Fifty Falling Stars

by Wesley Higginbotham

  “We’ve got some things we need to cover tonight.” Will began. “First of all, I’m calling first dibs on the shower.” Everyone chuckled and teased him. “All right, I think we may need to go out and see if we can get some supplies.”

  “It’s been over two weeks since things went to shit. Do you think we are going to be able to find anything out there now?” Joey asked.

  “I’ve got to agree with Joey. I can’t imagine what you think you are going to find out there. The stores and stuff were pretty bare before we came out here. I doubt they have been restocked. Hell, with what we saw on the news, I doubt the stores are even there.” Chuck said.

  “Then it’s a good thing we’re not after food then.” Will said.

  “You’re thinking of hardware and stuff?” Jim asked.

  “Exactly. I don’t think there is any food or medical stuff out there at all now. Everything of any immediate value was probably looted. What I’m thinking about is the stuff that most folks didn’t even think about when everything fell apart. I’m talking about the true rebuilding stuff that was hopefully overlooked by people just trying to get food.”

  “What kinds of stuff are you thinking about?” Kerry asked.

  “Let’s ask dad.” Will said as everyone looked over to Jim. “How’s your fish basket coming along?”

  “It’s pretty sad. I ran out of the scrap fencing that we found. That’s the kind of thing you are thinking about, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. Listen, we’ve done pretty well so far. We have power, even if the grid goes down again. We have the scavenged solar panel recharger from the RV and the generator. We also have the freezers. We all have a roof over our heads, for now. What we’re missing are the materials to really make ourselves independent. Uncle Barry, how hard was it to cut the lumber down to size using a chainsaw?”

  “That was pretty bad, son. Those things are designed to cut trees down and trim limbs. We had a hell of a time using it to cut planks good enough to make the outhouse. Not only did it suck, but it got dangerous too. The chain kept wanting to catch as we tried to make the lengthwise cuts. Damned thing kept trying to kick back on me.” Barry said.

  “That’s what I’m talking about. We’ve got ourselves set up for a few months. Hell, we might even make it to winter, but we have lot to do before we get where we can stay out here for however long it takes. What I’m proposing is that we go out and try to find these things. I want you guys to think about what we need to get started.” Will said.

  “I’ve got a few things I can think of right now. I’m just curious where you plan on getting all of this stuff?” Joey asked.

  “And if we do find a place that has it, how are we going to pay for it? Our money’s worthless.” George said.

  “We trade for it.” Will said.

  “What if there’s no one at the store?” Betty asked.

  “Then we just take what we need.” Joey said.

  “You mean steal it?” Jenny said.

  “If that’s what it comes down to, I think we should. Is it really stealing if there’s no one to claim it?” Will asked.

  “I guess not. I just don’t know that we have anything worth trading.” Jenny said.

  “That’s not true. We have the guns and the cars and even some of our food, if we have to. That stuff should be pretty valuable now.” Pam said.

  “Too valuable.” Jenny said as Will thought it.

  “I don’t really understand. The pioneers settled America without all of this stuff. Why can’t we do the same?” Kerry said.

  “First off, they did have a lot of this stuff. They didn’t just move out to the wilderness with nothing. They brought a lot of raw materials they needed with them. They had folks that knew how to do most things themselves. They knew how to tan hides, how to build and work a forge. Not only did we not bring what we need to make these things, we don’t know how.” Barry said.

  Kerry’s brow sank. “So, do you have a plan, Will?”

  “Kinda. Uncle Barry, do you know any of your neighbors round here?” Will asked.

  “Not really. I’ve met the guy who owns a farm up the road, but I couldn’t tell you his name. Why?”

  “I’m thinking that we should start making contact with some of the folks around here. Like Uncle Barry pointed out, we don’t have all of the necessary skills to be self-sustaining. Maybe some of those folks do. Who knows, some of them may have livestock or a running tractor. Who knows?” Will asked.

  “Speaking of tractors, we need to get our garden going soon. It’s going to be a lot to do with just the tiller. A tractor would be nice.” Jim said.

  “I’ve got bad news on the seed front. I’ve inventoried all of our seeds. It’s not a whole lot. Most of what we have are hybrids or genetically modified seeds. We’ll be able to get a good crop of tomatoes, string beans, butter beans, and an assortment of peppers this year; but I have no idea what will happen if we save those seeds. They may come back true, be sterile, or come back as something strange. I just can’t say. I looked at the feed corn that Barry had out here. I have no idea if it will grow or not. How long has it been out here anyway?” Betty asked.

  “It was back when I used to come hunt out here. I had a deer feeder put up. That was probably five or six years ago.” Barry said.

  “That shouldn’t hurt the seed, I don’t think. I have a package of mixed garden herbs. We should be able to get some of those up as well. If we run into a farmer or get to a store, we need as many seeds as we can get. Fertilizer too.” Betty said.

  “That should be on the top of our list. So, what have we got to trade, besides the guns?” Will asked.

  “We got the tiller, the trucks, the car batteries, the small solar panel recharger, the generators, the chainsaw…” Chuck started.

  “Let me stop you there, dad.” Joey said. “We get the picture. I think we need to discuss what we should set aside as off limits for trade.”

  “Good point. I suggest that we set the generator and the guns as off limits.” George said.

  “Well, I think we may need to trade one of the guns or at least some of the ammo. Joey, you did the inventory on the guns. What all do we have?” Will asked.

  “Well, we have the three AR-15’s with about two hundred and fifty rounds, one AR-10 type rifle with about one hundred and forty rounds of three-oh-eight, one 7MM Remington magnum automatic with about sixty rounds, one thirty-thirty with about twenty rounds, one .twenty-two magnum automatic with a little over six hundred rounds, two forty caliber handguns with two hundred rounds, one thirty-eight special revolver with forty rounds, and three twelve-gauge shotguns (two pumps and one automatic) with about a hundred and fifty assorted rounds.“ Joey sighed as he finished.

  “That’s a whole arsenal.” Jenny said.

  “It could be better. There are a couple of things we may be able to trade there. We can probably spare one of the pump shotguns, the thirty-thirty, and some of the ammo. I think we should hold on to all of our more tactical stuff like the AR’s and the forties. We should probably hang on to the heavier buckshot rounds as well. We’ll trade off the bird shot first, and work our way to the number six and number four shot. Before we get too involved into this, I think we need to find someone to trade with. We can make first contact and then arrange to come back for the trade. Sound like a plan to everyone?” Will asked.

  Everyone nodded. “I guess the next thing we need to do is to figure out who should go.” George said.

  “I’ve been thinking about that. I think me, Joey, Uncle Barry, and Kerry should go. Anyone got any objections?” Will asked.

  “Hell yes! Why don’t you want me to go?” George asked.

  “Calm down, George.” Pam said to her son.

  “I don’t want you to go, George, because we need some people here to guard the place. I think four of us should be large enough to be safe and small enough to be agile. We can set two in the back with the AR’s, one in the passenger’s seat, literally riding shotgun, and the driver.”


  “Do you think it’s wise to have one of the women go? It could get bad out there?” Chuck said.

  “It could, but we’ve got to start thinking about the worst case. If things are as bad as we’re thinking they could be, we have to change our ways of thinking about a lot of things. Women can’t be any different from the men when it comes to defense. I know Kerry knows how to shoot.” Will said. She was one of the few women he knew that had been an avid hunter until a few years ago. “If something goes wrong, she’ll be able to use the shotgun well enough to cover the rest of us. I also want one of the women along because it might go easier for us if we run into someone who wants to trade. Having a woman with us may put whoever we meet at ease. Kerry, are you willing to go?”

  “Yes, Will.” Kerry said.

  “What about me?” Jenny said.

  “Listen guys, we can’t sit here all night debating on who can go and who shouldn’t. Depending on what we find, we’ll all sit down and develop some sort of training system to make sure we all know what to do. Until we make sure that everyone is good with the guns and knows what to expect, this is the group that goes out. Me and Joey are going because we’re the only men with military experience. Uncle Barry is coming along because he owns this place and these are his neighbors. Having the actual owner may make some of them more friendly. Who knows? We’ve already discussed why Kerry is going.”

  “Ok. I think we’re all on board with the people going out. I just have one question.” Jim said.

  “What’s that, dad?”

  “How exactly are you planning to approach these people?”

  “What do you mean?” Joey asked.

  “Think about it, son. What would your first reaction be to four armed people that just showed up at your door and ask to ‘trade’?” Chuck asked.

  “You’re right. We’d defend ourselves first. People would pull guns and things would get tense.” Will said.

  “So, how do you think we should handle that?” Kerry asked.

  “I think you should have one person, probably dad, go unarmed up to the door while the others cover him. He should probably take a pen and some paper to leave a note, if the people won’t come out.” George said.

  “That’s brilliant.” Will said. “Who are you?”

  Everyone cracked up and spent the next few minutes teasing each other. The release felt good after the tension that had developed over the trip discussion.

  Will checked the truck one last time and made sure the flatbed trailer was secure on the trailer hitch. They filled it with gas and put a five gallon gas can in the back. The rest of the gas had been combined into the RV’s big tank for storage. It would last longer in a tank than in a can. They siphoned off just enough each day to run the generator or the other gas powered tools they had.

  Will looked at his watch as the crew climbed into the truck. It read a quarter past nine. The sun finished burning away the morning dew. Barry sat in the truck bed with Will. Kerry took shotgun, and Joey climbed behind the wheel. The rest of the family gathered to say goodbyes and wish them luck. They promised to have someone on lookout for them while they were gone. The others planned to prepare the garden and start planting the seeds they had. Tension gripped everyone as they said their goodbyes, not knowing if it could be their last. When did a trip to see the neighbors and into town turn into such an expedition? Barry thought to himself.

  The truck stopped when it came to the ditch. Will and Barry got out and set the improvised ramp into place. Once the truck crossed, they gathered the ramp and stored it in the back of the truck. They were off.

  The cabin sat deep in the woods. Over the years, many surrounding properties had been purchased by big lumber corporations and set out in pine trees. With the exception of the four acres that surrounded the cabin, trees covered Barry’s land as well. These factors kept cabin isolated. Barry only knew of one neighbor who lived a few miles down the road. Will thought it would be as good of a place to start as any.

  As they approached the unpaved driveway to the single story, white farmhouse that sat about eighty yards from the road, Will scanned the residence for any signs of danger. Nothing jumped out as strange until they pulled into the driveway. When they made the turn, the angle shifted, allowing Will to see the barn behind the house. Two cars sat parked in front of the barn and another that sat half way inside the open barn door. Added to the old green Chevy truck parked in front of the house, Will counted four vehicles. Will tapped the roof of the truck and Joey pulled to a stop. “What’s wrong, buddy?” Joey asked.

  “Just a feeling. Back out into the road again and get the truck pointed away from here. I want us to be able to get outta here quick in case something goes wrong. We won’t have time to dick around with the trailer and turn the truck around.”

  “Will do.” Joey called back as he put the truck into reverse.

  “What wrong?” Barry asked.

  “How many people did you say lived here?”

  “As far as I know, just the old farmer and his wife. Why?”

  “If that’s right, it looks like they have company. There were three cars parked back by the barn. Could be nothing, but it could mean they’ve got more people than we do. I just want us to be ready.”

  “Good eye.” Barry said. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Leave your AR here with me and make sure you have the forty caliber pistol hidden behind your back in your pants. You got the note we wrote out?” Barry nodded. “Good. Then you’re just going to walk up to the house and stop about 30 yards from the door. Shout out and see if you can get someone’s attention. If they tell you to piss off, walk back here and leave the note in the mailbox. If they’re friendly, make friends and see if they’re ok with us coming up to the house.”

  “What if they’re not friendly?” Barry asked.

  “Then we’ll cover you as you try to set a new world record for the fifty-yard dash. Just get back here and jump in the bed of the truck. We’ll haul ass outta here and know not to come back.”

  “Wish me luck.” Barry said as he climbed out of the truck.

  Barry walked down the driveway and stopped when he got about thirty yards from the front porch. “Hello? Anyone home?” No reply. “Hello? We’re your neighbors. We just want to check and make sure everything is ok.” Again, nothing. He started walking closer to the house. The front door opened.

  “Hold it right there.” An old man, well into his seventies, said as he opened the door, an old double barreled shotgun leading the way. He didn’t look happy with his lips pressed into a thin line behind his white, close cropped beard. “What can we do for you, stranger?”

  Barry saw movement out of the window to his right and saw a younger man pointing a rifle at him. “My name’s Barry Johnston. I own a cabin about three or four miles down the road here.”

  “What you want with us?” The old man said.

  “We came out here to get away from Knoxville when all of the trouble started. We’ve been staying in the cabin until it all blows over. Ever since the TV stations and radio stations went down, we don’t know what’s going on. Things looked pretty bad the last we saw. We figured we’d check on you and see if there was any way we could help each other out.”

  “What’s with the other folk with the guns in the truck?” The old man asked.

  “The one in the back is my nephew, Will. The lady in the passenger side is his mother-in-law, Kerry. That’s her son Joey driving. We didn’t mean to scare anyone with the guns. We just didn’t know what we’d find. If you weren’t here, we thought we might ride into town. Just wanted to be prepared.”

  “That’s understandable.” The old man said as he lowered the shotgun. “Name’s Jeff Burke. Why don’t you have your boys pull up the truck and we’ll introduce everyone.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Burke.” Barry said. He turned around and waved for Joey to bring the truck up the drive.

  When the truck stopped, Will, Kerry, and Joey stepped out. Jeff yell
ed to whoever was in the house, letting them know everything was ok. Two men in their forties came out the door, followed by a middle aged woman, and another who looked to be in her sixties. Lastly, two young girls about ten or twelve came out. “Just call me Jeff.” The old man said as he waved to everyone. “This here’s my wife Kelley.” He said indicating the older woman. “My daughter Candace and her husband, Bill. Their two girls Nellie and Sarah. This fella here is my son, Jeff Jr. Everyone this here’s our new neighbor, Mr. Barry Johnston.” Barry introduced everyone from his side of the meeting. Everyone shook hands and began mingling.

  “You folks want some sweet tea?” Mrs. Burke asked.

  “That would be most welcome, if it’s not too much trouble?” Will said. The ladies went inside to make the tea. The men climbed up on the porch where Jeff took a seat in the swing. Everyone else filled up the remaining rocking chairs or leaned on the porch railing.

  Jeff leaned forward and was about to speak when they heard a crackling sound coming from the old green Chevy. All of the newcomers turned in surprise as they listened to the broken message “Message fro….. the Rhea County Sher….. Department. All interstates remain closed. Rhea County Highway rem…. open from the Macedonia Junction north of Spring City to Graysville. FEME re…..f not available for Rheas county. Curfew and martial law are still in effect. Next update at eleven o’clock.”

  The three men looked at Jeff. “You guys have a working radio?” Joey asked.

  “Sure do. I had that CB in the truck for going on thirty-five years. Hardly ever used the damn thing. Still amazed it works, to tell you the truth.” Jeff said.

  “What was that broadcast?” Will asked.

  Jeff Jr. leaned back against the porch rail and let out a six inch stream of brown spit into the yard. “That’s the sheriff’s office. They been tryin to keep everyone informed since the TV’s and radios quit workin.” He said around a large wad of tobacco in his left cheek.