The Escape

eedless to say, the laughter that greeted me as I stepped up on the stage had me a little red faced and embarrassed. I got up to the mic and looked out across the audience at the smiles and wondered to myself how many would still be smiling a month from now.

"Hi everyone, my name is Thom, if you didn't know it already. Now before the meeting was called back to order, I overheard our esteemed Sheriff saying I would be a fool to use the truck-stop as a backup position. Now that may very well be, but look at it this way; our fuel is in those tanks and without fuel we don't have generators when the electric goes out. It will, because there will be no one taking care of the lines and sub stations. The truck-stop has food which we will need and it overlooks the interstate so we will be able to observe anyone coming our way. This school has its own generators as well as considerable room for sleeping, eating, and our main supply of food is stored here. This will be the backup position for this end of town and the truck-stop for the other end. Whichever one you make it to when the sirens are sounded will be fine. I don't know how many of you have guns, but I want everyone who does to be armed at all times. Those of you who don't will be given arms to protect yourselves. The women will be in charge of the fallback positions and those of you who have a moral objection to using firearms will be assigned jobs to do so you don't have to fight."

"HOW COME THE WOMEN ARE IN CHARGE OF THE FALLBACK POSITIONS?"