Day Two Hundred One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lyle and I left immediately. We took nothing with us, save the clothes on our backs. Not a morsel of food, for each knew that days of fasting awaited us.

We reached the vineyard easy enough, helped by the path’s familiarity and the penetrating light of a full moon before it set.

And there we stayed. And rested. Neither of us wanted to stumble around in the dark attempting to find the narrow track down from the plateau to the desert.

With the first glimmer of dawn we were on our feet and on our way.

We had just emerged from the narrow track when the trumpet blew. The very air shook and the ground trembled.

No time to waste.

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Day One Hundred Eighty Six morning #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lyle writes:

– How I dislike writing things down. ‘Enough’ is so much better suited for this. But now with him in the hands of Moglen and Stan it falls to me to keep the chronicle going.

– I came back into the encampment after a quick trip down to the desert. I found the narrow track with little problem. Flowers should be well on the way.

Grazie informed me about ‘Enough’s seizure and insisted on going with me to the city. There at the gate, we were turned away with no comment.

I was successful in restoring calm to the camp.

How I pity Moglen should he try to coerce my friend.

Day One Hundred Seventy Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Two drones circulated the encampment today, twice. They first appeared in the sky above us by dawn’s early light. Least ways, that was when we noticed them.

The next time, I am told, they orbited during the noon hour. For some reason they did not fly out over the vineyard area.

Lyle paid a call on the vineyard and gave us the news. We then left Grazie on post and I took Lyle to the narrow track that leads down to the desert. I made sure that he learned the way well enough that he could find it again on his own.

When we gathered in the encampment for the evening meal, no drones dropped by to spy on us.

Day One Hundred Sixty Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

This is definitely not the time. Lyle had no confirmation. In fact, he feels it is vital for us to remain at this time.

He went into the west end to follow up on some leads gleaned from his conversations with Grazie.

Grazie and I hiked out to the vineyard early. There, as before she stood guard while I ventured out to explore the ways down to the desert floor. After some searching I found the narrow track again. To say the descent was difficult would be an understatement, let us say, I would not want to be in a hurry.

At last, I reached the bottom. From there the track divided into two paths.

I could sense our future.

Day One Hundred Sixty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I spent the day out in the vineyard. At one point I left Grazie on guard and ventured down towards the desert. It was a little tricky as the slope at one point dropped off sheer to the desert floor below.

I scouted around the area and found a narrow track that should be easy to navigate downwards. But judging that the time remaining to me today insufficient to get down and back, I postponed the attempt to another day.

Coming in from the vineyard with Grazie we conversed about what we might do to help those in the west end who do not want to take the mark. We both agreed that we will need some help from within.