A few hours later she woke feeling refreshed, it was light outside so she got up. Having a wash in cold water, wasn't pleasant but it cooled her down (it was going to be hot today).
After a few more cans of food (cold backed beans and pineapple) for breakfast, she dressed in the clothes from yesterday, and made tea with cold water.
Finding her mothers large shopping trolley under the stairs, she dusted it off. Put her bag and coat inside it, and left the house.
With a lighter step she headed towards the village. Today she started to look around her, and noticed one of her neighbours front door was open. The women was said to be some mystic or psychic, well weird!
Taking the trolley with her she peeked inside the hallway.
"Hello Mrs Findlay, are you there!" No reply came back.
She suddenly noticed paper stuck to the outside of the door, it read:
"Jessica, Supplies inside, please leave the house as you find and see the folder. It's important you don't give up hope"
She stepped back a little, a bit shocked but then smiled and tip toed inside. Straight ahead of her was the elderly women's kitchen, and on the table stood a folder standing on its end, in a very prominent position.
Leaving the trolley, she went and picked up the folder, and turned the first page:
WHAT TO DO IN A DISASTER.
The second page listed an index, of preparation, bush craft etc.
Jessica clutched it to her chest and thanked God, looking up to the ceiling as she did so. Seeing an open door off the kitchen she peeked through and saw a packed pantry.
Thinking what to do, she left the folder in place, then went to find the front door keys, which were in on a nearby shelf close by, clearly labelled. Taking her trolley and the keys, she retraced her steps out the house, trying the keys first to make sure they worked, she shut the door firmly behind her and removed the sign. Putting the keys snuggly in her jeans, she carried on her journey down the road to the village.
It was quite a small place with about twenty shops in all and a good sized corner shop, she headed for the later.
Grabbing newspapers from the stand, she put them in the bottom of the trolley, followed by a small sack of charcoal. Going inside, she found the fruit section bare, as was the bread and biscuits. She found plenty of bottled water, drink, and some diary (which was off), some eggs that looked ok, and a freezer section which was mostly floating stuff in water. Taking a few bits from each bit, she headed round the corner. There were lots of tinned food, fruit and jams, lots of toiletries, she took some of each. Heading to the last isle, she found hand washing powder, soap, two tins of assorted chocolates, one she clutched to her chest, then carefully lay it in the trolley. The other, she hid under the bottom shelf to find later.
Then came the booze. She hadn't been allowed to be much of a drinker, but she took the Whiskey, Vodka, some wine. After this she raided the back of the shop for all the matches, for some reason she kept getting cotton wool coming to her mind, so she found some of that and added it to the bulgeing trolley. Finding some boiled sweets they went into her pocket of her bag, along with some hygiene products and toothpaste.
She wasnt sure what to do, about paying. Should she leave money or not! Taking the bull by the horns, she pulled her very heavy load out the shop with a smile. It was pretty difficult to move.
Turning right, she crossed the road towards home. It was easier to wheel her load down the middle of the road. Keeping her ears peeled, there was nothing but bird song.
She saw some flowers outside the florist so put them on top. Seeing some candle holders inside, she decided if she had the energy she would have to return for those.
Taking a cut through, she managed to pull her heavy load home. The hardest part was getting the darn thing into the house over the entry steps.
Once everything was put away in place, she revisited the other house and took the folder, had a quick look around to make sure the place was secure and went back home.
Sitting at the front room table, she first flicked through it. It must have taken years of work to compile. It was like a walking encyclopedia of how to do things from growing your own plants, caring for animals, wild edible plants, quilting, weaving, meditation and so on.
Jessica turned to the first section, which she found had been written for her. It said "firstly relax and breath deeply, let yourself just take a few moments to take in the situation. Dont give up hope, what ever has happened you'll be ok" and so it went on. Finally she found a section full of lists; it covered food supplies, other supplies, books to read, films to see and so on.
She remembered Mrs Findlays had got a huge book case, but also remembered it was full of romance novels.
Making sure the house was secure, she went to look around the other one. There were no books in site, that she could find, there were lots of supplies in the spare room, such as miles of toilet paper and bottled water, clothes, bedding and so on. The pantry cupboard was stuffed to the ceiling with canned, and dried food.
Returning home, she thought about what to do next.
There was no where in the village that sold books, it meant another trip to the town. That could be done later in the week she decided.
At lunch time, or what seemed to be that, she struggled again with the barbeque. This time she cooked a batch of the sausages, making sure they were cooked through and added them to some baked beans done in a pan, some tinned potatoes. There was enough for two meals. She scoffed down half and put the rest into a large flask her mother had used during the laters trip to Ascot races. Having a nice hot cup of tea with some shop found sugar, was devine.
Now what to do with the rest of her day.
Taking her trolley again, she went down the road, this time to the large charity shop. She found some useful looking books on gardening, a couple she wanted to get anyhow, an angel figurine she rolled in a t-shirt and placed in her bag and some wool with knittng needles.
On the way back, she shopped at the chemist and got as much medication as she could recognise, someone had left a huge pharmacy indexed book on the side, she thought of taking it, but left it in place. Next she retrieved the tinned biscuits from the corner shop and a few other bits, then the candle holders and candles from the florists. Going down the street to the paper shop, she filled her bag with stationery items, boiled sweets, more matches and the like.
Passing the hair dressers she realised they may have good scissors, so found some in there and took those.
Taking the longer route, she peeked in the local pub, but found it in a horrendous mess, as if someone had a huge party. She couldn't believe she had slept through it all.
On the way back home, she knocked at the closed doors to the houses, but found no one in residence, not even a dog howled to be let out, no cats were seen.
Getting home, she felt exhausted, but happy with herself. After putting her stash away she sat down on the sofa with the folder on her lap and read. Her head began to nod and she slowly fell asleep.
After a few more cans of food (cold backed beans and pineapple) for breakfast, she dressed in the clothes from yesterday, and made tea with cold water.
Finding her mothers large shopping trolley under the stairs, she dusted it off. Put her bag and coat inside it, and left the house.
With a lighter step she headed towards the village. Today she started to look around her, and noticed one of her neighbours front door was open. The women was said to be some mystic or psychic, well weird!
Taking the trolley with her she peeked inside the hallway.
"Hello Mrs Findlay, are you there!" No reply came back.
She suddenly noticed paper stuck to the outside of the door, it read:
"Jessica, Supplies inside, please leave the house as you find and see the folder. It's important you don't give up hope"
She stepped back a little, a bit shocked but then smiled and tip toed inside. Straight ahead of her was the elderly women's kitchen, and on the table stood a folder standing on its end, in a very prominent position.
Leaving the trolley, she went and picked up the folder, and turned the first page:
WHAT TO DO IN A DISASTER.
The second page listed an index, of preparation, bush craft etc.
Jessica clutched it to her chest and thanked God, looking up to the ceiling as she did so. Seeing an open door off the kitchen she peeked through and saw a packed pantry.
Thinking what to do, she left the folder in place, then went to find the front door keys, which were in on a nearby shelf close by, clearly labelled. Taking her trolley and the keys, she retraced her steps out the house, trying the keys first to make sure they worked, she shut the door firmly behind her and removed the sign. Putting the keys snuggly in her jeans, she carried on her journey down the road to the village.
It was quite a small place with about twenty shops in all and a good sized corner shop, she headed for the later.
Grabbing newspapers from the stand, she put them in the bottom of the trolley, followed by a small sack of charcoal. Going inside, she found the fruit section bare, as was the bread and biscuits. She found plenty of bottled water, drink, and some diary (which was off), some eggs that looked ok, and a freezer section which was mostly floating stuff in water. Taking a few bits from each bit, she headed round the corner. There were lots of tinned food, fruit and jams, lots of toiletries, she took some of each. Heading to the last isle, she found hand washing powder, soap, two tins of assorted chocolates, one she clutched to her chest, then carefully lay it in the trolley. The other, she hid under the bottom shelf to find later.
Then came the booze. She hadn't been allowed to be much of a drinker, but she took the Whiskey, Vodka, some wine. After this she raided the back of the shop for all the matches, for some reason she kept getting cotton wool coming to her mind, so she found some of that and added it to the bulgeing trolley. Finding some boiled sweets they went into her pocket of her bag, along with some hygiene products and toothpaste.
She wasnt sure what to do, about paying. Should she leave money or not! Taking the bull by the horns, she pulled her very heavy load out the shop with a smile. It was pretty difficult to move.
Turning right, she crossed the road towards home. It was easier to wheel her load down the middle of the road. Keeping her ears peeled, there was nothing but bird song.
She saw some flowers outside the florist so put them on top. Seeing some candle holders inside, she decided if she had the energy she would have to return for those.
Taking a cut through, she managed to pull her heavy load home. The hardest part was getting the darn thing into the house over the entry steps.
Once everything was put away in place, she revisited the other house and took the folder, had a quick look around to make sure the place was secure and went back home.
Sitting at the front room table, she first flicked through it. It must have taken years of work to compile. It was like a walking encyclopedia of how to do things from growing your own plants, caring for animals, wild edible plants, quilting, weaving, meditation and so on.
Jessica turned to the first section, which she found had been written for her. It said "firstly relax and breath deeply, let yourself just take a few moments to take in the situation. Dont give up hope, what ever has happened you'll be ok" and so it went on. Finally she found a section full of lists; it covered food supplies, other supplies, books to read, films to see and so on.
She remembered Mrs Findlays had got a huge book case, but also remembered it was full of romance novels.
Making sure the house was secure, she went to look around the other one. There were no books in site, that she could find, there were lots of supplies in the spare room, such as miles of toilet paper and bottled water, clothes, bedding and so on. The pantry cupboard was stuffed to the ceiling with canned, and dried food.
Returning home, she thought about what to do next.
There was no where in the village that sold books, it meant another trip to the town. That could be done later in the week she decided.
At lunch time, or what seemed to be that, she struggled again with the barbeque. This time she cooked a batch of the sausages, making sure they were cooked through and added them to some baked beans done in a pan, some tinned potatoes. There was enough for two meals. She scoffed down half and put the rest into a large flask her mother had used during the laters trip to Ascot races. Having a nice hot cup of tea with some shop found sugar, was devine.
Now what to do with the rest of her day.
Taking her trolley again, she went down the road, this time to the large charity shop. She found some useful looking books on gardening, a couple she wanted to get anyhow, an angel figurine she rolled in a t-shirt and placed in her bag and some wool with knittng needles.
On the way back, she shopped at the chemist and got as much medication as she could recognise, someone had left a huge pharmacy indexed book on the side, she thought of taking it, but left it in place. Next she retrieved the tinned biscuits from the corner shop and a few other bits, then the candle holders and candles from the florists. Going down the street to the paper shop, she filled her bag with stationery items, boiled sweets, more matches and the like.
Passing the hair dressers she realised they may have good scissors, so found some in there and took those.
Taking the longer route, she peeked in the local pub, but found it in a horrendous mess, as if someone had a huge party. She couldn't believe she had slept through it all.
On the way back home, she knocked at the closed doors to the houses, but found no one in residence, not even a dog howled to be let out, no cats were seen.
Getting home, she felt exhausted, but happy with herself. After putting her stash away she sat down on the sofa with the folder on her lap and read. Her head began to nod and she slowly fell asleep.
