The Event Series (Book 2): The Gospel According to Matthew, Margo & Lance

by Thomas Larson

  “Maybe we should do something tomorrow,” she said. “Not the typical hymnal type thing with preaching, like we used to do, but something just kind of meditational, prayers type stuff.”

  “I like the idea, I think that it might work, but I am not sure how Ron and that group will take it. I don’t want them to think that we are forcing our ways on them or that we are trying to compete with them.” I said thoughtfully.

  “True, but we won’t be doing that, it would just be a general contemplate good things and think of how life is now, be thankful.”

  “Okay, but I think that we should test the waters a little first. Maybe you could talk with Langley or Karen and see how they think it would fly.” I suggested.

  After thinking for a moment Tanya said, “That might be a good idea. Let me work on them, while we are working on the herb and veggies gardens.”

  We did have a fire tonight, and in the course of it I tossed the idea of some kind of a Sunday morning gathering for just prayers, general prayers, and some time for reflection. The small group that we had, Margo, Cody, Lance and a few others seemed to think that it was not a bad idea.

  “But I really like the Vespers, this fire thing a lot better, it is relaxed, it is a nice way to end the day,” said Margo.

  “Oh, I agree, but I was just thinking that it might be nice to give those who don’t take the time to join us for the fire to have the chance for a little time for their spirit,” I responded.

  It kind of died there for the night as we just sat, watching the sky and the dying embers of the little fire.

  (Lance) I am still not able to get up on a ladder, and actually, I am kind of gun shy about climbing up on a roof. Fortunately, Matt and Mark have picked up the slack and have managed to get a couple more cabins completed. Fred and LJ have been pretty good at getting a few more panels back to the camp and we should be done with the project of having the new solar cells on the roofs in a couple more days. Then we can look at trying to build a little array in the open area on the west side of the camp.

  I sense that there is a little friction between Matt and Ron, nothing I can put my finger on but I am guessing that it has to do with the discussion the other day about the Sky Father, versus good old religion that they had. It doesn’t seem to be too big a deal, but if there is a rift, it is kind of silly, we’re all on the same side and it is not like we’re being brainwashed to one side or the other.

  I tried to contact the Pittsburgh today but had no luck. I wanted to ask them about the lights in the sky. If it is the Hunters, or is it something else, it would be good to know.

  (Margo) A few of us went out on a run today, covered about 5 miles We headed west, and on the way back we headed thought the woods as kind of a short cut. I always liked this route; it runs along a ridge of rocks on the west side of the path. There are little caves in the rock wall. The nice thing about this route is that for about a mile or so it is shaded between the tree cover and the ridge, it stays nice and cool.

  About halfway through we found the remains of a deer, it stank bad, which was how we found it. It was in a tree. The guess was it was too big to have been brought up there by a bobcat so it mush have been a mountain lion had gotten it and taken it up into the tree to feed.

  Beyond that it was a quiet day overall, weather was good, and nothing terrible happened.

  May 18th

  (Matt) It is Sunday morning so Tanya and I headed out to the Fire Pit. We figured that we would try the Sunday meditation out there. We, 9 of us, just kind of hung out for an hour or so. In the course of it we took the first 15 minutes to think quietly about where we were, kind of a just get into your own head. Then, I rang a little bell and we came back to the real world.

  “I would like to share my thoughts from while I was mediating,” I said. “I thought back to where we were back at the beginning of this new order, this new world and the suffering we have seen and each experienced.”

  I looked around the group, Cody and Margo, Delany and Lance, Chelsea, Nick and Grace were all there, looking at me, seemingly at peace.

  “It hasn’t been an easy time, and yet we have managed. We’ve always seemed to find or be given what we needed. It may not have been what we wanted, but we have been provided for.” I added.

  I was surprised when Lance cleared his throat and raised his hand. “Matt, I am not sure I believe in all of what you profess or told us. But we have done pretty well, we’ve been lucky. I’m certainly not the person I once was, I want to believe.”

  The others pretty much remained silent, but then it was not necessary to speak, just to take a little time and assess. I thought to myself, Lance isn’t exactly a convert, but then, Tanya and I aren’t looking at trying to convert, we’re finding peace for ourselves and sharing what we’ve found.

  As we were getting ready to finish up the meditation we heard singing from inside the dining hall. Ron and some of the others had restarted the Sunday tradition as we had once had it. I smiled, it is a good thing.

  (Lance) I think I surprised everyone, including myself this morning at the Fire Pit. I opened up to Matt and the group about my thoughts on what I felt about where I was spiritually. I guess it had to do with thinking about the dark place I had dwelt while growing up.

  For a long time I hated everything around me and considered killing myself so many times. I’m not even sure why I didn’t do it back when the whole meteor die off started, I mean I really had nothing to live for, but now that I think of it, I really just liked being miserable. I liked tormenting my parents and my friends with my being miserable. I found my identity in being the emo - Goth kid, who felt he was so unique, like all the rest of the emo – Goth kids.

  Then one day, in this camp, people started to not care that I was who, or what I was. They took me for just another link in a chain that we needed to survive. I found a place, and a person that meant something to me. I’m different, Del awakened that in me. Others did too, but it was really Delany who cut through the bullshit I had thrown up and made me see. I had a mission, and a partner.

  (Margo) Pam was kind of hiding outside the group at the Fire Pit. She wasn’t really there with us, yet she was kind of on the fringe. I watched her. As we meditated I could see her face, she was crying, sobbing quietly, tears running down her cheeks. She trembled. I can only imagine that she was reliving the horrors that she had experienced at Stanwix. I felt so bad.

  After we broke up from the Fire Pit, Code, Lucy and I wandered to the dining hall. When we walked in some heads turn to look at us, I sensed a little judgment in some of the faces, but most seem to be just curious or surprised.

  “Welcome” said Fred who was kind of at the front facing the group. He seemed to be the leader.

  We nodded and sat down. It was basically a Bible study group and they were working on the Book of Revelations talking about the end times and how we were probably in the midst of the Tribulation. Ron and LJ talked about how we needed to prepare for the armies of Satan and that in the end, the suffering, or noble efforts would rewarded with a place in Heaven.

  The two views, that of Matt and Tanya and that of this group were very different, but really they’re both looking for goodness. Funny though, they each are a little depressing, one side was saying that the Devil is at hand, but it was okay because we’ll all end up in Heaven and the other was saying that yeah, we’re gonna suffer but suck it up, cuz the Earth will take care of us. I wonder if Tom would be walking around going “Best Day Ever” like he used to, even when we’re in the middle of a shit storm.

  May 19th

  (Margo) Keith has gotten a nice little dental practice going very quickly. Mostly he is just doing cleanings, and maybe a few extractions. He really can’t do fillings or anything like that. I had my teeth looked at today and was given a clean bill of chew.

  He is funny, what is it about dentist that make them want to ask you questions while they have their hands or tools in your mouth.

  “So when was the last time yo
u visited a dentist,” he asked.

  “mummmmm, ti…..be….” was all that came out as I tried to answer. It was a stupid question, the answer for most of us was, going to be two or three years ago.

  “How do you like living here?”

  ”Hi rike it mine.”

  It was just small talk, but what a pain.

  The rest of the day was a good one, weather was good, Del and Code and I did a little run, Lucy tagged along, she seemed to be relaxed, so that is good.

  Vespers tonight was fun, we did a chain story, it was Tanya’s idea. She said that she would start the story and then we should fill in the rest.

  “Once upon a time there was a magical land” she began.

  “Where there were little lizard guys”, added Code.

  “Who like to eat worms, fat juicy worms” and Del, laughing.

  “But they really liked Deer Stew!” said Lance, pointing at me.

  “And it was the best Deer stew in the universe” said Nick.

  “Even better than the stuff Nick makes!” shouted Grace laughing wildly.

  “And then…..Wow, look at the meteor!” Matt pointed up, it was a bright one, and big. We all looked, and gasped, talk about a buzzkill.

  That simple little event kind of took the wind out of the sails. We all thought back to the start of where we are now. We all sat silently for a bit, and then started to head back to our cabins.

  (Lance) Tried a little running this morning, did a little bit, but took it easy and it kind of hurt so I quit early.

  Tried to reach the Pittsburgh again today, but no luck, they must still be down south or underwater. I tried to listen to a few other frequencies to see if there were any others out there, but found nothing.

  I remembered, I watched with fascination as the meteor over Russia exploded and blew out all that glass, and then the start of the die off. I remembered heading to the camp by Lake Danahee with my parents, and watching them being grabbed and ripped to shreds by those things. I, why didn’t I die too?

  As I thought of them I cried, I have not cried in years, I didn’t even cry after it had happened. I’ve changed. I miss them; I wish I had one more chance to tell them I was sorry for being a dick and tell them that I loved them.

  (Matt) Farm day, work, work, work. Weather good, gentle rain in the morning, good for growing.

  The fire tonight was kind of different, Tanya started a chain story and it was kind of fun, but when the meteor came over, it flashed me back to the old campfires in Fort Plain and the day this all began. Nothing else to say.

  May 20th

  (Lance) Still no luck getting in contact with the Pittsburgh. There is also no chatter on the Sat-Comm. I guess that is a good thing.

  I played supervisor with the crew on the roof, they were good with that, and I am good with not climbing up there.

  Ron caught up with me today.

  “Lance, I know that you attend the fires at night, and I don’t hold that against you. But I may need some help, and I just want to know that I can count on you.”

  It caught me off guard, “I, wait, why would you hold that against me, what are you talking about?”

  “No, I mean what you believe is your issue, I just don’t want you to think that I, we hold anything against you ‘Earthers’. We all need to work together and I may have a project that needs your skills.” He said

  “Matt has never felt there was a divide over what any of us believed in, so why would we not be on the same page?” It was weird I thought, actually, fucked up sounds more like it.

  “Yeah, this is not going the way I had hoped, I, well, maybe I should just drop it for now, we can talk more, later.” He said and walked off.

  I was left confused, and concerned. I should maybe talk to Matt, but first let me talk to Delaney.

  (Margo) I was thinking about the study group that Fred and Ron had yesterday. They seem like they are on a mission, it is like they want to face the devil and beat his army. What army, what are those two thinking? The Zoms, they’re just a horde, and really mindless, what is up with this? I guess they have some bee in their bonnet.

  Teckla came into camp today to pick up some food. She and Tay are still living out at the horse farm. She told The Three that they had gotten 4 horses into the barn and they were beginning to try to get them ready to ride. That was good news.

  Tomorrow it’s my turn to do the shepherd thing, I am a little nervous about it because of the mountain lion. I am thinking that Lucy will be a good companion. I would like to have Code come along too, but he is going out with the farm boys to look at the fields and scavenge for some building materials for some kind of stand for the solar panels.

  (Matt) Is this possible, nothing of interest happened today? I guess so, warm sun, nice day, thank you Earth Mother / Sky Father.

  May 21st

  (Matt) Keith caught up with me after breakfast this morning. It started out that it was just chit-chat, but it became clear that he wanted to talk about Fort Stanwix.

  “Matt, you’ve seen it, or at least a little of it. Those people at Stanwix are in trouble; those militia guys are killing them, and doing a lot of evil there.” He started.

  I am not sure he said evil, but close enough. “I saw things,” I was not sure where he was going with this.

  “There are only 9 of the militia guys who are doing all this, maybe eight if you actually killed Womack.” He added.

  “You’re thinking we should go there and remove them, the militia?” I said slowing, I was not sure I liked the idea.

  “I think about those people up there, they were, are my friends and it is hard on them. I think we need to help them. I want to help them, and I want to settle a score, for me, and Marcus, and Pam and a few other folks.” He sounded bitter.

  “But you can’t do it alone.”

  “No, but I think that with some of the people here we can do it.”

  “Why me, why are you involving me in this?”

  He looked at me for a moment, then, looked down, “You have seen it, you know what it is.” Then he looked up, and straight in my eyes, “You are a moral compass for the group and your support would help me win over the others.”

  I thought about it for a moment. “I will help, but we need to do it carefully, and there needs to be enough of us to do it right.”

  “Thank you, I will work on getting some volunteers together and then we can talk more.” He said.

  I am not a fan of war, and that is what this would be, but the people in Stanwix are in need, and it would be right to help them. I’ll talk to Tanya about it and see if I‘m thinking right on this.

  Fire Pit tonight, Vespers, I was quiet, thinking about what Keith had talked to me about. After it was over as we returned to our cabin, Tanya asked what was going on, she sensed something was wrong. I explained about Keith coming to me and about his thoughts.

  “If you were in Stanwix and in the position of those people, what would you want to happen?” she asked.

  “Yep”, that kind of answered the question. She has a way of cutting to the chase.

  (Lance) I am hat free, it is too hot to continue with that stupid hat that I have been wearing. It is out, I am a ginger, a soul eating evil creature of lore. Del and I walked into the dining hall and no one noticed, or seemed to care.

  There is still no luck getting ahold of the Pittsburgh but I will keep trying. We saw a contrail today out to the west. That would mean that there was a jet out there, and flying very high. Could we still have an air force?

  The solar array is coming along and should be up and running in a week or so. I am still not doing well with getting on the roofs or ladders.

  (Margo) Something is up, there is something going on with Ron, and Keith, and LJ and a few others, but I’m not sure what. They have been kind of huddling together for the day. The Major is also in the mix. It was like spy stuff or something.

  Code and I started to walk out to the horse farm today, Lucy is saying home and she is not ha
ppy about it.

  “Why are we walking?” Code asked.

  “Because fuel is at a premium and we should be saving it for important stuff, like going to Pittsfield or Hinsdale.”

  “I know that, but why are we walking?” he asked again.

  “Well, dumbass, because we can’t drive.”

  “Oh, I am the dumbass, but let me ask you this, why haven’t we ever considered or hunted for bikes?” He said with a laugh.

  “I, ah, never thought of it until now? I never really bicycled as a kid and just never thought of it.” I answered, I felt kind of silly.

  “There are a couple of houses along the way, let’s check them out, we may find something that would work, even a kids scooter would be better than trudging along on the road.”

  Wow, I thought, with all we have been through so many things have just drifted away, and there was so much “low” tech that we have just not exploited.

  On the way we found a couple of mountain bikes, but they had flat tires. We couldn’t find an air pump to fill them so we decided to pick them up on the way back.

  When we got to the horse farm we were careful about our approach, just in case we might startle the horses. Tay and Teckla were marching a couple of horses around the barnyard, getting them used to people again. We stayed back so we didn’t spook them.

  After they put the horses back into their stalls we talked.

  “We have four in the barn and they are cool with us” said Tay.

  “Awesome, this is going to be really helpful in moving around and saving gas,” exclaimed Code.

  “Yes, it opens up a few options for us”, added Teckla.

  “We hadn’t thought about it until now, but we found a couple of bicycles at a house back up the road, but they have flat tires.” I said.

  “Really, I didn’t think of it either,” said Teckla.

  Tay added, “Hey, there is a hand pump in the barn if you want to take it with you, not sure what they used it for, we didn’t see anything other than a couple of broken ATVs with flat tires. They wouldn’t start, so we left them.”

  On the way back, we picked up the bikes, filled the tires and rode back to camp. The general thought was “wow, what a great idea, why didn’t I think of that.” I think the answer is that we’ve still been thinking from a first world prospective on some things.