The Day the World FAFO by Nicola Dickens

  I was sitting on the back of our 1991 Sleek Craft Enforcer 30 ft twin Merlin Engine boat with my legs crossed.  The sun overhead, the water calm, as I sat there with my eyes closed listening to all the distant chatter on the lake that summer day in 2027, all I could think was how wonderful it would be if we were the only ones there, the still quietness would be mesmerizing.   That day I asked Red, “The last part of September, can we take a weekend just you and I out here, stay on the lake, and enjoy the peace of Nature?”  Red is my husband. He is a tall, thin man with red hair and a horseshoe mustache that makes him look unapproachable. He has bright green eyes with a small blue corner in his right eye. He was sitting on the bar between the engine drives in the lake, talking to friends.  Red was all for it. That weekend changed our lives and the World forever!

We all parked along the back of the island for privacy reasons, and if a biological agent was

released, we didn’t want people to see our boats and know we were there.  We set camp back up and let the dogs go sniffing and playing together.  They swiftly headed to their new friends coming over the hilltop from docking their boats.  As we set up camp, we noticed everyone else unloading their boats and setting their things right in front of them.  There was a slight warm breeze. The air smelled sweet, and you could smell the fruit trees we helped plant a couple of years before. 

Doc had a rough night, bad dream after bad dream. Red said Doc talked in her sleep all night; a loud crash abruptly woke Doc up. She sat up, looked around, and saw no sign of Red. She wore a shorts pajama set. She jumped up out of bed, rushed to the door, opened it, and slowly peered out. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Still, she didn’t see anything or anyone, so she opened the door and crawled out, staying low but periodically sticking her head up to see, when she saw Red walking towards the boat laughing and people sitting around the fire, which was smoking this point.  She stood all the way up as if she wasn’t doing anything and said, “good morning to Red.  As Red boarded the boat, he motioned to go back in the cabin, so she did, and he followed her.

Shane slowly slid the cabin door open, looked at Doc, and jumped down the steps into the cabin.  Doc closed the door behind him. “We can see out, but no one can see in,” declared Doc. “Look at Andy when he comes around; have you seen him before?”  Shane stood motionless, watching as Andy walked into camp with two guys behind him. “This is Art and JR,” said Adam.  Art was an average-looking guy, not tall but not short, with a shaved head. When Andy introduced him, he gave a nervous laugh that sounded forced (very fake and creepy). 

The road ahead will be rough, and sadly we may not all make it, but in the end it will all work out, Doc said quietly as she boarded their boat to take a nap, and Red nodded.

Doc woke violently from another nightmare of what was to be and knew she needed to fully recharge soon if she wanted to be up for the journey ahead.  Red was sitting at the end of the bed.  Looking down at his hands.

“Can I do this? Can we do this?  Such a long road; we could stay here.”  I’m great with being responsible for you, Red said to Doc, but being responsible for them as well.” 

The group walked for about 40 minutes before coming across a small clearing that looked like a large, dried-up pond, with several downed trees along the opening. “A perfect place to rest,” Said Red. Red, having extensive tactical training, decided to scout the area. It was about 5:30 a.m., and dawn would be breaking over the mountaintop soon, and the morning fog was already starting to roll in. “Okay, everyone,” said Red. “It’s going to be daylight soon, and we’re going to pass close to the dock and the ranger station to get to the parking lot, and we can use the fog as cover. We know nothing about what’s going on on the shore, so I’m going to scout out a bit; you guys rest.” Red made sure everyone was settled in. “I’ll be back,” said Red. “Shane, keep an eye on the group, and if Doc needs anything, I got this,” replied Shane. 

Red woke to a loud crash that sounded like it was coming from right outside their window. He sat up quickly and checked on Doc. “I’ll be right back, baby,” Red whispered, then quietly slipped out through the bedroom door. Red passed a couple of windows but couldn’t see out; he made his way to the staff quarters. Red turned the corner into the kitchen and saw Matt and Andy kneeling on the benches, peeking through a small hole in the tarp. 

Red, Shane, and Nathen entered the main cabin where everyone except Richard had congregated. Red walked to the sliding glass door that opened onto the deck. Slowly and quietly, Red opened the door, and Richard emerged. Red cleared his throat and started. It’s a quarter to 6 now, and the sun should be setting within the next hour. Red looks around and sees a coffee table across the room. Red crosses the room and grabs the table. He pulls it to the middle of the room, then pulls the map out of his backpack. He spreads it out and points to the dry storage lot. He says We are here, and we need to be here in the upper parking lot.