John O'Brien - Chaos

We hike up the road, mostly in silence, enjoying each other’s company even in our present circumstance. This place has always been a place of peace and harmony for me. We turn off the road after a bit and start up through the trees. The land slopes upward into the firs and cedars blanketing the area and we climb up to where an old cedar stump sits on a hill. The stump stands taller than me and is about six feet across. The scar of an old lightning strike is sliced into it with bits of still scorched wood and bark lying about its ancient roots. This is where I gather the charcoal for my black paint. Beyond is a little clearing, between sharply rising hills, ending against a cliff. A very small creek flows through the middle originating from beneath the cliff at the far end. I found this place long ago. It is a place where the spirits live, showing themselves from time to time.

“I love coming here with you, Dad,” Nicole says as we place our phones, money, knives, guns, and anything along those lines at the base of the stump. “It’s so peaceful here.”

“I love you here with me, hon,” I say reaching my arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick hug.

I pull out my abalone shell, cedar, and matches. Putting the cedar in the shell and lighting it, we smudge ourselves before stepping past the stump and out into the clearing. The sun beyond the cliff wall has not reached the bottom of this small valley but casts streaks of light as it glows through the trees growing at the top of the cliff. Walking across the spongy ground, I lean down to the small creek splashing my face and hands. We climb and take a seat on the ground a little ways up the hill. This is a place where I come to settle my mind and contemplate. Nicole comes with me when I do. I sit and let the place fill me. Squirrels run up and down the trees chasing each other and who knows what else as Nic sits there by my side, taking in the place herself. Sometimes clear answers will come to me here and sometimes it is just a spiritual filling up.

As the sun’s rays touch the small valley floor, I reach over and pat Nic’s knee a couple of times, “Ready, hon?”

“Yeah, Dad,” she says looking up at me with a smile.

We walk out of the valley, gather up our stuff, and head back to our vehicles. On our stroll back, I think about this whole area and how we have all enjoyed exploring here, wondering if we will still be able to in the future or whether all of this and our time here will just be memories.

Back at the vehicles, we take our places once again and drive away, leaving the trees to go their way and perhaps reflect on our passage. Hitting the highway, we turn right to continue our journey to the beach. If all of this had to go down, why couldn’t it have happened in another month? Then, Lynn would have already been home. Everything for a reason I guess , I think glancing into the rearview to see Robert driving along behind.

Reaching the Interstate, I turn southbound heading toward the next exit which will take us to Fred Meyer. The flight computer and watch will come in handy. While that is a mostly true statement, I also know it is a little bit of a rationale. Part of it is that it is a nice watch, I want it, and it is just sitting there.

The lanes of the Interstate stretch out ahead and behind. There are a couple of on the shoulders of the road but for the most part, it is as empty as any other road we have seen. A semi is pulled off just prior to the exit with triangle hazard reflector sitting along the road behind it. Passing by it, I take the exit ramp. I had expected the exit ramps this close to town to be partially blocked or at least have a few more cars on them but it is completely clear. Coming to the intersection at the top of the ramp, I notice the traffic lights are dark. Either the emergency power that was operating yesterday has now failed or just in this part of town. Proceeding across the street, with Robert behind, we pull into the parking lot.

I stop just before and in front of the first doors in the shadow of the building. There are no cars in the parking lot and the front glass doors stare back at us with darkness inside. I leave the Jeep running as I step outside and walk to the back gathering everyone else.

“The jewelry store is just inside these doors to the right so we won’t have to go in very far,” I say nodding in the direction of the doors. “It opens up in front and to the left as well. I want Robert and Michelle inside but just at the doors. Nic and Bri, you stay here with the cars.”

I gather the flashlights we brought with us. “Robert, you cover to the left with your light and Michelle, you cover ahead. I’ll be going in and to the right,” I tell them passing out the lights. “We don’t need anything here so we leave if there is anything inside. Call out if you see anything.”

Before closing the rear door, I take the new duct tape and slide it around my left wrist once more thinking, this would have been a great ad for duct tape. Bite protection . I actually plan on using it to tape and smash in the glass in the jewelry counter.

“Robert, go start your car and leave it running,” I tell him as I slowly move toward the front door.

There are two sets of double doors with glass panels set in between. Looking inside the glass panel to the right, I see that the radiant light from outside stretches a fair ways inside. Clothing racks to the left and fruit stands ahead. Looking to the right, I see the security fence to the jewelry store is still open. Thank god , I think flicking on my light. Pressing the light against the glass in the same manner as I did at the gas station, I move the light around the inside. A Starbucks counter comes into view as does a deli counter stretching into the darkness next to it. I play the light around the area but discern no movement within.

“Test the doors,” I tell Robert as I continue to run my light around the inside.

I see one of the doors open slightly in my peripheral. “They’re unlocked,” he says.

“Okay,” I say pushing myself away from the glass panel glad for 24 hour stores. Pushing the door open with my shoulder, I step inside followed by Robert and then Michelle. “You two hold these doors open.”

Glancing back outside, I see Nic and Bri leaning against the Jeep. “Robert, you have that area there,” I whisper sweeping an arc with my light to the left. “Michelle, you have that one,” lighting another arc in front. I step ahead and to the right as their beams sweep thjeir designated areas.

It’s a little darker in the jewelry portion of the store due to the angle it sits with not much radiant light from outside. The same goes for the rest of the store. An inky blackness swallows up the areas where my light doesn’t reach. I edge up to the jewelry entrance and peek around the corner with the flashlight extended out. A slow check of the inside reveals nothing but the glass cases of rings, bracelets, and watches. Inside, I lean over the first counter to my right shining the light along the aisle behind the counter. Nothing. Moving to the far glass case, I do the same. Nothing. Checking back out into the store proper, I flash my light down the aisle stretching away. Nothing.

I set the light on the glass in front of me with the light playing out into the store, covering the area as best as I can while ripping off several lengths of duct tape. I cover a section of glass with the tape to prevent glass flying and it cuts down on the noise. I pull out my knife and smack down on the glass with the butt hearing the glass crack below the tape. I hit it again and the glass gives. I tap a few more time to clear away the glass around the edges and lift the tape peeling the broken glass with it. Reaching in, I grab the watch sticking it in my pocket for later as a loud CRACK-BOOM fills the inside of the store.