The End of America

by Pete Thorsen

  A very quick peek over the box and it looked like the guy was dead so Don first lightly kicked the one on the ground in the nose to check if he was dead. The kick to the sensitive nose produced no response so Don turned his attention on the guy lying in the pickup box.

  Another longer look and he stepped up and inside the box and proceeded to give that one a hard kick which again brought no response. Confident that these two were no longer a threat he turned his attention to the woman who had not moved in the truck. Jumping down out of the pickup box he opened the driver’s door and looked at the woman. She looked terrified and he saw she was tied up.

  “Can you talk, ma’am?”

  She just nodded her head yes.

  “I’m coming around and I’ll open your door. I will not harm you. Please just be calm and I‘ll get you free.”

  Don walked around the truck and stepped over to his cart where he laid down his rifle after putting on the safety. Then he walked to the passenger door and slowly opened it. The woman sat very still and just stared at him.

  “I’ll cut you free but you have to promise not to attack me.”

  He waited a minute and the woman said nothing.

  “Ma’am I want to help you but you have to promise not to attack me. You have to say it. Can you do that for me?”

  “Please don’t hurt me. Please.”

  “Well I’m glad to hear that you can talk at least. Listen to me. I am not going to hurt you, I promise. Now can you tell me that you will not hurt me?”

  “I won’t hurt you.”

  “OK we have a deal. We will not hurt each other. Now I am going to take out my knife. I am not going to hurt you. I am only going to cut the ropes that they tied you with. Do you understand?”

  The woman nodded and slowly Don drew his knife and very slowly reached in and held the rope in one hand then cut the rope with the knife. The woman held very still but still looked terrified. Once the rope was cut Don put away the knife and took a step back.

  “Can you get free now? Or I can help if you want.”

  Nothing happened for a moment then the woman started to franticly moving and trying to get the ropes off. She appeared to be having little luck on her own and it was plain she was not thinking very clearly.

  “Whoa. Easy ma’am. Please hold still and I’ll get you free. Can you trust me for another minute while I help you?”

  The woman calmed a bit then was still so Don stepped close and slowly and carefully he got the rope unwound from the woman’s arms. He again stepped back.

  “OK now your hands are free. Can you swing your feet around so I can reach them and I’ll cut the ropes on your legs. Can you do that for me?”

  She rubbed her arms for a minute where Don could see they were very red then the woman swung her feet around so they were facing the open door. Don stepped forward again and after drawing his knife he cut the ropes a couple spots on her legs. After putting the knife away he unwound the ropes from around her legs so she was completely free. Don again stepped well back and let the woman sit for a minute.

  “I’m sorry for whatever you have been through ma’am. You are now free. I’ll help you more if you want or you can just slide over and drive away. The keys are in the switch.”

  With that Don stepped back and stood by his cart. After a bit he ejected the magazine from his rifle and taking three shells from his pocket he reloaded the magazine and put it back in the rifle. Then he took off his back pack that he had been wearing this whole time and leaned it against the cart.

  Removing a water bottle he took a long drink then he walked up to the woman and handed the water bottle to her. With an automatic response the woman took the bottle then stopped for a moment and took a drink. After some time she handed the bottle back to Don and said “Thank you.”

  Don put the bottle back in the pack and returned to the woman.

  “Would you like to talk a bit?”

  It was a little while then he heard.

  “Thank you for saving me. They killed my husband. They kept telling me what they were going to do to me. It was awful. I don’t know what to do now. After they tied me up they went through our house but we didn’t really have much and they took very little. They didn’t seem to care and just kept saying what was going to happen to me. I guess I should just go back home. I have no where else to go. Will you drive me home? I don’t think I can drive right now.”

  “If that’s what you want ma’am. I’ll certainly drive you home. You just sit tight while I get a couple things done.”

  Don opened the tail gate and climbed inside the box where he took the pistol and holster from the dead man. Then he dragged the dead guy out and just off the side of the road. Next he did the same with the other dead man.

  Both of their guns he just put in the box which had a lot of other stuff in already. Then Don pulled the cart over to the pickup and with substantial effort managed to get the cart into the pickup box. He also threw in his backpack. His rifle he took with him when he got into the driver’s seat and leaned it next to him. The truck started hard but did start and he turned the truck around and headed back the way it had came from going the wrong way on the divided highway.

  “You will have to tell me how to get to your house ma’am.”

  “It’s just a couple miles ahead next to the highway.”

  “There it’s the one on the left just ahead.”

  Don pulled the truck in next to an older small home. He could see the husband’s body (he assumed) lying in front of the house. He stopped the truck and walked around and opened the door for the woman.

  “If you tell me where I’ll help you bury him ma’am.”

  “It doesn’t matter where. He liked looking at those hills. Maybe over there and we can face him towards the hills.”

  “Do you have a pick and shovel? Also if you bring me a sheet or blanket I’ll wrap him up in it ma’am.”

  The woman went in a shed and returned with a pick and a shovel then after dropping them she went into the house. Don picked up the tools and walked over and started the difficult job of digging a hole. After some time the woman came out and laid a blanket next to her husband and Don took a needed break while he wrapped the man up as best he could in the blanket. Then after a drink he continued digging.

  After awhile he called it quits. It was a very poor grave but it would have to do. Looking around he saw plenty of rocks which he would stack on the grave after it was filled in. Don carried the body over and placed it in the grave then knocked on the door to let the woman know he was ready for the burial. The woman came out and said a few words over the grave before throwing in a handful of dirt. She then went back into the house while Don refilled the grave (which went way faster) and he piled on a lot of the rocks. When done he again knocked on the door and said he was done and if there was nothing else she needed he would be moving on. He told her he would leave her the truck and just take his cart and leave.

  “Please stay. I am not thinking straight and I don’t know you at all but somehow I feel that I should not let you go. Would you please stay at least until tomorrow?”

  “If that is your wish ma’am.”

  Don went out and grabbed his pack plus the truck keys and then entered the house. Seeing she had a gas range Don asked if she would like him to make her some supper.

  “I suppose I should eat if I can. There is plenty of food in here in the pantry. Just help yourself. We are out of water though, sorry.”

  The woman then turned and went into the living room and just sat in the rocking chair and started rocking very slowly. Don opened the indicated pantry door and did find quite a little food inside. The water heater was back against the wall so Don checked it and it was full and hot because it was a gas water heater.

  He shut off the gas valve to save the propane. Seeing a bunch of tea Don found a tea kettle and filled it with the hot water and set it on the range so he could get it a little warmer. He thought the lady might feel better if she sipped som
e tea. After just a couple minutes the water was plenty hot and finding a cup and saucer Don brought the woman a cup of hot tea, telling her it might make her feel better. She seemed surprised at the tea but accepted it with a thank you.

  Back in the kitchen Don just made some simple soup and found some crackers and bread to go with it. He set the table and went to tell the woman to please come and eat a bite for supper. She got up still in a daze and sat down and started eating without a word.

  When they were both done Don showed her where and how to get water out of the water heater. The lady then went back and started rocking slowly again after opening a bedroom door and pointing inside which Don assumed meant that was where he was to sleep as it was a single bed. Don then washed the few dishes using some of the still hot and precious water.

  Finding several candles and because it was getting dark Don lit two and placed a large one in the living room for the woman and took the other with him and bringing his pack and rifle he went to his bedroom and was soon in bed. Just before going to sleep Don thought he heard the lady softly crying and thought it was probably for the best and hoped she was better in the morning.

  Day Seven

  Waking up Don thought he smelled breakfast and went out to the kitchen to find the woman frying eggs on the stove. She seemed much more alert this morning though it was plain she had little or no sleep during the night.

  “Good morning. I thought it best to use up these eggs because they still seem OK but would likely go bad soon. I’ll have pancakes ready in just a couple minutes. Please have a seat at the table. Coffee is ready if you would like a cup.”

  “Yes a cup of coffee would be great. Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry I was so out of it yesterday. I want to thank you for everything you did for me. I do not even want to think about what would have happened if you had not helped me.”

  “Well I was helping myself too. Those two had it in for both of us. But you’re most welcome. I’m glad you are feeling better this morning.”

  “Yes I cried everything out last night. Thanks for showing me the water heater full of water. I had never even thought of it.”

  “That water won’t last long because it’s only a few gallons. You will have to find somewhere else to live where there is a steady supply of water.”

  “I know I’ll have to leave here but have no where to go. You have done so much for me already but I’ll ask if I could go with you when you leave.”

  “I don’t have no where to really go either. I’ve just been looking and hoping to find someplace with a water supply to stay until I figure out what to do and where to go long term. You are welcome to come with me but I can not promise anything other than just a traveling companion.”

  “I’ll certainly go with you. I would stand no chance alone. That is very plain for me to see. I feel safe with you. My name is Beverly Johnson by the way. But please just call me Bev.”

  “I’m Don Wilson and I’m pleased to meet you.”

  They had a nice relaxing breakfast together with some small talk between bites. After breakfast the talk continued over additional cups of coffee. With the decision made about traveling together they got down to practical matters. Don asked if she had any camping gear because he thought she should take a tent, sleeping bag, and a backpack.

  They could take the truck but it was barely running and could quit at any time. He also asked about if she had any kind of cart or wagon she could use if the truck broke down. She would also have to get her clothes together and a couple pair of sturdy walking or hiking shoes. They would also take all the food and all the water that they could find containers for.

  He asked her to start with her personal items and he would go clean up the truck and sort through all the junk that was in it. He asked if it would be OK if he looked through the garage for useful items they could take with, which Bev promptly said was fine. With that Don left and walked out to the pickup and started going through all the junk in the truck box.

  There was a little of everything and some of it was just trash. He tossed out everything he considered worthless in the current situation (like electronics) and kept anything that they could actually use now or in the future.

  Then he went into the garage and starting in one corner he thoroughly searched the whole garage including the attic portion and made a pile of possible useful items on the cement apron just in front of the garage. Next he went through the two vehicles that were in the garage and added a few more items to the pile. There was a small shed in back and he also searched that for useful things and brought those items and added them to the ‘take with’ pile.

  In the garage he had found several plastic totes full of Christmas decorations which he dumped into the trunk of their car because he only wanted the totes. There was a clean plastic trash can he also set aside to use. He then went into the house and called out to Bev so not to startle her and found her in the kitchen.

  He had brought in the plastic totes he had found and asked if she would fill them with the food. He asked if she would place some no-cook or snack food separately so they could maybe use that for traveling food. Don had noticed a suitcase, a packed backpack, and a sleeping bag already stacked together and ready to go. Don had found a tent in the garage and it was in the ‘take with’ pile.

  Don went back outside and started to carefully pack the pickup. One thing he had found was a green four-wheeled lawn cart somewhat like what he was using though smaller and a little lighter duty. The tires on it were just about flat but he had found a standard tire pump which he used to pump up the tires and added the pump to the ‘take with’ pile. He loaded the cart and a lot of the other stuff from the pile and left room for the totes and placed the trash can in one corner of the truck box. He also siphoned gas from Bev’s two vehicles and filled the tank on their ‘new’ pickup along with a gas can.

  When back into the house and he saw that Bev had the totes full of food and Don saw that she had included a few pots and pans which he thought was an excellent idea and told her so. He took the loaded totes out to the truck along with the suitcase and other gear she had ready.

  Coming back in Don asked if she had any guns and Bev said that she had a pistol that was in the backpack with some ammunition and her husband’s pistol was in the suitcase. Together they opened each drawer and cupboard to see if anything was missed. Bev had been very thorough and together they only found a couple more items that might be useful.

  “We can stay another night or two if you wish.”

  “No. I want to leave as soon as we are ready. There is only pain left here for me. Right now all the good memories are clouded by the recent pain. So I am more than ready to go as soon as you are.”

  So together they drained the water from the water heater into containers that Bev had ready and the rest of the water went into the trash can Don had placed in the truck. Both of their backpacks were put inside the truck so if necessary they could grab them in a hurry and run. Don asked Bev if she knew how to shoot her pistol and when she said yes he suggested that she dig it out and wear it everyday from now on. When she had the pistol on and everything was totally loaded Don put a tarp over the load and tied it down securely and they left.

  “Do you know of any empty places with a windmill or with a lot of solar panels?”

  “We had only moved here a couple years ago and never drove around too much. Plus I admit I was never very observant of things like that of which I had no interest.”

  “I know of a possible place that is far off the main roads. I’ll head for there as it is as good a place to start as anywhere else I guess.”

  The first five miles was easy traveling on the highway but when Don turned on a side road it was quite a bit rougher. The truck would hardly go more than twenty five miles an hour anyway though on the rough road he never went over fifteen or so. It was only a few hours or so and after taking yet another even smaller and rougher side road he stopped near the locked gate that led to the secluded hou
se he had found on one of his excursions.

  “I have no idea if anyone is living here or what we may find here. I am going to investigate and see what’s-what.”

  “No. We will investigate.”

  “I might be safer if you stay with the truck.”

  “Thank you but we will go together.”

  “As you wish. I see no tracks at all so I think it is vacant anyway. Ok, let’s go.”

  They climbed over the locked tube gate and boldly walked up the driveway. When they got closer they saw the small house and it did indeed look empty. Don called out a few times but as expected he heard no reply. They walked around the place some to look it over. There was the house and some solar panels mounted on poles where they would catch the sun. There was a one car detached garage and a shed.

  They could see an area where there had been a small garden at one time a year or two ago. There was some plastic pipe that ended with a spigot at the garden spot and they followed it up hill a short distance and found a very small cement building with a nice metal roof. There was a sturdy looking and tight fitting door that Don opened to look inside.

  It was a short door and he had to duck down to look inside. Just a quick look and he saw that it was a spring house and overflow from the spring was carried away with a six or eight inch plastic pipe that he guessed probably did not go very far before letting the water flow naturally away downhill. He had seen enough for now and closed up the tiny building.

  Back at the house Don tried the door but it was locked and they spent about a half hour searching for a spare key before Bev found it hanging on a nail inside the shed. Unlocking and going into the house they could tell it had been empty for awhile and the first thing they did was open all the windows to let in some fresh air.

  It had two small bedrooms and a single small bathroom. The kitchen had a nice looking but likely very old gas range that had a wood stove on one side of it. The wood stove section was only about a foot wide with a flat top containing two round lift out plates that took up almost the whole top. It also had a nice door that was on the front that hid the ash pan. The cupboards and walls were all knotty pine and looked nice and rather old fashioned. There was a larger free standing wood stove in the living area.