The Systemic Series - Box Set

by K. W. Callahan

  “I’ll help them,” Emily offered.

  “Me too,” said Pam. “We’ll probably need quite a bit to heat even just the family room for the entire night.” She looked around her, “Gosh this place is huge,” she breathed.

  Ray laughed, “Not like our 800 square foot place back in Chicago, huh?”

  “Not quite,” Pam agreed.

  As darkness began to fall, it didn’t take us long before we had our blankets unloaded and inside and had raided some of the upstairs bedrooms for pillows and additional bedding.

  Ray and Dad got a roaring fire going in the fireplace and we found some candles to provide us with more lighting in the massive family room. Once we all got settled in, it felt like a big slumber party with us all lounging comfortably around the fire. Sometimes small groups would break off to go exploring. It was like a huge playhouse. None of us had ever experienced the feel of living in such luxury, even if it was without benefit of modern conveniences like electricity, running water, television, and all the rest.

  In our wanderings, we found some condiments and spices and a few other seldom-used cooking ingredients still left in the kitchen, but little else. Therefore, we ended up boiling some noodles in a pot we hung over the fire for dinner. We finished the rest of the rabbit we had killed at the park before we left and most of the vending machine treats as well.

  As we rested around the fire after dinner, we suddenly heard an excited “Yes!” come from the kitchen.

  Janet emerged a few seconds later holding a bag that looked like it was full of cotton balls.

  “Marshmallows!” she exclaimed. “And I know there are still a few chocolate bars in the vending machine bag,” she said, coming over and rummaging through the remnants of the supply stash. “I don’t think there are any graham crackers, but we have some peanut butter crackers left too. We could make peanut butter and chocolate s’mores!” she said excitedly, her eyes wide with anticipation.

  There was collective chatter as everyone’s stomachs began to churn and rumble at the thought. Kids and adults alike scrambled to find instruments upon which to cook our treats, and soon we were all in gooey, chocolate-induced ecstasy from the delicious treats.

  Ray and Pam were the next bearers of good news as we heard shouts of excitement, and moments later an energized, “Awww yeaaaah!” issue from Ray as he and Pam made their way back upstairs from their exploratory trip to the basement.

  In the relative darkness, we could see that they were both carrying objects in their arms, and as they neared the fire, Claire asked eagerly, “Is that wine?”

  “You’d better believe it!” Pam cried. “They have a little sub-basement with a wine cellar and walk-in humidor.”

  “Holy crap!” Will exhaled, looking down at what Ray held in his hands, “Cigars?”

  “We’re going to live it up tonight,” Ray smiled, as he started making the rounds, handing out cigars.

  “I need some clean cups and a corkscrew?” Pam said, setting two bottles of wine down on an end table nearby.

  We spent the rest of the evening enjoying our s’mores, drinking wine, and smoking cigars. It was a much-needed stress reliever and I think everyone welcomed the opportunity to set our troubles aside for an evening.

  CHAPTER 10

  EASTERN TENNESSEE

  “THE CASTLE”

  The next day, it was back to work. It was snowing lightly and I’d say we had accumulated another inch or two overnight, leaving our total ground cover at around five inches.

  We started the morning off with a light breakfast of salted crackers, some tea that we’d found in one of the kitchen cabinets, and some hard candies from the vending machines before holding a group meeting. I felt it was important to get everyone on the same page and organized in our new environment, even if it was just a temporary layover, a topic which topped my list of items to be discussed.

  Were we staying or going?

  Personally, I was exhausted and really didn’t want to go anywhere else, especially now with the weather the way it was. We had a great location to hold out in for the winter; it was isolated, secure, had plenty of space to spread out in, and was a lovely living environment.

  My main concern with staying though was Claire. I didn’t know where or how we’d get more supplies to help her manage her diabetes, but it was a discussion we could have privately later. She still had a multi-month supply, which I hoped would get us through the winter. And maybe by that time, things in the outside world would have shaken themselves out enough to get back to some sense of normalcy. I wanted to stay put, and that’s what I told the group. However, it wasn’t a decision that was solely mine to make; and therefore, after a brief discussion, we put it to a vote.

  I honestly don’t know why we even bothered though. Everyone but Jason – who didn’t fully comprehend what we were talking about – voted in favor of staying put. I think the rest of our group was just as tired of being on the road and having their lives in flux as I was and wanted a place that they could call “home” for a little while. And while the location wasn’t going to bring us the warm winter weather we desired, it at least provided some relatively isolated safety, and that was a critical element that wouldn’t be available were we to hit the road again.

  With the future of our winter decided, we began assigning duties. We ended up keeping things much the same as they had been back at camp in southern Illinois. We divvied up roles such as collecting and cutting firewood – of which we’d need a lot after seeing how much we burned through in one night – hunting, water gathering and purification, and now, housekeeping. Since we’d be living indoors again, there was a level of cleanliness that we hoped to maintain, and our elegant surroundings kind of reinforced this desire. Even though it really didn’t matter, the societal norms of yore were still imbedded in our being and left us with a desire not to damage or destroy the exquisite environment in which we now lived.

  As we wrapped things up, Ray and Will – who had been assigned to “meat patrol” – headed out to see how the hunting picture looked in these parts of Tennessee. Emily, Paul, and his sister Sarah got moving on water collection, since as a group, we tended to go through quite a bit. They were charged with finding containers to store as much water as they could and start working on the snow collection, melting, and purification process.

  Dad, Joanna, Janet, and Sharron were put on wood detail, bringing the rest of the snow-covered woodpile that was stacked out by the garage inside and storing it in the attached greenhouse so that it could dry out. Then they were to begin searching the surrounding forest for new sources of ready-to-burn wood to allow us to stay warm in our humungous structure. Everybody had already donned multiple layers of clothing as it was currently little warmer inside the home than out.

  Meanwhile, Mom volunteered to watch Shane and Jason who were starting to become good playtime buddies. This left me and Claire to conduct a thorough daylight inspection of the entire house in an effort to collect anything that might be of use to us.

  We started our walk-thru in the kitchen. While we had made a quick search last night, in the dark, we hadn’t been able to thoroughly inspect ever nook and cranny. This time around, we discovered a container of rice, an open box of risotto, a container of sugar, two big – and still full – bags of flour, as well as a litany of barely-used herbs, spices, flavorings, salts, peppers, oils, teas, coffees, some yeast, and a little baking soda. Most of the items weren’t things that could be eaten on their own, but they could certainly come in handy when cooking and flavoring meals. And while the refrigerator wasn’t running, it held certain condiments like ketchup, mustard, and salad dressing that still appeared edible.

  The library and dining room were quickly gone through with little found of any worth. While there were plenty of items that would have been extremely valuable just a month or so ago, they were largely useless to us now. In the dining room we perused a collection of Wedgewood pottery, a sterling silver tea set and silverware, a massive wal
nut dining room table, and several 18th and 19th century oil paintings and portraits. The library offered up literally tons of antique books, many of which were complete sets comprised of works from a vast array of literary greats. There was an ornately carved wood fireplace mantle, several marble statues, a huge, what I guessed was an at least seven by eight foot print by Albrecht Durer, and more multi-century-old artworks. Other than their aesthetic and cultural value though, such pieces were now completely worthless to us.

  The library itself astounded me.

  The massive room was two stories with book-lined walls and darkly stained wood trim reaching all the way to the second floor. Halfway up, a catwalk ringed more book-filled shelves that skirted the entire perimeter of the space and was accessible by a wrought-iron spiral staircase in one corner of the room. Persian rugs lined the darkly-stained wood floors. Towering pedestal brass lamps hovered over dark leather chairs and sofas that were strewn about the room and interwoven with antique mahogany tables and chests. The whole place looked as though it had been pulled directly from a Gilded Age mansion. The Vanderbilts would have been proud. I would have loved to have lingered, exploring the thousands of collectible volumes and vintage tomes, but there would be time for that later.

  From one side of the library, through mammoth sliding wood doors, we entered an equally impressive office. There were more bookcases, more books, more stained trim and wood paneling, another fireplace, a huge antique mahogany desk, an enormous leather sofa, a brass-adorned wet-bar in one corner, a giant flat-screen television that hung upon one wall and that would make a movie theater screen blush, and a half bathroom in one corner of the room. I hurried over to inspect the bar but was dismayed to find that the assorted bottles and decanters were all empty.

  We then made a search of the huge desk finding some AAA batteries for Claire’s insulin pump. In a locked drawer that I pried open, I discovered a handgun with a box of shells. We placed the items into several trash bags that we carried with us in which to haul our loot. From the office, we exited through a side door that led out into the family room without having to go back out through the library. We moved on from there to the greenhouse that we accessed from the far end of the family room and where Joanna and her helpers were stacking wood. It looked like there had been a nice selection of plants and herbs growing here at one point, but winter’s cold temperatures and lack of tending had left them to wither and die.

  From here, we moved our search upstairs. It was largely a bust. Most of the bedrooms and bathrooms appeared to be set up for guests that rarely, if ever, visited. We counted seven bedrooms, each with an attached bathroom. There were also several half baths sprinkled throughout the floor. But except for beds, nightstands, televisions, a couple fake plants, and some paintings to add atmosphere in the bedrooms, and towels, hand soap, and toilet paper in the bathrooms, there was little else in most of these areas. We filled two entire trash bags with toilet paper – something we ended up using quite a bit of – and hand soap, and moved on.

  We made a quick search of what we took to be the child’s room, who we deducted to be a young girl from the way the room was strewn with an array of princess-themed toys, dolls, doll houses, stuffed animals, and fake cosmetic and shopping play things. It made me sad as I wandered through the room and I found myself wondering what had happened to these people, where they had gone, whether they were still alive, and if so, whether they were all still alive. I hoped that at least this little girl, who I’d only seen in pictures around the home, had survived the flu and its aftereffects.

  Next, we moved on to the master bedroom. Master “suite” would be a more fitting description I guess. In the center of the bedroom, there was a huge, canopied king-sized bed mounded with an array of plush pillows and topped with a thick, billowy-looking comforter. The walls were lined with several massive dressers and an old armoire that was probably the size of our SUV. A lovely gas fireplace was set into one wall. A set of French doors led to what appeared to be a smaller – compared to downstairs at least – yet still impressive office.

  And then there was the master bath. I heard Claire gasp as she walked inside ahead of me. I followed close behind.

  “This is bigger than our bedroom back home,” she breathed, staring around her in amazement.

  The bathroom floor was slate tile, the walls done in shiny 2 x 4 inch subway tile. The fixtures were bronze. The dark flooring was contrasted nicely by the bright white wall tiles.

  In one corner was a gigantic Jacuzzi tub. In the other, was a dual-head shower encased all in glass and with a large window from which to gaze upon the mountain landscape. On one wall was an excessively large vanity with settee, two sinks, and probably more counter space than our old kitchen had. Almost the entire wall above this area was mirrors.

  On the vanity lay woven baskets full of soaps, lotions, oils, and an array of sponges.

  We stood together for a moment, taking it all in. “Too bad the tub won’t work,” I said. “We could swim a few laps it’s so big.”

  “No kidding,” said Claire, still gawking around in stunned amazement.

  I looked back over to the vanity and its row of amenity-filled baskets.

  “Wait here for a minute,” I said. “I have an idea.”

  I hurried out of the master-suite, found my way back to the stairway and rushed downstairs to the family room. I could hear Mom and the kids playing in the library. No one else was around, but I saw that the water patrol had a large metal bucket full of water warming beside the fireplace. I glanced around me to ensure no was watching, pulled my jacket sleeve down over my hand, hustled over, grabbed the bucket’s metal handle and hefted it with me back upstairs.

  By the time I made it to the bathroom, I was panting for breath.

  “What are you doing?” Claire asked, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

  “Get naked,” I said, without explanation.

  “Are you nuts? It’s freezing in here!”

  “I’ll warm you up,” I smiled, grabbing several loofah sponges from the vanity and tossing them in the steaming bucket full of water. “Go ahead. Shed your clothes and get in the shower,” I said, closing the bathroom door and locking it behind me.

  “You’re bad,” she grinned devilishly.

  “No, I’m not,” I shook my head, “I’m good…very good.”

  She just continued smiling and shaking her head at me, but obeyed.

  I watched greedily, taking in curves and body parts that I admired so much but hadn’t seen for far too long. Privacy was something that was becoming a rarity in our ever-growing group; and with winter coming on, getting through multiple layers of clothing and battling freezing temperatures didn’t make simple skin-to-skin contact very easy.

  Claire finally rid herself of her last few garments, and stood shivering, hugging her goose-pimpled flesh with her thin, yet tautly muscled arms. The act squeezed her bosoms up irresistibly. She looked at me as I continued to watch her, then she opened the glass door to the shower and stepped inside.

  I was out of my clothes as though they were on fire, grabbing the handle of the water bucket with my shirt and following Claire into the shower. It was damn cold, but I didn’t care. I washed that fine little woman from the top of her pretty little head down to the tips of her cute little toes. Then she returned the favor. The water felt great and so did Claire. I lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around me. I placed one of the bigger loofah sponges between our abdomens so that it squeezed warm water down over us as we pressed hard together.

  We made love right there in our new mansion.

  We were the king and queen of our very own castle; and finally I felt I’d given my wife the type of home that she truly deserved. I felt like a provider. I felt like she actually needed me, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. And it was nice.

  The warm water didn’t last long though, and after we’d cleaned up, we dressed hurriedly.

  “Ugh,” said Claire, shivering. “I hate being cle
an and getting back into dirty clothes.”

  “We can wash them tomorrow once we get the water system here better organized.” I took a peak into one of the vanity drawers. There were several unopened boxes of 4-blade razors. “Thank god,” I said, holding them up for Claire to see. “I feel like I’m turning into a werewolf,” I rubbed the beard that had formed on my face.

  “It’s like kissing a porcupine,” Claire joked.

  “You ready to finish up our search?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I suppose we’ve had our fun for the day,” she smiled at me, smacking my butt on our way back out to the bedroom.

  We searched the bedroom office, not finding much of use, and then headed to inspect the upstairs quarters where we found three more bedrooms, two more bathrooms, and a huge room that looked as though it had been created as a craft or art room but was used largely for gift wrapping and storage. There were boxes of bows, containers of wrapping paper, stacks of gift boxes, and an array of wine bags, strings, ribbons, scissors, measuring tapes, and yard sticks, all laid out on big collapsible tables. It was here that we also found big containers of holiday decorations and several boxes of candles. We tossed the candles into our garbage bags as we were finding that they came in handy in a world without electricity.

  “Must have been nice to be this rich,” Claire said.

  “Yeah, must have been,” I agreed, somewhat absent-mindedly as I looked around.

  “We should finish up. The others are probably wondering where we are,” Claire added after a second.

  “Let them wonder,” I said walking over behind her and putting my arms on her shoulders. She turned around to face me and my arms slipped down around her waste. “We deserve a break now and then.”

  Claire put her hands on my chest and turned her face up to mine.

  “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” she said.