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Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
It has been a loopy, thrilling week, however not in a great type of approach.
The day after Christmas, two issues occurred: 1) It snowed. Not a lot, a ‘dusting’ as Dad put it. It was principally passed by midday, besides within the deep shadows. Snow round right here is uncommon. 2) The ‘HAM’ man stated there have been studies of a ‘gang’ going round in vans attacking distant properties and farms.
The subsequent day two males on a mud bike got here rushing down our avenue. They’d these huge black rifles. Nobody has heard a automotive not to mention a mud bike in months. Everybody got here out of their properties to see what was happening, many with their very own weapons. The fellows on the dust bike rotated and sped again the way in which they got here.
Many within the neighborhood gathered in teams to speak about what they noticed and what it meant. Jack confirmed up a couple of minutes later from his avenue and requested what occurred. As soon as he heard what folks had been saying, he appeared to suppose for a second. Jack then stated whereas he was out buying and selling with others in surrounding neighborhoods and approach down on the town, a number of stated they noticed two vans pulling RVs with one other half dozen or so vans, one with two dust bikes within the beds taking place Outdated River Highway. Jack went and talked with the HAM man to ask the native HAMs in the event that they heard of something uncommon. The HAM man stated the web was ‘chattering’ about working vans and the assaults. An previous fisherman went to his favourite fishing gap off Outdated River Highway, a distant boat launch and picnic website, to search out it was occupied by two RVs, a bunch of vans, and a few mean-looking guys in ‘tactical’ gear. The fisherman high-tailed it out of there earlier than they noticed him. Jack didn’t suppose they might assault our neighborhood. He pointed to all of the folks with weapons. If the 2 guys on the dust bike had been out scouting the world, the Miller farm, however, they might assault them.
Jack, who’s the chief of the militia, break up the militia into two. One group he referred to as ‘dwelling guard’ would keep within the neighborhood and maintain watch. The opposite group, he referred to as the ‘assault staff’, made up of principally fight veterans, would arrange an ambush on the Miller’s farm.
It was early morning the subsequent day, I used to be serving to Mother turning over the compost pile within the again yard once we heard uninteresting explosions after which gun hearth within the distance within the route of the Miller farm. Mother and I stood silently, listening to the speedy hearth of many weapons. Then it stopped. Diary, I’m not going to lie, I felt slightly responsible, however the first individual I considered was Billy. It was not until a lot later that I discovered he and his whole household and the farm had been protected.
Jack and his assault staff arrange an ambush, utilizing what he referred to as ‘a number of family chemical compounds within the correct proportions’ to make one thing Jack referred to as ‘HMEs,’ no matter these are, and ‘interlocking fields of fireplace’ to take out the gang. To Mother and me, the firefight seemed like endlessly.
However Jack stated, “It was all achieved and over with in lower than 5 minutes.”
There have been no survivors.
Jack and his assault staff took the 2 remaining functioning gang vans and went to the positioning off Outdated River Highway, the place the fisherman noticed the RVs and vans on the boat launch. They received inside a mile after which ‘humped’ it in. There have been two vans with RVs behind them, three girls with rifles, and an previous man with a shotgun sitting round a campfire speaking with one another. Jack gave the sign, and the ‘assault staff’ quietly overtook them with no shot.
The bigger RV was empty. Jack stated it was ‘nicer’ than his own residence, only a bit smaller and on wheels. The smaller one was filthy inside, smelled badly of human sweat and had ten girls and a small boy tied up in it. Jack stated the opposite girls, the previous man, and the others used them as ‘slave’ labor and ‘leisure.’ When somebody requested what Jack did with the ‘different’ armed girls and the previous man, Jack simply stated he gave these girls they freed a size of firewood and allow them to have at it.
Justice was served, he stated.
Diary, I’m not certain how I felt about that.
Then a truck pulling a RV pushed by one of many ‘assault staff’ members rolled as much as a cease in entrance of us. The RV door opened, and slowly, the ladies got here out. They had been skinny. Mother stated ‘gaunt.’ Their hair was messy and greasy. Some had bruises on their faces. A couple of limped, and one wanted assist as a result of she limped so badly. The boy was not a lot better. One younger, skinny woman, youthful than me, regarded round fearfully at us.
I don’t know why, however I walked as much as her and instructed her it was ‘okay’ and he or she was ‘protected’ now. She immediately hugged me and began sobbing, ‘It’s over,’ time and again.
A tall, huge ‘boned’ lady with lengthy auburn hair stepped down from the RV, noticed me hugging the younger woman, and walked over. She put her hand on the woman’s shoulder. The younger woman regarded up on the lady. The girl instructed her,
“Sure. It’s over. We’re protected now.”
She then checked out me. Her face was a large number of black, blue, and yellow bruises. Her nostril was crooked. However she had stunning blue eyes with a fierce willpower behind them. She winced barely when she smiled at me as a lot as she may smile along with her swollen face.
Diary, now I’m not certain what to suppose.
Entry 2
Expensive Diary,
Extra thrilling information: I’ve a gun.
Nope. Not a gun. A rifle, as Jack would right me.
After the gang firefight, Jack and the assault staff recovered a bunch of rifles, ammo, and different ‘tactical’ gear. They discovered much more within the huge RV. Jack guessed it was plunder from the gang’s victims.
A lot to my and Dad’s shock, after seeing the situation of the freed girls and listening to in regards to the rifles and ammo, Mother walked proper as much as Jack and stated, “Give me one.”
Diary, the factor is, we’ve by no means had any rifles. So far as I do know, Mother and Dad by no means had one, not to mention shot one.
Jack requested Mother if she or Dad knew learn how to use one. Jack regarded like he was about to say ‘no’ when Mother stated they didn’t, however then the auburn lady interjected, “The world was harmful earlier than the lights went out. It’s extra so now.”
She regarded proper at me with these fierce blue eyes. “They’ll want it.”
Once I first heard her speak, I believed the accent was from her swollen face. Nope, she simply had a deep Southern accent. Her title was Celia-Rae, however everybody referred to as her ‘Rae.’
Jack checked out Rae, checked out me, appeared to suppose for a second, then merely stated, “Okay.”
Jack and the remainder of the militia spent a whole week coaching these within the neighborhood who had been bodily in a position learn how to shoot. Even those that knew went by means of ‘remedial’ coaching. The primary day, I used to be stunned to see how many individuals had firearms. I didn’t know the distinction between all of the firearms. What I did know was from what I noticed on TV and within the motion pictures.
Now, I do know the distinction between a bolt-rifle, a lever-action rifle, a semi-auto rifle, a shotgun a rimfire, revolvers and semi-auto pistols.
For these of us who’ve by no means fired a firearm, our group consists of me, Mother and Dad, a number of children youthful than me, and a couple of dozen different adults. We practiced primary marksmanship with air rifles.
Dad was simply ‘okay.’
Mother was higher than him.
I used to be higher than each of them. Jack even gave me a uncommon smile and stated I used to be a ‘pure,’ no matter that meant.
Then, it was time for us to ‘attempt’ out completely different rifles to see which we had been most snug with.
Mother and Dad had been most snug with the black rifle. Surprisingly, Mother was enthusiastic about taking pictures it.
Me, nope. Don’t know why. For no matter motive, it simply didn’t really feel proper.
Jack was wanting on the folding desk of rifles for one thing else for me to attempt when Rae walked as much as me, handed me a lever-action rifle with a black artificial inventory, and stated, “Give this one a attempt, honey,” in her heavy Southern accent.
I aimed on the goal taped to a tree 100 yards away and squeezed the set off similar to Jack taught me. I regarded over my shoulder at Rae and Jack and couldn’t assist however smile. Rae laughed, and Jack gave one other uncommon smile. He then instructed me to take one other shot. I did. Then I stated to them, “I like this!”
Jack gave me a glance. He then nodded, instructed me to ‘make protected,’ walked down and changed the goal with a special one. He got here again and topped off the rifle’s journal.
“Once I say, ‘go,’ I would like you to shoulder the rifle, take off the security, and shoot 5 rounds on the paper plate as quick as you possibly can.”
Diary, I shot and hit the paper plate with all 5 rounds in six seconds. The paper plate was eight inches. All my photographs had been nicely inside six inches. Jack stated he had by no means seen a lady shoot a lever-action so nicely on her first attempt.
Rae stated, “You by no means met me.”
Jack really chuckled.
“I knew she may do it,” Rae stated. “She has it in her.”
So, Diary, now I’ve a rifle.
Entry 3
Expensive Diary,
Dad and I hiked it to the Miller farm for work, him along with his ‘black’ rifle, me with mine.
As we walked up, Mr. Miller got here out, checked out us each with our rifles, and stated, “Good.”
Billy stated, “Seems to be good on you,” and smiled. I couldn’t assist however smile again.
Diary, New 12 months’s Eve, I believe, was higher than Christmas. However then there was a complete lot extra ingesting happening for the adults. And a few unhealthy however enjoyable singing.
Everybody did what they may for dinner: turkey, rooster, rabbit, venison, a number of hams, and the HAM man made hamburgers with do-it-yourself potato buns, onions, bacon, and mushrooms. Diary, I by no means appreciated mushrooms until now. Now I really like them. A couple of desserts. Dinner was an outside touring feast. Mother and Dad stayed at dwelling, handing out plates of turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Once I had my fill, I went again dwelling and handed out the final of the turkey whereas they made a spherical sampling others’ choices.
Throughout the first and second weeks after the ability went out, some folks within the neighborhood loaded up their vehicles and tried to make it to household in different elements of the state and even in different states. None returned.
The neighborhood decided to let the freed girls and the boy use these deserted properties as their very own. Rae and two different girls and the younger woman took a house two doorways down. Rae and a few of the others had been adjusting nicely to their new properties and the neighborhood. Others nonetheless had been fearful, principally of the boys. The little boy, once I did see him, simply sat and rocked backwards and forwards, not saying something and even wanting up once I tried to speak to him. There are two girls who had labored as social staff and one lady who had labored as a psychiatrist, attempting to work with them to assist them. I overheard Mother speaking with one who stated a number of of the ladies and the little boy could also be ‘misplaced endlessly’ as a result of injury achieved to them.
Diary, I suppose I’ve lived a reasonably sheltered life. Again within the previous neighborhood, I noticed some issues that weren’t good and I knew unhealthy issues occurred to good folks. Dangerous folks did unhealthy issues. However I had by no means seen it up shut like this.
Bodily, all the ladies are therapeutic. Even Rae. The bruises on her face have light away, her face is not swollen. She is definitely very fairly. However she has a presence, a energy about her that the opposite girls look as much as. I’ve even seen Jack taking a look at her another way. At some point, whereas she was coaching me learn how to dry hearth the snap shot, she stated one thing I don’t suppose she meant to say, at the very least out loud. Her energy and willpower might have been why she was abused a lot. One of many gang members discovered her energy and willpower as a problem and relished the chance to abuse her. However she by no means let him win. Even when he was violating her, she stated her solely remorse was she was not the one who ‘squeezed’ the set off on the ambush on the Miller farm to ‘finish’ him.
Diary, I’m not certain how I really feel about that.
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead isn’t solely a former Marine, but additionally a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He at present resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast along with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, sometimes hogs, cows and typically geese. He grows numerous veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal taking pictures, and is at present increasing his woodworking abilities.
