Dog Days of Summer
written
by
Ray Carns
[[Start]]
It is the year 2036. A small band of people struggle to survive in what was once a prosperous community in the [[southwestern United States->time]].
Jerry is dressed in green camouflage pants, t-shirt, cap, and boots that might hide his presence if he lived in a jungle, but which provides no powers of invisibility on a roof. His red hair pokes out of the back of his cap in a five inch ponytail.
He claims to be a distant relative of Daniel Boone, but there’s no verifiable evidence to support that claim.
He scans the street below with a pair of binoculars.
JERRY: *There’s one, [[Lisa]].*
Lisa, an ardent animal lover, who, prior to the Freedom Revolution, spent most of her time working in the offices of APAWS is dressed in blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Her black hair is in a short afro.
She strains to see what Jerry has spotted.
LISA: *[[Where->conversation1]]?*
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[[APAWS]]
[[Freedom Revolution]]
Dan turns the corner and races down Whip-poor-will Lane. His backpack bounces against his back with each [[stride->conversation3a]].
Eight years have passed after the accelerated advent of climate change. Summer is approaching and daytime temperatures already reach past one hundred [[degrees->place]].
Lisa and Jerry sit in lawn chairs balanced on the peak of a suburban neighborhood [[rooftop->who]].
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[[street]]
[[house]]
They wait for Dan to [[return->Jerry]].
Climate change was argued, claimed, and denied for years, until finally it became indisputable that temperatures had accelerated at a faster rate than projected and a change was in the air.
The politicians blamed the scientists for not providing accurate information, and the scientists, in turn, blamed the politicians for not listening to them in the first place.
Soon after the start of the Freedom Revolution, all scientists in the country immigrated to Michigan’s mitten, which was later renamed New America and encased in a domed force field, with entry and exit controlled by the scientific community.
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[[Great Famine]]
The Freedom Revolution was more about revolution than freedom.
Shortly after the newly empowered Socialist government enacted the *This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act* of 2029, the Freedom Revolution began, led by Rhonda Trunk’s, White Party followers, who called themselves Freedom Fighters.
Since they were the ones with the most weapons and the ability to use them semi-effectively, the Freedom Fighters won, creating the UnUnited States of America (UUSA).
Soon after, everything fell into turmoil. It was a time of change.
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[[Lisa]]
[[This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act]]
[[Rhonda Trunk]]
[[UnUnited States of America]]
The *This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act* of 2029, named after the song written by Woodie Guthrie, was passed by the Socialist Party Congress as the major part of an immigration reform package which provided United States citizenship to anyone anywhere in the world.
Additionally, some pork was added to the package in order for the law to pass. Attachments included allocation of funds for construction of the Freedom Highway to cross the country from New York City to Los Angeles, mandatory neutering and spaying of lower-income citizens, and additional funding for the military-industrial complex which in 2045 was uncovered as the main supporter of the Freedom Revolution.
The song with slightly different lyrics had been the theme song for Rhonda Trunk’s campaign as the White Party candidate for the office of President.
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[[Freedom Revolution]]
[[Freedom Highway]]
Rhonda Trunk, White Party candidate for President 2026, and her running mate and partner, Sherlynn Arthur, provoked the Freedom Revolution by posting a series of internet videos denouncing the actions of the administration on their *Trunk-Arthur Fact Bytes* weekly program.
Although there were few facts presented in these programs, many people of various backgrounds and dubious intelligence believed every word streamed.
Trunk-Arthur were also believed to be behind the creation of the numerous memes ridiculing the T-AFBs and their believers in order to fan the *Flames of Freedom*.
Less than a year after the start of the Freedom Revolution, Trunk and Arthur immigrated to Belize.
Arthur died three years later from a gunshot wound to the head in what is believed to have been a drug deal gone bad. Trunk denied at the time that neither she nor Arthur were involved with drugs in any way.
Three months after Arthur’s death, Trunk disappeared from Belize.
Some believe she returned to America, although others believe the Socialists were responsible for her disappearance and that she was being held in a secret prison in Independent Texas.
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[[Lisa]]
[[Freedom Revolution]]
[[Independent Texas]]
[[secret prison]]
As the Freedom Revolution wore down, what was once the United States of America splintered into demi-countries and was renamed the UnUnited States of America and ruled from Houston, Independent Texas.
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[[Freedom Revolution]]
[[Independent Texas]]
Independent Texas, formed in 2032, is made up of what formerly comprised Texas and the southern halves of New Mexico and Arizona.
Parts of Chihuahua and Sonora Mexico were later added to Independent Texas after the Texas-Mexico War of 2048 when a large group of Mexican-American War re-enactors during a night of intoxicated revelry declared war on Mexico, crossed the Rio Grande into Juarez and invaded. The government of Independent Texas hearing of this bold and totally unorganized invasion sent their military to bring the re-enactors back. By the time the military caught up with the re-enactors, Juarez had been taken and the troops were moving south.
Eventually, not only Juarez, but Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nogales, Magdalena de Kino, Santa Ana, Heroica Caborca, Sonoita, and Puerto Penasco were taken and became part of Independent Texas and the UnUnited States of America.
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[[Freedom Revolution]]
[[secret prison]]
[[UnUnited States of America]]
JERRY: *Across the street. By the garbage bin next to the Baxter’s*.
LISA: *Oh, yeah. I see it. He’s so cute.*
Jerry lowers the binoculars.
JERRY: *Cute? Tell me that when that sucker starts gnawing on your leg.*
LISA: *Okay, there is that, but . . .*
Lisa goes silent.
JERRY: *No buts. Those little fuckers are mean. And when there’s a whole pack of them, forget it. Have you forgotten already? [[About Wayne->conversation2]]?*
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[[Wayne]]
APAWS (All Pets Are Worth Saving) is an organization organized in 2030 when the Great Famine was at its height in North America.
Due to the decreasing amount of food available in the U.S., it became wide-spread practice to eat what was available. This eventually led to the consumption of household pets.
The main thrust of APAWS’s activities in 2030 was to prevent the use of pets as food. A failed attempt to pass a law through Congress recognizing pets as people and giving them the same rights as corporations was struck down in the Supreme Court of the United States. Appeals to the ruling were denied.
The attempt to stop the publication of the *Palatable Pets* cookbook was also met with defeat.
APAWS disbanded in 2035 after accomplishing little more than increased sales of the *Palatable Pets* cookbook due to the attention brought about by them.
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[[Lisa]]
[[Great Famine]]
[[Palatable Pets]]
1137 Whip-poor-will Lane. Noreen and Justin Needlemeier, homeowners, deceased.
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[[place]]
[[street]]
Whip-poor-will Lane: One of fifteen streets named after birds in the Dunhill neighborhood of east Glendale.
Other streets in the neighborhood named after birds are:
Roadrunner Road
Wren Way
Cardinal Circle
Oriole Avenue
Flamingo Drive
Osprey Terrace
Cockatiel Court
Hummingbird Lane
Kingfisher Boulevard
Woodpecker Place
Flycatcher Trail
Quail Run
Blue Jay Way
Starling Street
All streets with bird names run east-west. North-south streets are numbered 1 through 7.
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[[place]]
[[house]]
Wayne Dorfmann was a friend of Jerry’s since the fourth grade when they bonded over a shared Sgt. Rock comic book during school recess the first week of school.
Unfortunately, Wayne’s *Combat Antenna* didn’t save him two days before he and Jerry would have met Lisa and Dan.
It was early evening. Wayne and Jerry were in an abandoned home on Osprey Terrace searching for supplies. Everything was quiet as they moved through the dark house. They had entered through the side door, into the laundry room, moved down a short hall to the living room, past a doorway to a half-bath on the right.
The curtains on the front window were open and let in what little light there was left of the day. A burgundy couch was pushed against the opposite wall, its cushions torn, foam and cotton hanging out of the torn covers.
Wayne led the way with Jerry watching their back. They crossed the living room to the kitchen. A hallway on the left led to the bedrooms in the back of the house. Wayne walked along the front of the breakfast bar and turned at the end to go to the refrigerator.
That’s when they attacked.
Jerry saw Wayne go down, heard a gurgle emit from Wayne’s throat. There was nothing he could do to save Wayne.
Jerry heard them turn and come after him. He didn’t know how many. He swung the baseball bat he’d picked up in the last house he and Wayne had explored. He made a couple solid connections, but then he felt one of them pull at his pant leg. He swung the bat again and ran. He could hear their nails tearing at the carpet as they chased him across the living room.
Jerry ran into the laundry room and slammed the door behind him. He ran through the outside door, flung it closed. He thought he’d lost them, but wasn’t sure. He ran until he was out of [[breath->conversation1]].
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[[Combat Antenna]]
[[sixth sense]]
A kind of sixth sense used by Sgt. Rock to warn him of impending attacks.
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[[Wayne]]
[[sixth sense]]
LISA: *No . . . But I can’t help myself. They’re just so cute.*
JERRY: *That sort of thinking will get you killed.*
LISA: *I know. Funny we only see the one, though.*
JERRY: *Yeah. There are usually at least a dozen of them. Must be hiding out from the heat.*
LISA: *Could be why it’s so quiet.*
JERRY: *It’s like the calm before the storm. The apocalypse. It’s coming. I can feel it in my gut, in my bones, down to my very . . . *
LISA: *Stop the drama, Jerry. It’s not the apocalypse.*
JERRY: *Then why are we trapped on this roof surrounded by packs of wild Chihuahuas?*
LISA: *All I’m saying is it’s bad. Not apocalyptic bad. Just bad.*
Jerry raises the binoculars and scans the street below.
JERRY: *Dan should have been back already. He must have run into [[trouble->conversation3]].*
Not the same sixth sense as that kid in the movie. Wayne’s was the traditional type of sixth sense.
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[[Wayne]]
Although there is some question as to the actual start date of the Great Famine, all agree it reached its height in 2030 and continued until the spring of 2041.
There was no single cause of the Great Famine, but the devastating effect of climate change certainly was one contributing factor.
Crop diseases and pestilence were other contributing factors to the loss of grain and vegetable crops.
The diminishing ground water reservoirs contributed to the inability to grow crops. Additionally, many lakes and rivers dried up, which impacted the production of hydroelectric power.
Because of the minimal amount of crops available for animal feed, entire herds of animals were slaughtered for food rather than allowing them to die of hunger. This action suspended the start of the Great Famine for several years, but eventually meat became scarce. Even wildlife was scarce. The few remaining animals were people’s pets.
APAWS was organized in 2030 to prevent the use of pets as food. A failed attempt to pass a law through Congress recognizing pets as people and giving them the same rights as corporations was struck down in the Supreme Court of the United States. Appeals to the ruling were denied.
One of the best selling items at the time was a cookbook titled *Palatable Pets* published by a company in Kansas selling from a post office box. The actual owner or employees of the company were never discovered.
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[[APAWS]]
[[climate change]]
[[Palatable Pets]]
Palatable Pets was a publisher operating out of Kansas during the Great Famine. Their single product was a cookbook, also named *Palatable Pets*. It contained instructions on slaughtering and preparing many different types of animals most people in the UUSA would consider as pets.
APAWS attempted to stop the production of the book, but because they were never able to discover the name of the publisher they were unable to take legal action.
Here is a sample recipe from the book:
**Fried Small Pet**
1 small pet, de-haired, gutted, and cleaned (see instructions on page 31)
1/2 t. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. lard or shortening for frying
**DIRECTIONS**: Preheat lard or shortening over medium-high heat in a pan large enough to hold the pet. Pat dry the skin of the pet and dust the body with the spices and place it on its back in the lard or shortening, turning to cook both sides. Should take approximately 15-20 minutes per side depending on the meatiness of the pet.
Alternately, the pet can be cut and fried in quarters to accommodate a smaller pan. (see instructions on pages 19-30 for quartering various pets)
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[[APAWS]]
[[Great Famine]]
[[Chihuahuas]]
The shorthaired Chihuahua commonly known today was discovered in the 1850s in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, now a part of Independent Texas. American visitors to Mexico brought the little dogs home with them and love for these dogs soon grew.
It is believed the Chihuahua was part of the Toltec, and then Aztec, societies where they were called Techichi. Aztecs believed the Techichi had mystical powers, and had the ability to see the future, heal the sick, and safely guide the souls of the dead to the underworld. It was customary to kill a red Techichi and cremate him with the remains of the deceased. The Aztecs also used the Techichi as a source of food and pelts.
Chihuahuas get along well with other pets in the family, including cats. But they won’t hesitate to defend themselves if they’re being mistreated. Chihuahuas are mistrustful of strangers, which makes them good watchdogs. The fearless Chihuahua will often boss around much bigger dogs, and it’s not unusual for the smallest dog to be the one in charge. This may or may not cause problems.
During the Great Famine many Chihuahuas, because their owners couldn’t bring themselves to eat what they considered a member of the family, were abandoned. Over time, the Chihuahuas banded together, travelled in packs, to protect their territory.
It was one of these wild dogs Jerry saw through his binoculars.
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[[Lisa]]
LISA: *Maybe. See anything out there?*
JERRY: *I don’t see a thing.*
JERRY keeps scanning the area with his [[binoculars->Dan]].
The buffalo horns formation is an encirclement tactic utilized by the Zulu in warfare. The formation consists of three parts: horns, head, and body. The horns moved about the sides of the enemy while the head and body advanced forward. The horns would then maneuver so as to encircle the enemy, thereby cutting off any retreat and causing the enemy to have to fight forces from all sides.
How the Chihuahuas learned this tactic is unknown.
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[[conversation->conversation3a]]
Randall and Matthew Olgilby owned the house at 1143 Whip-poor-will Lane prior to their move to Iceland to observe and document the Atlantic Puffins on Surtsey Island. Their study was funded by the Ornithological Society of New America.
Matthew Olgilby drowned three years into the study when his kayak and left thigh were inadvertently penetrated by the tusk of a surfacing narwhal. The narwhal then dived, taking both kayak and Matthew with it. Matthew’s body, still in the kayak and skewered by the narwhal tusk, washed on shore two days later. Matthew, the kayak, and the narwhal were buried together in The Old Cemetery in Reykjavík - Kirkjugarðurinn við Suðurgötu.
Randall Olgilby continued the study for four years after Matthew’s death and currently resides in Reykjavik and has no plans to return to the UUSA or New America.
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[[conversation->conversation3a]]
[[New America]]
1141 Whip-poor-will Lane was previously owned by the Horton family, one of the last to leave the Dunhill neighborhood.
Shortly after MaryBeth Horton was attacked by a small pack of Chihuahuas while she was hanging the family’s spare pair of magic underwear on the lines in the backyard to dry, the Horton’s moved to Salt Lake City, now, and always, some say, the capitol of the Mormon Empire, the beliefs of which the Horton’s held close to their hearts.
ROBERT HORTON: *They may be one of God’s creatures, but when those dogs chased poor MaryBeth around the backyard, attempting to use the buffalo horns formation to capture her, that was the last straw.*
MARYBETH: *I thought they had me for sure. If it hadn’t been for Ollie Lambert, I would have been a goner.*
OLLIE: *It was really nothing. A quick yank of her arms and I had her on top of the block wall between our yards. Luckily the wall was only three feet tall and MaryBeth is a wisp of a woman, otherwise it would have been more difficult.*
MARYBETH: *After we ran into Ollie’s house, he served me tea and cookies until Robert got home. I enjoyed that.*
ROBERT: *You didn’t tell me he gave you tea and cookies. And that better not be a euphemism.*
MARYBETH: *Oh, Robert. Don’t be silly. He’s Catholic.*
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[[conversation->conversation3a]]
[[buffalo horns]]
Oliver *Ollie* Lambert lived at 1139 Whip-poor-will Lane for ten years. He owned Lambert’s Linens, which in addition to selling linens, sold accessories for the kitchen and bedroom.
The day after saving MaryBeth Horton, Ollie closed shop and left town. There were few customers and after serving MaryBeth tea and cookies, euphemistically speaking, there was little reason to hang around.
He loaded his car with the best linens remaining in his shop, threw his clothes into a backpack and drove west. He’d always wanted to see the ocean.
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[[conversation->conversation3a]]
[[Horton]]
Soon after the start of the Freedom Revolution, all scientists in the U.S. moved to Michigan’s mitten, which was later renamed New America and encased in a domed force field, with entry and exit controlled by the scientific community.
The Ornithological Society of New America was known for their documentation of diminishing bird types within the world. One important study funded by OSNA was of the Atlantic Puffins of Iceland. Research was headed by the Olgilbys, Randall and Matthew.
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[[Olgilby]]
Dan runs toward the house, backpack bouncing against his right shoulder blade, and starts climbing the trellis on the side of 1137.
JERRY: *I’ve lost sight of Dan. He should be coming up soon.*
Jerry and Lisa look toward the edge of the roof. A long moment passes. They hear growling and high-pitched barking near the foot of the house.
Dan is kicking and knocking Chihuahuas off his feet and legs as he climbs. A shoe falls off.
LISA: *He’s not coming up.*
JERRY: *Quick. They must have got him by the trellis. Over to the edge.*
Jerry puts down the binoculars and Lisa closes the umbrella, then they run to the edge of the roof and look over.
Dan’s hand comes up, throwing the backpack onto the roof. Jerry and Lisa pull Dan onto the roof. They kneel next to him.
Dan’s legs are bloody, the lower part of his pants are shredded. He gasps for breath.
DAN: *They almost got me. . . There were a couple dozen of them hiding behind the trellis. . . They were all over me. . . I was kicking and hitting them off me all the way up.*
JERRY: *Yeah, they bite onto something and you can’t get them off.*
DAN: *One of them got my shoe.*
He takes several deep breaths before continuing.
DAN: *I thought they had me. I’m torn up pretty bad . . . losing a lot of blood . . . Help me up.*
Lisa and Jerry help Dan sit in one of the chairs. Lisa unfolds the umbrella and holds it over Dan shading him from the hot sun.
JERRY: *You’re bleeding bad, man. We got to stop it.*
Jerry pulls a couple camo bandanas from his back pocket and ties them loosely around both of Dan’s legs where the bleeding seems the worst.
JERRY: *What’s it like out there?*
DAN: *Those Chihuahuas are everywhere. . . They’re inside the houses on the west side. . . I stepped through one backdoor, right into a pack of thirty or so. They jumped up and started shaking and growling, and I took off out of there with the whole lot of them right on my heels . . . Every time I looked back, there were more and more of them.*
He pauses, taking several deep breaths.
DAN: *I ran by an overturned Animal Control truck two streets up. . . . Driver didn’t make it.*
Jerry stands and looks over the edge of the roof.
JERRY: *I’m telling you. It’s the [[apocalypse]].*
LISA: *It’s not the apocalypse. An apocalypse is zombies, aliens, bankers, and politicians.*
Jerry turns to Lisa.
JERRY: *Yeah. The four horsemen. Who do you think’s behind this?*
LISA: *People who didn’t spay or neuter their pets, and then abandoned them, that’s who.*
JERRY: *No. The economy crashes and the government let’s everyone responsible off the hook. That was the start of the apocalypse and it was caused by two of the four horsemen.*
LISA: *Jerry, there’s no apocalypse. And there aren’t any horsemen. Those are Chihuahuas.*
JERRY: *Well, if it’s not the apocalypse, [[what do you call it]]?*
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[[four horsemen]]
Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, “Come and see”. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, “Come and see”. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, “Come and see”. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, “A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine”.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, “Come and see”. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
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[[apocalypse]]
LISA: *I don’t call it anything. Maybe climate change. What I’m saying is; people should have been more responsible and taken care of their pets.*
She pauses.
LISA: *If nothing else, something should have been done when the day care center was attacked. You’d think losing twenty kids and six adults would get more action.*
DAN: *The police tried, but there were too many of them. They lost half their force and all but one open-carry activist.*
LISA: *They should have called the National Guard.*
JERRY: *The National Guard can’t stop the apocalypse, man. That’s what I’m saying.*
LISA: *It’s not the apocalypse.*
DAN: *You two need to settle down. Take a deep breath.*
Jerry takes in an exaggerated breath and turns to Dan as he picks up the pack and exhales.
JERRY: *Okay. Now that we’re one with the universe, did you get anything good? I’m starving.*
DAN: *Not much. Everything’s been picked over.*
Jerry digs into the pack.
JERRY: *A bottle of water, can of Spam, three candy bars.*
Jerry pulls the candy bars out of the pack.
JERRY: *Dibs on the one with almonds.*
He tosses the other candy bars to Lisa and Dan, then looks back inside the pack.
JERRY: *A can of refried beans, an apple, and a bag of chips.*
LISA: *That’ll hold us for a day. Two, if we ration.*
JERRY: *Provided we can find the can opener. I think I heard it slide off the roof last night.*
LISA: *What? You were supposed to be in charge of that.*
JERRY: *I can’t keep track of everything.*
LISA: *Not everything, Jerry. Just one thing. One thing. That’s all.*
JERRY: *It’s not the end of the world, Lisa.*
LISA: *No, it’s the apocalypse, Jerry. Remember?*
JERRY: *Now you’re just being mean.*
DAN: *That’s enough you two. You need to get along if we’re going to survive.*
LISA: *Sorry.*
JERRY: *You should be.*
DAN: *Hey, hey, hey.*
Jerry grumbles and moves to the other end of the roof.
DAN: *You two need to [[move on]].*
LISA: *I’m trying to, but Jerry . . .*
DAN: *That’s not what I mean. You two need to make a run for it while there’s a chance.*
LISA: *Two? You’re staying here?*
DAN: *I’m bleeding bad. I won’t last a day. I’ll only slow you down.*
Jerry moves back to where Lisa and Dan are.
JERRY: *We aren’t going to leave you, man.*
DAN: *You have to. We don’t have enough food. And we can’t stay on the roof. Any day now the monsoons’ll roll in and it’s going to rain. We’re lightning rods up here. It’s already close to a hundred degrees. With only one umbrella and no sunscreen, we’ll fry.*
Lisa turned away, looked toward the east.
She said: *Dan’s got a [[point]].*
*We can’t stay [[here]].*
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[[monsoons]]
The name monsoon is derived from the Arabic word mausim which means season or wind-shift.
It is a meteorological singularity that occurs during the summer throughout the southwest portion of North America.
The term monsoons as in *Any day now the monsoons’ll roll in ...* is meteorologically incorrect. There is no such thing. The word should be used in the same way summer is used. The proper terminology is *monsoon thunderstorms*.
Monsoon thunderstorms are convective in nature. That means the thunderstorms are powered by intense surface heating and a strong moisture influx.
The monsoonal circulation does not produce thunderstorms every day during the summer, but rather occurs in a pattern of Bursts and Breaks.
A Burst creates intense atmospheric destabilization, leading to strong widespread thunderstorm outbreaks.
A Break is an enhanced ridge of the high pressure systems which act to stabilize the atmosphere and allow widespread thunderstorm activity to [[move on]].
DAN: *Go east. If you make it to the other side of the freeway, you should be safe.*
LISA: *Jerry, are you in?*
Jerry walks toward the other end of the roof, looking east. He turns back to Lisa.
JERRY: *Seems risky to me, unless we have a diversion of some sort.*
LISA: *I doubt we’ll have that, but we can’t stay here.*
JERRY: *Ahrr! . . . Okay . . . count me in.*
LISA: *Then it’s decided. We’re leaving. And we’re taking Dan with us.*
DAN: *No. You have to leave me.*
LISA: *We don’t need another hero, Dan. We need you.*
JERRY: *Not so fast, Lisa.*
LISA: *What are you saying, Jerry?*
JERRY: *Oh, you know, just . . .*
LISA: *We’re not leaving Dan behind.*
DAN: *I’ll only slow you down.*
JERRY: *You heard him. He’ll slow us down.*
LISA: *Are you both out of your minds?*
DAN: *I’m just being practical. I can stay here and distract them while you get away.*
JERRY: *See.*
LISA: *See what, Jerry? We can’t leave Dan behind.*
JERRY: *Yeah, but he’s being practical . . . volunteering. You know, take one for the team.*
LISA: *What if it was you that was hurt instead of Dan?*
JERRY: *[[Don’t try to make this about me.]]*
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[[take one for the team]]
[[Lloyd]]
[[We don’t need another hero]]
Dan jumps off the roof and tumbles down the trellis. He struggles to his feet. The sound of growling and high-pitched barking follows.
Lisa rushes to the edge of the roof.
LISA: *Dan! No!*
DAN: *Catch me if you can, you tiny terrors.*
Dan limps down Whip-poor-will Lane pursued by the pack of Chihuahuas.
Jerry pulls Lisa back from the edge of the roof and scoops up the pack. He pulls her across the roof. They stop at the edge. Lisa looks back. Jerry pulls her arm and they jump off the roof. They run [[east->end]].
Lisa’s remark references the actions of Lloyd, one of the original team, who died at the hands of an open-carry proponent suffering from rabies.
*We Don’t Need Another Hero* was also a 1985 song by Tina Turner featured in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The song was occasionally played on oldies stations along with other music from the previous century. In the early 20s, it had a brief revival in east Europe.
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[[Lloyd]]
Lloyd Baggins, aka Bags, met up with Dan in the early days of the Great Famine and together they holed up in a house in the Dunhill neighborhood. Food was available. Mostly canned goods, but other forms of food, as well, such as freeze dried packaged food, and dry beans. They once found a package of pasta and a can of tomatoes. But only once.
Some owners still occupied their homes, but most houses in the Dunhill neighborhood were abandoned. Lloyd and Dan took up residence in a house on Roadrunner Road.
They lived there a month before they met Lisa who had migrated into the neighborhood in search of food and shelter. The three moved into a larger house on Osprey Terrace.
About six months later, Lloyd and Lisa were searching for food, going from house to house on Quail Run when they ran into a man who appeared to be in his early thirties. The two had entered the front door and were a few steps into the entry when the man appeared from around the corner, possibly from the living room.
There was something wrong. The way he moved. Acted.
MAN: *Who goes there?*
LLOYD: *Just us. Looking for food. If this is your place we’re out of here.*
LISA: *Yeah. We’re just looking for food.*
MAN: *Food? You’re looking for food? Ain’t no food here. No sir. No food here.*
LLOYD: *All right. All right. We’re leaving.*
MAN: *Oh, you ain’t leaving. Not now. Now that you’ve seen what I got.*
LISA: *We didn’t see anything, mister. Nothing.*
MAN: * Oh, I know. You’re all alike. You say you saw nothing, but you saw something. And then you tell others. What’s mine is mine.*
LLOYD: *That’s cool. What’s yours is yours. We don’t want it.*
MAN: *Don’t lie to me.*
The man swung a semi-automatic off his back, over his shoulder, the barrel pointed at Lloyd and Lisa.
LLOYD: * Whoa, whoa, whoa! No need for that man.*
Lloyd pulled Lisa behind him and pushed her backward toward the door. She hesitated, then backed out. Lloyd took a step back blocking the man’s view of Lisa.
MAN: *Hold it right there. I said you ain’t leaving.*
LLOYD: *I told you we don’t want anything from you. We didn’t see a thing.*
MAN: *I said don’t move.*
LLOYD: *I’m not moving.*
MAN: *I seen you move. And your friends, too.*
LLOYD: *What friends? There’s only me.*
MAN: *Don’t lie to me.*
The man pulled the trigger. One of three bullets passed through Lloyd’s chest. He fell back against the doorframe. Outside, Lisa screamed. The man pulled the trigger again and again. Lloyd slumped to the floor. Outside, Lisa ran back to the house on Osprey Terrace to the [[east]].
---------------------------------------------------------------
[[rabies]]
[[open-carry]]
Open-carry: The act of publicly carrying a firearm on one’s person in plain sight.
Various laws within the U.S. were created in the early 21st century allowing citizens to carry firearms while going about their daily business. Some restrictions applied and were different from state to state.
Open-carry proponent participation was key to the Freedom Revolution, and the expansion of Independent Texas, as well as, the creation of the UnUnited States of America.
One of these proponents under the effects of rabies confronted Lloyd and Lisa during one of their forays in search of food.
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[[Lloyd]]
[[rabies]]
According to the CDC, the first symptoms of rabies may last for days and may be very similar to those of the flu, and may include general weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache.
There may also be discomfort or a prickling or itching sensation at the site of the bite, progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation. As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia.
The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.
The open-carry proponent who confronted Lloyd and Lisa was in the later stages of infection and experiencing hallucinations.
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[[Lloyd]]
[[open-carry]]
Take one for the team - To accept an unpleasant task or make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of one’s friends or colleagues.
Also, an early 21st century song by Kanye West that has absolutely nothing to do with this.
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[[east]]
[[We don’t need another hero]]
The End.
Go back to [[start->Dog Days of Summer]].
LISA: *We can’t stay here, Jerry. We’ve got to go.*
Jerry walks to the edge of the roof.
JERRY: *They’re down there waiting for us. I can see the bushes shaking.*
LISA: *That’s why we’ve got to get out of here. We’re being surrounded. We’ll be stuck up here until we die if we don’t leave.*
DAN: *Make a break for it while it’s still light.*
LISA: *But where to?*
DAN points [[east]].
LISA: *We’ve got to go.*
Jerry walks to the edge of the roof.
JERRY: *They’re down there waiting for us. I can see the bushes shaking.*
LISA: *That’s why we’ve got to get out of here. We’re being surrounded. We’ll be stuck up here until we die if we don’t leave.*
DAN: *Make a break for it while it’s still light.*
LISA: *[[We’re not leaving you behind, Dan.]]*
Dan gets out of the chair, standing somewhat wobbly on his injured legs.
DAN: *You need to go now. Here’s your [[diversion]].*
LISA: *It’s not about you, Jerry. It’s about us. We need each other to survive.*
JERRY: *What if Dan has rabies?*
LISA: *He doesn’t have rabies.*
JERRY: *How do you know?*
DAN: *Jerry’s right. How do we know?*
LISA: *We don’t. But we’ll deal with that when the time comes.*
JERRY: *Ahrr! . . . Okay . . . count me in.*
LISA: *Then it’s decided. We’re leaving. And we’re taking Dan with us.*
Dan gets out of the chair, standing somewhat wobbly on his injured legs.
DAN: *We need a [[diversion->diversion2]].*
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[[How do we know?]]
According to the CDC, the first symptoms of rabies may last for days and may be very similar to those of the flu, and may include general weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache.
There may also be discomfort or a prickling or itching sensation at the site of the bite, progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation. As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia.
The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.
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[[diversion->diversion2]]
JERRY: *Wait. I have an idea.*
He grabs the can of Spam, tears the key from the bottom, and opens the can.
JERRY: *Get ready.*
He runs to the edge of the roof, turns the can so the meat slowly slides from the can with a vacuum enhanced slurp before it falls to the ground below. The sound of growling and high-pitched barking follows.
[[Dan gets to his feet.]]
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[[Spam]]
Spam: A brand of canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation.
One of Jerry’s favorite foods, especially sliced, slid between halves of a biscuit, and slathered in mayo and Sriracha. It reminded him of when he was young and Sunday afternoon picnics at the park or the lake with his mother. Those were good memories Jerry held on to through his adult years.
Opening the can of Spam to create a diversion was not an easy choice for Jerry.
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[[diversion->diversion2]]
Before they can get up, the chihuahuas are on them. Fifty or sixty of the creatures, biting, yapping, scratching with their untrimmed nails. Lisa kicks and swats at the dogs clinging to her clothing with their tiny sharp teeth. Dan isn’t moving. Chihuahuas are covering him. Jerry throws one dog across the grass as another lunges for his throat. Blood spurts. Jerry lets out a gurgled cry. Lisa is on her feet, attempting to run, but the weight of the animals brings her [[down->end]].
Lisa and Jerry scramble to their feet and assist Dan up. Then the three hurry to the next house. The back door is open. They go inside.
JERRY: *Quick. Let’s move to the other end of the house. There has to be a window or door. If we can move from house to house, that’ll give us the least exposure.*
They cross the house, winding through hallways and rooms in search of an exit. They reach a bedroom at the far end of the house.
DAN: *Wait. By the closet over there. Is that a left shoe?*
Lisa runs to the closet and grabs the high-top sneaker.
LISA: *Think it will fit? I can’t tell what size it is.*
DAN: *It’ll be better than no shoe no matter what the size.*
Lisa helps Dan put on the sneaker and laces it up. Jerry keeps a lookout.
JERRY: *No sign of those devils, yet. If we go out this window, we can make a run for the patio behind the next house and go in through there.*
The three climb out the window and run toward the patio, keeping an eye out for any Chihuahuas. They reach the patio. Lisa pulls on the arcadia door. It won’t [[slide open]].
Attached to the *This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act* of 2029 was the allocation of funds for construction of the Freedom Highway to cross the country from New York City to Los Angeles. Construction on the Freedom Highway never started once someone pointed out there was already the Lincoln Highway which went from New York City to San Francisco, much of which had become US 30 and I-80 during the previous century.
To save funds, the Lincoln Highway was renamed the Freedom Highway and since San Francisco seemed as good as Los Angeles, because they were both in California, it was left at that. Later, the old highway signs were painted over and everyone called it good.
The politicians had a big celebration, drank lots of champagne, and took credit for a job well done. A fun time was had by all.
The fact that few people were able to use the highway due to the Fuel Crisis was beside the point.
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[[Fuel Crisis]]
[[This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act]]
The Fuel Crisis hit its peak in November 2030 shortly after the Freedom Highway was christened. Oil reserves were low, and the price of oil had reached an all time high. Gasoline was selling for USD28.00 per gallon, when available.
Automobile manufacturing had continued to keep their primary focus on vehicles with combustion engines. The few electric vehicles available were either too expensive for the average person, or had limited range.
Driving the Freedom Highway, cars had to stop every two to three hundred miles to recharge. And, since charging stations were as far behind in development as the average electric car, it could take as long as six hours to reach a full level 2 charge.
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[[Freedom Highway]]
[[This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land Act]]
Although the existence of a *secret prison* has been rumored for years, no actual proof of one has been confirmed. A possible location, if one exists, could be Independent Texas. This possible location is believed by many to be accurate due to the politics and actions of that area.
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[[Independent Texas]]
Jerry and Lisa move to Dan’s side and help him across to the other end of the rooftop. Below them, Chihuahuas race around the building toward the diversionary meat product, nipping and snapping at each other in their frenzy for food. Lisa lowers herself first, then Jerry follows. Dan slides over the edge of the roof, hangs by his hands. Jerry and Lisa reach up and help lower Dan as he releases his grip. They [[fall->inside]] in a [[pile]].
JERRY: *Here. Let me get it.* He lifts and pulls, on the door while shoving his foot against the bottom of it, knocking the door off its track. He lifts and pulls one more time and the door skids open.
They rush inside and Jerry puts the arcadia door back on its track and closes it.
LISA: *How you holding up, Dan?*
DAN: *I’m okay. Still hurts, though. Most of the bleeding’s stopped.*
LISA: *We should get those bandages changed.*
JERRY: *I’ll search for some clean cloths. There’s probably something in the kitchen.*
Dan sits on the floor, his back against the wall, while Jerry runs toward the kitchen. Lisa loosens the bandanas on Dan’s legs.
Jerry returns from the kitchen.
JERRY: *Not much, but here’s four kitchen towels.*
Lisa takes the towels from Jerry.
LISA: *Looks like most of the bleeding's stopped.*
She dabs at the still bleeding puncture wounds. Jerry gathers the blood soaked bandages.
JERRY: *We should cut the bloody parts of your pant legs off. Make you some shorts.*
DAN: *Good idea. If those bastards smell the blood, we’ll never lose them.”
Jerry draws his knife. Lisa takes it from him and cuts the lower third of Dan’s pant legs [[off]].
Dan, able to limp, leads the way, with Lisa following. Jerry brings up the rear. They move through the empty house and walk into the attached garage.
JERRY: *Holy shit. Look at that.*
Four bicycles lay in a pile by the garage door. Jerry rushes to them, starts untangling them from each other.
LISA: *Are they any good?”*
JERRY: *Tires are flat, but otherwise they look like they’re in decent shape.*
DAN: *Anyone see a pump?*
They search the garage, open storage cabinets, tear open a cardboard box, but no pump found.
JERRY: *Looks like we ride them with flats. Won’t be easy, but it’ll be faster than walking. And we’ll be able to outdistance those dogs if they come after us.*
LISA: *You okay to ride?*
DAN: *Whether I am or not, it’s the best chance we have.*
JERRY: *Okay then. Everyone grab a bike and let’s take them out the front door. The garage door will make too much noise and they’ll be on us before we get down the drive.*
LISA: *Once we hit the street, we’ve got a good chance to get out of here.*
They roll the bikes to the living room. Jerry looks out the window. Seeing it’s clear, he opens the door. They wheel the bikes out, hop on and pedal toward the street, Dan and Lisa leading on full-size bikes and Jerry close behind on a girl’s 20-inch bike. They roll onto the street and start pumping, picking up speed.
Behind them, Chihuahuas bark, first one, then three or four, and then the entire pack.
Dan, Lisa, and Jerry peddle [[faster->end]].
JERRY: *No. Wait. I see him at the end of the next block. Out in the street.*
LISA: *End of the next block? What’s Dan doing way out there? And in the open?*
JERRY: *I don’t know, but he’s running fast.*
LISA: *Oh, no, look at that. I can see from here. Must be a hundred of those little cuties.*
JERRY: *A hundred easy. Dan shouldn’t have gone in the open like that on ground level.*
LISA: *He can move faster in the open.*
JERRY: *Yeah . . . but wait. He’s cutting into the Olgilby’s yard.*
LISA: *He should have stayed on the street. That hot asphalt would have slowed them down.*
JERRY: *He’s heading for the Horton’s backyard.*
LISA: *Once he clears their fence that’ll stop the pack.*
JERRY: *Oh, man. Half of them are heading toward the open gate on the other side of the house. They’re trying to trap him, using the classic buffalo horns tactic.*
LISA: *Dan can still jump the fence into the Lambert’s to get away.*
JERRY: *He’s crossed the Lambert’s.*
LISA: *I see him. He’s over their fence . . . crossing the street. He’s home free once he reaches the trellis on the side of the [[house->conversation4]].*
---------------------------------------------------------------
[[Olgilby]]
[[Horton]]
[[Lambert]]
[[buffalo horns]]
DAN: *No. You have to leave me.*
LISA: *We don’t need another hero, Dan. We need you.*
JERRY: *Not so fast, Lisa.*
LISA: *What are you saying, Jerry?*
JERRY: *Oh, you know, just . . .*
LISA: *We’re not leaving Dan behind.*
DAN: *I’ll only slow you down.*
JERRY: *You heard him. He’ll slow us down.*
LISA: *Are you both out of your minds?*
DAN: *I’m just being practical. I can stay here and distract them while you get away.*
JERRY: *See.*
LISA: *See what, Jerry? We can’t leave Dan behind.*
JERRY: *Yeah, but he’s being practical . . . volunteering. You know, take one for the team.*
LISA: *What if it was you that was hurt instead of Dan?*
JERRY: *Don’t try to make this about [[me]].*