by Roger Hayden
Once outside, Larry dug into the back where endless boxes and plastic bins awaited. He then began pulling boxes out and stacking them outside the wagon.
“Any preference on where you want these inside?” James asked him.
Larry pointed ahead. “Just put it all in the living room. I'll sort through it in the morning.”
James lifted the first two boxes, stacked together, and waited as Marla placed another one on top, adding to the weight. He hurried past them and went inside, placing them in the corner of the living room where there was space. Marla soon followed with two boxes of her own. Then came Larry with his canned food box, which was plastic-sealed.
He moved past them, right to the kitchen, and placed the box on the counter. It was then early Saturday, three in the morning, and they were loading a cabin with supplies. Who could have imagined such a thing the day before? All James could do was laugh to himself. As a team, however, they worked well, unloading supplies until the wagon was emptied. Larry rolled up the window and locked the doors, ever cautious, and then disappeared for a moment to the side of the cabin.
James wiped the sweat from his brow and asked Marla where Larry had gone. He suddenly emerged with folded camouflage tarp, asking for assistance. They spread out the tarp as James helped him place it over both vehicles, concealing them--at least in the nighttime. Despite their remote location, Larry told them that hikers and campers came through the creek and that they weren't completely hidden out of view.
Once inside, he set his lantern atop a small circular table near the kitchen. James wanted nothing more than a hot shower, but it was the middle of the night. Was there enough water? Would it be heated? Larry pulled out a chair from the table and sat, pointing down the hall. “Get some sleep and we'll reconvene in the morning. Carol will make breakfast.”
James pictured some kind of canned meat but was surprised when Larry promised pancakes. He rose from his seat and extended his hand to James and Marla, shaking both of their hands.
“We've been through hell today, but we're safe for now. I can guarantee that.”
He walked off, leaving them in the kitchen area. The bedroom door opened and shut, and they didn't hear from Larry until breakfast. He must have been just as tired as they were. “Come on,” James said, leading Marla down the hall.
Marla pulled at her T-shirt, airing it. “I need a shower.”
“You and me both,” James said, helping her up. “We'll take care of everything in the morning.” They walked down the hall to their new room. James went right to the end of his bed and took his shoes off. His feet ached, much like his back did, and his neck. He pulled his socks and jeans off and fell back onto the bed in nothing but a shirt and his underwear. The mattress squeaked something awful, but it was comfortable enough. Marla laughed as she changed clothes completely.
“Wow. Too tired to even get under the covers?”
“I don't care,” he said, eyes closing.
“James?” she said.
“Yeah?” he said, drifting to sleep.
“I’m still made at you.”
“I know,” he said. “I know…”
She eventually joined him, lying on the other side, but under the covers. They said nothing else to each other as they fell asleep.
6
Day Two
James woke the next morning in an unrecognizable room with daylight glowing behind the curtains of a nearby window. Marla lay next to him on her side, facing away. The door was closed, and he could hear movement outside. He glanced up at the open, vaulted ceiling where wood beams ran above. They weren't in their bedroom, they were somewhere else. Then, just as soon as the confusion clouding his memory cleared, he sat up.
“The cabin...” he said under his breath.
He'd have given everything to wake up and find that their world was back to normal. But things would get better. They had to. He gently touched Marla's shoulder. She turned over in response and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling and its long wooden beams.
“Morning,” James said. His feet ached and his throat was dry, for starters.
She arched her back, stretching. “My back hurts. Springs dug into me all night.” It wasn't the most comfortable bed, but it was better than nothing, which had become their motto as of late.
“Want a massage?” he offered, feeling as though it was the least he could do, but Marla declined. He shifted to the edge and placed his feet onto the hardwood floor.
An appetizing aroma traveled into the room from the kitchen. Someone was cooking. James remained still for a moment, in no hurry to leave the privacy of their room just yet. They had yet to meet Carol, and he still wasn't sure what she'd think of their presence.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, getting up.
Marla nodded. “I’d like to take a shower first.”
“I'll go ask Larry,” James said. “He had mentioned a water heater. Guess we’ll find out.”
Marla got out of bed herself, wearing a long T-shirt that went to her thighs. “So, how long are we staying here, mister strategist?”
He paused and looked at the door before answering. “I haven’t determined that yet,” he said in a quiet voice. “A week or two? What do you think?”
She walked toward her luggage with a vacant look, offering no immediate response. “I don’t know, James. Why ask me?”
Noticing the air of discontent, he walked over and pulled her close. Her arms remained at her side for a moment as she slowly hugged him back.
“Let’s start this day on the right foot,” he said, pulling her closer. “And if I screw it up, you’re in charge from here on out.”
“Fair enough,” she said, exposing a hidden smile.
James grabbed their suitcases and placed them on the bed. Marla unzipped her bag and opened it, taken aback as clothing spilled out. She stared down, appalled at the mess of clothes hastily stuffed inside.
“We were pressed for time,” he said, pulling out some clothes of his own.
His expression warned her not to complain. He paced toward their window and looked outside as he changed, observing the tranquil forest outside. Directly behind the cabin was a cleared area comprising a garden. He saw several sweet potato shoots coming up, small but promising. There were also some tomatoes, nicely ripening and carrots, with their feathery tops growing close together in the fertile ground. Everything was surrounded by chicken wire. Marla sifted through the mess of clothes, finding some jeans and slipping them on. Once semi-dressed, she ran a brush through her thick hair, smoothing it out.
James opened the curtains completely, allowing sunlight into the room. It must have been eight or nine in the morning by his estimate. Marla opened their door and headed straight into the small bathroom across from them. He stuck his head out of the room and looked toward the kitchen, where unseen food sizzled from the stove. He heard the toilet flush, followed by the faucet turning on and off. Marla soon stepped out, drying her hands.
James rushed in after her and closed the door. A standing shower, sink, and toilet were packed inside the small bathroom, like that of a camper. James soon returned to the hall and saw Marla in the kitchen talking to a woman he assumed to be Carol. The woman stood with her back turned to him, her gray hair tied up in a bun.
She wore a blue plaid shirt tucked into her blue jeans. Marla glanced at James upon his approach. The woman turned her head, exposing bright blue eyes and a warm smile on her slightly worn face.
“You must be James,” she said, extending her hand. “I'm Carol, Larry's wife.”
James shook her hand, smiling back. “Yes. Very nice to meet you.” He looked past her and saw that she was cooking pancakes on one of the only two burners on their small, propane-operated stove. There was a counter top, a faucet, and some cabinets behind her.
“It'll be nice to have some company here for a little bit,” she said. “I was just telling Marla here how I've been cooped up by myself for the past day.”
“Sorry for
our unannounced arrival,” James said. He tried not to stare at the food, though he couldn't wait to dig in.
Carol shrugged as she flipped a pancake on the stove, which was browning on the edges and puffing in the center. “Don't worry about that. We're glad to have you both here to help. It's not so easy with just the two of us.”
James looked around the living room. With its minimal furnishing and barren walls, it looked even smaller in the daytime. “Where is our super survivalist, anyway?”
Carol turned toward the front door across from them. “He's outside somewhere.”
“How long do you plan to stay out here?” he asked.
“Long as it takes,” she answered. “Could be a month. Could be longer.”
James glanced at Marla as she stared ahead, hardly pleased with any such notion.
“You really think so?” James asked.
Carol nodded and divided the food between four different plates already set out. “This is more than some EMP attack, I'm sure of it,” she said. “The power grid is one thing, but I don't know anything powerful enough to disable vehicles. That's science fiction stuff.”
Marla then spoke. “We don't have any idea how far this has spread. We heard some reports on the radio, and they talked about it like it had affected half the country.”
Carol turned from the counter after preparing each plate. “And that's why Larry and I are thinking long term.” She walked to the table and set three plates down in front of each chair. James sat as Marla followed his lead. He stared down at the pancakes and bacon, ready to gorge, but held back in the spirit of manners. Carol set the other two plates at the remaining spots of the table and clasped her hands. “What can I get you both to drink?” She turned to take a quick look into the kitchen, where sunlight beamed through a tiny window above the sink. “Water? Coffee?”
“Coffee,” James and Marla said in unison.
Carol promptly returned to the kitchen. James scratched at the scruff on his face from two days of not shaving. He saw a mini-fridge in the corner next to the pantry door. There were vents throughout the cabin, but without airflow. Was there heat? He'd give anything to charge up his cell phone and to be able to make a call. At that point, it'd be nothing less than a miracle.
Carol poured them both coffee and walked it over to the table. James felt a tad guilty being attended to in such a manner and thanked her profusely. “Don't mention it,” she said. “Go ahead and eat before it gets cold. Larry will be back whenever he gets sick of playing in the woods.”
Marla laughed as she sipped her coffee. James first grabbed a strip of bacon and devoured it. Carol seemed to simply watch them at first, not eating herself. She then sipped from her own coffee mug and let out a big sigh. “I always knew it'd come to this one day,” she began.
James ate a forkful of pancake drenched in syrup and tried to interject, but Carol was already onto the basics of survival. “We've got to carefully ration our resources out here,” she said. “We have a generator and a water pump outside. If you two would like a hot shower after breakfast, we can turn it on.”
Marla's eyes lit up as she began to join in the conversation. “Larry had also mentioned something about a high-tech radio that could pick up signals from anywhere?”
Carol set her mug down, amused. “It's just an old transmitter, but we can try it later if you'd like.”
Marla remained insistent. “Is that all?”
Carol shrugged. “I'm afraid you'll have to ask Larry. He's the technical guru.”
The door suddenly swung open and Larry entered the cabin on cue. He had on work gloves, overalls, a ball cap, and sunglasses. His gloves were covered with bits of grass and weeds. He pulled his hat and sunglasses off and then looked around the room out of breath. “Ah, there you are. Good morning.” He closed the door and tossed his gloves on a nearby table. He then pulled his boots off, setting them aside, and approached the table.
Carol looked at Marla with her own explanation. “Don't mind Larry. He's just been clearing some of the brush that tends to build up around here.”
“How'd you sleep?” he asked, heading straight for his food at the table.
“Like the dead,” Marla said.
“Great,” Larry said, seeming pleased enough.
“The woods are pretty spooky at night,” Marla added. “I'm just not used to the sounds.”
Carol laughed as she cut into her pancakes. “We do have an old bear that likes to pass through here every now and then.”
James and Marla exchanged concerned glances.
“Don't worry,” Larry said with a mouthful of pancakes. “Ol' Gus doesn't mean any harm.”
James found himself observing their surroundings more closely, looking to see what kind of locks were on the windows and door. There was only one apparent entrance into the cabin, but in each room there were windows, fortunately small enough to prevent a bear from coming though, but he did wonder about the elements.
“You know, I remember you, Marla,” Carol said, pointing. “That segment you did for our store was great.”
“Thank you,” Marla said, slightly blushing. “I remember Larry mentioning his wife at the time, but it's too bad we couldn't get you on camera.”
“She was traveling at the time,” Larry quickly interjected. He had nearly cleaned his entire plate, as had James seated next to him. “Visiting her parents in Wisconsin, if I remember right.”
Carol nodded. “That's where I was. Shame I missed it.” Her attention suddenly shifted to more recent matters. “Larry told me you guys had a heck of a time getting out of the city. Sounds very dangerous.”
James thought of the explosions and the fires and worst of all, the noxious fumes in the air. Particularly chilling as well were the panicked crowds shifting through downtown, nearly trampling each other in a race to escape. He couldn't believe they had managed to make it home, let alone to a secluded cabin far from the chaos in town. He leaned back and squeezed Marla's shoulder.
Larry finished his plate before anyone else and then looked at James. “How about I show you around after breakfast?”
“Sure,” James said. “I'd like that.”
“Can we go to the creek?” Marla asked to the sudden silence of the room.
Larry glanced at Carol with a nervous expression and then back at Marla. “In due time, Marla. I think Carol has some plans of her own.”
“We can go see the creek later,” Carol said with a friendly smile. “There’s much work that needs to be done.”
Larry rose to his feet, stretching. His tall, lanky frame loomed over them as a breeze blew inside from the open screened-in living room window. “Don't make me wait all day, James. Let's get moving.”
James ate the remainder of his pancakes in a hurry as Carol watched him, amused. “Oh, James,” she said. “I don't think you know what you got yourself into coming out here.”
They laughed together in what seemed to be a first real moment of peace, given their circumstances. They had little knowledge of what has happening in the outside world; no news they could read or listen to and discuss. Larry's portable emergency radio sat atop the kitchen counter with its light flashing red and a low crackling noise coming through, but no updates to be heard so far that morning.
After what felt like the shortest shower of his life, James met Larry outside the cabin, dressed and ready for the day. He'd been poised for a tour of their surroundings. The vast forest beyond had a serene quality and undisturbed feel. As he scanned the trees above, it nearly felt as though they were the only people in the world. His cell phone withdrawal had slightly tapered off. They walked between the station wagon and truck together and then circled to the back of the cabin where Larry first showed him their portable gas-powered generator.
"We bring this inside at the end of the day," Larry began. "Can't very well keep it out." Why not, James wondered, if the cabin was truly isolated. Who would steal or damage a generator, and wouldn’t they hear it if someone tried?
/> James observed the generator. It was like his own, but a John Deere model. He followed Larry to the nearby garden. Most of the vegetables looked ripe and ready to be picked. Larry then diverted his attention to another area directly behind the cabin, where he had installed a mechanical water pump.
“This is what it's all about,” he said, placing his hand on the railing. Unlike the generator, it was bolted to a slab of concrete, fastening to the ground. “Carol and I have been building this place up, piece by piece, preparing for a disaster like this.”
James turned to the sky, staring past the branches above. “That's some impressive foresight on your part.”
“Foresight?” Larry said, annoyed. “We're far from done. I was blindsided by this like everyone else.”
“Yeah,” James said, unsure of what else to say.
Larry huffed and walked past the garden toward the forest behind their cabin.
“You own this land?” James asked, following him as they approached a rocky path that went down into the woods. Birds chirped and the trees swayed in the cool breeze of their sunlit morning.
“Some of it,” Larry answered, with his arms outstretched to the back yard and beyond the cabin. From where they stood, James could see his bedroom window and the tiny window in the kitchen. Every so often, something scurried from under the cabin into the nearby bush. “Bought it through a business associate of mine a couple of years ago, a Native American man. Much of the land used to belong to his people.”
“Where'd they all go?” James asked.
Larry turned to him with a blank look. “I'm not sure.”
He turned and continued down the path away from the cabin and further into the woods. James followed, keeping up with Larry’s brisk pace down the slope, and consumed with the quietness of the natural world all around them. Larry led him through a descending curved path to a point where they could see the hills below. A dead tree lay across the ground, its bark colorless and not a branch attached.