Chapter 7

We outside into the bright sun almost looking around like we expected everything else to be different since we were. "Tim, what's on the agenda until this evening?"

I thought a moment. "We can start the process of building our changing shed. I don't think we are out of anything to need a trip except for rings." That got me a hug and a light kiss.

"We will get those but a special trip isn't necessary."

"It wouldn't bother me to make a special trip. It's for something special."

We had dressed in a minimal fashion. We were wearing shorts and boots and our gun belts and nothing else. I enjoyed looking at Wendy's breasts. They were so firm that only the nipples jiggled at all. They had the slightest bit of tan to them. We went into the barn and I grabbed the tape measure and some flags on metal stakes to mark with.

"Wendy, do you sunbathe nude or topless?"

"In college, I went to topless beaches a lot. Last Christmas break, we went to the Bahamas and I took advantage of a topless beach then. It's a neat feeling as long as you're careful. Burning your nips is not a fun thing to do."

I smiled. "Let's go mark where we want our hut." She nodded and she took a pencil and pad. We walked over to the pond and the spot she had picked. We set flags for the rough corners and measured the space. An eight by fourteen would work well as I had thought. I sketched it out with windows and doors. We started back and I counted my steps all the way back to the house and the electrical panel. Multiplying my steps, I estimated the distance at three hundred fifteen feet. I noted the distance and said, "I will have to check to be sure we can make that long a run without losing power."

Wendy said, "We could hook it up to you. You are the proverbial energizer bunny."

I smiled. "That's because you energize me, my good wife."

We went back inside the barn to look over my lumber and figure out exactly what we would need to build the hut. I had liberated a ditch witch for running the line from the water wheel to the house. After finishing, I just parked it under cover but out of the way. I showed it to Wendy as we talked about the building. I did have a pump but would need a sprayer and some piping along with a drain and some bits to allow the water to run off. I didn't want it to stay under our hut. I also wanted composite boards for the floor in the shower area. If we could find enough, we would use them for the entire floor. We would need Sacrete for cementing the posts in place. I would use composite siding, if available, on the outside since I didn't want it to be a maintenance issue in the future. We had a list and just had to figure up the wiring run issue.

I wish the Internet was still working. In the back of my mind, I knew I had seen some books here on electrical theory and hoped that I could determine an answer. I wasn't totally comfortable with the answer but it looked like we could run twelve gauge wire and be able to run the pump which, according to its label, drew fifteen amps and some small, low-wattage lighting along with a ceiling fan. I knew plenty of that gauge wire was available so that made my decision easier. We would try it and watch for a while, leaving it in place if it worked.

We had a list and would go into town tomorrow to a big box store. We would also stop by a jewelry store for rings. We had a light supper with wine and went to bed to make love until late.

In the morning, we rose at a more normal time and made a simple breakfast with coffee. We were fully dressed and donned our gun belts. We got in the truck with our list and I drove us to the big box home center. We gathered our wood, composite decking and siding, and Sacrete. We wheeled it out and loaded the truck. We went back in for a big roll of wire and boxes of connectors and various plumbing parts. We went out to the truck watching carefully.

We were leaving when another truck with a couple in it pulled into the parking lot. I pulled up hoping we could talk.

"Good morning, we're Tim and Wendy Hawkes."

"Good morning to you. I'm Jake Peters and this is my wife, Melissa. We need some supplies." He grinned. "You didn't buy out the entire store, did you?"

"No, just some wood and stuff for an outbuilding. We're extending a power line, too."

"We have generators but I try not to run 'em too much. We don't want to attract raiders."

I said, "I understand, Jake. We haven't seen any over here but we did see some at the Foodland." I pointed.

Jake said, "Leave a message on the job board in back. We can meet some place and get to know each other better."

I nodded. "I will do that. We have one more stop before we head home. See you around." He nodded back and we left while he headed closer to the entrance and parked.

We went to the strip center just beyond Academy and stopped at the jewelry store. Someone had broken into it but my electric lantern showed plenty still available. We went to the wedding rings counter and I jimmied the lock. We began to look for ring sets. We found two that would fit. Wendy liked one better than the other and it suited me fine. We put a ring on each other's ring finger, kissed, and left for home.

I was careful going home not to be followed and not to leave tracks at the turns. We pulled in to unload the truck and listened. We could hear motor noises in the distance. I looked at Wendy. "That's not a good sound. There are too many and they're too loud. I think someone is looking for victims. We will be careful about noises for a while."

"Tim, have you considered a second vehicle?" I shook my head. "I wonder if we should have something quick parked for us to run to if bad people came."

"I hadn't really thought about that but there is a lot of sense in what you say. I really haven't checked any of the neighboring houses. Are you willing to do some hiking after we build our changing hut?"

"Yes, dear. I really think we should. Prepared is better like you have said."

We ate lunch and unloaded the truck stowing our things away from weather. I had left the truck in place because we could hear motor noises still. I was worried. Wendy was, too.

She said, "Let's prepare a set of emergency packs and stay around here to listen and watch for trouble. We can find quiet things to do for the rest of the day and even tomorrow. I think we would both be more comfortable if we were quiet and listened. I don't think you've heard much out here before."

I nodded in agreement and we went into the barn and began to assemble loads to build our changing hut. I moved the truck into the barn. If anyone had looked in on the house while we were gone, parking a truck in front now would be a sure giveaway. The barn was big enough that we still had plenty of room.

It became quiet and we saw nothing. Over the next two weeks, we built our changing hut. Inside, it had an enclosed bench seat which gave us a place to put emergency things. It was difficult to see from a hundred feet away. Running the power line wasn't hard including adding a breaker to the outside box. I labeled it though the others weren't. We used it the next afternoon and liked the ability to change out of our wet suits and into dry clothes.

Once changed, we found a game trail that would lead us close to a nearby house. We walked to it and made a smell check. Surprisingly, there was no smell. The couple who had lived there before the Day might have been an early casualty. The house was dusty from being long deserted. There was an older car parked in the drive. It just turned over after I found keys for it. I let it run for five minutes or so while we checked out the rest of the house and barn. There was no power but it would make a good place to stop if we had to run.

We went home to have supper and enjoy each other for the evening.

A day later over breakfast, I said, "Are you up for really hiking and exploring more of the area behind us?"