by S A Ison
He stood at the screen door and peered in. The house was in some disorder, toys and paper scattered around. He saw the man looking down into a divided off area and the mother of the puppies standing by his side. Blake gently rapped on the door before opening it and the man looked over his shoulder and nodded. Blake went into the house. It stunk like puppy poop and fried food. He had to fight not to bring his hand up to cover his face. He walked over to the partitioned area.
Looking down, he saw three puppies, thin but happy. They were mixed mutts and their mother was a medium sized dog.
“They’re all boy puppies.” The man said, looking down. He had a cigarette hanging off his lips and when he spoke, the cigarette bounced, causing ash to fall onto the puppies.
“Good looking puppies.” Blake lied, they were way too thin and he could see there was diarrhea in the closed in box. A bit of rice would help that and a better diet, he thought. The man grunted and nodded at Blake’s comment.
“How much?” Blake asked, wanting to get the puppy and get out.
“How much you think?” The man asked, looking sideways at him, his eyes squinted against the smoke.
“How about forty?” Blake suggested. The man thought a moment.
“How about fifty?” The man countered. Blake grunted, pretending to think about it.
“Well, I did want to surprise my wife. Our anniversary and all. Yeah. I can do fifty.” Blake nodded and stuck out his hand. The man took his hand and shook it. Blake heard coughing from somewhere deep in the house, the man’s wife, he thought. He wanted to get the puppy and go, he wanted away from this place and away, back to the forest.
“Go ahead and pick your pup.” The man said, nodding down and Blake reached down and chose a tan colored puppy. The coat was dull and it felt oily and dirty. He pitied the other puppies, but he could only take one. The puppy stunk and Blake breathed shallowly from his mouth. He drew his wallet out and turning slightly, pulled out fifty dollars. He turned back and handed the money to the man.
“Thanks, I know my wife will be tickled to death about the pup. Thanks again.” Blake moved to the door and out of the house. He took in a deep breath from the outside humid air, it was sweet. He had seen fishing gear on the kitchen table and a hunting rifle up on a rack and figured the family should be okay, if the man could hunt and fish. Those in the cities wouldn’t be so lucky. He walked quickly down the road, away from the house. He didn’t look back, but thought that he could feel the eyes of the man watching him. He slowed his step, not wanting to get to the truck too quickly.
He stopped when he was roughly six hundred feet from the home and set the puppy down, as though wanting it to potty. He surreptitiously looked down the road and could see the figure of the man, standing and watching at the edge of his property. Blake waited for a few minutes, letting the puppy wander around, while he kept his eye on the figure down the road. The man eventually walked back to his house and Blake picked up the puppy.
“You’re gonna need a bath; you stink little boy. I’ll have Alice make some rice for you as well. See if we can’t feed you up.” The puppy looked up at him and his tail waggled. He grinned down at the pup and walked back to his truck. Blake thought that the other puppies wouldn’t be alive in another week. He didn’t think that the man spared much food for the dogs.
He got into the truck and pulled out. He was far enough away from the man’s home, that he would not be seen. He was glad he had parked away from the home and he was glad the man hadn’t said anything about the power outage. Now, to get the puppy home and to bring Alice’s spirits up.
Ω
Lewis and Clark National Forest, MT
Miles turned off on the last road, he’d been at it for about four hours now and he was planning on heading home. Albert was looking out the window, his small ears perked forward. He had gotten a late start and it was looking like he would not find the crash site. He wasn’t willing to go farther in, should he become stuck, tire chains or not, he didn’t want the long walk home. He could feel the temperature drop and that meant more snow was on the way. He shivered at the thought. So far, it had been a mild autumn. The snowfall hadn’t been bad at all.
He had chosen this region because he knew that places like Cook City, Mystic Lake, and West Glacier had far greater amounts of snow dumped. That wasn’t to say that sometimes, he was snowed in for weeks, but that was unusual. He had been smart enough, however, to stock up on everything. Especially batteries and candles. No sun, no power and a hell of a lot of reading.
Miles pulled the jeep over, he needed to take a leak and he figured Albert could do with a break as well. He had packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He had fifteen loaves of bread frozen solid, that normally lasted him the whole winter. Montana was one great big freezer in the winter. He pulled over and stopped the jeep. He pulled out his thermos and bag. He also set a dish down for Albert. He had half a peanut butter sandwich for the dog. He poured water into the dish and then unwrapped the half sandwich and tore it into chunks. Albert sat at attention, his nubby tail wagging with frenzied delight.
He grinned down and then gave the hand gesture to eat and Albert attacked the bits with alacrity. Miles snorted and laughed.
“I don’t know who likes peanut butter better, me or you?” Miles took the thermos and unscrewed the cap and poured a cup of coffee. He could feel the damp chilled air biting at him and he shivered. He sniffed the air and he could smell the snow. He looked up into the sky, it was pale blue and he saw tinges of gray in the distance, between the massive evergreens. He picked up his coffee and felt the warmth of the cup radiate into his hand. He groaned and sipped the coffee, feeling it tendril down into his stomach and the warmth of it branch off and seep through his bones.
He picked up his own sandwich and unwrapped it, saving the plastic. He would reuse it for another sandwich. He bit into the bread and sighed, he had to admit, he made a mean PB&J. It was mostly due to the jams he bought at roadside stands. In particular, a widow, Jael Wilson, who owned a small farm that also boasted a small orchard. He had stumbled upon her place some five years past. He’d been headed to White Sulphur Springs, to shop. He had seen a handmade roadside sign and had pulled off of US Highway 12. He also realized that his veterinarian, Dr. Tisk, lived down the road, past Jael’s farm. It was a small world.
It had been one of the best decisions he’d made. Jael’s Jams and Jellies was a small and budding home business. She’d given him a few samples and he’d been in love with her jams and jellies ever since. He had also gotten to know Jael, one of the very few people he actually spoke with. She was down to earth and in her late forties. She was a short squat woman, with short blonde hair and mischievous blue eyes. Once more, the visions of a plump Tasha Yar floated in his mind.
Miles hadn’t realized just how lonely he was, until he stopped and talked with Jael. He had found himself reticent to leave. On their second meeting, he had lingered over an hour, and Jael had invited him for coffee. He had stayed, knowing he shouldn’t.
Over the years, he never got close to anyone, it was too dangerous. But, something about Jael drew him in. It was almost a sense of coming home. Miles was careful to keep up a thin wall. He didn’t want to endanger Jael. Anyone connected to him would surely be in peril. He cared about Jael enough to keep a distance. She had an online business, and she was happy with the way it was going. Her farm was neat and tidy and though not big, seemed to run smoothly.
He thought that he was perhaps, one of her best customers. In his pantry, he had strawberry jam, cherry jam, apple jam, carrot marmalade, apple butter, and mango habanero jam. He had quite a few different kinds, and with each jar he opened, he made it a great ceremony. Mango habanero had been one of his favorites and next year, he’d get more than one jar.
He looked over when Albert started barking and watched as the dog looked up the road.
“Go ahead, you might as well have fun. Watch out for cats.” He warned and Albert took off as though his butt was
on fire. Miles grunted in amusement. He’d not been kidding about the cats. He had seen his share of mountain lions in the forest and hills of Montana. The dog would be a snack for one of the big cats. He had seen his share over the years and had gone cautiously in the woods. He had to kill one, three years ago, it had been a habitual visitor at his home. A big male. He hadn’t wanted to kill the cat, but Miles had nearly been killed by it.
He had been chopping wood and when he had turned to pick up another piece to chop, the big cat was barreling down on him. He barely had time to draw his weapon. The massive feline had been so quiet, he’d not heard a thing. He had then decided to get another dog. Dogs were great early warning, and he had missed Einstein.
Miles put his thermos back into the jeep and found a convenient tree. He was zipping up when he heard Albert’s barking. It was a stranger bark, when he came across a stranger. His hand went to his weapon and patted it and then he started walking toward the sound. He then heard the deeper bark of a bigger animal. More than likely some hunter and he hoped perhaps maybe rescue dogs and their handlers. Maybe he had been going in the right direction. He walked and followed the barking and ahead, saw a large German Shephard. The dog’s tail was up and wagging and both dogs were sniffing each other.
Miles was glad that he only had to give a hand shake and not an ass sniffing. Then he saw a tall man, in a heavy coat and Miles lifted a hand in greeting. A broad smile stretched across the man’s face. Then a woman came from behind and she was layered down with odd bits of clothing. He saw another man, his arm in a sling, and still another man, and he too was dressed oddly. They were all bundled in sweaters, shirts, and scarves. It was an odd bunch, but all were smiling. He saw that they looked tired and he wondered if they had been lost in the woods?
“Hello there.” He called, and he received their hellos back. The larger dog came to him and Miles stuck out his hand and let the dog sniff.
“You folks lost?” He asked as they drew in close.
“We are, we were in a plane crash. We’ve been trying to find our way out of the woods and hoping to find help.” The tall man said, relief stamped clearly on his face. His companions nodded, their tired faces lighting up.
“Oh, for goodness sakes. I was wondering. I had been out the last couple of days, looking for any survivors or at least the rescue squads. I’d hadn’t seen a soul. My name is Miles.” He said, sticking his hand out. These were some lucky people, he thought. He’d not come across anyone.
“Good to meet you Miles, I’m Phoenix, this is Lydia, Julian and Yuma. And that is Thor. Can you tell us where we’re at?”
“Good to meet you all and I’m glad you survived. You’re in Lewis and Clark National forest, Montana.” He watched as each of their faces showed surprise and shock.
“I thought we might have crashed in Washington, but I couldn’t be sure. The plane broke up and pieces went everywhere. Do you have a phone? We’d like to call our families, to let them know we’re alive.” Phoenix asked.
“Oh, I’m really sorry. I don’t have a phone. I live off grid and in the woods. Look, it’s getting late and I know you are all anxious to contact loved ones, but, looks like we got another snow coming. I can offer you a warm bed, and a hot meal. Then, tomorrow, I can take you into town and we can see about getting you in touch with your loved ones.” Miles offered, feeling badly, that he didn’t have a phone. He knew that the relatives of these people would be heartsick until they knew if their family members were safe. He saw their crestfallen faces and once more felt a twinge.
He thought about taking them to town, but by the time he got home, the snow would be on his heels.
“Thank you, Miles, really, thank you. We’ll take you up on your offer. It has been a rough few days.”
“Thank you, Miles.” Lydia said, and he smiled at her southern accent. He smiled and nodded and then waved them toward his jeep.
“Phoenix, you can sit up front, and if you don’t mind holding Albert, the three of you can squeeze into the back. The jeep doesn’t have heating so the dogs will keep you warm.” Miles smiled and lead the way to his jeep.
Ω
Fargo, GA
Alice looked down at the puppy, it was a pitiful looking thing. She had washed it twice, trying to get the smell off of it. It smelled unhealthy. She shook her head, what had possessed Blake? She had made up a small pot of rice and canned chicken. Blake was making a small enclosure for the puppy, until they could get his diarrhea under control.
“You poor baby, what were those people thinking? You’re skin and bones.” She said, holding the puppy’s face in her hands. She poured a cup of warm water over the shaking puppy, rinsing him. He had large golden eyes, and they melted Alice’s heart. Reaching over, she picked up a towel and wrapped the puppy in it. Alice thought the puppy was perhaps nine weeks old. She walked out on the porch with him and saw that Blake was working away at the enclosure.
She had already fed the puppy and its stomach was distended with food. Sitting in the swing, she moved the towel around the animal to dry him.
“That isn’t very big.” Alice said, seeing that the enclosure was only about as big as large box.
“I have to be able to move the encloser around. Once he starts pooping normally, he can stay in the house. We can house train him.” Blake wiped at his face with an old and faded red bandana. Her husband looked like he belonged out here in the woods. He was normally well turned out, with either a nice polo shirt or a button-down cotton shirt, starched. She had rarely seen him disheveled, yet, here he was, in grubby clothing, looking like a vagabond. He had not shaved since they had gotten there, though he had taken a shower last night.
Alice wasn’t used to roughing it and she didn’t know if she resented Blake more for bringing her here or for the fact that he wasn’t bothered by the primitive conditions. She had mentioned some offhanded remark about how primitive the place was.
“Do you realize, Alice, that we may be the only people in fifty miles or more that actually have power, and the ability to take a warm shower? And a flushing toilet? That no one else has a working refrigerator or food to put in that refrigerator? I chose this place because it has an old fashion hand pump in the kitchen, to draw water out of the well. You’ll always have fresh water. I also bought the place, because it has a large septic tank and leach field, so our toilet won’t back up. We aren’t on city water or sewage, so we don’t have to worry about the toilet backing up. I have a water filtration system in place, and we use it, just to be safe. Most people don’t have fresh drinking water and have to boil it.” Her face burned now, at the memory. She had felt like such a fool and she resented him and they were living primitively, she had to wash their clothes in a bucket for goodness sakes! She watched Blake as he worked, he was sitting on the ground, his pants low on his hips and his butt crack showing. She looked down at the puppy, dry now and sound asleep in a gluttonous stupor. She sighed.
Both she and Blake looked up when they heard a cough. She saw his hand go to his waist, and pulling out his gun. She wanted to tell him that he was paranoid and not to act like a total fool. He was being quite aggressive and over reacting. She was embarrassed at his actions, but the words stuck in her throat. The two men who stood not ten feet away looked rough. Suddenly, the hair rose in warning, all over her body. Alice was glad that Blake had his weapon out and pointed at the two strangers.
“Woah, woah mister. Didn’t mean to scare you.” A tall sender man, with thinning red hair said, his hands held up.
“The fact that you came up so close to the place without announcing yourselves, says otherwise. What do you want?” Blake asked flatly, his hand never wavering and his weapon pointed at the man’s gut.
“Me and my friend were just looking for a little food. Something’s happened and well, we ran out. Figured we might see if anyone around has something to spare.” Red head said, and the man next to him, a slender black youth, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties, nodded in agreement.
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br /> “You’ve come to the wrong place. There’s a big ass river just out there, and a whole big swamp full of food. If you’re as hungry as you say, then get out there and hunt or fish.” Blake said, his eyes cold and hard.
“Well, hell, don’t know how to fish or hunt.” Red head said.
“Not my problem, you’ll figure it out when you’re hungry enough. Get off my land and don’t come back.”
“You’re a real asshole.” The youth said.
“Yes, I am, and I’m mean as a striped snake. I mean it, don’t come back.” Blake said, taking a step forward, and both men stepped back and then turned. Blake kept his weapon aimed at the retreating men. Then Alice watched as he slowly followed them, and she noted that he was very quiet. She felt the hairs rise on her body once more. Something had shifted in her mind, something had woken, something basic and primal, a latent response.
Something clicked, and Alice realized she’d never faced danger before. Real danger. Her life had been spent in a bubble. Blake had also shielded her, for all their married lives. She had never understood all that bad out there in the world and never made the connection, that it could bleed onto her. Until now. Those men had snuck up on them. Had she have been here alone, she wouldn’t have thought anything unusual about them walking up. But Blake had known, he had realized that the men were testing them, testing their vulnerability.
Alice shivered. Blake was right, the world had changed. But Alice thought that it hadn’t changed that much, only that the restraints were off, that thin veneer ripped away. Blake didn’t seem to think that the police nor the government, nor military could help.
“I don’t think we’ll get any help from anyone, at least not for a long time. Europe might have the ability to help us, but I don’t see that happening for years. You’re talking about rebuilding the electrical grid in different regions. We’re talking billions of dollars.”