, down on your knees, and hands behind your heads.”, said one of the men.
Paul nodded to Carol and they both went down to their knees and put their hands behind their heads.
“Randy, you better go get Leader 1. He’ll want to see this.”, he said to one of the other men.
Randy ran off into the distance.
Paul and Carol were quickly frisked for weapons and their hands tied behind their backs with rope.
“Take her inside the gate. I’ll deal with this guy here.”, said the man who had sent Randy away.
Paul then realized that they were fairly close to a well camouflaged gate leading into a farm setting. The original farm gate had been covered with wild vegetation similar to that around it so unless someone looked closely, they wouldn’t be able to tell that this was an entrance to a farm. One of the men led Carol and Rex inside the gate and quickly closed it.
“Okay fella, now it’s just you and me. How many in your group?”, he asked Paul.
After his last experience with locals, Paul knew that he had to be careful.
“Please, we are just trying to go west to London. My daughter was in Western when it happened and we are trying to find her. It’s just the two of us, I swear.”, he said calmly, hoping that he could get through to the man.
The man hit Paul across the face with the butt of the rifle he was carrying. Paul’s lip split again and the blood began to gush out.
“London is more than one hundred klicks from here. You mean to tell me that the two of you are trying to get there on their own without any weapons? You’re either crazy or lying. One guy trying to make it on his own would be crazy. Two people going together, well, I know you’re lying. I’m going to ask you again. How many in your group?”, asked the man, more forcibly.
Paul hesitated for a moment before responding. He knew that he would be hit again.
“I’m being honest. There is no group. You have to believe me.”, he said as calmly as he could.
“Wrong answer, bucko.”, said the man as he kicked Paul in the stomach as hard as he could.
Paul went down on the pavement, gasping for air. He couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t move.
“Now, we’ll try this again.”, said the man as he placed his foot on Paul’s head and pressed down firmly, “Either you will tell me the truth now or I’ll start to work on the woman.”
Paul’s head was in pain as the man ground his foot harder onto Paul’s head. He could feel the grit and pebbles of the road grinding into his scalp.
“Please. Try to understand. Check our packs. If we were part of a larger group, there would be something in there to signal the others. We are not part of a group. It’s just us. I swear.”, he said, trying to make the man understand.
“You’re lying!”, screamed the man as he kicked Paul across the face.
Paul saw stars flash across his eyes as the pain from the kick made itself known.
In a way, it felt good to him. Perhaps this was it. Perhaps this was how it would end. Maybe this would be where he would get his final release. He just waited for the next shot of pain.
“Tell me!”, screamed the man, as he kicked again, this time leaving his boot on Paul’s throat.
Paul felt the kick and the tightness on his throat. He knew that his face and head was completely bloodied and that he couldn’t respond even if the boot hadn’t been on his throat. He couldn’t breathe but was able to make a crooked smile with his lips before he began to lose consciousness. He heard Carol screaming and Rex barking somewhere in the distance. He felt a sense of calm and peacefulness as he started to drift away. He had tried. He had done whatever he could to try to find Shawna. He had failed, but he had tried. Maybe it was better this way.
The last thing he remembered was hearing a voice saying “Jesus! Paul, is that you?”.
|
|
|
Post by solo on Mar 26, 2018 10:42:59 GMT -6
Wow! Great couple of chapters!!!!
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on Mar 26, 2018 11:44:43 GMT -6
Guy doing the interrogation is more stupid than useful. Maybe reduce his testosterone levels? Medication not needed, just a sharp knife. Else put him on a leash and call him "Rottie".
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 26, 2018 12:02:26 GMT -6
Papa, I'm sorry, but I must respectfully disagree. A Rottie has more intelligence than that.
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on Mar 26, 2018 12:31:44 GMT -6
I must disagree. Based on a couple of animals that a former neighbor had, not all Rotties are smarter than this guy.
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 27, 2018 8:06:22 GMT -6
Papaof2, You're right.
The guy asking the questions doesn't know what he is doing. Unfortunately, in a grid down situation and with human resources stretched thin, you have to use the people you have.Everybody gets a shift. Everyone is flyin' by the seat o' their pants and just trying to get by. It may not always be the best solution but at least it's a solution.
Also, that damn dog has got to learn to alert sooner. Poor Paul can't take too many more of these beatings. It'll get boring right quick.
Solo, I appreciate the comment. I consider it a high honour coming from the guy who wrote Diver Down. I just started reading it the other day and all I can say is WOW. It is an absolute adrenaline rush. Thank you.
Mr. Brown0, thank you for being an active participant in the conversation. I really do appreciate it. I never know if lurkers are enjoying the story or not if they don't either like or leave a comment.
(Psst..if you like a chapter, please click the thumbs up button or leave a comment.) Don't worry, I'm guilty of not doing that too, but I will work on it.
It's coming up to quarter end here so I'll be busy with real life crises for a bit and my muse has decided to take a break for a while as well. Not to worry though, I'm sure we'll get back to Paul, Carol, and that idiot dog soon enough.
I may come on here and read some stuff from time to time so keep those chapters coming.
Cheers, A
|
|
|
Post by accountant on Mar 27, 2018 10:46:28 GMT -6
Okay, maybe just one more.
Chapter 34
The blackness started to dissipate as Paul came back to consciousness. The first thing he noticed was the smell of smoky hair. The next was a sleeping warm body lying next to him. He could feel the soft fabric of the sheets around him and the pillow under his head. Where was he? What was this place?
He opened his eyes and, although it was fuzzy, he could tell that he was lying in a bed in the bedroom of a house. There was a side table beside him with a pitcher of water with some glasses, and his eyeglasses. A dresser stood on the far wall with a wooden chair beside it. Carol was sleeping next to him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder.
Looking out the only window in the room, he could tell that it was around mid-day. He sensed that he was on some kind of farm as he could now hear the sounds of activity going on outside and the mooing of cows.
Slowly, so not to wake Carol, Paul tried to get up but the pain in his head was too much so he laid back down. He felt something on his face and using his free hand, he reached up to touch it. Feeling around, he knew that there were bandages over much of his face and head. It was then that Carol woke up.
“Hey”, he said, softly.
Carol looked at him and tears started to form in her eyes. Instantly, the tears became a full stream. She put her head on Paul’s chest, held him tightly, and began to cry, sorrowfully.
“Hey…shh..why are you crying? Shh. It’s okay.”, said Paul, trying to comfort her.
“I..I..I thought I lost you.”, said Carol, through her tears.
“Naw, you can’t get rid of an accountant that easily.”, he replied.
Carol sat up, wiped the tears from her face, and smiled.
“I’ll go get the doctor.”, she said softly and stood up from the bed.
“Can I get a drink of water before you go? I’m parched.”
Carol poured a small amount of water from the pitcher into a glass and carefully brought it to Paul’s lips to let him drink. Once he had enough, she put the glass back on the side table.
“I’ll be right back.”, she said at the doorway to the room. She took one last look back at him and smiled before heading out of the room.
“He’s awake!”, he heard her exclaim, excitedly, as she quickly made her way down the hall.
Paul tried reaching for his glasses and with a strain, he was able to just grab them. It was then that he noticed that he was naked under the sheets. Where was he and where were his clothes? He tried to put his glasses on, but couldn’t. There was a bandage wrapped around his head and covering one of his ears.
It was then that Carol came back into the room with a man. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties with curly brown hair. He was about six feet tall and rugged with piercing blue eyes.
“Hi Paul. I’m Chad. How are you feeling today?”, he asked as he took a penlight out of his pocket.
“I’m not sure. I can’t seem to lift my head without extreme pain.”, said Paul as Chad shown the light into his eyes.
“Well, you did take quite a beating out there. It looks like you suffered a concussion and some contusions, so staying in bed for a few days will help with the healing process. I’ll give Carol some pills to give you for the pain but only get up to go to the bathroom. We’ll check your bandages every so often to make sure you’re healing okay but you’ll be fine before you know it.”, said Chad.
“Thanks Chad. I appreciate your help. I just have a few questions of my own.”, said Paul.
“I assumed you would. Shoot.”, said Chad.
“Where are we?”, asked Paul.
“This is the Dixon farm, just north of Guelph.”, said Chad.
Dixon? Where did he know that name? He knew the name Dixon, but from where?
“How long was I out?”, he asked, leaving the thought on the Dixon name for his memory to sort out later.
“You’ve been unconscious for the last day and a half.”, said Chad.
“And why am I naked?”, asked Paul as he blushed in front of Carol. She just let out a small giggle.
“Since you were out, I want to do as much of a checkup on you as possible. Unfortunately, Bobby did quite a number on you. Thankfully, it’s just bruising and nothing is broken. Don’t worry, we’ll get you some clothes to wear soon enough. In the meantime, there are slippers under the bed and a set of pyjamas in the dresser that would fit you. There is a travel toilet right next door so you won’t need to go far.”, said Chad with a reassuring smile.
“Thanks.”, said Paul and then had another quick thought, “Where’s that damn dog?”
Chad laughed. “This is a working dairy farm. There are so many sights and smells. Rex is in doggy heaven out there, right now.”
“Why are you doing all this for me?”, asked Paul.
“You really don’t know, do you?”, said Chad with a surprised look on his face, “I tell you what, you just rest here and I’ll go get someone who can help you understand better. Don’t worry. This is a safe place.”
Chad left the room and Carol pulled up a chair next to the bed. She sat there, holding Paul’s hand, and looked into his eyes, smiling.
“You saw me naked.”, Paul said, pretending to blush.
“Hush, you idiot.”, said Carol with a girlish giggle.
Paul closed his eyes but his analytical mind wouldn’t rest.
“We’ve been here for the last day and a half. What’s the farm like?”, he asked.
“Um, I don’t know.”, said Carol softly, lowering her eyes, “I’ve been here with you the whole time.”
Paul just let that statement sink in.
Soon, there was a knock on the door.
“Can we come in?”, said a voice that Paul had heard before. Where had he heard it? He wracked his brain trying to remember.
Opening his eyes, the tears started to form when he saw the two faces. It was Sam and Pam.
“Sam? Pam? Is that really you?”, he said, choking down the welt forming in his throat.
“Hey buddy.”, said Sam, taking Paul’s hand from Carol, “Yes, it’s us. You’re safe now. This is my parents’ farm. We made it here because of you. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
Pam sat down on the other side of the bed and took Paul’s other hand, “We can’t thank you enough for what you did for us. If you hadn’t helped us, we may not have made it here when we did. Now, we are going to take care of you, so just rest and get better. Carol already told us everything that happened so you don’t need to re-live it. Just know that this is a safe place for you and always will be. You’re a good man, Paul, and the world needs more people like you.”
The flood of emotion was too much for Paul and he began to cry.
All the stress, all the pressure, all the worry broke through the dam in his heart and it all came out at once. Was he really safe, finally? After all this time, a safe place? Did he no longer have to be terrified by every little sound in the night? Could he actually have a peaceful night sleep for once? Could he allow his weary heart and his stressed out brain to finally rest? Was it too much to hope for?
|
|
|
Post by texican on Mar 27, 2018 12:02:59 GMT -6
|
|