153 4 Walls and bridges Of course I did exist. I had grown up preparing for the Days of Abomination, watching for the sun to darken, for the moon to drip as if with blood. I spent my summers bottling peaches and my winters rotating supplies. When the World of Men failed, my family would continue on, unaffected. […] That night Dad called a family meeting, and we gathered around the kitchen table, because it was wide and long, and could seat all of us. We had a right to know what we were up against, he said. He was standing at the head of the table; the rest of us perched on benches, studying the thick planks of red oak. “There’s a family not far from here,” Dad said. “They’re freedom fighters. They wouldn’t let the Government brainwash their kids in them public schools, so the Feds came after them.” Dad exhaled, long and slow. “The Feds surrounded the family’s cabin, kept them locked in there for weeks, and when a hungry child, a little boy, snuck out to go hunting, the Feds shot him dead.” I scanned my brothers. I’d never seen fear on Luke’s face before. “They’re still in the cabin,” Dad said. “They keep the lights off, and they crawl on the floor, away from the doors and windows. I don’t know how much food they got. Might be they’ll starve before the Feds give up.” No one spoke. Eventually Luke, who was twelve, asked if we could help. “No,” Dad said. “Nobody can. They’re trapped in their own home. But they got their guns, you can bet that’s why the Feds ain’t charged in.” He paused to sit, folding himself onto the low bench in slow, stiff movements. He looked old to my eyes, worn out. “We can’t help them, but we can help ourselves. When the Feds come to Buck’s Peak, we’ll be ready.” That night, Dad dragged a pile of old army bags up from the basement. He said they were our “head for the hills” bags. We spent that night packing them with supplies – herbal medicines, water purifiers, flint and steel. Dad had bought several boxes of military MREs – Meals Ready-toEat – and we put as many as we could fit into our packs, imagining the moment when, having fled the house and the Days of Abomination – samkvæmt mormónum, dagarnir áður en Jesús snýr aftur til jarðar to rotate supplies – viðhalda birgðum unaffected – án áhrifa to gather – safna perched – hér: sitjandi oak – eik the Feds (federal officers) – alríkislögreglumenn (FBI) to exhale – anda frá sér snuck out (to sneak out) – laumaðist út to charge in – ryðjast inn a pile – hrúga a basement – kjallari to head for – halda í átt að herbs – jurtir water purifier – vatnssía flint and steel – eldfæri Meals Ready-to-Eat – tilbúin máltíð
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