Down the Hole

by Sally Six

  He leaned the last bike up against the truck and went back into the house to retrieve the kids and Penny.

  With everyone bundled up and ready to go, they said their goodbyes to the Wilson family. Penny gave Nancy Wilson a hug and another thank you both knew they would be good friends.

  Tom turned to Paul. “Well I hope to see you soon Paul. We will be over to get our stuff and hopefully the truck as soon as we can.”

  “No problem. It will be here and safe. We will talk about what we all talked about last night, but I sure hope things don’t go downhill too bad too soon.”

  Tom turned to his kids and Penny. “Well are you all ready to take off?”

  “No time like the present.” Penny said. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “We’re ready Dad,” said Fred as Bitty shook her head yes.

  They all had their backpacks on. Tom hoped that it wouldn’t be too much for the kids. He guessed he could always carry Bitty’s backpack too if and when he had to. They all waved goodbye as they turned up the driveway. Paul and Nancy Wilson had stayed where they were to watch the group leave, but Gus had already turned and was headed back into the house.

  Tom, Penny and the kids started to push their bikes down the driveway and turned out onto the dirt road which now was covered with several inches of snow. Penny was first with Bitty and Fred in the middle while Tom brought up the rear.

  They all came to a stop as they neared highway 129. Tom looked north down the road towards Anatone Grade. He could see a group of people walking down the road about one mile away.

  He thought to himself. “I wonder if they’re good or bad. I would think it would be a bit soon for bad guys or people out looking for food to be walking around way up here yet in the snow.”

  “Alright now, time to turn south and head for your grandparents.” He told the kids.

  Fred had seen the people down the road to. “Who do you think those people are Dad?”

  “I don’t have any idea Fred. I would assume that they also live up here or know someone who does or they wouldn’t be out here on the road already like us. I don’t think we need to watch out quite yet for the bad guys that will come out of the woodwork, but we should still be careful just in case.”

  The going was slow and Tom would glance behind them once in a while. The group behind them was getting closer and closer. His family was only as fast as Bitty could go. He did end up taking Bitty’s backpack and slipping it over one of his shoulders.

  After walking another half-hour, he heard from behind him. “Hey Tom, wait up.”

  Tom whipped his head around to find Titus trotting up to him. As his brother reached him, he wrapped his arms around him and slapped him on the back well the backpack anyway.

  “Well I’ll be dog gone. I never thought that could be you back there. Who all is with you anyway? All I could think of was what if you were bad guys. If you had been, we would have been screwed. I guess I really need to change my way of thinking now, don’t I?”

  “You know.” said Titus. “I came to that same conclusion very early this morning. I caught myself daydreaming instead of being alert on guard. Who knows if things will ever get back to what we thought was a normal way of life or what at least may come close to it.”

  By this time, his other two brothers and the rest of the group had caught up with them. Introductions were made and this gave the kids a rest. Then they all began walking and pushing the bikes down the road. Andrew took Bitty’s bike and gave her a break. He slipped a duffle onto it. There wasn’t any more room on it for anything else. Aaron did the same for Fred. Four and a half hours later, they were walking up to the gate at the head of their parents’ driveway. Tom who now was in the lead went up to the gate and unhooked it. He was thinking. “This needs to change too. A lock for now and a lot sturdier gate in the future with guards.” They would check in with Mom and Dad. Then see who was going to stay with whom before heading over to his cabin and getting settled in. It sure felt good to be here.

  Mike was out at the chicken coop collecting eggs when he looked out at the front gate. He saw a group of people coming through it. He stopped what he was doing and hightailed it out the door, across the chicken yard and through the gate.

  He ran down to the house and went through the back door to the back porch and into the kitchen yelling for Ann with a snow trail behind him. Ann was in the living room cooking supper on the woodstove. She turned and watched him go through.

  “What in the world is going on Mike?”

  Mike ran behind her and grabbed his 30.06 which was sitting behind the bedroom door. He picked up the magazine clip and rammed it home as he ran for the front door.

  “Someone’s coming down the driveway Ann. I saw them coming through the gate. I hope it’s the kids, but there’s way too many to be just the kids. Better safe than sorry.” Out the door he went.

  There was a big mountain maple tree on the left side of their deck off the enclosed porch. He jumped off the deck and went behind the tree to watch the driveway.

  Inside Ann was standing by the large living room window peeking out from behind the curtain. Her 38 special was strapped on her waist and her 22 rifle was close to her leaning against the chair. Ann could see both Mike behind the tree out front and the group coming down the driveway.

  The group continued down the long driveway. She could see 4 of them pushed loaded down bikes. A minute later, Mike began to relax as he recognized his sons and the grandkids. Mike stepped out from behind the tree his 30.06 in his right hand the barrel pointed up. Ann relaxed when she saw Mike step out from behind the maple tree and lay his rifle on his right shoulder. “Whew.” she thought. “Maybe we should have more dry runs and maybe now set up guards. What if this had been a group of bad guys. We wouldn’t have been ready at all. Plus they wouldn’t just be walking down our driveway like this I am sure. Well unless they are really stupid or very cocky. What about any people that just happen to go down our road looking for handouts. Oh my, I best make up some small packets of handouts like with rice and beans. I kept meaning to do that this last year, but thought I could put that off. There didn’t seem to be a hurry. Teach me to think.”

  All this was going through her head as she went out the door of the house. She grabbed a coat hanging on a hook by the door and slipped on her rubber farm boots as she exited. They both went up the front yard and into the driveway and greeted their children and the people with them. Ann recognized Penny, Tom’s next-door neighbor and babysitter, but she didn’t know who the others were.

  The kids ran up and gave her a hug before she got anywhere near the others.

  Bitty grabbed her grandma. “Oh grandma, it’s so good to get here. We have walked and walked. My feet are so tired.”

  “Mine too.” Fred was saying. “We thought we would be walking forever.”

  Tears started to come down Ann’s face as she looked at the rag tag bunch. They were closer now and she could hear some of the things Tom was telling Mike.

  The people that she didn’t know started to hang back a bit. After she told the kids to go on into the house and get some cookies, they took off right away for the house. There was no telling them twice when it came to cookies. She went up and introduced herself to the new peole and pointed to Mike saying. “That’s my husband, Mike. I am Ann. If you are with our boys, you are very welcome.”

  She thought they must be a family. The two teens looked like they were a combination of both the parents. The woman in the group started to cry and say how thankful she was. She hadn’t known what was going to come of them and if they would be truly welcome or not.

  Ann told them. “Okay, let’s start this off right. You know our names. Now tell me yours.”

  The man said. “I am Les Carter and this is my wife, Lou Ann. These are our children, Brian and Tess. I am or was the Asotin County Sheriff depending how things go I guess.”

  By this time Mike had made his way over to Ann’s side.

  Mike stuck
out his hand to Les. “Les you’re very welcome here. As far as we’re concerned, you’re now family. We will do the best we can to make your family as comfortable as possible. If you all can put up with being a bit cramped, we can get you a cabin built next spring?”

  That got Lou Ann to crying again. Les put his arm around his wife’s shoulders as they walked over to the house. With everyone inside it did make for a crowd.

  Ann went back out and brushed off some snow off of an area. She opened the hole that her and Mike had dug to put the old refrigerators in and covered with some left over metal and insulation. One refrigerator was cleared out that morning to use to keep foods cold. She got out the food that she had cooked the night before and brought that in to combine with what was cooking on the wood stove. She lifted the lid of the other cast iron pot to have a look at the bread. Bread done this way was a bit crunchier on the outside but still good. Ann was looking forward to spring when Mike would get that adobe oven built for baking in. She wanted one that had the separate fire down below the baking part. She didn’t want the one where you build your fire in it and then had to scrape out the wood and ashes to cook in it. Or leave a fire going in the back of it.

  Everyone found a spot to sit. Some were in the dining room and some in the living room. It was kind of an open floor plan so it wasn’t like they were in two different rooms. They could all talk to each other easily. They then told their stories of how they ended up together and now at Mike’s and Ann’s. Then Mike told them what had happened to him on his way home from work the day before.

  Mike leaned forward. “Would you all mind if I give a prayer of thanks to the Lord for bringing you here safely?”

  Everyone said go ahead and even Les and Lou Ann said yes. Their two teens looked at their parents a bit funny Ann noticed, but the two teens didn’t say anything.

  Mike got off the sofa, kneeled down unto the floor and everyone else did likewise,

  “Our Father in Haven. We come before you with humble hearts and gratitude for bringing these children, grandchildren and friends to us safely. We also pray for our other children at this time that they have found safety somewhere and are out of harm’s way. We know thy will be done and pray for your guidance in the days and years to come. We thank you for the bounty which you have helped us to gather. Also Lord, thank you for the food we are about to eat, may it nourish and sustain us this night. Again thank you Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Savior. Amen.”

  With that everyone again sat where they had been except for Ann who got up and asked for help getting dishes and all out for their supper. Penny, Lou Ann and Aaron’s girlfriend, Crystal got up to help. Lou Ann’s daughter, Tess, asked if she should help also. Ann said that would be fine. She could help put dishes on the table in stacks as they would be doing a smorgasbord style supper.

  Ann went over to check again on the bread and the large pot of food. Everything was done and a good thing to. Everyone that had walked here looked like they could use some good warm food.

  After supper, the women again pitched in with getting the dishes all cleaned up for the night. Mike and Tom took the left over soup out to the fridge hole. Then everyone gathered again to see where they were going to spend the night. Since Tom had three bedrooms and a loft, that meant that Fred and Brian could take the loft bedroom. Penny, Bitty and Tess would take the other bedroom. He would have Andrew and Aaron bunk with him. Les and Lou Ann could take the extra bedroom at Moms and Dads. Crystal could have the small loft there also.

  Everyone talked about it. It was ok with them all. Lou Ann was a bit nervous about the kids not being closer to them, but Mike told her they were not all that far away, just over the fence a ways. Les and Lou Ann were taken out to the back porch where they could see Tom’s cabin sitting half way up the hill behind Mike and Ann’s place about 300 feet past the back fence.

  “I guess, it’s okay.” Lou Ann said.

  So that settled, Ann went to her collection of sleeping bags and blankets. She had Tom tell her how many that he had and they went from there on what everyone needed for the night.

  Luckily everyone had sleeping bags with them so things weren’t too bad. Tom was going to go on over to his cabin to get the woodstove going to warm up the place more. He did have a small space heater going during the week when they weren’t there. No sense in having the pipes freeze. His parents checked on things every other day. Now with no electricity, things were going to be colder.

  “Don’t worry about that Tom,” Mike said. “I already went over there last night, then again today and got a fire going to keep the chill off the house so it should be fine.”

  “Great Dad. Thanks. I should have known you would have taken care of things.”

  With that everyone split up to ready for the night. Mike and Ann helped everyone get settled in for the night at their place. Later as they lay in bed, they wondered how the rest of the family was fairing. All they could do is keep them in their prayers.

  Chapter 12

  The Trap

  In Virginia the next morning:

  Dad, Dad.” Leroy shook his father.

  “You wanted up about now. Didn’t you?”

  Matt opened his grainy eyes. “Oh gads,” he groaned. “What am I doing on the sofa?”

  Leroy gave him a strange look and then it hit Mike why he was on the sofa.

  Matt made his way to the bathroom. He took the top off of the back of the toilet and then stepped into the kitchen for a cup. He used it to dip water from the toilet tank to the sink. He grabbed a wash cloth from the shelf and washed his face. He thought maybe I best leave the water in the sink. No what I should have done is first is to have put the water in a large bowl. Then we can use it to flush the toilet at least once after we have rinsed the kids’ faces with it and the rest of what’s in the toilet tank. This sure is going to take some rethinking on what we use and do.

  Matt then headed back to the living room where Leroy was watching out the living room window. All was quiet at this time of the morning, yet. Mike wondered how long that would last. Another couple of hours at best he thought.

  He turned to Leroy. “We have to get your mother and the kids up. I know you’re tired but you can sleep for a while on the road when we get going. I want us out of here in an hour. I hope that’s not too late. I have an idea it’s going to be like when I was coming home with cars everywhere and hardly any running. It’s going to be like running a gauntlet. I need you to start getting this stuff out to the van. Do the best you can while I get the others up and going. I know your tired Leroy, but this has to be done. You can rest later, okay.”

  “Okay Dad.” He took the van keys off the TV where Matt always put them, picked up his first box and headed out to the van.

  “Leroy be careful and keep an eye out for anyone coming up to you.” Matt said to his son as he went out the door.

  Matt took the stair case 2 and 3 steps at a time after telling Leroy to go out, unlock the van and start loading the things that they had gathered up during the night. To make sure he still kept a good eye on what was going on around him. Matt stopped for a second to look at his wife while she was still asleep. He hoped and thought maybe prayers would also be in order as he had been brought up to use prayer. He had ignored doing so for to many years now. This was going to be hard on her. She had never had to rough it. He knew they were in for some very rough times ahead.

  Matt walked over to Cass’s side of the bed. Put his hands on her shoulder. “Cass, Cass honey, it’s time to get up.”

  She groaned and tried to rollover. “Cass you have to get up now. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time.”

  “Oh Matt, do I have to. It’s so early yet. Let me sleep a couple more hours, would you?” She said sleepily.

  Matt threw the covers off of her. “Cass get up now, please. I want us out of here in an hour. You have to get dressed NOW.”

  She scowled at him and said. “There’s no need to get nasty about it. What’s the hurry anyw
ay?”

  “There is no time to sit down and explain it to you again right now Cass. Just get up, get ready and pack some clothes for you and me. I will go wake up the other kids and have them help pack some clothes for themselves.”

  With that, he headed out of the bedroom door and went down the hall to start waking the smaller ones.

  Matt woke them all going from room to room. Lex and Les shared a room. He had them run to the bathroom to do their duty and wash their faces. He explained how they were to do that. Lily at 12 years old was told to help the two younger ones first before she washed up. Then they were all to come back to their rooms to help pack clothes, shoes and maybe a few toys. Matt grabbed the kid’s school backpacks and emptied them. He started to pack under clothes. He packed four pair of underwear, four pair of socks, two t-shirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt then a pair of tennis shoes in each of the little boys. That way if they had to grab something and walk for some reason, they at least would have some clothes. He wanted to also put some snacks in the bags with a bottle of water. He put the bags by the doorway. Then went to gather two duffels from the living room, one for Lily and one for more of the boy’s clothes.

  By the time he got back to the upstairs, the kids were back. He had Lily go to her room and start packing in her backpack and the duffel. He told her what to put in the backpack in case that’s all she could grab if they had to leave their van. She acted like she was in shock and just stood there.

  Lily go now get packing. “But Dad, I don’t want to leave. All my friends are here.”

  “Lily listen, I don’t have time to argue or explain right now. Just do as you’re told and get to packing. Make sure you put in some warm winter clothes, your coat, gloves and tie your boots to it.”

  She turned indignantly, but left for her room while he was packing the boys clothes and boots. Whatever he thought they would need this winter, but still trying to not over pack.