She woke up with an aching neck, reaching up she massaged it. She looked down at the page she had been reading of Mrs Findlay's Disaster Manual. It was about firestarting and the use of flints.
Blinking away the sleepy haze, she stretched. Going to the kitchen she picked a bottle of Lemonade and poured herself a drink. Taking it back to the sofa with her, she picked up a notebook and pad, and began to make a shopping list for the trip to town.
Over the next few days, she settled into a routine, of having two meals cooked on the barbeque, usually saving one in the flask, going foraging for a few hours and then sitting down and learning a new skills the next.
Once she felt really rested, she set out a plan for going to the town, trolley in hand. The only thing that worried her was getting the heavy load back down the hills. She planned a slightly less steep route, but there was still one hill that would cause a problem. Mrs Findlay said in her notes, to think of others as far as self security was concerned, so Jessica planned to carry a huge butchers carving knife of her fathers, in a cloth bag.
She slept fretfully the night before. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement. Luckily when she woke the day of the trip she felt rested. It had turned cooler, with a slight misty rain.
Having a good meal of stew followed by tinned apples, she filled her bag with some boiled sweets, chocolate biscuits from the tin in a plastic ziplock bag, and a small bottle of drink.
Checking the house, she left, closing the door firmly behind her. She slung her bag across her body leaving her hands free. The knife held close to her body.
It took longer to get to the town, due to pushing the trolley up hill. Passing most of the food shops, she went into the stationery book shop. It was dark, so she took out a torch she had found in Mrs Findlay's house, and switched it on. It's beam looked like a search light in the dark skies of Britain in World War Two.
She stepped forward with caution, and tried to find her way to the survival section. It was deep within the shop, she eventually found the very small set of books, and put the whole lot into the trolley. This was followed by others on subjects listed in the disaster manual, such as solar power, food growing, weaving, knitting and finally a small Bible. Jessica wasnt very religious, but the lady had said get one, so she did.
Not wishing to stay around too long, she headed towards to the street entrance. Then she stopped in shock. For looking back at her through the glass door was a border collie sheep dog. It wagged its tail and bounced away. Quickly pushing open the door, Jessica followed it with her eyes. Off to the right of her, was walking a tramp like man, with a huge shotgun in hand. He hadn't seen her, so she stepped back inside quickly, her heart pounding. What should she do?
Taking the knife in hand, she quickly pulled her load through the shop and out into the centre. Its polished walkways made it easy to tug it along. Listening for footsteps, she headed right, past the old burger bar, other clothes shops and out into the street beyond. Taking the trolley down the slope, she rushed into the ladies toilets opposite Jessica pulled her load into the disabled toilet and locked the door. Sitting down on the seat, her heart pounded in her chest, and gasped for breath.
What was she to do!
Calming down slightly, she took out the shopping list, she had hardly got anything. Most of the gear was from the camping shop, which she was only a few hundred yards from. The man had been heading in the opposite direction. Taking a very quickly slurp of drink and ate a chocolate biscuit, she made herself breath slower and think more clearly.
With hand on chest, Jessica slowly unlocked the door and peeked out. Nothing, no noise could be heard. Keeping the carving knife in hand, she pulled her trolley out to the entrance door. She wished she had a pocket periscope, but instead she slowly looked round the doorframe into the street beyond. There was nothing.
Taking her heart in her hands, breathing shallowly, she moved quickly out of the door, and down the street. Reaching the corner she peeked in the direction he had gone, and saw nothing. In the far distance she could see the dog running about. Keeping to the wall, she slid round the corner and down two shops and into the small camping shop.
Parking the trolley behind a clothes stand, she took the list in hand and began to get objects on it. Compass, knife, first aid kit, penknife, fishing kit, all went in her bag which lay across her body. Moving round the shop methodically,she got repeated armfulls of gear and stashed it into the trolley. Every now and again she checked outside and saw no one. Once she got everything on Mrs Findlays list, she took some walking shoes in her size, winter fleece jacket and jumper, and a few other bits. Lastly picking up a good sleeping bag by the entrance.
Securing the load in the trolley, she checked the street again, and made a dash for a side road, to the left, ducked behind its corner wall and stopped to get her breath. With a calming heartbeat, she peeked round the corner, and saw no one. Turning quickly she pulled her load down the street. Luckily it connected to the one she had intended to use. It was so open being such a wide street, but it did have trees on each side every few yards. There was no way she could pull her trolley down the middle of the road as before. She chose to keep moving as fast as she could.
Moving down the first road, she felt tense, the more she moved away from the town, the more she felt better. On the steep slope, she pushed the trolley infront of her, and used one hand to steady herself on the house fence, hedge and walls. At the bottom, she rested briefly, taking a sip of water before heading down a very long road into the center of the village.
By the time she got home, her nerves were in tatters. She began to question her actions. Finally getting in and shutting the door behind her, she sighed with relief. Jessica smiled, she had managed to get away unseen. Making a very firm mental note not to go there again in a hurry.
At the end of her road, stood the man watching,a smile on his firm face. He wasn't a tramp at all, he was dressed in dark green over laid with camouflage netting, with a huge Bergen on his back. His rifle with nightscope, held securely across his arms.
He looked around, and found a house which best suited his needs, climbing over the fence he went down the alley to the back gardens, the dog following close behind.
Blinking away the sleepy haze, she stretched. Going to the kitchen she picked a bottle of Lemonade and poured herself a drink. Taking it back to the sofa with her, she picked up a notebook and pad, and began to make a shopping list for the trip to town.
Over the next few days, she settled into a routine, of having two meals cooked on the barbeque, usually saving one in the flask, going foraging for a few hours and then sitting down and learning a new skills the next.
Once she felt really rested, she set out a plan for going to the town, trolley in hand. The only thing that worried her was getting the heavy load back down the hills. She planned a slightly less steep route, but there was still one hill that would cause a problem. Mrs Findlay said in her notes, to think of others as far as self security was concerned, so Jessica planned to carry a huge butchers carving knife of her fathers, in a cloth bag.
She slept fretfully the night before. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement. Luckily when she woke the day of the trip she felt rested. It had turned cooler, with a slight misty rain.
Having a good meal of stew followed by tinned apples, she filled her bag with some boiled sweets, chocolate biscuits from the tin in a plastic ziplock bag, and a small bottle of drink.
Checking the house, she left, closing the door firmly behind her. She slung her bag across her body leaving her hands free. The knife held close to her body.
It took longer to get to the town, due to pushing the trolley up hill. Passing most of the food shops, she went into the stationery book shop. It was dark, so she took out a torch she had found in Mrs Findlay's house, and switched it on. It's beam looked like a search light in the dark skies of Britain in World War Two.
She stepped forward with caution, and tried to find her way to the survival section. It was deep within the shop, she eventually found the very small set of books, and put the whole lot into the trolley. This was followed by others on subjects listed in the disaster manual, such as solar power, food growing, weaving, knitting and finally a small Bible. Jessica wasnt very religious, but the lady had said get one, so she did.
Not wishing to stay around too long, she headed towards to the street entrance. Then she stopped in shock. For looking back at her through the glass door was a border collie sheep dog. It wagged its tail and bounced away. Quickly pushing open the door, Jessica followed it with her eyes. Off to the right of her, was walking a tramp like man, with a huge shotgun in hand. He hadn't seen her, so she stepped back inside quickly, her heart pounding. What should she do?
Taking the knife in hand, she quickly pulled her load through the shop and out into the centre. Its polished walkways made it easy to tug it along. Listening for footsteps, she headed right, past the old burger bar, other clothes shops and out into the street beyond. Taking the trolley down the slope, she rushed into the ladies toilets opposite Jessica pulled her load into the disabled toilet and locked the door. Sitting down on the seat, her heart pounded in her chest, and gasped for breath.
What was she to do!
Calming down slightly, she took out the shopping list, she had hardly got anything. Most of the gear was from the camping shop, which she was only a few hundred yards from. The man had been heading in the opposite direction. Taking a very quickly slurp of drink and ate a chocolate biscuit, she made herself breath slower and think more clearly.
With hand on chest, Jessica slowly unlocked the door and peeked out. Nothing, no noise could be heard. Keeping the carving knife in hand, she pulled her trolley out to the entrance door. She wished she had a pocket periscope, but instead she slowly looked round the doorframe into the street beyond. There was nothing.
Taking her heart in her hands, breathing shallowly, she moved quickly out of the door, and down the street. Reaching the corner she peeked in the direction he had gone, and saw nothing. In the far distance she could see the dog running about. Keeping to the wall, she slid round the corner and down two shops and into the small camping shop.
Parking the trolley behind a clothes stand, she took the list in hand and began to get objects on it. Compass, knife, first aid kit, penknife, fishing kit, all went in her bag which lay across her body. Moving round the shop methodically,she got repeated armfulls of gear and stashed it into the trolley. Every now and again she checked outside and saw no one. Once she got everything on Mrs Findlays list, she took some walking shoes in her size, winter fleece jacket and jumper, and a few other bits. Lastly picking up a good sleeping bag by the entrance.
Securing the load in the trolley, she checked the street again, and made a dash for a side road, to the left, ducked behind its corner wall and stopped to get her breath. With a calming heartbeat, she peeked round the corner, and saw no one. Turning quickly she pulled her load down the street. Luckily it connected to the one she had intended to use. It was so open being such a wide street, but it did have trees on each side every few yards. There was no way she could pull her trolley down the middle of the road as before. She chose to keep moving as fast as she could.
Moving down the first road, she felt tense, the more she moved away from the town, the more she felt better. On the steep slope, she pushed the trolley infront of her, and used one hand to steady herself on the house fence, hedge and walls. At the bottom, she rested briefly, taking a sip of water before heading down a very long road into the center of the village.
By the time she got home, her nerves were in tatters. She began to question her actions. Finally getting in and shutting the door behind her, she sighed with relief. Jessica smiled, she had managed to get away unseen. Making a very firm mental note not to go there again in a hurry.
At the end of her road, stood the man watching,a smile on his firm face. He wasn't a tramp at all, he was dressed in dark green over laid with camouflage netting, with a huge Bergen on his back. His rifle with nightscope, held securely across his arms.
He looked around, and found a house which best suited his needs, climbing over the fence he went down the alley to the back gardens, the dog following close behind.
