The Dystopian Diaries Read online

  There are portable bathrooms sprinkled around Woodcrest Recreation Club. There are even real restrooms at the main lake’s changing house, but I’m trying to stay “out of sight, out of mind” here. I’m afraid that if I venture toward the front part of the club, near its entrance, someone might see me. And God forbid they revoke my membership for being out here when the club is closed. I’m joking of course. My membership is the least of my worries. I’m more concerned that someone would try to force me out of here or worse, come after me for my supplies. At this point, I’m willing to sacrifice a little comfort on the John to maintain the privacy that comes with my secret camp out here.

  5:02 p.m.

  The ice in my coolers has completely melted. Most of my remaining cold food (what little is left) is floating in slightly chilled water. Therefore, Miles and I are going to have a final feast of things we need to finish up tonight and into tomorrow. I’m going to cook the little bit of bacon we have left, cook the last few eggs, and roast the final few hotdogs. It’s kind of an odd mix-mash of breakfast for dinner, but I’ll take it. And I certainly don’t hear Miles complaining. He’ll get a hotdog, a piece of bacon or two, and I’ll drizzle the remaining bacon grease over his dog food. He’ll be in heaven! That dog LOVES anything to do with pork or bacon. I used to buy him those dried out pig ears to chew on. But I learned quick. He started having hellacious farts after eating those things. And while I love my sweet fat boy, there are some things I just shouldn’t have to endure as a pet owner – and Miles’ pig ear farts are one of them.

  Okay, off to prepare supper. Miles is staring at me with those big sad eyes of his – like I’m neglecting him or something. Oh, poor thing! It’s been HOURS since his last meal. Aww!

  7:23 p.m.

  During dinner, Miles and I listened to the radio. Personally, I would have preferred the soothing sounds of nature that surround us as opposed to updates on the apocalypse, but Miles has an inquiring mind and wanted the latest news updates.

  The majority of tonight’s broadcast, on the sole remaining channel I’m picking up, was a pre-recorded message from the president that the Emergency Alert System was looping over and over again.

  In my mind, the message sounded like a bunch of BS. But who really knows at this point – sure as hell not ME!

  Anyway, I listened to the message multiple times, “This is a broadcast from the Emergency Alert System. Please stand by for a recorded message from the President of the United States.” Then there would be a lengthy paused followed by, “My fellow Americans, this is the President of the United States. I join you in this difficult time,”…bla, bla, bla.

  I have to admit, I did feel some sympathy for the guy. He said he has lost several family members, including his daughter to the Su flu.

  Guess it’s tough times for everyone. Not good when even the president’s family isn’t immune to something like this. Certainly doesn’t bode well for the rest of us peons.

  So from what the president was saying, this strain of flu is a subtype of the H9N2 virus (I think I got the combination of letters and numbers right), which prior to this particular outbreak was mainly found in Asian poultry. I guess the strain has mutated, and in the process, made our vaccines ineffective. Scientists are saying that the airborne contagion is highly transmissible even without direct human-to-human contact.

  The president went on to say that the White House has been in close touch with the CDC as well as federal, state and local agencies in an effort to stem the spread of the flu. At this juncture, however, not much progress has been made due to the swiftness of the flu’s proliferation and high contamination rate. Then of course, the president went through the standard assurances and reassurances that all efforts at developing an emergency response plan were in the works. But then he seemed to negate all that by urging all non-first responders and other non-essential personnel to remain at home. He also reminded people that without a cure to the flu, going to the hospital was largely pointless and would only endanger yourself and others. Even after all that, he urged people to “remain calm” during what “is a trying and tragic time in our nation’s history.”

  Yeah, no shit!

  Fear not, though, because old fearless leader ended his transmission by saying that he had “confidence” that we would “persevere” and “come out the other side of this challenge a stronger nation” I think were his exact words. Sure, he’s probably holed up in some secure bunker now being served dinner by his personal chef, but whatever.

  But rest assured dear reader, the Emergency Alert System said that it will broadcast any further updates or instructions on this frequency. Believe me, I’ll be all ears. I’d like to be able to return home before Christmas. I’m joking of course, but the way things are going, unfortunately it might not be far from the truth.

  Okay, I’m running out of light. And I’ve beaten the dead horse this whole pandemic thing has become to death. Time for one more luke-warm beer, and then to bed. And God bless America….whatever’s left of it at least.

  September 15th

  4:47 p.m.

  It’s so amazingly peaceful here. I really do feel lucky in a way. I can only imagine what it’s like in the urban areas. I have no doubt, especially after what I’ve heard on the radio, that it’s likely hell on earth – sick, dead, and dying everywhere, fires burning out of control, looting, raping, shooting, pillaging. It’s got to be Mad Max on steroids. I mean, certain parts of Chicago were like the apocalypse BEFORE the apocalypse. I hate to think what they’re like NOW.

  Other than the gunshots I thought I heard the other night, which I have to admit, may not have been gunshots at all, I could be the last person on earth…although I hope that’s not the case.

  I spent much of the day with Miles, roaming the woods around my camp. On our wanderings, we stumbled across an apple tree. Most of the apples were past their prime, but there were a few salvageable ones that I brought back with us to camp. We also started making piles of wood that we found on our walk. I didn’t want to haul everything back with us at once. I figured that if I left little caches around the forest, I could go back to them whenever we start running low on wood for the campfire. I think I’ll do this every time we go out now. It makes my walks with Miles more productive considering how much wood we go through.

  I wonder how many people are left around here. Woodcrest was only about 1,500 people or so to begin with, so if the flu hit it like it has apparently hit other places, there might only be a hundred residents left…maybe not even that. I think the town hit its peak back in the 1940s with a population around 2,500. The place was founded back in the mid-1800s as I recall. Once they discovered coal was prevalent in the area, Woodcrest became a mini-boom town. Workers flocked from all around to work the mines, filling Chicago’s ravenous appetite for coal.

  As I mentioned earlier, the Woodcrest Recreation Club was built over the site of several of those mines outside the town proper. The club was initially owned by one of the mine operators and served mostly as a way for workers to spend their leisure time under the watchful eyes of their employers. It was also a way for the mine to recoup some employee discretionary pay back into its coffers through club dues and concession purchases.

  And now it’s time for dinner. Meals are suddenly becoming much less exciting for me and Miles now that almost all of the “fun” camp food has been consumed. Rice, beans, pasta, stews, soups, and dry cereal will now have to be the order of the day. Tomorrow I need to focus on fishing to bulk up my meat supply. I have a lot of beef jerky, but to me, dried meats just aren’t the same as the fresh stuff, even if it IS just fish.

  Nothing new to report on the news front other than that the sole remaining radio station has gone to a brief pre-recorded message that they replay 24-hours a day. Doesn’t seem to say much for our overall outlook. And yes, I’ve given up on the whole cell phone thing a long time ago. Lost service about a week ago and I haven’t had a single signal since then (not that it was easy to pick up a s
ignal out here in the first place).

  9:15 p.m.

  I know it’s late to be writing. I have a small battery-powered lantern here beside me to light the interior of my tent. Miles is already asleep, and I have no one with whom to share my thoughts or my experiences, so I wanted to at least put them down on paper.

  Tonight I saw a light! It was on the other side of the lake, almost directly across from me! It stayed on for about five minutes, although I guess I shouldn’t say that for sure since I only caught it after it was already there, so I can’t be positive on the exact timeframe. I saw it right as darkness was falling. It stayed stationary at the lake’s edge most of the time, right up until it disappeared. I have no idea who it was. I thought I was the only one out here, but I guess not.

  It kind of gave me the creeps. Totally reminded me of when I was a kid. When I used to come camping out here with my parents, my dad would tell me ghost stories at night. Most of them were pretty cheesy. A couple really scared me, though. There was one about a guy with a hook for a hand who would terrorize young campers at night. But then there was another one, one that really creeped me out, especially when I was fishing or swimming in the camp’s lakes.

  So anyway, the story goes that back in the late-1800s or early-1900s, I can’t recall just which one it was now, the mines were largely shaft mines. This was before the mine companies had the technology necessary for strip mining – steam shovels, bulldozers, big trucks, and the likes. Well, some of these shaft mines were really deep, hundreds of feet down. And the way dad told it, something in one of the mines at what is now the Woodcrest Recreation Club went terribly wrong. The miners either broke into an underground cavern or a previously abandoned shaft and water began flooding the mine at an alarming rate. In fact, if filled up so fast that almost all of the miners down there at the time were drowned. Supposedly seventy-some miners in all lost their lives that day.

  But that wasn’t what scared me the most about the story. In Dad’s version, the area around the mine shaft continued to fill with water, eventually forming what is now one of the lakes in the Woodcrest Recreation Club. Dad never divulged to me the exact lake that obscured the mine beneath its murky depths. It seems like it was whichever lake we were camping near whenever he told the story.

  According to dear old Dad (God rest his soul), in the days, weeks, and in some instances months after the accident, bloated bodies would float to the water’s surface from the mine below. He said that every so often in the decades following the event, visitors to the lake would find human bones washed up on shore. And at night, sometimes if you looked down into the water, you could see ghostly lights far below the surface. Supposedly these were the headlamps of the lost miners’ souls still searching for a way out from their ghastly grave below. They sought vengeance on the mine owners who failed to provide them a safe working environment.

  Relating it now, I can’t believe my father would tell a ten-year-old boy such a tale, yet here it is. As a child, it was a terrible story. Even as an adult, I don’t find it much better. And come to find out, it was true…well, SOME of it. Not the ghost lights of course. And I don’t think any club members have ever reported finding human bones washed up on any of the lake shores. But the parts about the mine flood and the seventy-some miners dying were true.

  But anyway, back to the light I saw tonight. I don’t know if I’d be more concerned if what I saw was below the water as opposed to above it. I’m not sure which would be more dangerous at this juncture, raging ghost miners or apocalyptic survivors out here with me.

  I guess we’ll find out. For now, it’s time to conserve my lantern’s battery power and try to catch a few winks.

  September 16th

  2:45 p.m.

  It’s kind of hot today. I don’t know if this is an Indian summer or what. It feels like it’s in the upper 80s at least, although it might just be this Midwest humidity that makes it feel that way.

  I just woke up from a siesta after a light lunch of cashew nuts and peanut butter on crackers with water to drink. I’m trying to drink more water to stay hydrated. And I’m making more of an effort to conserve my supplies since this flu thing seems to be drawing itself out a bit longer than I’d expected. After eating so much unhealthy camp food, and in such quantities, I want to try to shrink my belly to help reduce meal sizes.

  Today has been a kind of lazy day. I think the heat is making me lethargic. That’s okay; I have no where else to be…hahaha.

  I have to say, I’m glad I’m not much of a people person. I might be feeling a bit lonelier than I already am if I were. I mean sure, I was a manager at the grocery store, so that had be interacting with people on a regular basis. But that was basic interaction – more impersonal interaction, no real longer-term relationship building or anything like that.

  At least I have Miles. I guess it’s good that I didn’t have many friends before the flu hit. I spent most of my time working. My social life was largely nonexistent. Family too. I have an aunt and a couple cousins in Minneapolis, although I haven’t seen them in years…actually longer, a decade maybe. It must be really tough for those who are real “people persons”. With my cell phone having lost service, it means no texting, no talking, no internet bullshit…nothing. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. That’s got to be tough for a whole lot of people out there. I mean, even I’M kind of missing having my phone for things like weather and news updates.

  While I’ve been in several committed relationships before, I have to say that I’m somewhat thankful I’m out here on my own. It must be terrible suffering the loss of those closest to you or trying to protect them in the flu’s aftermath. It’s hard enough keeping tabs on Miles when he sees a squirrel or chipmunk around here. I can only imagine what it would be like trying to protect a wife and kids or elderly parents. Or what if you had someone close to you who was dependant on certain lifesaving drugs like heart medication or insulin or something? How do you get that kind of stuff in the apocalypse? Not like you can just run over to the local drugstore and pop in to fill your prescription. I mean, sure, I brought some extra pain killers and some antibiotic ointment with me, that sort of stuff. But it’s not like I’m dependant upon it.

  All right, enough for now. I’m still kind of tired after my nap, and I might take a stab at round number two.

  9:03 p.m.

  I saw the light across the lake again tonight! I was just getting ready for bed when I saw it flicker on. It’s a strange set of feelings that flow through me when I see it. There’s some sense of hope and calm that comes with knowing that I might not be the last person on earth. But there is fear too, fear that whoever it is might be out here with less than honorable intentions. And then of course there is that creepy feeling that comes from Dad’s stupid ghost stories. Thanks a lot, Dad!

  If I see the light tomorrow, I think I might try to find out who it is. I don’t know if making contact is the best idea, but it’s probably better than sitting here wondering what’s going on.

  September 17th

  1:19 p.m.

  Hot again today! VERY hot! Took a dip in the lake, and that was very COLD! Have to say, though, once I got used to the water, it was extremely refreshing. Even Miles joined me and seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly. I swam in the buff! I’ve never skinny-dipped before. Guess there’s a first time for everything, and the worst pandemic the world has ever known seemed like a good excuse.

  Here I am breaking club rules again. Like it matters at this point! But really, the only place you’re supposed to swim is at the main lake. There they have a nice sandy beach, changing rooms, a lifeguard (when the beach is open of course), and even a snack bar. And you’re definitely supposed to wear your bathing suit! Swimming at the club’s beach typically ends after Labor Day weekend. This year, it wrapped up a couple weeks early due to the flu outbreak.

  Miles paddled around in the water for a while with me. Then we swam back in, and after I put my shorts on, I threw a stick for him to swim out and fetch from the
water a couple times. It didn’t take long to wear him out. I remember in the old days, he used to be able to go until my arm got tired. Now the roles are reversed.

  I worry about the old boy. He’s actually not all that old – just six. But it’s been a largely sedentary life for him – a lot of lounging around the apartment, waiting for me to get home from work to walk him. I’m glad he’s getting some time in nature now, but he’s not an “outdoor” dog. I’m afraid that he’s going to take off after a squirrel or something one day and then get lost or attacked by wild animals or who knows what.

  He already gave me a mild heart attack when we came out here on a camping excursion several weeks ago. I wanted to check the place out once I got the idea to make the club our flu retreat. We were here for two days. On the morning of the second day, Miles ran off. I was worried sick, and I thought I might have to call off to work the next day to search for him. But he was back, happy and carefree as ever by early that afternoon. Silly boy. Why he puts his master through such antics – like a child testing a parent.

  On a more somber note, I lost the last radio transmission today. Not that it was a real companion considering it was just the pre-recorded Emergency Alert System response being played over and over again. But it was better than nothing. Now all I pick up is static. Pretty scary. Makes you wonder just how bad it has gotten out there. Obviously pretty bad. But I really have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe I’ll try venturing back into town. But after my last experience there, I’m somewhat wary of trying that. I’d prefer to just make contact with the ghost light across the lake. That might be a good first step. Then, pending the outcome, I can go from there.