Self Apocalypse: The Beginning (9 page)

I had emergency supplies at the cabin, and I could try and retrieve what food I had left here.  There was no way I could stay here now, and I knew no one would find me up at the cabin.  I looked through my scope again to get a good view of these guys.  While one of the two men was rummaging in my utility shed, the other was keeping watch with a small shotgun in hand.  It looked like a .410 or maybe it was a single shot rifle.  I wasn’t exactly sure, but I was sure that I was going to shoot him first.  I waited until I knew that the trucks that left would be far enough away not to hear my shots echo.  I aimed in at the man who was obviously waiting for me to show back up, and said
here I am
as I squeezed the trigger.  Before the other man could react, I had bolted in a new round fired as he turned from inside the shed.  He fell back into the shed only his legs now showing.  I waited five minutes to get my nerve together and walk over.

I slowly approached the guy who had been holding the firearm that now lay a few feet from him.  I kept a close eye on the legs sticking out from the shed.  After determining he was dead, I moved toward the other fellow now permanently enjoying my supplies.  He too was deceased and I then waited listening for a while longer to make sure I didn’t hear any vehicles.  I then went straight to work pulling out the cinder blocks.  I took what little gold I had left and placed it under a large rock on the outskirts of my camp.  I then grabbed what gear I knew I needed and stuffed it into my large hiking pack.  I then took my small day pack and filled it with as much food as I could.  I then grabbed the rifle and took off with the day pack in one hand, rifle in the other, and my large pack now burdening my shoulders.  I looked down at the gun that had been brought here for my demise and saw that it was a small .410.  I realized how important that could be for me if I could find some ammunition for it.  Quickly, I searched through their truck and found three boxes of ammo, two of which were birdshot.  I crammed the two boxes in my pack, having to leave a can of beans behind, and grabbed the shotgun before leaving.  I moved swiftly to get space between me and the camp.  Those other trucks were sure to come back, and I didn’t want to be around when they did.

I kept moving at a brisk pace until I came upon that familiar brook with its waterfall and pool.  I put down my gear and rested for a moment before splashing water on my face.  Cupping my hands together, I filled them with water and poured it over my head.  The cool water was refreshing and seemed to revive me.  I was still horrified as to what had happened and my hands were trembling.  Relief overcame my body as I realized I had almost been a victim.  If I hadn’t left the camp to go hunting I would have been right in the open when those trucks came barreling in.  At least I got away with some supplies.  I was able to grab a can of coffee and my percolator too.  I laughed thinking that was the only thing I could think of while I was grabbing gear.  I was beginning to think I might be addicted to caffeine.

I sucked down some water, and then spent a little time fishing with my hand line.  I knew I wouldn’t make it to the cabin before dark, so I decided to camp here for the night.  I felt safe here, and knew I was far enough away so that none of those guys would find me.  I built an expedient shelter with the branches around me.  Building a stone fire ring was quick with the rocks provided in the brook, but I didn’t light a fire until after dark.  I didn’t want to chance anyone seeing the smoke tonight.  That was one thing I didn’t think about with the cabin.  It was pretty high up on that mountain, and the smoke from the chimney would be visible for miles on a clear day.  Worrying about that now though was crazy.  I needed to concentrate on the now.  With the fire crackling after dark, and freshly caught dinner cooking on the flames, I sat back and gave thanks for making it one more day.

Morning came too soon for my liking, and I was now faced once again with my new situation.  I had quite a haul ahead of me, and a very steep climb up to the cabin with all this gear.  I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I started out as soon as I was fully awake.  The gear I was carrying began to be a burden as the land started to incline.  I knew I needed to get use to it though, because I was going to have to try and retrieve more supplies from the camp.  I was hoping that they wouldn’t return to plunder the rest of my property.

It was a strenuous hike with no trail leading up to the cabin.  Once I finally arrived I was more than ready to drop my gear.  I opened up the cabin to air it out and brought in the supplies.  Drinking what little water I had left, I knew I couldn’t rest but in fact needed to go in search of more water.  I had yet to climb to the very summit above the cabin, and decided to try that first so I could look over both sides of the mountain.  The brook I would normally stop at on the way was a little further than I wanted to hike to for water.  Also, winter was coming back eventually so I would need a reliable source close to the cabin.  I took my canteen and the metal percolator as a second container.  I made sure I had my knife, but left my rifle behind.  Then, stepping out from the cabin, I closed the door and headed to the summit.

Pine branches tightly woven together impeded my way as I worked my way up to the top of the mountain.  It was times like this that I wish I had a machete or even a chainsaw for that matter.  As I worked my way through the tangled mess, I earned a few scratches and cuts for my efforts.  Upon conquering the mountain, I could see why the cabin’s previous occupant had chosen this place.  Though the top was wooded you could still look out over the surrounding mountain ranges.  I walked out to the northern side of the mountain and found that it had cliffs on the northwest side as well the one on the northeast I had previously seen.  The view from the northwest was a commanding one at that.  I could see for miles, and what must have been Canada laid to the extreme north.

I imagined myself traveling across this massive expanse in search of others who had the mentality to remain calm and rebuild.  At some point I would have to start thinking about that.  I couldn’t live on this mountain alone for the remainder of my life.  If I did I’m sure it would be a short life, only to succumb to infection or the cold.  Right now though I needed water, so adventuring into the unknown would have to wait.  I walked around to the west side of the mountain, and finding it to be heavily wooded I began to descend.  The westerly slope was a bit more gradual than the south.  I wish I had known that last year.  There was a small game trail as well that worked its way gently down.  Following the game trail I was able to avoid any more entanglements from the choked pine limbs.  To my amazement I found a spring not more than forty feet below the summit.  Very close to the cabin, that is a lot closer than I could have asked for.  It was almost as if I was better off leaving the camp behind.  This spring would provide clean, uncontaminated water that I was skeptical with at the river.  I didn’t mind boiling the river water, but the thought of radiation contaminates worried me greatly.  I was almost certain I was hundreds of miles from any detonation that took place, but I wasn’t exactly sure if the wind was carrying anything.  I guess in the end it wouldn’t matter much as I was going to be eating animals exposed to anything in the air.  It was something that would cloud my mind a lot, but in the end it was something I knew I couldn’t ponder on.  Either I was safe or I was screwed.  There was no in-between in this situation.

I spent some time hydrating at the spring before filling my containers and heading back.  On the way back to the cabin I stumbled upon an old outhouse.  I hadn’t realized that there was one.  It was halfway between the spring and cabin, a little higher in elevation than the cabin itself.  It was in really bad shape, but definitely was better than the alternative.  The outhouse was something I would need to add as a top priority to the new list I was going to have to make.  That and I needed to go back behind enemy lines to retrieve the rest of my supplies.  I could tell the rest of this summer was going to be an eerily exciting one.  I was up to the challenge though.  After all I had gotten this far, hadn’t I?

Chapter Eight

Silence is Broken

“I will lift up mine eyes unto

the hills, from whence cometh

my help.”

-Psalms 121:1

On the second day at the cabin I witnessed a plume of black smoke rising from the general direction of my camp.  Any hopes I had of retrieving supplies soon washed away.  I remained at my position on the mountain for a week before deciding to return to the camp to scavenge what I could.  When that day finally came I carried only my rifle, water, and my two bags which I kept empty.  Dampness covered the forest from the previous night’s rainfall soaking my clothing as I moved through the woods.  I kept as silent as I could at a steady pace and remained on alert the entire time.  I slowed my pace and began to move more silent once I was a hundred yards from the hill before my camp.

I scanned the sky for any sign of smoke and listened for sounds of any kind.  There were no unfamiliar smells, and I could not hear or see anything that raised alarm.  Still moving silently I stayed in the woods as I approached the camp.  Once I was close enough, I could see that they had attempted to burn the camper and sheds.  They didn’t do a good job though, because the camper was still standing.  The camper was blackened around the openings so I was sure most everything inside had burned.

I scanned the area and didn’t see any sign of life.  Before entering the camp I moved along the edge of the clearing and down the road a ways.  Seeing that there were no vehicles within a couple hundred yards of the camp, I assumed it was safe and no one was around.  I moved my way back towards the camp still being quiet as I went.  Scanning the camp one more time from the woods before moving in, I kept my rifle ready and stepped into the clearing.

There were no sounds, no shots taken, so I gathered my nerve and approached the camper.  The bodies that I had left were now gone.  I was shocked to think they even bothered to take them or bury them.  Even though they were bent on evil I guess they still held on to certain beliefs.  I stepped into the camper and almost gagged at the smell.  The material in the camper wasn’t exactly the type of stuff you wanted to burn.  A lot of plastic and press board not to mention the sponge cushions.  Everything was damaged in the camper.  I scavenged a few dishes that were still usable, and gathered clumps of candles that had been melted.  As I walked toward the far end of the camper I kicked something on the floor.  I couldn’t believe it, it was my radio!  I picked it up an inspected it.  It was melted in a few places, but other than that it looked ok.  I wound it up a little and turned it on.  Static sound filled the smoldered camper as I moved the dial.  Still nothing on, but the radio worked so I placed that in a bag.  I found a couple playing cards half burned on the floor, the rest of the deck apparently burned in the fire.  I was happy that I had taken all my ammunition with me last week.  Otherwise it would have gone in this fire if not taken by those creeps.

The end of the camper where I slept had burned the worst.  There was nothing there that I could recover for future use.  Being satisfied with my inspection of the camper I moved outside to look underneath.  They had taken a lot, but there were still some canned goods under the trailer.  So I took those out threw them in a pile.  Then I walked over to the first shed which was burnt to the ground.  There was nothing left here, and it looked like they had taken all the tools before they burnt it.  I did however find the head to my hatchet with a half burnt handle.  That would definitely come in handy so I placed that into one of the bags.

The raised shed had not been touched.  The ladder was in good shape still too, and I climbed it to reach my main food supplies.  What food I had left here had been taken except for two bags of beans and a bag of rice.  I was amazed to see they missed those.  They must have been trying to get out of here fast in case I returned.  Maybe that was why they hadn’t properly torched my camper.  Or it might have been because they didn’t have the fuel to throw on it.  Either way it didn’t matter now, I was safe and I still had some supplies that would help me out.

I brought the bags to where I had left the cans and placed them in the pile.  I took one more look around the camp and remembered the coins.  They were still under the rock where I had placed them the day I left.  I added them to the bag of supplies I had been filling, and then put the food that was left in the larger bag.  I packed up and started off for the cabin.  After crossing the cool waters of the river, I turned around and said goodbye to the camp.  I knew I wouldn’t be returning again.  Before I turned back around to continue my journey, I noticed they had taken the sled too. 
What a shame
I thought to myself.  I had spent a great deal of time and money to get that thing.  For some reason I was more heart broken over not having any transportation than I was over losing the camper.  I crested the hill above the camp and couldn’t help but look just one more time at the once peaceful scene below.  Turing toward the mountain, I looked up at the peak for a short breath then stepped into the forest.

* * * * *

The next few days were spent hunting and fishing in the bottom land.  I was putting that new shotgun to good use by hunting small game.  I had fashioned a container out of birch bark that I used to collect berries in the various patches I found.  These I dried for future use during the winter months.  I began to construct a smoker as well.  The hopes of shooting larger game would not be worth it if I couldn’t preserve the meat.  It was still not cold enough to have meat sitting around.  There were still a couple months to go before things cooled down.