tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109706052024-03-07T00:11:01.558-08:00Miss Pink Ponsonby's Swell SoireeVenting with ALL my chins.Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-83536387297608035802012-05-25T05:00:00.001-07:002012-05-25T05:00:06.947-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 7<br />
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Today's entry marks the LAST one I will be posting for awhile. I hope you've enjoyed reading this post apocalyptic novel as much as I've enjoyed writing it and posting it for you. Thanks for reading!</div>
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*** </div>
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Chapter 7</div>
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They had scattered like kids at camp to pick the best bunks.
Dell got the master bedroom. Paul and Sorrel Bay chose two adjacent rooms each
with their own little deck. Sorrel Bay brought Polo Pig into her room and put
him on the deck with water and a large bowl of chicken feed. They had a discussion
about paper training that pig as soon as possible and in the meantime Sorrel
would be responsible for any accidents on the carpet. </div>
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Panda opted to sleep on the hanging hammock bed on the deck
off the living room. Just the idea of
sleeping out under the stars so high in the sky was like magic to her. This was
never anything that she imagined as being possible in the old world. She didn’t
run with the rich crowd! No one she knew lived like this.</div>
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They had dinner of fresh salad and feta with Greek olive
omelets. The fridge was packed with fresh eggs and Panda planned on soufflés,
crepes, hollandaise sauces…They ate on the main living room deck to watch the
south city burning. </div>
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Here and there, as the fire progressed, they watched other
parts of the city have rolling brownouts and eventually as the night
progressed, one by one the lights began to go out forever on the south side of
town.</div>
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*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-58614648137133838292012-05-24T06:22:00.000-07:002012-05-24T06:22:01.007-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 9<br />
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*** Chapter 6 Part 9</div>
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They entered the penthouse from the garden, into the family
room. On this level were 4 bedrooms each with its own on-suite bath and
hideaway . An open central staircase led down to the first floor which housed
the kitchen, dining room, library, large laundry room, maid’s quarters and a formal living room that
had its own giant terrace with southern and eastern exposure. In a beautifully
tiled alcove was the private elevator.
Sorrel discovered it and pointed it out to her father and then went and stood
over by the windows while he checked it out. It was clean, and they all heaved
a sigh of relief. </div>
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Dell was utterly enthralled. She had only seen things like
this in Architectural digest. In spite
of the 30 floors of stairs and the risk of a power outage trapping one in the
elevator, she felt like this was the safest place in the whole world. There
must be hidden treasures like this all over the city; each one a jewel yet to
be discovered and explored. But this one felt special, somehow. </div>
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Off of the kitchen was a huge butler’s pantry and a large
utility room with the garbage chute next to the service elevator and stairs. This
was how they moved the furniture in, as it was as large as the ones in IKEA,
and it led directly to the basement level and the underground parking. The
utility room and butler’s pantry shared a smaller private deck that ran the
length and connected to the kitchen deck for breakfast on the terrace
overlooking the city. Panda poked her head out to look at the deck and gave a
squeal equal to any pocket pig facing an edible delight. </div>
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Everyone skipped over
to see what she was so happy about. She was literally jumping up and down and
clapping her hands in uncharacteristic giddy delight.</div>
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Tucked into the corner of the utility room terrace was a
fully contained urban chicken coop, with 3 hens contentedly scratching and
clucking softly, happy to see human beings after 4 days and totally oblivious
that the world around them had ended. Self-filling water bottles and renewing
feed troughs as well as a chicken mister and small dust bath had kept these
poultry princesses in fine shape. Industrial sized bags of chicken feed, crushed oyster shells and
Monsanto-free cracked corn were stacked under the overhanging roof, safe from
wind and weather. </div>
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Dell said what everyone was thinking, “I think we should
live here forever and ever!”</div>
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*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-91127252495452345612012-05-23T06:20:00.002-07:002012-05-23T06:20:26.392-07:00Apo Calypso Chapter 6 part 8<br />
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*** </div>
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Chapter 6 Part 8</div>
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As the sun set in the west, tiny suns exploded into flame
all over the south part of the city. Watching it, Panda was reminded of the
night sky scenes from <u>Bladerunner</u>, where tall buildings that served as
housing and factory combined, let off puffs of lethal flame into the perpetual
twilight sky. It was beautiful. It was
also tragic. </div>
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“What is making the little explosions, Daddy?” asked Sorrel
Bay.</div>
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“I’d hazard a guess that it’s the gas lines exploding as the
fire goes from building to building,” he answered.</div>
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“And the cars going up in a blaze of glory when the fire
heats up their gas tanks.” Said Dell.</div>
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“A blaze of glory. A Blaze of Glory!” Sorrel liked the sound
of that.</div>
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Part of their view was blocked by the rooftop penthouse wall
that took up most of the southwest corner of the building. Panda started to
poke around to look for an entrance on this level rather than going back
downstairs and through the halls to the front door. Walking around to the north
side she followed a tiled walkway all the way around between the guard railing
and the building wall. At the juncture
of the North and West walls was a little garden gate. Passing through it she
entered a private garden terrace that was outside the French Doors of the
second story master bedroom suite of the penthouse. She followed the windowed wall all the way
around to the south corner, where, turning it, she found what she had longed
for: the perfect rooftop garden.</div>
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All along the southern wall of the rooftop penthouse was a
raised bed and pot garden containing every herb and savory you could grow.
Miniature fruit trees, even two avocado trees in huge glazed pots lined the
railings. Cascading strawberry pots were overloaded with ripe berries and the
lettuce bed was ready to be harvested. Perfectly staked tomatoes of at least 5
varieties at a glance were ripening in their pots. The solid plate glass wall of the southern
exposure windows reflected the last light of the day and Panda stood there to
enjoy it as the rest of the gang rounded the corner of the building to join
her. </div>
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Taking a look at the well tended garden, Paul told Sorrel to
run back to the garden gate and put Polo outside. No sense in letting that pig
root up the entire garden if left to run amok. “We’ll get a water bowl and food
out there for him until we are ready to leave.” </div>
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*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-72835334490611982452012-05-22T05:51:00.003-07:002012-05-22T05:51:31.116-07:00Apo Calypso Chapter 6 Part 7<br />
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*** Chapter 6 part 7</div>
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The top floor of the Wells Fargo Building held executive
suites with offices that were as elegant and spacious as a New York City
high-rise apartment. The CEO quarters held a bedroom, on-suite bathroom as well
as small kitchen and dining room, lined floor to ceiling in dark paneling and
bookshelves. Both Dell and Panda were delighted to get a look at the way the
‘other half’ lived. Were it not for the 29 flights of stairs and the risk of
power outage and no elevators, Dell would have wanted to spend a night or two
camping out in this dive. Panda put it
into her mental file of ‘perfect hideout getaway locations’. </div>
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As well as the executive suites there were also office
suites, reception areas, board rooms and elegantly appointed waiting areas. In
an alcove flanked by expensive pampered potted plants was a coffee kiosk.
Imagine that, they had their own private Starbucks! An abandoned sandwich
trolley, looking and smelling a little worse for wear, sat waiting for patrons
in the adjacent alcove filled with what had once been fresh salads, fruit
compotes and gourmet sandwiches. Paul
grabbed an apple and handed Sorrel Bay a banana to munch on from an attractive
display of whole fresh fruits.</div>
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They were 2/3rds around the perimeter of the hallways when
they found the stairs that led to the rooftop.
Leaving the remaining penthouse apartment in the far corner of the
building to be explored later, they went up the stairs through the door which
had been propped open with an office chair. </div>
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“Wow! That’s convenient!” said Dell, munching on an apple of
her own. They had all discussed how the rooftop was no doubt accessed via the
elevator but without some kind of override key, they would not be able to use
that way. They were counting on stairs or even a private elevator in one of the
penthouses that would give them rooftop access. Panda was hoping for a rooftop
garden on automatic water sprinklers.</div>
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What they found were the remains of an office party. A dozen
charming wrought iron patio tables and 2 dozen matching chairs sat in the
middle of the wide slate patio, each one decorated with an expensive and
wilting floral arrangement. And everywhere were the obligatory piles of human
ash complete with jewelry, shoes, wallets, purses, and office name tags on a
string or pocket clip. A traveling bar was set up at one end and at the other
end, looking like a disaster zone, was the toppled remnant of a large trestle
table laden with food and cake, utterly trashed and destroyed. </div>
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“Oh Yuck it smells like pig shit over here!” said Dell,
oblivious to having cussed in front of a child. As they turned to her to
remonstrate, the sleepy head of a piglet in a bow and a polo shirt rose out of
the debris and oinked excitedly.
Obviously meant for a gift for the party recipient, the pig seemed none
the worse for wear having eaten high on the hog for 3 days, no doubt drinking
whatever it could find from the melted ice buckets and buffet table pans once
holding orange juices and smoothies on ice. </div>
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Sorrel Bay was beside herself with joy as the tiny piglet
came up to her and liberally covered her hands and face in snotty enthusiastic
greeting. “Oh DADDY! Can we keep him? Isn’t he sweet?!” </div>
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Paul sighed and rubbed his forehead. “A pig in a polo shirt,
huh? I’ll have to think about this.”</div>
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Sorrel, who knew her animal husbandry, said, “Daddy this one
is too small to just turn loose to forage for himself! He’s just a baby!” </div>
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Paul knew he was beaten on that argument hands down. It
looked like he had just acquired a sewage disposal plant of his very own. “Well
get him some water from the bar over there, honey. He might be a little
dehydrated.”</div>
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Dell walked with Sorrel to help open water bottles so the
pig could drink its fill. It really was the cutest little bugger, fitting
perfectly in Sorrel Bay’s arms and not struggling at all! </div>
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Panda exchanged a long look with Paul. “It’s a good thing
that it was a tiny piglet. Anything full grown would have eaten through all
this food and available liquid 2 days ago.” </div>
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Paul, contemplating the imagined spectacle of finding a
dehydrated, suffering and nearly dead full grown pig on this rooftop, realized
he was going to have to make some serious decisions about how to protect Sorrel
from the constant shocks to come as they moved through their new world. No
matter what he did, she was going to run up against death, decay, suffering and
sorrow again and again. But letting her accompany him into unknown territory
was the only choice if he didn’t want to leave her behind alone waiting in the
car, or in an alcove, or in a million waiting rooms across the city to kick up
her heels while he was forever scouting out the lay of the land. Perhaps she
would just grow up immune to all of it? It was, after all, going to be her ‘new
normal.’ </div>
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“What do you want to name him, honey?” asked Dell.</div>
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“POLO!” said Sorrel in a decisive tone. “Polo Pig!” Everyone
got a good laugh out of that.</div>
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Moving upwind of the food mess and pig manure odors, Paul
and Panda walked to the edge of the roof and began to check out the city. It
was late afternoon and it would not be long before the sun was setting. The
view was breathtaking, the air crisp and the visibility was incredible. </div>
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Scanning the horizon, Panda let out a gasp and pointed
wordlessly toward the southwest part of the city. Dell and Sorrel, pig in tow,
joined them at the rail to see what she was pointing towards.</div>
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There, in the distance, South Sacramento was on fire.</div>
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*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-14261164535527895782012-05-21T05:46:00.000-07:002012-05-21T05:46:06.159-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 6<br />
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*** </div>
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Chapter 6 Part 6</div>
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Paul got down on one knee to be level with S. Petting her
hair, he told her to look only at him
and not at the grisly scene. Dell suggested she and Sorrel could go look at the
museum until Panda and Paul could clean out one of the elevators for their
use. Sorrel nodded her approval for this
plan and grasped Dell’s hand to walk away. Panda and Paul exchanged a look of
resigned sadness touched with horror and went to look for some kind of broom
and dustpan. </div>
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Of course colossal bank buildings don’t just happen to have
a broom and dustpan propped up behind the reception desk. After poking down side hallways and around
corners they found a utility closet which was of course locked. They finally found a good push broom and
industrial dust pan in the kitchen of the restaurant. There were also rubber
gloves and bar towels to tie around their mouths and noses to keep them from
inhaling any of that human ash. Then there was the added problem of where to
dispose of the skull and bones and debris. Just dumping it out the front door
to bump into later on their way out did not seem wise, so Panda got several bus
tubs from the restaurant and carried them, full of bone fragments and personal effects,
into the dumpster out behind the restaurant. </div>
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They cleaned out 3 of the elevators that had the most
fragments and visible bone pieces and decided to call it quits. There was just
something about constantly having to sweep up after the dead that was grating
on the nerves, and nobody really liked investing time and energy in doing a lot
of it. </div>
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Retrieving Dell and Sorrel from the museum shop, who came
laden with silk scarves, beaded jewelry, several picture books and some little
games of the quality only found in upscale museum stores delicious enough to
slaver over, they finally loaded onto the swept and purged elevator to the 30<sup>th</sup>
floor. </div>
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*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-43857907894112131822012-05-18T06:15:00.001-07:002012-05-18T06:15:38.034-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 5<br />
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*** </div>
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Chapter 6 Part 5</div>
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Dell and Sorrel tore through the IKEA on wings and wheels.
They filled two huge shopping carts with linens, dishes, down comforters,
storage containers and pillows. Sorrel was in charge of gathering all the
numbered papers with the bin and aisle number on them for the big ticket items
that would need to be assembled. </div>
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Dell was going to get the IKEA Ektorp sofa and
loveseat and two armchairs as well as 2 chaise lounges that she could picture
flanking the large windows that looked into her back yard from her den.
Depending on the size of the truck they could rustle up, she thought she might
enlist Panda and Paul to load up the floor models with new slipcovers so she
had that much less that needed to be assembled at home. </div>
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She told Sorrel to pick out a bedroom comforter set for when
she came to stay in Dell’s guest room.
This tickled Sorrel no end and since she had already demonstrated such
good taste when helping Dell select curtain panels, Dell knew she would pick
out just the thing. At the end of the whirlwind spree they ended up with
baskets heaving in front of the cinnamon bun and hot dog station at the back of
the store near the loading dock. </div>
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Dell looked at the 3 day old hot dogs on the little heated
rotisserie display case and thought they looked delicious and just about ready
to eat, just like the dogs at the movie theatre. The cinnamon buns were another
matter; rock hard and inedible. </div>
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She tossed out one tray that had been removed
from the oven but not put on display and got into the freezer for a fresh
batch. These buns were all pre-made and just needed 10 minutes of baking. Easy
as pie! They were coming out of the oven just as Panda and Paul came down
through the lobby having thoroughly enjoyed their rooftop foray of the solar
array. They all sat and had hot dogs and cinnamon buns before loading 3 large
truckloads of fabulous IKEA merchandise and driving to Dell’s.</div>
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*** </div>
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The Anderson’s thoroughly loved Dell’s house and Panda’s
too. Paul approved of the neighborhood because of the power grid but warned
that there would be risk of flooding when the levees broke from lack of
maintenance in the not too distant future. Dell rolled her eyes and Panda
informed Paul that she and Dell had already discussed this issue at
length. </div>
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“Why don’t you guys just get a boat and park it in your
driveway?” suggested Sorrel Bay. </div>
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Everyone laughed and agreed that this would be the best
get-away plan ever in the event of a water emergency. Dell discussed getting a
huge sea cruiser with all the comforts of home and Panda made a mental note to
raid a camping and outdoor equipment store for a very good inflatable raft to
add to her emergency gear. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Although the goal was to go get Panda and Dell’s stuff from
their old houses, free those yard pigs at Dell’s for the last time, and to
begin to get settled into their new neighborhood, they decided to take a detour
from the plan and head to the Wells Fargo Center with Paul and Sorrel Bay to
get a good look at the city from on high.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Wells Fargo Center, at 420 feet tall, was the highest
building in Sacramento. Although hardly
a skyscraper, it had the best view from the upper floors of anywhere in the
city. With 30 stories, 13 elevators, a basement and 2 sub-basements including a huge glassed atrium on the first
floor and housing the Wells Fargo Historical Museum, there was so much to explore and poke around
in. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda really wanted to get down to the sub-basements. What could be down
there? That might be exciting! Dell and
Sorrel wanted to poke around in the museum gift shop for treasures and everyone
agreed it would be worthwhile to tidy up the Il Fornaio restaurant and forage
for a delicious dinner for later. But first, to the upper floor to explore for
an opening onto the roof. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although there was no <i>public</i>
observation deck on the roof of the building, all buildings had some roof
access and with no security to stop them, they were pretty sure they could find
a way onto it. Panda had her good binoculars and Paul was betting on several of
the corporate offices having telescopes by their windows. It was just human nature to have a telescope
in a high rise. But even without that, the view would be spectacular to the
naked eye, with a full panorama of the whole valley and both rivers. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Sorrel skipped ahead and pushed all the call buttons for the
double bank of elevators in the lobby, as she and her Dad played a game of
guessing which elevator would arrive first. When the middle elevator went
‘ding’ and the doors slid open, Dell let out a terrific scream and everyone
stepped back in shock. Sorrel scrambled to get behind her father and Dell
clutched onto Panda who turned her face away.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The elevator—in fact all the elevators—were knee deep in
ash, bones and even a human skull. Panda shuddered in horror at the thought of
the people, racing to get downstairs and out into the sunny pavilion steps, who
had been incinerated inside the elevators together when their DNA time bomb set
itself to zero. Perhaps because there was no sunlight whatsoever, or for some
other unknown reason they would never know, the bodies did not completely go up
like a torch leaving only ashes behind. It was truly a scene from a horror
movie as door after door of the elevators opened to reveal more piles of bone
and dust. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
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<br /></div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-27429745108199928352012-05-17T06:52:00.007-07:002012-05-17T06:52:53.318-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 4<br />
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*** </div>
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Chapter 6 Part 4</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul gave Sorrel permission to tag along with Dell as she
shopped for furniture, dishes and linens and Panda opted to climb onto the roof with
Paul and check out the solar array. This IKEA was equipped with enough solar
panels to power the 65,000 square feet of building space. Paul suggested that the freezers in the
restaurant kitchen as well as the ones downstairs in the small grocery store be
used for deep cold storage for long term use. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul intended to remain in the home he had built for his
family, to give Sorrel the stability she needed to finish out her childhood in
relative security. The frivolous nomadic life that Dell was intent on living
was not to his taste. He had plans for securing his neighborhood with parked
cars 3 deep on all the intersections, creating a single way in and out of his
street by way of the alley. He intended to keep a sharp eye out for strays and
straggling humanity and knew that a few well placed barricades would direct
them in a different direction in their meandering. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Annie had done a lot of work on a sustainable garden in the
back yard, and his home was already equipped with solar and a backup generator.
He did not see the need for tearing up stakes and moving to a better house when
they had done so much ground work to make their home self sufficient. His plan
for using IKEA as a large long term freezer would work well for him as their
home was within a few miles of the IKEA.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda wasn’t so sure about the feasibility of that idea. For
one thing, the IKEA was on the opposite side of the Sacramento River from where
she and Dell were going to be living. Not a local shopping option and certainly
not easy to keep an eye on. For another, the entire store was fronted with
giant plate glass windows: not exactly defensible territory. They could spend
days or weeks stocking the freezers here only to have a band of marauders show
up with big trucks and load up all their frozen foods and make them disappear
to whatever cache they had up in the mountains somewhere. Or along the coast. Really, the amount of land
that was now open and harboring little pockets of potential crazies seemed huge
all of a sudden. Panda thought about
what Dell had said: why should a world with LESS people in it suddenly seem
MORE dangerous?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past, everywhere you went, everywhere you looked,
there were hundreds of people going about their business. You would nod, wave, or chit-chat with people
you passed in a hallway or stood in line with at the store. There wasn’t a
sense of imminent danger coming from the people you met. Even though there were
serious shortages—gasoline, eggs, clean water and air—you never really felt
like someone was about to knock you over the head and take all your stuff. So
why now? Now when there was a world full of merchandise, food, and free space
to be divided amongst a few dozen people or so? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rules of society, community and peaceful cohabitation
were soon to become forgotten concepts.
The laws, codes and regulations that kept law abiding citizens safe and
productive were now pieces of paper in law books that no one was left alive to
read. <i>Geez</i>, she thought, <i>this isn’t even the United States of America
anymore! </i> The Constitution and the
Bill of Rights pertained to no one and nothing, now. Hopefully whoever was
left, whether they banded together or went their separate ways, would adhere to
the basic tenets of civilized behavior. Treat others as you would wish to be
treated. Share and share alike. Considering how rarely those principles were
put into action in a world overcrowded by humanity, she wondered if, now that
there was space and plenty to share, if that would be the case. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She thought that really, they were going to live high off
the hog for <i>most</i> of the remainder of their
lives. It was Sorrel Bay’s generation that was going to see the most
difficulty. They would be a true scavenger generation, needing to move
towards an agriculture based society if
they were going to survive. But without any knowledge of food production or
preservation it was going to be a primitive, hunter-gatherer scenario. She knew it might be up to her to teach Sorrel
some of the things she needed to know. Canning, smoking and dehydrating food.
How to build a fire. How to garden. Dell knew how to sew, knit and crochet,
which would be valuable in a world where there was no new cloth production. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda suddenly had a real sense of loss. All the things that
went before would fall away. Histories, landscapes, economies, computer
technologies. All of that was going to be relegated to tales from the past.
Tales of the ‘times before’. The world she took for granted, populated with
people and dogs and a bustling industry of goods and services, would disappear;
had in fact already disappeared and all that was left was a skeleton. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-88458809955127827482012-05-16T05:34:00.000-07:002012-05-16T05:37:19.695-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 6 Part 3</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda eyeballed the Forvar jar holding Annie Anderson’s
ashes and felt a real pang of guilt for how she had ruthlessly swept away the
ashes of her homeowner. There was such a disconnect between the world as it was
and how they were living now. All those billions of piles of ash were the
connecting point between the ‘before and after’ but that world was gone forever
and the idea of acknowledging and mourning each person as if they were friends
was impossible. And what did it matter, after all? They were dust in the wind.
Blending together and blowing away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She then told Paul and Sorrel Bay about the animal release
project, and how they had cleaned up stores and food courts for future needs.
She hesitated to talk about the zoo but decided it was safest for all to have
that out in the open. Paul was not happy
about the zoo predators being released and, considering the chimp event, even
less happy about there being another person out there as such an unknown
element. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just meeting up with you guys makes me relax and takes a
huge weight off my mind. The burden of being totally alone in the world has
been lifted off my shoulders now said
Paul, “and yet projecting forward this means <i>statistically</i> there could be a dozen others in this area alone; competing
for resources and behaving god-knows-how.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell said, “But we lived with <i>millions</i> of people up till just a few days ago and we never thought
of them as all that dangerous. Why should just a dozen of them seem like so
much <i>more</i> dangerous?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Consequences!” said Sorrel Bay. “You know, like when you
don’t want to get into trouble for something so you don’t do it if somebody is
watching because they will tell on you. Now if you get in trouble like robbing
a bank, there won’t be anybody to call the cops and there won't even be any
cops! So no consequences”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Paul nodded. “That’s right. Millions of people kept millions
of people in check. Now we have a few rogue warriors out there with no
accountability factor. But hey, probably they will be just as scared of us as
we are of them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell asked, “Then shouldn’t we be searching for other
survivors so we can do the ‘meet and greet’ and get them on our side? I mean,
Panda said people alone by themselves will start to go crazy after a while and
as time goes on we’d need to be even more cautious. Wouldn’t it be better to
find them now instead of later when they’ve gone ‘<i>round the bend</i>?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t know,” said Panda. “I don’t want them knowing about
us. I don’t want anyone knowing where we live or scouting out our
vulnerabilities. Who knows who survives up in the foothills where all those
meth labs are? Sooner or later people are going to come down from the Sierra’s
in search of whatever food and resources are still available down here. Such as
electricity. Canned goods. Water.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul replied, “I agree with Panda. I think we should let
sleeping dogs lie. However I do think it would be a good idea to get to the top
of the Wells Fargo Center with a telescope and scan around for a while looking
for signs of movement.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That is exactly what I had wanted to do!” said Panda
eagerly. She felt so happy to have Paul on board. He had a good head on his
shoulders and no axe to grind. Just as he had said, the burden of feeling alone
in the world had ended since meeting the Andersons. Now it was time to hash out
how they were going to create their own little community. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-50017166472727404212012-05-15T06:35:00.001-07:002012-05-15T06:35:27.866-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6 Part 2<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 6 Part 2</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul and Sorrel Bay drove to IKEA and searched for
Annie. When it became apparent that she
had not survived—that no one had survived but just the two of them—they went
home and stayed indoors and did their best to cope with the shock. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was Sorrel who suggested after a couple of days that they
go back to IKEA and find what was left of her Mom. To gather her ashes and her
things and hold some kind of memorial for her. This is what they had been doing
the morning Panda and Dell had
arrived. Sorrel had found a nice
decorative jar with a screw lid in the ‘small storage’ department and together
she and her Daddy had scooped up the ashes and placed them inside. The keys and
purse, shoes, rings and earrings, Paul put in a wicker basket to take along
home. He used a thick permanent marker
to write on the concrete: </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Annie Anderson.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Beloved Wife and
Mother</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
1982-2015.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He had almost added: <i><u>X
marks the Spot</u></i> but knew it would have irritated Annie. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They stood in silent vigil once they were
done, and then decided to start cleaning up the food court because that is
something that Annie would <i>definitely</i>
have approved. Paul worked in the
serving area dumping the dried, coagulated, nasty food from the steam table,
using the industrial dishwasher and sorting good food from bad for the
incinerator while Sorrel was bussing the dining tables and making the dining
room look clean and tidy. They were just finishing up when she had spotted the
girls’ truck rolling into the IKEA parking lot. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-90045863317517464962012-05-14T04:07:00.000-07:002012-05-14T04:07:12.357-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 6<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 6</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda pulled her Glock out of the shoulder holster and told
Dell to stand back and stay close behind her. She was preparing to drop into a
low center of gravity crouch to make herself less of a target when she saw Dell
rear up in front of her with a case of serious indignation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Put that gun AWAY!” Dell said firmly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, Dell, you don’t understand!” said Panda, “That kid
could be a Decoy!” She could feel her adrenalin pumping as she remembered tales
of fanatical gangs using children, the elderly, or someone appearing to be
injured as bait to lure an unsuspecting do-gooder into a trap where they would
be turned into slaves or <i>eaten</i>! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“She’s just a little <i>girl</i>, Panda! She must be scared to
death! Do you think she’s been stuck here the whole time?!” Dell turned and
raced in the front door and up the central escalator to the second floor dining
room where she had seen the girl. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hoo-Hoo! Little Girl! Hey, Sweetie, are you
all right?” she called as she came, with Panda hot on her heels hoping against
hope that Dell’s need to rush in pell-mell and rescue everything without
thinking it through first was not going to end them into serious danger.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The girl, Sorrel Bay Anderson, came rushing up to Del
and Panda hanging onto the hand of her father, Paul Anderson, dragging him
along. There was an awkward moment when nobody knew quite what to say or how to
act, and then everyone fell to pieces with crying and handshakes converted to
hugs and everyone talking at once. It’s
not every day the last two people on earth run into the other last two people
on earth in an IKEA restaurant lobby.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They all sat at a table under the large window overlooking
the empty world as Paul told his story. On that fatal day he had been at work,
his daughter at school, and his wife at the IKEA meeting friends for lunch and
spending the afternoon shopping. As he watched all of humanity disintegrate
around him his first thought was for his wife and child. He did not know what
was happening. He thought it must be some kind of radiation poisoning reaction
from a solar flare or some government project gone horribly awry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He had grabbed a raincoat from a coat closet at work and
pulled it over his head as he rushed to get to his car, thinking that it would
offer some protection from the direct rays of the sun. Of course he knew that
was a scant hope. If the sun was going to torch him, a thin layer of rubberized
vinyl would do him no good. But he was nearly mad with anxiety to get to his
child and dashed out into the parking garage in a frantic race to get to
Sorrel’s school in time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In time for what? The deed had been done. As he drove
through the empty streets, dodging abandoned cars and driving up onto
embankments to get around small pile-ups it began to dawn on him that people
were GONE. Not just a few, but millions. It was OVER. Some huge shift had
occurred on the planet and he was utterly clueless as to what had just
happened.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sorrel Bay, when he found her, was standing in the school
vestibule with her book bag over her shoulder waiting for him to show up. At
first, when all of her classmates and the teacher suddenly leapt up and headed
for the schoolyard, she had followed along with the rush. But she couldn’t
figure out what was happening. Why was everyone so intent on getting outside?
There was no talking, no shoving; in fact none of the normal mayhem like when
the bell rang and class was over. It reminded her of a quietly moving herd
intent on a single purpose like getting to the water hole or out of range of a
predator like she’d seen on Animal Planet.
Almost at the front door she held back and stepped into the
receptionists alcove. She stood there and watched the entire school empty out
in a matter of minutes. And then everyone was gone. They were there. And then
they weren’t. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a long silence and nothing but the sound of her own
breathing, she decided to go back to class and gather up her things. Mommy and Daddy would come and get her. Just like the time there was a bomb scare,
her parents would show up as soon as they could to come and keep her safe. In
order to see in both directions the farthest distance all around, she stood on
the top step of the school and waited. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it wasn’t Mommy and Daddy who came, this time. Just
Daddy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-60407680852378761252012-05-11T05:46:00.001-07:002012-05-11T05:46:39.091-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 7<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 5 Part 7 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They spent the night in the house catty-corner to Dell’s new
maison. Panda thought it was perfect for her. Smaller than Dell’s choice, it
was a single story Ranch with all the amenities. It had raised garden beds in
the back, a full pool and Jacuzzi under a gazebo, and several citrus trees at
the far end of the property. It, too, was gas powered and was furnished in
simple, elegant style. Even the color palette was not offensive. It was done in
teals and taupe. Let Dell furnish her empty home to her heart’s delight. Panda
was going to be very content to stay in this house and change nothing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing she did was grab the broom and sweep away
the prior resident. Something about occupying a home with the dusted remains,
jewelry and shoes of the former occupant in a pile in the driveway was just too
weird by any stretch! Later she would go through the closets and get rid of
whatever was personal like framed photos and the clutter of someone else’s
life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best of all was a deep freeze in the garage that was fully
stocked with free range beef and chicken. Whoever owned this home was as
‘green’ as possible. Panda felt a huge surge of relief: for once things were
going to be handled <i>for</i> her. She
really did not need to do any prep work to make this house into her idea of a
home. She could imagine herself living here pretty much as-is for many years to
come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She found two good steaks in the fridge and lots of fresh
veggies and a bag of salad. They had a simple dinner of steak and veggies
grilled on the Weber Genesis she found on the back patio. Dell had discovered
the wine cellar portion of the pantry and had selected a very nice Sonoma red
for dinner. They both showered and then wore some of the clothes that Dell had
shopped for that were still in bags in the back of her Cayenne. You could still
catch a faint whiff of death in your nostrils that Panda hoped would fade over time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A married couple had lived here. She could tell that it was
the wife who had been home that morning. The husband was no doubt blowing in
the wind outside a downtown office building. Together she and Dell loaded their
arms with the clothing, shoes, and belts
from the man’s closet. She didn’t feel right about going through another
woman’s clothes so she loaded up all the wife’s things as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She actually had no idea what to <i>do</i> with the stuff. Burn it? She opted
for shoving it all in her truck and dropping it into a Salvation Army donation
box at the shopping plaza up the street. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Utterly insane, but nothing else occurred to her. She knew
they were going to have to think about garbage management. A burn barrel was going to be a must. They would both have to make sure they
thoroughly rinsed all cans and bottles
to avoid that awful junkyard smell. They could just start a pile in the
alley for that kind of thing. And a
mulch pile for the garden. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But for the first night in her new home at least, she was
content to sit in chaise lounges with Dell and enjoy a bottle of wine. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell said, “How many people were there? I mean, what was the
population of the earth?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda replied, “7 BILLION last year.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wow.” Dell said. “How much do you think that weighs? I
mean, 7 billion people must weigh like 4000 tons or something.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“At an average of 100 lbs per person, actually...that’s 700
BILLION POUNDS.” freaked Panda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just like that. GONE. 700 billion <i>pounds</i> of people.” Dell said with awe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That means the earth is 700 billion pounds lighter in an <i>instant</i>.” mused Panda. “I wonder if it
will cause earthquakes just from the relief of pressure on the Tectonic
Plates.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell ignored the remark about the German pottery or whatever
but pondered the sheer volume of weight loss for a bit and then quipped,
“Someone should call Jenny Craig!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Day 4</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First thing in the morning they had eggs and bacon and then
hopped into Dell’s truck to go to IKEA. Panda had gotten the house keys from
the woman’s purse and locked the front door when they left. She knew that was
probably kind of silly but already the house felt like <i>hers</i>, and she wanted to keep it safe. There might be marauders some
day. She didn’t think it likely that whoever had emptied the zoo would target
them specifically—considering he or she could find them in this giant empty
city—but she didn’t want to take the chance of leaving it unlocked. Old habits
die hard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later she would move her computer, clothing and personal
treasures over from her old place. For now, they were on a mission to furnish
Dell’s in the full IKEA style. What <i>FUN</i>!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
IKEA was in West Sac adjacent to a Super Walmart. Dell made
a mental note to never set foot into a Walmart again as long as she lived. She
wasn’t going to need to be shopping for bargains anytime soon. They drove right
past it and swung around to the front of the IKEA. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As they pulled right up to the front door and parked, a
Delta Breeze stirred up the ash of about 80 people and for a moment they were
blinded by a choking dust. In a city of
3 million piles of dust, the Delta Breezes were going to be a serious
problem. The bottom of a bowl in a deep
valley, Sacramento was notorious for trapping air and smog in the hot summer
months. When there were wildfires in the surrounding areas, your skin and eyes
could burn for a week. Burnt human was going to blow and blow and cover
everything in grit and grime for years to come. After the stench of just one
rotten human body, Del thought she could learn to live with grime and soot in
the air.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peering up at the glass fronted restaurant that overlooked
the parking lot of the two story building, Dell saw something that made her
gasp and give a little scream of astonishment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda looked up and saw what Dell was seeing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There, standing in the window jumping up and down and waving
at them with both hands, was a <i>little
girl</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-70694313909316996772012-05-10T05:13:00.002-07:002012-05-10T05:13:38.351-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 6<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 5 part 6</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a matter of fact, the crematorium turned out to be quite
user friendly. There was another body there, in a body bag, lined up at the
double doors of the oven. The girls hoisted the old lady inside her
cocoon of sheets and Hefty bags onto the top of the body bag. Nobody grunted or
anything, so they knew the person was really dead. Together they watched as the conveyer belt
moved into the oven. The doors slid shut automatically and a red button lit up
that, once pushed, fired up the ovens. Both Panda and Dell felt they could take
it on faith that the oven had an automatic shut off when the deed was done. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ashes to ashes. Dust to Dust.” said Dell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Utterly weary now that the adrenaline and shock had worn
off, they dragged themselves back to the Chevy and returned to their trucks. Even
so they decided to finish up the next couple of blocks before calling it a day.
It would feel good to find some live kitties and pigs to feed and let out of the house. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually Dell pulled over at a 4 SALE sign outside of a
midsize brick Tudor with a steep hipped roof. “Oh I just love this house!” she
said. “I want to take a look at this one!”
She ran up the walk to the front door and then stopped. “Oh no!” she
said! “It’s Locked!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda knew right away what Dell meant. This house was for
sale and therefore locked and empty with one of those Realtor Lock boxes on the
front door holding the house key. But without the code to open the little
lockbox they were unable to get indoors. Luckily she had her bolt cutters. She
thought she might be able to just crush the box with the bolt cutters once she
cut it off the door. Meanwhile Dell was
peering in all the windows she could see into and exclaiming at the lovely
space inside. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was easier than she had thought to get that lock box
open. Positioning the cutters to nip off the combination was all it took to
open the little door on the gadget. Inside were the front door keys. So much
better than smashing in windows and having to deal with replacing them later. A
good idea to do as little damage as possible in a world without handymen! She
had no clue how to replace plate glass.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She unlocked the front door and handed the keys to Dell.
“Make sure you make extra copies of these keys! I’d like a set too just in
case.” She stood back and let Dell enter the foyer of her new home. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It really was a beautiful home. Wide plank hardwood floors,
lofty ceilings, good light from the windows all around. The kitchen was any woman’s
dream with of all things, a pizza oven as well as double ovens and an 8 range
burner. Best of all it was gas with a gas fireplace and hot water heater. The master bedroom had a walk-in tile shower
large enough to fit a basketball team. Dell could feel herself inhabiting this
space and being truly, truly happy here. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Of course it’s empty, Dell.” Nudged Panda. “Utterly empty
and in need of serious furniture…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell looked at Panda. Panda looked at Dell. Together they
screamed:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“IKEA!!!!!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-23206092698825977182012-05-09T05:27:00.002-07:002012-05-09T05:30:30.576-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 5<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 5 Part 5</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There in a recliner by the window were the remains of an
elderly lady. She appeared to have died
in her chair while napping. It seemed a peaceful way to go. But how did this
happen? She must have died right BEFORE everyone was dusted. As dead flesh, she
would not have the triggering device in the DNA that turned her to cinders. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Looks like she’s been dead about a week.” said Panda. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For some reason this pissed Dell off. “HOW do you know <i>THAT</i>? You can’t possibly look at her and
know how many days she’s been dead! For Crying out Loud, Panda! That is such a
load of bullshit!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda did not argue. She realized she must have sounded like
a poncy ass almost as soon as the words had left her mouth. “I know! I’m sorry!
You’re right! I guess I’m just saying that she must have been dead BEFORE, you
know. Before all the other people left.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, right. I see what you mean.” said Dell. “What are we
supposed to do about her, though? I mean, we can’t just leave her here can we?”
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda thought about this for a moment. “I know! There is a
crematorium just up the street at East Lounge Cemetery. We could take her
there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We aren’t taking her there in MY truck!” said Dell. “I’d
never get the smell out.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Right. Let’s just use one from the street.” I’ll grab some
blankets or sheets to wrap her in. You look in the kitchen for large garbage
bags and some rubber gloves okay?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell found one pair of thick rubber gloves in the first spot
she looked: under the kitchen sink; and like every kitchen in the world
organized by a woman, the box of thick black garbage bags was under there as
well. To make up for her earlier snafu with the Vaseline/Vick’s, she grabbed 4
large Ziploc freezer bags to use as another set of gloves. She had learned that
from Panda years ago in one of her lengthy preachy survival tirades. A double
layer of Ziploc baggies on your hands would be an excellent substitute for
surgical gloves in the event there were vast amounts of bodies to be removed
from the scene. The Zombie Scene. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh Cool! Good Job!” smiled Panda. At least she appeared to
be smiling but you couldn’t tell as she too had grabbed a thick towel from the
linen closet and wrapped it around her mouth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Together they carefully wrapped the old women in sheets and
then did their best to stuff her into a garbage bag. Moving her made the smell even worse and
before they could even get her to the street Dell had to stop and vomit on the
sidewalk outside the front door. Panda’s eyes were watering and her nose was
running which at least helped keep the smell out until she had to sniff and
then it was a double whammy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Dell ran to the edge of the yard to get some semblance
of fresh air in her lungs, Panda searched for a viable vehicle on the street.
Right next door was a Chevy pickup with the keys on the ground and she thanked
her lucky stars for a good old fashioned flat bed truck! In the back went the
body, into the cab went the girls where they cranked the a/c and breathed in
deep sobbing gasps. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is when you want to be really, really happy that the
world didn’t end with a virus. Imagine living as a survivor surrounded by
billions of dead rotting bodies!” said Panda as she pulled a U-ie in the middle
of the street and headed the shortest route back to the East Lounge Cemetery on
Folsom Blvd. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pulling into the gates of the beautiful park like cemetery,
Dell had a thought. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
“What are we going to do? Find an open grave and dump her
in it? I mean, you don’t know how to fire up a crematorium oven do you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda knew just what she meant. “I know. I mean I would
imagine you just fire up the jets on the gas oven, right? Slide her in on a
moving conveyer belt? I’ve seen it in movies but not in any kind of documentary
or anything.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why does it have to be called a CRÈME-atoriam?” pondered
Dell. “It makes it sound like somewhere fun. Somewhere delicious like a candy
Emporium. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘<i>Welcome to the Palace of
Sweets Crematorium. Get your freshly blended cream filled candies</i>.’ ”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<i>While we toast your loved ones like a marshmallow!”</i> finished Panda.
When all else fails, opt for hilarity.</div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-86680671082204964762012-05-08T05:32:00.004-07:002012-05-08T05:33:52.297-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 4<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 5 Part 4</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The older part of Sacramento is laid out on a grid of
numbered and alphabetized streets, starting at the Sacramento River with Front
Street. As one travelled east into the city from the river, the neighborhoods
went from trendy downtown lofts in the teens, to trendy midtown funky converted
Victorians in the 20 numbered blocks , to 1930’s style bungalows on tiny lots,
and eventually to the Fab 40’s which were beautiful, elegant mansions with long
lawns and covered porticos for all the cars. This was the neighborhood in which Dell hankered to live. It truly was beautiful. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell drove in front and Panda followed. She thought she
would let Dell take her pick of what she wanted and she would then take
whatever was next door. She knew that Dell had not yet assimilated to the
extent that she had, the importance of them sticking together. If the lights
went out, the city would be pitch black at night. If their cell phones stopped
working, they would have no way to reach each other or find each other in this
vast city. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later they would have to move to a place better suited for
long term sustainability. But for now it would be fun to just waltz in and take
her pick of housing from the finest in the city!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Driving up a block, stopping, dashing through houses to open
doors if there was a cat or any other pet inside, each taking a side of the
street and meeting in the middle when done with that block, hopping back into
cars and up to the next block, the girls were able to clear a good portion of
the houses. Neither was happy about just
releasing pets into the streets but both knew realistically they could not
adopt or care for all of them. This was just the way it had to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of the houses were open, which was obvious on sight
from the nearby pile of ash and the telltale pet placard or keys, shoes, purses
or wallets. If they were really lucky there was a pet door installed and all
they had to do was spot it and move on. But once in a while they had to hop a
fence and go in the back yard to find an open door. It was amazing how many
people left their back doors unlocked. Once again Dell wondered at the ease and
accessibility of a life of crime. With
each house she scoped out the interior layout and décor. These were beautiful
houses but not quite what she had in mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At about 37<sup>th</sup> and L streets, Panda started to
notice a distinct odor. It grew stronger as they went down 37<sup>th</sup> to
K, J, and I streets. It smelled like death. Not rotting food or decay. Death.
The stench became overwhelming. But what could it be? There weren’t any human
remains, were there? Could a pig have died and be rotting nearby? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell came out of a house ahead of Panda with a jar of
Vaseline jelly and a greasy streak above her lip. She looked quite pleased with
herself as she offered the jar to Panda. “I saw this on CSI. The coroners use
Vaseline smeared under their noses to kill the smell during an autopsy! But it
doesn’t seem to be working all that hot, frankly.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda could not help but dissolve into giggles. “Oh, Dell! “
she wailed. “They don’t use <i>Vaseline</i>!
They use <i>Vick’s</i>! Vick’s Vapo-Rub!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh!” said the stunned Dell. “Well I guess that would work
better than this!” She rubbed at the grease above her lip with the back of her
hand looking embarrassed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a fit of pique she tossed the Vaseline jelly into
the bushes where it would remain untouched and un-deteriorated for 200 years. “I
guess I’ll go find us some Vick’s then!” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even with Vick’s in their nostrils the smell was palpable.
It made Dell queasy and Panda utterly nauseous. After several more houses she
was all for getting in their cars and getting out of the vicinity when she
heard Dell give out a yelp and come running out of the next house. “In here!” she called. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda pulled her shirt neck up over her face to use as a
filter but it barely made a dent. Inside the Spanish style house the air was
thick and claggy with the smell of decaying flesh. Dell had tied a dish towel
around her lower face but her eyes were watering and she was retching. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-24251082523455913042012-05-07T06:17:00.003-07:002012-05-07T06:20:28.333-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 5 Part 3</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It took the better part of the afternoon to unload the
chickens, who shook themselves, looked bleary and disoriented for a minute, and
then proceeded to peck at the sack of grain Dell sliced open and scattered on
the ground in the park, apparently none the worse for wear. Panda chose the
likeliest looking picnic shelter and
opened the bales of straw under a picnic table.
That should do it. Of course you couldn’t tell a chicken where to roost
or lay it’s eggs but this was the best she could do for now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Filthy and with the smell of poultry fouling their nostrils,
they opted to leave the hauler in the parking lot and went together in Dell’s
truck back to the mall to pick up Panda’s Sequoia and to get cleaned up. Both
felt they could never eat chicken again as long as they lived, and chose
burgers and fries for lunch. Dell savored a giant fountain Pepsi while Panda
sipped a fresh brewed glass of China Mist iced tea. They took their lunches
down to the center open courtyard of the mall and sat on a bench. The food
court was not a savory place to sit and eat anymore. Already the flies were out
of control and the smell of rotting food was almost enough to take the smell of
chicken shit out of their senses completely. Panda had grilled their cheeseburgers in record time so
they could get out of there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Dell took a pull on her straw and asked “How long before all
the pop goes flat?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I am not sure.” answered Panda. “Probably a week or two?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maybe I should drink it now while I can have it fresh and
then later switch to cans. Cans should stay fizzy forever, right?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda agreed and was glad that Dell was showing signs of
thinking ahead, even if it was about something as silly as the fizziness of
Pepsi. “Yes we should save the canned stuff for as long as possible and eat and
drink what we find that is still fresh.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are we going to do with the rest of the day? I’m kind
of worn out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah, me too.” Said Panda. “Maybe we should go find some
good housing in one of the neighborhoods on the hospital grid. I am thinking we
need to live on the same street at least. Sacramento is mostly hydro-electric
power which can keep running for as long as there is water running through
those giant combines, but there is just no way to know how long our cell phones
will keep working. I want to be within shouting distance you know?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well let’s spend the rest of the afternoon going through
the Fab 40 neighborhood. We can check on pets left inside houses while we are
at it.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay I guess that is fine” said the weary Panda. “I still
think we need to find longer term housing. Someplace gated, with fruit trees
and room for a garden. A concrete or brick structure would be good. Fireplace.
Tile or Slate roof. The thing is, Dell, that we are fine and healthy now but in
20 years do either one of us want to be climbing up on a ladder to repair a
roof? And we’ve got to think about a water source once the electricity is gone
there won't be hot and cold running water anymore.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell, catching a brief, bleak glimpse of a long life ahead
without a shower, stale inedible food and flat Pepsi, shuddered in disgust. And
then something even WORSE occurred to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We could end up wearing <i>rags</i>!”
she gasped. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda wanted to chuckle but didn’t because it was a valid
point after all. All the clothing as well as the cloth in the fabric stores
would continue to age and begin to deteriorate over time. Even if they could
save a lifetime’s worth of designer duds in a safe, dry place, in 30 or 40
years it would be disintegrating beyond wearability. She didn’t know anything about looms,
weaving, or growing cotton or linen. Didn’t rayon have to be extruded through
tubes? Yes, it was likely that as the years advanced, they would be wearing a
lot of rags. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long before that happened, of course, there would be worse
things to face. Either one of them could get injured. She knew she could
probably sew up a deep cut if she had to but she couldn’t perform an
appendectomy or open heart surgery! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were 5 hospitals in the area full of
surgical supplies, antibiotics and blood pressure medicine, but how long would
any of it stay viable? What about dentistry? Who would clean their teeth? Who would fix their
teeth or-horrible thought- pull them out and fit them with dentures? Once again
Panda was facing the future; the
long-ahead future where things got <i>worse</i>,
not better. She had never before thought of daily flossing as a survival tool,
but now she was determined to floss daily and remind Dell to do it, too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, for now anyway, we can dress like Divine Divas and
live in palaces.” She told Dell. “Let’s not look too far down the road. We can pick out a couple of houses next door
to each other and keep working on freeing as many animals as we can. We’ve got
our cell phones and we can get some walkie-talkies to use for back up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually I want to find a place that is solar powered and
has a wind generator too. I know there were several housing developments like
that in the area, I remember seeing the ads for them. But in the meantime lets
change residences so we live close together.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-32360933724759368452012-05-04T05:35:00.001-07:002012-05-04T05:35:13.825-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5 Part 2<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 5 Part 2</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And just where are we planning on taking these chickens?” asked
Dell. True to her vision, she was utterly covered in chicken guano. It had
taken 2 hours to load 50 semi-healthy chickens into the back of the poultry
truck and to clear out the remaining chickens. Most of the facility was empty.
There had not been that many chickens in the place and over half of them were
dead. She and Panda had picked the
healthiest looking ones and then opened the wide barn doors to the outside
world to allow the remaining birds to head out into the wide open spaces and
take their chances in the grass.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda, peeling off her work gloves and brushing her sweaty
forehead with the back of her hand, said, “ Duck Island.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Duck Island in McCarthy Park?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yep.” Said Panda. “It’s a big gated park with a fence running
all around it; it’s got tons of grass and ponds. It’s centrally located and
there are lots of those pole barn picnic shelters where these chickens can
roost in the rafters.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s a great idea! Wow!” said Dell. “Great thinking!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda knew it would not keep the chickens safe from the wild
raccoons that populated the inner city. She remembered when she had lived
downtown on the second floor and heard something in the trees outside her
bedroom window. She had looked out, eyeball to eyeball, on a mother raccoon
with her 4 babies climbing all over the tree. The neighbor had a fountain in
his yard and was always complaining about the odds and ends of half-eaten food
he found in the water. She had always gotten a kick out of how the coons made a
life for themselves in the roofs and rafters of buildings. Most people were
oblivious to the amount of wildlife that co-existed with them in the city. She
had even seen possums on several occasions, out for a stroll. But raccoons
would decimate a feral chicken population lickety-split.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, the chickens were going to have a better chance in a
large fenced park with plenty of water and bugs than locked in an airless dark
pole barn with the bodies of their dead and dying inmates all around them. The
back of Dell’s truck was loaded with cracked corn and feed from the farm. She
hoped that whatever was wrong with chickens and eggs in general would begin to
right itself now that they were no longer going to be fed genetically
engineered grain and pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They had also loaded quite a bit of straw that she planned
on using for bedding for the chickens to lay their eggs. Later, once she was
settled and had more time, she would get some nesting boxes from the feed store
and see about housing a dozen or so near her where she could gather the eggs.
For now, the chickens were going to be ‘free range’ on Duck Island. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tossing the gloves into the cab of the truck where she found
them, she climbed behind the wheel and started her up. Dell slid into the bed
of the Cayenne and prepared to follow the flying chicken feathers all the way
back to the city. Even though she was filthy and stunk to high heaven, she felt
very happy. They had done good work on this day and although she knew in the back
of her mind there were possibly millions of animals that could not be rescued,
she felt like she was doing a great work by helping the ones she could. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the Yolo Causeway, a 3 ½ mile long elevated highway that
spanned some 26,000 acres of weirs, wetlands and cultivated rice fields,
containing the largest ecological restoration project west of the Everglades,
Panda stopped the chicken truck and got out to enjoy the view. Dell joined her
in looking out over the vast sea of grass as far as the eye could see. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I always wanted to stop here and just gaze.” said Panda. Together
they stood at the guardrail and felt the quiet of the morning breeze.
Relatively quiet since the chickens were clucking up a storm. Dell peered out
towards the city skyline in the near distance and exclaimed, “Panda! Get out
your binoculars!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was pointing excitedly at something walking in the tall
grasses. Panda had left her binoculars in her truck at the mall, but she could
see to what Dell was pointing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She could just make out 3 long brown spotted
necks, attached to 3 tall giraffe heads. They watched the stately animals glide
across the campo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an act of solidarity and utter geekness, the girls
high-fived and then got back into their trucks to finish the drive home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While off in the distance, the sun caught a glint from a
pair of Zeiss 20x60mm Image Stabilized Binoculars, trained on the girls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-76340773151735116872012-05-03T06:42:00.000-07:002012-05-03T06:42:00.124-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 5<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 5 Day 3</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell woke and stretched. She sat up in the elevated platform
bed on the third floor of Macy’s and looked across the sales floor at the lump
that was Panda, sound asleep on another bed surrounded by Ralph Lauren linens.
The Tommy Hilfiger bedding she had slept in was luxurious and beautiful. She could
stay there forever if she didn’t have to pee so badly. She had always wanted to
sleep in a store like a queen after everyone had left! She had often imagined
hiding in a broom closet somewhere until all the shoppers had left and the
store was closed so she could do just that. Of course once security cameras
were invented and installed everywhere, it was no longer even remotely a
possibility.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like any decent female with half a bladder, she had already
scoped out all the nearest available bathrooms before crawling into bed. Now she got up--her head pinging only slightly from the Scotch--and padded off
to the powder room in the adorable pink silk pjs she had gotten off the rack
the night before. She then bopped down the escalator to the coffee kiosk on the
ground floor and started a fresh pot of coffee. While it was brewing she picked
out undies, a bra, and a really smokin’ pair of jeans and a designer t-shirt
for the day. She would accessorize later. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She stuffed all her choices in a bag and grabbed 2 very
lovely 3 day old scones from the display case. Along with 2 large cups of
coffee she headed back up the escalator to wake Panda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda was already awake and choosing a luxury towel ensemble
to take with her to the shower. When she saw the coffee and scones she stopped
what she was doing and plopped down on a bed with a bed tray. “Oh, wow! Room
service!” she smiled. “A girl could get used to this!” Together they sat cross
legged amidst fluffy designer pillows and enjoyed their breakfast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s on the agenda for today?” asked Dell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well,” said Panda around bites of scone and sips of coffee
with cream, “Let’s go down to the other end of the mall to the 28 Hour Fitness
and use their showers. We can snag some hair products from Hair Mess Inc. on
our way.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay. And then let’s come back here for make-up and
perfume,” added the ever-eager-to-shop Dell. “And some jewelry.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good idea!” said Panda. “Once we look like we are <i>ready for the runway</i>, we should go take
care of the gun thing. I really don’t want you walking around without
protection. Wild animals are always
going to be a factor from now on out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, now we know there is at least one
other person in this city and he or she is armed. We should stay out of the
Land Park neighborhood for a while, stick by our own turf. Give those lions
time to head out onto the tundra so to speak.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to see about
activating some spare cell phones for us to use and we should just take one
vehicle out to the chicken farm. I’m thinking we may find a large transport truck
out there. I am wondering if we should relocate whatever chickens we can find
left alive to some place in the city that is closer where we can keep an eye on
them? I’d really like to be able to keep having eggs you know? And chickens are
not so smart they can survive out in the wild. <i>Everything</i> eats chickens…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell sighed. As Panda continued with her signature run-on control freak blather, her idea of an
elegantly dressed morning suddenly gave sway to a vision of herself covered in
chicken shit and feathers loading ill and squawking chickens into the back of a
poultry truck. <i>Guess I better grab some Reeboks</i>, she thought. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Louboutins would
have to wait for another day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-88805667964073619232012-05-02T06:17:00.001-07:002012-05-02T06:21:57.875-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 9<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter 4 Part 9</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dinner was delicious, even though the salad greens looked a
little worse for wear. Over dessert of key lime pie and double chocolate
mousse, the girls hashed out their game plan. Dell was all for driving to Galt
and opening up the elephant sanctuary. Panda wanted to drive to Woodland and
open up the chicken facility. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Neither felt they should do either of these tasks
alone. They opted for the chickens since they would have the more immediate
need for food and water, and agreed to swing into all the farms they passed
along the way and see what could be done to open gates and barnyards, checking
farmhouses for indoor pets as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sooner rather than later this race to save as many animals
as possible would start to yield seriously diminishing returns. It was going to
get gruesome. Panda thought they should work hard at it for another 3 days but after
that…no more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, however, Panda felt they should both go to the gun
store and get better weapons. She wanted to teach Dell how to load, shoot and
clean her gun. They could both do a little target practice while they were
there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know, Panda, I think you’ve just blown the <i><u>Careful Citizen of the Year</u></i>
award.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda-- kicked back with her feet on the chair next to her--
sat up a bit and said, “Why!?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell grabbed the neck of the scotch bottle and pointed it at
her. “Not only are you proposing we drink and drive, you are suggesting we
drink and play with guns!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Panda looked a little mortified and then broke into a grin. “Then
perhaps we should call it a day. Hand over that Scotch”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best thing about being alone in the world is that it’s
safe enough to fall down drunk anywhere.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-27429345259698917422012-05-01T06:58:00.001-07:002012-05-01T07:00:57.065-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 8<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 8</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nature knew what to do. Nature always knew what to do.
Without the human virus mucking up the oceans, lakes, streams, air and land,
the eco balance could be restored without further ado. As Panda and Dell
watched the hyena eat it’s lunch, Panda realized how all the parts would fit
together again and begin to heal the planet. The animals would roam and
repopulate their species, no longer endangered. At least not by Man. The dogs
were gone. The potato’s a mess. And chickens were –say it—as scarce as hen’s
teeth. But the remaining flora and fauna could breathe again. Breathe and
create life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda felt it all beginning to happen around her, watching
the hyena feed. She half-remembered a line from <u>Gone With the Wind </u>where
Melanie is talking to Rhett: “It’s life
renewing itself, Captain Butler. And when life does that, no fears can stand in
its way!” or something like that. Panda
felt that nothing could stand in the way of life renewing itself, now. The
things of man—the structures and
pollutants—would all fade away and crumble into dust. Life <i>would</i> renew itself and thrive. Panda knew it was up to her to make
sure that she and Dell would thrive as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Panda leading the way, the girls drove out of Land Park
and back into the heart of the city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Now what?” asked Dell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Now we take a break from animal management and have some
dinner.” Panda replied. “What sounds good?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Steak!” laughed Dell. “I know how awful, huh? But watching
that hyena chomp down kind of made me hungry for red meat!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda looked at Dell and shook her head. This was why she
loved her cousin: you never knew how things were going to affect her and you
never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. 9 times out of 10 it was going to be off the
wall, self centered and oblivious. But she also knew that there was not a mean bone
in Dell’s body and if she had to be stranded on an empty planet without zombies
and only one silly girlfriend as companion, she would choose Dell hands down every
time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well then I’ve got
the best restaurant in mind. No crowds, great service, and the price tag is
perfect for two girls with no budget. Let’s go to Morton’s!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Morton’s Steak House was in the downtown Plaza, an open air
mall that had been dying for ages but still had a great food court and two
Macy’s. It had underground parking but the entrance was blocked by a stream of
vehicles so Panda just pulled right up onto the sidewalk by the mall doors and
parked there. Dell swung in behind her
and hopped out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Better than Valet!” quipped Dell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Pavlov’s dogs,
the site of a mall made her salivate to go shopping. There was nothing like a
good shopping spree to heal her sore heart after the day she had! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
After dinner she would just take a quick tool through the
shops… </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If it was one thing Panda knew it was how to sear a steak,
so she scraped and oiled the grill while Dell raided the bar for a bottle of
wine. Morton’s was famous for its wine selection and also for its rare and
expensive Scotch Whiskey. Dell enjoyed the opportunity to raid the top shelf
for it’s finest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Morton’s had not yet started serving lunch on <i>that</i> day, and therefore the place was
clean and tidy, the pre-prep work done, the food safely in lockers and
fridges…and there were no messes to clean up.
Dell made a mental note to eat at more uppity restaurants that had not
yet opened for lunch. A life spent cleaning up rotting food court options before
she could relax and eat did not fit with her world view. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“SCORE!” she called out to Panda at the grill, waving a
bottle of Glinfiddich 1937 and two highball glasses. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda’s eyes grew wide when she saw what Dell had. “I read
there are only 61 bottles of that in the whole world!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And at the end of the day there will still be 61 bottles…it’s
just that one of them will be EMPTY!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-17620130752020771032012-04-30T06:19:00.001-07:002012-04-30T06:19:10.040-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 7<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 7</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell was crying and felt like retching. “Why would anybody
kill chimps?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda thought she knew. The person or persons responsible
for emptying out the zoo was thinking of the future survival of the human race.
Eliminating a large primate species would ensure that there would be no
competition for food. She had already seen the orangutan cage was open and
empty. The same for all the other primate dwellings. Apparently the shooter did not want to harm the smaller or gentler
primates. She felt really bad for the chimps but had to grudgingly agree with
the assassin. She remembered documentaries showing chimps as far too human:
aggressive, capable of murder and rape, and territorial. She thought about a
pod of chimps trashing a grocery store that she and Dell would have worked so
hard to preserve for future needs. Fat hairy chimp hands sucking down on the
Doritos, pooping in the aisles...yeah. Maybe it was better the chimps were
eliminated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dell said, “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay.” Said Panda. “Let’s leave and drive through the park.
Keep your windows up and keep your eye out for the lions or the jaguar. Look in
the trees, too. I would imagine the lemurs will be hanging out there as well as
the other small monkeys.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda thought that the chances of survival for the released
animals was pretty good. The zoo and park were located very close to the
Sacramento river. Miles of farmland, prairie, and open wetlands surrounded the
city in the heart of the central valley. She imagined the ungulates, zebras,
giraffes and other grazers would make their way to the river and eventually
follow its banks into the true countryside. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The monkeys were going to have to adjust to life as park
dwellers. Urban living at its finest. Fruit and nut trees were abundant.
Eventually they would find what they needed for a healthy diet. It was a shame
about those chimps, though. At least on
this continent, no large groups of chimps would be forming. Who could say what
was going on in African Jungles? Without human predators, Panda imagined the
chimps and other Great Apes thriving and existing as they had before man came
along to wipe them out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As she was driving along musing, she saw Dell slam on her
brakes in the rearview mirror. Just then her cell phone rang. “Look Panda! Look
over there by those picnic tables!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda grabbed her binoculars although she could clearly see
without them the shoulders and haunches of a hyena feeding on the remains of an
Eastern Bongo. </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-62860982027731168042012-04-27T07:00:00.003-07:002012-04-27T07:00:47.292-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 6<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 6</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda swung her Sequoia into place beside Dell’s Porsche
Cayenne, grabbing her binoculars and thumbing the safety off the Glock. Dell
was sitting inside her vehicle but hopped out when she saw Panda pull in. Before
she would allow them to walk through the zoo, Panda used the binoculars to spot
for any animal movement. The zoo seemed truly abandoned. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She imagined that the grazing animals would have headed
straight out into Land Park and the predators would have followed their scent.
But she wanted to make sure before she strolled blithely into the path of a
charging lion. Humans are not exactly
fast nor are they armored. To a big cat, a human was a slow moving morsel in a
tough cloth wrapping; the head a succulent bon bon in a crispy crunchy shell. The
gun was really a very slim protection against stealth and speed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Together they walked the zoo paths surveying the open and
abandoned cages and habitats. Dell had a feeling that the zoo had been emptied
for at least a couple of days. She thought this because the primates would not
have been in a hurry to rush out the door and be on their way. Like humans,
they would have clung to the comfort and safety of their own home turf. She was
in fact surprised not to see the orangutan still chilling in its tree.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know this means there is somebody else alive!” said
Dell. “We are not alone!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Indeed! But what kind of somebody? Is it friend or foe? I
mean, this could be one of those Earth Prime types that burns down buildings
and enjoys a vision of the world free of any single sign of mankind.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“In which case most of their life’s work is done.” said
Dell. “Wonder if they feel happy about it?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I guess we will find out if they start burning down large
swathes of the city,” sighed Panda. She really needed to think about what it meant
to have proof of another survivor. She knew all along they would not be the
only ones. But now she was looking at the reality of least one other. And if
one, why not several or many? Should she try and seek them out or let them go
their own way? Would the remaining survivors band together perhaps in order to
form a community? They probably <i>should</i>…and
yet Panda had read one too many dystopian novels in which women were herded up
and kept as breeding stock and kitchen drudges by creepy religious fanatics like
in <u>The Gate To Women’s Country </u>by Sherri Tepper, one of her all time
favorite books. Perhaps she and Dell should try to keep their existence a
secret until they knew more. They had not exactly been ‘low profile’ up to now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly Dell let out a little scream and ran towards the
chimpanzee habitat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What is it?” said Panda, catching a bit of Dell’s fear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Look! All the chimpanzee’s are dead! It looks like they’ve
been slaughtered!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda looked into the large chimp habitat and saw a half
dozen chimp bodies strewn about. Blood and flies were everywhere. With just a
quick look she thought she understood what had happened here. “Not slaughtered
so much as executed: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They've all had a bullet put through their heads.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-29849214932472506192012-04-26T06:14:00.000-07:002012-04-26T06:14:17.804-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 5<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 5</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
15 hot and angry minutes later, Dell had hung up the phone
and was on her way to the zoo in spite of Panda’s intense warnings about
setting free large predators into the world. The security and safety and chance
of survival for them just plummeted exponentially by the introduction of a
jaguar, an entire pride of lions, a pair of snow leopards and a 250 lb. tiger
into the city streets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You can’t just open the cage of that Sumatran tiger and say
‘here, Kitty-Kitty!’ He will be hungry and he will EAT YOU!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“OMFG, Panda, I’m not that stupid!” came the hot retort, “I
will feed them all first. I am sure the zoo has giant meat lockers full of
haunch o’ venison or something to feed the big cats.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You can’t turn them loose, Dell, it’s incredibly dangerous!
We won’t be able to walk around unarmed and blissfully ignorant anymore! <i>Don’t you get it</i>? WE are their prey.
They are predators and WE are their prey!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The conversation escalated with more back and forth until it
ended abruptly when Dell yelled pettishly, “You can’t tell me what to do! You
are not the boss of me!” just like when they were 5 years old.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda, pissed as hell and almost more afraid than she had
been when this whole apocalypse thing started, took one last look around at the
well-fed <i>tiny</i> cats, propped the front
door open and left. She needed to get to the gun store quickly. She did not
even begin to have the kind of serious firepower she would need to take down a
charging adult male lion weighing in over 400 lbs. An adult male jaguar could
weigh anywhere from 250-350 lbs and they are masters at sneaking up on their
prey, low-slinking and deadly quiet.
Panda had a wry moment of being grateful there weren’t any cheetahs in
the zoo, who are day hunters and can clock speeds up to 70mph. Dell was a lost
goner if Panda didn’t save her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a survival situation it was important to survive; DUH!
Why didn’t Dell get that? You could not just set those large predators free and
expect them to be grateful and vow never to hunt humans however hungry and
however slow, stupid and unprotected those humans may be. Panda didn’t even
know if Dell would have enough common sense to open up the cages of all the
ungulates and primates first to give them a fighting chance to meander out of
the general vicinity. It would be just like Dell to open the cat cages first,
turn her back and blithely amble over to pet the giraffe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her Glock was ready and loaded as always but with a capacity of only 13
rounds she didn’t think it would do the trick. Her Mossburg double barrel
shotgun held goose shot and THAT wouldn’t stop a charging chicken. Well, it would
stop a chicken but never mind. She was too upset to be <i>technical</i> at the moment. The question was should she just drive
straight to the zoo or did she have time to raid a gun store for better
artillery? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She decided to head for the zoo because there simply wasn’t
time. If Dell did what she said she would, she would feed the big cats first
and that would give Panda time to get there and try to talk Dell out of letting
those cats loose on the world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was just rounding the bend on Land Park
Drive when Dell called.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Panda can you come to the zoo right away? You need to see
this!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s going on? Tell me!” said Panda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s the zoo! It’s <i>totally</i>
<i>empty</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-82424766763097157512012-04-25T04:54:00.003-07:002012-04-25T05:00:13.842-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 4<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 4</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Dell called in a panic from Pet Maxx she had just set
free all the caged animals for sale and was on her way to the other 7 Pet
Maxx’s in the greater Sacramento area. She asked Panda to come with her to let
out the animals. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Dell’s oppressive feeling that morning had been the weight
of all those animals failing in cages after 3 day without water or food. She
could not feel the loss of humanity but the suffering of animals that were
helpless to escape and find food and water for themselves was so terribly heavy
on her heart. She felt guilty for having spent a day shopping and lollygagging,
picking up garbage and parking cars when that valuable lost time could have
been spent locating and freeing up the kitties and bunnies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda agreed and also felt chagrined over the lost time. She
didn’t want to inform Dell that small animals left without water for 3 days
were going to be in serious kidney distress and possibly not worth saving. She
could see, as Dell could not, that it wasn’t enough to just randomly stumble
across animals and free them here and there. She knew they would have to focus
on the best possible way to reach the most possible animals in the least amount
of time. That meant finding pet sanctuaries, pet shops, puppy (or in this case
piggy) and kitten breeders. Anywhere animals were likely to be caged in large
numbers and unable to survive without human intervention and assistance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In her usual organizational manner she split the map and
took the 3 Pet Maxx locations on her side of the city. She knew there was a cat
sanctuary and a small pet rescue center in the same vector as two of the Pet
Maxx stores. She planned to go to them all and at least open cages, prop open doors
to the outside world and open up the bags of food as she found them. She, too,
felt the urgency and necessity of this most important work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She had snagged a Toyota Sequoia for her personal use and
it’s V8 engine and high tech GPS system really came in handy as she raced all
over the greater Sacramento area that morning. In only two places was the road
so clogged she had to get out and move vehicles. In one case, the car had been
left running and was now out of gas and dead. She did not want to try and push
it without Dell there to help but she was able to navigate around it by moving
two other cars out of the way along the side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was at Snappy Tails Kitty Heaven cat sanctuary when the
phone rang. She’d been petting the vocal and annoyed residents who had long ago
chomped up their dry food and were feeling peckish and pissed. This place had a
cat door that led into a nicely fenced back yard with cat trees and climbing
poles and carpeted shelves along the garage wall for lounging about in the sun.
However none of the 30+ cats were in the mood for a cat nap when she arrived.
She could feel the distress and something like menace as she found the food
cupboard and filled bowls, trays and feeders with dry cat food. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was one of those places that prided itself in creating a
loving home environment for unwanted cats. They were guaranteed for life to be
kept secure and not sent to be euthanized. She felt a sense of loss as she knew
this promise had come to an abrupt halt and they didn’t even know it. When she
left here the front and side doors would be propped open. The cats would have
to come and go as they pleased, but from now on there would be no one filling their bowls for
them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They’d have to go out and look for mice, birds, insects. The <i>real</i> cat food. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hi, what’s up?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hi! How’s it going?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Great. I took care of all the Pet Maxx and the Waggy World
pet rescue and I’m finishing up at Snappy Tails right now. I can barely hear
you with the sound of 30 sets of hungry jaws chomping on kibble in the
background. So what’s up?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, Panda, I am standing in the tool section of High Hardware. I need to know what you think is the best bolt
cutter. Klein or HK Porter?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ Kleins.” Panda
replied, “What are you doing?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Um.” Dell paused in what was obviously some bid to stall
for time and withhold information. “Just, you know. You always told me to keep
bolt cutters in my trunk in case of emergencies.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes. That’s true. Why the sudden interest though? You
shouldn’t need bolt cutters for Pet Maxx all those cages open right up.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I need them for the zoo.” Dell answered in a rush.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A cold shot of panic hit Panda’s stomach. “THE ZOO?” she
yelled into the phone. “You are NOT going to the ZOO! <i>OMG</i>!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-81571534010313597162012-04-24T05:31:00.003-07:002012-04-24T05:31:56.481-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 3.1<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panda spent her morning rethinking her bug-out bag. As any
survivalist knows, a bug-out bag is your first line of defense in an ‘end of
the world as we know it’ scenario. It contains as many of the things you need
for shelter, food, safety, water, first aid, and self-protection that you can
reasonably carry on your back. She kept one in the trunk of her car at all
times and the major one in her hall closet by the back door of her rental home.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She looked through the array of survival gear that she had
sweated bullets and leaked money to collect for her eventual worst case situation.
She removed the full set of camo cargo pants and jacket and set it aside. She
felt slightly silly now, thinking of herself fully suited in urban camouflage. She
didn’t see a use for the camp stove and fuel pellets at this time, either. Those could get packed into her
closet that held her camping gear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On her list of things to add to her stash was a portable yet
powerful telescope. She thought it might be a good idea to get up onto a
rooftop of a high-rise and survey the city, grid by grid. She was certain there
were survivors out there and wanted to search for signs of life such as
movement on the roads or chimney smoke. She knew that as time went on,
isolation could cause fear, paranoia and instability in anyone. She had her
cousin for comfort and company but what of someone who was alone and in a
panic? At day three, she just did not want to turn a street corner and walk
into the business end of a rifle held by someone who had witnessed the end of
the world and had not been able to keep from going insane.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right then Dell called from the Pet Maxx sounding <i>utterly</i> insane!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10970605.post-51944370713452634542012-04-23T05:35:00.000-07:002012-04-23T05:36:19.817-07:00Apo-Calypso Chapter 4 Part 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Chapter 4 Part 3</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning Dell awoke to an odd pressure in her chest.
She felt oppressed and more scattered in her thinking than usual. She had a
notion she should be up and <i>doing</i>
something but it wasn’t clear to her just what that could be. The feeling
persisted through her shower and while selecting one of the umpteen new
fabulous outfits she had gotten for herself yesterday at the mall. She chose
her new designer jeans and a Todd Oldham blouse with tiny crochet buttons in
white. She loved red accessories with her flame red hair, and chose a chunky
carved cinnabar necklace and bracelet set. She picked her good old Nike’s and
soft cotton socks. She knew that Panda would have her working like a parking
attendant or garbage collector for most of the day so she might as well wear
sensible shoes for a change. Her luxurious red curls were wound into a messy
bun and as she looked in the mirror she approved of what she saw.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I need diamonds!” she thought. “Why not go to the jewelry
store and get myself the largest karat diamond studs I can find?” She was meeting Panda at Trader Joe’s, the
halfway point, at 10 am but it was early: only 8:00 am. She’d go to Pet Maxx
and get a giant bag of pig kibble and then stop by the jewelry store and do a
little shopping. First, though, she intended to trade in her vehicle for
something a little more posh!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pigs heard her coming down the concrete stairs on the
outside of the building and were amassed by the landing waiting to be fed.
Silky and Freed greeted her enthusiastically with grunts and wet snurfles.
“Pigs really are the sweetest animals!” she told them. “I’ll be back later with
a giant bag of kibble! In the meantime
just go dig in the garbage, why don’t ya?” She sauntered over to her car and
headed up the street. It was a bright clear morning with the bluest sky, and
yet she still felt slightly crushed somehow. “Whatever could be wrong?” she
thought. Other than the entire human race having gone up in smoke before her
eyes just 3 days ago, that is. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pet Maxx, one of those pet-needs mega-stores, was right on
her way to the Shawn’s Jewelry store she planned on looting for diamonds. As
she was driving along she kept punching buttons on her car radio, trying to
catch some tunes. As always in these little moments where reality was forced
upon her, it did not occur to her right away that there were no more radio
stations. And once it did, she quickly switched over to her CD player, barely
missing a beat. “Just don’t delve into it too deeply” was her motto. Don’t
think about Radio Silence over Berlin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As she drove she kept her eyes peeled for any likely vehicle
to catch her notice. And there it was! A Porsche Cayenne Turbo in Sand White.
V8, 4 wheel drive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She saw it parked along the roadside and pulled over to
inspect it for keys. Sure enough, on the ground by the driver’s side, were the
keys and all the –now usual--detritus of wallet, watch, belt and shoes. She grabbed the keys and the wallet,
inspecting it for cash and credit cards as she unlocked the door and hopped
inside. A full wallet and a full tank of gas and yes, written on the upper left
corner of the back of the bank debit card, was the guy’s pin number. A quick
check of the other credit cards showed the same tiny 4 unit number printed in
permanent ink. This guy was not a genius! "Ever hear of identity theft?" she said to the pile of dust at her feet. Of course there was no answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seemed funny to her that she had taken up a life of
crime. Car theft, traffic violations, identity theft. Soon she was going to rob
a bank and pull off a jewelry heist. She felt fantastic! Grinning from ear to
ear she pulled into the large parking lot of the Pet Maxx.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was when she went inside that the reason for her earlier
oppressive gloom hit home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>Miss Pink Ponsonbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447217987727147652noreply@blogger.com0