Curtain Fall: Second Edition, Disaster, Preparedness, Survival, Awakening (The Gatekeeper Book 1) (13 page)

She stopped and turned to face him. “What do you mean?” she asked. “What disaster?”

John took Jenna by the hand to resume their walk, and then settled into an account of his day, how he discovered the news about the Caldera, and later made the connection to the dream while at lunch with Terry.

Jenna remained silent during John’s account, and waited patiently for him to stop before saying, “So all this is about the Yellowstone thing . . . the volcano . . .”

“Caldera,” said John.

“Right. The Cal-der-a,” said Jenna, enunciating for John’s benefit.

He ignored her barb and said, “This is serious, Jenna. It’s real.”

“Oh . . . I’m not doubting you. I know you’ve got your teeth into this. I’m just glad you didn’t quit your job,” she added, not teasing, but certainly not serious either.

John stopped and stood to face her. “I appreciate your doubt, and I know you’re masking your fears with levity, but I’m certain I won’t be going back to work.”

Jenna stared at him, studying his face carefully; at how he stood and looked at her in response - unwavering, focused, and with intensity. “John. I’m sorry. You’re right. This does scare me. I’m not laughing or making fun of you, but . . .”

“But it’s a dream,” finished John.

“Right . . . a dream, John. How can you be so certain, so convinced that it means a disaster is about to happen? Besides, I didn’t hear anything about it in the news today.”

“I’m not surprised,” said John. “There’s been very little coverage. I saw only one brief report this morning, and then nothing else.”

“Don’t you think the government would tell us if they thought something like that was about to happen?” asked Jenna, as she stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets.

“No . . . I don’t,” said John. “It would start a panic.”

“But the news report, isn’t Yellowstone National Park one big seismic hot spot, or whatever they call it . . . isn’t it always active? Doesn’t Old Faithful have a record of being active . . . it’s why they call it Old Faithful, right?”

“Old Faithful wasn’t in the news,” remarked John. “In fact, I don’t ever remember seeing Yellowstone National Park in the news. Well, there was that time when they released wolves in the park, but nothing about seismic activity. I’m telling you, Jenna, I’ve never seen a reporter look so scared for such a domestic matter . . . she knew something and wasn’t saying,” finished John.

Jenna shook her head lightly and said, “Ok, so you’re worried about the news. I’m actually fine with that, but what does that have to do with the dream.”

“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” said John. “When I put the two together . . .”

“What two?” Interrupted Jenna.

“The dream, and the news report.”

“And?”

“Well, they’re linked. I know it.”

“The Caldera and your dream are linked?”

“Right.”

“And you’re convinced they’re linked how again?”

John sighed heavily and dropped his head to think. This was the part he dreaded the most, telling her how he felt; using an argument that contained no logic whatsoever, and expecting her to accept it on his word alone.

He knew that if she decided not to believe him, to not trust him, then it would make for a very awkward couple of days at home. Jenna was the last person he wanted to fight with, especially today, especially about his concerns. A fight now would significantly impact their willingness to work together to supplement their preps.

John looked at her, took her hands in his, and said, “Jenna, I love you. I know this is hard for you, but I need you to trust me.”

“I do trust you,” she said, “I just don’t understand the connection with your dream. I think it’s all a little . . . strange. You’re basing everything on a dream,” she added.

“Not everything,” said John. “There’s the news, too.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to believe me,” said John, in a noticeable exhale that bordered on capitulation.

“I do, but I’m also worried about you.”

John nodded and said, “It feels right, Jenna . . . it’s true. The dream and the Caldera are connected. I know it, and am staking my career . . . will even stake my life on it.”

She acknowledged his obvious commitment to his feeling by wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. For Jenna, it wasn’t as much about doubt, as it was concern. She knew of John’s dreams, but they scared her. She wasn’t a dreamer. She had dreams, but she never remembered them, or felt they meant anything to her. To her, dreams were stuff of fantasy and childhood, but she knew John didn’t feel that way about them.

John’s dreams were like stories, more like real life events than dreams. She knew he wanted to share more of them with her, but she usually always pushed them away – pushed him away. On more than one occasion, she even recommended he seek counseling.

Now, standing in the street with her arms wrapped around him, she could feel his tension. John’s serious demeanor was unusual, and she knew she had to either step up, or walk out. There was no more room for middle ground. If she walked away from him this time, it would do too much damage to their relationship – their trust – their love.

With her head on his shoulder, Jenna said, “I trust you, John. I really do. What do you think is going to happen?”

John sighed again, and this time Jenna could literally feel the tension flow out of him. At that moment, she began to realize the weight, the burden of his feelings, and she squeezed him tight, not wanting him to let go of her. She reasoned that if John felt such tension over the news and his dream, enough to make it real for him, then she would make it real for herself as well; for the sake of their marriage, if not their love.

“I wish I could say. All I can offer is a best guess, but the disaster will change everything that we know about living. But personally, I’d rather know when it’s going to happen, than what’s going to happen,” said John.

“That’s not much to go on,” said Jenna, as she pushed back and looked at John.

“It’s hard to imagine such a big disaster happening here, in our country. It’s like something out of Hollywood,” admitted John.

“I still think they’d warn us.”

“The government? I disagree. It would take the president himself, and he’d have to do it soon if he wanted to make a difference. But the problem with telling everyone is the same problem I had with telling you . . . doubt and skepticism. And he’d have less to go on than I did. At least I had the dream. In fact, if I didn’t have the dream, I doubt I’d have responded to the news like I did,” finished John.

“I’d like to think they’d tell us,” replied Jenna.

“Let’s say they knew, OK. What do you think would happen if they announced it?”

“Panic,” she said, in a low and even tone.

“And that panic would be well founded. Even if a majority of Americans didn’t understand the full potential of the disaster, there would be mass panic.” He paused for a moment to let her think about what he said, and added, “I’m talking about a really big disaster here, Jenna, one that will change everyone’s lives. The disaster will turn this country on its head.”

“You really don’t think the government would tell us . . . warn us if they thought the Caldera was about to erupt?”

“No. I don’t. But it doesn’t really matter anyway,” replied John.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if it’s about to erupt . . . say in the next couple of days . . . there’s not enough time for everyone to prepare. I don’t even think the government will order an evacuation of the park because it would tip their hand that they know something. They won’t tell us just to prevent chaos from breaking out everywhere at once. The idea of a national disaster is very foreign to Americans. I doubt many people would believe it anyway.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, think about it. When’s the last time we’ve faced a disaster of such national magnitude . . . something that threatened the balance of our entire country?”

“I don’t think we ever have,” responded Jenna.

“When people have no example to go on, or when a threat exceeds all known boundaries, few people will believe such a disaster is even possible.”

John was glad Jenna came to terms with his position, but he could tell she was still struggling with it. “Thanks for believing in me,” said John. “I really wish I was wrong, but I know I’m not,” he added. “I can feel the truth of it, Jenna. I know it’s going to happen.”

“Of course you do,” she said. “It’s just too ugly to consider. And thanks for not telling me about it this morning, when I called you. It would have ruined my day.”

“Thanks for not being mad at me for not telling you earlier. It’s been eating me up all day, and it’s why I had to ask for time off. I couldn’t even think straight.”

“When do you think it’s going to happen?”

“Good question, but I think very soon. We’re nearing the end of the calendar year, so it can’t be much longer.” He paused and swallowed. “But I think it will happen within the week, or very close to it,” replied John.

“Really,” said Jenna, with a start. “That soon?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but yes.”

“Then we have a lot of work to do.”

John smiled and put his arms around her again. “Thanks, babe. I love you.”

“I love you too. Now you have to tell the kids.”

J
ohn and Jenna walked quietly, hand in hand, as they each considered the implications of what the other had said. As John walked, he took in the homes around him, appraising their design and function, first from a security standpoint, and then from ascetics, and it made him appreciate his home all the more.

Their modest, at least in terms of neighborhood standards, two-story, half-stone home, sat on the front portion of a two and a half acre lot bordered on three sides by a variety of mixed-aged oaks, elm, and other native trees and shrubs. Theirs was an unobtrusive semi-rural development with fifty-five other homes of mixed design. No two homes were alike, and it was one of the features of the neighborhood that appealed to them both.

There was still a handful of open, undeveloped lots in the neighborhood. John’s home was adjacent to one of the open lots, which made his property feel bigger, but he didn’t use it for anything other than throwing a football with his son, Adam. He actually entertained purchasing the open lot to continue enjoying the extra space, but Jenna talked him out of it.

He had a neighbor to his left, but with the spread, and the vegetation, it seemed like they were a mile away. One of the advantages of space was that he hardly ever heard his neighbors, and John really liked not hearing his neighbors.

When the realtor brought them out to look at the development, John and Jenna fell in love with it at first sight. Jenna was much more reserved about her feelings, being better able to contain herself. John, on the other hand, struggled to contain himself, and according to Jenna, he didn’t stop grinning about it till they were back at the hotel.

He wanted to move in as soon as he saw the development. For John, it didn’t matter what house was available for sale, and there were three, only that he found one in the development. Before looking at the first home, he whispered to Jenna that he’d be willing to build on an open lot if the two homes they looked at turned out to be dumps.

The first house was a dump. John didn’t even want to walk inside, but he did, for Jenna’s and the realtor’s sake. But the second, well, it was a dream come true for John, and it was unoccupied. The homeowner, a widow of eight months, moved to live with her sister in Florida, and literally turned her back on the property when her husband died. It was overgrown, and weed infested, but John examined it closely and liked what he saw.

When he learned more about the house, he didn’t want to leave it. The home was equipped with a deep well, which meant it was at least halfway independent of the community utility cooperative. The previous owner also somehow managed to have two, three-hundred gallon LP tanks installed on the property.

John wasn’t thrilled about having a septic system, but he relaxed when he learned everyone in the development had them. As for essential services, that left only electricity and trash. But the previous owner had even challenged that, for he had someone install twenty solar panels, ten each on the east and west facing pitch of the low-angled roof. For John, he couldn’t have found a better gold mine of a house if he had built it himself.

The fact that it was about fifteen miles from the interstate didn’t bother John or Jenna in the least. It’s why they looked away from the city in the first place. They both wanted space, and the only way to find space was to move away from the city. None of the closer developments offered them the space they were looking for. And when they saw that someone could, quite literally, jump from one roof to the next, they didn’t even bother looking.

John also liked the fact that he had to really pay attention to find the single neighborhood entrance. It was very discreet, and looked like any number of other two-lane roads that branched off the main road for other properties and ranches in the area. He also liked how the first few homes were hidden from view by thick native foliage, and a quarter-mile upward grade.