All at once, it was darker; it felt colder. Kat looked around but saw no one.
“Mommy, I’m scared,” little Tabby said.
“I know, honey. It’s okay, we’re fine,” Katherine reassured her daughter though she wasn’t convinced herself. White lies.
“I’m hungry, Mommy.”
“I know, honey. We’ll find something soon. Just keep walking.” Tabitha wasn’t impressed by the answer and hung her head in a dutiful pout.
The sickening crunch of a stick broken underfoot and Kat whipped around to see the man who was about to grasp her. Jonathan and Tabitha screamed before being captured themselves.
Terry awoke with a start and wiped sweat from his brow and drool from his lips.
“Shit….”
He struggled to get back to sleep, and when he did, he dreamed of crows feeding on the remains of his family.
----
Terry woke up with the sun in the east shining brightly. Dark spots blotted the surface of the sun like acne, or scars left over from the big light show. Otherwise, it looked normal, and he figured that part of it was over…hopefully. Actually, he was just glad to see it rise again. With recent events, everything he had grown to count on in his thirty-one years had become doubtful.
Terry rolled to his side and sat up in his sleeping bag rubbing his eyes. What he wouldn’t do for a cup of coffee. He tried the snoose method again, and as before, it did very little for him other than wedge grounds between his teeth. He went to the pond and surveyed its murk. It didn’t look real great…didn’t smell real great either, but he dipped the hose of his ill-gotten water filter in the pond and began pumping his water bottles full again. It seemed to come out clear, so hopefully it worked as advertised on the box. Filters 99.9% of pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites! He wasn’t exactly certain what that meant, but it did sound pretty good, and the water didn’t taste half bad. This filter would be essential in staying alive. That, and avoiding the bad guys.
He scooped SPAM from the can with his fingers and found it to be mostly disgusting, but his grumbling stomach was thankful nonetheless. There’s still protein in snouts and assholes, right? With that thought, he ate another donut and took a tall swig of water.
Terry hoped to make Salem by nightfall, though it was probably over ambitious at forty-five miles away; plus, he needed to find more food along the way.
“Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er,” he said, hoisting his pack up and onto his back. His shoulders cried out in protest, still aching from yesterday.
“Jesus, I need a fucking rickshaw,” Terry said, and he started walking again.
The walk was mostly without incident until he came upon a coyote eating a fellow traveler on the road. It was an older man, probably in his sixties, and the coyote had torn his middle open, feasting on the poor bastard’s innards. Terry shot the coyote and briefly considered eating it, but it just seemed too close to cannibalism for his comfort. He wished he had the time and energy to give this poor stranger a proper burial, but time was one luxury he could not afford right now. Common human decency was in short supply these days and no wonder; it was too expensive. Time was his only currency at the moment, and he could feel it slipping away from him with every hour that passed away from his family. Lord, please let them be okay, pleeease…
He walked all day, but didn’t make it to Salem. That had been overly ambitious for sure. Instead, he camped near Albany and would scrounge in the morning for what he could.
----
Albany was set up somewhat like a military camp. The odds of scavenging anything were slim, but the odds of getting shot for trying were pretty good. Snipers were on the roofs with deer rifles, and men, some just boys, walked the streets brandishing AR15s, AK47s, and shotguns. He walked the streets looking for a grocery store, mini-mart or anything else that looked promising. His blistered feet
“Mommy, I’m scared,” little Tabby said.
“I know, honey. It’s okay, we’re fine,” Katherine reassured her daughter though she wasn’t convinced herself. White lies.
“I’m hungry, Mommy.”
“I know, honey. We’ll find something soon. Just keep walking.” Tabitha wasn’t impressed by the answer and hung her head in a dutiful pout.
The sickening crunch of a stick broken underfoot and Kat whipped around to see the man who was about to grasp her. Jonathan and Tabitha screamed before being captured themselves.
Terry awoke with a start and wiped sweat from his brow and drool from his lips.
“Shit….”
He struggled to get back to sleep, and when he did, he dreamed of crows feeding on the remains of his family.
----
Terry woke up with the sun in the east shining brightly. Dark spots blotted the surface of the sun like acne, or scars left over from the big light show. Otherwise, it looked normal, and he figured that part of it was over…hopefully. Actually, he was just glad to see it rise again. With recent events, everything he had grown to count on in his thirty-one years had become doubtful.
Terry rolled to his side and sat up in his sleeping bag rubbing his eyes. What he wouldn’t do for a cup of coffee. He tried the snoose method again, and as before, it did very little for him other than wedge grounds between his teeth. He went to the pond and surveyed its murk. It didn’t look real great…didn’t smell real great either, but he dipped the hose of his ill-gotten water filter in the pond and began pumping his water bottles full again. It seemed to come out clear, so hopefully it worked as advertised on the box. Filters 99.9% of pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites! He wasn’t exactly certain what that meant, but it did sound pretty good, and the water didn’t taste half bad. This filter would be essential in staying alive. That, and avoiding the bad guys.
He scooped SPAM from the can with his fingers and found it to be mostly disgusting, but his grumbling stomach was thankful nonetheless. There’s still protein in snouts and assholes, right? With that thought, he ate another donut and took a tall swig of water.
Terry hoped to make Salem by nightfall, though it was probably over ambitious at forty-five miles away; plus, he needed to find more food along the way.
“Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er,” he said, hoisting his pack up and onto his back. His shoulders cried out in protest, still aching from yesterday.
“Jesus, I need a fucking rickshaw,” Terry said, and he started walking again.
The walk was mostly without incident until he came upon a coyote eating a fellow traveler on the road. It was an older man, probably in his sixties, and the coyote had torn his middle open, feasting on the poor bastard’s innards. Terry shot the coyote and briefly considered eating it, but it just seemed too close to cannibalism for his comfort. He wished he had the time and energy to give this poor stranger a proper burial, but time was one luxury he could not afford right now. Common human decency was in short supply these days and no wonder; it was too expensive. Time was his only currency at the moment, and he could feel it slipping away from him with every hour that passed away from his family. Lord, please let them be okay, pleeease…
He walked all day, but didn’t make it to Salem. That had been overly ambitious for sure. Instead, he camped near Albany and would scrounge in the morning for what he could.
----
Albany was set up somewhat like a military camp. The odds of scavenging anything were slim, but the odds of getting shot for trying were pretty good. Snipers were on the roofs with deer rifles, and men, some just boys, walked the streets brandishing AR15s, AK47s, and shotguns. He walked the streets looking for a grocery store, mini-mart or anything else that looked promising. His blistered feet
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