Collaborative fan fiction - Read, enjoy and contribute!

[Piotross]

The night had fallen. Beautiful lights were dancing across the starry sky. A human silhouette was making its way across the snowy hills.

"I forgot how nice winter nights could be here - A man let out a silent sigh - it's been days since i was stuck in that cabin, as I forgot how lovely Great Bear could be. Anyway, I should be getting close to the town by..."

A sudden roar snapped him out of his melancholy mood. The beast was gigantic, covered in blood. The bear's fur seemed to glow. The bear had looked at the tiny human with pure hatred, right before charging at him.

The man's hands were shaking, however the adrenaline shot made him aim his rifle and fire perfectly. The bullet hit the animal's chest. The bear stared at the man with fury and pain, seemingly wishing for him to suffer the same amount of agony it's going through now. It then charged again.

In panic the man tried to shoot again, but only a clicking sound made its way to his ears. The rifle was jammed. He had thrown it in the direction of the bear before reaching for his hunting knife. He was ready for the worst.

"Arwoooooo!" Rang through the air, followed by another one and another one. The bear stopped in its tracks, before turning around and running in the opposite direction. The man could see long, glowing shadows of wolves chasing after the beast. At first he exploded in joy, just before a thought had struck him:

"The wolves are after me too." Just as he whispered it, he heard a bark and in the matter of seconds a wolf was pouncing on to him.

He managed to jump sideways before the incoming attack. The wolf missed it chance, leaving itself exposed. The man used the window of time and charged at the animal, his hand still holding on to the knife. He stabbed the wolf's chest just as it was turning around. However, the animal managed to sprint away right after it had been hurt. The man was not prepared for it. He lost his grip around his only weapon, and fell down onto the snow.

After a few seconds of laying down in shock, he stood up and slowly started to walk up to his laying jammed rifle. He was about to pick it up before another wolf barked. But that one was different. He raised his head to see a big, snowy white wolf with golden glowing eyes. He did not even have time to react before Luna pounced onto him. This time it was a successful attempt.

The man raised his arm in front of his throat to protect himself from an incoming attack. He screamed in agony, as Luna's teeth sank into his flesh, before it got torn off, leaving only a white bone with a few muscle's around it. Then the wolf proceeded to push the injured limb out of its way, before twisting its head and going for the throat. The man's scream turned into hiss, as Luna ripped his throat out. In the last moments of his life he could see the white wolf walking away from him, before being joined by lots of black, long shapes.

The wolves did not kill because of being hungry.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Piotross

[upnorth]

Below a nearby cliff beside a fire, an old man watched the events unfold.

- Hope, fear, rage and cunning meeting in a single moment. Harsh to some, but natural. He thinks out loud.

- The passing of an age indeed, and yet another soul meeting its fate. Returning home as the quiet apocalypse continues. He notes.

He puts another log on his fire and looks up towards a beautiful night sky through his broken glasses.

Edited March 31, 2022 by upnorth

[piddy3825]

As Christine retreated upstairs to tell Emma the news, Erik turned his gaze on Amy.

"I'll take the couch." he said pointing at the lumpy sofa in the living room.  

"Yeah, okay." Amy stammered weakly, feeling her cheeks turning red at as feelings of guilt began eating at her.
Turning her back on Erik, she made her way up the stairs where she could already hear the excited squeals coming from Emma's room as her mother was telling her about the road trip.

Amy strood purposefully into Emma's room and said to Chrisinte, "I need a word with you."   "What do you wish to talk about?" Christine replied in surprise.   
"I really wish you would have said something to me about leaving here first."  Amy replied.   "I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but the man did just help save us from starvation and now you expect him to drive us halfway across the island to some military base or something?  Do you even know how to get there?"  she demanded.

Christine looked abashed as she collected her thoughts and stood there in silence.   Amy stared at her with a mixture of surprise, contempt and apprehension.   "I hope she doesn't kick us out over this," the thought of being thrown out by her up to now gracious host weighing heavily on her mind.   

"I'm sorry.  I'm really really sorry.  You're right Amy.  I should have talked to you first.  It's, it's..." she stuttered  "It's just I got so excited when I saw both of you drive up and with all those supplies.  I just couldn't hold it in."   she blurtted 
 
Amy suddenly smiled and said, "Yeah, I get it.  Finally seems like something is starting to go our way, right?"

Emma stood up from her bed, looking at the two women quizzically and said,  "I know I shouldn't interrupt adults when they are conversating.  But do you smell that?  Smells like pancakes?"

Downstairs, Erik had fired up the old wood burning stove in the kitchen and was busily mixing a pitcher of reconstitued milk.  Mixing bowls were neatly lined up and flap jacks were on the griddle.   As the three women entered the kitchen drawn in by the enticing smell of the freshly made griddle cakes.   Erik looked up from this chore and chuckled.   

"Hope you all like breakfast for dinner!"  Erik said to the trio as he watched them lick their lips.  "I even got some dried blueberries rehydrating.  I hope you like blueberry pancakes little miss." He said to Emma with a big grin.

Edited March 31, 2022 by piddy3825
spelling

[upnorth]

As they sat down to eat, Christine felt the need to clear the air.

- Erik, I didn't mean to take you for granted providing the truck. Let me explain the situation and my plan a bit better. Christine started as they sat down to eat. This time with slightly more room for everyone than at Erik's.

- The town is overrun and looted, I think you would agree? Not just by people but by a wounded bear with a temper, and wolves joining in as well. It's not safe here for Emma which is my main concern, but not really habitable for anyone else either. She continued.

- The base is simply an opportunity. It's our best bet for more supplies, especially for fuel, which is the key to get off the island and long-term survival. Besides that it's not very well known by the locals. This is more a town for adventurers such as yourself these days. So not too much competition for the stuff we might need. She paused to look around the room at the reactions so far.

Erik seemed less agitated but not convinced.

- So assuming we can get there, how will we even get in? He inquired.

- Right, I probably should have lead with that. As I mentioned, my late husband worked there, and took me for a civilian visit once to show me around. It's a fairly low security facility built a long time ago, so we should be able to find a door, window or air duct or similar to break up with a crowbar. Being secluded was the main line of defense if you will. It's more of an old factory than anything else.

- Yeah, I guess you are right. Adventuring alone is why I came here, but I guess we are a party of adventurers now. It still feels like a long shot, but it is a shot. I can't think of a better option, or any option for that matter. Erik conceded.

- What do you think Amy? Christine didn't want it to be a 2 person decision.

- Well, we don't seem to have much choice. Amy answered, more focused on Mocha than the conversation.

- We need to prepare though. Figure out as much as we can about the base and surrounding area. Check and fix the truck as much as possible, I don't want any surprises there. We should also make an inventory of what supplies we have and find out if we are missing something important. Erik suddenly said, taking some initiative.

- Right, good idea. I do have some old hunting maps over Great Bear in the house that should cover the base area. There might be something useful in the safe of the store as well. Although it might not be worth the risk to go back there. Christine replied.

With some breakfast for dinner, and a plan for what to do next, the mood lifted somewhat in the room. They all helped to clear the table and after Christine managed to find her hunting maps, which she and Erik spent the evening studying while Amy and Emma played with Mocha. A welcome moment of calm before the next storm.

[Catlover]

The meal passed by all too quickly, in a blur of good natured chatter and pancakes.

Emma, as usual, was the first to go to bed, after playing with the dog for a while, taking turns with Amy, throwing a stick across the room. 

Mocha clearly had no retriever in her, and the duo spent more time trying to get her to bring it back, but it was good fun. 

For the first time in a while, Amy felt optimistic that maybe things would work out. 

Christine went to bed next, leaving Amy and Erik alone. 

"So, I guess we have a plan!" Amy cautiously started the conversation, having no idea where the conversation would end up. It was impossible to tell with Erik. Sometimes they would have a perfectly rational conversation, othertimes, they'd be too awkward to even sit on the same sofa together. 

Erik shrugged. "I think I'm going to go to bed now too. Busy day tomorrow." 

Amy, feeling a little affronted, got up. "I might as well do the same." She started heading for the guest room, not quite sure if they were in that stage in the relationship, if you could call it that, when they share a bed. Erik seemed perfectly happy on the sofa, anyway. 

 

Morning came far too soon for all four of them, none getting much sleep. Because of excitement (Emma), because of anxiety (Amy), because of both (Christine) and because of the truck (Erik) 

Amy got up and got ready before heading into the living room, unsurprised to see everyone up. 

Christine glanced over, "Glad to see you're up. We've come up with a bit of a plan." She started, "Erik will prepare the truck, you and Emma can get packing, and I'll sort out the clothes."

Amy nodded, "Sounds good." 

After a quick breakfast, they got to work. Knowing roughly what they needed, Amy and Emma quickly started on their task.

They started in relative silence, before Amy attempted to engage in small talk. "So, are you looking forward to seeing the base?" 

Emma shrugged, "I guess. I'd like to see Dad's base. I don't really remember him that much anymore." 

Amy hesitated, "Yeah, I know what it's like." 

Emma glanced over, curious. "What do you mean?" 

"My biological mother died when I was born. Complications, I suppose. At least you still have some memories." She added, trying to keep the spirit positive. 

"That's true. We don't talk about him much, though. Until now." 

"It must have been hard for Christine, raising you alone."

"I bet it isn't. I'm a good kid, she always tells me that." Emma boasted. Amy chuckled, amused. 

After an hour, Christine joined the packing but neither one mentioned their conversation. The work was done in near silence, as the three were lost in thought, thinking about the arduous journey that lay ahead.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Catlover

[piddy3825]

Erik slowly shuffled around the truck taking note of it's overall condition.  Although he relied on it to some extent, he had been a little lax in maintaining the vehicle.  "Damn, looks like the alignment is outta whack," he said to himself as he looked at the right front tire noticing the severe wear on the outside of the tires edge. 

"That's not good. Not good at all." he muttered under his breath.  He estimated that the tire should hold provided they didn't put too much stress on it, but what if they needed to go off road?  Could a tire this badly worn take the punishment and not fail?   "Argghhh!!!"  he growled.
"what's that old saying?  the best laid plans??  or was it the road to hell is paved with good intentions?"  he thought to himself.

He shook his head, resigned to the fact that the situation wasn't ideal but wasn't exactly a deal breaker either.   After a moment of fumbling with the hood latch, he lifts the hood.  Placing his tool kit up on the fender, he climbs up and begins to inspect the engine compartment.  Checking the fluid levels, oil and radiator, Erik finishes his inspection by checking the belts for wear.  He takes his combination wrench from his tool box and tightens down a couple of nuts that he sees have come loose.   "Looks pretty good under the hood, in the neighborhood" he thinks to himself, chuckling out loud a little bit over his silly little ryhme.   

The hood closed with a loud thump as Erik grabbed his tool case with one hand and dropped the hood with the other.   As he strode to the rear of the truck intending to stow his tools, he notices the tape job on the broken wing window.  Although Amy had done a great job in taping over the opening, the bitter cold coupled with the age of the tape was loosening it's adhesive grip.   The sticky just wasn't designed for this kinda cold.  "Not gonna be long before the wind is just blowing in here,"  he thought to himself.  Yes sir, this was gonna need a more permanet fix.  Otherwise it was gonna be pretty cold in the cab he mused.   Standing back a few meters, he stood and gazed at the truck.  

"Safety first!"  Erik swore he could hear his mother's voice in his head.   "Safety first, there are children present!"   the voice persisted in his head as he stood there realizing that the groups safety relied heavily on the truck and his ability to drive them to their destination.   The weight of this realization hit like a punch to the solar plexious.   "Offfff" he sighed heavily as he thought to himself that the journey was probably going to be a lot more perilous than anyone thought.  

And with that thought echoing in his mind he went back inside.

Edited April 2, 2022 by piddy3825
spelling

[upnorth]

- Can everyone come to the kitchen for a second? Erik called out as he had closed the door and got undressed.

The rest of them slowly gathered as they had to finish their respective tasks first.

- What is it? Christine inquired.

- I've assessed the state of the truck and there are a couple things we need or at least should try to fix before going to the base. We might need spare parts if we can find them. Erik started.

- But we forgot about making an inventory as we discussed yesterday. Or at least to simply write down what we're packing as we go so that we can keep track of it. I for one was too focused on the truck this morning. Erik continued.

- Yeah, I completely forgot about it too. Christine admitted.

- I have pen and paper. Emma suggested nervously.

- Very good! Could you please get some for us? Erik answered with a smile to encourage the little girl.

Emma smiled back and ran off to get her precious supplies, happy that her little passion could help the adults.

- On the bright side, I do think we have most of what we need as far as supplies goes. Me and Emma did secure a lot of medical supplies before the store got raided. With your contributions of food and what we already had at home from before all this, I don't think we're missing too many important things. Christine continued.

Emma came back with paper and crayons.

- Very good! But do you think you have a regular pen or pencil? They are a bit better to take notes with? Erik asked as gently as he could.

- I don't know. Emma answered a bit insecure again, looking at her mom.

- It's those we use when we write words in letters, like the sign we made together for the store. I think there are a couple on my desk, do you want to go check? Christine encouraged her.

- Yes! Emma had already started running as she was happy to still be able to help.

Emma found what she was looking for, and after making some coffee and tea they sat down to do initial inventory of already packed things and started to think ahead of what they would need.

Edited April 13, 2022 by upnorth

[Piotross]

Meanwhile in a cabin seemingly in the middle of nowhere two men were having a conversation.

- Who are you? - One of them mumbled quietly, as he laid in bed.

- You are finally awake? Good. How are you feeling? - A man wearing a long, doctor's coat asked.

- I don't feel my leg, my chest hurts every - the man gasped for air - ..time I speak.

- Shit - the doctor cursed silently - It'll get worse from this point on. You've broken your ribs and I don't have any painkillers left. There are no rose hips around too. I'll have to look for them.

- How did I break them? - The man replied.

- You've been in a helicopter's crash. I guess you had hurt your head too if you don't remember that well, however I wouldn't worry, as your memories should getting more clear soon. For now just rest. Try avoiding movement as much as possible - While he was saying that, he took some bottles of water and a few cans of food and placed them on the bedside table. - Here are some supplies. If I don't get back in a few days, follow the markings I'll leave for you. Make sure to erase them afterwards. We don't want anyone following us.

- Why would someone follow us? - The man had a puzzled expression on his face.

- Do you know Blackrock prison? There has been a riot there, a lot of inmates broke out. I barely made it out of there alive. I worked as an infirmary doctor there. Blackrock kept the worst men that ever lived in Canada. The worst part is that there were a few inmate transports coming to the prison and we lost contact with all of them. Bad things can happen with these people around. - The doctor stopped. He looked for something around his belt, pulled it out and gave it to the injured man. - That's why you'll keep this while I'm gone. It's loaded with 5 bullets, I couldn't get more. Use it wisely.

- Thank you, you've done so much for me. - The man replied.

- That's my job after all. Stay safe. - The doctor said, as he grabbed his heavy leather jacket, a small backpack and a flare gun. He had glanced at the man before he pushed the door open and headed outside.

The weather was calm, just your regular, warm, snowy, sunny day. The doctor looked around the beautiful forest he was in.

- Alright Alexander. Go north, get to the town, find medicine, get back. Also don't get eaten. - He silently reminded himself of his plan. - Let's go.

He started going east, with an intention to make it to the main road. He knew that he was going to be visible, but it was the quickest way to the town.

As he was walking the memories flooded his brain. The screams in the prison, the gunshots. He was taken aback to the last talk with his best friend, which he worked with at the prison.

- ALEX! - A policeman wearing a heavy riot suit barged into the infirmary unit. - THEY ARE KILLING CIVILIANS, YOU GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!

- I'm done packing let's get out of here! - Alexander took his small backpack and a large coat, before heading towards the door. His friend stopped him.

- Here, take this. - He handed Alexander a revolver. - You'll need it.

- Thanks Marcus. Make sure you get back to your Julia, do you still have the picture? - Alexander replied.

Marcus showed him a picture of a young girl. Alexander nodded and shook hands with his friends. The gunshots and screams were still heard. A loud banging was heard in the room. Marcus backed away and blocked the door.

- Alex, get the hell out of here!

Alexander couldn't remember well what had happened that night. The wolves were different, he was being chased. The aurora, the locks to the prison cells had to fail, there was no power.

The doctor could've kept thinking about his for a while, however he finally stumbled across the main road. He saw a sign pointing towards the direction of the town. Before he had headed that way, he made sure that he had a shell loaded in his flare gun. He took out a can of spray paint and marked a nearby tree with a large, orange arrow pointing left. At last, he started following the main road, in hopes of making it into town quickly.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Piotross

[piddy3825]

Who
What
Where
When
Why

The 5 "W's..."  Erik cleared his throat before continuing.
"We need to get organized a little better if we're serious about getting to the base safely," he said as he looked about observing the piles of gear and supplies strewn around the living room of the house they all now shared.

They all looked at each other realizing a little to late that they had no way of knowing what was packed in which bag and besides there was way to much stuff, definitely more than they could all collectively carry.  Some stuff was just gonna have to be left behind.   

It was late in the afternoon when the trio of adults had finished their comprehensive inventory of the multiple packed bags strewn about the living room, now purposely repacked and tagged for contents.   Also by paring down the items into essential must have vs. might need categories, that alone allowed them to dropped dozens of kilos of superflous gear.    

After all, this was more about survival than camping...

"Okay, what's next on our to do list?" asked Christine
"Yeah, what's up with the truck, Erik?" asked Amy
 Emma chimed in "I'm hungry!"
"Woof, woof, woof..."  barked Mocha

Erik flashed a tired grin and thought for a moment before responding.  He told them about the tire and his concern over it's possible failure on the trip.  He explained how they would need to repair the window and he reiterated the need to secure more fuel for the trip.  

"I found a couple of empty jerry cans in Chritine's garage," Erik continued,  "and an old tobaggon we can use so we won't have to carry everything by hand."  
As the discussion progressed, they decided that since another trip into town was going to be necessary to scavenge up the necessary supplies they might as go to the Fire House first, as it was the designated refuge center during the crisis, wasn't it?

With a plan in place and a good plan at that, the group turned their attentions on supper.   Afterall, tomorrow was going to be a busy, busy day.

[upnorth]

- So like an old factory, you said? Erik mentioned during supper looking at Christine

- What do you mean? Christine replied a bit confounded

- The base, it's supposed to have low security akin to an old factory? Erik elaborated

- Right, right! Yes. Unless they rebuilt or upgraded it a lot over the years, it shouldn't be too hard to get into. Christine answered

- I'm worried that a simple crowbar wont be enough to gain access, it seems too simple. We can't use the truck too much to pull or bash anything in either, it's barely holding together as it is. Erik thought outloud

- Hmm. I think my husband kept some work related paperwork in the store safe come to think of it, might be worth checking out. If I recall correctly it's things like id badge and some personnel files, but I'm not quite sure what he might have stored there. Christine replied

- Ok, worth a shot I guess. We are betting everything on this base to solve all our problems so I just want to make sure we have the best possible odds to succeed. Breaking into a military base is not something kids do as a prank after all, we have to be both careful, smart and probably lucky too. Erik finished his sentence by staring out of the window into the snowy nature, wondering where this adventure might end.

[upnorth]

That evening was a mix of calm and hope after having found and properly inventoried a lot of useful supplies from the house, but also nervousness over the need to find parts and fuel for the truck to make the journey less dangerous and the risk of the base being a dead end if they could even reach it with the threat of wildlife on top of everything else.

Before going to bed they decided that during the next day Christine and Erik would head out in town with a rifle each, newly cleaned and with plenty of ammo each. While Amy, Emma and Mocha stayed at the house finishing up the packing, boiling water and repairing as much clothing as they had sowing kits and materials for.

They all fell asleep eventually. Emma and Mocha getting the best rest being the most unaware of the risks. Emma actually looking forward to reconnecting a little with memories of her dad, falling asleep thinking about her moms story.

[piddy3825]

Things were not going well as Hank emerged from under the old 1982 Pierce Ford Tanker Truck.
He cursed under his breath as he rubbed his bruised and bleeding knuckles, unfortunately now a little numb as well due to the extreme cold in the Fire House's motor pool bay.   

The old tanker truck was new when the town got it.  Hank remembered the day, it was right about the same time that Hank, fresh out of mechanics school on the mainland had just gotten his job with the department.   He shook his head with resignation as the memories flooded his conciousness...

The whole town had turned out on that day for the big parade.  The mayor had wanted to make a special showing of the town's newest acquisition!  Their very own brand new water tender!   It only had 300 miles on it when they got it and Hank was assigned to keep it running in tip top shape.  There never could have been a more proud time in his life than when they backed the big rig into the center bay of the firehouse motor pool.   

It was a custom built model, featuring a 2000 gallon hard mounted tank and a 1500 gallon optional portable tank especially designed for fighting fire in rural areas where there were few fire hydrants if any at all.  The cab mounted water cannon utilized a continuous pressure system that could shoot a water stream 75 to 100 feet, more than enough to meet the needs and demands of the towns fire department.   Standard practice was to refill the tanks after every drill or call out so the engine would be deployment ready in the event it was needed.   

Turns out the last time it was used was when the mostly volunteer crew had extinguised the fire that had destroyed Amy's house.  

"Friggin worthless syrup slurping volunteers...." Hank caught himself before launching into one of his famous meltdown rants, as he scanned the list of names of volunteers who had worked that fire.   Although they had done a good job fighting the fire, the one thing, the one crucial thing that they had forgotten to do was to plug in the pump heat pan, which kept the lines from freezing.   Cold temperatures were really the only thing that could put a truck like this one out of commission.   Sub zero temperatures had taken their toll.  The main water tank had been overfilled causing the tank and lines to rupture in multiple places as the water froze in the lines and couplings.  The big brass nozzle of the water cannon had cracked along its entire length rendering the truck useless.   Without parts from the mainland to make the necessary repairs, the old work horse was essentially dead. 

"As is the guy who was responsible for screwing up like this", Hank thought to himself.

Hank slowly shuffled over and opened his locker, pulling out a bottle of Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky.  He had been saving the bottle for a special occassion for a very long time. 
He cracked the bottle taking a big draught and then walking over the the front of the truck he intentionally spilled a little on the hood of the old engine.   

"Farewell old friend..."  he muttered  "...you didn't deserve to die this way."

 

[Catlover]

Amy sat alone on the guest bed, in thought, a little lonely as her dog was in Emma's room, the two having bonded greatly over the past few days, much to the young girl's delight. Soon, they would be on their way to this base Christine had mentioned, leaving their troubles, and her ruined house, behind. A, large, sentimental part of her didn't want to leave, but she knew that they had no choice, stay, or die. 

A few hours went by with no sleep, and eventually, the young woman got up, hoping a walk would clear her mind. The bear hadn't been seen in a while, alongside the wolves, so maybe things finally were starting to get back to normal. 

Wrapping up warm, she stepped outside, the frozen wind hitting her like a truck. Dawn was already on its way, the distant mountains tinged pink against the dark sky. 

Wishing her dog was with her, Amy set off jogging, looking for a good place to observe the sunset. It was too late to go back to sleep anyway, and there was too much on her mind

Sitting on a bench, a distant rustle alerted her, calmness turning to anxiety in a moment, even though she had little idea of what it was. There was something watching her, she knew it. 

The snow illuminated by the rising sun, she began sprinting back, glancing behind to see a black snout emerging from the trees, ambling towards her bench. Whatever the bear had been doing before was irrelevant, he was back.

[upnorth]

Meanwhile on a road somewhere close to town, the doctor felt his spirits lift a bit being able to increase his pace.

Being a born and raised local (apart from his years in medical school and a few years of practice in the mainland), he was usually very comfortable out and about on the island. But something strange had happened the last few days. Besides the chaos at Black Rock, nature seemed changed at its core as well. Wolves no longer kept their distance to humans, bears were hunting in the winter!? He knew fast and relatively safe ways to travel across the island, but after a couple of close encounters near Black Rock he realized that he had to be much more careful than usual. Luckily the cabins weren't too far away if you knew the right paths and caves. Helping the wounded man out of the nearby helicopter crash made things more complicated, but they managed.

- I hope the pharmacy has its usual pot of coffee going, I could really use some heating up! Alex muttered but with a bit of hope.

The trek was fairly uneventful. He spotted a few rabbits and a deer on his way into town. But as he got closer he noticed something else.

- What the hell... has there been a storm here or something? What's with all the broken store fronts? Alex wondered out loud.

Being even more careful now, he slowly shuffled his way towards his destination between cars and around buildings, always looking and listening for any kind of threat. But he couldn't spot anything. He finally came close to the small pharmacy which looked as bad as everything else.

- Man, I guess no coffee then? Alex muttered now without hope.

The store seemed to be empty and as he entered his suspicions of a storm faded into something more scary. The pharmacy seemed to have been looted, and in a hurry as well.

- What the hell happened here!? Alex was starting to get stressed out over the increasing evidence of major chaos and panic while having no idea at all what could have caused it.

Collecting himself a bit, he started to analyze the situation (while looking intensively for the much needed pain killers and anything else he could find). The incident at Black Rock was very unusual. Seemed to have had something to do with the power but no one could understand it. Wildlife suddenly being more aggressive also seemed very odd. There might be a connection, but what!?

He couldn't find anything useful on the shelves or floor of the pharmacy, but he ventured further in. Adjacent to the store was a small house where the pharmacist lived. The corridor there was usually a mess of empty supply crates and furniture, so people might not have thought it worth exploring.

Well inside, he found no trace of the pharmacist. But he chuckled a bit when he found half a coffee pot, albeit cold.

- Oh well, that's something! Alex said with relief as he attempted to put the heater back on to hopefully get his cup of Joe after all. But nothing happened.

- Damn. I guess a fuse is burned or something? I don't have time for this, I need to find medication. Alex muttered as he got focused yet again.

As he searched through the house, he finally found what he was looking for. The pharmacists bathroom had a medical cabinet with a few supplies: pain killers, antibiotics and some purification tablets. For good measure he took some potable water from the toilet and ripped up the curtains for bandages. Not the worst of crimes given the scene. Time to head back.

As he left the store and started his careful journey back to the cabin, some movement caught his eye further into town, but being very careful to get back with all the supplies he opted not to investigate further and quickly dodged behind a wall and out of sight before continuing.

Edited April 25, 2022 by upnorth

[piddy3825]

Amy ran.  
Spurned on by fear she shrieked as she ran.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, fueled by the rush of adrenaline as her instinct for flight
kicked into high overdrive.   ...later when she would re-tell the story, she swore she could feel the bears hot 
breath on her neck with each step she took...  

Back in the house, Sleep didn't come easy with the day ahead and the old couch wasn't as comfortable has Christine had made it out to be.  Erik rose early and busied himself in the kitchen stoking the fire in the old stove,  getting ready to prepare a fresh pot coffee.   Noticing they were getting low on potable water, Erik grabbed a big pot, and headed for the door.   As he opened the door, he could hear Amy's frantic screams as she ran towards the house.

Erik dropped the pot and grabbed his rifle and stepped out onto the porch.  The sun was just starting to rise on the horizon, the land still steeped in twilight and shadows, Erik could barely make out Amy's form as she ran emerged from the tree line and sprinted across the small snowy fileld towards him and the safety of the house.   He raised the rifle to his shoulder scanning the tree line behind her intent on shooting whatever it was that was chasing her.   
But there was nothing.

Erik quickly stepped aside clearing the doorway as Amy shot up the stairs and onto the porch making a bee line for the open door.  He continued to scan the tree line and the surrounding yard.   Whatever it was, he thought to himself, it either gave up or it's still out there, waiting and watching.  With that thought in mind, he turned went back into the house and retrieved the cooking pot.   Returning back outside he quickly filled the pot with packed snow.  As he walked back up the steps he took one last look around and satisfied that nothing seemed amiss, he returned inside.

Christine met him at the door, half dressed, rifle in hand ready for action.   She had been upstairs getting dressed when she heard the commotion downstairs.  She quickly closed and bolted the door, throwing the big latch into place.   She turned to Amy and asked, "What the hell were you thinking?"  

"I, I, I couldn't sleep..." Amy replied sheepishly.  "I don't know what I was thinking.   It's confusing..."

"So what happened out there?"  Erik inquired

"God damn bear..." Amy whispered   "God damn bear nearly got me is what happened!" she blurted out loud
Amy started laughing softly to herself as she realized her knees were shaking uncontrollably and her teeth were 
beginning to clatter as the adrenaline rush had peaked and was now slowly subsiding.   "Oh my Gawd," she chortled, "I have never been so scared in my entire life!   I've never run that fast before either!"  she said with a huge grin

Erik looked over at Amy, smiled and said, "I guess you won't be needing any coffee this morning"
Looking over to Christine across the living room, Erik nods and says, "We'll leave for town in a little while.  I'll get the coffee going and you can finish getting ready.  You still okay about going?"

"Yes, of course." replied Christine   "Besides you're gonna need me to open the safe.  Even if I were to give you
the combo, nevermind, let's just say the darn thing is touchy.   I'll be good to go,oh and by the way,  make my coffee  “Cafe au lait,"  I saw there were a couple of cans of condensed milk, please and thank you!"  

[piddy3825]

Christine joined Erik outside  as he fashioned a quick harness for himself which he in turn attached to Emma's old tobaggon.   He had already loaded the sled with his tool box was and the two empty jerry cans he had found in the shed.  A slight breeze had picked up and the duo noticed that it had started to snow very lightly.   

"Looks like maybe a little snow storm is moving in." remarked Christine
Erik shrugged and replied, "Yeah, Murphy's Law.  We should get going if we wanna stay ahead of it.  I think we should head directly for the Firehouse first?  Stop at the store on the way back?  What do you think?"

"Good Idea!" she quipped  "I know a little short cut, follow me."  She turned and began walking at a brisk pace.
Erik followed slowly trying to keep an even tension on the harness so the sled would glide a bit easier across the uneven surface of the snow pack.   They made decent time and before long they could see the old bell tower jutting up from the roof of the fire station. 

Approaching the fire house, Erik motioned for Christine to stop.  "Looks empty?"  he said
"Yeah, weird huh?  I thought the fire station was suppossed to be a refuge center?" she countered
"Be careful." he admonished  
"You think?"  she retorted sarcasticaly

Unlatching himself from his harness and pull the tobaggon up to the loading bay door, Erik knocked tenatively on the door.  Waiting a few moments before knocking again, this time he knocked a bit more forcefully.   
From inside a grizzelled voice bellowed, "Hold your damn water!  I'm almost there!"     
With a squeal of twisted metal, Hank pulled open the big bay door just far enough to let Erik and Christine in.  Once inside Hank motioned to Erik to grab his sled which he quickly pulled in as well.  Securing the door, Hank turned and look at his visitors.

"What brings you to Station House 19?"  asked Hank 
"Where is everbody." asked Christine
Ignoring her question, Hank asked "What kind of help do you need?" 
Erik gestured to the tobaggon and the two empty gas cans.  "Fuel and maybe a spare tire?"  

Hank looked them over from top to bottom before saying anything.  After a few moments of awkward silence he cleared his throat and began to explain that he was there alone ever since he discovered that the only working fire suppression vehicle in the their fleet had been KIA after their last call.  He told them about how the freeze damage to the water tanks and how the water cannon had cracked because of the extreme cold.  

"It's your lucky day!" Hank said, smiling for the first time in days.  "Turns out the gas tank on the tender truck is full of fuel and since it can't fight fires anymore, that fuel is just sitting there.  Let me get the old hand crank pump outta the tools locker and lets see if we can't fill those jerry cans?"    Erik's face lit up with a big grin from ear to ear as he watched Hank saunter across the motor pool bay towards the equipment lockers.   Turning to Christine he gave her a big double thumbs up, to which she smiled and said "Amen."

Erik and Christine took turns hand cranking the full pump and the trio keep themselves occupied with banter and small talk about the crisis and what was going to happen next.   As they were nearing finishing filing the second fuel can, Hank asked what else he could help them with? 

"Uh, we could use a tire? and maybe a piece of plywood or plexiglass?"  Erik said
"Plywood I got," said Hank, "but your gonna need to be a bit more specific on the tire, son."

Erik's faced reddened with embarrasement at the comment.  "Here, I got a picture of my truck.  I need a tire that will fit on an old 1967 Kaiser Jeep."  He said and pulled a picture out of his wallet and showed Hank. 
Hank's eyes lit up as he gazed longingly at the photo of the battered old combat utility vehicle. 
His face softened as he looked up and said softly, "I don't know who your guardian angel is my boy, and I don't think I wanna know.  But as luck would have it, I just happen to know where you can get a tire or four."

"What?"  said Erik and Christine simultaneously  

"You know ole Doc Brown, the towns pharmacist?"  Hank asked   "He had a thing for army ambulances.  He's got that same truck except it was the ambulance model.  He's been working on it for years, but he never was that good of a mechanic.   Engine troubles.   But the tires were all good."  he paused
"Come to think of it I think I remember him telling one of the boys once that he drove one as a young buck back in the Korean War.  Ya know he was a Yank before coming up here?"  Hank paused dramatically before continuing.  "Ole Doc Brown got himself killed walking home from the clinic by those damn wolves.  Stubborn old bastard.
One the volunteer fireman found his body not too far from his house..." his voice trailed off.   
"Like I was saying, I don't think Doc Brown is gonna be needing those tires."

With somber spirits but with a renewed sense of purpose and Hanks help, the quickly fabricated an scrap piece of plywood to fix the broken wing window based on the sketch and measurements Erik had made before leaving.  At Hanks suggestion they even put a coat of fresh wax on the bottom of the tobaggon before bidding Hank farewell.

"Hank, you're more than welcome to join us." said Christine.   
"Nah, but thanks!   My place is here, besides, I'm getting to damn old for this crap. Consider me 10-7"  Hank chortled

The group shook hands and once again Erik's harness was attached to the sled.   Christine took the lead her rifle at the ready as the slowly started walking down the middle of the street.  The wind had shifted during their time indoors and although the skies were gray and overcast, it had stopped snowing.  The freshly waxed tobaggon now glided effortless across the snow even with the extra weight of the gasoline filled jerry cans.   As they drew closer to the pharmacists house and store, Christine held up her hand and dropped into a crouch.  Erik dropped down as well and scanned the area ahead of them.  Seeing nothing he slowly crept up beside her.   

"What?" he whispered 
"I thought I saw someone coming outta Doc Brown's house." she whispered 
"Looters?" he asked   
"Not sure.  It was just a glimpse.  I dunno, maybe I'm just jumpy and imagining it." she said

Cautiously they moved forward, weapons at the ready.  This might be one of those shoot first ask questions later kind of scenarious, like in the movies.  "Better safe than sorry." a little voice echoed in Christines head.  She took the safety off the rifle as she approached the house, Erik taking cover nearby.  
Christine looked about seeing a single set of foot prints in the snow leading away from the house in freshly fallen snow which trailed off into the distance.  Satisfied that there was nobody in the house she motioned to Erik who quickly joined up with her by the doorway.   

"Who ever was here, is gone now." she said pointing at the tracks in the snow.  
"Let's be quick in case they come back with friends." Erik admonished

Christine took the prybar from the tool case and went around back of the house and pried the lock off the
detached utility shed housing the pharmacist's army ambulance restoration project.  The chassy was up on blocks and the first thing they noticed in the dim light of the windowless shed was the trucks wheels had been removed.

"That's not good." Erik sighed as he peered into the dark recesses of the shed.  It was too dim with out additional light for he or Christine to make out that all the wheels had been neatly stacked in the furthest corner of the shed. 
"There's a light switch by the door." Christine said clicking the switch up an down. 
"Ohhhhhh, yeah, I'm blond!" she said as she nervously started to laugh at her own blunder.
"Not to worry," replied Erik, "I was fully expecting them to come on, too!" 

Erik pulled out his Bic lighter.  Even though he had quit smoking years ago, he always still carried a lighter.  Some habits just never die.  Flicking his Bic, Erik slowly made his way into the shed finding a battered storm lantern and small bottle of fuel on a workbench.   He hastily lit the lantern and light from the lantern flooded the inside of the shed.  There in the corner, lay their prizes.  

Taking the lantern from Erik, Christine handed him a tire pressure gauge she had found sitting on the workbench.  
"I think this might come in handy," she quipped as he took the gauge from her outstretched hand.  He didnt even have to check the first tire.  He could see that the tires seal had been broken so he lifted it off the pile and set it aside.  The second tire was nearly as bad, barely having any pressure but at least it was intact.  He place it next to the broken wheel and checked the third.  Bingo, good condition and good pressure.  One more to go he thought to himself as he checked the fourth and final wheel in the set.  The fourth tire was in good shape although the tire pressure was low, at least it wasn't as bad as number two.  

They loaded the two good tires on the tobaggon and lashed them down.  The tires were huge and hung over both sides of the sled.  The little sled was pretty heavily loaded down now, so at Christine's suggestion Erik fashioned a rope harness for her as well and hitched her up to the sled.   With the first leg of their supply run successfully filled, they turned towards the store and began the second leg of their trek.

 

 

 

 

[upnorth]

Christine knew the town well so navigating back to her store was easy enough. But it pained her to see the state of things. Abandoned cars in the streets. Broken store fronts. She never really knew Doc Brown but it was a familiar face in town and had been good with Emma the few times they had to pay the pharmacy a visit after some overly ambitious playing. It was sad to hear that news too.

- That's my store up ahead, I think we deserve a little break after this or we'll never make it back to the house before nightfall. Christine remarked.

- Good. I'm not too tired with you helping me but it's no use in pushing too hard. Erik replied.

- It's quite a truck you have, how did you come by it? Christine asked.

- Ha! Long story, but the short-ish version is a passion for old army stuff and off-roading, at least in my younger days. Me and my brother replaced the notoriously bad engine and had some fun with it. After that it became a cool looking but not very convenient daily driver for me. Although after the aurora knocking out all the badly protected electronics in regular cars, it's of course very convenient. Erik answered with an enthusiasm he couldn't hide.

- Are you and your brother close? Christine continued the conversation.

Erik didn't answer, but instead looked into the ground before looking up to survey the streets and surrounding area. They were almost at the store at this point. Suddenly he stared to untie himself from his harness very quickly.

- Lose the harness, wolves dead ahead, we have to run inside! Erik whispered as Christine wondered what he was doing.

Christine didn't question him but started to get out of her own harness as fast as she could.

- I have the keys to the back door. We should be able to lock ourselves in while we open the safe. Christine answered, trying to remain calm.

They left the tobaggon and ran around the back of the store as the wolves approached, now growling. Christine ran up to the door and started fumbling with the keys, now stressed out.

- Take it easy, you got this. I'll cover you. Erik said with a calm voice as he took aim with his rifle towards the corner they came around.

Christine found the right key but hearing the growls come closer she panicked and dropped them in the snow.

BAM! Erik fired his rifle with the calm of a seasoned hunter and a grey shape dropped to the ground a few meters from where they were hunched down. Scattered whimpering was heard from the rest of the pack running away.

- We're good, for the time being, can you find the keys again? Erik asked with a calming voice, trying to help Christine focus as best he could.

- Yes, yes, sorry! I got them. Christine answered as she finally managed to unlock the back door and get in.

- I'll stay outside and keep them away. I don't think we scared them off completely. Erik replied.

Christine didn't bother protesting, the door into the front of the store was seemingly still intact, but she didn't dare check for supplies in case the wolves would come in through the broken store front. She went straight for the safe.

- Damn, this thing is usually tricky as it is, and usually I'm calm and not working in the cold. Christine muttered as she started to turn the dial.

BAM! She suddenly heard yet another shot from outside.

- Got another one! We might get some nice pelts from this actually! Erik joked after another successful shot.

Christine needed a few more attempts than usual, but finally the safe swung open to a familiar sight inside. She pulled out the paperwork on the floor, mostly store supplier contracts and the ownership documents for the store. But she finally found her late husbands military papers. Seeing his face again made her shed a tear, but it would be nice to show Emma as well. Other than that mostly formalities. And a scribbled note. She almost threw it away but hesitated.

- What is this? It looks like some kind of code? Could it be for decoding radio messages, but why would that be in our private safe? Christine was confounded. She decided to bring it, might prove useful.

- I think I finally scared them off, losing two members of their pack seems to have killed their morale a bit haha! Erik suddenly walked through the door.

- Good! Sorry for not being more focused, but I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to Emma if I didn't make it back... Christine admitted, now relieved the situation was over.

- Yeah, I can understand that. Honestly, it was fun hunting a bit again. I owed them some payback from earlier too! Erik chuckled, putting up his previously bit arm in the air.

- Great, should we get going then? Christine asked now a bit more focused.

- Sure, did you find what you were looking for? Erik asked, looking at mound of papers on the floor.

- Not sure, but a few important things and some military paperwork that might prove useful. Christine noted.

- I haven't checked the store for supplies though, it seemed risky in case the wolves would attack through the broken store front. Christine continued.

- Good thinking! Come to think of it, we should probably leave the dead wolves or we might attract more if we try to harvest them. At least until we get the spare parts back to the house. Erik pondered.

- Yeah... I think we want to get home as fast as we can now, we did find both fuel and tires for your truck after all. Christine agreed.

- Shame, lots of useful things on a dead wolf. Oh well, next one I guess. Erik noted as he opened the door for Christine.

The rest of the journey back to the house was uneventful but slow. To balance the tobaggon more Christine pushed from behind while Erik pulled, giving both more space to move and find purchase in the snowy ground. They kept looking for both wolves and the bear that had just revisited the town, but everything seemed calm. Perhaps the dead wolves behind the store ended up being more interesting for predators than themselves.

Tired but relieved they finally pulled up the tobaggon next to the truck as the day turned to dusk. Since they had left it had been filled up with seemingly most of the packed supplies, the girls had been busy too. Erik gave the hood of the truck a pat before they both went inside closed the door behind them. Erik didn't think much of it, but for Christine it started to dawn on her that it might be the last time she stepped inside her home for a very long time, if ever. Emma running into her arms quickly put her at ease again though.

Edited April 29, 2022 by upnorth

[Piotross]

The injured man looked around the cabin just right after the doctor left. It wasn't very big, it only had one floor. He glanced up to notice three, giant logs supporting the roof. He could see a gun rack mounted near the door, a few kitchen cabinets in the corner, bookshelf with a few books laying around, a wardrobe and an animal trophy hanged over the door frame. A bedside table stood just beside the bed.

He slightly turned towards the table and reached out for a can of beans and a can opener. He took the can opener with the can in his hands, so he could open it.

- Shit. - He mumbled, as a half-opened can slipped out of his hand, fell down from his bed and spilled onto the floor.

The man proceeded to lay back on his bed. He remembered that the doctor left him a revolver. That man was an angel in his current situation. He finally picked up the gun and examined it. It was cleaned before, loaded with 5 bullets. He put it back onto the bedside table. Then he proceeded to look at a fire dancing in the furnace. He assumed that the fire could last for 8 hours more. He let out a sigh.

- I wonder how long it will take the doctor to make it back here. - He started talking to himself. - At least i'm feeling better. I'll try figuring out what did happen on that particular night. - He finished hims monologue and went to sleep.

He didn't rest well, the fever and pain got back at him. He was rolling around in bed, groaning in pain.

 

The man woke up. The sky was dancing, the fire was everywhere. His vision was blurry the pain was immobilizing. He managed to see the pilot's arm, sticking out of the cockpit. He tried standing up, however he could slightly see a white bone sticking out of his left leg. He was bleeding. As he acknowledged that, he slightly raised his head and supported himself on a metal fragment.

Howls woken him up from his half-sleeping state. The sky was dancing. A silent whines could be heard. The injured man saw wolves dragging the bodies, or half-dead survivors out of the helicopter's wreck. They feasted on them. He wished to do something, however he couldn't do so because of his injured leg and agonizing pain in the chest. Despite this, he picked up a metal fragment laying next to him and threw it at the wolf closest to him.

The wolf got hit with a rock to a leg. It turned around and stared at the injured man. Its eyes alongside wit fur were glowing. It growled, baring its fangs. The wolf and the man were locking eyes, looking at the other with hatred and fury. The wolf took the initiative and lunged forward, dashing towards the man. 

He picked up a short, sharp rod and held it tightly in front of him. He could feel the adrenaline rush, it was making him determined and ready.

The wolf was sprinting towards the man, barking, growling, alerting different wolves.

The man braced for the charge, sweat was dripping down his face. His hand had a hard grip around the rod.

BANG! - A gunshot was heard, followed by another one and another one. In addition a flare lit up the sky. Wolves were running away, whimpering. The one charging at the man dropped dead, blood dripping down its mouth.

The injured man was approached by another man - the doctor. The doctor examined the man's condition, stabilized his leg and chest. He poured a bottle of antiseptic onto the leg's wound and wrapped a bandage around it, making a compress dressing. 

The doctor found a long branch with its scales still intact. He hauled it over to the wreckage and slipped two parts of a broken rotor blade under it. This way he created a sled. Right after he did so, the doctor had gently covered the man with a thermal blanket and placed him onto the branch. Finally he wrapped his hand around the branch's end and started dragging it forward.

 

The man woke up. The doctor already had arrived in the cabin and was currently taking care of the helicopter's crash victim.

- You've finally woken up. - Alex said with a grin on his face as he placed antibiotics and painkillers on the bedside table. - If you take them you'll feel better so... - He stopped in his tracks, the smile gone. Alex walked up to the man and examined his leg.

- This is bad. - The doctor seemed panicked. - That antiseptic wasn't good enough.

- What is it? - The man asked.

- Well.. - Alex started his speech as he walked towards his backpack for his surgeon gloves. - Your wound got infected. Its gangrene, at least first stages. The skin is slightly swollen and i'm afraid it'll start changing colors soon. Only viable option now is either to remove the dead tissue, or we'll have to amputate. But we can't do both unless we'll find a sanitary place to do so. For now we'll have to rely on antibiotics and painkillers. - The doctor stopped talking as he got busy with examining the patient's leg.

The injured man didn't hear what doctor was saying. The fever made him sleep once again. 

[upnorth]

Thank you everyone! We reached 6000 views a few days ago 🚀 Stay tuned for more! 😋

Edited May 6, 2022 by upnorth

[upnorth]

- Did you find what you were looking for? Amy asked as they all gathered in the kitchen again.

- Actually yeah, at least as far as fixing the truck. We got lucky. Shouldn't take too long to do the repairs either. Erik answered with cautious enthusiasm.

- What about the base, did you find anything useful in the store? Amy continued, looking at Christine now.

- Well, not really. I did find some military paperwork but nothing obviously helpful. Although it would probably be a breach of security to have a set of instructions for how to get into a base being both documented and kept outside the base I guess. But we'll have a proper look at what I found, it might give us some clues at least. Christine said as she put down the paperwork on the table.

- Daddy! Is that daddy? Emma shouted as she almost crawled on top of the table to get a better look and noticed the picture.

- Haha, yes! Handsome isn't he! Christine replied.

Amy having nothing better to do but sharing some of Erik's earlier skepticism started going through the rest. She didn't understand much, the base name seemed to be mentioned a couple of times as part of the assignment for Emma's father. Then the scribbled note fell out.

- What's this? Amy asked.

- Oh that, I honestly don't know. I initially thought it was some kind of radio code, but they wouldn't have been allowed to take sensitive information like that away from the base so it has to be something else. But I figured I should bring everything in the file to be safe, it might prove useful. Christine answered.

Meanwhile Erik had gone outside to check the spare parts and the truck. It was getting dark so no use in trying to fix it this evening, but the house sometimes got too crowded for him and tinkering calmed him down.

- Man, we've had some fun, haven't we? Thanks for saving us from the bear! Erik smiled and thought outloud as he went around the truck.

He could hear some wolves howling in the distance but wasn't too worried being this close to the house. He would have to get up early to do the repairs, and have someone ready with a gun just to be safe, but otherwise it looked like they were ready to hit the road early the following day. The girls had actually done a pretty impressive job packing and securing their cargo!

Erik went inside again, just in time for more of what he just left to avoid. Back in the kitchen, Emma was excited for more than new pictures of her dad.

- Mom! Guess what I did today? Emma giving a mischievous glance to Amy, who smiled back.

- I have no idea, did you draw something, the truck? Christine replied.

- I shot a gun! Emma revealed excitedly.

- What!? Where did you get a gun? Why didn't you tell me Amy? Christine was suddenly shocked and angry, having just spent a day worrying about not being able to protect Emma herself.

- Not a handgun, she got to try a flare gun. I just figured it would be good for her to know how to use one if she gets lost in the woods or something. Amy replied and gave Emma a supportive wink who was now looking scared.

- Actually, that's not a bad idea, they are pretty effective at scaring off wildlife too in a pinch. Erik noted as he suddenly joined the conversation.

- I guess so... sorry, it's been a long day. I think I just need a break from all the craziness. Christine sat down, glancing at the picture in the personnel file with nostalgia.

- We can go to my room and draw something? Emma suggested not really knowing what else to do.

- Good idea Emma! Me and Amy can prepare supper tonight, you guys go and have some fun. Erik replied, knowing better than anyone what Christine had been going through that day.

- Thank you! Christine said with a tired smile looking at Erik.

As they both went to Emma's room to enjoy a few final normal moments before leaving the house, Erik got the stove lit as Amy studied the scribbled note. The only seemingly useful piece of information besides the maps, while also being a complete mystery.

Edited May 7, 2022 by upnorth

[piddy3825]

He woke to the clatter of dishes being rattled on the kitchen stove by Emma who was desperately trying her best to be as quiet as possible so as not to awaken anyone in the house.  It was just shortly after dawn by his best reckoning and for once he didn't feel like getting out of bed.  For the first time in days, the old lumpy couch was a comfortable, cozy and warm as any fancy hotel bed he had ever slept on.  Or was it more likely the fact that he was still physically tired and sore from having pulled the heavy load of tires, fuel and supplies they had scavenged just the day before all the way from town on a childs toboggan?  

"Hey, keep it down in there, please," he said,  "I'm trying to get some sleep here."

"Sorry," a little voice whispered from the kitchen, "I was hungry and didn't want to wake everyone.  I didn't mean to bother you." said little Emma

"ah, it's okay, kiddo."  Erik responded, "We've all got a lot to do today, I'll give you a hand in there," he said.   Rising from the couch, he quickly put on his boots and pulled a fresh beanie from this rucksack.  Looking at his reflection in the hallway mirror, he pulled a comb from this bag and ran it thru his beard before combing back his hair.  "Looks like I could use a haircut and a shave," he thought to himself as he put the beanie on his head and pulled it down over his ears.  Turning on his heel he strode into the kitchen and began helping Emma stoke up the fire in the stove before filling the kettle with water and putting it on the stove to boil.

As the water heated, the two of them started getting breakfast ready.  Powdered eggs with griddle cakes with honey and cinnamon.  They worked efficiently each mixing the ingredients, Emma on eggs and Erik on griddle cakes and soon the delicious aroma of freshly made breakfast brought both Christine and Amy downstairs, their appetites whetted by the delicious smells of cooked eggs and fresh coffee.   

"woof, woof!" came a couple of soft barks from the dog

"Come," said Emma, "I knew you'd be hungry too!"  as she placed a bowl of eggs and chopped up griddle cakes by the dog's waterdish.   "Here you go!"

Amy smiled at her pooch as she watched Emma feed her dog.  Glancing at the others she asked, "what's the game plan for today?"

[upnorth]

- Just fix the truck and then off on an apocalyptic road trip to a mysterious base in the mountains? Amy continued.

- Yeah. Pretty much. It's going to be a much heavier load than I usually use the truck with, but I'm hoping it will be good enough with the repairs. It should just barely fit us and all our supplies. Well done on packing it up yesterday by the way. Erik answered with a smile to Emma.

- Do we have any way of communicating with the rest of the world in case things go sideways? We are leaving a perfectly good landline here after all. Amy continued with a smirk.

- Good point! We should bring my old radio, it's a similar model to Erik's. It will at least work if there is an aurora. And feel free to try the landline if there is anyone you would like to try to reach before we leave. Christine answered.

- If everyone has a flare gun we can shoot flares to find each other. Emma suggested quietly, looking at her mom.

- It's a good idea, but I don't think we have enough flare guns honey. Christine answered.

They finally sat down to eat the last normal breakfast in a while thinking about everyone they should try to reach on the landline, but worried what they might find out.

[upnorth]

- Are you all packed and ready to go Emma? Christine asked as they sat down to eat.

- I think so. Emma answered too quickly with her mouth still full of food.

- I might need some help with the truck. Both a guard against wildlife and probably go hand me tools as well. Anyone up for it? Erik inquired.

- I'll give you a hand, Christine offered.

- So what's the plan if we get to the base in one piece? Crowbar open a door or window? Climb in from the roof? Amy asked.

- I guess we'll have to see. We can only hope that the tools and information we have is enough. I did notice some streams in the area that might be worth checking out, but we'll have to keep our eyes and ears open. Christine answered.

- I suppose so. I can stay inside with Emma while you fix the truck, but could you take Mocha with you outside with the truck? She hasn't got as much walks as she needs lately. Amy answered slightly resigned.

- Of course, she might even help us detect if wolves or the bear approaches. Christine quickly answered.

They finished the meal while studying Christine's map, the military files and the scribbled note. Erik and Christine then went outside with a handgun and rifle respectively while Amy and Emma cleared the table.

- So what do you think of all this Emma, is it scary? Amy asked.

- The bear attacking you outside the door was really scary. Emma answered.

- Yeah, we got lucky there. But at least you know how to use a flare gun now! Amy replied.

- Yes! That was very fun! Emma answered with a smile and animating the practice shot with her hands.

- I think we are just about finished here. Anything you want to do before we leave? Amy asked.

- I want to show you my room! Emma replied with excitement.

- Of course! Show me the way! Do you have any secrets in there? Amy put down the last dishes and wiped her hands as they went for the stairs.

- Yes! But don't tell anyone, not even mommy! Emma answered.

- Of course not! This should be fun! Amy answered with a wink.

[Piotross]

The doctor sat down by a desk, pencil in hand, he was writing on a piece of paper, carelessly torn out from his personal journal.

To do list:
- REPORT THE RIOT TO THE CLOSEST POLICE DEP.
- help the patient, will need anticoagulant + antibiotics, look for a sterile environment in case of amputation
- find Marcus,
- find food
- get more firewood
- seen a rabbit grove close to the main road, investigate, set traps

Alexander let out a sigh, as he hid the card into his jacket's pocket. He felt paranoid, the thought about inmates running around the place made him petrified. Who wouldn't be? Then, he pulled out a note he made before and placed it on the bedside table. Just general information about "do's and dont's". After that, he got dressed, made sure that his flare gun is loaded and pushed the door open.

- Let's look for some rabbits shall we?. - He said to himself, as he turned to the side, looking for a rabbit snare. - Aha! Found one. - He smiled, the little win cheering him up. Finally, he headed towards the road.

 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Piotross

[Bearimpaler101]

Man 2 years of hard work this story is amazing