Chapter 20Shenandoah - Monday, July 30th to Thursday, August 2nd
The rain that had started the last evening continued off and on all through the night. In the morning the rain continued and it didn’t look like it was going to stop very soon.
The Party slowly started their day, everyone came into the shelter to cook or eat their breakfast. After an hour or two of taking their time, they decided that they needed to get moving up the trail. It wasn’t going to walk itself.
The cousins pulled out their brand-new Frog Toggs rain jackets and donned them before they headed out. The jackets were XLs, so they made both kids stand out in the crowd. Everyone else’s gear was starting to look tired. Everything had a dingy, dirty look, but all the gear was still working fine. That’s just what the trail does to gear.
They continued on, heading north through the park. The day before, they had only crossed Skyline Drive twice. Today they would cross it five times.
Each time they came to the road, Kitsune would scout ahead to check that the coast was clear. Each time he would report back that the road was empty, and no one was around. They would quickly and carefully cross the road and get back into the safety and concealment of the woods.
The plan was to hike another thirteen miles today. That mileage was an easy slog for the veteran hikers, but they were still figuring out how the cousins could handle the miles with the weight they were carrying. The kids seemed to have boundless energy and were still excited about hiking with the Party and the chance of finding and rescuing Joey’s mother and brother. They seemed to have no problem keeping up with the others.
Around lunch time, they came to Loft Mountain Campground. The trail circles around the campground and before it continues on, there is a short side trail to a general store. As they walked round the campground, they couldn’t see any trailers or RVs in any of the campsites. Just like everything else in the area, it was deserted.
They took the trail to the store to check it out. It seemed to be intact but was locked up tight. Each of the hikers tried to find a way in, but no one wanted to crowbar the door. No one had a crowbar anyway. They decided that they were all well enough supplied because of Daisy’s help and there was no need to break the door.
They did go to the picnic tables next to the store and made some lunch. The rain had stopped for now, so they dug out their food bags and ate some food.
Daisy was done eating and she picked up some of the trash that was generated by the meal and went to take it to a dumpster she had noticed on the other side of the building. She walked up to the bear-proof sliding door and went to open it. From the other side of the dumpster a bear came walking towards her.
Both Daisy and the bear started in surprise. Daisy yelled out, and she turned to look to where the others were. They were about fifty feet away. She looked back, and the bear was still there and was staring at her now. She slowly started backing up away from the bear, saying “Hey bear!”
The others heard her yell and started towards her. When the bear saw the others approaching, she turned and swiftly disappeared around the building’s corner.
Daisy spun around and ran back to the others. She jumped into Fic’s arms, shaking like a leaf in a heavy gale. She had experienced quite a scare. “I got ya, girl,” Fic said. “It was probably just looking for an easy meal. Not a lot of pic-a-nic baskets around with no tourists or campers.”
Daisy stepped back to the ground and looked back to where the bear had disappeared. “That was a big one,” she said with a shaky voice. “I think I peed myself a little.” Everyone laughed and also looked to where the bear had left the scene.
The Party packed up their food bags and headed back to the trail. The rise and fall of the path was pretty easy as the day continued on. They were up on the ridge and just riding its waves.
The sun was starting to head for the horizon when they took the trail that led to Blackrock Hut. They were in the park proper now and their crossing of the highway every few miles was now a routine they had perfected.
The Hut was down a short trail off of the ridge. The hikers did their usual step one and found a place to lay their heads for the night. Kitsune and Brown Shades found good trees to hang their hammocks, and Rodent Whisperer found a good flat spot right in front of the shelter for his tent.
The routine set in. Sleep set up, food decided on, some wood gathering so they could cook over a fire and save some fuel for their stoves. The large stone fireplace in front of the shelter was a camper’s dream. There was a good space to make an easy fire, a sturdy grate to place a pot and even a swinging arm with a hook on it where you could hang a pot at simmer.
They all decided to make another one of those special stews. Rodent Whisperer’s pot was the biggest, so they each found something to contribute to the pot and it all went together along with some water and once the fire had created some good coals, they gathered them together and put the pot on to cook.
The conversation around the table was about the bear and when they were going to see more. “Shenandoah has a lot of bears,” Fic said. “They are somewhat used to humans and know that where we go, possible food is available. The sad thing is when a bear does get fed, either intentionally or accidentally, they usually will be removed from the area or sadly, put down.” Fic preached. “It is probably a good thing that there aren’t any people around to throw their trash around. Healthier for the bear.”
The Everything Stew was once again deemed done and the hikers grabbed their spoons and scooped out a portion to eat. Everyone gave the concoction the thumbs up. Soon the pot was empty, and everyone’s belly was full. They cleaned up the dinner dishes and everyone gathered their food bags.
The shelter had a nice bear box nearby. It was a large metal rectangle, with two heavy doors. To open the doors, you had to reach your fingers inside a slot and push a lever. Everyone put their food in the box and Class Room latched the doors.
The fire started to die down as the forest grew dark.
Daisy and Joey sat around the fire. Both had poker sticks and they would fiddle with the fire to make it burn better or more efficiently. They would add a stick from time to time until there were no more in the pile.
They talked about the day’s hike. Comparing notes of what they saw that day and of course, about the bear. They looked and talked like they were out on an exciting camping trip, not trying to find their missing kin during a nuclear war and an overthrown government.
Fic sat on his sleeping bag, watching the cousins talk and poke the fire. He switched on his red headlamp and looked down to his AT Guide that he had found down in Georgia. The book looked like it had been through a lot. Tattered and torn. He felt a little tattered and torn himself. Thinking back at all he had been through since that June morning when he had kissed his wife goodbye and headed down to Georgia with his watch team. What had started out as survival training had turned into true survival overnight. Ever since the team had been awakened by the glowing death that was a bomb exploding over Atlanta. So much had happened. First losing his men from a mixture of rogue army imposters, and local residents afraid of their uniforms because of the rogue imposters. Some had died, and the rest were separated from Fic, who was Clayton then. Sargent First Class Clayton Collier. Squad leader of the watch team.
He had found the trail and lost his uniform. Gearing up in a torn-up outfitter store and meeting his first traveler. Gnobbit had been in the same store, also looking for gear and food. They teamed up and although they didn’t know it yet, The Party was born. Clayton sat for a minute thinking about Gnobbit and Finn. He wondered if they had managed to fit in down in Pearisburg. That town had been under control of the Flarmy too. He hoped they were alright.
As Clayton started hiking north towards his home and family, he became Fic. Fictilibus had been his trail name when he had hiked this very same trail as a young man. Going back to his trail name gave him the anonymity that he wanted and also felt right out in the woods.
Meeting the other travelers along the way who had become The Party. Each trying to get somewhere and using the trail to get there. The Party grew and became interdependent. They would hike together and sleep together. Gather food together and laugh together. There was Brown Shades, who they met in Georgia, an older man who wore light sensitive glasses that turned brown in the light. He was like a wise wizard. Doing little tricks with the fire and carrying a large walking staff. Brown Shades’ goal was to get back to PA where he lived. Next they met Class Room at the Fontana Lodge before entering the Smokies. She was being held prisoner by some group that had taken over the Fontana Lodge. Fic and Brown Shades helped rescue her after Gnobbit, who had eluded capture, freed them from their bondage. Class Room was trying to get back to New Jersey, where she was from. She carried a ukelele and was the Bard of the group. The Party met Rodent Whisperer shortly after leaving the Smokies. He was from Scotland and was planning on walking as much of the trail as he could when the bombs fell. He joined up with The Party and would stay with them for all the adventures as he was pretty much trapped in the country. They found Finn outside Erwin, TN. He had been pretty much living on the trail, traveling about and practicing his bush craft. He was tall and Elven looking. He carried a bow that he had made. He easily joined the Party and eventually fell for Gnobbit. The last hiker to join the party before the cousins was Kitsune. He was added to the party not too far down the trail. He was still a bit of a mystery, but was quiet, smart and respectful.
Trouble came from time to time. The more they found out about what had happened, the more they worried that shit wasn’t right. Eventually they learned that a man named Richard Flaherty, who had been causing trouble in the Country with his weird quest for leadership, had executed some kind of a coup and he had taken over the government and infiltrated the armed forces. The traitors were the ones that had killed his lieutenant and corporal at the beginning of the war.
As they moved north, they kept finding trouble and would have to figure out how to get away from it. So far, they had been successful. They had found or made some weapons along the way and now they moved not like hikers, but as an armed squad. Some of their weapons are crude, like a staff and small hatchet, but they also have a couple of weapons like Fic’s shotgun, Classroom’s 9mm pistol and now the kid’s shotgun and revolver. Kitsune carried a small Katana that he was handy with.
Two of The Party have already found their families and left the group. Gnobbit, who lived in Pearisburg, VA. The Party had helped her find her mother and that town too was going through some forced labor issues, just like in Waynesboro, but she had decided to stay with her family. Finn had developed a relationship with Gnobbit, so he decided to stay with her and help out for the time being. He really didn’t have anywhere else to go.
Adding the two young cousins to the Party made it the largest it has been. They added a spark to the group that he didn’t realize had been missing. They made everyone smile and forget all the hardships they had endured as they made their way north. Being captured and pursued numerous times. Helping people that were in trouble along the way. Taking a rogue soldier prisoner for a couple days, releasing him, then having to kill him when he followed them and attacked Class Room. It had been a hard trip. Fic was surprised that none of this group had met their end during their adventures.
The trail was their conduit to home, but even though it was over 2000 miles long, it was only four foot wide and if someone wanted to find you, they could. The Party became very good at scouting a road crossing for danger before rushing across and back into the woods. So far, they had always managed to elude the pursuit, knock wood.
For now, it seemed that they also had moved out of the range of the people who were trying to catch them in southern Virginia. This area seemed to be devoid of people. They were getting close to his destination. First Fic would find his family, after he made sure they were ok. Next he would figure out what was going on in Mount Weather. He knew all the ins and outs of the secret base, and maybe his key card still would let him in. Who knows.
Fic looked up at the cousins at the fire. They had stirred all of the coals into a slowly smoking trickle and were coming into the shelter to get into their sleeping bags.
He put the guide into the pocket of his pack and slipped into his bag too.
The night sounds took over the forest as The Party spent one more night as outsiders in the woods of the Appalachian Trail.
During the night, Fic was awakened by the sounds of snuffling and something checking around the bear-proof storage box. He quickly flashed his headlamp at the box and there were two large eyes glowing back at him. Behind the two large eyes were four small ones. A mamma and here two babies were looking for our goodies. After a quick second or two, the eyes blinked out and the bears scrambled away. Fic was thankful that they had that box. Fighting the rogue army and unfriendly townspeople was one thing, competing with nature in this way would be a hard setback.
Morning came and the camp stirred. Soon the hikers were moving about, reluctant to stir from their warm wrappings as yesterday’s hot, muggy day had turned into a slight cold snap and warm puffy jackets became the uniform of the day. At least for the time being.
Joey stoked up a small fire and everyone huddled around for a while. Feeding it little sticks to keep the blaze going, but not making too much of a fire.
Soon, everyone was packed and ready to put in the day’s work. Fic was last to leave the hut area and he turned to make sure no one had left any gear behind.
Fic turned to the trail and felt a crisp breeze on his face. Today may be a good day to hike. Not too hot but cool enough to keep your sweat drying quickly.
The miles moved by rather quickly at first on this day. The day finally warmed up some, but it looked like more rain was on the way. Along with the cooler temperatures, it might be a little more challenging than it had been lately.
After a quick cold lunch at one of the road crossings, the rain started to fall once again, just as they started back up the trail. The Party moved along in silence, letting the rain do the talking as they just kept slogging along the trail. The rain grew heavier, and the trail became a small stream from time to time, and all the hikers became soaked to the bone. Rain gear is nice, but nothing is truly waterproof, at least nothing that wants to breathe. Since they had kept moving to keep warm during the day, they completed the thirteen give or take miles at around 1500.
Everyone but Kitsune wanted to just set up in the pretty large shelter and they set about putting down their pads and bags and getting out of their soaking wet clothes and into something dry.
Everyone just stayed in their bags. Sitting up with the bag wrapped around their legs and up to their waists. They ate a simple meal, each making something quick and warm to get the fuel they will need for the next day’s hike and to warm them up now.
The kids had done really well again today, even with the adverse weather. Fic thought they might try a little longer day tomorrow. There was a small campground a little under 20 miles up the trail and the next hut is just a little further on. They will see how the day goes and keep their options open.
No one even tried to make a fire on this soggy night. The wood was all wet, and no one wanted to step out of their down quilts, to try to coax a flame from the wet wood.
Darkness came to the shelter and the hikers slept.
Morning dawned bright and warm. It is amazing how the weather changes up on the mountain. Everyone was in a much better mood and after a quick breakfast, they were ready to go. The trail still had a lot of puddles and water was still flowing down the trail in some places, but as the day wore on and the rain from the last two days was burned back into steam, the hikers kept moving.
This day had a steep climb, and everyone was glad for the workout and soaking wet at the top. This time from sweat and not from the heavy rain of yesterday. They ate lunch at a small picnic area next to the road. As they were sitting there with all their gear spread out around their packs when they heard a vehicle coming along the twisty road. Everyone quickly grabbed any gear that was around them and they all headed into the cover of the forest, which was only about twenty feet away.
Fic sat at the edge of the forest and watched the road. The sound of what sounded like a truck kept flowing up the road but nothing came into view for what seemed like ten minutes, but was more likely only one. Finally, a dusty blue pickup truck, at least twenty years old turned one of the twists in the road and came lumbering by. Shifting through the few gears it had as it climbed up the incline of the road.
The truck passed the picnic area and continued on. Moving out of sight as it rounded another bend in the road.
“It looked like an older gentleman was driving the truck,” said Fic. “He had a long white beard and wore a large cowboy hat.”
After that small bit of excitement, everyone put their gear back properly in their packs and they all moved on. They still had about five miles to go. They had made good time in the morning and lunch was a little late because everyone was feeling good and wanted to keep walking.
The Party arrived at the small campground as the sun was starting to head towards the horizon. They picked a campsite along the edge of the campground and set up. Everyone had to use their tents and hammocks at this site, since there was no shelter. Rodent Whisperer decided to cowboy camp as the day had been fresh and warm and it looked like the good weather was going to continue throughout the night.
They ate a meal and were sitting around a small fire as darkness fell in the quiet camp. Suddenly, they heard an owl hoot. Right after it was answered by another hoot from a few trees over. The Party sat in wonder as a large family of owls came flying into the trees of the campground and called to each other as if they were planning the coming night’s hunt. From what Fic could see, it looked like the parents were teaching their brood how to go about it.
Eventually the owl family moved back into the nearby woods and their calls faded from the campground.
While Class Room slept in her tent, and Kitsune and Brown Shades hung in their hammocks, the rest of the hikers decided to sleep like cowboys around the sites fire ring with Rodent Whisper. The cousins were sharing a two-man tent that they found in the outfitters, Joey carrying the tent and fly and Daisy carrying the poles and stakes. They hadn’t erected it yet and were ok with letting it go for next time after the long day of hiking.
They fanned out around the fire and settled into their bags, talking softly around the fire. Daisy and Joey had done very good today. Keeping pace with the others and not showing any fatigue other than the normal stiffness after a break. They were adjusting to being on the trail and walking all day long very well. Young people are resilient and adapt quickly to challenging situations. These two were no exception. They were proud of their almost twenty mile day.
“I can’t believe we hiked that far today,” said Daisy. “Before today, I had never walked more than a few miles at a time. Now we have hiked almost 50 miles in the last three days,” she added.
Joey nodded his agreement as he massaged his calf muscles and his feet. “I still don’t have any blisters,” he bragged as Daisy was working on one that had developed on her little toe. She looked up at him and stuck out her tongue as he smiled back.
The fire reduced itself to ashes and the darkness became complete on the top of the mountains of Shenandoah. Each of the hikers hunkered down in their bags and as one of the owls hooted it question one last time, the only answer was soft snores.
Morning came and the cowboys were still mostly dry. A good dew was coating the grass around them, and they all had a little coating of wetness on their bags.
The camp came awake, and everyone was up and moving about as light returned to this side of the planet. Everyone was sitting around their table drinking coffee or snacking on a honeybun or crumbled pop tart, when they heard the pickup’s groaning engine come into range again. The all froze as the vehicle got closer to the campsite. They were all hoping that it would pass the campground and continue along the road, but to their horror, it turned into the camp and pulled up alongside the office building that was close to the road.
Fic looked at the others and saw their alarm. He told Brown Shades to come with him as he went to meet the guy and for the others to start packing up. He had a strong feeling that the man was harmless and could possibly be helpful. The two tweens started gathering their gear and packing up their packs, while the two adults went to strike Class Room’s tent and pack their gear. Fic realized that Kitsune wasn’t present. He had been up with them earlier, but he hadn’t seen him walk off anywhere.
He motioned to Brown Shades, and they started walking to the pickup truck. They had left the shotgun and the staff back at the campsite, but as he walked along the campground road, he saw Kitsune up at the edge of the forest. He waved to Fic and motioned with his hands that he would circle around the edge and keep an eye on them. Fic nodded his head and kept walking. Telling Brown Shades softly, what he had just seen.
They approached the pickup truck. The man, the same one Fic had seen the day before, was looking into the bed of his truck and moving stuff around in there and didn’t even notice they were there.
“Hello good sir,” Brown Shades said to let the guy know they had arrived.
“Aaah!” The man yelled as he appeared to jump a little out of his skin. “Where the hell did you guys come from?” He asked, looking a little frightened and mad at the same time.
“We are traveling the Appalachian Trail, heading north. We spent the night in this fine campground. Are you the caretaker here?” Brown Shades made an educated guess.
“I am,” the old man answered. “Though there’s just me here. No campers. Except for you two of course. I just went down the mountain yesterday to get some supplies. I was able to find some and after what I saw, I knew I just needed to get back up here. There is some bad stuff going on down in the valley.
The man was somewhere north of 70 it appeared, and his long grey beard was stained around his mustache from an abundant use of tobacco. Under his cowboy hat, his dark gray hair fell to his shoulders. The wrinkles on his face were deep and many and you could tell that that face had been exposed to a lot of wind and sun. His eyes were a deep, dark blue. From a few feet away, the pupils blended in with the dark iris making them look larger.
The man reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboros. He tapped a smoke out grabbed it with his lips and offered his pack to the two men. The hikers declined the offer, and he lit up, took a long pull and let it out.
“I’m gonna have to quit these coffin nails soon, since not too many seem to be around anymore. In Virginia no less.” He noticed the men watching him and introduced himself.
“I’m Monty,” he said reaching out his hand to two men.
“Fic,” said Fic. Shaking the man’s hand.
“I’m Brown Shades,” said Brown Shades. Taking Monty’s hand for his own shake.
“So y’all say you are hiking?” Monty asked. “Where’s your gear?”
“There are actually seven of us,” Fic replied. “Our friends are over in one of the sites near the trail. We had a long day and came to the campground near dusk, so we decided to bed down here. Do you need us to pay for the night?”
“Na, that’s not necessary,” Monty replied. “If you help me unload my truck, I’ll consider us even,” he added with a twinkle in his dark eyes.
The two men commenced to move several boxes from the bed of the truck to the small office. Placing the load in a back room behind the main counter.
“Do you guys have enough food?” Monty asked. “This load will last me a while, but if you are in need, I can spare some.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” replied Fic. “We got a good resupply in Waynesboro, and I think it will get us through the park. Hopefully after that, we can find some more. It’s getting pretty scarce near the trail and all the people seem to be gone from the area.”
“Yeah, I noticed that too. I been up here since about a month before the bombs fell. I was planning on working the whole summer up here. After the war happened, a lot of people came through at first, trying to get somewhere else. Some stayed a night or two, others just moved on. Eventually less and less people would come through and then I haven’t seen anyone for about two weeks now, except you two.”
“Do you want to meet the rest of our Party?” Brown Shades asked.
“Sure,” replied Monty.
As they turned to head to the campsite, a cardinal flew past them and circled around. After a few times around, it flew off back the way it had come.
The three men arrived back at the camp where the others were packing up. Brown Shades introduced Monty to the Party and introductions circled the group.
“You guys are quite a group,” Monty said. “I see you have means to protect yourself,” eyeing the weapons that each of the hikers carried.
Kitsune arrived back at the group, and he too was introduced. Everyone talked for a while and answered Monty’s questions as he talked to each hiker.
“Your adventures have been outstanding,” Monty said. “And here I am, hiding away up on the mountain. I feel I need to be here though. How many shells you got for those shotguns?” He asked Fic.
“Not too many,” Fic replied. I had about six double ought buck, and Joey brought along five of his own shells, so eleven.”
“I think I can help you out a little,” Monty said. “Wait here.” The old man scampered off to his office and came back a few minutes later with a box of 25 double ought buck shells. “Here you go,” he said handing the box to Fic. “I have several boxes for my old Remington, but I can easily spare one box. You guys are heading into danger I’m pretty sure. On my last re-supply, I headed north and had to turn back when a group of men had a blockade near the park entrance on the road that heads into Luray. They all had weapons and most of them were pointed at me. I quickly made a U-turn and got out of there, but I heard a few shots as I took off. You need to be careful when you get up that way. They may still be there.”
“Thanks for the shells, we can definitely use them,” Fic said. “A shotgun is pretty useless once you run out of ammo.”
The hikers talked with Monty for a while until everyone was ready to go, and then they said goodbye to Monty and headed back to the trail.
The day was very pleasant. The sun would come out from behind a large cloud and shine through the forest for a few minutes, then go back behind another cloud, making the forest a few shades darker for the next few minutes. This kept the temperature at a somewhat comfortable level, but everyone was still sweating when they came to the turnoff for the Big Meadows Wayside. Even though they could stretch their food for several more days, it was worth the short walk to see if anything could be found at the wayside.
The side trail lead down to Skyline Drive and they carefully walked along it for a few hundred meters before coming to the buildings of the wayside. There was a small two pump gas station in front of the restaurant/store. Unlike the camp store they had seen at Loft Mountain, this one had been breached and the doors were hanging open.
The Party entered the building and started searching. A few things were found and stuffed in someone's food bag, but the place had been pretty much picked over.
Daisy let out a happy yell and came out of the kitchen with a large can of blackberries. They opened the can right there and everyone spooned out a portion as the can was passed around.
“Yum,” was all Daisy could say.
Class Room went back into the kitchen and after some intensive searching, she found some canned meat and a few other things that would make a decent meal. She decided to cook it up right there so everyone relaxed around some tables, eating some of the concoction, or taking a nap on the grass. The atmosphere became fun, and everyone was laughing and telling jokes. It was as if they just wanted a short break from all the stress of trying to walk north while evading an enemy that wanted bad things for them.
Fic watched the group talking by the tables. He wandered away from the group and walked around the building. He saw another building through some trees, and he headed over to check it out. He came to a large low building that was the Shenandoah Visitors Center. There was a large statue of a CCC man outside the building. He looked in the glass doors and could see some exhibits and other displays inside. The doors were firmly locked, so he just looked around for a while then headed back to the Party.
They hung out for about two hours before they realized that they should get some more hours in. Since yesterday had been a long hard day, they had decided to only go a little over twelve miles today. Eventually everyone was packed up again and they headed back up the blue blazed trail and in five minutes were back on the Appalachian Trail.
The last four miles seemed to breeze by and once again they found themselves rolling into camp with the day almost done, but still enough daylight left to get set up and make some dinner.
About fifty meters away from the shelter was a cabin that was maintained by the local hiking club. Kitsune had gone down to check it out and he reported back that the cabin was unlocked.
The Party all went down to check it out and were impressed by the rustic old building that had four walls and a wood stove, but that was about it.
“I want to sleep here tonight,” Daisy said, with Joey nodding his desire too.
“I’m sure we can bunk down here for the night. I’ll sleep down here with you two, if that is cool,” he said.
“Perfectly cool,” replied Daisy. Joey nodded once again.
Brown Shades and Class Room decided to also stay in the cabin, but Fic, and Rodent Whisperer opted to stay up in the shelter. The night was still going to be warm, so they were hoping for a breeze to help keep them a little cooler than a four walled building. Kitsune of course already had his hammock set up on two trees just behind the shelter.
Everyone set up their bedrolls in the place they had chosen, and they sat around the table and each prepared small meal for dinner as they were all still full from the blackberries and food concoction that they had eaten at the wayside.
Fic had started a small fire and they all sat around, watching hiker tv. Class Room walked back down to her pack in the cabin and came back with a bag of marshmallows she had found in the wayside and had kept secret until now. Everyone got excited at the prospect of catching a white puffy tube of sugar on fire and then eating it, trying to not burn their lips on the liquified sweetness. She had also brough Yuk up with her and she serenaded the group as they enjoyed their treat.
Afterwards, each of the hikers went to their beds, happy and satisfied with their usually constant hunger sated for once.
Fic sat once again looking out into the forest, wondering how his wife and children were doing. Hoping they were ok and knowing that he was getting closer and closer every day. They didn’t have a lot of miles to go, but if he rushed off now, he would feel that he would be betraying his Tramily. They had become very close to him as he had made his way north. Without them, he wouldn’t have made it this far, he was sure.
Fic fell asleep quickly. He was dreaming, he could tell, but was powerless to control the way it progressed.
He was in his kitchen at home, but it didn’t have the usual decor. It all looked more rustic. His wife, Lori and two grown kids were sitting at the table talking. He could see their lips moving, but not understand or even hear what they were saying. He tried to talk to them, but when he looked at his hands, he could see through them to the kitchen floor. He was transparent. Ghostlike.
The threesome talked for a bit, Fic still not understanding what they were saying, then they stood and moved towards the door. Both his kids were suddenly wearing shiny armor. They placed metal helmets on their heads and picked up two long swords, sliding them into long sheaths. As they left the kitchen, lightning flashed, followed immediately with a long crash of thunder that Fic could hear and feel.
As they walked across the farmyard, the sky grew dark and ominous. Suddenly a large grotesque man came riding up their driveway on a horse wearing a full set of black armor. He had a large spear in his right hand and his horse’s breath was steaming out of its nostrils. Of course, an evil laugh came from this black knight's helmet and he pointed at his daughter. “You will be mine,” the man said, pointing at Britney, and Fic could almost smell the foul odor of his breath.
His two children drew their swords and ran towards the black knight. The knight hefted his spear and threw it towards his two children. Just as it was about to hit his son, Shane, he woke with a start.
Fic was pretty sure he had called out in his sleep, but when he looked over at Rodent Whisperer, he slept undisturbed.
Fic rolled over, wiping a sheen of sweat that had peppered his brow. Shaking his head at the weird dream. “Just a dream,” he said softly to himself as he faded once again back into an uneasy sleep.