Collaborative fan fiction - Read, enjoy and contribute!

[Wick]

Characters:

Jamie - A mid-twenties truck driver from Toronto came to Bear Island the year of the collapse to take care of his ill grandmother. She passed away shortly after the collapse, and he has been trapped far from home, fishing with his grandpa Murray’s bait and tackle. When a seemingly minor slip on the ice chafed some skin off his exposed ankle, an infection began to fester. Ill-equipped and without medical training, the ensuing growth had him ready to amputate when his queasy nature had him tearing apart grandma’s bathroom kitchen before he found some expired antibiotics. He took a shot in the dark, and it’s finally beginning to heal, or so it seems, when a clamorous knocking pounds the side door of his inherited two-story home. 

 

Lonnie - A nursing student born and raised in Great Bear was home for the holidays and missed her train back to Thunder Bay shortly before the collapse. She said she’d had car trouble - and her parents believed her, but only Lonnie knew the truth of what she had been running from. When a blizzard tore the roof off of her family home, they all set out south to the valley town of Chester, looking for a place to stay. Maybe their old neighbors would take them in? Anything was better than here. 

 

Part 1: Coho

Freezing to death and snowblind, Lonnie wouldn’t have made it another hour down the old lake trail. Even as warm air fed blood back into the capillaries in the tips of her fingers for the first time in days, icy crystals rode back in through her veins, stabbing her in the heart. On death’s door, Jamie held her in his arms, not entirely surprised to see another ghost. Many had wandered past, some on macgyvered bicycles, one family carried by sled dogs - if the wintry winds hadn’t shown him a mirage. Many more had waddled along like she had. 

 

What would she lay on? For the moment, Murray’s old leather recliner propped her up. It would do while Jamie cooked up a fire. When the first sparks were skirting across tiled marble, he laid the first of four shaved firelogs beside the shabby pyramid of crooked fingerlings. He was no boy scout. Satisfied, Jamie lugged his grandmother’s cot down the stairs to the fireplace. The screeching and scraping of the icy metal on the worn oak steps didn’t bother Lonnie, who couldn’t have been woken by an August thunderstorm splitting a sequoia in two. Then, gently, with one elbow under her knees and another in the small of her back, Jamie lifted her into the cot. He spread the neonblue sleeping bag halfway over her before it occurred to him that she might be hurt in ways fire couldn’t cure. His eyes surveyed her sunken face and drooping eyes. Her patchy blonde hair was knotted from tip to follicle. She was very thin, and her scrawny shoulders were apparent even underneath three layers of what appeared to be the nicest fabrics he’d seen since coming to Great Bear. Dirt strewn blood was caked on behind her right ear, but a washcloth didn’t reveal an actual wound. He didn’t dare remove anything besides her parka, hat and gloves, God forbid she woke up halfway through. Besides, what would he even be able to do if he did find a wound, or an infection? After hanging them from the mantle to dry, he tucked her into bed and noticed the tag on the parka, labeled in hasty black sharpie: L. He put on popcorn and camomile tea for two in the kitchen, plus a glass of water by the fire in case she woke up parched, like he always did. 

[Wick]

Continued:

The Lamoille family home was built in 1965, according to the plaque by the front walkway. It was the fourth structure on Great Bear, and, at the time, the most northerly one. Being as it was that this home had been the proudest achievement of Murray and Ms. Millicent Lamoille, Jamie had buried both of them there, right by the notice. He now regretted not moving the plaque out back and resting them there instead. It was a bitter reminder, even to him, when he had to walk by their cross headstones each afternoon with a bag of fish slung about his shoulder. It spoiled even the nicest catches. He might deliberately avoid the front path and come in the side door, if it were easy. But a young Murray and Great Bear's other settlers agreed that a narrow hill with an overlook of the northern coast was the perfect spot, and if you care about the view and the property value, maybe they were right. But this choice, and the expansive porches on the northern and western flanks, made it a poor spot to start a garden, or host a game of tag among the town's children - back when there were any. Jamie liked to imagine his grandfather on an unseemly high ladder, mortaring and tiling the pitch steep roof. It was quite a chore, but this roof had lasted the decades it had because of that angle - too steep for more than a half inch of snow to rest on. And that was great for insolation too, even if grandma thought it was an eyesore in this regard. And in her last days, she was certainly right. Unskilled in carpentry, Jamie hadn't begun to uphold the cracked stone coverings or the dilapidated sunspot coat. Even the front door had faded from white to gray in color as it stood sentinel against the blistering southwest winds careening off nearby Dogfish Island's cliffs and crags. 

The lower floor of the home was almost entirely open. One supporting wall, cut in a T-shape on the long end, separated both the entrances from the living room and kitchen. Before the collapse, this made a perfectly normal occasion to have Milly bent over the stove, the guests seated at the wide wooden dinner table, plates empty as the Autumn sky, with Jamie, Murray and anyone they could wrangle playing cards on the coffee table, legs crossed, and the entire group engaging in one conversation that spanned the whole place. Much to Jamie's dislike, there was no bathroom on the bottom floor. So rather than regularly carry snowmelt up a flight and a half of stairs to feed the upper basin of the toilet, he'd resigned to pissing outdoors whenever it wasn't so cold as to be risky. He had eight  gallons of uncooked water in jugs marked accordingly sitting in the upstairs bathroom for when he absolutely had to use it, or when he just wanted to wash off blood or dirt from his face and hands. The second floor had his old folks' room, with its grandiose bedspread and Milly's expansive closet. You wouldn't think of Great Bear as the kind of place that suited her taste for six armoires worth of outfits hanging wall-to-wall, in there, but the island's mystique and Murray's stubbornness overcame a lot more than the occasional want to visit a department store. And that's not to say they never did. Along with neighbors, the Godwins, Murray's dad Ron had gone in 50/50 on a 29 foot sailboat. On Summer mornings, one family or the other, or half of each, as per the limited leg room in the cabin, would journey south half a day to Marlin Isle, a timber town of 1,800 with a proper general store, a rugged seaport, and a one room movie theatre. Of course, a return trip would risk bad weather at sunset, so they always paid $25 to Sara Rislow to sleep in the cozy store attic, secure in sleeping bags huddled around a white gas lantern, with candy wrappers and new magazines strewn around. If Mrs. Rislow was in a good mood, there'd be pancakes with blueberries in the morning, and the kids would stay and watch cartoons with the Rislow boys while Murray and anyone else able-bodied would rig The Fastened Danish for the return trip, and that's usually when Milly snuck out to window shop. 

Jamie's two older sisters Laura and Michelle had married and moved to the United States. In the chaos before the collapse he'd tried and failed to reach both of them, and he could only hope that they were still alive and doing better than he was. One benefit of being stuck on the island with no prospect out was that if his old radio message had reached anyone, maybe one of the girls would catch it down the line and know he was still stuck at home. If they did, at least, he'd be right in the one place they could find him. He wasn't holding his breath. As for the Godwin's kids, or anyone else he'd known 15 years ago, it was anyone's guess if they'd try to come back. Jamie kept his eyes peeled,  but he'd not once seen anyone walking north on the strong ice or on the lake trail. It was probably because the roads and bridges on Baffin Island and the rest of Nunavut that led to the ports were already 15 years overdue for rehabilitation before the quakes. That, among a million other things, is why he couldn't just walk or sail out of town and hope to find civilization down south. The land was a less hospitable desert now than the ocean was. Fires, quakes, fields untended and withering, towns looted and crawling with bandits. And not a decent road or working car anywhere in the province. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a persistent bubbling, and finally, a train whistling to indicate the tea was done. Pouring out half and peeling open the popcorn bag, Jamie left the other cup's worth simmering on the stove on low heat. He salted and shook the popcorn and grabbed an orange for the girl. He went to work peeling it while his tongue yanked the cornel rinds out from in between his teeth. Satisfied, he walked over and set her share of the snacks down in a silver bowl by her head. Jamie reclined, rested the hardcover on his ribs, and turned to the later half of Solzhenitsyn's August 1914. His mind was only half in it, still half on his guest and what to do, but it served a needed reprieve from his nerves. 

An hour later, he was speechless to see her sip her cup of water and reach from the orange. After she tried her best to rise from the cot, she peered over and asked, "do you have a radio?"

 

 

[upnorth]

Back at Christine's house, breakfast continued. Christine thought a bit about Amy's question.

- I'm not really sure to be honest, but it would be nice to get an update from the authorities about what's happening and possibly find out who else are still in town. If someone need help. Do you think the guy we met yesterday would like to join us? He did have a running car, even if he probably has limited fuel, did you talk about his plans? Christine replied.

- Uh... no. He seemed sort of like a doomsday prepper, even if we all are at this point I guess. He did seem suspicious about the town but he didn't say why. Might not like the people he met so far or it might be something else. But he went home with his supplies and didn't talk about leaving town at least. It's not a very long walk. Amy noted.

- Mommy, I don't like this. Emma complained.

- I know. I'm sorry but we can't get all the normal food to the store any more, so we will all have to learn to eat what we don't like for a bit. We have to eat so that we can work and play, ok? Christine explained, hoping it wouldn't be an argument.

- Sigh... ok. I'll eat. When can we have the food we usually eat? Emma wondered.

- I don't know, we'll have to reach the authorities again so that we know more of what is happening, but it might take a while to get things back to normal. The factories might need new trucks, or at least repair the ones that doesn't work any more. Do you remember the sky dancing? Christine tried to explain in as simple terms as possible.

- Yes! It was very pretty! Emma answered suddenly very excited.

- Well, that did something to everything that uses electricity, and some of those things doesn't work any more, including deliveries of food to the store. I'm not sure why, but the sun is very powerful and besides making it sunny in the daytime, it also makes the sky dance. This time, something happened that doesn't usually happen. And we need to find out what and what we can do about it. But in the mean time, we have to eat what we have and stay warm and healthy. Christine hoped this would get Emma less focused on the food.

- Ok. I want to paint the sky dancing. Emma thought outloud.

- That's a great idea! Just finish your breakfast first. Christine was grateful for the few distractions available.

Meanwhile, Amy felt very lucky that she had her best friend around still. She quietly wondered if her boyfriend would return. He was scheduled to be a way for a few more weeks, but operations were probably down now. However, they might simply be stuck out at the fields just as almost everyone else where they happened to be after the aurora. Christine and Emma were good company and she was very grateful to have a place to stay, but she still didn't really feel comfortable around them yet. Oddly, her dog seemed to like Erik more, despite his slightly paranoid demeanor.

Edited January 30, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

- Well she was an odd one, nice dog though. Erik thought as he entered his cabin.

He liked military history and also collected some old school equipment. The old truck had really come in handy now, no computers or other bullshit. Kind of scary what happened still, he had never experienced anything like it. Could it be Russia, or China? With muscle memory he quickly lit his kerosene lamp and started a fire in his stove. Done it a thousand times before.

He proceeded to cook up some soup for dinner. He liked conserved food too. Had stacks of it. Tasted ok, lasted forever. No need to regularly visit a store and participate in the every day nonsense of common people. He had moved up to Great Bear for some solitude. Turned out it was a tourist trap for wilderness and nature enthusiasts. Oh well. He got to be alone in here at least. But hell if the wildlife hadn't become more aggressive? Thank god he could scrounge some flares. He should have stocked up on more ammunition, you could never have too much, but now he needed to ration it.

The old radio didn't work any more either. He had been picking up very odd chatter for the last few months. Sounding military. Very short transmissions with various code words. Sounded like a fairly old man. Perhaps worth investigating sometime. He hadn't been able to get any regular radio for news from the rest of the world though, that was more frustrating. Are we back to the stone age or is everything under control? He felt tired and laid down on the bed next to the now very warm stove, it would burn for about 8 more hours and give off residual heat during the morning.

That lady with the matches, did she have a kid with her? Odd gang that. But I guess you have to stick together in times like these. Perhaps take a break from the solitude for a while... he thought as he fell asleep with a warm body and full belly. He would never take that for granted again...

Edited February 4, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

A bit longer up north, the first conversation for a long while within weathered walls began.

- Uh, no, I don't think so. Sorry. I've been trapped here since the collapse just fishin' and getting by. Are you alright, miss, you were cutting it kind of close there? Jamie answered.

- Damn... Well, never mind. Happy to be alive to be honest. Thanks for the tea though. And yeah, I'm ok. Lonnie sighed, staring into the cup.

- How did you end up here, if you don't mind me asking? Jamie inquired.

- Long story. Grew up in these parts and came back for a break from the rest of the world I guess... Lonnie replied with a tired look.

- You can just rest for now. I don't have much around but there is plenty of fish and some popcorn. Don't ask me why, but I hear it's actually pretty good food. I know where we might be able to find a radio, but it's half a day's hike from here so we will have to wait until the weather gets a bit better.

[Swippity_Swappity]

I gotta be completely honest, I'm surprised that this is still somewhat going. Completely forgot about it tbh.

[upnorth]

On 2/20/2021 at 1:02 PM, Swippity_Swappity said:

I gotta be completely honest, I'm surprised that this is still somewhat going. Completely forgot about it tbh.

I try to come up with something new every few weeks to keep the thread visible. Both for people who just enjoy reading it and if someone else has a good idea and decides to join in. But yeah, it's harder to write a story than to snap a screenshot to share, never mind trying to write collectively over time. But it's pretty fun.

[upnorth]

They tried and failed to reach the authorities one more time. Emma started painting her memories of two nights ago. Amy took her best friend out for a morning walk.

- So I guess the big question is, do we sit tight and possibly help people in need, or should we try to get to out of town to what hopefully is some working community. Both are risky options, short-term and long-term. Christine thought aloud to herself.

- With most of town having left, we can probably survive for quite a while with the supplies left behind. That Erik guy seemed to get a long with Amy and could possibly provide transportation, doesn't seem to be in a hurry to leave too anyway. But it's getting on my nerves not knowing more what's going on. She continued.

- I do have family in Great Bear, I wonder how they are doing? Especially after the quakes, this might have been too much... I wonder if I can find the phone numbers. We should probably start setting some traps to catch some wildlife as well, in case we are stuck here a long time.

Problem solving and staying busy had always calmed her down. Especially after her husband died and she was left raising Emma on her own. They told her he died serving his country as they always do, more likely it was a climbing accident during some maintenance. They never talked about his work, but his background was electrical engineering.

But, they should probably try to talk with Erik first. Transportation could become vital and he seemed like a resourceful person, albeit a little odd being out of matches while lighting a fire. Crazy how the simple things in life can become a luxury over night.

[upnorth]

Erik woke up at dawn. The first daylight started to create familiar shadows. He put some firewood on the still glowing embers and started on his morning coffee. He needed more firewood and water, it would have to be the chore of the day.

- Damn it's cold. Need to isolate this place better, too much heat seems to be escaping. He muttered waiting for the water to boil.

His life was fairly routine. He was mostly out and about in the mountains, had good spots to collect firewood and other supplies. Had even found a couple of caves. Hadn't explored them too much in the summer, didn't want to run into bears. But now it might be more save. He wanted to explore more of the island, but the road was blocked so he would have to find another way.

He sat down to have his coffee. The only thing missing was a bit of cream, his guilty pleasure. After warming up a bit he prepared breakfast and finally prepared to spend the day collecting firewood and water. It didn't take that long but it was a few hours to trek and he needed to be more careful to avoid wildlife now.

[upnorth]

His technical backpack had some basic but good quality survival gear in it at all times, including some parachute cord. Regular climbing rope was way too heavy for his needs, and cord was useful in a lot more ways anyway. He did have to take out the bedroll to dry it if he spent the night in a snow shelter, but otherwise it was good to go. A setup he ended up with over many years. No need to unpack everything every time.

He might have to skip the water this time to save some weight in case he had to be able to move more quickly to avoid aggressive wildlife. If nothing else, he could always melt snow. Firewood was much more important. He knew a spot of old trees dropping sticks and branches that had served him well for a few weeks. No one else seemed to go there. Perhaps pick up some bark to possibly isolate the cabin better too.

He rolled up his bedroll and packed it as usual. Also took some light weight foods, enough for a couple of days just in case. He always enjoyed catching wildlife to roast after the end of a long day, but you can't survive on that. Too much protein and too little of everything else. Yet another lesson learned the hard way.

Finished packing, he grabbed his rifle, some ammo, and a few flares. This would have to be enough. It felt odd to be nervous about wildlife again. Like natures own rule book had been rewritten. He really wanted some news about all that had happened, be able to wrap his head around it. But later. He stepped outside in the now slightly brighter morning sun.

[upnorth]

Erik started his trek, feeling pretty good. Being out and about usually cleared his head. He took his usual path which was both scenic and fast. Sort of his highway through the mountains with various side paths for different points of interest. It was a bit annoying that a resource as important as firewood was so far away, but so far he had not come across a closer spot, not one he didn't pick clean in one trip anyway.

- Damn, I forgot to clean my rifle. He muttered to himself.

- Can't afford any misfires with this little ammo. I need to find a bow and arrows, or create some if I can find the resources for it. He continued.

The trek was otherwise uneventful. He arrived at his main spot at about mid day. Having a quick snack and starting a fire with his fire striker to take off and dry his clothes while collecting wood. It was good weather and he would keep warm from working. He also boiled some potable water just to keep the thirst at bay.

After working for a couple of hours, he had collected about what he could carry. But he was also getting tired.

- Good to have that done, but I better get some rest and eat something before returning. He sighed to himself.

Having seen no wildlife so far, he cooked a MRE meal and washed it down with some of the now cool potable water, but it was refreshing. He put about 2 hours worth of firewood on the fire and laid down on his bedroll.

[upnorth]

Feeling a bit more rested, he packed up his gear and the collected wood and started the trek back. Afternoon was getting into evening and he needed to get going. At least he didn't have to collect water this time.

Everything went as usual about half way back, but suddenly he heard growls.

- Dammit... he quietly cursed while quickly checking his gun and taking out a flare.

He had heard flares could deter aggressive animals, but he had never used one himself. Killing your enemy seemed a far safer option. And you got to harvest it. Oh well, here goes...

- Fucking show yourselves! He muttered, starting to feel nervous. Fighting wolves was always stressful, anyone bragging about it was full of shit. You were always at a disadvantage.

Suddenly he noticed a shape moving in the trees matching the direction of the growl. Too far for an accurate shot. He kept moving slowly. Hoping to find a position with a bit more advantage, preferably a rock formation or a cave, but he couldn't remember seeing one nearby.

Another growl joined in, from the opposite direction, seemingly moving faster than the first.

- Here goes... he mumbled now very focused.

He lit the flare and threw it in the general direction of the first wolf. Hopefully he would only have to deal with the more aggressive one.

The second wolf suddenly came in for an attack. He got his gun ready and pulled the trigger as late as he dared, but feeling pretty confident about hitting his target. A loud yell later, the wolf ran away. No kill, but at least a hit.

Soon after, the first wolf had circled around the flare for a new attack. He aimed again, and pulled the trigger. Misfire! The wolf attacked and he was suddenly on his back rolling around on top of his big backpack. Instinct taking over from tactics he wailed with the gun in his hand and after a couple of seconds finally managed to scare the wolf away.

Slowly getting on his feet, he checked himself in the light of the still bright flare. His left hand was bleeding, but didn't hurt too bad. He had been lucky. The gun misfiring was a bigger problem. But it was still his best chance of saving his life.

With two wolves attacking, he lit another flare and put it next to the first, moving in between them to control the area of attack a bit more. At least until the first flare died out.

The wolves came into view yet again, one attacking before the other. He didn't want to do this longer than he needed, took a deep breath and aimed yet again. This time relaxing more and focusing on a killshot.

The first wolf circled him a bit at first, but then attacked. A shot was fired again. No yell. The other wolf stopped in its tracks and ran away. A dead wolf now at his feet, defeated. He won. His gun-hand shaking.

- I need to get home and get some antiseptics on this, harvesting will have to wait. He sighed with relief. He also needed to clean his gun, at least now he had great reminder.

The rest of the trek went slowly being exhausted from the fight, but he was familiar enough with the start of his main trail to navigate it at dusk. Stumbling into his cabin, he quickly found some antiseptics and some bandage. Took a swig of water, and laid down on his bed to rest. The cabin was cold but not freezing, warmth and dinner would have to wait for a couple of hours. It had been a long day.

Edited March 9, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

- Uhhhhh. Erik woke up, confused and cold.

He sat up on his bed, pain shot up from his left hand as he leaned on it.

- Damn it! How long have I been sleeping!? Erik cursed as he started to get focused.

He walked to the door and peaked out. It was quiet and the stars were out. Looking like the middle of the night.

- Time to get a fire going, I guess. He muttered, grabbing some snow for water before returning inside.

With his injured hand, lighting his stove took a couple of attempts, but after a few minutes he was sitting on a much warmer bed with a cup of tea in his hands. The hand seemed to have started to heal at least. His glove needed repairing though. He finished his tea and laid back down for a much needed night of sleep in warmth and safety.

[Catlover]

I'm sorry for not updating for ages, though I have been reading, and enjoying, what you've written. I've been thinking and have decided to throw a new character into the mix.

 

James awoke after a troubled nights sleep in the rusty logging trailer that he had been staying in for several months with a few mates of his. All were in need of a decent pay, and gladly took up an offer to do somewhat illegal logging in the snowy woods for a decent wage. There were plenty of trees, so the animals wouldn't miss the patch that they had all been cutting down.

"You awake, guys?" He called down the beds. No response. "Come on, we need to go." 

Walking down the trailer, he noticed that it was empty, aside from him. Weird. All that was there was a note with barely decipheral handwriting, and keys to one of the cars.

So sorry for leaving like this, but the boys and I have had enough. Mike's close shave with a wolf was the last straw. We've left keys to a car outside so come and find us down by the coast. Hope to see you soon. 

Swearing, James tossed down the letter and picked up the keys. 

He walked out into the freezing, clear dawn and got in, turning the key. Nothing happened. Turning it again and again with no result, James gave up, pressing his palms to his forehead in an attempt to calm down. He could get there by foot, surely. Though, being used to a more comfortable lifestyle, the thought of possibly months of travelling was a daunting prospect. Grabbing as much as he could fit into his pack, James began walking into the woods in the direction of where he thought the town was. He needed to stock up first, so hopefully the store would be open. 

The day went by and James felt more and more disoriented. Cold, hungry and exhausted, it was a huge relief when a lone cabin finally showed up. There was smoke coming from the chimney and a sign that read 'Erik's Cabin'. Wondering who this Erik guy was, he hesitantly knocked on the door.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Catlover

[upnorth]

James waited for a few seconds. No answer. He knocked again. It was quiet. He hesitated, but tried the handle. It wasn't locked.

- Hello? Is anyone here? He shouted while peering into the crack.

No answer. He opened the door to get a better view. It was a simple but well equipped cabin. Embers were glowing red in the stove. He noticed stockpiles of canned food. Someone was living here for sure, or squatting. He considered stealing some of the food, but in case the owner was around he didn't want to get caught red handed. He closed the door.

- Well, I'm not completely alone out here. Seems like I found the town. James mumbled aloud to himself.

He ate and drank some of the supplies he had found before leaving, and started heading towards what seemed to be the city center.

- I guess I'll have to come back later. Should be able to find a store around here...

Edited March 13, 2021 by upnorth

[Catlover]

Slightly more uplifted after the meal James entered the town, noticing right off the bat how desolate the place was. For a town centre, it seemed almost completely empty. He could only see one person out, a young woman who seemed to be just out walking her dog. Maybe they would know something about this. He wasn't a fan of running up and talking to strangers, though he needed some answers. 

"Hey!" He called, hurrying over. Seemingly startled, the girl looked over at him, her expression guarded. 

"What?" 

Her wariness caught him off guard and James faltered, not brilliant at social skills after living with only several people for some time. "Uh, I was just wondering if you knew anything about why everything is so quiet."

"It was the lights." She said, simply.

"Huh?"

"The aurora. After that, things began getting strange, electricity not working, and wildlife being more aggressive, almost like they too were spooked by the aurora." The woman elaborated, though if anything, James felt more confused. 

"Okay, uh, thanks." 

The woman nodded and resumed walking, the dog walking obediently to heel. 

"People here sure are friendly." James muttered to himself, heading down the street, hoping to find some sort of gear-store. The only thing that concerned him was how much it all might cost. It had only just dawned on him that he only had a twenty dollar note in his pocket and decent quality equipment often cost a fortune. If he was to walk all the way to the coast and meet up with the rest, he couldn't be doing with cheap, plastic trash that would be more suitable as a MacDonald happy meal freebie. 

After some time of aimless wandering, he came across a small shop that seemed to have what he would need. Only problem was that, like every other shop he had come across, it was closed. However, there was a gaping hole in one of the windows where someone had evidently broken in. Ensuring that nobody was watching, James tried to quickly climb through the large hole. Though it wasn't in the most elegant way, he managed it. At least this solved his problem with the financial side of things, and it wasn't like he had never done illegal things before. 

Hoping that he wouldn't get caught, he began searching for what he would need for the long trek.

[upnorth]

Erik woke up again at dawn. This time less confused. But hungry. Having only had some tea after his long day yesterday.

- Damn, I hope this won't be the case every time I collect firewood from now on... he sighed.

Both hungry and perched, he got up to cook some breakfast. He should probably fetch more water today. A shorter trip that should be more safe. Then perhaps try to find the girl and her friend. Solitude was nice and all, but now he needed more options and possibly aid. He knew he had useful skills in a situation like this, but being on your own just didn't seem like a very good idea any more.

- Should clean my gun before I go, can't afford more misfires. Erik noted.

He spent some time cleaning his gun. Then unpacked his backpack from the day before and got the firewood stacked. When his cabin was tidy again, he grabbed his backpack and left to fetch water with the last log from his breakfast burning up in the stove.

Edited March 14, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

The water run was as eventful as he had hoped. Erik couldn't believe his own thoughts, but he was looking forward to not being in the woods for a while and perhaps even in the company of some strangers. But as he approached his cabin something else caught his attention. He slowed down and became very aware of his surroundings, but couldn't see any wolves. No people around either. As he got close to his door, he finally noticed. Footprints that wasn't his own. No tiny girl feet either, that girl he met did know where he lived.

- What the hell, who would come here? Anyone there!? He shouted. No answer.

He carefully went into his cabin, empty. Everything seemingly as he left it. Would he actually have to start locking his door now? Out here!? The footprints were just outside the cabin, as if someone had stood in the doorway looking in.

He put down his backpack and went outside to check the footprints more carefully. For some reason they didn't come from town, but they did continue there.

- Hmm, perhaps someone lost or injured. I guess I should follow the tracks. But after some lunch. Things are getting very strange very fast around here. He muttered.

Edited March 14, 2021 by upnorth

[Catlover]

After a while of searching around, James had managed to find everything that he wanted. After quickly changing into it, he sized himself up in the store-restroom's mirror. There were several spots emerging on his forehead that annoyed him to no end, though he focused more on the clothes and ignored them. Sure, his shoes were a size too big and everything looked mismatched and baggy, but he felt more like he fit in with this crowd of isolated weirdos. Maybe that was a bad thing, though at least the walk wouldn't be so painful. 

He was halfway through the window when some guy came striding towards him. Slightly embarrassed by his uncomfortable position, he waved, acting as if this was completely normal. Meeting guys half inside of a shop must have been pretty normal here. Hopefully. 

"Were you over by my cabin earlier?" He asked. 

James climbed out of the window as he spoke, "Yeah, you must be Erik. I'm James." He held out a hand and after a moment, the stranger shook it. 

"Well, just checking that you were fine and not injured or anything."

"No, no. I've been living up in the woods and the guys I was living with decided to up and leave me with a car that didn't work. So, I'm now trying to get sorted before I meet them at the coast."

"Long walk." Erik commented. It seemed like he was sizing James up, and he felt slightly self-conscious with his random outfit.

"Yep." He forced a grin, acting as if he wasn't dreading it in the slightest.

"Good luck." The stranger turned to leave, and after a beat, James called him back. This guy looked like he knew everything about living in the wild, and the logger needed all the help that he could get.

"I've not really done this sort of hiking before, and, no offense, but you look like you never leave the woods. Do you have any tips or whatever on, uh, how to not die out there?" He asked, watching Erik hopefully.

"I thought that you lived in the woods." The man turned around, watching James as he spoke.

"Not in the same way that you do." He didn't fancy telling this wood-dwelling stranger that he was cutting down the trees and found himself backed up against a metaphorical wall. "So..could you spare some advice for a novice like myself? I'd appreciate it."

Edited March 15, 2021 by Catlover

[upnorth]

Erik watched the man again for a moment. Something was off and it wasn't just how badly dressed he was. But he was hesitant to push his luck. A person could go crazy in situations like this even without being abandoned outside a remote town, and he could be armed for all he knew just waiting to be triggered by taking offense.

- Well, James. If you have friends waiting for you I can understand if you are in a hurry, but I'd say stick to the roads even if it means a longer journey than cutting through the woods. If you aren't an experienced woodsman, I can't really teach you enough over a few minutes for what you might need to deal with anyway. So stick to the roads, you are more likely to find good shelter and possibly supplies that way. You would also be able to move at a good pace, not risking getting stuck in deep snow or worse. Taking shortcuts through the woods also means a risk of getting lost. You seem to be dressed well enough to manage the elements. Erik tried to sum up the situation and his best advice for dealing with it.

He avoided mentioning his working truck, luckily he always tracked by foot and hadn't driven it here. He didn't like the look of this guy and did not like the prospect of dealing with a whole group of people possibly like him. The faster they all left the better.

- Hell, I didn't expect that kind of advice from a woodsman, but it does sound pretty smart. Just hope I can get there in time to find them... James scratched his forehead.

- Well, good luck then. Erik nodded and for the second time turned around to leave.

Edited March 15, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

Amy went back inside with Mocha after meeting with the stranger. The reality of losing her house and not having her boyfriend around was starting to sink in. She felt lucky to have met with a nice little family to stay with, but was still reluctant to open up about everything. She preferred the quiet company of her furry friend for now.

- How is that drawing coming along Emma? She asked as she sat down with a cup of coffee at the table.

- Ok I guess. Emma answered while deep in concentration with her crayons.

- Can I see? Amy inquired.

- Ok. Emma tried to push the paper over the table but only reached a couple of inches.

- I'll come over to you. Amy suggested and switched chairs to come closer.

- Very pretty! She remarked.

- Thank you. Emma answered absently while continuing to draw.

Amy didn't press it. She had been amassing courage for something else. Trying to call her boyfriend. She really wanted to hear his voice but was afraid of bad news at the same time. But enough worrying. The note with the number was lost in the fire, but she had memorized it. She picked up the phone and dialed. No answer.

- Fuck... she sighed.

- Everything alright!? Christine suddenly shouted from upstairs.

- Yeah, uh, sorry. I just tried to call my boyfriend, no answer. Amy answered, slightly annoyed with the lack of privacy.

- Oh yeah, I just met another dude when I was out with Mocha. Didn't really like the look of him, looked like the kind of person who might try to rob your store. Amy mentioned, happy to be able to change the subject.

Christine was now walking down into the kitchen again.

- That's nice Emma! Christine noted as she watched the drawing walking down the stairs.

- I've been thinking, I think we should try to talk to the guy with the truck. If we had access to transportation we would have so many more options, especially since it's so hard to reach the authorities for news. Christine continued.

- I guess it wouldn't hurt to get to know him better. He doesn't live very far from here. Amy replied.

Then realized the only way there she knew about went right by her house, and a tear rolled down her chin. She quickly wiped it and had another zip of her coffee.

Edited March 19, 2021 by upnorth

[upnorth]

They cleared away breakfast, got dressed and together all started to walk towards Erik's cabin by Amy's lead, not knowing if he would actually be there. But they didn't really have a choice when it was so hard to stay in contact with the rest of the world - they would have to travel for both answers and resources eventually.

Emma kept close to her mom and a watching eye on Mocha who she had yet to become good friends with. She missed having friends to play with, wondering where they all were. Mocha on the other hand just seemed happy to be out and about, but seemed to notice that Amy was a bit stressed out as well, turning to look up at her every few seconds.

- So, his cabin isn't that big, we might not all be able to fit. Amy remembered.

- Ok, well I guess we won't have to stay long. Just introduce each other and explain our respective situations and plans going forward. Damn, I forgot we should probably survey the town for people in need too. I know a few of my regular customers but not everyone. It will take a lot of time to go door-to-door... Christine answered.

The walk up to the cabin went as expected with neither people nor wildlife in sight. The wind seemed to pick up a bit though.

[upnorth]

Erik felt a bit more relaxed walking back home. Mend his wound, get a good nights sleep and chill out in his cabin for a while seemed like a good remedy for the latest events of his life. Luckily his hand didn't hurt, so his antiseptic seemed to be working. Damned wolves. He did NOT like the change in wildlife behavior, especially after the aurora events making supplies in general and ammunition so much more scarce.

- I hope that guy finds his friends and leaves the island. He muttered as he got home and closed the door behind him.

He lit his stove and laid down for a quick nap before lunch.

[upnorth]

Amy managed to get the group past the now cold ruins of her former home without any hard questions or attempts at pity. Although Mocha whined a bit. But now she could finally see the cabin with the old truck.

- Ok, we're here. It's that cabin. I guess I should knock and introduce us or something. Amy told the group.

- Yeah, we can stand back a bit, but the wind is picking up so it would be nice if we could all fit. Christine commented.

They arrived at the door and Amy knocked. No answer. She tried again. Still no answer. She tried the handle, open. Carefully she opened and peaked inside. Now she could see Erik on his bed, snoring.

- Uhh, he is home but asleep. What should I do? She asked Christine.

- Close the door and knock harder, perhaps he will wake up then. Christine suggested with a shrug and a smile.

- Ok, here goes. Amy carefully closed the door.

She knocked a few times much harder.

- Anyone home! She almost shouted.

Suddenly the group heard as something heavy hit the floor and an angry voice screamed back. Amy then heard metallic sounds.

- Everyone away from the door! Amy turned and ran to pull the others down the hill.

As they ran, they heard a gun go off and wooden splinters flew past them.

- Mommy! Emma cried, as Mocha also started barking.

- It's just us! You met us the other day! Amy shouted towards the cabin.

Finally, a familiar figure exited the cabin with a gun in one hand and a bloody bandage on the other.

- What the HELL are you doing! I could have killed someone! Erik shouted back at the group laying in the snow outside his cabin.

[Catlover]

Amy pulled Mocha towards her, who continued her frenzied barking. At least it filled in the silence as she searched for a reply, getting up and dusting the snow off of her clothes. The others did the same.

"We just came to say hi." Her gaze landed on the bandage, "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Erik responded, dismissively. 

"What are you doing with a gun, anyway? There's practically nobody here anymore and the people that remain have better things to do than rob you or something."

"You can never be too careful." The man responded, somewhat vaguely. Amy realised that it would be pretty useless asking him anything. They were pretty much strangers, after all. 

Unsure of what else to say, Amy glanced over to Christine and Emma, realising that they hadn't gotten chance to introduce themselves. She stayed silent, waiting for them to do just that.

"We're sorry to have startled you," Christine started, "I'm Christine and this is Emma."

"You're the ones who got me the matches?" It sounded like a question, as if he couldn't quite remember. 

"Yes." Christine nodded. 

It began snowing out of nowhere, the sky having been covered with yellow-tinged clouds whilst they were talking. Blown by the wind, the flurry grew heavy far quicker than it would've done pre-aurora. 

"Could we come in? It looks like there is a snowstorm on the way and I don't fancy getting stuck in it." Amy asked, half-expecting an adamant no. 

"Fine." Erik grunted, reluctantly opening the door wider so that they could all come in.