Page 40 of Camriel
Chapter Twenty-Two
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WAKING WITH A START, Victoria saw she was now alone.She was relieved to find the bobcat hadn’t clawed her face off, or left any ticks behind.It had stopped raining, but the ground was saturated when she crawled out from beneath the log.
“I’m running fudging low on toilet paper,” she groused after answering the call of nature.She hoped she would come across some houses before she ran out.“No way am I wiping my azz with leaves,” she said with a shudder.
She ate breakfast, then took to the freeway.It was cold enough that she was glad jogging kept her warm, even if it was wearing her down.Birds called to each other in the trees, warning that a human was approaching.Squirrels didn’t care and ignored her presence.A pair ran across the freeway right in front of her, chasing each other in an endless game.
Nature was already reclaiming the land, but it wouldn’t last.“Humans will multiply once they sort their shiz out,” she predicted.“The fudgers will no doubt cause even more damage to the planet.”
Things could get so much worse now that only the bad and downright evil people remained.There was no one left to advocate for peace, or to take care of the world.
Her thoughts were gloomy as she followed the map ever closer to her destination.The Adirondack Mountains were looming over Victoria by now.She couldn’t see any snow, but she also couldn’t see to the tops of the furthest ranges.
“I’ll choose a spot fairly close to the base of the closest mountain,” she decided.“There’s got to be fresh water up there somewhere and I won’t be that far from what’s left of civilization.”
She would need to grab supplies from a town to take with her.It would require a lot of trips, since she could only carry so much.
“Fudging looters had better not have stolen all of the toilet paper,” she said.She might have to search far and wide for the precious commodity, which would be annoying.
Gas stations could always be found along her route.She lucked out and reached one just in time for her lunch break.This time, she wasn’t attacked by a rabid dog.The place had been looted, but she found toilet paper in a stall.
“Thank you, God,” Victoria said fervently and stuffed it into her backpack.“No leaves for me today,” she said in gratitude.
The rest of her journey was peaceful, for once.She didn’t encounter anyone and even came across a picturesque town.
“Ooh, a bookstore!”she said.“I’ll come back and loot it later,” she promised herself.There were a couple of convenience stores and they still had food and other supplies.She couldn’t sense anyone in the nearby vicinity.Loading up some bags full of essentials, Victoria grunted in effort when she shouldered them.
She still had a few hours before it would be dark and continued to jog.Reaching the closest mountain, she found an animal trail leading upwards.“It’s like it was made for me,” she crowed quietly, then began to climb.
Luck was with her and she spotted a small cabin just as the sun was setting.It was set back from the trail and looked like it had been abandoned decades ago.A water tank hulked beside it.
“I bet it’s been taken over by a family of racoons,” she joked.Just in case there were wild animals inside, she put her gear down and untied her reaping hook.The bow wouldn’t be much good inside, but she was glad she’d brought it with her.She’d seen a variety of animals that would be good for hunting.
Victoria approached the cabin quietly, glad for her night vision.She circled around the small building to see the windows were intact.The back door was wedged shut when she tried to open it.So was the front door.Putting her shoulder to it, she rammed it open and almost fell onto her face.
Dust whirled madly and she coughed, waving it out of her face.“Someone forgot to call the fudging maid,” she complained.
The cabin was tiny, with one main room that had a fireplace and what passed for a kitchen.A small square table with two chairs sat in the middle of the main room.There was also a bathroom and a bedroom that had a fireplace.The water wasn’t working and the toilet was an outdoor one.“I’ll have to shiz in a bucket,” she said, making a face when she inspected the outhouse.She left some toilet paper on a rickety shelf on the wall and grabbed her gear.The water tank was either empty, or something was broken.Maybe she could fix it and get the faucets inside working again.
