Dear Diary
I found a hotplate in my shed that is at least 20 years old. I can’t even remember when I bought it. I plugged it into the extension cord feeding out from the generator…unbelievably, it works. I have taken some sliced ham, some eggs that were still in Mr. Atkins Meat Market freezer department, and fried them up for breakfast. It is amazing what a simple breakfast of ham and eggs can do for you. Add all that to a boiling hot pot of coffee, and I almost feel human again this morning. I saw an ATV parked behind the Williams house, about two miles from the store. I went to check it out, and it is well used. It is an old 2009 Suzuki KingQuad 400FS with a five speed manual transmission, exactly what I need to transport stuff from the general store about five miles from my house. There are about 12 pallets of meat, dry ice packed, inside Atkins Meat Market. I am not sure how long that will last, so I will have to be very careful about this. I need a bigger generator. This Honda 2000 watt generator will run the refrigerator and my hot plate, but not much else. I’ve got to go get that ATV.
10:52AM
Dear Diary
I now have an ATV for transporting stuff from the Axis General Store. It took a while to push start, but it is running just great. I have lots of canned goods, sliced bread (not sure how long that will last), candy, and extra extension cords for my generator. I did not see any generators in the General Store. I will most likely have to make another trek into Mobile for that. That is something I’m not prepared to do right now. It was just devastating to me. Today is the first day I have realized I did not stop by to see if my brother and sister are still around. I know they would not have left without me. I’m thinking I will go by their homes before I leave for Atlanta. I am thinking I will leave in the morning instead of waiting another day. I have to find answers to what is going on. Still no sight of other people. No power, low water pressure. That low water pressure means my toilets are not working either. So, the nearby tree line is my new bathroom. Still no Ralph…but sometimes…just sometimes, I think I hear him barking. I am not sure if that is real or if I am hallucinating. Am I losing my mind? I don’t know. That worries me also.
4:15PM
Dear Diary
I have just completed a trip of nearby Axis. Abandoned cars and no sight of people, animals or even insects. Still can’t remember what Einstein said about honey bees. It is hard push starting this Honda Gold Wing bike, but there is nothing electrical working. All batteries I took from the general store were just as dead as all the other batteries I have tried in days past. What could have caused that? Obviously, it had something to do with the worldwide humming noise that drove some people to suicide. I wish I could meet up with a scientist, a doctor, or someone a whole lot smarter than me.
7:16PM
Dear Diary
After a steak dinner, I am sitting on my front porch drinking a bottle of wine and thinking about my next moves. Obviously, I am going ahead with my drive to Atlanta in the morning. I am more nervous about that than any single thing I can think of in my life. I am scared of what I might find there. It is going to be a long, slow trip. I’m sure there are many abandoned cars on I-65 and then I-85 to Atlanta. I will have to go slow on this Honda Gold Wing. I’m still not sure of myself on this thing, but I have to go. I miss hearing a human voice. I talk to myself sometimes just to hear a voice. Just something to break the monotony of the hours that pass by without any idea of what is wrong. I have come to the realization that this may be a worldwide cataclysmic event. The reason I think so is that if only the southeast part of the USA was affected, there would be some sort of military presence in this area from other parts of the country. There would be somebody, somewhere telling us what to do. But there has not been a trace of one single person, plane, helicopter or anything else from the government. Even if it was a quarantine, they would still drop leaflets as they did in the Ivory Coast back in 2013 during the Ebola outbreak that killed 200,000 people.
10:12PM
Dear Diary
I have stared up at the stars as I walked on the dirt road in front of my house. The night sky is beautiful tonight. I am extremely reluctant to leave in the morning, being comfortable here. But leave I must. I feel as if the weight of the entire human race is descending upon me over what I'll be doing in the next few days. I find myself shaking uncontrollably at times, not knowing if that is just nerves or if I ate something that I shouldn’t have. It is hard to give up those steaks, ham and sausage, but I will have to do so eventually. The Honda Gold Wing is packed with bare essentials such as a sleeping bag, rifle and handgun, ammo, canteens, lots of beef jerky and, of course, my Bible. I think I should be able to find what I need on the road. I am so scared. What has happened? Did someone invent a super weapon that got out of control? If that is true, why didn’t it kill me? Why am I still here? I pray nightly for answers. Every night, I pray for someone to take over for me. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be held responsible for, possibly, the entire world.
I hope if someone finds this diary someday, they will give thought to that I am doing all I know to do. My resources are limited. There is no evidence of a calamity. Yet, a calamity that is unprecedented in recorded history has occurred. The main thing that puzzles me is the white, salt-like powder I have found in most cars. I just now thought I heard Ralph again. It is just as well I haven’t found him. I couldn’t take him with me on this bike to Atlanta. I hope he’s still alive. I must now consider, once again, whether I am losing my mind. How would I even know if I am losing my mind? That scares me also. But what scares me more than anything is the thought of spending the rest of my life alone without any human contact. I don’t know if I can live like that, I’m not sure I want to. I will continue with an entry in the morning before I leave. Dear God…I’m not sure you are listening to me any longer. I fear I am all alone in this world. I have no idea why this has happened. But I pray you help me, that you protect me on this arduous journey.
Alone on Earth – Entry #7
November 22, 2016
5:55AM
Dear Diary
I am up early today because of a long journey ahead of me. The Honda Gold Wing bike is fully loaded with everything I need. I have eaten a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, grits, toast and hot coffee. That may be the last hot meal I'll have in a while. It’s almost like old times due to this generator, but I have to make sacrifices until I get a bigger one. This 2000 watt generator can’t run both the refrigerator and hot plate at the same time, it must draw a lot of current. I had planned on going into Mobile to look for a bigger generator, but that is going to have to wait. I cannot run this generator while I am gone to Atlanta, so once again the refrigerator will melt down and so will the ice trays. Before I take off for Atlanta, I am going to visit my sister and brother’s homes about 20 miles north of here. I dread what I’m going to find…or not find. As usual, I will bring my diary notebook with me to record everything. Maybe it can help someone who is a lot smarter than me figure out what has happened to this world. I hope Ralph is here when I come back…if I do come back.
7:28AM
Dear Diary
There is nothing to be found at either my sister’s home or my brother’s home, where I am sitting on his couch writing this entry. I am looking at a picture of my brother and I as young boys, holding up a full line of fish. Seems like so many years ago, and now I will never know what has happened to him or my sister. His home is like so many I’ve been to; like they just up and left without packing anything. My sister-in-law’s purse is still on the dining room table. No woman would leave her purse behind. My heart
