Chapter 15: Return to our own time

I still get up every morning and check to see if the shimmering appears but hasn't.

It has been almost six months since I first arrived and the Calendar Stick was showing 175 notches.

This morning was dark for mid October. There were dark threatening clouds and thunder could be heard in the distance. Some time today we were going to have heavy rain. I could feel it in the air, but so far and for the past week it had been fine.

Through habit in the morning I always brought my rifle out, gave it a thorough clean, pulled through the barrel and applied a light oiling. It was a ritual that one just carried out unconsciously.

After cleaning the rifle I walked over to the van to pick up some victuals that was needed for the day and in case of rain for the next couple of days. I propped my rifle against the rear wheel before I entered the rear of the van and as I stepped in there was a tremendous crack and then a blast. The van was thrown on to its side and I was thrown against the inside wall. I had boxes of rations land on top of me and all of Marjorie's spare gear went flying. The left side rear door, which had been bolted, was open and flat on the ground. The whole vans right side was distorted and inclining at about forty-five degrees.

I crawled out from amongst the debris and out of the van. All around the clearing small fires were burning and the clearing had increased in size by almost double, with trees lying flattened. The cars I had lined up looked as if they had been just tossed in the air and were yards from where they had been, some even halfway up trees.

Marjorie's car had a big dent in the rear driver's passenger side and the window was smashed. It must have had some protection from the car alongside it. But where that was I had no idea.

The truck was also on its side with a tree limb buried into the cab. The only thing not damaged was the trailer. It was still standing in its original spot.

The old kitchen area, bath and hot water system, well just weren't. They were nowhere to be seen.

I found my rifle, or what was a rifle and would be excellent for shooting round corners. The scope seemed undamaged so I removed that and just threw the rest from me.

This observation only took seconds, as I was concerned for Marjorie and Hild, who I had left in bed within the cabin. The cabin was still standing; even the logs that I had cut were still neatly stacked against the wall. The chimney was still intact and smoking lazily in the morning air.

As I was running to-wards the cabin, let's change that as I was staggering fast to-wards the cabin. Marjorie and Hild came rushing out the doorway.

"What has happened?" Marjorie was yelling.

"I have a distinct feeling that our ammunition blew. I think it was struck by lightning, for I heard a loud crack before the blast. No doubt a detonator went off as they were the more unstable items then that set the rest off."

I could still hear the popping of the small arms ammunition detonating and whistling through the tree foliage.

"I am sorry about your car, it has a rather big dent in the side," I told Marjorie.

"To hell with the car," she said, "are you all right?'

"Except for a few bruises and feeling dizzy I am perfect. Thank you Marjorie!" I replied.

Both the women looked around the clearing with mouth agape looking at the destruction that had occurred.

"We had better put these fires out, or we will be burnt alive if it gets a firm hold," Marjorie pointed out.

We each grabbed a branch of a tree, which by the way were lying everywhere and started beating out all the small fires. Trees were peppered with holes all round the clearing about ten feet above the ground.

I picked up one of the solar panels that appeared all right; the remaining two were peppered with holes. Soon all the small fires under control and had been extinguished.

I climbed on the roof, reattached the panel and weighted it down. Then we met back at the cabin.

There wasn't much we could do at the present, so we went inside and made ourselves something to eat. Sat down at the table to discuss our situation and what we could do about it.

"Marjorie there is no way that we can repair the damage which has happened to bring back what we had. The materials we used have all been either damaged or thrown all over the place and winter is approaching," I told them both.