tall grass towards the fire. “ Keep quiet, we're not alone ”.
“ Is it those things on the TV? ” she was getting scared now and her voice was wavering.
“ No, but these guys might be just as dangerous if they find us ”.
Over the hill was a group of men that had pulled up in the early hours before the sun came up. I didn't know if it was worth risking getting their attention by hanging out too long . I headed back to the car to look for my gun.
Its possible they were just a group of hunters, not aware of what was going on and not out to looking for resources. Maybe it was too early for the apocalyptic human desperation scenario to begin playing out.
I couldn't risk it. I had supplies and a woman with me and if they wanted any of it, they might do anything to get it . I signaled to her to pack up. J ust as we finished getting the car loaded, a man walked over the hill and stopped. He was carrying a rifle and wearing military fatigues. My stomach sank, I had a gun but it was in the car and not loaded.
The man raised his arm and yelled “ Hi! Sorry if we woke you folks, were just starting out for the day and didn't know anyone was out here ”.
“ Thank god! ” I said out loud. T hese guys were just out for the weekend. “ No problem ” I yelled back “ We have been up for a while, just packing up and heading out. ”
I walked over to the man and shook his hand. I asked him how long they had been out here and the man said they had been camping for three days and were moving from site to site. After some consideration I decided to tell him what was happening and that if they were from an area that might not have been hit yet they should consider getting their families out.
I don't think he believed me and said something about Jesus looking over his family. We said our goodbyes and I walked back to the car.
“ That guy thinks I am crazy, but at least he's not dangerous. ” I said to Eve. “ I had to feel him out and see if he and his friends were going to be a problem ” .
I didn ’ t feel good though. I thought now that it was a bad idea that I had given a way so much information. These guys might be harmless, but the next group wouldn't be as the world started to unravel. We quickly got back in the car and drove back to the highway.
Getting back on the I5 heading north was a relief. Eve turned the radio on and searched for a station. T here weren ’ t many radio stations in range in this part of the valley. T hey were in Northern California now getting closer and closer to the Oregon border. As she pushed seek over and over all we heard was static. Eve switched to the AM band, and found a talk radio station reporting on some of the damage that had happened over the last days in the Los Angeles area but it sounded like old information. As the newscast played on, it began to repeat, and it was clear now that it was a recorded report that was playing over and over.
As we crossed over the Oregon border we passed the town of Rouge River and then entered i nto the city of Grants P ass. This was a moderate sized city that was fairly isolated from the outside with some travel distance to the nearest large city or airport. The chance of infection getting here this fast would be pretty low although inevitably it would be just a matter of time.
20 .
-Oasis-
The car crested a large hill and below us, spreading off into the distance, was the city of Grants Pass. I had visited here once when I was in the Navy. I had a friend that was from here and I joined him for a visit with his family one fourth of July weekend.
I liked it here, it was a neat little city that was big enough to have things like movie theaters and pizza parlors but still small enough to not be like Los Angeles . I scanned my eyes over what I could see of the town, intently looking for any sign of disruption.
There was still power and people were driving and walking
“ Is it those things on the TV? ” she was getting scared now and her voice was wavering.
“ No, but these guys might be just as dangerous if they find us ”.
Over the hill was a group of men that had pulled up in the early hours before the sun came up. I didn't know if it was worth risking getting their attention by hanging out too long . I headed back to the car to look for my gun.
Its possible they were just a group of hunters, not aware of what was going on and not out to looking for resources. Maybe it was too early for the apocalyptic human desperation scenario to begin playing out.
I couldn't risk it. I had supplies and a woman with me and if they wanted any of it, they might do anything to get it . I signaled to her to pack up. J ust as we finished getting the car loaded, a man walked over the hill and stopped. He was carrying a rifle and wearing military fatigues. My stomach sank, I had a gun but it was in the car and not loaded.
The man raised his arm and yelled “ Hi! Sorry if we woke you folks, were just starting out for the day and didn't know anyone was out here ”.
“ Thank god! ” I said out loud. T hese guys were just out for the weekend. “ No problem ” I yelled back “ We have been up for a while, just packing up and heading out. ”
I walked over to the man and shook his hand. I asked him how long they had been out here and the man said they had been camping for three days and were moving from site to site. After some consideration I decided to tell him what was happening and that if they were from an area that might not have been hit yet they should consider getting their families out.
I don't think he believed me and said something about Jesus looking over his family. We said our goodbyes and I walked back to the car.
“ That guy thinks I am crazy, but at least he's not dangerous. ” I said to Eve. “ I had to feel him out and see if he and his friends were going to be a problem ” .
I didn ’ t feel good though. I thought now that it was a bad idea that I had given a way so much information. These guys might be harmless, but the next group wouldn't be as the world started to unravel. We quickly got back in the car and drove back to the highway.
Getting back on the I5 heading north was a relief. Eve turned the radio on and searched for a station. T here weren ’ t many radio stations in range in this part of the valley. T hey were in Northern California now getting closer and closer to the Oregon border. As she pushed seek over and over all we heard was static. Eve switched to the AM band, and found a talk radio station reporting on some of the damage that had happened over the last days in the Los Angeles area but it sounded like old information. As the newscast played on, it began to repeat, and it was clear now that it was a recorded report that was playing over and over.
As we crossed over the Oregon border we passed the town of Rouge River and then entered i nto the city of Grants P ass. This was a moderate sized city that was fairly isolated from the outside with some travel distance to the nearest large city or airport. The chance of infection getting here this fast would be pretty low although inevitably it would be just a matter of time.
20 .
-Oasis-
The car crested a large hill and below us, spreading off into the distance, was the city of Grants Pass. I had visited here once when I was in the Navy. I had a friend that was from here and I joined him for a visit with his family one fourth of July weekend.
I liked it here, it was a neat little city that was big enough to have things like movie theaters and pizza parlors but still small enough to not be like Los Angeles . I scanned my eyes over what I could see of the town, intently looking for any sign of disruption.
There was still power and people were driving and walking
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