Chapter 2: Getting Settled

June 2026

Clark couldn’t remember falling asleep, but was up early the next morning his mind clear, his body refreshed. He opened the shutters to all the windows and stepped out onto the sunlit porch to welcome the new day, their first on the mountain. It felt wondrous like a new lease on life to be free and alive.

He looked around the clearing and remembered why his ranger friend had chosen this spot. The cabin’s position high on the mountainside and the obscure approach from below made it an eminently safe location. Facing south, it was bathed in the cleansing rays of the sun. But it was the view of the valley, an unbelievable beauty with the sounds and smell of Nature that he wished he could have shared with his wife.

He filled his lungs with the clean, fresh air and jumped into action, getting the water to run from the kitchen faucet, fed by a spring connected to plumbing which he ingeniously contrived in a way that the pipes didn’t freeze and crack in the winter.

One by one, the girls woke up and jumped out of bed eager to see their new home and tackle the chores that awaited them. In broad daylight, the oversized T-shirts gave them the unflattering appearance of escaped hospital patients; the ample fabric hiding their curves, except for the bumps on their chests. Katie kept shifting and tugging the shirt to make sure it covered her bottom.

Before getting started, they helped themselves to some army MRE’s of warm oatmeal with syrup, their first warm meal in what felt like ages. They had never been crazy about oatmeal before, but it suddenly seemed gourmet. The girls’ mouths filled with saliva as they smelled the memory of home sweet home.

“Mmm, so good!” they hummed between mouthfuls, as their bellies and hearts were warmed and filled with renewed joy.

Clark told them to put away the bed linen in the trunk and put on their clothes from the day before. They were going to scrub down and clean up the place. Thus, it made no sense to put on a clean set of clothes.

Everyone pitched in to remove the mattresses, cushions and chairs, and place them in the sun on the porch to oust the bed mites. Next, the girls found a pail and some rags. They washed the windows, wiped the furniture and kitchen cabinets clean, and mopped the floor to get rid of any lingering dust. They also washed the pots and pans, plates, cups and kitchen utensils even though they appeared clean.

While the girls were busy cleaning, Clark launched into the dry logs left over from building the cabin. He chopped enough firewood for the next five nights and stacked it under the rooftop eaves next to the back door. He also cut branches overhanging the clearing, as well as the overgrown vegetation around the outdoor, open air toilet seat.

The girls unpacked their travel gear and hung the clothes on the rungs of a slanting wall ladder that led up to the loft of the cabin. The only clothing Katie had was what she had been wearing and carrying in a plastic bag. Sally told her not to worry. Both wore the same sizes, and she gladly offered to share with Katie what she brought. It wasn’t much, but they would manage. As he overheard them talking, Clark was pleased how well the girls were adjusting and willing to work together.

When they finished, Clark told the girls to gather their dirty clothes, grab a towel from the linen trunk, and follow him. Just around the corner of the clearing down a stony slope, the girls screamed with delight when they saw a small waterfall with a bathing pool that the men had dug out and dammed up with rocks. The sun was smiling and the pristine water twinkled, bringing gleeful smiles to everyone.

Clark told the girls to jump in first, while he maintained look out. Sally wasted no time as she slipped off her panties and stepped away from a puddle of dirty clothes. Katie wasn’t sure if she should wade in completely naked, a state of being that was totally alien to her upbringing. However, her instincts told her it was a good idea and, again, followed Sally’s example, peeling off her clothes and plunging into the waist deep water.

It felt ice cold. They gasped and shrieked in protest, but were happy, splashing around like sleek little otters, their bodies all wet, smooth and glossy. Soon they got used to the temperature of the water and didn’t want to get out, staying submerged with only their heads bobbing above the surface.

Clark removed his clothes. He too had lost a lot of weight and his underpants hung loosely like a grocery bag from his hips. He kicked them off and gingerly stepped into the cold, necessary ordeal.

Katie was startled to see a naked man for the first time in her life. She froze like a statue and squeezed her eyes shut. Sally noticed and splashed water in Katie’s face to get her to refocus on having fun.

Despite being the same age and height as Sally, Katie was petite with a taut waist, narrow hips, and coltish legs. Her puppy dog eyes accentuated her face; her long, frizzy hair framed it. She was pale, the color of milk, yet her cheeks were rosy and flushed; her skin, creamy smooth and unblemished. Her youthful curvaceous body displayed high, perky breasts, nice handfuls, a firm butt, and a patch of fuzzy hair that adorned her pubis, yet did little to hide the slit that led to the entrance of her sex.

Everything from her eyebrows, to her lips, down to her chin spoke of innocence, but also of sensuality and mischief. Mostly quiet and shy, she was cautious and wary like so many other street kids who had been living through the anarchy in the City and experienced fear and abandonment. She remained immobile and helpless in the water with her arms crossed, covering her breasts, trying her best to be modest.

Sally, by comparison, was one of those girls who everyone at her school enjoyed having around. Always smiling with her Barbie-pink lips, she had a positive attitude and bubbly, infectious personality. The in crowd tried to recruit her, but she just wanted to be a regular kid with lots of friends. She would have made the Junior High cheerleader squad if the world hadn’t been turned upside down.

Energetic, she couldn’t stand still on her shapely dancer’s legs, always wiggling, making her long, wavy hair bounce and her small breasts jiggle wonderfully like gelatin. Her nipples were small and matched the color of her lips. Her smooth, round ass was prime, as she innocently arched her back making her already shapely buttocks more prominent. However, it was her pubic coif of lush dark, curly hair, a perfect triangle, her most conspicuous charm, which she carefully primped to treasure her budding femininity.

Clark was lean and, before the Collapse, well-muscled for a forty-year-old, who worked out regularly. He had broad shoulders and a tight butt, but always wanted more, stronger legs, powerful chest and washboard abs, physical attributes that were now more essential for survival than for good looks.

His dark brown hair was longer and a bit shaggier than the clean, trim cuts he was used to from his favorite barber. He inherited his father’s strong jawline, but his mother’s sensitive blue eyes, making him look ten years younger and attractive women turn their heads.

The barber had encouraged Clark to grow a close-cropped beard and moustache to soften his angular jawline and project a more distinguished, experienced look as an architect, and not like he had just graduated from college. The facial hair, however, was a nuisance and Clark never really liked it. Now, he had no choice but to let it grow and whenever possible, shave it completely to feel youthful and fresh-faced again.

Clark’s friends often commented how calm and confident he always seemed. He was no show-off like some other men. It was his self-assurance of a man who knew who he was and had nothing to prove that garnered respect from everyone.

However, the mindless murder of his wife changed him overnight. He could no longer rely on such noble qualities for his and Sally’s survival. The instinct to stay alive forced him to look for the brute within constantly being vigilant, constantly seeking selfish advantages; determined to escape the insanity of a world gone mad. On the other hand, he did not want to become like a lone wolf, holding onto life with teeth and claws and a heart of stone. Instead, it was survival first, then happiness, putting to use his skills, his experiences, his spirit.

Clark washed quickly, wrung out his clothes, and got out of the water first.

Katie remained guarded seeing a naked man and being seen naked for the first time by a man. Clark tried to look disinterested, not staring at her directly or making her feel uncomfortable. It was impossible not to look at the space between her legs and he used his peripheral vision to sneak sidelong glances of her pointy tits, long legs, and the swell of her hips.

Despite the cold water, he felt the familiar stirrings in his manhood and quickly dried himself with the towel, handed it to Sally, and hurried back to the cabin, his white buttocks glowing under the bright midday sun.

Sally wrapped the towel around Katie who was shivering uncontrollably. She grabbed their washed clothes and led the way back to the cabin. For the first time in days, they both put on fresh ones reflecting inwardly about the fun and the joy of living.

After they helped themselves to more MRE’s, they made an inventory of the meager food supplies they brought with them, plus the food stocked in the cabinets and up in the loft of the cabin.

It appeared that the ranger friend had been there the previous fall and laid in provisions with a large variety to last for several months. There were many jars of peanut butter, cans of Spam and black beans, an assortment of dried soups, pouches of tuna fish and beef jerky, cooking oil, salt, hardtack biscuits, several unopened boxes of energy bars, and larger ones filled with army field rations. They had enough food to last through the end of the year. It would be a low energy diet, but at least they wouldn’t starve. Fresh meat is what they really needed to regain their strength and put on some pounds, and later to keep their body temperatures regulated during the cold winter months.

In one of the top cabinets, they found a red gear bag containing a first-aid kit with enough aspirin, antibiotic cream, bandages and other assorted medical paraphernalia to treat minor ailments and injuries for quite some time. They just had to be extra careful to avoid serious injuries or an untreatable infection. If Clark were badly injured, he would not be able to hunt. If he couldn’t hunt, they would slowly starve. The girls promised each other to look out for him.

Under the sink, there were three more canisters of kerosene enough for many months to come, plus several bars of soap. If only they had known about the soap earlier. Sally suggested that they could go to the bathing pool later in the day and lather up to feel all squeaky clean and smelling nice. They giggled, while Katie stole glances at Clark to see if he was listening and would join them too.

The girls set about to spruce up the cabin. They gathered lemon-hued wild flowers, pine cones and boughs. They put the flowers in a glass with water on the kitchen table and fashioned a long garland which they hung on the wall behind the stove like festive bunting. They also made a welcome wreath and hung it out on the front door.

There were several pillowcases in the linen trunk which the girls strung up over the windows with thin nylon cord to serve as curtains. It was nothing fancy and none matched, but Clark congratulated them for giving the cabin a much needed woman’s touch. It was no longer just a men’s hunting shack.

In the meantime, Clark turned over the sofa and removed a long wooden case strapped to the bottom. It contained a high-powered, compound bow custom made for him. Its action was smooth and powerful with a draw weight of up to 60 pounds. There were also dozens of stainless steel pointed arrows he and his hunting buddies used to hunt deer and other wild game.

Included were several different hunting knives, two 12-gauge shotguns, and a 6-inch semi-automatic 9mm pistol, along with plenty of ammunition to start a battle.

He diligently inspected and cleaned every piece and made sure they were in perfect working order. The smell of bore cleaner permeated the air and there was something oddly satisfying in taking care of such vital instruments. He didn’t fire any shots so as not to waste the ammunition or scare the forest animals, nor draw someone’s attention to their presence or location.

That night they all went to bed at the same time, listening to the wood hissing and crackling in the stove, and thinking about what they were going to do the next morning. Clark wanted to practice his archery skills to hunt for wild game. Their bodies needed real meat, protein and fat to regain weight for the long winter ahead. A nice rug from the hide of a deer put at the foot of the cots so that the girls wouldn’t have to step out onto a cold floor in the morning would be a bonus.

Sally talked about using the sickle that hung on the back door to trim down the knee-high grass in front of the cabin. They could use the dried grass to lure deer during the winter. Katie said she knew how to make decorations from straw to use on their first Christmas tree. She thought she saw some nice little Balsam firs along the path to the bathing pool.

“Did you see them with or without your clothes on?” Sally asked.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Katie protested. She was glad it was dark so that no one could see her cheeks turning ruby red.

“OK, now, no more teasing,” Clark interrupted. “It’s best we get some sleep if you girls want to do everything you planned for tomorrow.”

“You’re right. Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Katie.”

“Goodnight, Sally. Goodnight... , “ Katie paused, but then finished with “Daddy,” which brought Sally to giggle.

“Goodnight Sally, Katie. Sleep tight, snug as a bug in a rug.”

The girls giggled some more, yawned and quickly fell asleep. The cabin fell silent, but never before had it been so warm, cheerful and alive.

THEIR SECOND DAY PROMISED to be another exciting and productive one. There were things to do; time to get busy and live. Clark got up and rekindled the fire in the stove. He was going to try his cooking skills by whipping up scrambled eggs from an MRE package which he then kept warm in an iron skillet over the stove. He added some pieces of beef jerky over the scrambled eggs, set the table with crisp bread and peanut butter, and called the girls.

The girls woke up to the unexpected sound of a crackling fire and the smell of a warm breakfast. They felt like they were on vacation at a swanky mountain top resort.

“Now all we need is an outdoor Jacuzzi with hot bubbling water,” Sally fantasized with closed eyes, chewing on a piece of jerky.

Katie frowned at the idea and suddenly became concerned. “How are we going to take baths in the winter when the pool is frozen over?”

“Did you know that some people in Siberia cut a hole in the ice and jump into the water?” Clark asked, getting the girls to shake their heads. “They say it keeps their skin looking young and healthy. We could try that.”

Sally giggled and offered a better idea, suggesting that they take turns washing themselves in front of the stove standing in the pail with warm water.

Katie blushed and looked uneasy. “I don’t know about that,” she responded, realizing for the first time that modesty was not going to be an option once they were confined in the small cabin.

By lunch time, Clark was getting very accurate bull’s eye shots with the bow and arrows. The girls were dazzled with his archery skills, like it was some kind of medieval bout to win the hand of a fair maiden princess.

Meantime, the girls took turns to sickle the grass. It grew a little thin and uneven in many spots. The task was monotonous, bending over and repeatedly swinging their arms, yet they took to the work as bees in clover. Between turns, each was able to rest and the job got done faster than they had imagined. The entire clearing looked like a miniature hay field, irregular in shape, and measured about a fifth of an acre. Clark fashioned some rakes out of tree branches and late in the afternoon, all three were able to rake the dry grass into several small piles. Amazingly, the clearing appeared bigger than when they started, but nowhere near the green mountain meadows they had seen in the movie The Sound of Music.