Self Apocalypse: The Beginning (6 page)

“You must be the man living in the mountains I heard about in town.”  He grasped my hand shaking it firmly.  For an older guy he was strong.  I mean like an ox.  I think he could have cracked my hand like a walnut if he wanted to.  Guess that was from a life on the farm.

“That’s me.”, I started to say recovering my hand from his vise grip. “I was hoping you might have some things I could use.”

A smile raced from ear to ear on his face.  “So you’re livin’ in the hills, and your name is Jeremiah?”

Right away I knew where he was going with this.  It was kind of ironic mixed with some humor, and already I could see the jokes circulating in town.

“Yeah”, I chuckled a bit, “but my last name’s not Johnson.”  I must have hit it right on the nose, because he started laughing up a storm.

“Well, what kind things are you looking for?”

“Anything to help around my camp really.  I need to figure a way to wash my clothing better than the bucket and hand method.  I was also wondering if you sold any beef or other food here too.”

“I can definitely help you young man.  As a matter of fact I have a washboard in the back, and some metal wash tubs.  I think that’ll help you quite a bit.  As for food I have a milking heard, but I do sell bottled milk and we have laying hens if you need eggs.”

He guided me through the barn filled jungle to the back where he pulled out a washboard.  “Here you go.” he said handing me the washboard.  Then we walked back towards the front of the barn.  “Right here.” he said.  “These wash tubs are small, but plenty big to wash your clothes in.”

It was perfect.  Exactly what I needed.  I bought one of the tubs, the washboard, a bottle of his “finest” milk, and some eggs.  I thanked him for his help, and headed back into town.  He had told me something that startled me a bit.  I couldn’t help but think about it on the ride back.  I had asked him how he was managing to make enough to pay taxes, and he said he didn’t.  He hadn’t paid in over two years, but the town was not issuing liens.  As a matter of fact the town no longer had officials.  It couldn’t afford to pay anyone, not even a town clerk.  The town’s people met once every month to run official business.  This wasn’t the only town either.  Things were getting real bad.  There was no revenue anywhere, and it was so widespread that the state and federal government couldn’t do anything about it.  It was like the entire country was floating on borrowed dollars.  I began to wonder if the government would start demanding other things for revenue.  I shook my head while picturing tax collectors demanding milk and eggs for collection of taxes.  It was a funny thought, but horrifying considering the truth hidden within.

I decided to head back to camp and check on the snowmobile the following week.  I enjoyed coming out today, and wanted an excuse to come back and socialize.  When I got back I made sure to try my new washboard and tub.  It wasn’t a washing machine, but it worked a hundred times better than washing clothes with my hands in a seven gallon pale.  All in all things were beginning to really shape up and take form around the camp.  I was becoming more confident in myself and my abilities with each day that passed by.  The world around me was falling apart, but I was not going to succumb to its heavy blows.  I may not have been in the best position of my life, but I was in a better position than most.  And I was doing it on my own.

Chapter Five

Strength from Solitude

“Be of good courage, and

he shall strengthen your heart…”

- Psalms 31:24

As the summer continued, I found myself becoming more and more comfortable with my surroundings.  My main job was the upkeep of the camp, and making sound preparations for the winter.  Though things were going well, I couldn’t help but feel the growing presence of loneliness now lurking in my mind like a shadow.  I had to preserve gas and also knew I couldn’t continue making trips into town when winter came.  So I had to deal with this now before it took over and caused me to go mad.  Keeping busy was the top priority in this fight.  I had to make sure I was continuously doing something, and not sitting around pondering on being alone.  Chores weren’t enough though.  I had to try and have fun too.  I never thought I’d say it, but fishing and swimming wasn’t enough.  I decided to take more day trips into the mountains, and even go on a camping trip.  Sounded funny as I was already camping, but maybe a more rugged experience is what I needed right now.  There was that structure I had seen in the spring on one of my day hikes.  I decided I would go and see if I had a distant neighbor.  It was only a day’s hike away anyhow.  Besides, if someone was living there, I would have a little more social interaction. 

I packed very light for the trip.  I brought a tarp in case I needed a shelter for the night and a wool blanket.  I made a few sandwiches for the trip, and also brought a hand line in case I found an opportunity for some wild brook trout.  There were a lot of brooks and streams here that I found offered plenty of food for anyone willing to work for it.  I threw on my pack, grabbed my rifle, and started out on my journey.  By late morning I crested the small hill that I had seen the structure from in the spring.  Being a nice open area, I had an early lunch here before taking compass readings and wandering off into the woods.  Peanut butter and jelly was on the menu for the next couple of days.  I scanned the mountain the structure was on while I ate lunch.  The mountaintop was completely covered with pines, and there appeared to be a rock ledge on the northeast slope.  The structure lay not too far down from the pine covered peak, and I could see a large rock the near the peak that served as a nice lookout.  I wondered if there were any roads or trails that led to the structure.  None were visible from my point of view, but I would conduct a reconnaissance of the area when I got there.  I took a long look at the structure, at least what you could see of it, and could tell it was a cabin.  It appeared to be small, but I was quite a ways from it so who knows.  It was definitely going to take me the afternoon to get there.  I figured I’d be at the cabin by three o’clock or so.  That is as long as everything went good.  I wasn't sure what obstacles I would come across along the way. 

After lunch I took a compass bearing and studied what I could see of the route ahead of me.  A northwesterly route would see me to the cabin.  It was the most direct route, but also appeared to be the easiest as the southern slope of the mountain looked to be a little more gradual than the other sides.  I placed the binoculars back in my pack and started off on my adventure.  It was relatively flat going between the hill I just left and the mountain I was approaching.  The forest here was mainly hardwood and very open.  There wasn’t a lot of undergrowth either, which made my hike much more enjoyable.  The sun didn’t make it threw the canopy much here, but the rays that did make it through felt warm and kept the area from being gloomy.  Squirrels chattered to the left and right of me as I made my way threw the valley.  Birds seemed to be densely grouped here as well.  Their chirping and songs were loud and gave one the feeling of walking through a jungle.  Before long I could here another noise in the distance.  It was definitely water.  I hadn’t seen any large openings from the hill I had lunch at, so it must be a small brook which serves as a mountain runoff.  It took me another twenty minutes before I found myself looking at a small waterfall.  It was a good size brook and flowed rather swiftly considering the flatness of the terrain.  I took a break here and drank liberally from one of the two canteens I had with me.  I wanted to take the opportunity to refill with water now, as I was not sure if there would be another chance to do so later. 

I drank as much as I could bear to, and then topped off the canteen.  I was going to worry about treating the water later.  While I was filling the canteen I saw something slowly moving in the pool that the waterfall was graciously filling.  It was definitely a fish.  What luck!  I couldn’t believe it.  I took the extra time to take out the hand line I had brought with me, and found a couple worms under a nearby rotting log.  It took me a few tries, but in the end I had two small brookies hanging from a tree branch I had cut down to carry them.  My luck doubled with the discovery of crayfish in the pool.  That took a little longer, but in the end was worth it.  With two fish in hand and five crayfish I placed in a small thermos I had to keep alive until tonight, I repacked my gear, took another compass bearing, and went out along my way again.

My expedition through the forest continued as the land now gradually sloped upward toward the mountain top.  My hike was now becoming a little more time consuming with the incline that now faced me.  After reaching what I believed to be the half way point, I realized I had probably spent a little too much time gathering dinner at that pool.  It was now well pass three in the afternoon and I would need to start worrying about finding shelter and starting a fire if I didn’t reach my destination soon.  I continued my climb upwards while keeping close tabs on the time.  The cabin was definitely further away than I had realized, and the mountain much higher as well.  Another hour of hiking passed by before I found myself near the summit.  I started to scan my surroundings for the cabin as I hiked through.  Realizing I needed to walk more to the right, I adjusted my direction and shortly after that found the cabin.

I called out before approaching so I wouldn’t startle anyone.  The last thing I needed was for someone to get jumpy with the presence of a stranger bearing a firearm.  No one called back and I couldn’t see or hear anyone moving about.  I walked up to the cabin and got the immediate feeling it was abandoned.  The structure itself seemed to be in good shape, but the surrounding area and outer walls were definitely neglected.  There was actually a small yard on the side of the cabin which I thought was neat.  I walked up to the door and knocked.  I grasped the handle and began to open the door. “Hello?” I called in as the door began to move.  As the door opened it fell off the top hinge.  I had to pick it up a bit to open it the rest of the way.

Inside, the cabin dimly lit from what daylight was left.  It was warm inside though, obviously a great benefit from being on the south facing side.  Placing my rifle against the wall and laying my pack on the floor, I took out my flashlight for a little extra help.  There was a wood stove towards the back of the cabin, and a small kitchen to my left.  A living area to my right contained a table with two wooden chairs and a lounge chair.  The cushions on the lounge chair were torn, and the mess on the floor indicated rodents.  I was sure the place was full of them.  There were cabinets filled with dishes and handy supplies.  None of which were damaged.  There were tools by the woodstove, and the chimney pipe looked to be in good order.  There was an open doorway in the far right corner leading to another room.  I slowly walked over, waiting for some animal to come jumping out from the darkness.

At the doorway I sent the flashlight’s beam into the room.  The windows were covered with blankets making it much darker than the rest of the cabin.  There was a small desk and chair in the room and a bunk bed.  The bottom bunk had a blanket on it that seemed to be covering something.  I felt a chill go through me when I realized it appeared to be a body.  The room didn’t smell though, so I assumed it might be a blanket or more gear perhaps.  I ripped down the blankets from the windows so light would fill the room, then I slowly approached the bed not knowing what to expected.  I grabbed the top of the blanket and threw it off without hesitation.  I nearly jumped out of my clothes when I saw it laying there.  There was a human skeleton with torn clothing lying in the bed.

I backed up slowly then turned leaving the cabin.  Outside I looked around as I tried to catch my breath.  The sun was going down now, and a decision would need to be made now.  I couldn’t stay in that cabin tonight.  Not because of the skeleton, but because of the rodents and their mess.  I retrieved my gear and quickly started to build a shelter.  I gathered some wood and started a small fire.  That night I found myself thinking of what my next step would be.  I had my freshly caught food for tonight so the supplies I had brought would last longer.  I thought it would be best to look around the cabin more in the morning before making any decisions, but first I would give the body in the cabin a proper burial.

It was considerably cooler at this elevation, and made for a rough night with only a blanket to stay warm.  Being awake a lot gave me time to think.  I was going to bury the remains in the morning, then stay and see if the cabin could be salvaged.  It had seemed to be in relatively good repair, and would offer me a second place to go in case there was ever any need to leave my camp.  It seemed crazy, but the idea of having a place to fall back on made me feel a little better.  There was just too much uncertainty as of late, and this would certainly give me peace of mind.

Morning found me by a small fire trying to warm myself.  When the sun’s rays finally touched me, I began to feel that restoration of body warmth I had been longing for.  I retrieved a small shovel and axe from the cabin and began digging a grave.  The shovel was no longer any good and the handle to the axe broke in half.  The tools were obviously very old.  I used the axe with its short broken handle to break up the hard earth, and scooped the dirt and rocks out with my hands.  I continued this for some time until a shallow grave was dug out.  I placed in the remains and buried them.  A small pile of rocks were placed on top to mark the shallow grave.  I spoke a few words to ensure a proper burial was given, and then I set straight to working on the cabin.