am preparing to leave the safe confines of this very nice condo, and am very apprehensive this morning as I gather my belongings to continue my trip into town. I have about 3 miles to go before I will be in the very heart of the city. I slept very little last night; kept dreaming Ralph was lost somewhere in the woods. He is weighing heavily on my mind. The fact that all animals seem to be missing, along with every human being between my home and Mobile, does not bode well for Ralph. I don’t know why, but I still think he's alive. It’s just a feeling. Or maybe it’s just hope, I don’t know. I have eaten some sardines and crackers for breakfast. Again, everything in the refrigerator of this condo is spoiled by now. What I wouldn’t give for a ribeye at Outback Steakhouse about now! Yes, even at this early hour in the morning. I am just delaying the inevitable, I need to close out this entry and venture into town.
9:19AM
Dear Diary
The worst possible scenario has greeted me as I came into town just a couple of hours ago. The entire city of Mobile is a ghost town. Cars are all over Water St., abandoned. In some of them, there is that odd looking powder, salt-like in texture. But it is not in all the vehicles. I am afraid to speculate what this powder is right now. Newspapers, soft drink cans rattle down the pavement as I walk my bicycle down deserted streets. The few skyscrapers in Mobile seem to mock me as if I were a little ant left alone in a giant anthill. To say this is eerie would be an understatement. I think I may be a little bit in shock. I feel a little dizzy, dry in the throat, and now I’m even having trouble trying to focus on this entry. Why am I even bothering to make entries? I don’t know. But I think a record should be left. I am going to go into banks, bars, courthouse, libraries, and anything else I can think of to visit. I will make an entry of my findings. Right now, there appears to be no one here. Where the hell is everybody???
12:02PM
Dear Diary
I have visited banks with vaults left wide-open with thousands, if not millions of dollars at my disposal. No one would leave a bank like this. But this was the norm of every bank I have gone into. My limited vocabulary can’t do justice to this sight. It does not make sense that banks would leave vaults wide-open even in the event of an invasion by a foreign army, an earthquake, a nuclear attack or any other cataclysmic event I can fathom. None of those events have taken place. No evidence of any. It is almost as if people just up and vanished into thin air. I have been to courthouses with papers scattered everywhere as if everyone dropped their paperwork and left the place. Coffee cups filled with coffee in breakrooms. I went to the county jailhouse, and found no prisoners. And all the jail cells were still locked. I went to the huge Mobile Convention center, and was all alone in the panoramic staging area. The Carnival Cruise ships were still docked and appeared ready to take on passengers. No one was aboard at least one ship. Enough of this…I must eat something. I have found raw bacon packed in dry ice in one club on Royal St., I suppose it is safe to eat. I have to eat some meat.
3:42PM
Dear Diary
I have gone into Bel Air Mall on Airport Blvd. It is completely deserted. This is probably the busiest place in Mobile any day of the week. The huge parking lots are filled to capacity as usual; but no trace of the owners, except for that white, salt-like powder still in many of the vehicles. Strangely, at Hotdog Haven, the beef dogs were still warm on the warming tray. They smelled alright, so I ate two of them. I may pay for it later. I have gone into Sears, J.C. Penney, Orange Julius (yes, I drank some), Dick’s Sporting Goods, and a host of other stores. All deserted, all dark and stale air. I need to get out of here before dark. I just don’t want to stay here tonight. I have gotten a few items from the various stores, and put them in a duffel bag I took from Hibbett’s Sporting Goods. I have a Remington Model 700 rifle with ammo, a small pup tent, a sleeping bag, assorted can goods, canteens, and other items. The one thing I need most is light. So, I stocked up on matches and all the Zippo lighters I could find. Tonight, no matter where I stay, I’m going to have light. Now, it is time to find supper. I have my choice as long as it is canned.
5:15PM
Dear Diary
I decided to try one of the many police cars I have come across. I said, “This is an APB for everybody…” before I realized the damn radio was dead because of the battery. I am thinking of trying to get one of the motorcycles at the Honda dealer across from me. I think I can get a rolling start with it, and pop the clutch into second gear. It should start if I can find gas. Hopefully, that won’t be a problem at the Honda dealer. I am getting the shakes right now. I hope it wasn’t the hotdogs. It may be today’s events taking firm hold of me now. I’m still walking tightrope on a thin line between sanity and insanity over what I see right now. Or, better yet, what I don’t see.
7:30PM
Dear Diary
I am at the Honda Dealer, which is here where I will spend the night. I have the front door propped open. Just outside the door, I have charcoal briquettes and firewood blazing. It feels good on this cool night in Mobile. At least, the thermometers are still working. I see from the light of the Zippo lighter that it is 48 degrees on the old mercury style thermometer. I have partaken of canned hams at a local supermarket, and made me some ham sandwiches. I was afraid to try any of the vegetables such as lettuce to put on them, but I did use some of the mayo I found. I wonder why I even bother eating. I am starting to think I’m all alone now. At least, I feel that there is no one else in this city. I know there has to be other people that survived whatever it was that caused this monstrous calamity. I have prayed more than at any other time in my life. Does God even care? Why did He allow this to happen? And why me? Why have I been singled out to live over all the thousands, maybe millions, of innocent people? These questions are starting to get the best of me. I try not to think of it, but sometimes it becomes overpowering to me and I start to cry. If God would only allow me to find Ralph, I think I could make it. But I need companionship. Ralph is a good listener (OK, that one made me smile). I love my old beagle. But why should he be singled out like I was?
10:38PM
Dear Diary
In the morning, I will try to push start a new 2016 Honda Gold Wing. It’s the only one here that doesn’t have an automatic transmission. I think I can pack the duffel bag along with some other stuff on this thing. The only issue, can I push start it? This is a big motorcycle, and it will weigh even more with the stuff I have packed on it. I wish ATVs had not been outlawed now. So many people were killed by them until Congress pushed for their complete elimination in 2012, I think. I might be able to find some old ones somewhere. But there are none at this dealership, of course. Will I be able to push start one? I’m 65 years old, I’m too old for this. I’m going to give the bike a try in the morning. I completely filled up both the main and reserve gas tanks, so I should be able to make it around. I am bringing along a siphon hose and gas can. I suppose I can find a way into the gas tanks at any of the gas stations around. I hope I can. I think they have hand-generated cranks in case of emergencies. Hand-generated…could I possibly get a generator working if I can get the gas? I just now thought about that. Do they require batteries to start? There are some Honda generators here, but how can I even transport a small one (1000 watts)? I don’t know, but I’m going to try and bring a small one with me somehow. It is time to sleep. I have had a nightmarish day. No human being should have to endure all that I have today. I have so many questions. And no way, absolutely no way to find any answers. It continues to be overcast. So, once again, no moonlight. It’s just as well…the moonlight would make me more melancholic than I already am at present. I can’t give up hope. I just can’t.
Alone on Earth – Entry #5
November 20,
