Hey there, hume and light beings! 

Before I dive into the original journal entries, I just want to say that if you haven’t read the novel, this is obviously going to spoil some things for you…and if you have read the novel, some things in the journal entries will feel out of place and order because the journal is “written by Amber” as she experienced things. Some locations were changed as well… So, just keep that in mind. This is literally the first draft. :-)

Even though its messy, I’m still super proud that this journal entry eventually became Chapter 2 and Chapter 6

Here you go…Amber’s raw, unfiltered, unedited journal entries:

 March 11,

      I just spent six days hiding in my car and I'm pretty sure that Dan is dead.

      Some weird stuff has gone down, I'm absolutely sure of it now, but a few days ago, I had no idea.

      Let me back up a little bit. My name is Amber and if you're reading this, I either survived long enough to pass this on to someone or, the far more likely reason, is that you found this journal on my dead body...or beside a large blood smear on the road.  

      I'm recording all of this so that in the event that I do survive, I'll have a written account of this whole situation to pass on to friends and family...if they're still alive.  If I don't make it?  Well, at least someone might find this goofy Bigfoot journal and know what my last days were like.

      Anyway. My car. It just quit working while I was driving.  No stuttering, no flashing idiot lights on the dash, nothing. It just went dead. One second I was cruising down a forestry road and the next, everything shut off.  

      The old Jeep Cherokee had never given me problems before, even though it's nearly as old as I am, so I coasted to a stop, put it back in park and tried to crank the motor over.  

      Nothing.  

     The road I broke down on was narrow and winding and had no actual shoulder so I pushed the hazard light button and not even those would come on.

      Absolutely befuddled, I pulled my cell phone out of my bag praying that I had a signal this deep in the woods.  The screen was black.  I tapped the screen and lock button. 

      Nothing.  

      How the heck could the battery have died already?

    "Well, shit," I mumbled to myself as I elbowed the door open and hopped out listening hard for the sound of an approaching car.  I tucked my short, dark hair behind my ears and looked around.  I was still on a paved road but I was also pretty far away from the more well traveled areas.  All I could hear was the chilly spring breeze through the conifers and the river running just beside the road.  

      "Shit!"  With fingers laced behind my head, I looked in the direction I had come from then back to where I had been heading.  A curving tunnel of trees bordered the pavement of the road, the broken, yellow line down the middle disappearing over a small hill.  I was very alone.  

      Should I start walking?  Should I stay put and wave the next car down?  Should I try to hitch a ride back down to that old camp store I passed about a half hour ago?  What the heck did people do when they broke down before cell phones? 

      So there I was, stranded almost 100 miles from home on a deserted road with no idea what to do.

      After a long talk with myself, I decided to stay put.  It was cloudy out and starting to drizzle. The last thing I needed to do was head out into the weather and catch my death.  Being cold was bad enough, but being wet and cold?  That was a hard no.

      Before the Jeep broke down I had been photographing tulips and lavender at the farms in the valley with my old 35mm camera.  I love the old school art of real film and I took the scenic route through the mountains so I could shoot a couple of rolls of black and white infrared film in the woods then I was headed to an AirBnB just outside of the Mount Hood National Forest.  After the terrible fires in 2020, the forest was beginning to recover.  I imagined that the skeletal remains of the burned trees would look ghostly next to the budding new growth of the smaller deciduous trees.  I packed a large cooler full of drinks and food, my pillow, sleeping bag and a blanket.  The Jeep would be plenty comfortable once I laid the back seats down.  I could definitely wait.

      Someone was bound to pass by before too long, or before nightfall at the very latest.  Forest service personnel or construction maybe?

      Somebody, anybody, should have passed by, but no one did.

      When dusk approached, I told myself that I would head out walking at first light and try to get some sleep.  I hardly slept a wink though, not wanting to miss a potential car passing and it was a good thing that I didn't.  The night sky was like nothing I had ever seen before.  Through the breaks in the trees and clouds, the northern lights danced across the sky in yellows, greens, pinks and purples.  Shooting stars, several every minute, flashed bright in the unpolluted darkness, some even appeared to trail fire as they streaked through the sky. 

     What on earth would cause the northern lights to be visible this far to the south?  I was sure that google would have known but my phone was dead so all I could do was wonder.  

      I finally drifted off fairly close to dawn but was jolted awake by a rumble. 

      "What the heck?"  I popped my head out of my blankets and looked out the window.  Through the shadowed, blue light of dawn I could see the road actually rolling while the car bounced and heaved on its shocks.  "An earthquake?  You've got to be kidding me!"  I yelled like an absolute crazy person.   I watched the enormous trees sway with the motion of the quake and my heart raced.  The asphalt began to crack and several trees toppled across the road.  I closed my eyes and hid in my sleeping bag like a terrified child.  The quake seemed to last forever, much longer than any other that I could remember.

      "Shit, shit, shit, shit!”  I squeaked, fighting panic and threatening tears while my thoughts raced.  God, please don’t let a tree fall on me.  I'm not ready to die. I don't want to die.  Please, please, please.     

      The shaking ended as suddenly as it had begun and the forest grew silent.  

      I lay there for a moment just breathing, waiting for an aftershock.  When none came, I threw the car door open and frantically began packing my bag.  My heart pounded in my ears as I quickly rolled up my sleeping bag with my pillow still inside and strapped it to the bottom of my pack then stuffed the bag with as much food and drinks as I could carry.  With all of my belongings slung across my shoulders, I closed the hatch of the old Jeep and took a deep breath.  It was at least 20 miles back to the camp store but that was the best hope I had of finding someone to help. 

      I hadn't taken more than half a dozen steps from the car when I heard the faint echo of a human voice off the trees.  My heart soared.  

     Oh, my God, I'm saved! 

      It didn't take long for my heart to sink though.  The voice was male and he was yelling. It would be just my luck to run into a complete psychopath alone on a deserted road in the middle of BF-nowhere...without a weapon of any sort.

      Whispering expletives under my breath, I scurried back to the Jeep and threw my pack inside.  I locked the doors and darted off the road and into the bushes.  

      As the sounds of the voice got louder, closer, I began running through every worst case scenario possible.  The guy is crazy, he tries to break into my car.  The guy is crazy, he finds me hiding in the bushes and murders me.  Or he finds me in the bushes, tortures and violates me, then murders me.

      I began searching for a rock or a stick to use as an equalizer as the man's head bobbed into view over the small hill in the road.  He looked tall and was walking so fast he was practically jogging.  I couldn't make out any features but he was waving his arms around in wild gestures while cursing every living thing on the planet. 

      Yup. Definitely crazy.

  I scooted farther back into the bushes and crouched, praying that he wouldn't stop at my car.  He did though, growing quiet as he approached.

      He looked at the car and then spun in circles, searching the surrounding area.  Not seeing any other people, he cupped his hands around his eyes and peered through the windows one by one stopping at the driver side rear window.  He had to have seen my pack.

      Well, that was stupid, Amber.

      "Hello?" He called out, looking around again.  "Is anyone still out here?" 

      I remained silent and when no answer came he began trying the door handles.  Finding them locked, he scanned the ground and picked up a rock.

      A smash-and-grab? Oh, no you don't, bro.

      I popped out of the bushes with a bent twig in my hand brandished like a sword and yelled, "Don't break my window!"

      The man nearly jumped out of his skin at my sudden appearance and dropped the rock.

      "Please?"  I added, letting the crooked twig fall from my hand.  My arms went up, palms facing forward.  

      He mirrored my position for a moment before dropping a hand to his chest.

      "You scared the absolute Hell out of me, girl."  He laughed nervously before continuing, head canted to one side.  "Why are you in the bushes?"

      I thought about moving toward him but hesitated.  I had to be careful.  I didn't know what was going on or why he was walking down a deserted road in the mountains but I was generally a terrible liar.  It was probably best to be honest.

   "I-uh, I panicked.  My car just died and I've been stuck here since yesterday afternoon."

      He raised his brows, "Yours is dead too, 'eh?  It's really happened then."  His voice trailed off and his hands went to his hips, while a very concerned look spread across his face.

      "What do you mean? What's happened?" I asked as I awkwardly lowered my hands.  He obviously wasn't as crazy as I had first imagined, only frustrated and confused, just as I was.

      "S.H.T.F." He said, like I should know what that meant.

      The look of confusion on my face cued him in to my lack of understanding and he elaborated with an exasperated sigh. "Shit Hit The Fan, girl.  It's the end of the world as we know it.  The fall of our civilization."

      "Wait, what?"  I asked, my voice sounding more shrill and panicky that I intended. "How do you know that?"

      "Climb up out of the ditch and I'll tell you."  He said, motioning me towards him.

      I shot him a skeptical look and considered.  He was tall, true, well over six feet, but was easily twice my age with salt and pepper hair, a goatee and a slight belly.  He wore sensible jeans, sturdy shoes and a plain, puffy vest over a tucked in, button down shirt.  This man's attire screamed "Dad".

      "Look, I'm not going to hurt you.  I have a wife and kids to get home to.  I've been walking since before dawn and I'm thirsty.  You got some bottled water in that cooler you'd be willing to share?"  He pointed to the window of my Jeep.

      With my "Dad" suspicions confirmed, I scrambled out of the bushes and pulled out my keys.  “Ok, but no sudden movements.”

      He raised his hands and took several steps away from my car.

      "I'm Amber.  And I do have some water in there. I wish I woulda brought some whiskey though."

      As I unlocked the passenger door he introduced himself.  "I'm Dan."

      Still eyeing him and being careful to keep him on the opposite side of the car, I reached in and opened the cooler.  Several bottles of water, juice and a bag of candy I couldn't fit in my pack stared back at me.  Pulling a water and juice out, I tossed them over the hood of the Jeep.  He caught each one and nodded in thanks.  I waited while he took a drink before asking again about how he knew it was the end of days.

      "Well, have you not been paying attention to the news the last couple of years?"  He asked, voice thick with incredulity.

      I shook my head.  All the news did was cause division by pitting groups of people against each other.  I wanted no part of that in my happy life, so I ignored current events at all costs.  I hadn't watched the news in years and I didn't even go on social media anymore.

      Dan rolled his eyes but continued.  "Things have been going from bad to worse for a long time and it's finally happened.  The economy and country is in shambles and it was just a matter of time before something, natural or man made, happened to bring about a reset. 

      I shrugged and shook my head, "So, what does that have to do with both of our cars breaking down on the same road?" 

      "That, girl, is caused by an electromagnetic pulse.  It could be some crazy country detonated a nuke in the atmosphere but I'd bet my eye teeth that it was a solar flare or coronal mass ejection.  Judging by the northern lights and all the shooting stars last night, there is a crap ton of solar radiation in the atmosphere.  A blast like that from the sun can take out every electronic component on the side of the planet that was facing it.  Shoot, it might even wrap around most of the planet if it was large enough."

      "So you're telling me that we have basically been pushed back into the pioneer days?"  I asked.

      "Pre-pioneer days.  No trains, no telegraphs, nothing.  Think pilgrims, girl.  We might as well be back in the dark ages."

      "Damn," I whispered, "What about the earthquake though?"

      "That, I can't say...except that maybe Mother Earth is pissed that we've been neglecting her these last couple hundred years?"  He shrugged, "Coincidence, maybe?"

      He took another long drink of water before he continued.  "I see your bag is packed, were you planning on hiking out?"

      Perceptive, wasn’t he?  "Well, I was going to head to the camp store down the road to try and make a phone call."

      Dan grunted in response.

      "You heading there too?" I asked.

      "That was the plan,”  He nodded and continued,  “Ya know, land lines probably aren’t working either.”

      “No regular phones either?”  My heart sank.  How the heck was I going to get a hold of my family and let them know I was ok? 

      “Nope.  I mean, I spent a lot of time watching videos on what an EMP would do to our electronics after all that crap with North Korea a few years ago.  Opinions were split.  Some people swore that everything electronic would be toast and others said cars and phones would most likely keep working.”  He shrugged.  “Judging by the fact that both our rigs are dead in the water, so to speak, I think we know now.”  He took a deep breath and looked at the sky. 

     The clouds were moving fast and growing thick around the mountain tops.

      “I think the camp store rents out bikes during the summer. I'm not sure where they store them in the off season but a bike is going to be the best way to get around from here on out.  I'm going to stock up on what I can and get back to my family.  The wife is probably worried sick."

      I nodded. "I live with my mom.  She has got to be beside herself.  My little brother too." 

      He pegged me with a "kids these days" look and shook his head.

      "Rude.” I scowled.  “I'm the oldest and I'm helping my single mother make ends meet.  Not that I should have to justify my living situation to a complete stranger.  And I'm only twenty-four."

      I dipped back inside the car and opened my pack.  I sent a bag of jerky and an apple flying toward Dan's head which he caught.

      "You're welcome."  I snapped before he had a chance to thank me.

      He droned out a long suffering "Thank youuu" before turning back towards the road.  "Do you want to walk together?  There's safety in numbers and some company could be a good thing."

      I wasn't too keen on staying put but walking with this stranger wasn’t a great option either.  He seemed harmless enough but something in my gut told me that I should wait a bit.  Mom always told me to trust my gut.  Your mind and your heart can absolutely lead you astray, but your gut will never do you wrong.  Trust it.  I had rationalized away gut feelings in the past and I had always wished that I had just listened.

      I mean, what if Dan was lying?  Was I really going to bite into his story and swallow it hook, line and sinker?  I was young but definitely not stupid. I really needed a second opinion but I had no way of getting one, so I had to go with what my gut said.

      "I'm going to wait a bit.  It looks like it's going to rain and I don't have anything to keep me dry."

      I tugged at the shoulder of my light hoodie and sighed. The ever present cloud cover did seem to be hanging rather low at the moment so my decision came across more like solid reasoning instead of a hastily thought up excuse.

      "Understandable."  Dan nodded.

  The wind kicked up just then bringing a light mist with it.  I shivered.  "Yeah, definitely going to stay put until the weather blows over."

      "Alright then," Dan sighed. "I’m not too keen on the idea of leaving you out here by yourself.  Just doesn’t seem right.  How about I send up a flare when I make it to the store if it still has supplies?  Shouldn't be more than a five hour walk if I huff it."  He tucked the water and juice bottles into the pockets of his vest.

      "I'll keep my eyes peeled."  I said wondering if I would even be able to see a flare through the trees and misty rain.

      Dan raised a hand as he walked away.  "Thanks again for the snack and drinks," he said around a mouthful of jerky, shaking the bag. "I hope you and your family have some food stored up.  It's gonna be really ugly in the coming months if you don't.  There are only nine meals between peace and anarchy."

      "Well, that's freaking chilling, bro."  I called out to him.

      "Just dropping truth bombs." He made the universal mic-drop motion and resumed his overly fast walking pace down the road and around some fallen trees. 

      Another gust of wind blew through the area causing the bushes at the road's edge to sway.  A shadow seemed to dip and move through them at the same moment and the scent of sulfur and decay briefly brushed my nose.  I cringed, the forest around me suddenly looking much more sinister than it had just a few short moments ago.  My stomach dropped.

      "Dan!" I yelled.  "I have a bad feeling.  Maybe you should wait too?"

      "It's just the winds of change, girl!" He called in response turning to face me while walking backwards.  "Keep an eye out for the flare!"

      I reluctantly raised my hand and he turned back in the direction he was going.  I watched him until he disappeared from view around a curve in the road then hastily got back inside the Jeep.  Something felt terribly off.

      The rain began falling in earnest streaking the windows of the Jeep and distorting the dark trees around me.  Hours passed.  Well, what felt like hours passed and the rain continued.  I unpacked my bag and settled in.  I wasn’t going to be going anywhere in this weather, not to mention the half-sick, nervous feeling I had in my gut.  I couldn’t see anything in the forest around me but it just felt like something was out there. Lurking in the shadows.

      After four whole days of rain and waiting, I never saw the flare.

      On day five, I ate my last bits of actual food as the sun set.  Streaks of red, orange and pink colored the sky and I hoped with everything I had that the next day would be dry.  I still had a bag of candy bars, some trail mix and a bottle of juice though.  That could hold me for another day at most.  Either way, I was going to have to hitch up my britches and walk to the camp store, rain or shine.

      The next morning dawned bright and I set out down the road at a determined pace trying not to think about what might be lurking in the forest around me.  Curiously though, the sense of foreboding I had been feeling had evaporated with the clouds.  The sun was shining and the birds were singing again.  I could do this.  Even though I was still up shit creek without a paddle, it didn't seem so bad.

      That was until I found a watery blood smear on the road about three hours into my walk.  A long drag mark of a black, gelatinous substance led away from the bloodstain and disappeared into the ditch.  Could it have been roadkill?  I didn't remember seeing any while I had been driving up the road but that had been almost a full week prior.  Could I have missed something like that?  Also, the blood smear was curiously close to a discarded bottle of juice. 

      What in the actual…

      I knelt down to inspect a plastic bag speckled with more of the black substance about ten feet away from the blood.  It was a half eaten bag of jerky.

      My eyes instantly swung to the bushes and grass that crowded the roadside and my blood ran cold.

      “Dan?” I called out, my eyes darting from the bushes to the deep shadows in the forest.

      “Dan!”  Panic was setting in.

      Had I actually seen a shadow in the bushes when Dan had left?  No, my eyes had to have been playing tricks on me.  But I had smelled something too...and that...that was definitely my bag of jerky.

      "Christ," I whispered as I took off down the road at a dead run, my heavy pack bouncing awkwardly on my back. 

      I have never been what you would call athletic by any stretch of the word.  I mean, I'm not heavy set at all and I am fairly active but I hated PE in school and I simply do not run.  But I did today.  I ran my ass off.  I ran like the devil himself was after me.  My lungs burned, my legs felt like jello, my pack began rubbing blisters on my shoulders and back, but still, I ran.  And when I finally stumbled up to the front door of the camp store it was locked up tight like no one had been there in days.

      Dan had never made it.

      I circled the building calling out to anyone who might be around but it was empty.  There was a large shed nearby, also locked, and a carport with two cars in it.

      Around the back side of the camp store building there was what appeared to be living quarters.  After knocking on every door and window again, I decided to break in. 

      Well, I didn't have to actually break in, a window was left unlocked and I just pulled the screen out and climbed in using a five gallon bucket as a step ladder. 

      Once inside I quickly discovered that whoever lived and worked there had left in a hurry.  The bedroom was in shambles.  Dresser drawers pulled out and the closet was mostly empty.  The house kitchen had also been emptied of the easiest foods to eat without cooking. 

      There was no electricity in the building and the freezers in the house and the store were thawing out quickly.  The land line phone at the front desk was dead too.

      "I’ll be damned,"  I muttered shaking my head.  Dan was right.  I paled at the notion that I was now considered an apocalypse survivor...for the time being anyway, and I  wracked my brain for movie and television examples of what to do in this sort of situation but my mind was blank.

      I was exhausted, hungry and afraid.  I wouldn't be able to think straight until I got some food in my belly and some quality sleep. 

      After perusing the store, I settled down for a dinner of crispy rice treats and corn chips washed down with a room temperature blue sports drink.

      Turns out that the camp store is a legit small grocery store with a little deli counter and grill in back.  They sell hunting and fishing gear, ammunition, camping supplies and Pacific Northwest swag in the form of jackets, shirts, shot glasses, magnets, stickers and stationary.

      That is where I found this Bigfoot journal and pen and started writing.

      I don't really have a plan except to make it back home.  Tomorrow I'll try to look around a little bit more and see what I can find on the property.  For now, I need some freaking shut eye.