Okefenokee

The pickup pulled in front of Cyndi’s home at 7:00 PM. Mom was watching the news. There was a suitcase packed next to her sitting chair. She did not appear happy. She wasn’t frightened by what was going on. She was a religious person and looked to God whenever life got tough. She couldn’t think anything would be worse then losing her beloved Bud when he passed. Life had changed then to something she had trouble recognizing at times now.

Cyndi approached her, “what is the latest news on the pestilence?”

Mom, “They are saying Savannah now has fallen to it. All my friends have locked themselves in their homes but they have little to eat. In Savannah utilities have gone down. Water and electricity are no more. There are no answers. There is one TV network still broadcasting on a generator backup. That news program said the hospitals have filled up but there are very few workers, doctors or nurses there. We will be like that soon I’m afraid here.”

Cyndi, “It’s OK Mom, we are going to take you with us to a safe place that Rob knows of. We have prepared for a couple of weeks buying up supplies wherever we could find them.”

Mom, “I don’t want to leave my home dear. I’m not afraid. I have God to protect me.”

Rob came from the bathroom, “The water is off Ida, did you know that?’

“Yes, it went off some time ago. I’m sure the city workers will get to it.”

Rob looked at Cyndi without Mom seeing him and gestured that we depart right away by pointing to his watch. He went outside to prepare the RV for travel.

Cyndi kneeled in front of Mom, “Don’t you want to meet your grandchild?”

She perked up and turned toward Cyndi, “What?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Mom showed more excitement than Cyndi had seen in over a year. Maybe this would be the deciding factor.

“Pregnant, are you sure? You were just married yesterday.”

“Mom, that’s not what matters. I’m going to have your grandchild and the child will want to know you.”

“Of course I am going to meet my grandchild. Give me a hug,” she said.

Cyndi was so happy to see her spirit lifted so and she hugged her back. “Let’s get you ready. I’ll take your bag. Do you have all your medications in here?”

“Yeah, I’m not taking anything that I can’t do without if times are hard.”

“They are.”

They walked out and Mom locked the front door. Cyndi didn’t say anything thinking she will feel better this way.

Rob had the RV running and out away from the house. He was walking around the vehicle like a pilot doing a pre-flight check kicking the tires and looking for any defects. He went to the driver door where he had the shotgun and the pistol setting on the seat. He check there status. Both loaded. He hadn’t fired either but felt secure with them along.

Cyndi sat up in the passenger seat and Mom took a comfortable seat in the main body of the vehicle. Rob got in and Mom said from the back, “Congratulations Rob.”

He looked at Cyndi who made a gesture of cradling a baby. “Oh, thank you Ida.”

Mom, “You have been promoted. You can call me Mom now.”

“OK Mom.” He laughed a little. “Here we go,” he put the vehicle in drive and they pulled out onto the street. “We will be at our first destination in a couple of hours where we will spend the night.”

He pulled out a portable ham radio receiver and placed it on the center console. Then he turned on the vehicle radio. There was nothing on FM so he tried AM. There was a fuzzy broadcast from Jacksonville just south of the Georgia border. They listened in. It was saying what they knew. Utilities were down there and the radio was operating off a generator which will end at some point. There was no safety out on the roads and some groups were stopping traffic on local roads and taking their supplies. In some cases they assaulted or killed the recipients if they resisted. There also were reports on the I-95 and I-10 corridors of similar crimes.

Cyndi, “We turn off before Florida. Do you think we need to worry?”

Rob, “I am worried. That is why I have these guns next to me.”

“Are you going to forcefully resist?”

“Yes, we don’t have any choice. It’s us or them. They will probably die anyway whereas we are going to live.”

She forced a worried smile and kept her eyes glued on the road ahead. After thirty minutes and twelve miles from the Florida border they took an early exit at Woodbine. It was a little longer this way but avoided the possible anarchy blocking the main road.

Rob smiled. A confrontation was the last thing he wanted. It was the reason he planned so well ahead. “We only have an hour or so once we clear Woodbine. I don’t anticipate any trouble this way.”

As the vehicle approached town only minutes after leaving the interstate there appeared to be trouble up ahead and Rob pulled over off the road. “I don’t think they saw us,” he said.

Cyndi sat up in her seat, “What is it, what do you see?”

“I can’t tell for sure but it looks like a group of people blocking the road ahead. They may be not allowing any outsiders to go through to protect the population. That would include us. Or they may be looking to take our vehicles and supplies.”

Cyndi, “What will we do now?”

Rob, “Let’s wait until after dark or maybe after midnight. I don’t think they will sit out there all night if they are anarchists. If they are local police there to protect the town from anybody getting through, that will be a problem. We could wait until 3:00 AM and if they are still there I will sneak up there and see what is going on. Then we can decide whether to try and blow their blockade or seek the next exit down the interstate.”

Cyndi, “You know this area better then me but I don’t remember going through any towns earlier today when we drove to your home.”

“Good point. Maybe I’m getting tired, not thinking at my best. My thought was to avoid the reported blockades near the state line but Exit 6 is before the next town and the state line. It would be clear sailing to Homeland if we don’t encounter trouble.” He put the vehicle into drive and turned onto the road back toward the interstate a few miles back. “I’m glad I brought you along.”

Cyndi recognized Rob had been going strong for a week and he was carrying the physical burden most of the time.

The RV cruised down the on ramp southbound. There were no vehicles in site. The sun was setting but not in their direct view so they had good visibility. Mom didn’t seem too anxious but Cyndi was sitting on the edge of the passenger seat, eyes focused on the road ahead. Rob reached down beside his seat for the handgun he positioned there. He was tense. He new a blockade could end the trip. He was ready.

The exit at mile marker six appeared in view, no sign of trouble. The RV slowed while rolling up the off ramp. He rapidly looked both ways as he approached a stop sign. He was hoping he could keep going at a slow speed so as not to lose momentum. The heavy load bounced and shook from the shocks. Nothing around, the RV continued on to the westbound route. The sunset would impede the view for a short time until the sun was completely down.

Rob, “Whew, looks good everyone.” a big smile broadened his face as he looked over at Cyndi. The final forty five minute drive was uneventful. They didn’t see a sole. Rob pulled the RV into his driveway, continuing into the backyard on the grass out of view from the road. He put it in park. “We made it. I almost can’t believe our luck today.” he said.

Cyndi leaned over to him with her head on his shoulder, “my hero.”

The three of them went inside where there was food left by Cyndi on the first trip there. They were tired so they shared the sandwiches and at 10:00 PM retired. Rob and Cyndi took the rear master bedroom while Mom settled into the second bedroom. The rooms were kind of empty but had the essentials with a bed, a chair, a night table and a closet with hangers.

Lying in bed Cyndi said to Rob quietly, “Should we go into town at all?”

Rob, “No. We don’t want any contact. We don’t know how the evil is transmitted. All we need is one more day to set up a place out in the black swamp and we may never see anybody else ever again. Get some sleep.”

Rob was awake early so he got up. Electricity was still on there and he made coffee. The last renters left a lot of stuff in the house. One of the kitchen cabinets had coffee and mugs that had super heroes imaged on them. Rob figured they must have had children and left in a hurry or something. The house was vacated several months ago before the crisis.

He went outside with the coffee and opened up the RV. It was really quiet as the sun poked its face above the horizon for a look at him. Only birds were active, singing their songs that no doubt had some meaning to them. He removed the portable ham receiver and switched it on. He adjusted the squelch setting to remove the noise and tuned it looking for information.