“It’s not unusual for chickens to stop laying in the winter,” Rebecca said.
“True, but they weren’t having any problems last week on the farm,” Joshua answered. “I think this move freaked them out.”
“They’ll be okay.”
As they walked from the chicken coop to the cabin Thomas’ Suburban made its way down the mountain. He rolled down the window. “Hey guys, how are y’all doing?”
“We’re okay.” Joshua frowned. “But I’m frustrated that our chickens have not laid one single egg since we’ve been here.”
Thomas shook his head, toothpick dangling from his lips. “Man, that ain’t good. Are y’all giving ‘em any laying mash?”
“Laying mash? What the heck is that?”
Thomas took off his cap and scratched his head. “A special feed for hens. Helps ‘em produce more eggs.”
Joshua’s brow furrowed. “Interesting. Never heard of it. We’re just amateur farmers and really don’t know what we’re doing.”
“Man, I’m headed out to get a few things. I’ll see if I can pick some up.” After a few minutes of chit-chat Thomas drove down the path toward the road.
***
A few hours later Thomas dropped a 50-pound bag on Joshua’s porch. “Laying mash. Maybe this’ll help.”
Joshua and Rebecca sprinkled the laying mash onto the ground in the coop. The chickens gobbled it up like they had not eaten in weeks. As they walked back toward the cabin a few raindrops started falling.
“As cold as it is, this could be a mess.” Joshua caught a couple of raindrops in his hand. With every step they took the frigid rain seemed to intensify. Reagan took off and made it to the dry safety of the porch. Joshua brushed his hand across the subtle ice glaze on the railing. “Not good.”
Shortly after dark Joshua made his way onto the porch. Snow was beginning to mix with the freezing rain and the arctic wind felt like a thousand stabbing needles. The temperature is dropping fast, he thought. Branches were beginning to sag under the weight of accumulating ice. Somewhere in the darkness he heard a branch snap and collide with several others before crashing to the ground.
Bob arrived at the cabin, clothed from head to toe in dark green winter rain gear. “This looks like a significant storm. We could lose power. What is your plan for an alternate heat source?”
Joshua shrugged. “Hadn’t thought about that.”
“Martin and I will secure firewood.” Bob did an about-face and vanished into the darkness.
Inside, Joshua turned the television to a 24-hour weather network. He felt his shoulders clench as the announcer offered a frigid forecast. The winter storm making its way into the North Carolina mountains could last for up 36 hours. The temperature is likely to remain below freezing for several days thereafter.
A couple of hours later Joshua and Rebecca were relaxing on the couch. Reagan was curled up in the corner and John and Ruth were seated in recliners. It was pitch black outside, save for the giant snowflakes falling between the ice-covered trees. Suddenly the cabin went dark.
“There goes the power.” Joshua pursed his lips.
“Didn’t the weatherman say this storm could last another day or so?” Ruth asked.
“Yep,” Rebecca said. “Just what we need.”
They heard a knock on the door. It was Perry. “I guess your power is out too. It’s going to get cold in our camper trailer.”
“You guys are welcome to hang out here if you’d like,” Joshua invited.
“Thanks. Let me go get my better half.”
A few minutes later they heard three more loud knocks on the door. Joshua opened the door, expecting to find Perry. Instead it was Bob, accompanied by Kane. They had armloads of firewood, which they unloaded on the porch.
“Martin and I have secured firewood and can retrieve more if needed,” Bob said. “McGee and Jones are securing wood for the second cabin.”
“By ‘second cabin’ I assume you mean Drew’s place?” Joshua asked.
“Affirmative. The second cabin.”
A few minutes later Perry arrived accompanied by a shivering, whimpering Caroline. “This is miserable,” she complained.
Everyone crowded around the fire as it slowly flared to life. Reagan secured the spot closest to the warmth of the flames.
Both cabins were packed wall-to-wall that night. Everyone bundled up in an effort to stay warm.
***
The power was still out the next morning and the floor in the living area was covered with sleeping bags and blankets, most of which were still occupied. Bob was tending the fire.
Reagan pawed at the door. When Joshua opened it the anxious puppy bolted through it and charged down the steps. The deep snow completely engulfed the energetic pup. Frightened by this unknown, fluffy white substance that towered over his head, Reagan let out a yelp and ran back to the familiar safety of the porch. Joshua laughed. “Cold, isn’t it, boy?” Confused, Reagan walked around on the porch for a moment, and then went to the far end and did his business there. Joshua followed Reagan back into the cabin, where others were beginning to stir.
“I would love a cup of coffee.” Caroline sat up and stretched her arms.
“Me too,” Rebecca agreed.
“But that’s probably impossible with the power out.” Caroline frowned.
“Any thoughts on how to handle food without power?” Perry asked.
Of course, Bob had the answer. “We will cook leftover bear meat in the fireplace.”
Caroline groaned. “Bear meat? Eeewww! That’s just weird. Don’t you have any eggs?”
Rebecca answered. “Unfortunately, no. Our chickens have not laid one single egg since we’ve been here.” Caroline groaned out loud.
Not one to mince words or be politically correct, Bob shared his unsolicited insight: “We must adapt if we are to survive. That includes eating things we are not accustomed to. Adapt or perish, city girl.”
Caroline let out an exasperated sigh. Sensing her despair, Rebecca suggested they search the cabinet for something she would find more palatable. Joshua retrieved some of the bear meat and Bob put on his raincoat and went outside.
Caroline returned from the kitchen with a can of assorted fruit, which she held up for Perry to see. “Not optimal, but I’d rather have this than that nasty bear meat.”
Joshua put a large, cast iron pan filled with bear meat into the fire and Bob positioned an old aluminum coffee pot atop the wood stove. While it took longer than a modern coffee maker, the resulting brew was more than welcome.
The scene repeated when lunchtime rolled around. Caroline again resisted the bear meat and Perry retrieved something she found more palatable from their camper trailer.
Night came and went, and there was still no power in the camp. Eight sleeping bags cluttered the floor in the living area, each strategically positioned as close to the fireplace as possible. The group was well-fed thanks to the bear meat and they only occasionally dipped into the supply of non-perishable food. Caroline still resisted the meat.
Another night passed and there was still no power. Firewood was running low, so Joshua and the other men bundled up and ventured outside. A strong northerly wind knifed through the mountains, reinforcing the frigid temperature. The penetrating sunlight brilliantly sparkled on the thousands of shards of ice dangling in the trees. Joshua cautiously tested the mixture of snow and ice beneath his feet.
“This stuff is starting to melt,” he said.
“It’s about time,” Perry said. “Maybe we’ll get power back soon. It’s been four days.”
“This is good preparation,” said Bob.
“Preparation for what?” Perry asked.
“For the high probability that at some point we will lose power permanently.”
Perry groaned.
After the firewood had been replenished on the porch Bob and Kane checked the trotlines. Joshua and Perry trekked up the ice-covered hill to check on the people in Drew’s cabin.
> Jim greeted them on the porch, his eyes bloodshot and underscored by heavy black bags. “I really hope the power comes back soon. There are six children stuffed into this house, not to mention the adults. I think people are about to go stir crazy.”
Joshua peered in the door, where the floor was completely obscured by sleeping bags and blankets. “You guys are just a bit cramped.”
Jim let out a sarcastic chuckle. “That’s the understatement of the day. It’s a sardine can in there. The kids are complaining about eating the same thing at every meal. We’ve tried to explain to them that we can’t just go to the grocery store or go out to eat like we could at home, but they don’t seem to get it. Even beyond being cooped up in this storm, I’m worried about how they’re going to adjust long-term. We could be in for a tough time with them.”
Perry nodded. “It would also be an understatement to say that Caroline is struggling to adjust. She bottles everything up, especially since Charlie and Allie…” He choked up, unable to complete the sentence.
Jim’s brow furrowed and he scratched his chin. “I’m worried about people sinking into depression and basically giving up.”
“That would be bad,” Joshua said. “And it could be contagious. Please think on how we can combat it.”
Upon returning to Joshua’s cabin they found Caroline seated on the floor, crying like a newborn baby. Rebecca and Ruth were seated on either side of her. John had retreated into his bedroom to escape the mayhem.
“What’s wrong?” Perry asked.
“I can’t live like this!” Caroline answered through her tears. “I… I miss Charlie and Allie… I feel like we’re prisoners here. We can’t go anywhere or do anything. You guys are eating all of this weird stuff like deer and bear, and we could run completely out of food. I may be forced to eat that crap. Who knows, the power may never come back on in here. I want my life back. I HATE THIS PLACE!” She again broke down into tears.
Perry tried to console her, but to no avail. Joshua retreated to his office; Rebecca followed and closed the door.
“I am really worried about Caroline,” she said. “She is on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown, and we’ve only been here a week.”
“And it could become contagious,” Joshua observed.
“We need to--"
A shrill scream pierced Joshua’s ears. He and Rebecca rushed into the living area. A cold, deathly chill shot down Joshua’s spine as he saw Caroline lying on the floor with blood splattered across her shirt. Perry and Ruth were scrambling frantically. Bob burst through the front door, surveyed the scene, then spun and rocketed off the porch in a full sprint.
“What happened?” Joshua swallowed hard.
Perry frantically ripped off his shirt and wrapped it into a ball, pressing it against Caroline’s left wrist. “She cut herself!”
Rebecca knelt beside Caroline and put her hand on friend’s cheek.
Perry was frenzied. “We’ve got to get the bleeding under control!”
Caroline began shaking violently as Joshua and Rebecca applied pressure to her slashed wrist with a wad of paper towels. Perry cupped his wife’s head in his hand and pressed his face against hers, bawling. “Why? Why would you do this?”
Bob returned with Jim and Keri in tow. Keri examined the wound. “Thankfully it’s not a very deep cut. Keep applying pressure to get the bleeding stopped, then we need to clean this up and get it wrapped.”
Joshua collapsed onto the couch, leaned back, closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. I am NOT equipped to deal with this. What was I thinking bringing these people here?
Once Keri had Caroline’s bleeding under control, Rebecca went to her husband and buried her face in his chest. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered.
Joshua put his arms around her and kissed her on the head. “Please don’t ever do that to me.”
Rebecca’s head snapped around and she gazed at him through tear-filled eyes. “I think you know me better than that.”
“I do, but I thought I knew Perry and Caroline better than that too.” He hugged her tightly.
***
Later that afternoon Thomas made his way down the mountain to Joshua’s porch. “Man, I heard about Caroline. Is she okay?”
“She should be,” Joshua said. “Well, okay physically. I’m not sure how she’s doing emotionally.”
“Man, I know it’s got to be tough losing your kids. Can’t even imagine. How are the rest of y’all holding up?”
“We’re hanging in there. I think people are getting cabin fever. Do you think we’ll get power back in the near future?”
“Man, I got enough of a signal to call the power company earlier,” Thomas answered. “It should be back on in the next day or two.”
Joshua groaned. “Next day or two?”
Night came and went, and there was still no power in the camp. Bob pulled Joshua aside as the men were cutting firewood. “We have weak links in this camp. They will hold us back and could compromise us. We must consider how to handle.”
“People are struggling. That’s obvious. But I am not about to kick them out into the cold. I recruited them to come here, and I have a responsibility to help lead them through this.”
Bob shook his head. “As you wish. But they are a liability.”
“Understood, but I am not going to kick them to the curb.”
The power finally came back on around noon.
***
That afternoon Joshua was joined by Rebecca and Jim on Drew’s porch. “Jim, I wanted to follow up on our conversation about the fact that some folks are having difficulty adjusting. I agree with you that we could see a major bout of depression if we’re not careful, and that could be deadly.”
Jim nodded. “The worst thing people can do is bottle it up.”
“What would you think about having a couple of small groups like we had at our old church? It would give people a chance to vent, get things off their chest and hopefully support and encourage each other.”
“I think that’s a wise plan,” Jim said. “Maybe each group can have a couple of families in it?”
“That’s what I was thinking. It seemed to work at church.”
“I like the small group idea, but that’s not how we should set them up,” Rebecca interjected. Joshua cocked an eyebrow.
“What are you thinking?” Jim asked.
“The women here are processing this whole thing much differently than the men,” she said. “We saw that with Caroline. I think the men and women should be in separate groups.”
“You’re probably right,” Jim said. “Joshua, what do you think?”
“I’ve learned never to argue with her.” Joshua chuckled.
Rebecca smacked him on the arm.
CHAPTER 8
The sunrise offered a spectacular patchwork of pink, orange and red as it penetrated the darkness, spreading across the mountaintops and glittering through the still-icy trees. The wispy clouds glowed a deep red. A few birds could be seen searching for food and a lone squirrel jumped from tree to tree.
As he enjoyed the morning quiet Joshua reflected on the past couple of days. Warmer weather had melted most of the snow and ice, and camp residents’ moods had risen with the temperature. The chickens had finally begun producing eggs and Bob had retrieved a catfish from the trotline. Things were slowly beginning to look up. Slowly.
The morning quiet was shattered by the rumbling of a motorcycle. Drew made his way down the path, sporting a blue backpack. He waved as he passed but did not stop. Where is he going this early?
Bob and Kane had begun constructing defensive structures around the edges of the camp to minimize the chance of unwanted intrusion at otherwise vulnerable points. Bob was a student of military history, and these barricades would be scaled-down versions of the hedgerows used by the Germans in World War II. Jim and Keri had begun contacting camp residents about the men’s and women’s small groups, receiving mostly favorable responses.
&n
bsp; While things were looking up – at least for the moment – Joshua knew they could not afford to become complacent. His gut still told him that the chaos and conflict raging throughout the nation would eventually find its way here. As the camp’s leader, it fell on his shoulders to motivate the others to use this time to prepare for challenges that would inevitably come. He heaved a sigh. Easier said than done.
Joshua went inside and turned on the television. The news anchor rehashed the events of the prior few days: America is still reeling from the recent attacks on our nation. Most of the federal government’s functions are effectively nonexistent, and the same can be said of states like North Carolina where the state capital was hit. With the federal government decimated, people who have relied on government benefits for their daily sustenance are doing without.
The newscast switched to a shot of empty shelves in a grocery store. Stores are reporting that they are having difficulty getting shipments of food, and an increasing number of international shipping lines are refusing to dock at American ports due to heightened security concerns.
A crowd of people shouting outside of what appeared to be a city hall flashed across the screen. State and local governments are being inundated with people angrily demanding that they provide benefits previously offered by the federal government. They do not have the resources to handle the crushing demand. The problem is especially great in urban areas where most residents do not have the knowledge, skills or resources to grow or hunt their own food. People in rural areas and farming communities are faring better, but even those areas are not without hardship.
The newscast cut away to looters carrying stolen food from a store. The sudden food shortage is sparking an increasingly violent crime wave. People are breaking into grocery stores, robbing other shoppers and even breaking into homes to steal food. State and local law enforcement agencies are being overwhelmed by the sudden surge in crime.
Next, the report displayed heavily-armed personnel wearing uniforms with the Department of Homeland Security logo patrolling the streets in a small town. With state and local law enforcement struggling to keep up, President Armando is dispatching troops and Homeland Security police to quell the violence. We are receiving reports of federal personnel using heavy-handed tactics and, in many cases, harassing people who are not part of the crime wave. Martial law remains in effect in numerous areas, and we are receiving reports of federal officials demanding that law-abiding citizens surrender their firearms.
After the Republic Page 14
