Storm-Front

Jim Basset is a light sleeper. He is surprised to find that he slept through the end of the world. With the help of a handful of friends he scrapes up those who remain on their way to find refuge.

The End

Part 1:

Storm-front

By: D Booyer

Jim Basset was a large man, tall and plump and balding. He lived alone in an apartment on the first floor of a large apartment building. The neighbors were young, most newly married or had only been married for a few short years. There were lots of children running and playing during the day. Jim's next door neighbor liked to play bass at odd hours. With the children stomping around upstairs singing their joyous songs at the top of their lungs and the neighbor's bass riffs the apartment was always noisy. Jim loved the children and the noise and even the badly played guitar. It let him know that life continued outside his lonely home. He wasn't an old man, only in his mid forties, but he walked with a limp and a cane thanks to a nasty joint condition that had plagued him all his life.

Jim had not always been alone. He had been married once to a beautiful woman named Laura, but she had gone. It is nice to think of someone going suddenly, getting it over in one quick break, but that is not often the case. Laura had not left him, or even died. Her mind simply left her, it happened slowly taking the greater part of two years. She started out with small things like stacking the clothing then not an hour later wondering who had taken care of the laundry for her, or asking a question then after receiving the answer seeming to forget and asking again a short time later. She gradually got worse until she began to hallucinate and eventually couldn't tell the difference between reality and her hallucinations. Jim was no longer able to give her the care she needed. Jim loved his wife and it broke his heart when he had no choice but to put her in the care of a nursing home. They had been saving for a trip together, a second honeymoon in Paris. Jim used their entire savings to make sure his wife had the best care possible. Laura had always wanted to see Paris. At first he had visited his wife every day, sometimes spending the whole day just holding her hand, talking about how beautiful Paris was this time of year. But she slowly forgot he was there, and after a few months she forgot who he was entirely. The visits ended one day when she suddenly began crying and screaming about the strange man in her room. Jim was confused at first but soon realized the strange man was him. He did try a few more times but each time was the same. She would start screaming not long after he sat next to her and would not stop until he was gone. Now he lived alone in the apartment he had shared with his wife. Alone with his memories and his walls filled with pictures of his beloved wife.

The night the world ended Jim had felt especially lonely. He had poured himself some tea and sat at his table as he sipped. Laura had liked tea. They would sit together and talk about their day, their lives, their hopes and their dreams. There was so much to talk about back then. The long lonely years had done nothing to ease his pain.

When Jim's head found his pillow he fell into dreams of his lost love. Jim's sleep was fitful, filled with images from his past. The end came suddenly and silently, and though he slept lightly Jim managed to sleep through it. He awoke to silence for the first time in years. No children playing in the halls, no badly played bass floating through the walls, just silence met his ears. He got out of bed and grabbed his cane. He didn't bother getting dressed, he rarely did anymore, he just went to the kitchen and started the coffeemaker. The children still had not begun their morning play by the time he had finished his coffee. The day being Saturday, Jim reluctantly dressed himself and located his keys which, as usual, hung on a hook by the door. He was surprised when he didn't pass anyone in the hall as he made his way through the maze of discarded toys on the floor. He stepped out the door to silence. Birds chirped in the trees and dogs barked in the distance, but the normal low buzz of activity was gone. True not much activity was to be expected in a town as small as the one he lived in, but there was always some noise. Cars passing on the highway, the ever present road work and people going about their lives could usually be heard even late at night. Well not the road work, ten men in hard hats standing around didn't make much noise, but the cars and people should be running about as usual. Jim got in his minivan, a relic from the days he and his wife had hoped for children, and pulled out of his parking spot. He stopped in the driveway in shock. Normally by this time the road was packed with people going to and from work, but this morning the road was empty as far as he could see in either direction. It wasn't until he stopped at the traffic light where the busy back road he lived on intersected the highway that served as the main road of the town that he encountered a vehicle. It was a small SUV that looked as if it had been driven at full speed into the light pole. Jim grabbed his cell phone which he used instead of a land line at home and dialed the emergency operator. The phone rang but there was no response. Putting his phone on speaker he stepped out of his car and limped over to the SUV to see if there were any injuries. The SUV proved to be empty. Jim reached through the broken side glass and unlocked the driver side door to get a better look. The airbags were deployed and hung half deflated in the seats. The seat belts were still buckled, but there was no one in the car. The phone rang once more and Jim was treated to an automated recording, “The party you have dialed is not answering, please try your call later. If you feel you have reached this message in error, please check the number and try again. Thank you.”

“What the hell,” Jim said to the open air, “how can I misdial four digits?” He hung up the phone and carefully dialed again, deliberately dialing 1911, making sure to hit each number. Again the phone rang for a few minutes and he got the same message. It wasn't until he got the message a third time that he realized that in the thirty minutes he had been trying to call the emergency services, not one car had passed on the normally busy highway. A thought occurred to Jim and he placed his hand on the crinkled hood. It was cold, Cold and wet from the mornings dew.

“What the hell,” Jim said again, this time in breathless wonder. He returned to his minivan and sat, trying to wrap his head around the odd wreck, and what it meant that it had apparently been left untended to since sometime last night. After what seemed like an hour, Jim clicked his seat belt around him and began to drive, carefully pulling around the wreckage. Instead of turning left at the intersection to go to the store, he turned right. He was not really thinking about where he was going or why. Jim passed two more abandoned wrecks, one a sedan and the other a semi that had rolled to a stop against a guardrail. Jim stopped at both and like before the vehicles were abandoned, seat belts still buckled and in the case of the semi, the enginewas still running. Whatever happened apparently occurred while the driver was shifting gears and the truck was in neutral. Jim did not search the semi as he did the other two vehicles due to his aching leg, but he peered in through the passenger window for a few seconds before gingerly letting himself down again.

Jim kept driving without knowing where or why until he pulled up outside of his wife's nursing home. He walked to the front door of The Verdant Acres Retirement Villa and was surprised to find a briefcase holding it open. Once inside he went directly to Laura's room, not really knowing what to expect when he got there. The room was small, well kept and empty. It was clean and inviting with cream colored walls and a brown carpet. On the walls were posters depicting the wonders of Paris. He had bought them for her and had them framed himself. On the nightstand, by the neatly made bed, was a picture of Laura and him on their wedding day. They had been so happy, so in love. Now, if she had been there, she wouldn't even recognize him. On the bed was a neatly folded note. Jim unfolded it and recognized the neat angular hand of his wife:

Dearest Jim,

I am sorry for all you have gone through these past ten years. Thank you for staying faithful in my absence, you cannot know how much that means to me. I know how rough your life has been without me. I love you with all of my heart, and wish that we could be together now. Where I am is beautiful, Paris pales in comparison to it's splendor. I wish you could see it, but there is work for you to do still. I will see you soon my beloved.

With all my heart, your devoted wife,

Laura.

Jim refolded the letter and held it to his chest, and a few moments later he was crying. He sat on the edge of the bed, then lay his head on the single pillow his wife had used. He could still smell her soft scent, mixed lightly with the faint smell of her favorite shampoo. He was unsure how long he cried, or when sleep overtook him, but when he awakened the clock on the side of what had once been his wife's bed read a little after noon. Jim didn't remember the dream that had come to him as he slept, he had the feeling he was not supposed to. He had a warm feeling somehow, like the feeling of knowing you are loved, and the feeling that when the time came he would remember what he was supposed to do. For now he would have to trust and obey, remembrance would come later. He tucked the note into the pocket on the inside of his jacket where it could rest close to his heart. After checking the rest of the building for anyone who, like him, had not mysteriously vanished in the night, hunger drew Jim toward the nursing homes dining area. He entered the kitchen and was surprised to find a sandwich and an unopened soda waiting on the counter, glistening with condensation. As the door swung closed a surprised looking man with short dark hair cautiously straightened up from behind the counter wearing a blue jogging suit and wielding a container of mustard. He was a tall, athletic looking man who appeared to be in his mid twenties.

“Oh, hello,” he said with a nervous smile, “I am sorry. I haven't seen a soul all day and was starving. I just saw the door open so I thought I would see if anyone was home.”

“It's OK,” Jim said with a relieved chuckle, “there's no one else here. Just me and now, apparently, you.”

“So, do you mind if I?” the nervous man said, indicating the sandwich.

“Not at all,” Jim said, “I don't think there will be anyone to miss it. Would you mind making me one?”

“Hey, no problem, My name is Bill by the way, Bill Gravis.”

“Nice meeting you Bill, my name is Jim Basset,” Jim held out his hand and Bill leaned over the counter to shake it warmly.

“So,” Bill said as he grabbed a plate and began constructing a second sandwich, “Do you live here, no offense but you look a little young for a nursing home.”

“No, my wife was here,” Jim said sadly.

“Oh, sorry.”

“It's OK, happens sometimes,” Jim said, “she has been here for a while. I guess I was worried about her.”

After a moment's awkward silence Bill said, “So, what do you think happened to everyone?”

“I'm not exactly sure,” Jim said thoughtfully, “Rapture perhaps?”

“I guess it could be,” Bill said with a chuckle, “I suppose it would fit, but so many?”

“This is the bible belt after all,” Jim said.

“True,” Bill said, “Do you believe in God?”

“Yes, the wife and I went to church every Sunday and bible study on Wednesdays, I kept going after she...” Jim said with a sniffle, “Sorry.”

“Hey, it's OK,” Bill said, coming around the counter to place a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder, “I'm sorry, I had no idea.”

“There's no way you could have known,” Jim said, smiling weekly.

“Now,” Bill said rubbing his hands together, “About that sandwich.”

The sandwich turned out to be much better than Jim expected, as far from the simple few slices of meat between bread that had been smeared with mayo as one could get. It was a Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and corned beef on rye with some tasty whitish sauce that Bill had obviously made separately. The whole thing was lightly toasted on the nursing homes grill. There was even a dill pickle spear on the side.

“So,” Jim said smelling the tasty, toasted perfection that was presented to him, “What is it you do for a living?”

“I am a small business owner,” Bill said with a mischievous grin.

“Oh.”

“And, yes, my business is a restaurant. I went to culinary arts school just after high school. It has been a dream of mine to start my own restaurant since I was a child. I finally saved up enough to start a restaurant in Springfield a few years ago.”

“Springfield?” Jim asked as the two sat at a table in the cafeteria, “what are you doing way out here?”

“When I was in high school some friends and I started hiking cross country during spring break,” Bill said, “My friends stopped after we graduated, I didn't.”

“Sounds like that could be fun,” Jim said with a regretful glance at his cane.

“I find it very relaxing,” Bill replied, then noticed the regretful look on Jim's face, “So, how did you hurt your leg?”

“I have a congenital joint disorder,” Jim said.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don't be, I'm used to it,” Jim said.

“So, what do you think we should do?” Bill asked after a moment of awkward silence, “there was no one on the road this morning. I walked three miles since I woke up and didn't encounter a soul. Well, except you of course. I tried calling my restaurant to check in and there was no answer. I called every number stored in my phone and still no answer.”

“I suppose since we are still here we can assume there will probably be others,” Jim said resting his elbow on the table and rubbing his temples with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

“I suppose you're right, but were do we start?”

“Well,” Jim said after a little thought, “whatever happened, happened at night so the roads are mostly clear. I think we should drive through town first and start at the residential area across town and work our way back.”

“OK,” Bill said, giving the table a quick tap with his knuckles, and retrieving his backpack from the floor, “Sounds like a plan, lets get walking then.”

“Why walk?” Jim said holding up his keys, “We can just take my van. I wouldn't be able to walk far on my leg, and besides it sounds like it is going to rain.” muffled booms could be heard in the distance, Bill had not noticed them while the two men had been talking, but now he could hear their distant promise of rain to come.

The two men stepped out of the building. The sky had begun to grow dim despite the sun, which had just begun it's slow descent from its zenith. Dark clouds hung in streaks like the branches of a weeping willow in the still air as the two men watched mouths agape as a dark finger drew itself across the heavens, its tip aglow with red fire as it stretched toward the ground.

“Um,” Bill said after he regained a little composure, “Perhaps we should stay inside.”

“What good would it do to stay in a burned out husk,” Jim said dismissively, “besides we have work to do.”

“Your right,” Bill started, then what the older man had said finally sank in, “What?”

“I don't know,” Jim said, feeling a little light headed, “I...” a loud roar and a crack made the two men look behind them, a small streak of black smoke was already dissipating above the nursing home to be replaced by a pillar as the nursing home began to be consumed by flame.

“Van?” Jim asked as he pushed the button on his keyring that unlocked the doors.

“Yep, Van,” Bill replied, already nervously hurrying toward the vehicle.

Other than a few smaller strikes like the one that set fire to The Verdant Acres Retirement Villa, most of the falling objects were burning up long before they reached the ground. The hollow booming in the distance, however, promised more frequent strikes to come, and bigger. They were relatively safe for now, but even relative safety was to be short lived. The two men pulled out onto the highway again and were surprised to see a figure walking along the shoulder in the distance. The figure was far enough away that they could not make it out clearly, but it seemed to be moving in their direction. As they pulled out and headed up the road towards it, the figure stopped and appeared to wait patiently for them. The figure turned out to be a young dark haired woman in her mid twenties wearing a blue sun dress with sneakers and a floppy hat. She was carrying a tote bag on her shoulder, and gave the impression that she was going on a trip. Jim, to his continued amazement, recognized her immediately as Sally James, the daughter of the pastor that held service at the church he and his wife had attended.

“Thank the lord,” Sally said as Jim pulled to a stop to let her in, “I thought I would have to walk all the way to the nursing home.”

“Seems like I am the only one not packed for this trip,” Jim said as Sally stashed her tote bag behind her seat.

“God will provide,” Sally said, shutting the side door, “God will always provide. We could just stop off at the clothing store, it's on the way.”

“Can't face the end of the world in your pajamas,” Bill said with a smile as the van started moving again.

“Your one to talk Mr. Jogging Suit,” Sally said with a grin, “at least I dressed for the occasion.”

“In a sun dress?” Bill asked with a laugh, “A little cheery for the end of the world, wouldn't you say Jim?”

“I don't know,” Jim said, for the first time in years he truly felt like smiling, “Its not like anyone is dead, God just called them home. But if you really want to dress for a funeral I am sure we can still catch the end of the world sale at Tailor's Suit Shop. But I do think more practical attire is appropriate, from a purely survival standpoint. I would suggest we stop by the farm supply store and see what we can stock up on for the long run. But that will have to come later. For now I have a feeling that we will need a bigger vehicle.”

“Why is that,” Bill asked, beginning to feel like he was missing something.

“I'm not entirely sure,” Jim said, scratching his head, “Just a feeling I have been getting since I woke up this morning, like there is something important I am only half remembering. But it is urgent, I know that, and important that I obey.”

“Sort of like why I met you on the way to the nursing home,” Sally said, playing with the hat on her lap, “I just felt a need to pack a few things and start walking. Anyway, pull in at the school, we can get some buses. That should give us plenty of room.”

Jim pulled the van into the school's transportation lot ten minutes later. The small van's passengers were shocked to see a semi parked alongside the buses. It appeared to be a food service delivery truck for the school's cafeteria. The motor was still running powering the refrigeration unit for the trailer. On closer examination, however, it's cab appeared to be locked tight.

“I guess we will have to find a different source of food,” Bill said as he walked around to the back end of the truck. When he turned the corner he walked into a wall of flesh and stumbled back in surprise. The large man was close to seven feet tall and heavily muscled. He was bald as an egg with skin as dark as pitch, his chest seemed to be made of a quarter ton of brick stuffed into a green silk shirt. Bill's foot skidded in the gravel and he hit the ground hard.

“Are you OK?” came a deep rumbling voice from above. Bill opened his eyes to see the big man standing over him looking concerned.

“Hello, Joshua,” Sally said, “I'm surprised to see you here.”

“Your surprised,” the big man rumbled in reply offering Bill a large hand, “the roads are empty and I haven't seen a soul all day. I'm surprised to see anyone at all to tell you the truth.”

Bill took the offered hand and was hoisted to his feet, receiving a pat on the back that left him as breathless as the fall had. “Nice meeting you Joshua,” Bill said breathlessly, “I'm Bill.”

“Hello,” A broad, radiant smile seemed to divide Joshua's face in half. He chuckled as he said, “Welcome to the end of the world, Bill. The snack bar is on your left, don't forget to visit the gift shop on your way out.”

“Ah, that's our Josh,” Sally said, smiling at the large man, “A joke for all occasions.”

“Of course,” Joshua said with another laugh, “Taking life too seriously raises your blood pressure and causes ulcers. It is better for your health to find something to laugh at. Anyway, I am glad you showed up I was getting tired of waiting.”

“How did you know we were coming,” Bill said feeling confused.

“I didn't,” Joshua said, “I just felt I had to wait here. Had no idea what, or who for.”

“Seems to be the going thing today,” Bill said with a sigh.

“What do you mean?” Asked Sally.

“Everyone seems to be having these odd feelings today that lead them just where they need to be,” Bill said scratching his head, “I feel like I missed a memo or something.”

“Another jester in our midst,” Sally said with a slight laugh, “you haven't missed the memo. You just haven't realized you read it is all. The Lord led me to the nursing home with a subtle yet insistent guidance. Unless you know what you are looking for it is easy to miss.”

“Are you positive?” Bill asked still unsure, “I haven't felt like anything has been guiding me.”

“So why did I find you in the nursing home kitchen?” Jim asked, crooking his eyebrow, “You could have just gone to the restaurant next door.”

“I don't know, I just... Oh.”

“See?” said Sally.

“Then why guide me at all if my faith is not strong enough to recognize his touch?”

“You didn't recognize his touch, yet you were open to his guidance,” Sally said putting a comforting arm around Bill's shoulder, “Your faith may be stronger than you think.”

Bill cocked an eyebrow at Jim and asked, “Is she always like this?”

Joshua rolled his eyes skyward.

“Not always,” Jim answered, “but usually.”

“Hey,” Sally said giving him a lighthearted slap in the arm.

“She would be,” Joshua said with a chuckle, “But the school frowns on that sort of thing. She is a school teacher when she is not working with the church. Well, she used to be anyway.”

“For a nation supposedly founded on religious principals our country is awfully afraid to mention the 'G' word.” Sally said darkly.

“I suppose it is,” Jim said in a patient tone that said he had heard this rant many times before, “Well, was, I suppose.”

“So,” Joshua said to change the subject, “Here we are. I don't suppose one of you could tell me why we had to meet here. Perhaps you need the truck?”

“Anything in it?” Jim asked.

“I am about three quarters full of food,” Joshua said, “Nothing fancy just basic foodstuffs, but I suppose that is a good thing under the circumstances.”

“I suppose so,” Jim said “Three quarters full, you said?”

“Yep.”

“Good,” Jim said rubbing his hands together, “that leaves some room for some other supplies. Now all we need is a bus.”

“The spare keys are locked up tight in the office,” Joshua said scratching his head, “but Bobbie's bus is over by the fueling station. She is usually here before me so it should be gassed up and ready to go.”

“Great,” Bill said with a smile, “So, who is driving?”

“Well, that depends,” Joshua said, “Show of hands, who besides me can drive stick?” The only hand to climb towards the firmament belonged to Bill. Joshua clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Looks like your up Bill.”

“Great,” Bill gave a nervous chuckle as he looked at the bus, “I have never driven anything that big.”

“You will be fine,” Joshua rumbled, “Just follow Jim, keep your speed down and make wide turns. I will come along behind you. If you need any advice we can talk on the radio. Which reminds me, you don't have a CB in your van. Give me a minute.” Joshua unstrapped a toolbox from behind the cab of his truck and disappeared around a corner. A few moments later the silence was shattered by the sharp sound of braking glass. Ten minutes later Joshua walked back around the semi with a CB radio and antenna under one arm and a large smile on his face. “I always wanted to try that,” he said as he walked toward Jim's van. Fifteen more minutes and the CB radio was installed and the van sported a long antenna on it's roof.

“I always wanted one of those,” Jim said, “Thanks.”

“No problem, It is slightly used but I got a great discount.”

“Got to love those end of the world sales,” Bill said.

“I guess we should get going.” said Jim, only slightly amused at Bills attempt to bring humor to the dire situation. The sky had already begun to darken with the ash and debris thrown up by the impacts which were drawing steadily nearer. The steady wind that had been blowing all morning began to gust and heat lightning began to flash overhead, “We really do not have much time left.

“So, where to from here,” Bill asked, his light hearted mask melting away.

“Shopping of course,” Joshua said, barking a laugh and slapping Bill on the back so hard he nearly ended up on the ground again, “Sorry.”

The three drivers agreed on a CB channel and were soon on their way. Jim in his minivan led the way to the local farm and outdoor supply store to stock up on supplies. While Bill and Joshua loaded the truck Jim and Sally took a refrigerated cooler across the street to the drug store for medical supplies. An hour later they rejoined Joshua and Bill who were just loading a few more boxes into the back of the semi with the help of a third man. He was a middle aged man with short cut hair. John Williams was fit for his age wearing loose fitting cargo pants and a red polo shirt under a sports jacket.

“Hey Sally. Hi Jim,” he said with a smile as they pulled up, “Wouldn't you know I finally let my wife talk me into taking a vacation and the world ends. I guess it is for the best though, I was tired of losing to her after the first four holes.”

“Hey sheriff. I hardly recognize you without your uniform,” Sally said with a grin, then her grin faded, “So, is it just you then?”

“Lord no, Jaime insisted on loading the stores entire stock of M.R.E.'s into the bus. It took up the last two rows of seats. We would have put it in the back of my truck, but she insisted on packing that with grain seed and growth lights. Has this idea about having to grow food in the dark,” he looked up at the tumultuous sky nervously, “I guess it is not such a bad idea after all.”

“John here gave us a scare when he first pulled up,” Joshua said with a broad grin as he latched the door to his trailer, “we didn't hear him drive up over the noise.”

“I think they thought John was going to arrest them for looting or something,” Jaime said, slapping Joshua on the back. She had short cut brown hair and a sturdy, muscular build. She, like her husband, was dressed for a day on the greens with an outfit that matched her husband's.

“Well, it is good to have you and Jamie along John,” Sally said, the booming of thunder from the heat lightening in the clouds above and the distant fiery impacts coming close to drowning her out, “I think it would be best if we hurried.”

“Good idea,” John said loudly to be heard, “what channel are you on?”

“Ten,” Sally said.

“Any idea were we are going?” Bill asked.

“I think we should go somewhere underground,” Jim said.

“John and I were married in the cave system in the state park not five miles outside of town,” Jamie said, “It is a pretty large cave complex that goes pretty deep. The parking lot is just inside the cave mouth and there are walkways throughout the upper areas so it should be easier to get our supplies in.”

“Good idea,” Jim said. The noise had grown so that he had to shout to be heard, “Did we get any climbing gear?”

“Yes, it is in the bus with the M.R.E.'s,” Bill replied.

“Good, let's get going. John, you know the way so we will follow you out. We will be making stops along the way, so don't be in a hurry to get there,” Jim cringed as a loud boom and a crack heralded the end of the pawn shop down the street, “OK, maybe just slightly hurried, but I have a feeling we should be taking on passengers.”

“OK,” John said then trotted toward his truck followed by his wife.

“Drive carefully,” Sally yelled as she boarded the bus behind Bill.

As he climbed behind the wheel of his van Jim wondered why the others had listened to him. He was just a broken old man. As he followed John's truck, listening to the others chatter on the radio the loneliness he had felt when he found that his wife was gone returned. It had been reduced to a manageable level when Bill and Sally were riding with him. The companionship distracted him and allowed him to ignore the sadness that now gnawed at him.

The drive to the cavern took a little more than an hour. They stopped frequently to pick up people that had been drawn to the roadside. Most were waiting patiently, but some had started walking in the direction of the state park were the cave was located without knowing where or why they were drawn. By the time the four vehicles pulled into the wide mouth of the cave entrance the group had grown from six to twenty-eight. Their passengers were mostly young. Many in their late teens or early twenties. They parked the semi and John's truck in the cavern as far from the mouth of the cave as they could. The refrigerated semi was backed in first to protect it and it's precious cargo of food. Jim's van and the bus were parked last to protect the more important vehicles.

Jim had never been in the caverns before. With his leg he had never really been interested in going places like the state park. Hiking trails and scenic walks lose their savor with the pain and embarrassment of a debilitating condition slowing one down. The chamber the vehicles were in was massive, a dome some two hundred yards in diameter with a large opening in the front that led to the outside world and a smaller cave leading away from it in the rear. The park service had constructed walkways for visitors to have a safe hike through the cavern's winding passages, and to keep a careless foot from marring the majestic beauty found within. Another side passage housed a gas generator that lit the cavern's interior in the event of a power failure. Jim managed to get the generator started once Joshua managed to get the iron gate open and the lights in the cavern flickered to life. When he returned to the entry chamber the people they had picked up were huddled in a group clutching their meager belongings. Jim walked over to John who was by the bus looking worriedly out the mouth of the cave with a somber expression.

“John,” he said putting a hand on the sheriff's shoulder, “We need to get these people moving, we need to get the trucks unloaded and we need to get deeper underground before the... Well, before whatever that is hits. I figure you are used to dealing with people. Would you mind, you know, doing the sheriff thing?”

“No problem,” John said coming out of his reverie. He walked over to the stairs leading deeper into the cave. He handed Joshua a hand-held radio and addressed the huddled group, “Alright, we need to get our supplies unloaded and deeper into the cave. If you will all line up here we will get started. There is a large chamber deeper into the cavern where we will set up camp. We will start walking and every hundred feet or so I will have one of you set your belongings down and wait. Once we are all in place we will start passing the supplies.”

Bill and Joshua stayed at the truck and Sally stayed at the end of the passageway with her duffel bags. Twenty minutes later the radio crackled, and John's voice was barely heard saying, “OK, we are ready for the supplies.”

Jim watched the unloading of the truck and not for the first time wondered why he was there. Why would this group of young people and able bodied adults need or want a crippled old man like himself. He seated himself on one of the surprisingly comfortable camp chairs and soon found himself dozing off. Dreams of his wife and the life they had hoped for swam through his head as he fought his increasingly weighted eyelids. Finally, as he was about to surrender to sleep, and what felt like something deeper, his wife's voice came clear and sharp in his ears, “Not yet love, you are needed still. Wake up!” his eyes popped open the last two words still ringing in his ears. It had taken the better part of an hour to unload the supplies they had packed into the semi and the bus at the farm and outdoor supply store. The food they left in the truck to stay refrigerated. The last of the packages were disappearing down the tunnel and Joshua was hooking his truck up to the generator's power grid to keep the refrigeration unit in his trailer going. Jim folded his chair and held it under his arm as he hobbled over to were Bill, Sally, and Joshua were getting ready to descend into the earth's safe embrace. The wind howled and the thunder crashed outside as the steady drumbeat of the world's end drew steadily nearer. The four turned to enter their new home and face the challenges ahead.

Author's Note

I just hope you like it. :)

Reviews

[Irish_Ranger]

I'm in agreement with Scarlett: The characters seem to skip over the "HOLY SH*T" phase of the end of the world, and seem to go into it as seasoned veterans of such things. Not that I'm an expert, but when the world ends, there will most likely be a few people who won't be able to cope with it quietly.

Now, that aside, I think this is very good writing. You've got an extensive cast of characters thus far with different personalities, very well-illustrated. I'll be interested as I read further as to how you'll keep track of so many people at once. I also particularly like your off-hand illustration of some of the chaos going on (the boom and crack that "heralds the end" of the pawn shop down the street). I think that's a pretty clever touch.

I'll be sure to read some more of your chapters as time allows. Thumb's up!

[ScarlettTheDreamer]

Interesting idea. But I don't get how they assume its the end of the world and not get the least bit surprised about it. That seemed kinda weird.
Every other detail was awesome, a few more dialogue could be added. Can't wait to see what's gonna happen next :)