We didn't hear from Bryan last night so we settled in with some books and read for awhile before going to bed. I was so tired from all that the things I'd done that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I really don't know if it was exhaustion or the stress of not knowing what's going on but last night I had some of the worst nightmares of my life. I dreamed people were just going crazy. They were looting stores, breaking into homes, raping women and young girls. Killing the men in the houses. The people who got out and risked driving were hit by mobs who would break the windows out of the cars, drag the people out, and beat them. Then they took off with the cars. Homes and business were torched and the police were nowhere to be found. I was never so happy to wake up as I was this morning. Was it just a bad dream or was it a sign of things to come? Or was it just an active imagination? I'm not sure but it's scary, regardless.
This afternoon I was outside raking leaves when my neighbor pulled into our driveway and two other men pulled into his driveway. I noticed Bryan had the back of his truck full of big barrels and each man was wearing a sidearm. They walked over to me and Bryan was the first to say anything. He said "Let's go in the house so I can tell you and John at the same time what's happened." The other men stayed outside to guard the truck.
When we got inside, we went into the living room. John had been sitting on the couch, handgun at his side, watching me while I worked outside. Bryan said he was sorry he hadn't made it back last night but his brother had not yet set up his ham radio so they spent most of the early evening getting it up and running. When they finally reached someone on it they learned the news wasn't good at all. Apparently, in a highly coordinated series of attacks someone has managed to take out the whole North American power grid. No one in Canada, America or Mexico had power. But that's not the worst of it. It seems that whoever did this also took out most of the refineries and the gas pipelines. What little natural gas is coming through the lines won't last long. I don't know who was most shocked, me or John.
Bryan asked if my son was home and if he could give him a hand for a little bit so I went and got my son. When we came back Bryan said he'd brought us 200 gallons of gasoline and a hand pump to use on the barrels. He did it because he knows John's life depends on the generator. I told him we don't have money to pay him back and he said not to worry about it because money isn't going to do any good when no stores are open. Then he told us he has a huge underground gas tank at the business that is full of gas and no one working there to use it so his brother and nephew followed him back to the business and filled several barrels, his truck, his brother's car and his nephew's car with gas. They also filled several gas cans and followed him to our house. They were the ones guarding the truck outside. According to Bryan, people in the bigger towns and cities know what's happened and are looting the businesses but so far have left the homes alone. He seemed pretty sad and finally told us his wife is in Texas and he doesn't know when he'll see her again. He's going to his parents house to check on them but wanted to make sure we're okay first.
I moved the Jimmy so he could back up to the garage. The three of them and my son unloaded four barrels from the back of the truck into our garage. Bryan asked me if we had any guns and I told him we had two. One handgun and one rifle. He asked what kind of ammo they took and how much we had. I told him we had 4000 rounds of 22LR. He walked to the front of his truck, pulled out another rifle and a big box of ammo and handed it to my son. Then he asked how much gas we had in the van and Jimmy. I told him the van was full and the Jimmy had about 1/4 tank. He had his nephew put four more cans of gas in the garage, plus two big bags of soil, a stack of seed trays and a box of various seeds. I thanked him for everything he's done for us and said I could never repay him. I almost cried when he told me we'd been his best neighbors for almost 20 years and he wants to do his best to make sure we're still here if and when he gets to come back and live in his own home. I hugged him and they left to go back to his house to pack some things.
A little later they came back with a barbecue grill and two big bags of charcoal. Bryan knows we have a gas grill and even though he saw the 6 tanks stored in the garage he said we might as well use his grill and charcoal since he doesn't need them. His brother lives out in a rural area and owns 150 acres with a lot of woodland on it so they have all the fuel they need for cooking and heating. He asked for the keys to the van and Jimmy. I didn't hesitate to hand them over. I trust him. He gave the Jimmy keys to his brother and he took the van keys. He had his brother drive the Jimmy into the drive way and back it into his yard then up as close as he could to the garage so that no one would be able to get the gas out of the Jimmy. Then he pulled the van in front of it, blocking the gas cap on it. They locked both vehicles and gave me the keys. Bryan hugged me briefly and left with the reminder to take care, ration our stuff to last as long as possible, and keep a sharp eye out because things are only going to get worse. I miss him already and hope he's okay.
After Bryan left, we came inside and sat in the living room. We didn't talk. We just sat in silence. I think we were all in shock. I don't think any of us have ever imagined things could be this bad. Well, at least my husband and son haven't. I've always felt that one day there would be an attack that would make 9-11-2001 look small and maybe I was right. I have this wrenching feeling inside that the death toll will be greater and the after effects longer and harder. I hope I'm wrong but I think I'm right and it's just a matter of time.
This afternoon I was outside raking leaves when my neighbor pulled into our driveway and two other men pulled into his driveway. I noticed Bryan had the back of his truck full of big barrels and each man was wearing a sidearm. They walked over to me and Bryan was the first to say anything. He said "Let's go in the house so I can tell you and John at the same time what's happened." The other men stayed outside to guard the truck.
When we got inside, we went into the living room. John had been sitting on the couch, handgun at his side, watching me while I worked outside. Bryan said he was sorry he hadn't made it back last night but his brother had not yet set up his ham radio so they spent most of the early evening getting it up and running. When they finally reached someone on it they learned the news wasn't good at all. Apparently, in a highly coordinated series of attacks someone has managed to take out the whole North American power grid. No one in Canada, America or Mexico had power. But that's not the worst of it. It seems that whoever did this also took out most of the refineries and the gas pipelines. What little natural gas is coming through the lines won't last long. I don't know who was most shocked, me or John.
Bryan asked if my son was home and if he could give him a hand for a little bit so I went and got my son. When we came back Bryan said he'd brought us 200 gallons of gasoline and a hand pump to use on the barrels. He did it because he knows John's life depends on the generator. I told him we don't have money to pay him back and he said not to worry about it because money isn't going to do any good when no stores are open. Then he told us he has a huge underground gas tank at the business that is full of gas and no one working there to use it so his brother and nephew followed him back to the business and filled several barrels, his truck, his brother's car and his nephew's car with gas. They also filled several gas cans and followed him to our house. They were the ones guarding the truck outside. According to Bryan, people in the bigger towns and cities know what's happened and are looting the businesses but so far have left the homes alone. He seemed pretty sad and finally told us his wife is in Texas and he doesn't know when he'll see her again. He's going to his parents house to check on them but wanted to make sure we're okay first.
I moved the Jimmy so he could back up to the garage. The three of them and my son unloaded four barrels from the back of the truck into our garage. Bryan asked me if we had any guns and I told him we had two. One handgun and one rifle. He asked what kind of ammo they took and how much we had. I told him we had 4000 rounds of 22LR. He walked to the front of his truck, pulled out another rifle and a big box of ammo and handed it to my son. Then he asked how much gas we had in the van and Jimmy. I told him the van was full and the Jimmy had about 1/4 tank. He had his nephew put four more cans of gas in the garage, plus two big bags of soil, a stack of seed trays and a box of various seeds. I thanked him for everything he's done for us and said I could never repay him. I almost cried when he told me we'd been his best neighbors for almost 20 years and he wants to do his best to make sure we're still here if and when he gets to come back and live in his own home. I hugged him and they left to go back to his house to pack some things.
A little later they came back with a barbecue grill and two big bags of charcoal. Bryan knows we have a gas grill and even though he saw the 6 tanks stored in the garage he said we might as well use his grill and charcoal since he doesn't need them. His brother lives out in a rural area and owns 150 acres with a lot of woodland on it so they have all the fuel they need for cooking and heating. He asked for the keys to the van and Jimmy. I didn't hesitate to hand them over. I trust him. He gave the Jimmy keys to his brother and he took the van keys. He had his brother drive the Jimmy into the drive way and back it into his yard then up as close as he could to the garage so that no one would be able to get the gas out of the Jimmy. Then he pulled the van in front of it, blocking the gas cap on it. They locked both vehicles and gave me the keys. Bryan hugged me briefly and left with the reminder to take care, ration our stuff to last as long as possible, and keep a sharp eye out because things are only going to get worse. I miss him already and hope he's okay.
After Bryan left, we came inside and sat in the living room. We didn't talk. We just sat in silence. I think we were all in shock. I don't think any of us have ever imagined things could be this bad. Well, at least my husband and son haven't. I've always felt that one day there would be an attack that would make 9-11-2001 look small and maybe I was right. I have this wrenching feeling inside that the death toll will be greater and the after effects longer and harder. I hope I'm wrong but I think I'm right and it's just a matter of time.