blanket over them, he tucked the edge under Sandy’s chin. He left the engine running so as to keep a constant flow of heat inside the cab, despite the extra fuel cost. The last thing that Casey thought of before drifting off to sleep, were the animals in the back of his truck and all of the excrement that he’d find in the morning. He wasn’t looking forward to cleaning up the mess.
Evacuation
World War III – Day Three
San Diego, California
Beth awoke with a start. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up on the cot, as a yawn escaped from her lips. Duke was curled up in a ball on the floor next to her. When she moved he lifted his head and gazed up at her. From outside she could hear the rumbling of vehicles as they passed by.
“Do you hear that?”
Duke yawned and stretched his paws out in front of him. He licked his lips and then curled into a tighter ball, once again resting his head on his paws.
Beth stood up and slowly walked over to one of the windows. The concrete floor beneath her bare feet felt cold and sent shivers down her spine.
I should have brought my slippers down here with me.
She pushed one of the storage boxes under the window and climbed on top of it. Gazing out the window from ground level she watched, as one truck after another passed by. A man’s voice on a loud speaker was shouting instructions.
“I’ll be right back,” Beth told Duke, as she climbed down from the box. “You stay here and guard our supplies.” She slid the .357 Magnum into her pocket and slowly climbed the steps towards the kitchen.
Duke yipped playfully before sitting down on the rug at the foot of the steps. He wagged his tail joyfully. Whatever game they were playing, Duke was having a blast.
Beth opened the door leading from the basement to the kitchen and peered out. She wheezed and immediately covered her nose, as the stench of rotten eggs filled her nostrils. She and Duke had taken shelter so quickly that she’d completely forgotten about her meal left uneaten.
The food was still laid out on the TV tray in the living room, right where she’d left it. Several flies were resting on the half eaten toast with a dozen more swarming above. The bowl of oatmeal had hardened and turned from golden-brown to bluish-grey. A few more flies crawled across the small pile of scrambled eggs, which stank to high heaven.
“Oh dear,” gasped Beth, disgusted by the foul odor.
Pinching her nose shut Beth chased away the flies and picked up the remainder of food, tossing it into the trash can. She then made her way around the house opening some windows to let in fresh air. A small gasp escaped from her mouth when she reached the kitchen window and found it already open.
“I must have forgotten to close this one,” she murmured to herself, realizing it was probably how the flies had gotten inside the house.
Standing in front of the window, Beth gazed out at the Pacific Ocean. A flock of seagulls glided above the foamy surf, searching for their next meal. The systematic sound of waves crashing against the rocky cliffs was both mesmerizing and peaceful. She filled her lungs with a deep breath of fresh air and watched as the sea rolled in and out, caressing the sandy beach. The salty air brought a smile to her face. Further out to sea Beth could see a thick mist approaching the coast, as wind carried in the marine layer.
For just an instant Beth thought that she saw something in the fog, but then it disappeared. She continued to gaze into the mist and after a moment saw a brief flicker of movement. Once again the image disappeared into the fog. It seemed as though something was approaching the shoreline using the mist for cover.
Beth quickly retrieved a pair of binoculars and peered out towards the sea. She slowly scanned the horizon from left to right and then back again. After a few minutes of searching, Beth found the image that she’d glimpsed. The closer the fog came to the coast, the more it
Evacuation
World War III – Day Three
San Diego, California
Beth awoke with a start. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up on the cot, as a yawn escaped from her lips. Duke was curled up in a ball on the floor next to her. When she moved he lifted his head and gazed up at her. From outside she could hear the rumbling of vehicles as they passed by.
“Do you hear that?”
Duke yawned and stretched his paws out in front of him. He licked his lips and then curled into a tighter ball, once again resting his head on his paws.
Beth stood up and slowly walked over to one of the windows. The concrete floor beneath her bare feet felt cold and sent shivers down her spine.
I should have brought my slippers down here with me.
She pushed one of the storage boxes under the window and climbed on top of it. Gazing out the window from ground level she watched, as one truck after another passed by. A man’s voice on a loud speaker was shouting instructions.
“I’ll be right back,” Beth told Duke, as she climbed down from the box. “You stay here and guard our supplies.” She slid the .357 Magnum into her pocket and slowly climbed the steps towards the kitchen.
Duke yipped playfully before sitting down on the rug at the foot of the steps. He wagged his tail joyfully. Whatever game they were playing, Duke was having a blast.
Beth opened the door leading from the basement to the kitchen and peered out. She wheezed and immediately covered her nose, as the stench of rotten eggs filled her nostrils. She and Duke had taken shelter so quickly that she’d completely forgotten about her meal left uneaten.
The food was still laid out on the TV tray in the living room, right where she’d left it. Several flies were resting on the half eaten toast with a dozen more swarming above. The bowl of oatmeal had hardened and turned from golden-brown to bluish-grey. A few more flies crawled across the small pile of scrambled eggs, which stank to high heaven.
“Oh dear,” gasped Beth, disgusted by the foul odor.
Pinching her nose shut Beth chased away the flies and picked up the remainder of food, tossing it into the trash can. She then made her way around the house opening some windows to let in fresh air. A small gasp escaped from her mouth when she reached the kitchen window and found it already open.
“I must have forgotten to close this one,” she murmured to herself, realizing it was probably how the flies had gotten inside the house.
Standing in front of the window, Beth gazed out at the Pacific Ocean. A flock of seagulls glided above the foamy surf, searching for their next meal. The systematic sound of waves crashing against the rocky cliffs was both mesmerizing and peaceful. She filled her lungs with a deep breath of fresh air and watched as the sea rolled in and out, caressing the sandy beach. The salty air brought a smile to her face. Further out to sea Beth could see a thick mist approaching the coast, as wind carried in the marine layer.
For just an instant Beth thought that she saw something in the fog, but then it disappeared. She continued to gaze into the mist and after a moment saw a brief flicker of movement. Once again the image disappeared into the fog. It seemed as though something was approaching the shoreline using the mist for cover.
Beth quickly retrieved a pair of binoculars and peered out towards the sea. She slowly scanned the horizon from left to right and then back again. After a few minutes of searching, Beth found the image that she’d glimpsed. The closer the fog came to the coast, the more it
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