Forum Business > Member Original Diaries

Writing a Story... Appalachia Rising

<< < (3/3)

fordguy_85:
Chapter 5

The remaining CFC soldier, whose nametag read 'Wolford', was pressed into service to dig a shallow grave for Dwight behind the church. Having only an e-tool to use, it took some time in the frozen, rocky soil. Preston pulled the CFC van around behind the church, out of sight to casual passers by.

After the grave was dug, Marty and Rick said a few words over Dwight. Preston and the other talked amongst themselves over what to do with the CFC soldier as Wolford, once again trussed up and gagged, resumed his  scowling while trying to catch his breath in the cold.

All three agreed that Wolford was a major threat to the three of them, though Preston didn't want to just execute the now helpless prisoner. Rick said, "I understand where you're coming from, but you may not realize the things these guys have done to folks like us when we get caught. This piece of garbage shot Dwight in cold blood, and as far as I'm concerned an 'eye for an eye' is an acceptable way to settle this."

In the end, Preston gave in, allowing Rick to execute a no longer glaring Wolford with his Glock 22. After the deed was done, the three men hastily covered his body and the other guard, whose name tag read 'Fleeman' with stones and fallen limbs to discourage scavengers from scattering the remains.

Going through the van, the men took everything of value they could carry. Preston took only some rations, an extra magazine for his AR, and a few rounds of ammo. Marty and Rick ended up with the guards' rifles and sidearms, ammo and mags for each, and two Molle assault packs.

Preston asked the two men if they had somewhere they could head to, and that if they didn't, they could come with him so long as they could keep a low profile in the woods.

Marty had lost his wife in the raid that had seen him become a POW in his own country, while Rick was a bachelor so neither had anything much to return home for or to. Both men were from southern WV. Preston agreed that the men could accompany him back to his small compound deep in the mountains so long as they could pull their own weight in 'the bush'.

Knowing the van would attract attention pretty quickly, even behind the old church, the three men decided to try to get it as far away from there as possible. Spotting a place just down the road with an opening in the brush, they decided to put the four-wheel drive capabilities to the test. Spotting for Marty, Preston guided him across the berm and into the brush beyond it. Then Preston cut some small saplings and brush from beyond the road to disguise the opening they'd driven through. Finally, he took a limb from a small white pine to attempt to clear the tracks from the shoulder of the road.


After a short distance, the brush gave way to fairly open woods, but navigating the rocky terrain was difficult in the top heavy van. After about a half mile, it was clear the men would have to ditch the van.

AlanS:

--- Quote from: fordguy_85 on July 25, 2017, 01:50:50 PM ---Chapter 1

The wind was cold as it moaned its way ....

--- End quote ---

I have no idea why, that reminded me of this. ::laughonfloor::



Great read so far, Eric! ::thumbsup::

fordguy_85:
Thanks guys. This is, thus far, the longest thing I've ever written, so bear with me on it.

Alan, I can perfectly understand.

Here's some more.

Chapter 6

After pushing the van as far as they could, Preston, Marty, and Rick double checked the van for usable items, finding a flashlight and some spare batteries. They also emptied the glovebox of official registration and interstate movement authorization papers to use in firemaking.

After an hour or so, the three men established a good pace to get some distance between them and the abandoned van. Pushing straight through without stopping, the men hiked speaking but little, leaving themselves just enough time to make camp before stopping.

Spotting a rock bluff, Preston led them to a spot with a natural chimney and they started gathering limbs to build a large lean-to. A bit later, the men huddled over the warm fire waiting on jerky stew to finish cooking while attempting to get to know one another. They each also took advantage of the calories in an MRE package.

After eating Preston spread the fire out between their beds, adding a small amount of fuel to keep it burning a bit. Drawing for watch duty, Rick drew the short pine needle and settled down at the low 'doorway' to the lean-to shelter. Preston would be second up and handed Rick his antique pocket watch to keep time by.

Just before 2:00AM, Rick heard a limb break at the bottom of the bench, somewhere around 150-200 yards away, he shook Preston awake. Preston, unaccustomed to being wakened, came to sidearm in hand. "Shhh..." Rick motioned for Preston to wake Marty.

As Marty was coming around, Preston and Rick sat outside the lean-to listening, rifles at the ready. After another *snap* and hearing some grunting, they decided a black bear posed a bit less of a threat than did a squad of CFC troops. Seeing it was nearly 2:30, Preston had Rick and Marty turn in, promising to wake them at 6:00.

 With nothing to do but occasionally feed the spread out fire and think to keep himself awake and listening, Preston's thoughts soon turned to happier, better times. He thought of many mornings spent waiting for dawn with his father, either squirrel or deer hunting. Thoughts of his father, though, did not stay pleasant for long.

No one knew what the straw was that had broken the camel's back, but Preston figured it didn't matter. The coup de grace had been carried out overnight in a well planned, surgical strike planned by corrupt politicians, a former president, and several prominent businessmen. Millions of Americans had wakened to only one program on television, a looping broadcast that sought to control public perception of the 'regrettable but unavoidable' deaths of so many public officials. The Vice President almost immediately declared martial law, and Congress pushed through legislation that declared the Constitution to be abolished effective directly. Men and women who had appropriately greased the correct palms were appointed to vacant as well as entirely new positions.

Overnight, patriot groups, militias, and similarly minded men and women took up arms to resist. Decades of purging the military brass of conservatives and those who took their oaths to defend the Constitution had led to a military that was indifferent to the rights that had been taken for granted for so long. This military then turned their full might against those who had once bought meals for them, thanked them for their service, and shared the bond of citizenship with.

One of Preston's grandfathers had served in the Marine Corps and seen some of the last combat action in Vietnam, and when Saddam's regime was ousted from Iraq was a full bird Colonel. His Father had been stationed in Japan when North Korea leveled Seoul with a nuclear weapon carried by their Nodong missile system. After his Humvee was hit by an RPG, he was medically discharged from the Corps. Only two years later, he was killed fighting; not in North Korea, Afghanistan, or some other third world hellhole. He shot on American soil by a CFC soldier outside of Knoxville, TN.

fordguy_85:
Chapter 7

As the night slowly began to give way to the dawn, Preston shivered as the wind began to shift. Waiting a few minutes longer, he woke Marty and Rick. Bleary eyed and stiff, the three men tore down their shelter and made an effort to hide the remains of their fire.

Checking his map, Preston verified their bearings, and the three of them headed out into the wilderness yet again. Finding a deep draw leading up to a low saddle, the men decided to try trekking out the ridge line. Pausing only as necessary, the men made good time. Consulting his map as they rested eating a cold lunch of jerky and crabapples, Preston calculated that they could make it to his homestead in about two.

As they headed out after lunch, Preston set his mind to figuring out how he wanted to approach the upcoming river crossing. Not wanting to risk a report of a missing boat, yet wanting a quick way across, he spoke with Marty and Rick as they walked and they agreed that a raft would likely be the most practical solution.

Crossing a deep valley to avoid two small towns, the trio once again made the arduous climb to the ridge top of the other side. Preston knew this particular ridge would bring them right to the river crossing. From there, they would have a steep scramble up the far side, but it was fairly secluded.

Marty was on point when he saw the men. Dropping to a knee and raising his hand in a 'stop' sign, Rick and Preston immediately took cover behind the roots of a fallen oak.  Crawling up to Marty's position, Preston caught sight of the four men ahead as well. Thinking he recognized one of them, but not entirely sure, Preston signaled Rick to ease out to the right to flank them in case he was mistaken. He also told Marty not to shoot unless something happened to him.

Slipping a bit closer, Preston became more sure of who the group of men was. Taking cover against the possibility of a reaction shot, Preston softly called out, "Jim, ain't you too old for sneaking around in the mountains?"

Even as the three others dropped to the ground at the sound of Preston's voice, Jim laughed a phlegmy laugh, responding, "I'm not too old to whoop your hind-end Preston Reynolds..." Standing, Preston waved Rick and Marty over to the group.

"What're you boys doing out here?" Asked Jim. "I'm on my way back to the homeplace, and picked up a couple hitchikers here." Preston introduced Rick and Marty to Jim, his son-in-law Dale, his nephew Alan, and their neighbor Gerald.

"How all y'all doing these days?" Rick asked a bit later as the introductions had been made. "Honestly, we've seen better days... Louise has been sick in her chest almost all winter, but we can't get medicine these days. Doctors won't see ya unless you have a promissory note from the magistrate's office. And I ain't gonna go groveling after permission to see no doctor." "Besides, Louise wouldn't go even if I did. Never did much care for doctors."

Digging deep into his pack, Preston produced a bundle of dried herbs. Looking through it, he pulled out a pouch of dried mullein leaves and a plastic bag of dried ground ivy. "Either have her breathe the smoke from the mullein, or actually let her smoke it. You can make a tea from the ivy. Between em it should at least help with the congestion and get her lungs cleared up some."

"I appreciate it son. Things have been tough around here this winter. Production tax on my farm barely left enough for us to eat, much less to sell, and I just don't know if we'll have enough for seed this next year."

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page