Left Shaking In Their Boots: Pole Shift

By Ron Foster

This title includes two books and is the complete “Time Is Running Out Series”
(Spectre Island )A satirical, often humorous, but practical look at how three groups of people will end up trying to survive the apocalypse when stuck on a sinking Island.
The setting for the event is an apocalyptic author, listeners get together, prepper camp out which is occurring in Alabama when a geomagnetic storm triggers a chaotic pole shift like event causing earthquakes and flooding. The electrical grid has gone down and the unexpected slip of Earth’s Tectonic plates grinding together causes the New Madrid Fault line in Tennessee to tear itself apart and alter America’s continental shape and coastlines forever. The dystopian world of an old Spanish moss-covered movie set attraction not far from a small southern town becomes the base of operations for the survivors. Everyone one is forced to choose for themselves their own path when it comes to how to compete for survival in this newly evolving post-apocalyptic world.
The small-town locals, the event campers and the parks day visitors must all compete with bared teeth for limited resources and food before time runs out and starvation takes its deadly toll. A study in preparedness psychology and strategies as different minded or focused groups of people get their vehicles stranded on the island after the causeway leading to the mythical town of Spectre floods. The politically connected landowner is overwhelmed with the refugees and wants the National Guard to come take them away to FEMA camps, but the surviving preppers say no and are willing to fight!
A fun listen technothriller that will test your resolve, make you question your readiness and resiliency to societal breakdown and space weather climatic solar and geophysical or geographic disasters impacting earth!
Apocalyptic Apothecary: The Earth’s magnetic poles have shifted; the electrical grid is down and society has collapsed. Survivors struggle daily to cope, as pestilence and plague take their toll. Famine and strife run amuck in the burning cities. Hospitals are abandoned. A chance discovery made while scavenging in the old attic of an herbalist cache of books, gives Zack the added herbal knowledge he needs to fight the rampant diseases occurring in his survivalist community. Forgotten medical knowledge from the Civil War era offers healing for a small group trying to reconstruct society.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Foster
• Release date: Oct 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463561508

Ron Foster

Southern author, Ron Foster has shared his vast knowledge in a large library of books about survival and preparedness, both fiction and nonfiction. He is best known for his "prepper fiction"- Even his fiction books are loaded with survival and self sufficiency techniques that one can learn from. Ron Foster's knowledge in his field is extensive and has well prepared him for writing about survival in a post-apocalyptic world, where society has broken down. He has had many competencies in his background including, being a Gemologist (diamond and colored stone appraiser), an Investment Banker, an Army Soldier and an Air Force Airman. Other skills landed him as a Corporate Administrator and Entrepreneur in many different capacities. Ron has also received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Empire State College in Human Services, with a specialty in Emergency Management Administration and Planning, at the age of 50. He has a Masters of Administrative Science (MAS) Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University with seven graduate certificates. Certifications include: Alabama Emergency Managers Association (Certified Emergency Manager), National Association Of Safety Professionals (Certified Emergency Management Specialist), FEMA Professional Development Certificate Series awarded. Graduate Certificates in: Administrative Science, Emergency Management Administration, Global Security and Terrorism Studies Certificate, Displaced Persons Certificate, School Security & Safety Administration Certificate, Law and Public Safety Administration, and Non Profit Organization and Management. He also holds a Masters of Science Degree from Capella University in Human Services. Read one book written by Ron Foster, and you'll want to read more. You'll be sure to enjoy, and you'll have a few tricks up your sleeve when your done! Tricks that could save your life.

Book preview

The Beginning

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Today was the day of the first official annual Prepper Fiction Authors Meet And Greet and darned if rain wasn’t forecast. The attendees and guests were all optimistic but many still had their reservations about how this camping trip was going to end up turning out. This was not a group of experienced hardcore outdoorsmen and women for the most part, no for the most part they were more middle-aged or older and most hadn’t spent a night in the woods roughing it for many years. However, they were all happy and ready for spending a few days sharing a camp fire with like-minded people and cooking out some. Little did they know they would be stuck with each other for good or bad, better or worse for many months to come.

The meet started out just fine with people anxiously awaiting the arrival of internet friends traveling from far and wide. For the most part, these were people who had never before met face to face. But instead had talked or interacted with each other in social media regularly and had formed their own inner expectations and personal character profiles for these cyber friends that might or might not be accurate. They didn’t take very long to find out some of their assumptions were totally wrong or the person was not wholly who they had expected in reality.

At first it was all hands-on deck with everyone trying to help each other put up tents or pitch in unloading firewood and setting up camp, but things change when you get a large group of people spending long periods of time in close proximity with others that are basically strangers to one another. The underlying tensions starting over often-times petty misunderstanding of men and women not being the big heroes we somehow imagined them to be in our minds seemed to have dampened some relations that were once so great. It would take many weeks to find that these people that somehow aggravated us now, ended up being truly as great as people once thought they were.

Surviving anything does that to people, whether it’s just getting through a weekend camping trip and luckily having a quasi-friend to help you get through it, or the silly mind games of figuring out who would truly be there to save your butt in an emergency regardless of circumstances or personal feelings towards you all mattered.

Everyone’s patience, tenacity and mettle would soon be out to the test eventually in the coming days and weeks to come in ways that they couldn’t even begin to imagine now. Soon community group think would be looked to as an alternative and replace personal individual survival decisions as the norm instead of the exception.

Zack was one of the apocalyptic authors attending the three-day event and he was very influential in helping to coordinate it. He and Ezra sat by themselves on a concrete picnic table studying everyone and listening to their life’s history. They studied how the mostly strangers attending were working or not working together all the while happily discussing quietly between themselves what they thought of the odds of various members of this shindig were actually capable of doing to survive a real shit hit the fan situation (SHTF) should one arise.

Some of the attendees appeared to be just armchair survivalists looking forward to actually trying out some of their new camping gear for the first time, while many of the others were just camp followers that liked to read and socialize with apocalyptic and preparedness minded people.

It was a mixed lot; many people did indeed have various levels or degrees of survival skills that they could rely upon. Many of them had diligently studied and learned in the survivalist internet forums over the years, while others of the more zombie reading game playing genre made it difficult to really tell what kinds of reality they could actually deal with when push truly came to shove.

This kind of laid-back campground tent pitching for a few days and nights in the outdoors was old hat to Zack and Ezra and they got themselves a kick out of observing other less experienced campers’ expectations and tribulations doing what came natural to them.

Brent wandered over to see what it was the two old men were chuckling about and to have fun adding his two cents to the conversation. The three of them had volunteered to come up a day early and help set up camp and get firewood delivered etc.

Did you see that wild persimmon tree on the way driving in here? It was up on that little hill rise just off the road before the causeway? A lot of the folks coming to this event come from up north and they have never tasted one of those kind of fruits before. Zack said with a wry smile.

They won’t be in season yet anytime soon. I sure do like eating them though when they are. Brent said regarding Ezra who looked like he was about to bust grinning.

You wouldn’t! Brent objected flashing his own mischievous smile.

We might consider it! We were just sitting here discussing who might be a likely candidate or target to maybe talk into eating a green one! Ezra said with an old country boy giggle.

Now what them two old codgers had in mind was one of the meanest backwoods jokes ever played in this neck of the woods. This is a quite unkind joke thing they had in mind! It was something that parents sometimes do to their kids or unsuspecting Yankees visiting the south when introducing them to the woods or upon occasions when country folks bring along some of their unsuspecting city friends to the woods. Now this stunt is usually always just done all in fun and luckily no one ever gets anything hurt but their feelings from it, but it is kind of cruel to the person it happens to and it’s also a pretty good laugh for the pranksters who instigate it.

Persimmons are a wild edible fruit that grow in the woods. When they are ripe, they are as tasty and good as candy and are sugary and sweet delicious! You can eat them ripe just fine right off the tree, make some jelly with them, bake them in a pie, add to pudding, etc.

Not when they’re green (unripe) though: Oh, hell no, you don’t want to try that! When you bite into a green persimmon it is sour as sour ever gets!  Your lips will pucker up and go dry like someone just put a bale of cotton in your mouth. The discomfort doesn’t just end there even if you spit it out quick which you will. Try to imagine your dentist dumped an entire shot glass of Novocain into your mouth. You can’t feel anything. You can’t even talk, spit, and it seems to go on and last 99 forever’s.

To make matters worse, you will have people Kool aid man grinning and gleefully laughing at you when your lips are all puckered up like a monkey and you can’t feel anything at all in your mouth. Quite frankly you can’t protest all that much at anyone for a while about the mean trick that just got played on you either. Don’t even try it! They will just laugh at you even more and harder as you attempt to wrap a thick swollen tongue around the cuss words you want to say!

Zack advised Brent that he was surprised as hell that the scientists at the Food and Drug Administration hadn’t approved some kind of a natural medicine alternative to Novocain by using unripe persimmon juice. If that stuff can work on contact in under a second to deaden someone’s mouth, what would it do after injecting it in someone’s gums? Honestly, I think the hellacious stuff is more potent and a lot stronger than Novocain. There is no waiting for thirty minutes to pass by for the stuff to kick in and do its work. Some poor ailing soul could be ready for a root canal in five minutes flat if they figured out how to use that sour mouth pucker you up stuff on them.

Ah come on man now behave, you’re supposed to be kicking back and being nice! You know how mean that joke is! Don’t forget that it was you yourself that personally invited a lot of these folks to come down here for the weekend or to just to visit and hang out! Brent objected.

We ain’t going to do it, we were just halfway considering it in case a certain know it all person don’t quit trying to blame me for the groups lack of organization and put an end to all their fussing. I told folks before they come here, they were full grown adults, handle their own problems and arrange their own schedules. Zack said grousing about something or another he had got involved in earlier today.

Damn! Now I understand what my mom said about you two old goobers last time you were up to no good. I think it was something like Once a man, twice a child. She always has a saying or two when referring to some of your antics! Brent declared saying in effect some people revert to childlike behavior when they get old.

"Hey come to think of it Zack, I bet if she hadn’t told me already about them dangerously funny green fruity things growing up that you two would have got me with one of those lip puckers’ a long time ago.’ Brent said getting in on the fun and avoiding the possible revenge for scolding Zack fun.

Nah that person would probably get themselves a lawyer and try to go to court and sue you! I don’t think some of them have a sense of humor or a funny bone in their whole body.  I meant to ask you, are you cooking shrimp and sausage Jambalaya for the group this time around Zack? Ezra asked knowing it was one of Zacks trademark cast iron Dutch oven cooking campfire treats that he was known to occasionally provide to his vamp out friends.

Nah, I thought about it, but then decided it was too much trouble and I ain’t scheduling nothing this camping trip. I am just going to kick back.  Hey, I did hit up a sponsor for some MRE apple turnovers they can have for breakfast if they don’t get stingy with sharing their morning coffee with me. You know I actually saw a collection jar next to a pot at one of the other camps like they do in some offices to throw change into this morning! Zack replied.

Now that just ain’t right! No sir that is just not neighborly or campfire comradery friendly right at all! You point that particular camp out to me Zack so I can try to avoid going around it. I sure hope they don’t think about coming down here when your free pouring whiskey drinks for the late-night campfire crew or I am liable to say something not to pleasant to them. Normally amongst the campers its share and share alike around here with work and goods and we all try to get by with a little help from our friends. Ezra stated.

Well I never heard of no one ever say anything about liking Northern hospitality, just southern, I guess they think different about such things. the same as they do kids around here commonly saying Yes sir, no sir, or Mister and Mamn around their elders. We ain’t known for being stingy with our stuff, folks share what they got pretty much down here." Brent remarked.

Hell, they ain’t raining on my parade, I am still having lots of fun! Zack said with a smile.

Me too! You mind if I take one of your kayaks out for a paddle? Brent asked.

Go ahead, take my dingy out with the electric trolling motor if you would rather. Or for that matter Cheryl said I could lend her inflatable out if it was a really careful about only choosing a trust worthy person like you that wanted to borrow it. Zack said knowing the appreciation Brent had for that wonderful boat.

Ordinarily he would have offered to lend him a trolling motor and battery to put on the inflatable but his extra motor battery was serving on the prize dingy so folks could demo and enjoy it before the raffle.

What other kind of mischief making can we get up to Zack? Ezra asked seemingly content just to sit on the concrete picnic table under the awning next to the campfire and shoot the breeze about life and the outdoors.

Damned if I know! I am too tired to think about it. I have been chasing around this island it seems helping folks or Ann has all day long. Never seen such needy folk or things needing doing. Zack said looking around for his soulmate who was most likely probably still doing something or another for someone around here somewhere.  Her good nature and momma instincts take over and she goes to great lengths to see that other people are having fun and comfortable. But the thing is I object to is she wears herself out physically doing it and then we fuss because I tells her she shouldn’t do so much and just sit down and take it easy." Zack said.

I bet I must have seen Ann walk to her van a hundred times today to get something for someone just because they forgot to bring it or she thought that they might need to borrow or have a this or that! Ezra said.

Yea she is sure a treasure but them folks need to let up on their constant demands for her time and energy and give her a little rest and respite from the camp goings on. However, still and all as you know, you got to keep in mind that she wouldn’t have it any other way and don’t get in trouble trying to slow her down! She just loves helping folks simple as that. Now me, I ain’t so merciful or so patient with people all the time if I think they can do something all by themselves. Zack said.

You have definitely got yourself a gem of a lady there Zack. I sure hope you don’t mind me borrowing her once in a while like I seem to be always doing to help me out. Ezra began before Zack cut him off,

Nah man don’t worry yourself none now about that! Like I said she is just playing the good dotting hostess with you because she likes you and helping others is her gig. I just hate that I got to remind her not to be waiting on them hand and foot like she does though. If I don’t fuss a little, she is worn out time we go to bed or gets up dragging and tired in the morning. Working like that hard and that long isn’t good for anyone whether you like doing it or not. Zack said

Hey Parker what’s up buddy? Zack said seeing a friend who had flew in and come to visit all the way from the northwest part of the country. That young man had a lot of walking around and woods sense" Zack had been noted to say respecting that the man had come with nothing more than carryon luggage and had out camped the majority of folks in attendance so far.

Nothing much, I was going to try my luck fishing and get into those boxes of commercial processed fish bait from Magic Bait and Fish Bites Yeh Mon! you brought for everybody to use. That is a whole lot of serious bait to fish for a lunker river catfish with. Parker said.

Check this out, I got you a rod and reel all rigged up. Now you won’t find a finer fishing reel than this one to use Catching your first giant catfish. It’s a Daiwa BG 5000 model, that is my very best recommendation for a sport fishing saltwater reel or fresh water big catfish. I got one a bit smaller in a 4500 model and lighter line if you would rather use it but both reels are powerful and are as smooth as silk to wind. Try the action out. Zack said handing him the combo.

That’s nice, smooth as glass. Parker remarked admirably.

Now I don’t know how it is that you want to rig up but I got three fishing rods here already rigged and tied up. You can use whatever style you want or get in that tackle box and rig up your own if you would rather. Zack said before showing him the different configurations and explaining to him the various rigs he had on hand to try.

"Now you got your basic no frills bottom rig that is nothing more than a barrel slip sinker and a piece of split shot for a sinker stop. The fish can take the bait in its mouth and feel minimum resistance so it’s a cheap way to accomplish the task of getting a wary bite.

Then you got a Carolina rig that basically does the same thing but instead of split shot you use a swivel and some beads sometimes to a flat no flip sinker.

Of course, my favorite though for bank or drift fishing with a boat is a Santee Rig or in this case a modified one What’s cool about a Santee Cooper rig is that you rig a stick float or bobber on it to hold your bait a foot or two off the bottom so you can fish that water column that seems to work better and produce better results sometimes.

"This one I got tied up here uses a piece of paracord filled with lead or steel shot to make it be basically snag less and wiggle over the bottom.

I also got one rigged just like I do when I go Surf fishing with saltwater tackle but it catches catfish just the same." Zack said before going on to explain about the odd looking hooks and sizes he had on the lines and why he preferred the fisherman use these kind of hooks particularly if they were thinking of catching and releasing.

Please Use Circle Hooks

To conserve fisheries, many sport anglers now release the fish they catch. Using circle hooks instead of standard J-hooks can significantly reduce mortality. Experienced striped bass anglers find that baited circle hooks, because the point is turned inward, almost always hook fish in the lip or jaw. Points on J-hooks, in contrast, are more exposed and can lodge in the gills, throat or stomach—internal organs where injuries can be fatal.

Because of its design, you don’t need to set a circle hook as you would a J-hook; simply let the fish take the bait and then start reeling to get a hook-up. Many longtime anglers believe they actually catch more fish with circle hooks than J-hooks, once they’ve learned to use them properly.

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The fish camp was filling with visitors and campers as the only official event scheduled was about to start.

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Zack finally rounded up everyone for the big raffle ticket giveaway and was in the middle of his speech while thanking everyone for coming when the ground began to shake.

What the hell? Zack thought to himself as he felt the first tremble. I didn’t drink that much last night for my knees to be wobbly and the heat ain’t bad enough to give me pause. He was thinking before being pitched to the side and struggling to keep his balance.

The assembled guests were all siting around listening to the festivities when they were suddenly treated to the spectacle of Zack as he did his best Wizard of Oz scarecrow dance interpretation trying to regain his balance before they began feeling the full force of the awful shaking themselves. Some people were even pitched to the ground from their chairs.

Loud objections rang out on the Island and cries of Oh Shit! and what’s going on! occurred before the momentary heaving rumble stopped. All eyes were now focused on the river and thoughts of, is this island sinking?" occurred as everyone became bewildered and dismayed about what in the devil was going on before they braced once again as several aftershocks hit.

What’s going on Zack? Why is the ground shaking so hard? Ezra called out loudly while looking like he was doing a pole dance on his cane trying to keep his balance standing up.

Zack reached out his hand to steady the old war vet who was also having a time with his footing, tripped and they both went down in a heap together on the ground.

Earthquake! Rachel shrilled as the panicky participants of this apocalyptic venue looked on in horror as the once placid waters of the river began to churn and roll like a battleships wake was heading towards the shore.

Head for high ground Nick yelled as he and Knobby grabbed their fat-tired bikes off the tree they were leaning against and started to race further inland before dropping them to stop to help some of the older lest agile ladies in the group make it to safety.

It was mass confusion, pandemonium, mayhem and panic before everyone figured out the river wasn’t actually going to tsunami and wash them all off of the shore.

Sloan jumped up on one of the long concrete tables after handing his wife off to Mack to get her to safety and began hollering and directing folks to head for the high side of the island and up towards the town of Spectre as a herd of panicked bleating goats came racing by.

Brent was momentarily frozen with indecision as he eyed the plastic kayaks lining the shore straining their mooring lines wanting to be swept downstream before thinking good judgement was the better part of valor and helping some of the older overweight campers get out of their chairs and start moving faster further inland. Rescuing boats was one thing, beaching the whales was another he figured and although there was some humor in the way he thought about what to do next he didn’t smile or joke as he took decisive action.

Mack had his hands full shuttling his wife and young daughter along with Sloan’s wife towards the rise of ground where their tent was pitched before looking back to see about the herd of people moving in his direction like frightened animals fleeing a forest fire. Then all went silent for a moment as people realized they weren’t fixing to be drowned like Pharaoh’s Army when Moses parted the Red Sea.

Keep on moving! Don’t Stop Yet!  No telling if this was just a warning of what’s to come! Zack called out as Parker raced by him pulling a Kayak behind him that he had miraculously rescued by its bow rope and was now pulling and towing it along like he was the lead sled dog in the Alaska Iditarod Race!

Go back and try to grab that other one Brent! Parker said momentarily stopping and fearfully eying the receding water like he was thinking about jumping in the kayak he had in hand and maybe paddling it up the hill. Evidently, he knew or had heard something about the fact that when water recedes it comes back with a vengeance like what happened in deadly coastal tsunamis in Thailand and Indonesia.

Zack and Ann meantime where only pausing just long enough to be grabbing their heavy ass bug out bags out of their tent quickly before struggling up the hill themselves. The did so cursing that they had not thought to load them lighter for a fast get away should one be needed. They had pretty much heavy handedly loaded them to the gills with everything imaginable thinking that they would have time to lighten them up later if they ever actually had to hump them any distance and were relieved when Ezra came racing up the hill in his truck and told them to jump on.

Evidently, he had kept his wits about him and had jumped in his truck rather than try to do a hobbling cane race up the hill and was driving through the woods barely dodging trees and helping others by picking up stragglers along the way.  Zack had got in the back of the bed of the truck and was sticking out a helping hand to anyone who wanted to get on as Sloan knowing his wife was already evacuated safely looked like he was doing the airborne shuffle run up the beach road chasing Nick and Knobby on their bikes headed to the RV camp.

There were other campers besides the ones that were attending the event doing a mass exodus at the same time and Sloan stopped momentarily to yell at them to get inland and not worry about dangerously risking salvaging any camping gear that close to shore before joining the herd heading for higher ground.

Now some folks might not believe me that goats can climb trees but it was evidently true as their instincts took over and they found the highest places they could get on top of on this island including  stacks of firewood, trucks, leaning trees, picnic tables, and movie set window sills in the town of Spectre as everyone waited to see what was next in this watery apocalypse.

Mass confusion, young and old women crying, kids screaming, goats bleating, men shouting, everybody tree hugging tightly as general despair took over watching as the river made huge waves do a couple laps around the island before finally settling down to the point where there was just the heavy sloshing of waves hitting the shore like spent boat wakes to be seen and heard.

The strong stench of urine and feces along with river mud made itself apparent as evidently it was too much for the goats and some people as they evacuated their bowels in fear before the eerie calm took over. Nothing more happened as the heavy sound of the river lapping the shore line occurred and people were momentarily silenced trying to figure out for themselves what had just happened.

Somebody needs to go check out the causeway! Sloan remarked looking off in the distance.

I am on it!  Ezra declared and didn’t wait for Donna and Rachel to get out the back of his truck before him speeding off in that direction.

Zack tried to holler at him to wait and that he still had passengers in the back of his truck hanging on for dear life but the man wasn’t paying anyone any attention. He was on a mission and Zack was left standing there watching the show and cussing him as he took off in a rush with his passenger door still hanging half open momentarily.

When Ezra quickly got to the narrow causeway leading to the island he noted the road was filling up fast from its center and he guesstimate what he hoped wasn’t more than a foot or two of water and gunned the truck much to the dismay of Donna and Rachel who were bouncing around in the bed of his truck as he went through the turbid water all the way to the other side.

He was getting the hell off this island and he had made it! Ezra mused.

It was only then that he saw his disheveled and bruised passengers and offered his utmost apologies for their discomforts and their minor injuries from being bounced and battered around.

Nobody knew it then, but his reckless pedal to the metal suicidal looking mad dash to push through that water would help save a lot of lives later.

Are you crazy or didn’t your momma teach you any better! an angry spluttering Donna said to the surprised Ezra as he finally noted he had passengers.

If I wasn’t so sore, I would kick your ass! A thoroughly sodden Rachel yelled complaining of the dousing she and her friend had gotten from the waves of water he had thrown up when ploughing through that low spot on the road leading into the island.

I’m sorry ladies! You ok? I didn’t even look back or know I still had any riders! I can’t offer you all a towel but I got some of my clean shirts you can dry off with. Said a beside himself apologetic Ezra.

Who you think you are? That Andie Granatelli race car driver? That pot holed washboard road leading in here was bad enough but you stopping long enough to race your engine before charging down the bridge over the causeway was too much! Donna said wanting to hit him once or twice for the thrill seeker like maneuver he had risked.

Well I can take both of you back over to the island and you can ride in the cab this time. Ezra weakly offered.

Oh, hell no! I ain’t ever going riding with you again! Rachel remarked looking at him hotly.

Now what? They are on that side and we are on this one. Donna said studying the rising waters.

I guess we sit here and think on it a bit. Ezra offered lamely.

I still think we should kick your ass! Rachel griped now separated from the group and her gear but still pretty much half ass happy she was not still stuck on that apparently sinking island anymore.

Let’s go and see what Bobby has to say about this disaster. I would like to get his take on things. Donna remarked and they tried to make themselves a bit more presentable before walking up to the island owners’ house.

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2

Wayward Son

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Where the hell is Ezra? He should have been back here by now with a report on the causeway conditions. Zack said worriedly eying the road towards the camps entrance.

‘We will go see about him!" Nick and Knobby said mounting their bikes to pedal down that way and see the causeway for themselves.

Looks like we have lost about a good 10 or 20 feet of island shoreline so far that’s under a couple feet of water. Parker remarked having did a short recon and studying the shoreline.

Well is the water rising or receding at the moment in your estimation? That big wave that come in pulled itself back into the river best I could tell. Mack asked

Hard to say, but I think the water is still inching in higher pretty good it looks like to me. Parker responded

Let’s get everyone to move all their gear and vehicles over to the town of Spectre, that seems about the highest point we got on this island and figure out what’s next. Damn good thing we had that Sea Eagle dingy dragged up safe over here for the raffle giveaway or the river would have swept it away. That is our new lifeboat and our best means of getting folks off the island now. Zack said eying the inflatable craft set up at the ghost trees at the entrance to the movie set town that may well be their only lifeline not counting the two plastic Kayaks.

Cheryl where in the hell did you come from? You ok? Ann asked seeing their friend coming over to talk to her and Zack.

I came up here today for the drawing about an hour ago and parked up by the town to feed the goats a treat first and then walked down to your fish camp. I brought along my Sea Eagle inflatable Kayak by the way it’s in my car’s trunk. Cheryl advised.

Well that’s damn sure a positive note. Look stay here while I go get my van and get Brent to help you inflate it. We might need it pretty quick. Zack responded.

Ok. But It would be a lot quicker to inflate it if you could lend me your electric pump. Cheryl asked.

Just get it out and start manual pumping it up for now. let me go make sure my vans safe and if it is, I will be back soon and you can use it if I don’t have any problems. I was sort of parked close to the water and I don’t know how my vehicle or a couple others parked by me fared, I am betting that Earl’s Jeep might have took a swim by the way or could be it is half submerged because he was parked right butt up on the bank. Zack stated looking around for his friend who was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

Earl when he arrived on the island had just backed up to a tree and hung his hammock from one end the jeeps roll bar to the trunk and had been sleeping like that camping out under the sky ever since they had been here.,

I saw him and Smitty run off in that direction a few minutes ago. I will go check on him Mary sue said and went with her husband to