The Last Man Read Free

pocket and ate two match heads. He had read in a survival book that the sulfur in the matches would come out his pores and drive insects away. It seemed to work, he thought.
    The fire raged in the pit as the sun set. He liked a large fire at night as long as it could be contained and there was enough wood available. Sam used to build large bonfires by day to signal anyone to his existence, but the constant disappointment had been too much to bear and he discontinued the practice.
    He set alligator steaks out on paper plates for the dogs and threw another large piece of bleached wood onto the fire. The Pack woofed up their food while he finished cooking the rest of the meat. He put a couple of the choice pieces on a plate for himself and then set the others aside to cool and store in Ziploc bags for later.
    Sam ate silently while staring into the fire thinking of nothing in particular. After finishing the alligator steaks he opened a jar of pickle spears and ate several before putting the rest away for later. He then pulled out a pan and carefully popped popcorn over the fire pit. The Pack perked up, popcorn was one of their favorites. Sam could almost feel his body respond to the carbohydrates and felt a little bit sleepy even though it was early. He washed everything down with a bottle of fruit juice and then cleaned up the cooking utensils.
    The dogs were beginning to settle down for the night in positions close to the fire. Sam realized he had better lay out his sleeping bag soon or all the best spots would be taken. He pulled his bag and pillow from the jeep and seeing the clear and beautiful night sky, also grabbed the telescope. It was the most compact and powerful one he could find and was perfect for gazing up into the heavens and nights like this.
    Sam set up the tripod and aimed the telescope towards the inner part of the Milky Way. Should have been an astronomer, he told himself. He stared at the amazing cosmos going from star cluster to star cluster wondering if there were others out there like him. He lit a stale cigar and felt a little less alone in the vastness of the universe around him.
    His eyes finally grew tired and the cigar was finished. Sam put the telescope away and took off his boots. He was about to lay down when he saw two figures run from behind the jeep into the woods near the highway. Both had long black hair, and were holding hands. One was a child.
    Sam stood suddenly knocking over the telescope. The dogs looked up at him quizzically and he realized the figures weren't real. "Damn, stop it!" Sam said as he put his fists to his head. He picked up the telescope and went about lying down for sleep intentionally not looking around the campsite. The dogs would warn him if there was anything that needed his attention.
    As soon as he was in his sleeping bag, Molly and Tanner came over and lay against him sharing their warmth and comfort. Sam closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but it was a long time coming. He gazed up into the vastness of the cosmos until he faded into sleep's blessed oblivion serenaded by the song of the frog and cricket.
    *******
    Sam liked the jeep because it had four-wheel drive and was light making it ideal for going off-road around most of the abandoned car bottlenecks. The few times the jeep had gotten stuck in soft mud or dirt, it had been relatively easy to pull the jeep back up to the road using the winch on the front bumper.
    They traveled steadily north over the next few weeks, staying as close to the Atlantic as possible. Sam frequently consulted road maps and chose scenic ro utes near the sea over larger roads or more direct routes. Many of the paths he had traveled before, but some were new as were the sights.
    One morning he awoke to a ball of smoke in the sky to the north. Sam almost didn't believe it at first, but after rubbing his eyes several times convinced himself the smoke was actually there. He raced north at a pace that wasn't entirely prudent. Around noon,