Lt_Starbuck

Killer Jones was ecstatic to see me, even though I had only been gone about 15 minutes. After he had ‘attended to business’, we just started walking down the street. As I walked, I started remembering all those little details about my missing family…how Amanda looked the first time I met her…our wedding day…her face, when she cooked something ‘special’ for me…how happy she was when she was sewing…the little ‘love notes’ she used to hide in my pockets…the panic we went through when Adam was born…how he loved swords and dragons and all things Sci-Fi….

I stopped, the tears blinding me so badly I couldn’t see where I was going.

“No…you’ve got to stop this…pull yourself together…Amanda would expect better of you,” I told myself, but it didn’t really seem to help much. I continued to wander aimlessly, trying to get my act back together before I faced Gwen again.

The chilly night air finally drove me back to the dorm. Gwen was sound asleep in the room next to Adam’s. She had left me a note:

Starbuck,

It’s possible your son might still be here…only not HERE. One of the other members think he sounds like one of the guys that was going to go round up some of the kids (a lot of them got left with no parents.) I’ll see you in the morning.

Gwen

We arrived around sunset, and I left the RV parked in the middle of the street.

Gwen followed slowly, as I rushed up to Adam’s room.

“ADAM???…ADAM???” I yelled and searched frantically. Gwen stood watching me, with pity in her eyes.

I slumped onto the bed…defeated and despairing. Gwen walked over and sat down beside me. “Well…there is always a chance that he’s still here…just not HERE…maybe he went looking for you, or something.”

She got up and started looking around the room. “Hey, look at this!” Over by Adam’s computer, she was motioning frenziedly.

I got up slowly and went to the computer desk. There on the screen was displayed the Star Trek Fans website.

“Was he a member?’

I don’t know…maybe…I am…he kept telling me about all the neat stuff he kept finding on this web site, so one day, I decided to take a look. I kind of got hooked, because I signed up.”

“OK…here’s a crazy thought…I’m a member, too! Do you suppose there are any other members left?”

I watched, as she logged on. She let out a deafening scream when she discovered the web site was still active. As she started chatting with someone, I kept repeating, “Ask about my son!” Finally, she stopped and turned to me…”What name would he use?”

“I … DON’T … KNOW!!!” My hope deflated like a hot air balloon.

“Alright…I’ll see if anyone else has any ideas…maybe someone who’s talked to him might recognize him from his profile,” she offered optimistically.

“Okay,” I sighed, “I’ll go get Killer Jones…he probably need to take a walk anyhow.”

As we pulled out of town, I asked Gwen,” Are you sure there isn’t anyone you want to check on?”

“Naw…I figure if there was anyone left who cared about me, they would have come to the jail long before you did. By the way, thanks for rescuing my hide!”

“Glad to be of service,” I smiled.

The rest of the trip to Columbia went pretty smoothly, except for one strange incident. I was surprised at how well the RV, with a car in tow, handled. Gwen was digging around, trying to find some CDs she had spotted earlier.

It was then I noticed some kind of large animal, running down the shoulder of the highway toward us. I did a double-take, and then another one.

“Uh, Gwen…could you come up here for a second?”

“What now?” she asked peevishly.

“Just come up here and take a look…Hurry!”

As I pointed, she glanced out the window…then her mouth dropped open.

“What in the world…Where did THAT come from?”

“I don’t know, but if you’re seeing it too, I feel a lot better!

I think there‘s one of those drive-thru animals parks around here somewhere…maybe he got loose from that.”

“Or maybe, someone turned him loose from a zoo!”

Hope painted our expressions as the antelope, I believe an eland, continued right on past us with out slowing down.

“I don’t know where he’s going, but he’s sure in a hurry to get there!”

“Yeah…hope he makes it OK…how much farther do we have to go?”

“Bout another hour or so,” I replied.

(Still Sept. 21)

“Great idea, huh….now what has that little blond brain come up with?”

She turned and started across the parking lot. I followed, still flinging off bits of watermelon. She approached a big RV.

“Aw, no way, Gwen…it’ll probably be locked anyhow.”

She dived into the pile of clothes lying on the pavement and emerged triumphantly with the keys. “SEE…it’ll be perfect…it even has a nice car in tow!”

I eyed the RV, considering the possibilities.

“You take the cop car back and get our stuff at the motel….maybe a shower, too….and Killer and I will get this ready to go.” :(

~~~~

By the time I got back, she had the RV cleaned out, stocked up and ready to go. I was somewhat amazed! As we pulled out of the parking lot, I noticed that big, angry-looking clouds were taking over the sky.

Sept. 21

As we climbed in the police car to head back to Wal-Mart, Gwen remarked,” You know, we really need a better car.”

Yeah, but this way, Killer Jones gets to pretend he a big, bad police dog.”

“Oh, that’s great,” she said sarcastically.

“Come on…if you’re a really good girl, I might let you blow the siren!”:toot:

~~~

We entered the store, side-stepping piles of clothes. Gwen said,” See ya later!”, and was off in a flash. Killer Jones took off in the other direction, barking excitedly.

I stood there trying to decide which direction to go first. I could hear Gwen, excitedly filling up her cart and talking to herself.

Just as I was reaching for the canned dog food, the lights went out! The occasional skylights overhead did little to help illuminate the interior of the store. It was really dark.

“Gwen…Jones…where are you?” As I fumbled for my lighter, I walked straight into one of the support columns placed, unfortunately, in the middle of the aisle.

“ OW! #!&*#$@!” …for the next couple seconds, all I could see was stars!

“Are you all right…what was that loud noise…where are you…”

Rubbing the knot on my forehead, I yelled back, “Stay put…it’s hazardous in here.”

I could hear Gwen over in the clothes dept., so I cautiously made my way in that direction. She started humming the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme song.

“HA HA Not Funny…where the devil are you?”, I said, as I stumbled against one of the clothes racks.

“You know…if you had a flashlight, you might not burn down the store,” she said, as she popped up in front of me.

“Well, don’t just stand there! Go find one and I’ll go look for Jones.”

I stomped off towards the grocery section, where I could hear the dog, growling and barking, like he had something cornered.

“Jones…Where you at, boy…come here….”

The fresh fruit and vegetables weren’t so fresh anymore…in fact, some of them were starting to stink! My feet got tangled in some clothes or something, and I went down, face first right into the big cardboard container of watermelons. Struggling to extract myself from the juicy mess, the side of the box tore and watermelons went rolling away into the darkness. “Great…Just what I need, MORE ‘road’ hazards!”

Jones came bouncing out of the darkness, and landed in my lap. He was trying to lick my face as Gwen came strolling up with her flashlight.

“Sure glad I don’t have to clean up that mess!”

“Yeah…let’s just get our stuff and get out of here.”

~~~

As we entered the parking lot, Gwen stopped suddenly. With a devilish gleam in her eye, she turned to me and said,” I have a GREAT idea!”

:idea31:

Sept. 21

I guess the stress and confusion must have been wearing on me worse than I knew, because I slept for almost 14 hours straight. Killer Jones, his usual alarm clock self, roused me out bright and early. I took him out to attend to nature’s call, and then decided I better check on Gwen. She was up, and looking for something to eat. Her stomach was still not able to handle large quantities of food, so she was eating tiny meals every few hours.

“Hi…how are you feeling now?”

“Still hungry,” she said. “By the way…what’s the plan…I mean, you know… like, are you headed somewhere…how did you find me…are you looking for someone in particular?”

I told her my story, and she was actually quiet for a little while. (I began to suspect I had rescued a real chatterbox.)

“I still want to go to Columbia, to see if I can find my son…but maybe, we better spend a couple days getting you back on your feet.”

“Yeah…I do still feel kind of puny, you know…what else is there to eat…I could really go for some pizza…”

“Right…well, I guess I can go get some more supplies…anything else?

“Coke…I need lots and lots of Coke….I mean, how’s a girl supposed to survive, if you don’t have any Cokes around. And …well, something for entertainment…I found out the TV doesn’t work…and, like, wasn’t that stupid Emergency Broadcast System supposed to come on, when something like this happens…I think I’ll just go shopping with you…like, you’d probably not get half the stuff I need.”

“Whoa…slow down there, girl…shouldn’t you be resting up?”

“Hellllloooooo….I sat in that stupid jail for 5 whole days…I want to get out and hit the streets…do some shopping…shopping is the best cure I can think of…besides, it won’t cost a thing…I mean, like what could be any better? Let’s GO!”

I helped Gwen outside. She shielded her eyes against the morning sunshine. She was so weak; I knew we could never walk all the way back to the Holiday Inn. I propped her up against the wall and said,” Wait here just a minute.”

I dashed back inside and started looking for keys to one of the police cars parked outside.

I felt kind of strange going through another man’s pockets, but fortunately, the pants were empty. :angry:

~~~

I got Gwen installed in her own room, along with a good supply of Coke and candy bars.

“This should tide you over until I get back.”

“Where are you going? You are coming back, aren’t you? I really don’t like being alone. I mean, you‘re not just dumping me here, are you?” I could see the panic in her bright blue eyes, so I gave her my best grin and tried to calm her down.

“I’m just going shopping…I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll leave Killer Jones here with you. I think I better go find us something better to eat…and a few other things. I may be gone a little while, but, I promise, I’ll be back. Why don‘t you grab a shower while I‘m gone…it‘ll make you feel a whole lot better”

~~~~

A few hours later, I was back… with groceries, some clothes for Gwen, a DVD player & several movies, and a computer. I figured it would be a few days before Gwen was up to traveling…that is, if she decided to go with me. At this point, that seemed like the only sensible option.

There was a microwave in the room, so I ‘nuked’ us some “Hungry Man XXL” TV dinners. Jones really enjoyed his. Gwen only ate a little of hers, before she drifted off to sleep. “Poor kid…heck, Poor Me…now it would be several days before I could check on Adam…she looks like she might be about his age.” I heard a soft snore and chuckled to myself as I turned off the light.

I took Jones back to my room and set up the DVD player. I guess I must have drifted off about halfway through the first movie.:sleep3:

I opened the cell door cautiously. Killer Jones followed me in. I knelt beside the figure and carefully rolled it over…to my great surprise, I found myself staring at a female! :lol: Great……hope she isn’t a psycho! I opened the bottle of water and gave her one small sip, then another. Jones started licking her face as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Hi…want another drink?” Her hand came up to stop Jones’ affectionate attack. She nodded.

“What’s your name?”

“Call me Gwen,” she whispered.

“OK, Gwen…how about something to eat?” I handed her a candy bar.

“Slowly now…I assume you haven’t had anything to eat for a few days?”

“Yeah, kind of an enforced hunger strike,” she laughed weakly.

“Sooooo……what were you in for?”

“Nothing, really…”

“Well, obviously something…”

“I don’t want to talk about it!”

“We will talk about it, or I’m going to lock that door back up and leave you in here!”

“Okay………Okay……well, see, Sept. 14th was my birthday……and I kind of went out and partied:angry:, you know……and, well……I really drank too much……you know……and then my old boyfriend showed up with his new girlfriend………and, well……she was really being catty, so I popped her a good one:)……then the law showed up:cops:, and……well, here I still am,” she related haltingly.

“I see……………didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

“Nope, I just thumped her pretty good, and she needed it, too! So…like, where is everyone?”

“Well, now, that’s a question I don’t have an answer for. You‘re the first person I have found in 5 days…but, if you‘re here, maybe there‘s still hope. Let‘s get you to some better accommodations.”

I walked cautiously down the hall, scanning the rooms on either side…conference room, break room, interrogation rooms…. At the end of the hallway, I came to a desk beside another door. Killer Jones was waiting patiently for me. Again the sound came…like a low moan. I tried the door…locked, of course. I searched the desk, and finally came up with a set of keys. After trial & error, I managed to get the door unlocked…this must be the jail area. The sound was louder now. The second cell contained a person, stretched out on the floor!

“Hey, You Alive?”

“Hel…help me…”

I raced backed to the Break room and hurriedly located a bottle of water in the small refrigerator. I returned to the cell and tossed the bottle inside. It landed fairly close, but the figure just lay there….

“There’s some water…I’ll see what else I can find.”

As I rushed back down the hall, Killer Jones just sat there, staring intently at the figure. Meanwhile, my thoughts are in turmoil…

“I’m not alone…Thank Goodness…but a criminal?…guess beggars can’t be choosers…but still…do I let ‘em out or not?:blink:…better find out what they’re in for first…where did I see that candy machine…AHA, here it is!”

I ran back to the cell with my candy bars, but the figure still hadn’t moved.

“Hey, you’re not faking or anything, are you…cause if I unlock this door and you try to jump me…well, let’s just say you wouldn’t want to do that…Jones, keep a close eye out, will ya?”

:lol:

Sept. 20-

Well, it did take longer…darkness, combined with fog & abandoned vehicles was not a good combination for driving. We spent the night in a Holiday Inn Express, but Killer Jones didn’t seem any smarter, only more irritating. He woke me up bright & early, scratching at the door.

“OK, Jones…just let me get my pants on, will ya…hold on!” When I opened the door, he made a mad dash across the parking lot and out into the street. “At least I won’t have to worry about him getting hit by a car,” I thought to myself. He stood there, looking up & down the street, as though searching for something. He must have made up his mind, for all of a sudden, he raced away, barking happily.

“Jones…Get Back Here…come on, boy…we don’t have time for this…Stupid Dog…Stupid #%!* Dog!!!” I grumbled as I went to retrieve my shoes.

Back outside, I could still hear him, so I started to follow…”Haven’t even had my coffee yet…Dumb Mutt!” :biggrin:

When I finally caught up to him, he was scratching away at the door to the Police Station. “What could you possibly need in here?…Come on fella, I need my coffee…” He wouldn’t budge. “Well, alright, if you must insist.” As I started to open the door, he squeezed in through the crack, and started sniffing around the room. Then he sat down and looked at me, ears perked up and eyes alert. “Satisfied?” I growled. He looked over his shoulder, down a long hallway. Just then, I heard a strange, barely audible noise….

:fear:

Sept. 19 - later that day:

OK, Jones… no puddles on the floor,” I said as I opened my front door. Jones raced off eagerly to explore as I checked the answering machine. Nothing. I was hoping there might have been a message from my son, Adam.

I started upstairs to grab a quick shower and change of clothes. As I passed by my wife‘s sewing room, I noticed the quilt she had been working on. The pieces of the next block were laid out carefully on the table. She was always so happy when she was sewing….humming or singing along with the radio. I can’t let the emptiness envelope me completely , or I’ll never leave this house.

Brrrng…Brrrng….THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!! … I nearly break my neck charging down the stairs….

I snatch up the handset…”Hello?…” A computer’s metallic voice replies: ”This is an independent survey…If you plan to vote Republican, please press…” In rage and despair, I slam the phone up against the wall. Killer Jones has come to investigate all the excitement. He stands with his head cocked quizzically to one side. “Oh, Shut Up!” I say, as I stomp back towards the stairs.

~~~

It was late when we left the house, but I just couldn’t stay there any longer…too many memories.

Columbia, Mo, where Adam attends college, is normally a couple hours drive from here, but with probable road hazards, it may take longer.

Sept. 17

OK…I think I have myself pulled back together…. I’m heading for home.

~~~~

Sept. 19

I made it back home, but what a trip! Every town was eerily silent…No other traffic, just abandoned or crashed vehicles…….static on the radio.

I arrived at my mother’s house. I can hear her dog, a Welsh Corgi (inappropriately named “Killer Jones”), barking frantically as I approach the front door. It’s locked, but I know where she keeps her spare key…

“Mom?” I search the house, while Killer Jones joyfully nips at my heels.

“Alright, boy….glad to see you too.”

I entered the kitchen, and there I found her night gown & bathrobe draped in her chair. Her usual cup of coffee was sitting on the kitchen table.

I collapse into another chair and stare at the sad ‘remains’. Meanwhile, Killer Jones is scratching persistently at his food/water dish.

“ OK…OK …I’ll bet you’re pretty hungry…thirsty, too, huh?” We’ll get you taken care of, then how about a little road trip?” Killer Jones isn’t anticipating anything except his meal.

“We’ll gather up a few supplies for you, then go get me a few things….that sound OK to you?” “Terrific…now I’m talking to a dog….oh well, I guess that’s slightly better than talking to myself.”

Killer Jones lifts his head, and gives me a ‘Well! I should think so!!’ look, then goes back to eating.

We’ll gather up a few supplies for you, then go get me a few things….that sound OK to you?”

“Come to of think of it, I think I might stop & get a few cigars…apparently there isn’t going to be anyone complaining about cigar smoke….

Sept. 16th

I got up early…didn’t get much sleep anyhow. I found a small café to make me some coffee and filled the largest Styrofoam cup I could find. All the way back to the campsite, I kept dreading that there still wouldn’t be anyone there.

Back at the campsite, I climbed out of the truck. I heard a noise in the tent and went racing over to it….”Honey, you’re not going to believe…” Just then a very BIG black bear poked his head out of the tent…. I skidded to a frantic halt and fell flat on my bottom!

The bear stared at me grumpily as he ambled out of the tent. Praying that the ‘experts’ knew what they were talking about, I fell over backwards to ‘Play Dead.’

I thumped my head on a rock, and although it hurt like crazy, I didn’t dare reach up to rub the lump. I held my breath as I heard the bear coming closer, and tried to ignore the pine cones digging into my back. The sunshine filtering through the trees wasn’t that intense, but I was really starting to sweat. I could feel the bear sniffing at my leg now…then...complete silence. It was as though the forest was holding its’ breath in sympathy for me. The tension was becoming excruciating.

Just when I was certain the bear was ready to take a bite out of a very vital part…all that coffee I had been drinking decided to make a sudden exit! The bear took one more whiff, snorted in disgust and headed for the woods.

As I lay there, sodden and embarrassed, but relieved (in more ways than one), I started to laugh…softly, at first, but as the enormity of the whole situation hit me, I think I probably sounded more like a madman…

It was late when I reached Bemidji, but I headed for the Police Station. Inside I found a couple of policemen’s uniforms, but nobody else….the Fire Station, the grocery store, abandoned cars…. everywhere I searched …little piles of clothes, but not another single soul.

I will check the campsite one more time in the morning, but at this point, I don’t really have much hope. There’s a little motel here…maybe I can find a little food and possibly, a little sleep. If I don’t find Amanda tomorrow, I’ll head for home to check on my mother, and try to reach my son at college.

:helpsmilie:

I searched the surrounding woods for 4 hours before I decided to call for help. Something was definitely wrong…people don’t just disappear! I got back to the truck and tried the cell phone. GREAT….no signal. I remembered seeing a Park Ranger station back near the park entrance. I left the campsite set up, just in case my wife showed up again. I grabbed a few essentials and headed back towards civilization.

I couldn’t help but worry, this just wasn’t like Mandy.

I felt a sense of relief when I spotted the Jeep sitting at the Ranger station, but it didn’t last long. The station was empty. “Terrific…where’s Smoky the Bear when you need him?” A phone was sitting on the desk, so I tried 9 - 1 - 1.…….NO ANSWER??? I tried my son‘s number, then my mother‘s…again, NOTHING!!! “What in the world is going on!!!”

An old television was sitting in the corner, so I turned it on, looking for an early morning news show. An empty news desk and nobody’s talking????

Some of the preprogrammed shows were still running, but all the ‘live’ shows were deserted. Now things are just getting too bizarre! I’m heading back to Bemidji to see if I can find any help there.

Sept.26

Is everyone in the world gone but me? In order to keep my sanity, I have decided to keep a journal.

The last two weeks have been worse than a nightmare.

It all started out as a great vacation. My wife and I had left our home in Northern Missouri on Sept. 12th. For months, we had planned our vacation - a camping/hiking/fishing trip in the backwoods of upper Minnesota. We had stopped in Bemidji to see the giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, then on to Leech Lake. By the 14th, we had established our campsite off a remote little bay and were enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature. We had planned a little fishing for early the next morning, so we snuggled up to go to sleep early, lulled by the mournful cries of the loons.

I was up bright and early the next morning, making breakfast and enjoying the crisp, clean scent of the pine trees. Suddenly this brilliant light swept through the forest.

“What the….Hey, Honey, are you awake yet? … Did you see that?”

No answer. “Honey?….” I ducked into the tent and stared at an empty bed. Puzzled, I knelt down and found her clothes were still inside the sleeping bag. “Sweetie, this is cute, but the fish are waiting!” Her shoes were still sitting by the tent flap where she had placed them last night. Surely she didn’t have to make a mad dash for the bushes in the buff? “Amanda, where are you?” Still no answer, so I decide to finish the morning coffee. She’s probably off in the trees somewhere, giggling and relishing her little joke. If she isn’t back by the time coffee‘s done, I’ll go looking for her.