Not Dead in the Heart of Dixie

by R Kralik

  I tried to grab Marisa and get out of there. I didn't want to shoot into the tiny staircase and I didn't want to stand there while they crawled closer. I wanted to close the door, lock them in, and run home to Mick.

  Mr. Hobbs freaked out and began shooting. Marisa started screaming.

  I pulled Mr. Hobbs back from the door, slammed it shut, and pushed the lock into place. I sent a thank you up to Jesus that the owners of the house was smart enough to put a sliding lock near the top of the door.

  Momma possum didn't say a word as we ran to the Jeep with what we had in our hands. We threw everything in the back-seat and went to close the door to the house in case they actually escaped from the basement.

  We could hear those two HDI's slamming themselves against the basement door. I don't know why we didn't hear them 'til we were ready to leave, but we were talking and moving stuff around while we were looking for useful things.

  Mr. Hobbs thinks the HDI's didn't even know where the staircase was until we opened the door and let the light shine down.

  We headed straight home and told Mick about the HDI's. He took Jason, Jeremy, and Soo, and went straight to that house and eliminated the two HDI's. I don't wanna loot the basement at this time and I want those two dead bodies out of there and burned before Mick and Jason spend any time there, moving furniture and pulling out cabinets.

  10:20 PM...

  The lasagna was wonderful! I think the soft goat cheese was even better than ricotta. Both huge casserole dishes emptied fast, so I'm not the only one who liked it.

  Mick says he'll get the sectional for me, after the fence is done.

  Jason and Soo brought home a big load of fencing this morning. They decided to try stacking the rolls sideways instead of lengthwise and it worked great. We have a lot of fencing now, but Mick doesn't think we have enough. Jason says he and Soo have several rolls waiting to be picked up near the Interstate.

  Pop finished another greenhouse today, and will be planting seeds all day tomorrow. I can't wait for fresh salad.

  I'm gonna try re-hydrating banana chip's tomorrow. I wanna mash them up and use them for banana nut bread. Our family loves it and it'll be nice to have something we often had before the world fell apart.

  We have a 20 lb canister and one 100 lb canister of propane left. When those run out, we'll have lots of folks sleeping in front of the fireplace, and Marisa and Jason will have lots of folks sleeping in front of their fireplaces. I dread it. I really want Mick to take the time to get that sectional and chaise before it happens. He'll have to take time away from the fence, but it’s important that we have warm places for people to sleep, especially Nana, Pop and the kids. I can't think of anything else to write about, so I’m headed to bed.

  Bye for now.

  Saturday, February 15

  We added four more to our "network" today. The newest four live in the big house with the pond. They won't be living with us, or eating here, but they'll still be part of our network.

  I was freezing when I woke up this morning. I ran out of the bedroom in my pajamas and jumped in front of the fire to get warm.

  Carisa and Merry were sleeping on the sofa bed, and they were nice and toasty. Mick had fallen asleep in the recliner and kept the fire going all night. He had the cook stove lit before I came out.

  I heard a soft knock at the front door. Whoever it was would knock for a few seconds, pause for a few, and then knock again. I knew it couldn't be any of our people because we all use the kitchen door in back. I poked Mick in the ribs and told him to get up right now because someone or something was knocking at the door.

  He jumped out of the recliner like it was on fire. I woke Carisa and Merry and sent them stumbling, half asleep, to Carisa's room.

  Mick told me to get my Glock and stand behind the door while he opened it. He had Sam Colt as his door opening partner.

  He cracked the door and peeked out. Satisfied with what he saw, he pulled the door open wide and motioned for me to come around.

  On the front porch stood a short woman with a covered basket in her hand and wearing an apron that had started its life fancy and frilly. Behind her was a skinny man. He was dressed in a fine suit and carrying a very expensive looking cane, but he stayed behind the woman and let her do the talking. Both of them looked to be about the same age as Mick and I.

  Behind the man was a girl who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties and a red-headed boy who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen.

  There was baked goods in that basket, and I knew it was still warm because I could smell it.

  The woman said they were from the "house across the way" and we knew she meant the big house with the pond. She asked if they could come in to talk. Mick nodded, and the whole bunch of them marched into the living room like they owned the place.

  They are the Masterson family. The man is David Masterson and his wife is Toni. The girl is nineteen years old and her name is Rebecca. The boy is twelve years old and his name is David Jr. but they call him "Deuce." He's pretty big for his age and I wondered where he got his genes since his parents were both rather short.

  They have enough food and water to last the four of them for a while but they used the last of their wood this morning. They have several canisters of propane, but can't get their propane grill to work.

  David had an elbow replacement and Toni has a heart condition. None of them have any idea how to fall trees, cut logs, or split firewood. They've always had their wood delivered and they don't have the tools to attempt trying it on their own.

  Mick told them he would send a couple of our guys over to see if they could get the propane grill to work and split some wood for them. Mick told David that, if they can't get the grill to work, he would trade them the wood chopping labor for the propane canisters and permission to hunt and fish on their property. If they do get the grill to work, we'll still trade for permission to hunt on their property.

  David said he would consider that a good bargain if they could have twenty-five percent of anything we get while hunting and fishing. He also wants to be able to count on us to help if they're ever attacked. They say they don't have a gun on the place but David has several fencing swords. "Oh, swell," I thought to myself.

  Mick and David shook hands. Toni left the basket on our coffee table and they headed back home. I yelled for Carisa and Merry to get out there and start cleaning up the living room.

  Mick sent Jason and Jeremy to the Masterson place after breakfast. I hope we get those propane tanks. See ya later.

  2:00 PM...

  We're having seriously cold weather. The thermometer on the back porch says its twenty degrees outside. I'll bet tonight will be in the low teens.

  Jason and Jeremy split enough wood to last the Masterson's several days. Jeremy said that Rebecca came outside while they were working to bring them fancy little cookies on a white platter.

  He said the cookies were bland but he ate them anyway so he wouldn't hurt Rebecca's feelings because she's "really nice." Uh huh, I'll bet you're thinkin' what I'm thinkin'.

  They couldn't fix the propane grill, so they came home with four 20 lb propane canisters.

  I'm glad the Masterson's will be warm tonight, and I'm glad that we now have a couple tanks of propane to save for Clinic Diane.

  Elaine's in charge of supper tonight. I have no idea what she has planned but I'm sure it'll be good. That woman is an amazing cook and Nana's enjoying teaching and learning from her.

  I'm headed out to put more straw down for the goats. We should be getting babies from our last pregnant doe soon. I'd hate for them to be born in this cold weather.

  9:00 PM...

  Mick and the crew stopped work on the fence early this afternoon. It's so cold that they could barely feel their hands and feet. Mr. Hobbs had an icicle hanging from the tip of his nose (yuck).

  The fire isn't keeping the living room as warm as it usually does. I'm sure Carisa and Merry will be sleeping on the sofa bed again tonigh
t. I might crawl in there with 'em.

  Elaine made venison pot pie for supper. It was amazing! There was a wonderful thick gravy with meat and veggies inside.

  The men loved it and said they could have eaten more. The kids loved it too, even though "Bambi" was in there. The kids have learned that they'll have to eat what's put in front of them or go hungry. I heard no complaints from Carisa or Merry. They were too busy stuffing their faces.

  Nana used re-hydrated banana chips and made a couple loafs of banana bread to go with the pot pie, and we were all feeling fat and lazy.

  I just thought about Hisa, Soo, and Valerie. I hope they'll be warm enough in Clinic Diane. I know Hisa and Soo have enough sense to drag Valerie here or Marisa's house if they get too cold.

  This day draws to a close but I'm not sleepy yet. I think I'll take a book out to Mick's recliner and read by firelight for a while.

  Bye for now.

  Sunday, February 16

  I had a surprise when I woke up this morning. Soo was in the recliner and Valerie and Hisa were on a pallet on the floor. They were all sound asleep.

  Valerie woke when I lit the stove and started water for coffee. She pretended she was still asleep and stayed right up close to Hisa. Moms know. I'm tellin' ya, we know when you're only pretending to sleep.

  We have three eggs this morning. Yahoo! Now we can start saving for that fried egg breakfast I've been craving. Have I ever told you that I love those chickens?

  Laundry's backing up again. We need to get it done today but its currently twelve degrees outside. The laundry will have to wait 'til it's at least thirty-five degrees out there. My hands can't take it when it's colder than that.

  Pop took about half the potatoes we got from the restaurant haul to use as seed potatoes. Nana's making hash browns and frying the last of the eatin' potatoes as I type. We'll have them with jelly, butter, honey, ketchup, or whatever else we have available. She says the carbohydrates will be good for our skinny men folk, and there will be enough for everyone to have seconds.

  I just heard wild animals come in the door, so I'm off to help Nana get 'em fed. See ya later.

  2:45 PM...

  Surprise! Valerie came over for lunch! I think she's really getting better. She's actually responding with more than one word now. She's sitting at the table with Carisa and Merry, watching them play rummy. I told Carisa not to push her, just let her get comfortable being around people again.

  Hisa's running around the kitchen, helping us clean. I think she's happy to be away from Clinic Diane for a while. Nana, Hisa, and Elaine are trying to work out a schedule for cooking duty. We have enough people who can cook and there's no reason why one person should have to be involved with every meal, every day.

  Elaine says she'd like to have responsibility for at least one meal a day, preferably two. She says she feels like it's her only way to contribute to our survival and she knows she's good at it.

  I told them to add Carisa and Merry into the schedule. They're good helpers and can learn fast. They need to learn how to cook. We might have to count on them for it someday.

  We all thought the men should cook at least one day a week until Mick said he'd be happy to trade working on the fence for a day working in the kitchen, and he knows "the women would do a great job gettin' that fence up." I don't think so. Fence work is not for me. I'm stayin' in the kitchen, close to the warm cookstove. Yep, I'm spoiled.

  Mick's asleep in the recliner, of course. There's a notepad and pen about to fall off his lap and Tig is asleep between his ankles. Opie went back to Marisa's house with her and the kids.

  Pop's going in and out of the house to check on his seedlings. He's worried about them freezing in this unusually cold weather. He comes in when he gets cold and heads back out when he gets warm.

  Jeremy and Jason are trying to finish boarding the windows and get the kitchen ready for cabinets at Jason and Marisa's house.

  Marisa told Jason she wants to get paint from Lowe's. She wants a pretty kitchen, even if it will be semi-modern, semi-pioneer. He promised her he would get paint, of course.

  There's smoke coming from the Masterson's chimney and that makes me happy.

  I think I'll head out to nap on the couch unless my name's on the duty list for supper today. If it is, I'll have to figure out what to make and get started gathering everything up.

  10:45 PM...

  Valerie was back for supper tonight, in fact, she'll stay the night if Hisa will stay as well. Hisa agreed and made a pallet on the floor. Soo said he turned off the propane at Clinic Diane so it won't be wasted. He'll be sleeping in the recliner tonight and has fire duty. We have to keep the fire going so we don't freeze to death!

  Carisa and Merry will be sleeping on a pallet in the floor at Marisa's house so Nana and Pop can turn off their propane and sleep on our sofa bed. The living room will be packed tonight.

  Jeremy's sleeping at the Hobbs place. He says the fire is just as warm at the Hobbs place as it is at Marisa's place. I'll bet he likes the fact that he'll be closer to Rebecca, even if they are in different houses.

  That's all I have for you tonight.

  Bye for now.

  Monday, February 17

  We have three eggs again today! It's nineteen degrees outside and we have nothing to do other than cook, eat, and count eggs. Jason says he'll need to split wood this afternoon. Mick told him we'd put the chopping block in the garage so he'd be out of the wind.

  Carisa, Merry, and Valerie are sitting on pallets in front of the fire. Carisa asked Valerie if she wanted to learn how to play rummy and she nodded her head. They're being really gentle with her. Carisa thinks that Valerie has played rummy before but can't remember exactly how. They plan to pull out the Monopoly game tonight. I hate Monopoly, so I won't be playing.

  Mick's going crazy because he can't work on the fence. He plans to head back to Lowe's and see what else he can find there. He says he might even loot a house or two. Jason and Jeremy are all over that idea and plan to go with him. They'll take Mr. Hobbs' Silverado because it has an extended cab. They’ll hitch up the flatbed trailer in case they need to bring home something big.

  Mr. Hobbs said it was okay with him but he'll skip this run. He's coming down with a cold and doesn't feel well. Hisa gave him some cold medicine and sent him home to rest. If I were Mr. Hobbs, I wouldn't want to go back to Lowe's either.

  Mick said the gas tanker is still about forty percent full but he wants to loot any vehicle he can find for gasoline every time we go out. He'll take all our empty gas cans with him today.

  Marisa and Elaine have breakfast duty, so I came in here to get some peace and type on this computer. They'll holler for me when the food's ready.

  I think I'll look through my recipe files while I'm in here. Maybe I can find something wonderful to make since I have supper duty tonight. See ya later.

  3:00 PM...

  Excitement!

  We have a long, tall, Texan in Clinic Diane. Mick found him lying in the seat of a pick-up truck he was trying to loot for gas. Hisa can't find any wounds on him, and says he's suffering from severe hypothermia.

  He's in and out of consciousness and Hisa's trying to get his body temperature up. We know he's from Texas because of the plates on the truck and the driver's license in his wallet.

  His name is Dane Brock, and he is a big guy. His driver’s license says he's 6'7" and weighs 275 lbs. He's thirty-five years old and from Laredo, Texas.

  He looks like he's lost a good amount of weight because his clothes are hanging loose on him. He was wearing a jacket lined with sheepskin and a pair of big ol' cowboy boots. He comes with two shotguns, a rifle, a pistol, and a wooden baseball bat. He also has quite a bit of ammo to go with his guns.

  Dane’s the owner of some type of "gas and oil" company. There's a business card in his wallet that says "Brock Gas & Oil, Inc." His name is listed as "Proprietor and CEO." I wonder if he owns one of those big ol' Texas oil wells.

  Hisa has
the heat on at Clinic Diane and has covered him with several blankets. She has him hooked up to an IV and is giving him a bag of the fluids we got at Walgreens. She says the warm fluids should help him quite a bit.

  Mick and Soo are at Clinic Diane, waiting for our Texan to regain consciousness so we can find out if he's a good guy, or a bad guy.

  Valerie’s here with the girls. I'm really happy that she's staying here without Hisa. I think she's getting attached to Carisa and Merry.

  I don't think we can go a day without some kind of excitement around here.

  Mick says there are a lot of HDI's in town, but they’re moving at a snail’s pace. Those without legs or lower parts of their bodies are frozen to the streets and sidewalks wherever water had pooled. They're ripping themselves apart trying to get loose. I'm freaked out that he saw so many.

  I'm on supper duty, so I need to get out there and get started. I'll write later and tell you any more information we find out about Mr. Dane Brock. See Ya!

  11:00 PM...

  We had baked macaroni and cheese casserole with chunks of ham mixed in for supper. I took a bag of shredded cheddar from the freezer and sprinkled it on top to melt in the oven. We had green beans on the side.

  Nana opened a large can of pear halves, put a teaspoon of Miracle Whip in the center of each, and sprinkled cheddar cheese on top. I love pears served that way. We've always called it "pear salad." The kids think I'm the most wonderful Gramma in the world for making mac 'n cheese for supper.

  Dane is coming around. He's been conscious enough to answer quite a few questions. It looks like he's gonna be in the "good guy" category.