North Dakota

[Jimmyjay86]

I was bored at work last week so I wrote an intro for a story. Its a rough first draft and could use more descriptive filler to make it an entire chapter and maybe a little polishing of the dialogues to make it less pulp-like. Its a basic post-apoc survivalist adventure story.

I escaped from the city a week before all hell broke loose. Told the boss that I needed a vacation and drove out towards North Dakota. Not the best choice, when it happened the farmfields around me erupted with ICBM’s heading for destinations unknown. I hit the brakes, got out of my car and watched the plumes heading upward in the morning sky, a chill running through my body. I always had a vague sense of what it would be like after the bombs launched but this wasn’t vague. This was real. I drove north on lone asphalt roads.

Apparently the news of impending doom spread to every little town. When I approached Wilbur on STH 46 a few cars blocked the road. A tall man in camouflage fatigues carrying an M-16 approached my car while two others squatted behind the cover of car doors with blued steel barrels poking out.

“Turn it off.� The man commanded.
“What’s going on?� I asked turning off the ignition.
“Huh? What do you mean, you have to have heard. It was broadcast over the civil defense channels. Damn near most cities are gone….in the whole damned world!�

It was still sinking in but hearing it from him was like a heavy punch in the gut. I managed to stop holding my breath and start breathing again.

“Wha, most cities, who?�
“It don’t sound good but we are in lock down until we know if the government is still here. You’re gonna have to go unless you know someone here. We can’t take chances, there’s a lot of scared people here.�
“Where? Where can I go?�
“No dice, not here. Sorry we can’t take chances right now. Things have changed. It’s nothing personal we have to protect our families.�

I turned the car around as the men watched and held their guns at the ready. My mind was reeling trying to think how I can survive now that I was an unwelcome stranger at every town. A mile later I pulled off the road and unfolded the highway map. There were other small towns like Wilbur within 30 miles but gas was getting low, I wasn’t sure if I could afford to waste gas checking them all to see if I could fit in. I knew the several hundred dollars in my wallet was worthless and nobody would give up their gas anymore. People were switching over into raw survival mode as soon as the bombs were launched. Things had changed.

I woke up from a nap to the sounds of hidden crickets chirping in the grass of the midday sun. Clouds were on the western horizon, black dark clouds. It wasn’t a storm it was smoke from far-off burning cities.

I drove on and turned right onto the first gravel road. About a mile down I stopped in front of a locked gate. It blocked a driveway leading into some woods. I saw a farm perched at the base of a hill some distance away. I looked at the lock and heard the whine of a couple dirt bikes as they drove up the driveway. They separated and approached slowly within a few hundred feet on either side of me.

“What do you want?�
“I don’t have any where to go. Please can I come in?�
“Heh, just like that you want us to let you in. We aren’t running a charity here. We know what things are gonna be like. Who are you? What do you have with you?�
“I’m alone. Name’s Mike Guilare from Minneapolis. Left there two days ago. I had a feeling. I still have a quarter tank of gas, tools, and some food. I’m an accountant but I know how to work on cars and was an electrician before I went to college.�
“What kinda tools you got?�
“Everything to work on the car, a soldering gun, and stuff. I’ve got a couple laptops and some other computer stuff I bought in South Dakota.�
“You got a gun?�
“No.�
“Mind if we search ya? We don’t like troublemakers.�
“Go ahead, I’m not a criminal.�
�Yeah, well I’m thinking a lot of regular folks are going to start turning criminal when they can’t buy food at the grocery store anymore.�

I sat on the hood of the car while they looked through the whole car. They seemed satisfied and came over by me.

“Mike, I’m Chuck and this is Danny. We’re gonna give you a chance because you could be useful around here and we think we can trust you. Shit is gonna get extremely ugly if the world is as messed up as we’ve been hearing. But you are gonna have to prove yourself before we can totally trust you – understand? And if you abuse that trust in any way, there is a bullet with your name on it just waiting.�

Chuck took some keys from his pocket and opened the padlock. The gate swung open with a rusty squealing and I pulled the car slowly forward into the driveway. They locked the gate and escorted me towards the farmhouse leaving a dusty cloud behind.

[avenger69ie]

JJ i'm hardly a critic, but i liked it, You definetly have to continue this story mate :)

[Guest]

I just HAD to dig this out to say:


That was a damn fine story.