Day One Thousand One Hundred Ninety One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas does what Tomas does best. He scouted and kept us all on a safe track. He had just returned to assist me with Elijah up and over a difficult section when the ground shuddered.

I could tell it was only beginning and told everyone to stay down. The earth shook violently. It seemed it would never stop. All around fissures were opening with horrendous rending sounds.

Then as fast as it started it was over. The fissures closed on themselves and the earth ceased rocking.

And moments later all that was left was the memory. It felt so unreal. So fleeting.

And then my thoughts turned to those back at the hiding place.

Elijah told me not to worry.

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Day Nine Hundred Thirty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elijah and I are all by ourselves again. Elam dropped us off per our request near to the spot where he had picked us up four days ago.

Jezer continued on with Elam. Not only to continue his instruction about the whereabouts of the hiding place and how to get there, but also to be instructed himself about the water depot from him.

We retraced our track through the wilderness, debating on the way our next step. Elijah wanted to seek out a path to the prison near Jerusalem. Just to see it.

I convinced him to return to the hiding place first to retrieve one of the drones to make the task all the easier.

This time he agreed.

Day Nine Hundred Thirty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We are on to something. Our new track showed indications of the passage of wheeled vehicles. The first we have seen out here. And the other oddity of late has been the complete absence of drones.

Elijah is excited. He believes we may make contact tomorrow. I admit I feel the same way, but I don’t know what to expect. For I really don’t know what to make of those huge wheel tracks. Somehow I don’t think the people we are looking for would have access to anything like the vehicles that made them.

On another topic, the sighting of two pigeons brought forth memories of our pair – Rufus and Clarissa. Elijah fell silent for quite a spell after that.

Day Seven Hundred Fifty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

     We had to dodge a patrol last night that was coming towards our position. We used the situation to skirt around the compound in the opposite direction with our ultimate goal a track Tomas said we could use instead of the main road.

     We rested the remainder of the night safe from view.

     The track took us by a lake fed by mountain streams. On the far side two tanker trucks were backing in to fill up. A third waited its turn.

     At the sight of them Elijah called a halt. This applied to Tomas too.

    While the Captain kept watch, I thought it an appropriate time for our two young people to dispel the tension.

     So they did, quietly.

Day Seven Hundred Thirty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

By the time we went into camp last night, the view of our surroundings was cut off by a thick fog. Or they may have been clouds, given our elevation.

This morning, whether it was clouds or fog, they had all dissipated under the gaze of the rising sun. And we could then see the lake winking at us far below.

The way ahead was more difficult, narrowing down to a mere track. Beside us water splashed down the rock bed of the ever present brook.

I looked ahead and could see Tomas stopped on a precipice. And guessed the destination our army companions.

Flashes of white behind Tomas drew my eye to a glacier on the next mountain peak.

Day Seven Hundred Twenty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The Captain went out hopeful but returned disappointed. Tomas had found a downed satellite, from which the Captain wanted to recovery some batteries, but it was too smashed up. Overall, it was little more than the ‘smudge’ it appeared to be from the distance.

Still, Tomas brought back some broken components and he was rewarded this morning when he finally cracked open the casings revealing many parts fashioned from gold.

We allowed him the time to extract the precious metals, but denied his request to return to the site for more.

We pressed on towards another mountain range bordering the northern edge of this desert.

And crossed a wide swath that must have been the track of the massive army.

Day Seven Hundred Twenty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas made a couple of jaunts to our rear to head off any surprises from that quarter. Satisfied he changed his focus to the direction ahead.

In between two such forays Elijah collared him, whispered some instructions and sent him on his way.

I guessed that the thrust of their exchange had to do with the smudge that was then open to our view off to the right of our track.

I know I was curious about it.

It was quite some time before Tomas returned from his exploratory errand.

And I was correct Elijah had indeed dispatched him to discover what lay behind that ‘smudge.’

Tomas was excited. He wanted the Captain to return with him for a look.

Day Seven Hundred Fourteen #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas has taken up his wanderlust again, traveling in advance of us, sampling the paths that branch off of this main one. None have been judged better than the one we are on.

Elijah has ended his fast so he kept up with our brisk pace.

Tomas did beg us to join him up on a vantage point, a short distance off the beaten track.

It offered a full view of an hundred eighty degree arc of the mountain ranges west of us. They look for all the world like waves frozen in place on its march to the sands of the desert off in the distance.

But more importantly we could see that our path veers towards the west.

Day Six Hundred Sixty Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We have made the transition from travelers by night back to daytime beings. The days are hot but not blistering.

Our trail and the river lead to a broad valley that we can just glimpse from each rise we crest.

The up and down nature of the track took its toll on Elijah. The upward legs were trying for everyone. But very noticeable in his case. The Captain was ever at his elbow.

Elijah chose our stopping place for tonight – on one of the downward slopes which has access to the river. So we took the opportunity to refill our water supplies.

There is something familiar about the lay of the land hereabouts. Something that harkens back to my youth.

Day Six Hundred Twenty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The road has disappeared under the sands of a desert. This fact has gone a long way to explain the absence of an army on the march behind us. They must have taken another route.

We stood there briefly to consider our options. The Captain and Tomas volunteered to continue on upon whatever track there might be ahead. Elijah set a time limit for their foray, and at its expiration they were to return here.

Elijah and I found a cooler spot and there turned our attentions to things of the Spirit.

By the time of their return we were all in agreement that our way ahead lay through the desert.

They had found a well on a caravan route.