Self Apocalypse: The Beginning

by John French

  I packed very light for the trip. I brought a tarp in case I needed a shelter for the night and a wool blanket. I made a few sandwiches for the trip, and also brought a hand line in case I found an opportunity for some wild brook trout. There were a lot of brooks and streams here that I found offered plenty of food for anyone willing to work for it. I threw on my pack, grabbed my rifle, and started out on my journey. By late morning I crested the small hill that I had seen the structure from in the spring. Being a nice open area, I had an early lunch here before taking compass readings and wandering off into the woods. Peanut butter and jelly was on the menu for the next couple of days. I scanned the mountain the structure was on while I ate lunch. The mountaintop was completely covered with pines, and there appeared to be a rock ledge on the northeast slope. The structure lay not too far down from the pine covered peak, and I could see a large rock the near the peak that served as a nice lookout. I wondered if there were any roads or trails that led to the structure. None were visible from my point of view, but I would conduct a reconnaissance of the area when I got there. I took a long look at the structure, at least what you could see of it, and could tell it was a cabin. It appeared to be small, but I was quite a ways from it so who knows. It was definitely going to take me the afternoon to get there. I figured I’d be at the cabin by three o’clock or so. That is as long as everything went good. I wasn't sure what obstacles I would come across along the way.

  After lunch I took a compass bearing and studied what I could see of the route ahead of me. A northwesterly route would see me to the cabin. It was the most direct route, but also appeared to be the easiest as the southern slope of the mountain looked to be a little more gradual than the other sides. I placed the binoculars back in my pack and started off on my adventure. It was relatively flat going between the hill I just left and the mountain I was approaching. The forest here was mainly hardwood and very open. There wasn’t a lot of undergrowth either, which made my hike much more enjoyable. The sun didn’t make it threw the canopy much here, but the rays that did make it through felt warm and kept the area from being gloomy. Squirrels chattered to the left and right of me as I made my way threw the valley. Birds seemed to be densely grouped here as well. Their chirping and songs were loud and gave one the feeling of walking through a jungle. Before long I could here another noise in the distance. It was definitely water. I hadn’t seen any large openings from the hill I had lunch at, so it must be a small brook which serves as a mountain runoff. It took me another twenty minutes before I found myself looking at a small waterfall. It was a good size brook and flowed rather swiftly considering the flatness of the terrain. I took a break here and drank liberally from one of the two canteens I had with me. I wanted to take the opportunity to refill with water now, as I was not sure if there would be another chance to do so later.

  I drank as much as I could bear to, and then topped off the canteen. I was going to worry about treating the water later. While I was filling the canteen I saw something slowly moving in the pool that the waterfall was graciously filling. It was definitely a fish. What luck! I couldn’t believe it. I took the extra time to take out the hand line I had brought with me, and found a couple worms under a nearby rotting log. It took me a few tries, but in the end I had two small brookies hanging from a tree branch I had cut down to carry them. My luck doubled with the discovery of crayfish in the pool. That took a little longer, but in the end was worth it. With two fish in hand and five crayfish I placed in a small thermos I had to keep alive until tonight, I repacked my gear, took another compass bearing, and went out along my way again.

  My expedition through the forest continued as the land now gradually sloped upward toward the mountain top. My hike was now becoming a little more time consuming with the incline that now faced me. After reaching what I believed to be the half way point, I realized I had probably spent a little too much time gathering dinner at that pool. It was now well pass three in the afternoon and I would need to start worrying about finding shelter and starting a fire if I didn’t reach my destination soon. I continued my climb upwards while keeping close tabs on the time. The cabin was definitely further away than I had realized, and the mountain much higher as well. Another hour of hiking passed by before I found myself near the summit. I started to scan my surroundings for the cabin as I hiked through. Realizing I needed to walk more to the right, I adjusted my direction and shortly after that found the cabin.

  I called out before approaching so I wouldn’t startle anyone. The last thing I needed was for someone to get jumpy with the presence of a stranger bearing a firearm. No one called back and I couldn’t see or hear anyone moving about. I walked up to the cabin and got the immediate feeling it was abandoned. The structure itself seemed to be in good shape, but the surrounding area and outer walls were definitely neglected. There was actually a small yard on the side of the cabin which I thought was neat. I walked up to the door and knocked. I grasped the handle and began to open the door. “Hello?” I called in as the door began to move. As the door opened it fell off the top hinge. I had to pick it up a bit to open it the rest of the way.

  Inside, the cabin dimly lit from what daylight was left. It was warm inside though, obviously a great benefit from being on the south facing side. Placing my rifle against the wall and laying my pack on the floor, I took out my flashlight for a little extra help. There was a wood stove towards the back of the cabin, and a small kitchen to my left. A living area to my right contained a table with two wooden chairs and a lounge chair. The cushions on the lounge chair were torn, and the mess on the floor indicated rodents. I was sure the place was full of them. There were cabinets filled with dishes and handy supplies. None of which were damaged. There were tools by the woodstove, and the chimney pipe looked to be in good order. There was an open doorway in the far right corner leading to another room. I slowly walked over, waiting for some animal to come jumping out from the darkness.

  At the doorway I sent the flashlight’s beam into the room. The windows were covered with blankets making it much darker than the rest of the cabin. There was a small desk and chair in the room and a bunk bed. The bottom bunk had a blanket on it that seemed to be covering something. I felt a chill go through me when I realized it appeared to be a body. The room didn’t smell though, so I assumed it might be a blanket or more gear perhaps. I ripped down the blankets from the windows so light would fill the room, then I slowly approached the bed not knowing what to expected. I grabbed the top of the blanket and threw it off without hesitation. I nearly jumped out of my clothes when I saw it laying there. There was a human skeleton with torn clothing lying in the bed.

  I backed up slowly then turned leaving the cabin. Outside I looked around as I tried to catch my breath. The sun was going down now, and a decision would need to be made now. I couldn’t stay in that cabin tonight. Not because of the skeleton, but because of the rodents and their mess. I retrieved my gear and quickly started to build a shelter. I gathered some wood and started a small fire. That night I found myself thinking of what my next step would be. I had my freshly caught food for tonight so the supplies I had brought would last longer. I thought it would be best to look around the cabin more in the morning before making any decisions, but first I would give the body in the cabin a proper burial.

  It was considerably cooler at this elevation, and made for a rough night with only a blanket to stay warm. Being awake a lot gave me time to think. I was going to bury the remains in the morning, then stay and see if the cabin could be salvaged. It had seemed to be in relatively good repair, and would offer me a second place to go in case there was ever any need to leave my camp. It seemed crazy, but the idea of having a place to fall back on made me feel a little better. There was just too much uncertainty as of late, and this would certainly give me peace of mind.

  Morning found me by a small fire trying to warm myself. When the sun’s rays finally touched me, I began to feel that restoration of body warmth I had been longing for. I retriev
ed a small shovel and axe from the cabin and began digging a grave. The shovel was no longer any good and the handle to the axe broke in half. The tools were obviously very old. I used the axe with its short broken handle to break up the hard earth, and scooped the dirt and rocks out with my hands. I continued this for some time until a shallow grave was dug out. I placed in the remains and buried them. A small pile of rocks were placed on top to mark the shallow grave. I spoke a few words to ensure a proper burial was given, and then I set straight to working on the cabin.

  By the end of the day I had pretty much cleaned out the cabin. I piled all the old blankets together and burned them. I didn’t find any mice or other rodents while cleaning, so I assumed they long ago evacuated their sanctuary. Thankfully there had been a make shift broom inside in good enough shape to sweep. All in all, the cabin wasn’t too bad. The roof looked like it might need a little repair, but other than that everything else seemed good. Even the stove inside was in good shape and usable. At least it appeared to be anyway. I guess I would have to give it a go to know for sure.

  It wasn’t as modern as the camper, but the cabin was much roomier inside. You could actually move around without needing to avoid hitting your legs or arms on anything. It had a nice rustic feel to it also. Almost felt like a home to me. Other than the furniture and some dishes, there wasn’t anything really useful. I was still a little weary about sleeping inside, but the cold from last night was a little too much to bear. I started the woodstove to see if everything was fine. Unbelievably it was, and it really warmed the cabin up too. I’m sure the chimney would need to be cleaned somehow, but for now I would be able to get through the night. I collected as much wood as I thought I would need for that night, and then turned to my gear for this evening’s dinner.

  I didn’t dare to leave the stove burning while I slept, but it didn’t matter because it had heated the cabin to a very comfortable temperature. I slept in the main part of the cabin on the floor as best I could. I just couldn’t bear to sleep on the bunk in the bedroom, not even the top bunk. I was thinking I might just tear the bunk bed right out, and try to build myself a new one. Maybe I was getting a little too crazy about the whole deal. I had time to think it over that was for sure. I wasn’t planning on moving in so I guess it really didn’t matter anyway.

  The next morning I began my return journey back to the camp. I stopped only to pick some wild berries I found along the way. I found no sign of any road or trail when I was at that cabin. I assume who ever had been living there wanted the solitude or maybe any pathway had long ago been taken back by the forest. I spent the rest of the summer bringing some emergency supplies to the cabin, and getting to know the area a little more. I also repaired the roof as best I could with what I had. It would definitely serve as a great retreat for an emergency, and had already served as a great place to kind of ‘get away’ from the camp. I also noticed that the shadow of loneliness that had been following me disappeared, and I was truly starting to think that the all of this was starting to strengthen me not only physically but mentally as well.

  Chapter Six

  Things Are Looking Up?

  “An horse is a vain thing

  for safety: neither shall he

  deliver any by his great strength.”

  – Psalms 33:17

  As summer finally faded away, it was replaced by the cool autumn mornings. Fall was full of anxiety for the up coming winter, and was spent in last minute preparations. This was going to be my first winter in the mountains, and I wasn’t planning on becoming a casualty like that poor soul up at the cabin. I was able to get my hands on a snowmobile and installed a very small woodstove in the camper. I had to lay in bricking and put in a stovepipe, but in the end it was worth it. The stove came from someone in town who had originally used it in a canvas tent they owned. They were very eager to get rid of it, or I should say to get my cash. It didn’t matter much anymore though, as paper money just wasn’t worth anything anymore. Most places didn’t even except it anymore. One thing still spoke though, and that was the gold.

  I still held closely to my stash though, and had yet to spend any of it. I was able to go hunting before the coldest of winter settled in and had shot a deer. I was sure to have plenty of meat for the winter without the need to spend monetary resources. My refridgeration problem had been solved as well with the coming of winter. That was a relief in itself. Although, I wish I didn’t have to sacrifice the warm nights in order to keep my food preserved.

  The loneliness still lingered around occasionally, but I was pretty use to it and it wasn’t as bad as when I first arrived. Luckily I wasn’t buried in this winter either. I was expecting a lot more snow than the foot and half that covered the ground so late in winter. It was enough to slow you down walking around though. If there wasn’t such a shortage in gas I probably would have enjoyed the sled more too. Oh well, it was still cheaper than driving the truck. You could also get to town a lot faster too. It was actually a bit scary how fast that sled could move.

  There had been lots of good news on the radio this winter. Things really looked like they were beginning to shape up. The government had opened the reserved food supplies and tasked the military with the duties of distribution. These supplies were going to specific drop points where they were loaded to be dispersed amongst the region the depot covered. I’m not sure where our regional outpost was, but it didn’t matter because apparently they didn’t know where I was either. I had supplies though so I didn’t care. I just hoped that the food was getting to those who truly needed it.

  Conflict still ruled the world though, especially in the Middle East. War on a large scale was inevitable now and fueling these conflicts was the need for oil. Petroleum seemed to be the root of all evil these days. I sometimes wondered if things would have been completely different, and all of this avoided if alternative energy had truly taken off. I guess it wasn’t any use trying to find the cause anymore though. The problem now rested on how to find a solution. The banks were still holding in there, but according to the reports on the radio you couldn’t withdraw your money so easily. It’s amazing how people were being patient with the financial system. However, like I stated earlier, money really wasn’t worth anything and that is probably what prevented people from revolting to get their money.

  It’s hard to say where things were going, but one thing was for certain, the government was stepping up to the plate and finally doing some much needed governing. Besides the food distributions, the military was providing aid for law enforcement where necessary. Not marshal law mind you, but enforcement of federal and local laws under the supervision of whatever law enforcement officials remained in the area of aide.

  I tried to imagine all these insane things happening while I sat in my camper cut off from the rest of the world. My present situation bore one mission and that was staying warm. I only ran the propane heater now at night when I slept, and even then I kept it rather cool in the camper. By the looks of the four tanks I had, it appeared I had enough propane to make it to early spring. I just hoped I was right. I had been using the top of that small woodstove to heat water and cook, so I didn’t waste fuel on the cooking stove.

  Showers consisted of a pale full of hot water, and a cup I would use to poor it slowly over me to rinse. One thing I noticed I was going to need soon were candles. I wasn’t really watching my supply and had gone through more than expected during these long winter nights. I added those to my list of things to pick up on my next sledding adventure into town. Though my food supply was in good order I did miss having fresh vegetables from the garden. The idea of having fresh green beans almost made my mouth water.

  Probably the worst part about the whole ordeal was the coffee situation. Coffee was becoming a scarce commodity and I was running dangerously low. So I unfortunately found myself rationing my coffee, and in some instances banning the use of it on certain days. It was most likely for the best though as my caffeine intake was higher than it should have b
een. I practically drank coffee all day in the past. I had to admit I did notice a considerable difference in my overall health when I cut back. Still, the habit was a hard one to break and needed a replacement. I found myself drinking hot water a lot, and occasionally making a tea from what tea bags I had and whatever I could find outside and steep.

  Playing solitaire was getting old so I started playing against myself in cribbage with a makeshift board I made. I also played a few hands of black jack and poker against myself too. Most of my free time though was spent planning for spring. I was going to start preparing for next winter the moment this winter ended. I was starting to find myself daydreaming too about getting out of this mess. I wondered how the cabin was fairing this winter, and looked forward to a visit this spring after the snow melted. I had stocked the cabin pretty good, and even brought some gear up that I left for use up there.