The Pandemic Diaries [Books 1-3]

by Callahan, K. W.

  3:52 p.m.

  I thought life in a small town would be boring. Today my theory was disproved.

  The kids and I ended up walking over to the river. No one was at the river bridge since the single sentry there had been pulled for church services and Sunday dinner.

  As we expected, we found the river swollen and nearing the top of its banks from all the rain we’ve had lately.

  But that’s not all we found.

  I guess all the rain has washed a lot of debris from upstream down our way. The White River passes through Indianapolis, and the flood waters are carrying a lot of junk downstream. Along with the standard sticks, logs, and trees, there was just about any type of floatable garbage one could imagine being swept along in the river’s current or stuck in small debris fields along its banks. Worst of all, there were bodies…lots and lots of bodies. They were bloated, horrible looking things, and as luck would have it, poor Violet was the first to notice them. I counted at least 20. I don’t know where they came from, but it doesn’t matter. It was terrible to see and I immediately hustled the kids back to town. Poor Violet. I have thus far been able to pretty well shelter her from most of the terrible images our new world has presented, but today was a real shock for her – definitely not the way I wanted our afternoon stroll to go.

  I also noticed that the river water had a strange orangish hue to it and was toned with oil slicks in many spots. I wonder just how polluted the water has gotten with stuff either spilling or being dumped into it after civilization’s demise.

  It makes me sick to think that this has been our drinking water and we’ve been cooking our food and showering in it since we took up on the square. I mean, I know they’ve been doing their best to filter and boil it before we ingest it, but after seeing those floating bodies, their bloated, grimacing faces upturned and bobbing in our drinking water, I feel like throwing up. Plus, God only knows what sorts of waste – human or chemical – might be in that water. Abandoned industrial sites located along the river could now be purging their contents into it, and survivors could be doing as much damage or worse by dumping their own waste. I’m assuming that’s why the bodies are there. The river is probably the best way to quickly and quietly dispose of the dead. Who knows how many have been dumped in from Indianapolis alone.

  Once I get Violet calmed down, I’m going to find Gerald and tell him about what we saw.

  7:11 p.m.

  After I told Gerald about the river, he wanted to go see for himself. When he got back, he asked me and Dylan to help him and Carolyn go door-to-door around the square to gather everyone for an emergency meeting to be held at six o’clock.

  It had started raining again, so we donned our rain jackets and assisted with gathering the rest of the town.

  Once everyone had gathered at the cafeteria, Gerald explained the situation to the rest of the group as they sat quietly absorbing the news. He told us that we could rely on bottled water that we had collected from around town while a new water source was established. He said that he knew of a home outside of town that is on a well system we could use a generator to power. We’ll haul fresh water in from there until the river clears itself. In the meantime, he told us that we would need to do our best to conserve our existing water supply. He requested that no one shower until he gets the new well operational, which while a sacrifice, isn’t THAT big of a deal in the overall scheme of things. So we have to go without a shower for a day or two – big deal. I’ve dealt with so much worse in the last month that it seems like a miniscule inconvenience.

  Gerald also advised that due to the dangerous and rising floodwaters, we should try to keep away from the river until the flooding subsides and the water level recedes to diminish the chance of one of our own accidentally falling in and drowning.

  The way things looked today, and if the rain keeps up like it has been, we won’t have to worry about us going to the river as much as the river coming to us.

  11:48 p.m.

  I can’t fall back asleep. Violet woke up screaming about the dead bodies she saw floating in the river this afternoon. Poor thing. It’s such a shame. What should have been a lovely river walk turned into a terribly traumatic experience. She said she dreamed about them climbing out of the river to get her and pull her in with them. I knew she was going to have trouble with this. Hell, I’M having trouble with it. Those images were horrific. She used to get scared when zombie shows came on television. Dylan loved them. He and Chris used to watch them together. But they terrified Violet. Now she’s seen people that looked just like those terrible walking dead on television, but now those corpses are REAL. I have a feeling that her nightmare isn’t just going to be a one-and-done occurrence.

  Now that I’ve got HER back to sleep (after a nice backrub), I have to get myself back to sleep, which isn’t as simple. Sleep used to come so easy. Heck, Chris used to grumble about how I could never stay up for movie night after the kids went to bed. Back then, life was so good, so undemanding, so uncomplicated, so trouble free. There was nothing to weigh on my mind and keep me awake. Our jobs were secure, our living location and lifestyle were secure, we were all healthy, and money wasn’t tight. Now all that is gone. Now I never know what tomorrow will bring. I guess as long as we don’t end up like the people in the river, we should count our blessings.

  Got to work tomorrow, so I guess I ought to at least TRY to get some sleep.

  Monday, October 7 th

  7:32 p.m.

  It rained all night. Its steady pounding helped me fall back asleep after Violet’s nightmare. I can’t believe it – I’ve never EVER seen rain like this! It just keeps coming and coming and coming. And now it’s starting to get chilly outside too. I opened the window when I woke up this morning to get a temperature check, and I’d say it was in the upper 30s at best. The way things are going, it won’t be long before winter is upon us and snow is falling instead of rain. Boy, if this was snow instead of rain, we’d be buried!

  I thank our lucky stars that we’re not walking the rails like we were just a couple weeks ago. We’d be drenched and freezing our asses off.

  Well, I have to finish getting Violet dressed and me and Dylan ready for work. With winter apparently fast approaching, I think we’re going to be in a real push to get as many supplies as possible stocked in the town warehouses.

  12:52 p.m.

  I have just a few minutes until I have to get back to work. I don’t have much to say anyway. I think that more than anything, writing a few lines just helps to keep me connected to Chris and give me a private moment to spend with his memory and what he began with this journal.

  Lunchtime always seems hectic since I have to return to the square, pick up Violet, make us all lunch, drop her back off, and then get back to work. But somehow I always manage to squeeze out a couple minutes to jot a few lines. I know it’s probably silly, but I’ve been carrying this journal with me all the time since we left home. Even when I’m at work, I keep it in the inner pocket of my jacket. It’s habitual now and it makes it feel like Chris is always with me.

  We started on a new block – North Washington Street – for our scavenging efforts today. Chuck (the guy who I learned was actually 56, not in his 40s as I’d first assumed) wasn’t able to make it in today. Chase told us he’s sick. They aren’t sure what it is. He’s got flu-like symptoms, but they don’t know if it’s Su flu or an average strain. Either way, it’s serious, and it’s got everyone on edge. It’s not like in the old days when someone coming down with the flu was just a part of life. Now it’s a matter of life and death. Chuck is currently being quarantined in a site several blocks from the square until we know for sure just how serious his condition is or even WHAT it is.

  I hope he’s okay. He’s a nice fellow, kind of quiet, but always courteous. Gotta go, time to get back to work. I’ll write more later.

  8:48 p.m.

  Dinner tonight was good – chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes. It really hit the spot!

 
It seems that Violet is starting to warm up to Edna. It makes me feel less guilty about leaving her behind when Dylan and I head off to work. I know that at first she was jealous of me taking Dylan along and not her, but now I think she’s almost glad she gets to stay with Edna. She seems to enjoy the other kids, and according to Edna, she is getting along well with them. At night, Violet tells me stories of all the activities they did and games they played together. Too bad they can’t get outside more since it’s STILL RAINING!

  Oh well, there is plenty of room to spread out inside Edna’s building, and they’ve put down padded gym mats in one part of the first floor so the kids can get a little wild without us parents having to worry too much.

  In other news, they said that Chuck doesn’t appear to have the Su flu, just the regular flu, so it looks like he’s going to be okay.

  At dinner, Gerald reported that the river had topped its banks today, and the little park down by the river’s edge is flooded. I wonder if it’s raining like this in Chicago? It’s so weird not having news from other places or knowing what the weather is going to be tomorrow. I feel so cut off from the rest of the world. While I certainly prefer Spencer over Chicago, at least in Chicago you knew other people were still alive. You may not have wanted anything to do with them, but they were ALIVE. Here, it’s just so isolated. I guess that’s not a bad thing considering the situation. The last thing we want is outsiders coming in trying to take our stuff or bringing the Su flu with them.

  Alright, time for bed. The kids are already asleep and I’m pooped!

  Tuesday, October 8 th

  12:39 p.m.

  We’re eating leftover chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes that I warmed for lunch in a microwave at the cafeteria. I’m writing while I eat. I’ll try not to slob any chicken gravy on the page.

  We’ve relocated our work site today. The river, having broken its banks, is creeping ever closer to the houses located nearest it on the south side of town. We want to get through the homes (I guess I shouldn’t call them “homes” anymore, just “structures” since no one actually lives in them) closest to the river in the event the water reaches them. We don’t want valuable supplies swept away or destroyed. And with the water rising the way it is, we’re pushing ourselves pretty hard.

  I guess the interesting part about our work is that the most valuable things in our old world are now the most worthless in our new once, and vice versa. Cash, gold, silver, diamond jewelry, televisions, cell phones, and other electronics aren’t worth anything now. Meanwhile food, water, clothing, toiletries, and the likes that were more affordable and commonplace items not so long ago are now extremely valuable.

  In past scavenging sessions, we’ve tried to be somewhat respectful of the homes we’re searching and their contents (although I guess there’s really no reason to be). Now, though, we’re just tearing through these places as quickly as we can before the water reaches them. It’s strange, sometimes I feel like a robber breaking into someone’s home. It’s so odd to be picking through the remnants of what once were people’s homes and belongings and wondering what their lives were like. It’s very sad. In each house, I get a small taste of who these people were even though I never knew them personally. In one way, I feel guilty because it’s like we’re stealing, but in another way, it’s almost fun, like we’re at a big rummage sale where everything is free.

  It ends up making me feel so lonely at night when the day’s work is over and I reflect on all these lost souls. I know that I’m surrounded by a nice little community here, what remains of it at least, and I still have the kids, but the world feels so different now. Without television, without internet, without phones, without stores, without news, without an income, without Chris…it’s all so strange. I mean, I’m grateful we survived, but survived to do what? Just continue to survive? Is that all we’re here for now? I guess that’s okay if we are. That’s what people hundreds of years ago did. It just seems that we (the human race) had evolved into something more, people who were put here for a purpose of more than just SURVIVING. We were making the world a better place, weren’t we? Through technology, through medical advancements, through improvements in our way of life and living, we were building a more advanced civilization that should have been immune to things like the flu. We were forging ahead so quickly in our steps of progress. Now we’re pushed back toward the dark ages. Will we have to start all over? Will we ever get back to where we were? What happens in a few years when we’ve used up all the supplies left to us from the modern world? Will we be able to fend for ourselves? It’s only been a little over a month since all this started, and yet it feels like so much longer than that. I used to work from the comfort of my home, take the kids to play dates, drive to the store whenever we needed something, watch television shows and movies with a couple button clicks, and communicate instantly with friends (friends who are probably no longer alive) with just a few taps of my phone.

  Maybe there are still some spots out there that remain relatively untouched by the flu and its aftermath. I guess it’s the only hope we have of recovering what once was.

  Well, enough of that. Such thoughts certainly aren’t doing me any good. Time to get back to the job at hand of trying to make the best of what we have. Maybe I can con Chase into sneaking me another bottle of wine from the stockpile. It was nice having a glass each night to calm my nerves and sooth some of the pain that comes with learning how to cope with and accept this new world without Chris.

  I love you honey, and I miss you SO much.

  8:28 p.m.

  I’m taking a break from my game playing with the kids. They’re getting ready for bed while I write. We’ve already finished two games of Candyland and another of Chutes & Ladders. I’m gamed out for the moment and still stuffed from dinner; which, by the way, was breakfast – pancakes, eggs, and ham. Deeelicious!

  I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s STILL raining. This is getting INSANE! The river’s flood waters have already reached one of the first structures we scavenged earlier today. No one knows just how high it might get. After dinner, we had a short discussion about emergency and evacuation preparations should it come to that, which we all hope it won’t. I’ve seen some big storms in Chicago, but I’ve NEVER seen such a long-lasting rain like this. It’s reminds me of seeing news footage of the monsoon seasons in Asia…back when there WAS news.

  We spent the hour after dinner at the town’s new recreation center located in one of the empty buildings on the square. Taking my advice on adding some entertainment venues for the community, Gerald set up several televisions with VCRs, DVD players, and a couple video game consoles that we pulled out of homes during our scavenging work. According to Gerald’s brief history, the building used to house several businesses of various sorts throughout the years; then it was used as a meeting place for the local church youth chapter before becoming our post-flu recreation center. One of its lower-level walls is exposed brick with a cool hand-painted drug store advertisement that has to be close to 100 years old. It adds some unique history to the space.

  Dylan got to spend some time playing a shooting video game with Elliot from our scavenge team, and Violet and I watched part of a Disney movie. Chase stopped by for a couple minutes while we were there. He was all wet and said he had been out with Gerald inspecting the river’s rising waters. He told us that Gerald is debating pulling the teams from their scavenging work tomorrow to do some sandbagging if things continue the way they have been.

  I’m not sure what’s up with Chase. He didn’t seem to have any other reason to stop at the rec center other than to chat with me. It’s nice, but I’m getting the feeling that he’s interested in more than just being friendly. I’ve caught him sneaking glances at me when we’re working, and they aren’t just peeks, they’re more like lingering stares. I’ve seen such looks from men before, and each time they led to more than just a friendship. Who knows, I could be way off base…but I don’t think so.

  Okay, t
he kids are ready for bed, but they want one more game before they go to sleep. I’m going to turn it over to Violet for a minute; she wants to write something to Daddy.

  Dear Daddy,

  I luv u. I wun candilnd tonite. Im so hapy. I wis u wur her to se it. I wuz so xsited. I mis u. im tird now so im gonna bed. luv u soooooooooooo mush.

  luv violet

  Poor sweet thing. I can barely stand to read what she writes to Chris. It just rips my heart out.

  But for now, I’m going to have to try to hold it together for one more game with the kids.

  Oops, one more child wants to write, so here’s Dylan.

  Dear dad,

  I miss you. I wish you were here. I go to work with momma each day. Its kinda cool. We get to go through peoples houses and take stuff we need to live. Theres this guy. His name is Chase. I think you wuld like him. He noes alot about cars and stuff. Hes pretty nice. On saterday we go to the farmer market. On sunday we go to church. Its alrite. Anyway, I love you alot and miss you alot and Im sad your not here.

  Love Dylan.

  Wednesday, October 9 th

  12:32 p.m.

  Dylan and I took our lunches with us to work today. We were contacted this morning by one of Gerald’s men (Walter, I think his name was) and notified that we were going to be on sandbag duty for the day. It has finally stopped raining (for the moment), but the river is still rising. I told Violet we wouldn’t be able to come see her for lunch. She was disappointed at first but seemed to get over it rather quickly once she started playing with her friends. Edna said she would be happy to have Violet eat lunch with the other children.