Worst of all were those people who had abandoned their own humanity and begun preying on their fellow man.
Much of society had shifted, almost overnight. Slavery came back into being, and women were reduced to either sex slaves or used to do whatever dirty work the new warlords required of them… and there were many dirty jobs that needed to be done.
There was no equality… a sharp tone from the mouth of a woman, enslaved man, or child usually meant a severe beating, mutilation, or even death. In some areas, skin color was redefined as either white or non-white, and those non-whites who were able to escape death were caught and enslaved. In other areas, the line was simply drawn between the strong and the weak and the “might makes right”.
Most Mexicans attempted to make their way back to Mexico but, without knowing of the nuclear attacks on the Russian forces there, were killed either by the radiation or they starved to death. Some were murdered as a misguided sense of retribution for Mexico allowing the Russians to land there and those who survived were enslaved.
The slave trade quickly became a brisk industry and spread throughout the remaining uncivilized populations.
By the time the “Great Sorrow” had run its course, there was snow on the ground at Avalon and the big fireplaces in the main building burned most of the time, as did the various coal stoves situated here and there. Mike and Caroline eventually moved into one of the bigger cabins.
The entire Avalon community continued to train, and each season brought its own different set of circumstances and challenges. The sentries wore white, made from old sheets, over their winter clothing when there was snow on the ground. The ash dumping was spread over the various sidewalks and then out toward the road, creating a near concrete finish.
Most of the animals were in the barn full time; two colts had been born to the saddle horses and one filly from the draft horses. As challenges unfolded, regardless of the circumstances, the people at Avalon came together as a team and made it happen. Big jobs or small, they all worked in unison to do was required of them.
The kids had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween; the group did their best to preserve the old traditions that kept everyone connected to another life and another time. They had recently observed Thanksgiving, and it was a time of earnest appreciation for all they had. They had eaten a huge meal, and most of them made speeches about how much they cared about the others and how thankful they were to be at Avalon. Now Christmas was fast approaching, and everybody was involved in making presents for everyone else.
Mike, somewhat under duress and to the obvious amusement of the group, brought home a tree that Caroline made him go out and chop down in the back meadow. Sam assisted, snickering as he went, but his mirth was cut short when he had to backtrack to get one for Crystal; she had visited Sam’s cabin quite a bit lately. When the other women saw them coming back with Christmas trees in tow, the other men got their orders until almost everyone had a tree to decorate.
Mike ended up having the last laugh.
The big dance and potluck they had planned was going to be the biggest party since they began stockpiling nearly seven years ago. Anticipation was high, and it was the only thing anyone talked about when they weren’t listening to outside news. Feelings ran in high gear, with a mood of happiness and togetherness they all felt for each other and for their community.
Each flip of the button on the shortwave radio only brought more depressing news, and although there were some small highlights, it was pretty much always bad throughout the rest of the world.
Crystal said it best by summing it up in a single word, “Bummer!”
One particular night, the radio was tuned in on shortwave and a man was describing a savage attack by one of the Feudal Gangs in Southern California.
Reports are in that gang members apparently made a sweep of Fresno to gather children and women so they could sell or trade the older women and replenish their “stock” with the younger, fresher supply. Something went horribly wrong, however, and all the children and women were slaughtered. Rumors are circulating that the gang members gathered the dead women and children and took them back to their camp where they cooked and ate them. It’s difficult to confirm, but eyewitnesses say the story is true.
Everyone had gathered around, and someone flipped off the switch. There was complete silence in the big room.
Sam yelled out, breaking the eeriness everyone felt and grabbed Bobby, Sally’s twelve year old, spinning him around as he said,
“I’m gonna show you a trick. Are you ready?”
Bobby nodded his head, and Sam stuck out his hand and said to Bobby,
“Pull my finger.”
Everyone ran for the big double doors laughing and squealing.
Chapter 17 Cabin Fever
Some group members were beginning to suffer from boredom and what amounted to cabin fever. The snow was light, but it was cold outside so many just spent their time in the library, one of the cabins, or the great lounge of the main building where it was warm.
The truth was that some of them simply didn’t exercise, and other than having to stand the guard duty, there was little to do. Of course there were chores, and everyone chipped in, but there was always that feeling of nothing to do. Boredom led to crankiness, which, in turn, led to arguments.
Occasionally the harshness of the moment carried over into the next day and resentment was building among some of the group members. Mike called a meeting, and except those on guard duty, everyone attended after supper and cleanup.
They normally conducted their meetings in the restaurant of the main building because there were tables and enough chairs to accommodate everyone. The small talk was buzzing, and everyone wondered what it was all about.
“He looks pissed, Caroline,” Susan said while leaning over from another table.
“What’s going on?” It was Crystal, also in a hushed voice.
Caroline replied to both of them with a look of mystery on her face, “I think we’re all in for a lecture in human behavior.”
Crystal smiled, but it was with a look of not understanding what she had just heard. Curiosity better described the look on her face.
Mike was standing at the front of the tables, his back to the stage; he said with aloud finality, “Quitcherbellyakin!”
Most of them didn’t get it because it was delivered quickly and they weren’t really paying attention to him at that particular moment.
“What was that?” It was Penny and Crystal, in unison. They both laughed.
They had their arms up in the air trying to be noticed, as were others in the room. Mike just glared at them, appearing stern and annoyed. He began to talk when the mumbling and moving around stopped; all got quiet. He paced back and forth and had a hand to his chin as if he were in deep thought about something important. He stopped and turned to face them and said in a voice they could all hear well,
“How many of you are happy being here in the safety of Avalon and not down below? Show of hands, c’mon.”
The hands went up to the very last person. He stared at them again.
“Okay. So you think you’re happy… good… that’s a start, but I think some of you are lying to me. There’s a lot of petty dissension going on here, and we need to nip it in the bud! And that, my friends, is the purpose of this meeting. We can’t continue under duress from within because Greg didn’t get laid or Linda is having her period. Your spouses will put up with that crap, but I won’t, and I’m telling you that it ends here and now!”
It was quiet. Someone coughed and a chair scraped the floor, but no one said a word. Mike continued, with a more benevolent tone of voice this time, “Now, let’s hear the reasons for all this strife.”
He pointed to Crystal, “You first!”
It caught her completely off guard, and her face flushed at being singled out. Her mouth opened but there were no words. Finally, in a meek but firm manner and with her voice wavering a bit, she said,
“I�
�m not getting enough exercise and I’ve been getting a little bored, but it’s so damn cold out there. I mean, who wants to be out there freezing your butt off?”
“How come you aren’t exercising in your cabin?” Mike asked, “Do you not have adequate room?”
“I can’t get motivated to do it,” Crystal replied. “It’s so boring! I guess I don’t have the will power to stay with it once I start and then one thing leads to another. And I get pissed at the small stuff.”
“I think that’s it in a nutshell,” Ginger offered. “We just can’t get motivated and stay that way because we are bored to tears. Sure, we’re safe up here, but there isn’t anything to keep us entertained either. No TV, no movies, you know… zip?”
Most of the women agreed, and some of the men did, as well. The consensus was that the boredom and enclosed atmosphere the winter months presented was getting everyone down, and it wasn’t something they were able to easily overcome.
“Here take these,” Mike began as he offered his solution. “I wrote it many years ago for some students of mine who were having a similar problem and what I am giving you applies to any situation. It’s laid out for menstrual pains or for the lack of exercising… whatever.” He handed the stack in his hand to Caroline, who already knew what to do.
“Put simply, it’s a way for you to control your inner most switches. Study, practice, and learn. Tomorrow, we’ll organize a workout program for the males and another for the females.”
Caroline passed out the handwritten sheets of paper to each one of them, and Mike read what was written on the sheets.
“At times you may need a little help to develop the discipline and the ‘stick-to-it’ necessary to get things done. Sometimes you face little challenges that are difficult to accomplish, and working them to a conclusion can be tough. If you are the sort of person who needs that little something extra, the following system will help. I have taught this to many people, and they were able to persevere when all else failed by using the simple method outlined here.
This is a way to train yourself. If you’re sincere about what you want to know or get done, it can be as simple as strengthening your personal resolve; just do the following every night and keep practicing. The more you do it, the easier it will become. It’s simply a matter of repeating it over and over until it connects. It may take some follow through, but it will come if you keep at it. This system can even be used to slow down your heart rate and diminish pain. It really works once you master it. People have undergone surgery without anesthesia by doing what’s on these sheets of paper.
This is how and why it works.
You are two beings in one body, with one level your sub-conscious and the other your conscious. When you’re awake, you work in the conscious level, and when you’re asleep, you work in the sub-conscious. It is difficult for the conscious level to communicate with the sub-conscious level without getting into a relaxed but self-aware state.
You can connect to your inner being, or sub-conscious, by simply talking to yourself once you’re relaxed and comfortable. To do that and connect, you have to be in a frame of mind whereby your sub-conscious and conscious thoughts are connected, and only then will your sub-conscious get the message.
It works best when you’re comfortable, relaxed, and in an atmosphere that’s calm and quiet. You can best achieve this just as you are preparing to go to sleep. Make yourself comfortable and relaxed by clearing your mind and telling yourself this is what you are going to do. Be specific when you tell yourself what it is that you want your sub-conscious to do. Never make statements such as…
One of these days I’m going to…
Your sub-conscious is lazy and will answer you in the way it performs something along these lines,
Oh great, you don’t really want me to do it now so I won’t do anything at all.
When you make statements such as ‘One of these days’ it’s not specific enough, so your sub-conscious will simply ignore it.
It’s as simple as that. You have to be specific as to what you expect the sub-conscious to do, and it will start working on that particular problem right away. If you’re nebulous about what it is you want it to do, it will not do it at all.
Remember, you’re in control of your own mind, and your mind and its thoughts are the messenger to your brain. Think in terms of your thought processes as being the ‘keyboard’ and your thoughts as being the ‘send button’ to the computer hard drive, which is your brain. You make the connection by telling yourself this is what you want. Part of what you are going to do is send commands to your inner self via the outer self or the conscious level.
Once you’re comfortable, lie down, make sure your clothes are loose, and block out noise by closing the door and darkening the surrounding area. Tell your conscious level that you will relax and release all the stress of the day as you count backward from ten to one.
Take five big deep breaths, hold each to the count of ten, exhale long and slow, and empty your lungs. The conversation you have now between your conscious self and your sub-conscious could go something like this,
Ten…
I am very comfortable and will block out all distractions, but be alert to any emergency or danger. I feel good and comfortable.
Nine…
All the stress and worry is going to ease out of my body, and as I inhale, I will feel even more comfortable. Each breath I exhale will take the stress and worry out and away from my body. I feel good and comfortable.
Eight…
As I count down to the last number, I am getting comfortable, more comfortable than I have ever felt before. My breathing is helping me reach this level of comfort and total relaxation. Noises and distractions are blocked from interfering with what I am doing here.
As I exhale, the worry is going away, and the stress is disappearing. I feel comfortable; I feel very relaxed. I feel as if I’m getting lighter as the stress and worry leave my body. I feel good and in control of myself. I can accomplish whatever I want. I am very comfortable and content with how I feel. Each and every breath will make me more comfortable and remove the worry and stress from my body. I feel good.
Seven…
I have no stress and no worry. It is all insignificant. The worry is escaping from me with my breathing, which is setting an easy rhythm. I am comfortable and feel good. On the next number, I will give myself a set of instructions for my sub-conscious. They are easy instructions and as soon as my sub-conscious receives them, it will begin to find a solution.
I feel good and I am relaxed and comfortable, more relaxed and comfortable than I have ever been. I am breathing deeper and deeper, and each breath takes me deeper into a comfortable state of being.
Six…
I’m very comfortable; I feel good and very relaxed. In the next forty-eight hours I will (put in something important here that is something you have always wanted to do, e.g., quit smoking or stop biting your nails). It could be something like this;
I will be energized by a work out program. I will no longer be bored with my exercise regime; instead I will look forward to the next work out. I am getting healthier and better because of it. I believe it. I feel good and I am comfortable. I am not worried about anything.
Five…
I will concentrate on my conscious being talking to my sub-conscious being, and my sub-conscious will understand and find solutions to what I ask of it. I am slipping into a very relaxing state and aware of everything around me. I am not worried about anything; I know I can do anything. I feel good and I am comfortable.
Four…
My exercise program is going to start, and I will continue with it every day. I will not only love doing it, but I will look forward to it. I am getting healthier and I have more energy because I am exercising regularly. I feel good. I am comfortable. I am relaxed.
Three…
My conscious level is talking to my sub-conscious level and they both understand what each wants and needs. Tomorrow I will turn
my life around and everything pertaining to my life in general. My sub-conscious level will begin immediately to find a solution.
In this segment, you will want to set a time limit that is reasonable, perhaps ten days from today, and don’t suggest stupid things for instance; I’m going to win the Lotto, or something similar.
It has to be reasonable, direct to the point, given in a distinct manner, and as positive as you can be about it. My sub-conscious is already working on finding a solution to the problem(s). It understands my needs. I am comfortable and I feel relaxed.
Two…
I feel I am in a very deep, comfortable, and relaxing state. I feel good and I am less restrained because my sub-conscious is working on my problem for a solution, and it will have an answer for me in ten days or less, beginning as soon as I wake up in the morning. But it is working on the solution now and will continue to work on the problem until a resolution is reached. I feel confident that my sub-conscious is finding the solution I seek. I am comfortable and I am confident.
One…
I know my sub-conscious is working on the solution to my boredom and exercise problem and I am confident that in ten days from tomorrow or less. I will know how to fix this problem. I am completely relaxed and comfortable.
As I count to three, I will come out of this state of total relaxation and feel better than I have felt in a long time. (You can choose to go to sleep at this point, or)
I will count to three and awake refreshed and totally energized.
One…
I feel good and I am waking up with renewed energy.
Two…
I am waking up and I feel good and totally energized.
Three…
I am awake and I feel great, completely confident, and energized. I feel that my burdens have been lifted. I feel well-rested and have lots of energy.
Avalon: The Retreat Page 14
