Monday, September 7, 2009
All Is Forgiven
I recently posted that my wife had been hiding her donut making skills from me. Well this morning she made me donuts. I have lost track of how many of those little pastries I have eaten. I keep telling myself I don't need anymore, even as I am reaching for another one now.
Dead Land Journal August 24th 2027
According to the birth certificate I found today is Dee's birthday. Despite Kathy's protests, I think I feel well enough to go through with my plans. Kathy did volunteer to make the cake though. Dee is about the only person she gets along with. She really wants to help make this birthday special for her, so I guess that earns some points with me.
I'm a little worried about Emily. She whimpers whenever anyone but me comes close to her, especially Dee. Dee can play a little rough with her but Emily is so tolerant of her but I think she is afraid that Dee is going to get too rough with her.
I am leaving Dee in the RV while I go find her Birthday present. Once I am done with breakfast I will be heading out. I saw a Toys R Us when we pulled into town. Dee has been wanting a doll house and I am going to get her the best one I can find with all the accessories. Money is no object.
August 24th 2027 again.
Found the perfect dollhouse. It has all kinds of cool little things, cabinets, drawers, doors furniture and electric system. It even talks and has sound effects. One of the best things about it is that it folds up so we won't be tripping over it all the time. I picked up half a shopping cart full of furniture and dolls for it. I even found a "big screen" TV and entertainment system for it. The screen is about 7 inches wide, which I think translates to 6 feet judging by the scale of the doll house. It even comes with a remote control and a multimedia memory card slot. There was no way I could carry it in my current condition so I just walked out pushing the cart through the lot.
On the way back to the Uni I saw a plume of smoke in the distance. It was to the north but too distant to check out now, but I will drive that way tomorrow and check it out. Besides I want to get home for Dee's birthday.
Dee had a blast today. Katherine was surprised to find that she has a talent for cake decorating. It doesn't hurt that she found a professional cake decorating kit. Dee loved the cake, and she played with the dollhouse all afternoon. We took her to a McDonald's after supper so she could play in the tubes at the indoor playgound. Katherine went through first gathering all the empty clothes from the tubes. I was about to, but Katherine not allow it. She was right of course. I probably would have made it about halfway through, if that far before reopening the wound and then Katherine would have had to drag me out.
Dee played for a while, but I think she would have had more fun with other children. She is a very social child.
The only fly in the ointment was that Dee seems to be coming down with something. She got real cranky at McDs and we had to call it a day. She felt feverish when I was strapping her into the car seat so I had Kathy check her out. She thinks it's just a cold, but she looks worried.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
I'm a little worried about Emily. She whimpers whenever anyone but me comes close to her, especially Dee. Dee can play a little rough with her but Emily is so tolerant of her but I think she is afraid that Dee is going to get too rough with her.
I am leaving Dee in the RV while I go find her Birthday present. Once I am done with breakfast I will be heading out. I saw a Toys R Us when we pulled into town. Dee has been wanting a doll house and I am going to get her the best one I can find with all the accessories. Money is no object.
August 24th 2027 again.
Found the perfect dollhouse. It has all kinds of cool little things, cabinets, drawers, doors furniture and electric system. It even talks and has sound effects. One of the best things about it is that it folds up so we won't be tripping over it all the time. I picked up half a shopping cart full of furniture and dolls for it. I even found a "big screen" TV and entertainment system for it. The screen is about 7 inches wide, which I think translates to 6 feet judging by the scale of the doll house. It even comes with a remote control and a multimedia memory card slot. There was no way I could carry it in my current condition so I just walked out pushing the cart through the lot.
On the way back to the Uni I saw a plume of smoke in the distance. It was to the north but too distant to check out now, but I will drive that way tomorrow and check it out. Besides I want to get home for Dee's birthday.
Dee had a blast today. Katherine was surprised to find that she has a talent for cake decorating. It doesn't hurt that she found a professional cake decorating kit. Dee loved the cake, and she played with the dollhouse all afternoon. We took her to a McDonald's after supper so she could play in the tubes at the indoor playgound. Katherine went through first gathering all the empty clothes from the tubes. I was about to, but Katherine not allow it. She was right of course. I probably would have made it about halfway through, if that far before reopening the wound and then Katherine would have had to drag me out.
Dee played for a while, but I think she would have had more fun with other children. She is a very social child.
The only fly in the ointment was that Dee seems to be coming down with something. She got real cranky at McDs and we had to call it a day. She felt feverish when I was strapping her into the car seat so I had Kathy check her out. She thinks it's just a cold, but she looks worried.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
Friday, September 4, 2009
You Never Really Know People
I just found out my wife can make donuts. She just mentioned that she was in the mood to make donuts. I was astounded, My Wife Can Make Donuts! So I was just staring at her. She said "What, you're looking at me like I've never made donuts for you before.
In 20 years of marriage she has never made me donuts. Never even indicated that it was even an option. TWENTY YEARS. No Donuts.
We had been married 16 years before either of us knew the other liked Cheese-Whiz. Disgusting stuff really. But I admit that I love the stuff.
I have to wonder what else she is keeping from me.
Right now she is laughing at me and insisting that she is not hiding things from me.
But all I know is that for 16 years I walked by the Cheese-Whiz in the grocery store, assuming that she hated the stuff and trying to be considerate. And if I wanted donuts that involved a trip to the bakery. Maybe I will just forget how to grill steak for the next 20 years.
Oh hell, who am I kidding. I'll grill up a steak for her anytime she is willing to make donuts for me.
In 20 years of marriage she has never made me donuts. Never even indicated that it was even an option. TWENTY YEARS. No Donuts.
We had been married 16 years before either of us knew the other liked Cheese-Whiz. Disgusting stuff really. But I admit that I love the stuff.
I have to wonder what else she is keeping from me.
Right now she is laughing at me and insisting that she is not hiding things from me.
But all I know is that for 16 years I walked by the Cheese-Whiz in the grocery store, assuming that she hated the stuff and trying to be considerate. And if I wanted donuts that involved a trip to the bakery. Maybe I will just forget how to grill steak for the next 20 years.
Oh hell, who am I kidding. I'll grill up a steak for her anytime she is willing to make donuts for me.
Rainy Days and Car Fires
I should be outside working on the van, or mowing the lawn. But it's raining outside. It always rains when I plan to mow. It's so reliable I should advertise my services as a Rainmaker. I cannot announce plans to get the mower out and mow. Does not matter if we have been in longest drought in 15 years, if I say the words "mow the lawn" clouds will gather and a torrential downpour will ensue. I remember once I made the announcement that I was going to mow the lawn and out of a clear blue sky thunder rumbled. I stayed away from the garage all day and it never rained. But I knew that before I even got the garage door up, hail would have been falling from the sky. So I have to keep my plans to myself and sneak up on it. Even then it sometimes does not work and it will start raining before I am done.
Right now my van is broke down (again, insert heavy sigh here). I will probably go out and work on it. I can replace the spark plugs without getting wet. Will have to extract the spark plug socket from the engine first. Stupid thing wouldn't let it go yesterday. I had to stop at that point, or I would have put a wrench through the windshield. If the van were insured I would have probably set it on fire. Actually probably not. Car fires stink. I have lost a vehicle to fire, not once, but twice. The first time it was a 1977 Ford Truck in real nice shape. I went into the hardware store to get a sliding bolt for the back door at home. When I came out I saw a pillar of smoke in the parking lot. My eyes followed the smoke down to the source and you guessed it, my truck.
A few years later I was cleaning out our van, a 1990 Chevy Lumina APV. I went inside to answer the phone. Of course it was a phone solicitor. When I got back there was smoke coming out of the van. I ran inside to get the fire extinguisher in the basement. Tripped and fell down the stairs on the way. Ran back upstairs, not as fast as I came down though, and out to the van. I aimed the fire extinguisher at the flames that were by that time pouring out the open sliding door. Pulled the trigger and nothing happened. Of course I called 911, but by the time they got there it was too late. They asked me if I was alright and to tell them what happened. Of course I had to complain about the stupid fire extinguisher. And to complete the comedic effect of the whole scene the fire extinguisher worked perfectly when I was demonstrating it. All over the fireman's boots. Some of them were still laughing as their truck left. The neighborhood smelled like smoke for about a week after the insurance company finally came out and inspected the van.
Right now my van is broke down (again, insert heavy sigh here). I will probably go out and work on it. I can replace the spark plugs without getting wet. Will have to extract the spark plug socket from the engine first. Stupid thing wouldn't let it go yesterday. I had to stop at that point, or I would have put a wrench through the windshield. If the van were insured I would have probably set it on fire. Actually probably not. Car fires stink. I have lost a vehicle to fire, not once, but twice. The first time it was a 1977 Ford Truck in real nice shape. I went into the hardware store to get a sliding bolt for the back door at home. When I came out I saw a pillar of smoke in the parking lot. My eyes followed the smoke down to the source and you guessed it, my truck.
A few years later I was cleaning out our van, a 1990 Chevy Lumina APV. I went inside to answer the phone. Of course it was a phone solicitor. When I got back there was smoke coming out of the van. I ran inside to get the fire extinguisher in the basement. Tripped and fell down the stairs on the way. Ran back upstairs, not as fast as I came down though, and out to the van. I aimed the fire extinguisher at the flames that were by that time pouring out the open sliding door. Pulled the trigger and nothing happened. Of course I called 911, but by the time they got there it was too late. They asked me if I was alright and to tell them what happened. Of course I had to complain about the stupid fire extinguisher. And to complete the comedic effect of the whole scene the fire extinguisher worked perfectly when I was demonstrating it. All over the fireman's boots. Some of them were still laughing as their truck left. The neighborhood smelled like smoke for about a week after the insurance company finally came out and inspected the van.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Dead Land Journal August 21st? 2027
Woke up this morning with a pounding sinus headache, but Lisa already had the coffee brewing. She's always been a morning person. I washed a couple of Excedrin down with half a cup of coffee. Lisa even put some hot cocoa mix in it, just the way I like it when I have a headache. With my headache already fading after half an hour I looked up to watch Lisa as she fixed breakfast. I set down my coffee and quietly crept up behind her. I slipped my arms around her and kissed her on the neck just under the ear. She melted back against me and told me to take her back to bed. It's a Saturday I don't have anywhere I need to be anytime soon so I was rather agreeable to that proposal.
Of course Chris chose that moment to come running out of his bedroom his red hair a tangled mop, the feet of his PJs slipping and skidding on the hardwood floor. I am going to have give him a haircut soon. So many barbers won't cut toddler's hair anymore.
"Toons, Daddy, Toons!" he was yelling. Last year I purchased a bunch of old classic cartoons for Chris. My father grew up watching cartoons Saturday mornings. That is when the weather conditions outside kept him in. By the time I came around Saturday morning cartoons were pretty much a thing of the past, Unless you sprung for the Cartoon Network on cable. But even then, so many of those were not really appropriate for children. So my father had purchased a bunch of old classic cartoons for me to watch on Saturday morning when the weather would not allow me to play outside. I continued the tradition with Chris.
It was raining this morning so Chris sat on my lap watching Roadrunner cartoons going "Beep Beep!" everytime Wile E. Coyote outsmarted himself and the Roadrunner got away. Lisa was knitting on the couch next to us and Chris would occasionally tug on her yarn causing her to drop a stitch or two. She would scold him gently and stick her tongue out at him and they would both giggle. I have never been happier in my life.
Suddenly the TV went blank and the lights went dark. Chris was gone. Lisa set down her knitting and said to me "I'd love to stay James, but you killed me and you don't deserve to be this happy." Then she turned to dust before my eyes.
I woke up crying, the headache in my dream returning in reality. The rain was just pounding on the Uni's roof.
The dream was so real, it was like I was being given a glimpse into what could have been, just so I could be tortured more effectively by current circumstances.
Dee is gone.
August 21st 2027 again
Sorry, I just could not go on there for a while.
A wraith took her away last night. Maybe two nights ago. I am a bit fuzzy on details right now. Probably the damn painkillers Kathy gave me. Don't even really know what time it is. The way it's raining I don't even have the sun to go by.
We were coming back from getting some dog food for Emily when it set on us. It was raining then too, so it was dark early. It just appeared out of the shadows, like a... well like a wraith. It grabbed Dee and tried to take off with her. I tried to fight it off but it was just too powerful and the rain had made its hide slick, it was like a wet raincoat except for the mane of bristles around his head neck and back. During the struggle it stabbed me in the gut. Then it picked her up in one paw and ran off on in three legged gait that looked awkward but covered a lot of ground quickly. I was able to pick up the gun that I had lost in the struggle and fire off a couple of shots before I passed out. Before I passed out I remember hoping that she didn't mistake the gunshots for thunder.
Kathy says that I am lucky it didn't hit anything vital. Burns like HELL though. She also pumped me full of antibiotics as a precaution. I lost a lot of blood and I am too weak to go out searching, Kathy is out there now. If Emily were not in such bad shape, I know she would be out there too. But everytime she gets up her feet start bleeding again.
I feel so useless here.
Dammit, why did I not think to get some walkie-talkie while I was at Wal-Mart?
just made teh mistake of tryng too get up shit this hurtz going to put this away for now
Dead Land Journal August 21st 2027 again
Dee is Back!!!
Katherine found her not too far from the Uni. She was in a drainage ditch and if Kathy had not found her when she did she would have most likely drowned. It was thanks to a serendipitous bolt of lightning that she saw Dee there at all. Kathy says that just one second later or sooner and she would have missed Dee completely.
Aside from some scratches, bumps and bruises she was suffering from a bit of hypothermia. Kathy says that she will be fine.
In my mind I kept reliving that night we left Independence, only instead of a doll being impaled by the wraith's claw it was Dee. Emily has been thankfully well behaved and not climbing in bed with Dee. I don't think Katherine would be too tolerant of that right now.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
Of course Chris chose that moment to come running out of his bedroom his red hair a tangled mop, the feet of his PJs slipping and skidding on the hardwood floor. I am going to have give him a haircut soon. So many barbers won't cut toddler's hair anymore.
"Toons, Daddy, Toons!" he was yelling. Last year I purchased a bunch of old classic cartoons for Chris. My father grew up watching cartoons Saturday mornings. That is when the weather conditions outside kept him in. By the time I came around Saturday morning cartoons were pretty much a thing of the past, Unless you sprung for the Cartoon Network on cable. But even then, so many of those were not really appropriate for children. So my father had purchased a bunch of old classic cartoons for me to watch on Saturday morning when the weather would not allow me to play outside. I continued the tradition with Chris.
It was raining this morning so Chris sat on my lap watching Roadrunner cartoons going "Beep Beep!" everytime Wile E. Coyote outsmarted himself and the Roadrunner got away. Lisa was knitting on the couch next to us and Chris would occasionally tug on her yarn causing her to drop a stitch or two. She would scold him gently and stick her tongue out at him and they would both giggle. I have never been happier in my life.
Suddenly the TV went blank and the lights went dark. Chris was gone. Lisa set down her knitting and said to me "I'd love to stay James, but you killed me and you don't deserve to be this happy." Then she turned to dust before my eyes.
I woke up crying, the headache in my dream returning in reality. The rain was just pounding on the Uni's roof.
The dream was so real, it was like I was being given a glimpse into what could have been, just so I could be tortured more effectively by current circumstances.
Dee is gone.
August 21st 2027 again
Sorry, I just could not go on there for a while.
A wraith took her away last night. Maybe two nights ago. I am a bit fuzzy on details right now. Probably the damn painkillers Kathy gave me. Don't even really know what time it is. The way it's raining I don't even have the sun to go by.
We were coming back from getting some dog food for Emily when it set on us. It was raining then too, so it was dark early. It just appeared out of the shadows, like a... well like a wraith. It grabbed Dee and tried to take off with her. I tried to fight it off but it was just too powerful and the rain had made its hide slick, it was like a wet raincoat except for the mane of bristles around his head neck and back. During the struggle it stabbed me in the gut. Then it picked her up in one paw and ran off on in three legged gait that looked awkward but covered a lot of ground quickly. I was able to pick up the gun that I had lost in the struggle and fire off a couple of shots before I passed out. Before I passed out I remember hoping that she didn't mistake the gunshots for thunder.
Kathy says that I am lucky it didn't hit anything vital. Burns like HELL though. She also pumped me full of antibiotics as a precaution. I lost a lot of blood and I am too weak to go out searching, Kathy is out there now. If Emily were not in such bad shape, I know she would be out there too. But everytime she gets up her feet start bleeding again.
I feel so useless here.
Dammit, why did I not think to get some walkie-talkie while I was at Wal-Mart?
just made teh mistake of tryng too get up shit this hurtz going to put this away for now
Dead Land Journal August 21st 2027 again
Dee is Back!!!
Katherine found her not too far from the Uni. She was in a drainage ditch and if Kathy had not found her when she did she would have most likely drowned. It was thanks to a serendipitous bolt of lightning that she saw Dee there at all. Kathy says that just one second later or sooner and she would have missed Dee completely.
Aside from some scratches, bumps and bruises she was suffering from a bit of hypothermia. Kathy says that she will be fine.
In my mind I kept reliving that night we left Independence, only instead of a doll being impaled by the wraith's claw it was Dee. Emily has been thankfully well behaved and not climbing in bed with Dee. I don't think Katherine would be too tolerant of that right now.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Dead Land Journal August 17th 2027
It's 2 am and things have finally calmed down somewhat.
When I heard the gunshots I pictured the worst. I grabbed my .357 and hit the pavement running. Did not even stop to close the Uni's door. Emily was right on my heels at first but quickly passed me. The front doors of the store had been smashed in by a runaway minivan so we did not even have to stop to open the doors. We raced past the remnants of the glass doors, past the wrecked Caravan that was now resting in the center of the alcohol and tobacco aisle. Emily turned left and I followed her. We heard screaming and bellowing before we saw them. Two more gunshots rang out, Dee squealing each time.
I saw the top of a large furry head rise above the tops of the shelves amid scattered bags of chips. I was simultaneously relieved and frightened. The grocery aisle was a mess of toppled shelves and ripped open packages. I could not see a clear path at all. And somewhere in the midst of that were Dee and Katherine.
Emily dove under a shelving unit that was leaning at about a 60 degree angle against another shelf. Canned goods rolled and spun out from under them as Emily frantically wriggled her way through. I followed as best as I could, praying the whole time that the shelves would not choose that particular moment to come crashing down on me. When I was finally able to get out from under the shelves I saw Emily already engaged with the bear. A Rottweiler is a powerful dog and has a devastating bite, but still no match for bear. I don't know one breed of bear from another, I just know that it was big and angry. Blood was running from several wounds. I wondered why it had not already charged until I saw the cub huddled behind her. It was more concerned with protecting its cub than killing the intruders. And that is surely what we were. She had obviously made her home here where food was plentiful and they were sheltered from the elements. I had just been lucky my first trip in and missed her.
Katherine later told me that she had only taken her eyes off Dee for a couple of seconds and she had wandered off. Katherine had caught up with her as she was crawling under the shelves.
In its rummaging for food the bear had pushed the shelves around and knocked others down creating a bit of a maze, with its den in the center. This aisle was nearly closed off at both ends The opening we had come in was just barely big enough for us but would have been nearly impossible for the bear. At the other end there was an opening big enough for the bear to walk through. One set of shelves between us and the bear was canted at an odd angle the only thing preventing it from falling was a bent shelf support.
Katherine was taking advantage of the distraction Emily was causing and drawing careful aim at the bear's head. I tackled her low causing her shot to go wild and called Emily to me. I hoped that she would come to me. She of course did not, but Dee called her at the same time and she always comes when Dee calls. I grabbed Katherine's gun before she could aim again and shot at the bent shelf support I had seen before. I was actually aiming at the point where the support was in contact with the other set of shelves. What I hit was the point where the metal was bent. It was already weakened so it folded like paper. Without the bent shelf support holding it up, the massive rack of shelves fell to the floor. A lot of bottles bounced to the floor. The bottles were plastic so none of them shattered, but the plastic caps on quite a few of them broke off spilling clear liquid all over the floor. Most of the bottles contained ammonia based cleaners. It was bad enough for us, but for Emily and the bear it was overpowering. The bear was confused and panicked now, but the shelves were between us and her. I grabbed Dee and shoved her under the shelves I had entered through. Emily was already through. Once I was under I looked back just long enough to see that Katherine was following. When I was clear of the shelves I reached under and grabbed her arms and yanked her out and up to her feet. Of course she had to complain that I had just about dislocated her shoulder. I gave her a shove towards the door and covered our retreat.
I did not notice the trail of blood till I got to the shattered front doors. At first I feared that Dee or Katherine were injured. But what I was seeing were bloody paw prints. I caught up to Emily halfway to the Uni. I scooped her up and carried her into the motor home. She was a mess, but it was not as bad as it looked. Her paws were all cut up and bloody from the broken glass at the store entrance and there were four slashes across her chest from the bear's claws. No broken ribs.
At least Katherine did not give me any grief about patching up Emily. She did grumble some about not being a veterinarian. She pumped her full of sedatives she insisted would be ok for her so the dog would not bite while she was tending to her.
When she was done she whirled around on me slapping me hard on the face. Had Dee not been there I might have returned the favor. I haven't hit a girl since the second grade, and I got whipped four times for that. My father, mother, grandfather and Gramma. I was raised knowing that a man, a real man, never hits a lady. But that does not mean he has to take shit from her either. What I did instead was to lead her a short ways off from the Uni so Dee would not hear the shouting and profanity that was soon to come. We had of course relocated by that time.
She was mad because I had tackled her and demanded to know why. I told her I saw no reason to kill the bear that was only trying to defend its cub. I don't know that she really understands. I don't really even know if I understand, I just know that letting her kill the bear would have been wrong. I also told her that if she smacked me like that again she would be looking for different travelling companions.
Dee is asleep and Katherine is sulking in the front passenger seat. Emily is resting on my bed, bandages covering most of the left side of her chest and her feet. But at least it was not a wraith, just an ordinary, but very pissed off bear.
I look at this as a good reminder. The world seems safe during the day, and at night I have been so busy worrying about the wraiths that I tend to forget that there are other very real dangers in the world.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
When I heard the gunshots I pictured the worst. I grabbed my .357 and hit the pavement running. Did not even stop to close the Uni's door. Emily was right on my heels at first but quickly passed me. The front doors of the store had been smashed in by a runaway minivan so we did not even have to stop to open the doors. We raced past the remnants of the glass doors, past the wrecked Caravan that was now resting in the center of the alcohol and tobacco aisle. Emily turned left and I followed her. We heard screaming and bellowing before we saw them. Two more gunshots rang out, Dee squealing each time.
I saw the top of a large furry head rise above the tops of the shelves amid scattered bags of chips. I was simultaneously relieved and frightened. The grocery aisle was a mess of toppled shelves and ripped open packages. I could not see a clear path at all. And somewhere in the midst of that were Dee and Katherine.
Emily dove under a shelving unit that was leaning at about a 60 degree angle against another shelf. Canned goods rolled and spun out from under them as Emily frantically wriggled her way through. I followed as best as I could, praying the whole time that the shelves would not choose that particular moment to come crashing down on me. When I was finally able to get out from under the shelves I saw Emily already engaged with the bear. A Rottweiler is a powerful dog and has a devastating bite, but still no match for bear. I don't know one breed of bear from another, I just know that it was big and angry. Blood was running from several wounds. I wondered why it had not already charged until I saw the cub huddled behind her. It was more concerned with protecting its cub than killing the intruders. And that is surely what we were. She had obviously made her home here where food was plentiful and they were sheltered from the elements. I had just been lucky my first trip in and missed her.
Katherine later told me that she had only taken her eyes off Dee for a couple of seconds and she had wandered off. Katherine had caught up with her as she was crawling under the shelves.
In its rummaging for food the bear had pushed the shelves around and knocked others down creating a bit of a maze, with its den in the center. This aisle was nearly closed off at both ends The opening we had come in was just barely big enough for us but would have been nearly impossible for the bear. At the other end there was an opening big enough for the bear to walk through. One set of shelves between us and the bear was canted at an odd angle the only thing preventing it from falling was a bent shelf support.
Katherine was taking advantage of the distraction Emily was causing and drawing careful aim at the bear's head. I tackled her low causing her shot to go wild and called Emily to me. I hoped that she would come to me. She of course did not, but Dee called her at the same time and she always comes when Dee calls. I grabbed Katherine's gun before she could aim again and shot at the bent shelf support I had seen before. I was actually aiming at the point where the support was in contact with the other set of shelves. What I hit was the point where the metal was bent. It was already weakened so it folded like paper. Without the bent shelf support holding it up, the massive rack of shelves fell to the floor. A lot of bottles bounced to the floor. The bottles were plastic so none of them shattered, but the plastic caps on quite a few of them broke off spilling clear liquid all over the floor. Most of the bottles contained ammonia based cleaners. It was bad enough for us, but for Emily and the bear it was overpowering. The bear was confused and panicked now, but the shelves were between us and her. I grabbed Dee and shoved her under the shelves I had entered through. Emily was already through. Once I was under I looked back just long enough to see that Katherine was following. When I was clear of the shelves I reached under and grabbed her arms and yanked her out and up to her feet. Of course she had to complain that I had just about dislocated her shoulder. I gave her a shove towards the door and covered our retreat.
I did not notice the trail of blood till I got to the shattered front doors. At first I feared that Dee or Katherine were injured. But what I was seeing were bloody paw prints. I caught up to Emily halfway to the Uni. I scooped her up and carried her into the motor home. She was a mess, but it was not as bad as it looked. Her paws were all cut up and bloody from the broken glass at the store entrance and there were four slashes across her chest from the bear's claws. No broken ribs.
At least Katherine did not give me any grief about patching up Emily. She did grumble some about not being a veterinarian. She pumped her full of sedatives she insisted would be ok for her so the dog would not bite while she was tending to her.
When she was done she whirled around on me slapping me hard on the face. Had Dee not been there I might have returned the favor. I haven't hit a girl since the second grade, and I got whipped four times for that. My father, mother, grandfather and Gramma. I was raised knowing that a man, a real man, never hits a lady. But that does not mean he has to take shit from her either. What I did instead was to lead her a short ways off from the Uni so Dee would not hear the shouting and profanity that was soon to come. We had of course relocated by that time.
She was mad because I had tackled her and demanded to know why. I told her I saw no reason to kill the bear that was only trying to defend its cub. I don't know that she really understands. I don't really even know if I understand, I just know that letting her kill the bear would have been wrong. I also told her that if she smacked me like that again she would be looking for different travelling companions.
Dee is asleep and Katherine is sulking in the front passenger seat. Emily is resting on my bed, bandages covering most of the left side of her chest and her feet. But at least it was not a wraith, just an ordinary, but very pissed off bear.
I look at this as a good reminder. The world seems safe during the day, and at night I have been so busy worrying about the wraiths that I tend to forget that there are other very real dangers in the world.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
Dead Land Journal August 16th 2027
Katherine woke up in a better mood yesterday. She even apologized for her earlier rude behavior. I am reserving judgement though. Emily still does not like her. Doesn't help that the good doctor thinks that filthy, vicious dogs have no place in the home and should be kept outside.
We have stopped at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Carthage so Katherine could get some clothes. She was not happy with the selection I picked out for her so she had to go in and pick out her own. I guess that is not unreasonable, but she did not have to be so nasty about it. I will have to admit that the clothes I picked out for her are poor fitting. I am terrible about that. She refused to let me accompany her so I am taking the opportunity while she is gone to make this entry. She seems to think my journal is a waste of time and I find it difficult to write while she is watching me.
I insisted she take a gun with her for protection. I don't think that she would have protested if I had not made the suggestion. If she were to go out in the middle of a moonless night to pee behind a bush and I were to have the nerve to suggest to her that she put her shoes on and take a flash light, she would go out barefoot and blindfolded.
I will try to talk to her tonight about her experiences immediately prior to and after the disappearance. Where she was, what she was doing. Will have approach it carefully. I think that maybe if we can figure out a common denominator we can maybe predict where it would be most likely to find more survivors.
Dee went with her. I admit that I felt a twinge of jealousy as they left together and I will worry until they are back safely.
I took Emily out to do her business on the little island at the end of the row. She took her time which probably means this area is relatively safe.
I wonder what is taking them so long. I think I will go
i think i just heard gunshots
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
We have stopped at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Carthage so Katherine could get some clothes. She was not happy with the selection I picked out for her so she had to go in and pick out her own. I guess that is not unreasonable, but she did not have to be so nasty about it. I will have to admit that the clothes I picked out for her are poor fitting. I am terrible about that. She refused to let me accompany her so I am taking the opportunity while she is gone to make this entry. She seems to think my journal is a waste of time and I find it difficult to write while she is watching me.
I insisted she take a gun with her for protection. I don't think that she would have protested if I had not made the suggestion. If she were to go out in the middle of a moonless night to pee behind a bush and I were to have the nerve to suggest to her that she put her shoes on and take a flash light, she would go out barefoot and blindfolded.
I will try to talk to her tonight about her experiences immediately prior to and after the disappearance. Where she was, what she was doing. Will have approach it carefully. I think that maybe if we can figure out a common denominator we can maybe predict where it would be most likely to find more survivors.
Dee went with her. I admit that I felt a twinge of jealousy as they left together and I will worry until they are back safely.
I took Emily out to do her business on the little island at the end of the row. She took her time which probably means this area is relatively safe.
I wonder what is taking them so long. I think I will go
i think i just heard gunshots
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
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