It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
The Last Survivors Chronicles
page: 1share:
The Last Survivor Chronicles (Part 1)
"Get in the car, NOW," I screamed with my .38 pistol pointed at her head. Who she was I didn't know, and didn't care at the moment, because both our lives were about to be snuffed out like a campfire.
All I knew was that given what I had just witnessed, I had better grab a woman, lest our species be terminated. At least there would be a chance this way. And she just happened to be on my way, a lone stranger walking down the street.
Terrified with eyes as wide as if she had seen a ghost, she got in. I jumped in and gassed it hard, with my gun still pointed at her, half watching the road, and half watching her. And I knew where we were going; to as high an elevation as possible. To the mountain I had picked out long ago, just in case.
"I'm so terribly sorry," I said. "This isn't exactly the usual way I go about meeting women," I blurted out, trying to lessen the tension and fear. But it wasn't working.
"You need to understand what has just happened," I continued. "You heard about the massive earthquake on the west coast... It was all over the news...Yes?"
"Yes," she uttered weakly. "But what does that have anything to do with why you are kidnapping me?"
"Let me finish." I said. "That earthquake was a 9.4, and within two days, another 9.2 hit way down south on the Pacific Plate near Antartica. Yesterday another huge quake hit Mexico, and about 20 minutes ago today, well, I can't even describe to you what I just saw. It's bad, very bad. But you are about to feel..."
I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth before the car started shaking and swerving, out of my control. I slammed on the brakes, hoping to avoid hitting a tree as she let out a shrieking scream. As the car came to halt, I glanced out the window and saw the ground rising up like a huge tidal wave. It lifted the car, road and everything around us high up into the air, and then just as quickly, set us back down again.
"WHAT is happening??? she screamed.
"Look, we've got all of about 30 minutes to make it up to the top of Mount Mitchell, or we are dead," I said."And even then we may still be dead."
"What in the HELL are you talking about man, would you please just let me go?" she yelled. I floored it again.
"If we can just make it to the Parkway, we might have a chance," I said meekly. "There'll be less traffic and we can make better time." My fear was now showing, and she sensed it.
I knew what we felt was a P-wave, and Lord help us when the S-wave hit. I figured we had about 10 minutes before that would reach us, and only because I knew a bit about earthquakes, and had taken it up as a hobby. I didn't know for sure just how long we had, cause I didn't know for sure what had happened. But I had an idea. Because I saw the unthinkable on my program that I used to monitor seismometers with, and it just so happened that I was monitoring most of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", when I saw what I did.
I knew that after that massive quake in Mexico, right after those other two huge quakes, that statistically this was way out of the ordinary. Something was very wrong, and I had started preparing after that one, sensing trouble ahead. I had filled up a bunch of jugs with water, got some basic tools together, piled up most of the food I had in boxes, and put most of it in the car. I was getting ready to bug out, just in case the worst happened. But no one could have prepared us for this. Not this soon.
The second I saw it, that was it. I am outta here. "Move MOVE!" I told myself, as I ran out the door with one last glance at my life.
And now I was in my SUV, flying towards a mountain with a terrified stranger in the car, about to get hit with the strongest part of an incredible earthquake. And from all indications that I had seen, this was more than just a big earthquake. This could be it. The end. My mind raced with all kinds of terrifying thoughts, but one thing was clear: make it to the top of that mountain if we are to have any chance of surviving this.
The water would be coming. And considering we were some 600 miles inland from the ocean, that thought was indeed terrifying. But I had to rely upon what I saw, and I wasn't about to stick around and debate it. With anyone. I knew many millions of people had just died, but once it started to sink in, I realized it was much worse than that, even.
As we drove frantically down the road, nearing the Parkway, the car felt nearly uncontrollable as the road seemed to keep moving, and it was all I could do to just keep it on the road.
"I didn't kidnap you to hurt you," I said. "Right now you've got much bigger problems than me. Right now we just have to survive."
"Would you please just STOP talking like that? It's scaring me," she sobbed. Without hesitation I reached over and slapped her, not real hard, but enough to put her in an extreme state of awareness. I had never hit a woman before, but I HAD to make her understand.
"Look, this is it. The end. Forget about everything else right now, ok? I don't have time to explain all this now. We've just GOT to get to the top of that mountain, or we're as good as dead. The water is coming. Do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME????"
"WHAT WATER???" she screamed.
My mind swirled briefly with thoughts about if I had been fair to her, and tried to put myself in her shoes, so I might give her added perspective. But do I take this time now to deal with her emotions and questions, or do I spend that time trying to save our asses? The latter, no question.
Think man think. No, better yet- drive. Keep going. The road looks torn up ahead. Stop, swerve around it. Stop again, put on the 4 wheel drive. There, ok, back on the road. That strong part of the quake will be here any minute...And if we don't make it to the top soon... Ok, finally, the Parkway is just up ahead...
"PLEASE. You're just going to have to trust me for the moment, like it or not." I said it loud and authoritatively, and with a morbid resolve. It seemed to quiet and calm her a bit.
"Well I guess I don't have much of a choice, now do I," she complained, looking down at my 38. And then I noticed somehow that she was pretty. I mentally castrated myself for even thinking something like THAT, at a time like THIS.
"Can you turn on the radio, please?" I said in a frantic voice. "Push the volume button. It's all I can do to keep it on the road, cause the road is moving." She reached out and hit the button, and the Emergency Broadcast System alert was on, but there were no messages, just the alert, going on an on. "Hit the preset buttons and change stations," I commanded. But to no avail. She was starting to melt down and cry. "DO IT!" I screamed.
Startled out of her fog with my scream, she went through all the stations and that's all we got. The EBS. "Oh, that's just GREAT, that is," I fumed.
"And now there's a car and some people stopped in the middle of the road, and they are flagging us down. They better move out of the road, cause I am NOT stopping, no matter WHAT!"
As the word "But" started to exit her mouth, I cut it hard and swerved around them, only to see middle fingers raised high in the air in my rear view mirror.
"Get in the car, NOW," I screamed with my .38 pistol pointed at her head. Who she was I didn't know, and didn't care at the moment, because both our lives were about to be snuffed out like a campfire.
All I knew was that given what I had just witnessed, I had better grab a woman, lest our species be terminated. At least there would be a chance this way. And she just happened to be on my way, a lone stranger walking down the street.
Terrified with eyes as wide as if she had seen a ghost, she got in. I jumped in and gassed it hard, with my gun still pointed at her, half watching the road, and half watching her. And I knew where we were going; to as high an elevation as possible. To the mountain I had picked out long ago, just in case.
"I'm so terribly sorry," I said. "This isn't exactly the usual way I go about meeting women," I blurted out, trying to lessen the tension and fear. But it wasn't working.
"You need to understand what has just happened," I continued. "You heard about the massive earthquake on the west coast... It was all over the news...Yes?"
"Yes," she uttered weakly. "But what does that have anything to do with why you are kidnapping me?"
"Let me finish." I said. "That earthquake was a 9.4, and within two days, another 9.2 hit way down south on the Pacific Plate near Antartica. Yesterday another huge quake hit Mexico, and about 20 minutes ago today, well, I can't even describe to you what I just saw. It's bad, very bad. But you are about to feel..."
I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth before the car started shaking and swerving, out of my control. I slammed on the brakes, hoping to avoid hitting a tree as she let out a shrieking scream. As the car came to halt, I glanced out the window and saw the ground rising up like a huge tidal wave. It lifted the car, road and everything around us high up into the air, and then just as quickly, set us back down again.
"WHAT is happening??? she screamed.
"Look, we've got all of about 30 minutes to make it up to the top of Mount Mitchell, or we are dead," I said."And even then we may still be dead."
"What in the HELL are you talking about man, would you please just let me go?" she yelled. I floored it again.
"If we can just make it to the Parkway, we might have a chance," I said meekly. "There'll be less traffic and we can make better time." My fear was now showing, and she sensed it.
I knew what we felt was a P-wave, and Lord help us when the S-wave hit. I figured we had about 10 minutes before that would reach us, and only because I knew a bit about earthquakes, and had taken it up as a hobby. I didn't know for sure just how long we had, cause I didn't know for sure what had happened. But I had an idea. Because I saw the unthinkable on my program that I used to monitor seismometers with, and it just so happened that I was monitoring most of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", when I saw what I did.
I knew that after that massive quake in Mexico, right after those other two huge quakes, that statistically this was way out of the ordinary. Something was very wrong, and I had started preparing after that one, sensing trouble ahead. I had filled up a bunch of jugs with water, got some basic tools together, piled up most of the food I had in boxes, and put most of it in the car. I was getting ready to bug out, just in case the worst happened. But no one could have prepared us for this. Not this soon.
The second I saw it, that was it. I am outta here. "Move MOVE!" I told myself, as I ran out the door with one last glance at my life.
And now I was in my SUV, flying towards a mountain with a terrified stranger in the car, about to get hit with the strongest part of an incredible earthquake. And from all indications that I had seen, this was more than just a big earthquake. This could be it. The end. My mind raced with all kinds of terrifying thoughts, but one thing was clear: make it to the top of that mountain if we are to have any chance of surviving this.
The water would be coming. And considering we were some 600 miles inland from the ocean, that thought was indeed terrifying. But I had to rely upon what I saw, and I wasn't about to stick around and debate it. With anyone. I knew many millions of people had just died, but once it started to sink in, I realized it was much worse than that, even.
As we drove frantically down the road, nearing the Parkway, the car felt nearly uncontrollable as the road seemed to keep moving, and it was all I could do to just keep it on the road.
"I didn't kidnap you to hurt you," I said. "Right now you've got much bigger problems than me. Right now we just have to survive."
"Would you please just STOP talking like that? It's scaring me," she sobbed. Without hesitation I reached over and slapped her, not real hard, but enough to put her in an extreme state of awareness. I had never hit a woman before, but I HAD to make her understand.
"Look, this is it. The end. Forget about everything else right now, ok? I don't have time to explain all this now. We've just GOT to get to the top of that mountain, or we're as good as dead. The water is coming. Do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME????"
"WHAT WATER???" she screamed.
My mind swirled briefly with thoughts about if I had been fair to her, and tried to put myself in her shoes, so I might give her added perspective. But do I take this time now to deal with her emotions and questions, or do I spend that time trying to save our asses? The latter, no question.
Think man think. No, better yet- drive. Keep going. The road looks torn up ahead. Stop, swerve around it. Stop again, put on the 4 wheel drive. There, ok, back on the road. That strong part of the quake will be here any minute...And if we don't make it to the top soon... Ok, finally, the Parkway is just up ahead...
"PLEASE. You're just going to have to trust me for the moment, like it or not." I said it loud and authoritatively, and with a morbid resolve. It seemed to quiet and calm her a bit.
"Well I guess I don't have much of a choice, now do I," she complained, looking down at my 38. And then I noticed somehow that she was pretty. I mentally castrated myself for even thinking something like THAT, at a time like THIS.
"Can you turn on the radio, please?" I said in a frantic voice. "Push the volume button. It's all I can do to keep it on the road, cause the road is moving." She reached out and hit the button, and the Emergency Broadcast System alert was on, but there were no messages, just the alert, going on an on. "Hit the preset buttons and change stations," I commanded. But to no avail. She was starting to melt down and cry. "DO IT!" I screamed.
Startled out of her fog with my scream, she went through all the stations and that's all we got. The EBS. "Oh, that's just GREAT, that is," I fumed.
"And now there's a car and some people stopped in the middle of the road, and they are flagging us down. They better move out of the road, cause I am NOT stopping, no matter WHAT!"
As the word "But" started to exit her mouth, I cut it hard and swerved around them, only to see middle fingers raised high in the air in my rear view mirror.
edit on Mon Jan 14th 2013 by TrueAmerican because: (no reason given)
Part 2
"Sorry, but they're probably dead. And so are we if don't get up that mountain," as I defended my action. I was on a mission with blinders on. But at least we made it to the Parkway. And with no time left I was violently trying to decide where the best place was going to be to take those more powerful waves, due any minute.
We were surrounded by trees. Huge trees. The kind that fall and kill you during huge earthquakes. But there were some overlooks ahead, areas where the trees were cleared out. Most overlooks there were called overlooks for a reason though: they hung over the edge of the mountain. Great, so choose your death I thought- killed by a tree, or die falling off the side of a cliff. Either way, it wasn't going to be pretty. Maybe I should just DRIVE off the cliff, and end this madness? I'm losing it.
But the first overlook signs appeared quickly, and as luck would have it, it was not one of the ones overhanging a cliff. "THIS is the spot to stop," I thought as I pulled in to the empty parking lot.
"Why are you stopping here?" she mumbled. But there was no time to answer. What we had witnessed before became quickly forgotten as this time, the earth shook with such violence that the side of the car hit her and knocked her out cold. I was able to hang on to the steering wheel, but I was getting beaten up very badly by the car door. The trees cracked and many fell with tremendous roars and thuds as they hit the ground, but just far enough away that we still had a chance. Oh no, the road! Would it be covered with huge trees and cracks? We were still miles and miles away from the top. And now my left shoulder was killing me.
When the shaking finally stopped, I reached over to make sure she still had a pulse. She did. I got out to look at the damage. It was bad, but still passable in a four wheel drive. No more driving fast now though, as trees were down and there were cracks in the road as expected.
But I just had to keep going no matter what or die. It was just that simple. If what I suspected had happened was true, the water WOULD be coming. And taking everyone with it. EVERYONE. Except MAYBE those on the highest ground. At least I had planned it that I stood as good a chance as anyone if I could reach the highest mountain in the Appalachians. And it was no coincidence that I chose to live within an hour's drive from it. A silly notion, that wasn't so "silly" now.
As I continued up the road at a slow pace, my mind swirled with the worst thoughts. Just how bad was this? Was there going to be anyone left?
Trying the radio again, now the EBS signal had disappeared altogether, and I just got static. "What about backup power? Why aren't those stations on backup power???" My mind raced for an answer, as the road started climbing upward. Had we reached the bottom of the mountain?
And then "Owww!" said a voice, startling me from my whirling mental fixations. She had woken up, holding her head, and was in obvious pain.
"The side of the car knocked you out when the quake hit, and good to have you back." I reached out to comfort her, but was squarely rejected. "Don't you DARE touch me," she threatened. "So what did you hear on the radio?" she demanded. "Tell me or I'll shoot you." I looked down to see my 38 now pointed at me. She had quietly grabbed the gun off the seat as she woke up.
"Yeah, that's right, just go ahead and shoot me. Probably doesn't matter anyway, with what is coming," I said in a provocative tone, and kept right on driving.
"You better start explaining, right NOW," she screamed as she rose the gun to my face. "There was an earthquake. So what. Turn this car around now," she demanded.
But no sooner had she said that, the car was lurched from side to side again from more tremors, causing her to drop the gun. I slammed on the brakes, and we almost went over the side. I didn't hesitate and grabbed the gun back off the floorboard, before she could recover. But this time I put it away in my pants, figuring if she didn't get it by now, then I would have to kick her out.
"I don't have time for this and neither do you," I threatened, mad at the distraction. "If what I suspect has happened, and it looks like it might have, give me all of 15 minutes and I won't have to explain much more at all." I thought more about just kicking her out of the car, but I couldn't. I knew she would be crucial to any kind of existence if we managed to live.
"Well I am going to call my brother," she said with a sharp tone, getting her cellphone out.
"Sure," I replied, "Go ahead and try. I'd be thrilled to death if you got a hold of anyone at all."
"No signal," she said, and stared at me blankly as if for answers. "It's probably just that we're too far out to get signal here. I've been up here before," she said confidently, like she had solved the problem.
"I really wish it was that simple..." I started, but then a car's headlights appeared, coming down the mountain.
"Sorry, but they're probably dead. And so are we if don't get up that mountain," as I defended my action. I was on a mission with blinders on. But at least we made it to the Parkway. And with no time left I was violently trying to decide where the best place was going to be to take those more powerful waves, due any minute.
We were surrounded by trees. Huge trees. The kind that fall and kill you during huge earthquakes. But there were some overlooks ahead, areas where the trees were cleared out. Most overlooks there were called overlooks for a reason though: they hung over the edge of the mountain. Great, so choose your death I thought- killed by a tree, or die falling off the side of a cliff. Either way, it wasn't going to be pretty. Maybe I should just DRIVE off the cliff, and end this madness? I'm losing it.
But the first overlook signs appeared quickly, and as luck would have it, it was not one of the ones overhanging a cliff. "THIS is the spot to stop," I thought as I pulled in to the empty parking lot.
"Why are you stopping here?" she mumbled. But there was no time to answer. What we had witnessed before became quickly forgotten as this time, the earth shook with such violence that the side of the car hit her and knocked her out cold. I was able to hang on to the steering wheel, but I was getting beaten up very badly by the car door. The trees cracked and many fell with tremendous roars and thuds as they hit the ground, but just far enough away that we still had a chance. Oh no, the road! Would it be covered with huge trees and cracks? We were still miles and miles away from the top. And now my left shoulder was killing me.
When the shaking finally stopped, I reached over to make sure she still had a pulse. She did. I got out to look at the damage. It was bad, but still passable in a four wheel drive. No more driving fast now though, as trees were down and there were cracks in the road as expected.
But I just had to keep going no matter what or die. It was just that simple. If what I suspected had happened was true, the water WOULD be coming. And taking everyone with it. EVERYONE. Except MAYBE those on the highest ground. At least I had planned it that I stood as good a chance as anyone if I could reach the highest mountain in the Appalachians. And it was no coincidence that I chose to live within an hour's drive from it. A silly notion, that wasn't so "silly" now.
As I continued up the road at a slow pace, my mind swirled with the worst thoughts. Just how bad was this? Was there going to be anyone left?
Trying the radio again, now the EBS signal had disappeared altogether, and I just got static. "What about backup power? Why aren't those stations on backup power???" My mind raced for an answer, as the road started climbing upward. Had we reached the bottom of the mountain?
And then "Owww!" said a voice, startling me from my whirling mental fixations. She had woken up, holding her head, and was in obvious pain.
"The side of the car knocked you out when the quake hit, and good to have you back." I reached out to comfort her, but was squarely rejected. "Don't you DARE touch me," she threatened. "So what did you hear on the radio?" she demanded. "Tell me or I'll shoot you." I looked down to see my 38 now pointed at me. She had quietly grabbed the gun off the seat as she woke up.
"Yeah, that's right, just go ahead and shoot me. Probably doesn't matter anyway, with what is coming," I said in a provocative tone, and kept right on driving.
"You better start explaining, right NOW," she screamed as she rose the gun to my face. "There was an earthquake. So what. Turn this car around now," she demanded.
But no sooner had she said that, the car was lurched from side to side again from more tremors, causing her to drop the gun. I slammed on the brakes, and we almost went over the side. I didn't hesitate and grabbed the gun back off the floorboard, before she could recover. But this time I put it away in my pants, figuring if she didn't get it by now, then I would have to kick her out.
"I don't have time for this and neither do you," I threatened, mad at the distraction. "If what I suspect has happened, and it looks like it might have, give me all of 15 minutes and I won't have to explain much more at all." I thought more about just kicking her out of the car, but I couldn't. I knew she would be crucial to any kind of existence if we managed to live.
"Well I am going to call my brother," she said with a sharp tone, getting her cellphone out.
"Sure," I replied, "Go ahead and try. I'd be thrilled to death if you got a hold of anyone at all."
"No signal," she said, and stared at me blankly as if for answers. "It's probably just that we're too far out to get signal here. I've been up here before," she said confidently, like she had solved the problem.
"I really wish it was that simple..." I started, but then a car's headlights appeared, coming down the mountain.
More!! Hurry!!
Great start. I'm anxious to see where our hero goes from here.
Great start. I'm anxious to see where our hero goes from here.
Part 3
The car's flashers were on, and they started honking the horn and slowing way down. Sure I could take the time to slow down and die. No thanks, we MUST keep going. I sped up slightly, avoiding another fallen tree. But I put my arm out the window and motioned for them to "follow me". I thought I saw them stop in my rear view, but we were long gone around a curve, so I couldn't be sure.
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. They were already ON the mountain. Maybe I should have taken the time to... NO! We HAD to get much higher up before we could even THINK about stopping for anyone or anything. The mission. Keep the blinders on, and we might make it.
"There's a bottle of pain killers in the glove box," I said pointing at it. "But go easy. It may be all we've got for a very long time."
"You should have stopped for them," she barked out as she reached for the pills. "We just don't get earthquakes around here. Not like THIS! They are probably just as confused as you are."
"Yeah? Well if I thought it was just a quake, even a bigger quake on the New Madrid fault, you think I would be headed up to the top of this mountain with a total stranger I had to kidnap?" I countered.
"The WHAT fault?" she said. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Reality set in quickly. I could just not go there with her. It was WAY too much to explain, WAY too complicated, and we'd probably be dead before I finished anyway.
"I'd like two of those pills, if you would. My shoulder got pretty messed up back there," I said, partly to sidetrack the conversation, but mostly because I really needed them. I just hoped it wasn't broken, and that she didn't get a concussion. The bumps and uneven pavement weren't helping any, and I doubted the pills would either. But she handed them over, and it felt like we were finally getting somewhere.
"So what is it you saw that's got you so upset?" she said with a deeper interest. "I mean I can understand the big quake and all, but kidnapping me? Why'd you have to kidnap me? And why did you say it's the end? The end of what?"
"I don't know what I saw and I am only guessing," I said, as a resurgent vision of clipping meters brought reality and urgency back to the top of my overloaded mind. "But I believe that either there was an asteroid that hit us, or some kind of huge tectonic plate movement that happened. And right now we are getting to a very high place because I believe we will be hit by gigantic waves if either is true.
"But I was only watching the Pacific, so I have no clue how this affected the Atlantic. This could have originated in the Atlantic for all I know... But I wasn't about to stick around to find out. I saw all the meters go off at once, many of them thousands of miles apart from each other, and that was all I needed to see. I bolted out the door, and had already been doing some packing because of all the huge quakes," as I pointed to the stacks of boxes and stuff in the back.
"Chances are that if we meet up with anyone else way up here who managed to make it in time, they'll be someone who also watched these things... Or.... just a lucky tourist. And those last people we passed- they weren't watchers, cause they'd be going up if they knew. Believe it or not, I kidnapped you only in case we are the only ones left."
The look on her face was a mixture of pain, disbelief and twinges of terror. "I don't believe you. I just don't," she claimed. But I knew from the way she said it that she just didn't WANT to believe me. And neither did I.
We were climbing more steeply, and now closer to the top. "I think the park entrance is right up there," she gestured. But the damage appeared heavier, and I had to slow way down to avoid objects and road blocks. "The quake probably hit harder up here," I suggested, as daylight began to recede to darkness. And not a single light was visible in the park: the power was clearly out. I wasn't about to explain to her how I knew that, but I had been to that park before, too.
As we entered the lower parking lot, she reminded me that we had to hike to get to the top. And on a normal day, we would. But today was not a normal day, and I had a four wheel drive. "Yeah well today we are driving up there," I said with a steadfast determination. "We are not leaving this car down here with everything in it that will save our lives if..."
"What's that sound?" she interrupted. "Listen. You hear that?" She rolled down her window.
It was swelling in the distance. Somehow you could tell that it was at a very great distance. But it was like no other sound. It was too big. It was too low. It reverberated in the sky. It was shaking the ground. And it was growing.
"Is that another earthquake?" she feared out loud. "Please no."
"We've got to get up there fast," I yelled, and floored it up the last steep hill. We almost made it to the top, but there were just too many trees down, so we had to stop about 20 yards short.
The car's flashers were on, and they started honking the horn and slowing way down. Sure I could take the time to slow down and die. No thanks, we MUST keep going. I sped up slightly, avoiding another fallen tree. But I put my arm out the window and motioned for them to "follow me". I thought I saw them stop in my rear view, but we were long gone around a curve, so I couldn't be sure.
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. They were already ON the mountain. Maybe I should have taken the time to... NO! We HAD to get much higher up before we could even THINK about stopping for anyone or anything. The mission. Keep the blinders on, and we might make it.
"There's a bottle of pain killers in the glove box," I said pointing at it. "But go easy. It may be all we've got for a very long time."
"You should have stopped for them," she barked out as she reached for the pills. "We just don't get earthquakes around here. Not like THIS! They are probably just as confused as you are."
"Yeah? Well if I thought it was just a quake, even a bigger quake on the New Madrid fault, you think I would be headed up to the top of this mountain with a total stranger I had to kidnap?" I countered.
"The WHAT fault?" she said. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Reality set in quickly. I could just not go there with her. It was WAY too much to explain, WAY too complicated, and we'd probably be dead before I finished anyway.
"I'd like two of those pills, if you would. My shoulder got pretty messed up back there," I said, partly to sidetrack the conversation, but mostly because I really needed them. I just hoped it wasn't broken, and that she didn't get a concussion. The bumps and uneven pavement weren't helping any, and I doubted the pills would either. But she handed them over, and it felt like we were finally getting somewhere.
"So what is it you saw that's got you so upset?" she said with a deeper interest. "I mean I can understand the big quake and all, but kidnapping me? Why'd you have to kidnap me? And why did you say it's the end? The end of what?"
"I don't know what I saw and I am only guessing," I said, as a resurgent vision of clipping meters brought reality and urgency back to the top of my overloaded mind. "But I believe that either there was an asteroid that hit us, or some kind of huge tectonic plate movement that happened. And right now we are getting to a very high place because I believe we will be hit by gigantic waves if either is true.
"But I was only watching the Pacific, so I have no clue how this affected the Atlantic. This could have originated in the Atlantic for all I know... But I wasn't about to stick around to find out. I saw all the meters go off at once, many of them thousands of miles apart from each other, and that was all I needed to see. I bolted out the door, and had already been doing some packing because of all the huge quakes," as I pointed to the stacks of boxes and stuff in the back.
"Chances are that if we meet up with anyone else way up here who managed to make it in time, they'll be someone who also watched these things... Or.... just a lucky tourist. And those last people we passed- they weren't watchers, cause they'd be going up if they knew. Believe it or not, I kidnapped you only in case we are the only ones left."
The look on her face was a mixture of pain, disbelief and twinges of terror. "I don't believe you. I just don't," she claimed. But I knew from the way she said it that she just didn't WANT to believe me. And neither did I.
We were climbing more steeply, and now closer to the top. "I think the park entrance is right up there," she gestured. But the damage appeared heavier, and I had to slow way down to avoid objects and road blocks. "The quake probably hit harder up here," I suggested, as daylight began to recede to darkness. And not a single light was visible in the park: the power was clearly out. I wasn't about to explain to her how I knew that, but I had been to that park before, too.
As we entered the lower parking lot, she reminded me that we had to hike to get to the top. And on a normal day, we would. But today was not a normal day, and I had a four wheel drive. "Yeah well today we are driving up there," I said with a steadfast determination. "We are not leaving this car down here with everything in it that will save our lives if..."
"What's that sound?" she interrupted. "Listen. You hear that?" She rolled down her window.
It was swelling in the distance. Somehow you could tell that it was at a very great distance. But it was like no other sound. It was too big. It was too low. It reverberated in the sky. It was shaking the ground. And it was growing.
"Is that another earthquake?" she feared out loud. "Please no."
"We've got to get up there fast," I yelled, and floored it up the last steep hill. We almost made it to the top, but there were just too many trees down, so we had to stop about 20 yards short.
Wow, there was just a 6.2 earthquake, right on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge!
earthquake.usgs.gov...
earthquake.usgs.gov...
edit on Tue Jan 15th 2013 by TrueAmerican because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Wow, there was just a 6.2 earthquake, right on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge!
earthquake.usgs.gov...
edit on Tue Jan 15th 2013 by TrueAmerican because: (no reason given)
Hope nothing serious happens
Part 4
"I am starting to believe you," she conceded hesitantly. "What direction is that noise coming from? I've never heard anything like that. I mean that earthquake was the closest thing..."
By now we were out of the car, and just looking around nervously. The place was deserted, but that would not be uncommon in the evening on a weeknight. All except for one other car in the parking lot which I happened to notice on the way up.
"I'm not sure which direction, because it seems like it's all around us," I said. But I know this much: If that is the ocean and it's coming from the west, it had to travel 2,500 miles to make it this far. But it could be coming from the south or east, too- I just can't tell yet."
The implications of that statement registered with a sudden shock to both of us at once.
"This just can't be happening!" she cried. "And my head still hurts."
"I don't believe it either," I tried to reason, "but it looks like it IS. And what are we supposed to do? I mean what CAN you do? We don't really even know for sure WHAT has happened yet. All I know is that it's bad. VERY BAD."
And it was growing louder by the minute. Darkness was setting in fast, but we could still make out the horizon in the distance below us. At over 6,600 feet elevation, the mountain offered a commanding view of everything below. And on many days I had been there before, you were literally above the clouds. It was almost always cloudy there, so high up.
"It's getting louder now," she feared with a pointing finger. "I think it's coming from over that way."
She was pointing to the south I thought, and I had packed a compass, so I went back to the car to try and find it. "Let me find my compass, and we'll see. We need to find out," I said urgently.
But no sooner than I had made it back to the car, I heard a loud scream. "Oh my GOD, it's water," she screamed as she came barreling down the hill towards me. "I saw it. Way over there. It's coming into the valleys below us. We're going to die." She threw herself at me, desperately hugging me for some kind of comfort in her final moments.
I looked deep into her eyes, stroked her hair and said "Then our best hope is to stay at the top and pray we make it. That's all we can do. Quick, let's get back up there." I grabbed her hand and yanked her with me as I ran, helping her along, more like dragging her along, as panic set in once again.
By the time we made the short run back to the top, the sound was so loud it had become an intrusive roar. And there was no question it was water. One look around down in the distance confirmed my worst fears. Even near dark, I could make out the waves. That was the ocean. It had to be. Nowhere else was there that much water. It sounded like the biggest waterfall in the universe, and the ground shaking had intensified. The walls of water were coming up and over the highest peaks below us, but it did not seem to exceed our height. At least not yet. There was hope.
"But hope for what?" I thought to myself. "What hope is there if everyone else is gone? I mean what, live starting over again from zero? No people, no nothing? Surely we are better off dead!"
I glanced at my 38, and really thought about it. That would be quicker with a whole lot less pain than getting thrashed about under water and pummeled with huge broken off trees. I turned to look at her, and she was looking at the gun too.
"Just shoot me," she cried. "If everyone else is gone, then I don't want to live. I can't go through with this. My brother, my boyfriend, my..."
The sound of shoes running on pavement was unmistakable, even above the distant roaring of the water. Someone was coming. I drew my gun, grabbed her hand, and quickly hid behind the observation deck, covering her mouth. "Shh.." I whispered in her ear, looking at her terrified eyes, which had become all too familiar a sight by now. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was to see them.
"Oh MY GOD, Dad!" a woman screamed. "It IS water! You were right. I am so sorry..." And then there was just the sound of crying. 20 feet away as I peeked around the edge of the small structure, I barely could make out what appeared to be a well-dressed man, holding what I assumed was his daughter.
Well what to do now? The sound was still getting louder and louder, the water was coming, and I didn't know any of these people. And I was about to die, or so it appeared. "Damn, life's a bitch and then you..."
The shaking got noticeably worse, and yanked me back from my thoughts. The roar of the water was nearing deafening levels. She tightened her arms around me, preparing for the worst.
"Daddy? DADDY!" we heard the man's daughter scream, but they ran further away, and I wasn't sure where to. There wasn't really anywhere to run on the top of that mountain.
"I'm sorry," I said, "But I tried. I guess it wasn't..."
"I am starting to believe you," she conceded hesitantly. "What direction is that noise coming from? I've never heard anything like that. I mean that earthquake was the closest thing..."
By now we were out of the car, and just looking around nervously. The place was deserted, but that would not be uncommon in the evening on a weeknight. All except for one other car in the parking lot which I happened to notice on the way up.
"I'm not sure which direction, because it seems like it's all around us," I said. But I know this much: If that is the ocean and it's coming from the west, it had to travel 2,500 miles to make it this far. But it could be coming from the south or east, too- I just can't tell yet."
The implications of that statement registered with a sudden shock to both of us at once.
"This just can't be happening!" she cried. "And my head still hurts."
"I don't believe it either," I tried to reason, "but it looks like it IS. And what are we supposed to do? I mean what CAN you do? We don't really even know for sure WHAT has happened yet. All I know is that it's bad. VERY BAD."
And it was growing louder by the minute. Darkness was setting in fast, but we could still make out the horizon in the distance below us. At over 6,600 feet elevation, the mountain offered a commanding view of everything below. And on many days I had been there before, you were literally above the clouds. It was almost always cloudy there, so high up.
"It's getting louder now," she feared with a pointing finger. "I think it's coming from over that way."
She was pointing to the south I thought, and I had packed a compass, so I went back to the car to try and find it. "Let me find my compass, and we'll see. We need to find out," I said urgently.
But no sooner than I had made it back to the car, I heard a loud scream. "Oh my GOD, it's water," she screamed as she came barreling down the hill towards me. "I saw it. Way over there. It's coming into the valleys below us. We're going to die." She threw herself at me, desperately hugging me for some kind of comfort in her final moments.
I looked deep into her eyes, stroked her hair and said "Then our best hope is to stay at the top and pray we make it. That's all we can do. Quick, let's get back up there." I grabbed her hand and yanked her with me as I ran, helping her along, more like dragging her along, as panic set in once again.
By the time we made the short run back to the top, the sound was so loud it had become an intrusive roar. And there was no question it was water. One look around down in the distance confirmed my worst fears. Even near dark, I could make out the waves. That was the ocean. It had to be. Nowhere else was there that much water. It sounded like the biggest waterfall in the universe, and the ground shaking had intensified. The walls of water were coming up and over the highest peaks below us, but it did not seem to exceed our height. At least not yet. There was hope.
"But hope for what?" I thought to myself. "What hope is there if everyone else is gone? I mean what, live starting over again from zero? No people, no nothing? Surely we are better off dead!"
I glanced at my 38, and really thought about it. That would be quicker with a whole lot less pain than getting thrashed about under water and pummeled with huge broken off trees. I turned to look at her, and she was looking at the gun too.
"Just shoot me," she cried. "If everyone else is gone, then I don't want to live. I can't go through with this. My brother, my boyfriend, my..."
The sound of shoes running on pavement was unmistakable, even above the distant roaring of the water. Someone was coming. I drew my gun, grabbed her hand, and quickly hid behind the observation deck, covering her mouth. "Shh.." I whispered in her ear, looking at her terrified eyes, which had become all too familiar a sight by now. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was to see them.
"Oh MY GOD, Dad!" a woman screamed. "It IS water! You were right. I am so sorry..." And then there was just the sound of crying. 20 feet away as I peeked around the edge of the small structure, I barely could make out what appeared to be a well-dressed man, holding what I assumed was his daughter.
Well what to do now? The sound was still getting louder and louder, the water was coming, and I didn't know any of these people. And I was about to die, or so it appeared. "Damn, life's a bitch and then you..."
The shaking got noticeably worse, and yanked me back from my thoughts. The roar of the water was nearing deafening levels. She tightened her arms around me, preparing for the worst.
"Daddy? DADDY!" we heard the man's daughter scream, but they ran further away, and I wasn't sure where to. There wasn't really anywhere to run on the top of that mountain.
"I'm sorry," I said, "But I tried. I guess it wasn't..."
edit on Tue Jan 15th 2013 by TrueAmerican because: (no reason given)
Oooh! This sounds good!
Think I'll put supper on & read it while I'm waiting.
Pfft! Typical caveman type, grab a woman just in case!
".... an hour away from the highest mountain in the Appalachains..."
Wait a minute...I'M an hour away from the...
What did that sign say again? I read it every time I go that way!
Leaves to get a map. Strains to see tiny writing, hands shaking...
"Highest point on I-80 east of the Mississippi, elev. 2,250' ."
OH, RATS!!! I'm doomed!
Gotta read some more...maybe I'll still be okay!
Noooo!!!! It doesn't end that way does it???
You are just taking a break, right?
Yeah, yeah, I know. Always leave them wanting more!
It's an awesome story, I could picture every bit of it!
Had me on the edge of my seat!
Sigh! I used to be an optimist! I don't want to be a pessimist!
Someone once told me I should be a realist!
Sooo not fair! I feel like a kid at Christmas.
Opened a present to find another, smaller present inside it.
Opened that, and another present...
Finally got to the last one...when I opened it, it was empty!!!
Aaaah!!!
Oh, well! After all, my signature is, 'hope for the best, but prepare for the worst'!
WOQ
Think I'll put supper on & read it while I'm waiting.
Pfft! Typical caveman type, grab a woman just in case!
".... an hour away from the highest mountain in the Appalachains..."
Wait a minute...I'M an hour away from the...
What did that sign say again? I read it every time I go that way!
Leaves to get a map. Strains to see tiny writing, hands shaking...
"Highest point on I-80 east of the Mississippi, elev. 2,250' ."
OH, RATS!!! I'm doomed!
Gotta read some more...maybe I'll still be okay!
Noooo!!!! It doesn't end that way does it???
You are just taking a break, right?
Yeah, yeah, I know. Always leave them wanting more!
It's an awesome story, I could picture every bit of it!
Had me on the edge of my seat!
Sigh! I used to be an optimist! I don't want to be a pessimist!
Someone once told me I should be a realist!
Sooo not fair! I feel like a kid at Christmas.
Opened a present to find another, smaller present inside it.
Opened that, and another present...
Finally got to the last one...when I opened it, it was empty!!!
Aaaah!!!
Oh, well! After all, my signature is, 'hope for the best, but prepare for the worst'!
WOQ
reply to post by wasobservingquietly
lol, nah the pure caveman type would have beat her over the head with a club and dragged her up there.
Part 5 is where things get really juicy. It's coming soon...Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow...You never can tell.
lol, nah the pure caveman type would have beat her over the head with a club and dragged her up there.
Part 5 is where things get really juicy. It's coming soon...Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow...You never can tell.
Yeesss!!!
There's still hope!
I was so upset, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!
WOQ
There's still hope!
I was so upset, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!
WOQ
Part 5
And then all of a sudden the roar and shaking started lessening. It was still there, but it was less. Noticeably less. She looked up and noticed it too, obviously, from the inquisitive look on her face. Then within minutes, minutes which seemed like an eternity- it subsided still more. The slight breeze now carried that smell...The smell that lets you know the ocean is not too far.
"You guess it wasn't...what?" she wanted to know.
"I was going to say...I guess it wasn't enough," I mumbled.
"Well maybe it was!" she said with a slight detection of hope in her voice. And I could swear I saw a faint smile that tried to break through, but it was suppressed by the sheer magnitude and implications of what we were going through.
Then she quickly unclung just as quickly as she had clung, almost as if she couldn't believe she had gotten anywhere near that close to me. I made the mental note, but quickly focused back on our immediate situation.
There were other people there. He could be armed. It was dark now, and all we could see was distant, moonlit highlights of what appeared to be water below us. It looked to be several thousand feet below us, and I thought I saw one of the highest other peaks above it, but there was going to be no way to tell for sure until morning. It was just too damn dark.
"Oh, THERE you are, thank God!" said a man's voice right behind me suddenly, rattling me loose from my thoughts, and making me grip the 38 in my hand tighter. As I went to turn around, I saw a flashlight spot on the ground, and he said "We were wondering whose car that..." The sight of the gun immediately silenced him, and in an instant on sizing him up, I quickly put the gun back in my pants. I saw no gun in his other hand.
What I saw appeared to be a guy in his mid 40's or so, with that look of a businessman. Or maybe a
teacher. But he was unraveled, sweaty, and had clearly just been through a lot. His daughter appeared to be in her late teens or early 20's. She was just staring at the two of us by the reflected light off the building from his flashlight. Putting the gun away appeared to ease the awkwardness of the moment.
"Is that your car down there in the parking lot?" I asked desperately. I wanted to know exactly how many people we were dealing with here.
"Well that depends on which one you are talking about," he answered. "Because I think there was another car in the parking lot when we got here. And we saw yours on the way up. I mean I assume that's yours right there?"
So they must have just gotten here right before the water I figured. I was still wondering where the people from the other car were. But I had more pressing matters.
"Yeah, that's mine.... Do you have any idea what just HAPPENED?" I asked with a pressing tone. "We tried the radio, calling from a cell, and all we heard were EBS tones...You know, the Emergency Broadcast System..."
"I might have an idea of what happened," he said in a very down voice, but with a tone that immediately commanded interest. Just from the way he said it, I knew he knew something. "And no, it's not good. Not good at all I think," he continued. "We are all very lucky to even be alive right now. And if it hadn't been for a last second phone call from a friend of mine in California, we wouldn't be here either." He put his head down and went silent, drowning in his own grief and further realizations.
California?" I questioned, with disbelief. "What does Cali..."
"It was his good friend Marty, that weird scientist guy he's talking about," his daughter interrupted with a trembling voice, and buckled over in fear. "My Dad's known him for years and... And well, they went to UCLA together. He was always talking about crazy 'end of the world' stuff."
Almost as if on cue, we heard a whoosh in the distance of water breaking against something, which brought a brooding silence upon the group. What I wanted to know was how far away. Everything was strange this high up. My sense of distance was distorted and I could feel it. The not knowing was killing me, if a heart attack didn't kill me first. Dying was not coming easy.
And then I realized I was getting cold. "It didn't seem quite as cold when she was hugging me for dear life a minute ago," I thought to myself. Another part of me immediately threw up a red, internal caution flag. I did have a jacket in the car I remembered. I had long ago figured that I'd need one if I ended up on a mountain in desperation- no matter what time of year. One motorcycle ride on the Parkway in fall had taught me that years ago in a most uncomfortable way. But that was the last time I was cold on a ride. I made damn sure of that.
"So what the hell are we supposed to do NOW?" my "friend" blurted out, almost mad sounding. "I have no clue who you people are, I just got kidnapped and then almost killed, and you people are telling me the world just ended?" ... So much for "friend" I figured, with a silent sigh.
And then all of a sudden the roar and shaking started lessening. It was still there, but it was less. Noticeably less. She looked up and noticed it too, obviously, from the inquisitive look on her face. Then within minutes, minutes which seemed like an eternity- it subsided still more. The slight breeze now carried that smell...The smell that lets you know the ocean is not too far.
"You guess it wasn't...what?" she wanted to know.
"I was going to say...I guess it wasn't enough," I mumbled.
"Well maybe it was!" she said with a slight detection of hope in her voice. And I could swear I saw a faint smile that tried to break through, but it was suppressed by the sheer magnitude and implications of what we were going through.
Then she quickly unclung just as quickly as she had clung, almost as if she couldn't believe she had gotten anywhere near that close to me. I made the mental note, but quickly focused back on our immediate situation.
There were other people there. He could be armed. It was dark now, and all we could see was distant, moonlit highlights of what appeared to be water below us. It looked to be several thousand feet below us, and I thought I saw one of the highest other peaks above it, but there was going to be no way to tell for sure until morning. It was just too damn dark.
"Oh, THERE you are, thank God!" said a man's voice right behind me suddenly, rattling me loose from my thoughts, and making me grip the 38 in my hand tighter. As I went to turn around, I saw a flashlight spot on the ground, and he said "We were wondering whose car that..." The sight of the gun immediately silenced him, and in an instant on sizing him up, I quickly put the gun back in my pants. I saw no gun in his other hand.
What I saw appeared to be a guy in his mid 40's or so, with that look of a businessman. Or maybe a
teacher. But he was unraveled, sweaty, and had clearly just been through a lot. His daughter appeared to be in her late teens or early 20's. She was just staring at the two of us by the reflected light off the building from his flashlight. Putting the gun away appeared to ease the awkwardness of the moment.
"Is that your car down there in the parking lot?" I asked desperately. I wanted to know exactly how many people we were dealing with here.
"Well that depends on which one you are talking about," he answered. "Because I think there was another car in the parking lot when we got here. And we saw yours on the way up. I mean I assume that's yours right there?"
So they must have just gotten here right before the water I figured. I was still wondering where the people from the other car were. But I had more pressing matters.
"Yeah, that's mine.... Do you have any idea what just HAPPENED?" I asked with a pressing tone. "We tried the radio, calling from a cell, and all we heard were EBS tones...You know, the Emergency Broadcast System..."
"I might have an idea of what happened," he said in a very down voice, but with a tone that immediately commanded interest. Just from the way he said it, I knew he knew something. "And no, it's not good. Not good at all I think," he continued. "We are all very lucky to even be alive right now. And if it hadn't been for a last second phone call from a friend of mine in California, we wouldn't be here either." He put his head down and went silent, drowning in his own grief and further realizations.
California?" I questioned, with disbelief. "What does Cali..."
"It was his good friend Marty, that weird scientist guy he's talking about," his daughter interrupted with a trembling voice, and buckled over in fear. "My Dad's known him for years and... And well, they went to UCLA together. He was always talking about crazy 'end of the world' stuff."
Almost as if on cue, we heard a whoosh in the distance of water breaking against something, which brought a brooding silence upon the group. What I wanted to know was how far away. Everything was strange this high up. My sense of distance was distorted and I could feel it. The not knowing was killing me, if a heart attack didn't kill me first. Dying was not coming easy.
And then I realized I was getting cold. "It didn't seem quite as cold when she was hugging me for dear life a minute ago," I thought to myself. Another part of me immediately threw up a red, internal caution flag. I did have a jacket in the car I remembered. I had long ago figured that I'd need one if I ended up on a mountain in desperation- no matter what time of year. One motorcycle ride on the Parkway in fall had taught me that years ago in a most uncomfortable way. But that was the last time I was cold on a ride. I made damn sure of that.
"So what the hell are we supposed to do NOW?" my "friend" blurted out, almost mad sounding. "I have no clue who you people are, I just got kidnapped and then almost killed, and you people are telling me the world just ended?" ... So much for "friend" I figured, with a silent sigh.
edit on
Thu Jan 17th 2013 by TrueAmerican because: (no reason given)
Part 6
"Well I'm Ben, and that's my daughter Terry" he said, offering up a reserved introduction. But again he went silent. I could tell his wheels were turning in an endless sea of deep thought, like he had much more important things to think about. He glanced up at us, briefly, with eyes asking our names.
"Well I don't even know this guy's name. He...He kidnapped me at gunpoint and brought me up here," she muttered lowly, in an accusatory but subdued tone, choking back tears. "But I guess...I guess he saved my life," she said- realizing it at the same time like another wake up slap in the face.
The awkwardness of not even knowing her name either at a time like this, after what we'd just been through, underscored the irony of the situation. I didn't even know what to say. But I gathered my thoughts. At least, I tried to.
"Well, it turned out to be the right thing to do I think, and my name is Brian," I replied regretfully. "I just wish it didn't have to be like that. I am really sorry," I said, begging, and looking at her dead straight in the eyes. The message was clearly received, and she knew I was meaning every ounce of it. She paused a while before she finally said "I'm... Janet...or just Jan if you want, I don't care," as she tried to muster a faint smile.
"We may not be out of the... Out of the water yet," Ben said, quickly realizing how almost insulting it was to be caught saying that at a time like this. And it completely diffused my awkward situation with Jan, bringing us all back again to grim reality. "I mean...What I mean is it might not be over. I don't know. I... I teach... Or well, I guess I did.... Teach geophysics at a local college, so I've got some ideas what might have happened, but I really don't know. Not yet."
"Daddy! What do you MEAN it might not be over," said Terry, shocked and disturbed. She echoed our sentiments with the question, as I looked at Jan, who was wide-eyed once again, looking at me desperate for answers. She took a step closer to me, stalled and reconsidered, unsure... But I quickly reached out a hand, and went to her. This was about humanity I thought. At least, that's what I told myself. Her warmth eased the cold, but not the pain in my shoulder. I needed pills. And I was betting she did too after that smack in the head. As if she read my mind, she broke out the bottle of them she still had in her shirt pocket and handed me two.
"Geophysics, huh?" I said, popping down the pills and making sure Jan took two. "Like what kind of geophysics?" And then it struck me...Geophysics! He used a broad term. This guy might know something about what I saw. He might know about earthquakes. Seismology. Stuff that I had been doing as a hobby for years.
Ben looked up with a morbid curiosity and said "Several kinds. I was teaching a seismology class, as
well as geology and other classes, and have interests in some other related things... Marty and I had
always tossed ideas around about theories, and..."
"Wow," I said with a subdued fascination- like when you meet someone you have great interests with- but tempered by the events at hand. "So you might know something about what I saw on my program that made me leave so fast. I've been into earthquakes and seismology for years. But only as a hobby...It's just that...Well, it was a serious kind of hobby, and frankly I was obsessed with real-time data... Which is why I was..."
His eyes got wider and wider and he stared at me in total attention, and the mind of a scientist quickly deduced how and why we managed to be where we were. He was way ahead of me. I could already tell.
"Which is why I happened to be watching a zillion stations all over the Pacific at the time this happened," I finished saying.
"So then you must have seen what Marty saw for him to call me like that in total panic," Ben surmised. "Well I'll be damned. He was always watching too- and I used to tell him he was nuts, to let it go and live a little." He paused in deep thought, his mind racing- and I knew there were about to be one million questions coming my way.
But before he could open his mouth, Jan interrupted. "Shh. What is THAT? Listen. I think it's something in the woods." And no sooner had she said it, Ben had his flashlight on a huge black bear staring at us from about 20 feet away- apparently just as startled by us as we were by it.
There was just no time. No time for anything. Several shrieking screams later and a whirlwind of feet dashing to the car was all that was heard at that moment, before I could even draw my gun. Faced with the prospect of firing a low caliber 38 at a bear that big, I didn't stick around either to find out. We all made it to my car and slammed the doors shut. But we had no idea where the bear was, or just how dangerously hungry it was either. And the back of my car was full of food.
"Well I'm Ben, and that's my daughter Terry" he said, offering up a reserved introduction. But again he went silent. I could tell his wheels were turning in an endless sea of deep thought, like he had much more important things to think about. He glanced up at us, briefly, with eyes asking our names.
"Well I don't even know this guy's name. He...He kidnapped me at gunpoint and brought me up here," she muttered lowly, in an accusatory but subdued tone, choking back tears. "But I guess...I guess he saved my life," she said- realizing it at the same time like another wake up slap in the face.
The awkwardness of not even knowing her name either at a time like this, after what we'd just been through, underscored the irony of the situation. I didn't even know what to say. But I gathered my thoughts. At least, I tried to.
"Well, it turned out to be the right thing to do I think, and my name is Brian," I replied regretfully. "I just wish it didn't have to be like that. I am really sorry," I said, begging, and looking at her dead straight in the eyes. The message was clearly received, and she knew I was meaning every ounce of it. She paused a while before she finally said "I'm... Janet...or just Jan if you want, I don't care," as she tried to muster a faint smile.
"We may not be out of the... Out of the water yet," Ben said, quickly realizing how almost insulting it was to be caught saying that at a time like this. And it completely diffused my awkward situation with Jan, bringing us all back again to grim reality. "I mean...What I mean is it might not be over. I don't know. I... I teach... Or well, I guess I did.... Teach geophysics at a local college, so I've got some ideas what might have happened, but I really don't know. Not yet."
"Daddy! What do you MEAN it might not be over," said Terry, shocked and disturbed. She echoed our sentiments with the question, as I looked at Jan, who was wide-eyed once again, looking at me desperate for answers. She took a step closer to me, stalled and reconsidered, unsure... But I quickly reached out a hand, and went to her. This was about humanity I thought. At least, that's what I told myself. Her warmth eased the cold, but not the pain in my shoulder. I needed pills. And I was betting she did too after that smack in the head. As if she read my mind, she broke out the bottle of them she still had in her shirt pocket and handed me two.
"Geophysics, huh?" I said, popping down the pills and making sure Jan took two. "Like what kind of geophysics?" And then it struck me...Geophysics! He used a broad term. This guy might know something about what I saw. He might know about earthquakes. Seismology. Stuff that I had been doing as a hobby for years.
Ben looked up with a morbid curiosity and said "Several kinds. I was teaching a seismology class, as
well as geology and other classes, and have interests in some other related things... Marty and I had
always tossed ideas around about theories, and..."
"Wow," I said with a subdued fascination- like when you meet someone you have great interests with- but tempered by the events at hand. "So you might know something about what I saw on my program that made me leave so fast. I've been into earthquakes and seismology for years. But only as a hobby...It's just that...Well, it was a serious kind of hobby, and frankly I was obsessed with real-time data... Which is why I was..."
His eyes got wider and wider and he stared at me in total attention, and the mind of a scientist quickly deduced how and why we managed to be where we were. He was way ahead of me. I could already tell.
"Which is why I happened to be watching a zillion stations all over the Pacific at the time this happened," I finished saying.
"So then you must have seen what Marty saw for him to call me like that in total panic," Ben surmised. "Well I'll be damned. He was always watching too- and I used to tell him he was nuts, to let it go and live a little." He paused in deep thought, his mind racing- and I knew there were about to be one million questions coming my way.
But before he could open his mouth, Jan interrupted. "Shh. What is THAT? Listen. I think it's something in the woods." And no sooner had she said it, Ben had his flashlight on a huge black bear staring at us from about 20 feet away- apparently just as startled by us as we were by it.
There was just no time. No time for anything. Several shrieking screams later and a whirlwind of feet dashing to the car was all that was heard at that moment, before I could even draw my gun. Faced with the prospect of firing a low caliber 38 at a bear that big, I didn't stick around either to find out. We all made it to my car and slammed the doors shut. But we had no idea where the bear was, or just how dangerously hungry it was either. And the back of my car was full of food.
Perfect way to start the day!
Coffee & The Chronicles.....Priceless!
Hmmm....wonder how long before Brian wishes he had a rifle?
Four hungry people.....dangerous bear! Fresh bear meat!
It is the Appalachians. Just sayin'!
WOQ
Coffee & The Chronicles.....Priceless!
Hmmm....wonder how long before Brian wishes he had a rifle?
Four hungry people.....dangerous bear! Fresh bear meat!
It is the Appalachians. Just sayin'!
WOQ
????????
What happened to the survivors?
Type faster!!!
Or is this going to be a weekly chronicle?
WOQ
What happened to the survivors?
Type faster!!!
Or is this going to be a weekly chronicle?
WOQ
Originally posted by wasobservingquietly
????????
What happened to the survivors?
Type faster!!!
Or is this going to be a weekly chronicle?
WOQ
The bear ate them all. The end.
reply to post by TrueAmerican
Noooooo. Seriously ........ no part7?
Noooooo. Seriously ........ no part7?
edit on 1/26/2013 by balanc3 because: (no reason given)
reply to post by balanc3
Well, not really enough interest, I think... It takes a pretty good while to write those. But I dunno, maybe. We'll see. Actually my original intent with this story, believe or not, was to really get into the aftermath of it all, and bring to light in simple form the human tendencies of modern man versus ancient man, to show just how far the human psyche has devolved, as well as evolved. But hadn't made it that far yet, of course, the most juicy part was still yet to come...
Well, not really enough interest, I think... It takes a pretty good while to write those. But I dunno, maybe. We'll see. Actually my original intent with this story, believe or not, was to really get into the aftermath of it all, and bring to light in simple form the human tendencies of modern man versus ancient man, to show just how far the human psyche has devolved, as well as evolved. But hadn't made it that far yet, of course, the most juicy part was still yet to come...
reply to post by TrueAmerican
I can tell by the quality of your writing that you put some serious time into it. I was looking forward to descriptions o of the aftermath. Or getting to the descriptions of the mechanics behind that mega quake..... And maybe some chemistry developing between the main character and his abductee... hoping to see "wow I felt the earth move baby" get used in there.
I can tell by the quality of your writing that you put some serious time into it. I was looking forward to descriptions o of the aftermath. Or getting to the descriptions of the mechanics behind that mega quake..... And maybe some chemistry developing between the main character and his abductee... hoping to see "wow I felt the earth move baby" get used in there.
Part 7
Jan had flown into the front passenger seat, and Ben and Terry heaped into the back. I kept thinking to myself "Well what the hell do we do now?" I had no idea what that bear was going to do, and I doubted my car could hold up to huge, prying claws and gnashing teeth. By now it was near pitch black. I started to turn on my headlights to try and see, but quickly realized that I better not. Any energy in the car battery could turn out to be crucial in our desperate situation. And I was not about to waste it. Not even to see a gnarly bear about to attack us.
"If I could make it to our car," Ben suggested- heart and breath pounding, "I do have a rifle."
Terry looked at him, still terrified and half surprised. "You have a gun?" she questioned, almost in shock.
"Yeah, I had it hidden in case of an emergency, and managed to put it in the car before I picked you up, along with a few other things. But I couldn't get much with so little time," Ben said, a little more calmly. "And I'd say this is an emergency." Terry gave him one of those "I'm going to damn well talk to you about this later looks," as I saw her face in the rear view mirror, just barely, by the reflection of Ben's flashlight. He kept shining it around outside through the tinted glass, to see if the bear was anywhere close.
The enormity and increasing bleakness of the circumstances were taking its toll on all of us, and I knew if we panicked someone might do something really stupid. "Just WAIT," I said desperately. "No one do anything yet! Let's think about this for a minute. A wrong move could be fatal. Let's just all CALM DOWN first, ok? For the moment I think we're safe..."
Silence ensued for a minute as they realized that wasn't such a bad idea. The panic was hard to contain, but our panting slowly subsided. "What if we drove back down the hill and over to your car to get your rifle," I suggested. "If we both fire at once, we might possibly kill it. But is killing it the right thing to do at this time? That bear might keep us alive for a while longer- but with no refrigeration, or any amount of salt to speak of, preserving the meat is a real issue. It might be better to let it live. But then it might kill one of us unexpectedly. On the other hand, if nothing else happens, we may never see it again- because there are still thousands of acres all around the mountain above the water- so maybe we should take the opportunity. And the gas, and the battery? Is that the best use of those resources to drive the car down the hill?"
"I think..." began Ben. But that was all he got out of his mouth. The car lurched forward and upward from a loud blow from behind. As Ben whipped around to shine the light out the rear window, Terry let out a deafening scream, as if she had just seen the devil. "Screw those resources!" I shouted- and cranked up the car, put it in gear, and floored it forward- turning back down the hill towards the parking lot. It was only a few hundred yards, and Ben motioned me towards what looked like to be a Porsche Cayenne. "That one, that one!" he pointed.
Looking out desperately for the bear with his flashlight, he quickly jumped in his car, and out he emerged with one mean looking rifle with a scope on it. No sooner had I made the hazy assessment by my car lights, a loud shot rang out, then another, and then another. Somehow he had managed to shine the light on the beast, which had already made its way down the hill after us, and shoot it. The thud of the bear as it hit the ground- we could feel in the car. For the moment the bear scare was over.
"I think I got it," he said, still somewhat panicked. "But...But we better get back up the hill- I still don't know that this is over yet. I am going to drive my car up there too." And with that he climbed into his car and we both drove back up the hill, as far as we could, passing a large dark heap sprawled out alongside the path, lit only for a moment by the headlights.
Smaller tremors had not stopped, and were almost continuous during all of the bear drama, making it truly a scene from the apocalypse. I don't know how much more we could take, and Ben's uncertainty was making this even worse. After all, he was the expert, and yet even he couldn't tell us what had happened- or what to expect next.
As we shut the cars off near the top, we all got out in the pitch black- now illuminated only slightly by dim, reflected moonlight trying to break through the highest clouds.
"Looks like it's going to be a long night," Jan lamented. "Yeah," concurred Terry. "We don't even have a place to sleep, or any sleeping bags, or nothing," she sobbed. "We can sleep in the cars," Ben said. They are both SUV's and the rear seats fold..."
Disaster just seemed to have a way of cutting Ben off, because as he tried to finish his sentence, another distinct roar arose in the distance, similar to before, but even more intense. It was coming, AGAIN.
Jan had flown into the front passenger seat, and Ben and Terry heaped into the back. I kept thinking to myself "Well what the hell do we do now?" I had no idea what that bear was going to do, and I doubted my car could hold up to huge, prying claws and gnashing teeth. By now it was near pitch black. I started to turn on my headlights to try and see, but quickly realized that I better not. Any energy in the car battery could turn out to be crucial in our desperate situation. And I was not about to waste it. Not even to see a gnarly bear about to attack us.
"If I could make it to our car," Ben suggested- heart and breath pounding, "I do have a rifle."
Terry looked at him, still terrified and half surprised. "You have a gun?" she questioned, almost in shock.
"Yeah, I had it hidden in case of an emergency, and managed to put it in the car before I picked you up, along with a few other things. But I couldn't get much with so little time," Ben said, a little more calmly. "And I'd say this is an emergency." Terry gave him one of those "I'm going to damn well talk to you about this later looks," as I saw her face in the rear view mirror, just barely, by the reflection of Ben's flashlight. He kept shining it around outside through the tinted glass, to see if the bear was anywhere close.
The enormity and increasing bleakness of the circumstances were taking its toll on all of us, and I knew if we panicked someone might do something really stupid. "Just WAIT," I said desperately. "No one do anything yet! Let's think about this for a minute. A wrong move could be fatal. Let's just all CALM DOWN first, ok? For the moment I think we're safe..."
Silence ensued for a minute as they realized that wasn't such a bad idea. The panic was hard to contain, but our panting slowly subsided. "What if we drove back down the hill and over to your car to get your rifle," I suggested. "If we both fire at once, we might possibly kill it. But is killing it the right thing to do at this time? That bear might keep us alive for a while longer- but with no refrigeration, or any amount of salt to speak of, preserving the meat is a real issue. It might be better to let it live. But then it might kill one of us unexpectedly. On the other hand, if nothing else happens, we may never see it again- because there are still thousands of acres all around the mountain above the water- so maybe we should take the opportunity. And the gas, and the battery? Is that the best use of those resources to drive the car down the hill?"
"I think..." began Ben. But that was all he got out of his mouth. The car lurched forward and upward from a loud blow from behind. As Ben whipped around to shine the light out the rear window, Terry let out a deafening scream, as if she had just seen the devil. "Screw those resources!" I shouted- and cranked up the car, put it in gear, and floored it forward- turning back down the hill towards the parking lot. It was only a few hundred yards, and Ben motioned me towards what looked like to be a Porsche Cayenne. "That one, that one!" he pointed.
Looking out desperately for the bear with his flashlight, he quickly jumped in his car, and out he emerged with one mean looking rifle with a scope on it. No sooner had I made the hazy assessment by my car lights, a loud shot rang out, then another, and then another. Somehow he had managed to shine the light on the beast, which had already made its way down the hill after us, and shoot it. The thud of the bear as it hit the ground- we could feel in the car. For the moment the bear scare was over.
"I think I got it," he said, still somewhat panicked. "But...But we better get back up the hill- I still don't know that this is over yet. I am going to drive my car up there too." And with that he climbed into his car and we both drove back up the hill, as far as we could, passing a large dark heap sprawled out alongside the path, lit only for a moment by the headlights.
Smaller tremors had not stopped, and were almost continuous during all of the bear drama, making it truly a scene from the apocalypse. I don't know how much more we could take, and Ben's uncertainty was making this even worse. After all, he was the expert, and yet even he couldn't tell us what had happened- or what to expect next.
As we shut the cars off near the top, we all got out in the pitch black- now illuminated only slightly by dim, reflected moonlight trying to break through the highest clouds.
"Looks like it's going to be a long night," Jan lamented. "Yeah," concurred Terry. "We don't even have a place to sleep, or any sleeping bags, or nothing," she sobbed. "We can sleep in the cars," Ben said. They are both SUV's and the rear seats fold..."
Disaster just seemed to have a way of cutting Ben off, because as he tried to finish his sentence, another distinct roar arose in the distance, similar to before, but even more intense. It was coming, AGAIN.
new topics
-
Well this is Awkward .....
Mainstream News: 4 hours ago -
Kurakhove officially falls. Russia takes control of major logistics hub city in the southeast.
World War Three: 5 hours ago -
Liberal Madness and the Constitution of the United States
US Political Madness: 11 hours ago
top topics
-
Well this is Awkward .....
Mainstream News: 4 hours ago, 15 flags -
Liberal Madness and the Constitution of the United States
US Political Madness: 11 hours ago, 10 flags -
Kurakhove officially falls. Russia takes control of major logistics hub city in the southeast.
World War Three: 5 hours ago, 8 flags
active topics
-
‘Something horrible’: Somerset pit reveals bronze age cannibalism
Ancient & Lost Civilizations • 29 • : BrucellaOrchitis -
New York Governor signs Climate Law that Fines Fossil Fuel Companies
US Political Madness • 26 • : Scratchpost -
Liberal Madness and the Constitution of the United States
US Political Madness • 11 • : charlest2 -
-@TH3WH17ERABB17- -Q- ---TIME TO SHOW THE WORLD--- -Part- --44--
Dissecting Disinformation • 3828 • : Thoughtful3 -
Trump says ownership of Greenland 'is an absolute necessity'
Other Current Events • 58 • : matafuchs -
NYPD arrests migrant who allegedly set woman on fire on subway train, watched her burn to death
Breaking Alternative News • 58 • : BernnieJGato -
Plane Crash Today --Azerbaijanian E190 passenger jet
Mainstream News • 46 • : Flyingclaydisk -
This is why ALL illegals who live in the US must go
Social Issues and Civil Unrest • 31 • : yuppa -
Mood Music Part VI
Music • 3768 • : Hellmutt -
Well this is Awkward .....
Mainstream News • 18 • : Myhandle