not a trace of civilization. I have ridden a very large area. Approximately one million people in this area. Not a sign of anyone. I’m not sure what to do next. I am thinking of going back home, look for Ralph, and plan my next move. Right now, I don’t know what to do next. There is the CDC in Atlanta. If there are survivors, they are probably at the Center for Disease Control. That will be my next step, I think. But first, I have to get back home and hope I find Ralph.
2:21PM
Dear Diary
I am back home. No sign of my little beagle, Ralph. I had this fantasy he would be waiting for me on my front porch. But no such luck. I siphoned some gas from cars on Hwy 43. I think that will be my best bet instead of trying to get gas from gas stations. I could be mistaken, but as I was driving back home on this Honda motorcycle, I think a honey bee hit my face shield. It was there for just a second. It was the first insect I have seen since the 17th. Honey bees started disappearing back in either 2007 or 2008. None have been seen in about 4 or 5 years, according to news reports. I could be mistaken. But as a young boy, I was always fascinated by bumble bees, honey bees and ants. I think that was a honey bee. What was it that Einstein said about bees…or was it someone else? I have unloaded everything from the Gold Wing. I have enough gas to power the generator. If it will just start now, I may be able to get the refrigerator going and maybe, just maybe I can have some ice. I have thrown away everything that was in the freezer. So, no meat to grill. I will go into the meat market in Axis tomorrow and see if they have anything that is not spoiled. Mr. Atkins always had ribeyes packed in dry ice to send to customers across the nation.
5:04PM
Dear Diary
I have got my refrigerator running!!! I can barely breathe because I am so happy!!! I will have ice as soon as the ice trays freeze up. Very little water pressure since events of November 16th, but I have plenty of bottled water to choose from at the local general store in Axis. I have siphoned all my gas in my Honda Civic and Nissan truck into all the gas cans I could find around the house. I will try to get a bigger generator back in Mobile, although I'm not sure how I will bring back a bigger one than the 2000 watt generator currently in my possession. I have been looking for any old ATVs in local homes, but have found nothing thus far. That would be a big help to me. It is illegal to even own one now, but most people have always ignored that law since it went into effect in 2012. I will continue searching.
7:48PM
Dear Diary
Had a dinner of canned enchiladas, pork and beans, turnip greens and sliced bread. The charcoal grill is going to be a mainstay at this house for a while. I had cold water to drink tonight, too. I can’t put into words how great that is now. I feel like a new man…I feel human again. I even cracked open a bottle of wine I got at a local drugstore. Damn, I am feeling good now…I will probably finish this bottle of wine before the night is over. I miss getting on the internet. I miss email, watching my lineup of movies, chatting and games. I miss so many things. What is going on? I just can’t figure out what has happened or why. The CDC in Atlanta is where I plan on going next, but first I have to rest and relax here. I will always return here instead of staying in Mobile. This is my home. I keep thinking I hear Ralph barking, it is most likely my imagination again.
11:21PM
Dear Diary
I fell asleep from too much wine and am ready to go back to bed. I finally can see the moon once again. That is some comfort, but not much. I had to rewind my old Big Ben clock since I had been gone for so long. What will happen when my Timex windup watch quits working on me? I will have to keep looking for windup watches, or I will lose all track of time. I just have this overwhelming need to know what time it is. I got up about 20 minutes ago, looked down this long country dirt road I live on, and got the most eerie feeling. I heard not a sound and saw nothing. But the darkness at the end of this dirt road seemed darker than the night itself. That is the only way I can describe it. I took my .38 with me. I never go anywhere without a weapon now, I just feel more comfortable armed nowadays. I was never that way before November 17th. I am starting to lose hope I will ever see Ralph again. I still hear him barking sometimes, but fear that it is simply my imagination playing tricks on me.
I have decided to travel to Atlanta, GA, in about two days. I still need time to recover from all I saw in Mobile…or rather, what I didn’t see. I still have no inkling what has caused everyone's disappearance. What has me disturbed more than anything: I have this old hand-cranked weather radio that doesn’t need batteries, it is intended for emergencies like in hurricanes. I have gone through the entire bands of AM, FM and all the emergency channels, but there is nothing except static. That has me extremely disturbed at this time. I have a bad feeling about all this. But I’m afraid to even put into words right now what I think has happened. If someone finds this diary someday, please note that I have done all I could think of to find people. As of this entry, I have been unsuccessful. I will keep trying, and am going to branch out over the Southeast in an attempt to find someone…or something…whatever that might be. Time for me to sleep…or try to.
Alone on Earth – Entry #6
November 21, 2016
8:06AM
Dear Diary
I found a hotplate in my shed that is at least 20 years old. I can’t even remember when I bought it. I plugged it into the extension cord feeding out from the generator…unbelievably, it works. I have taken some sliced ham, some eggs that were still in Mr. Atkins Meat Market freezer department, and fried them up for breakfast. It is amazing what a simple breakfast of ham and eggs can do for you. Add all that to a boiling hot pot of coffee, and I almost feel human again this morning. I saw an ATV parked behind the Williams house, about two miles from the store. I went to check it out, and it is well used. It is an old 2009 Suzuki KingQuad 400FS with a five speed manual transmission, exactly what I need to transport stuff from the general store about five miles from my house. There are about 12 pallets of meat, dry ice packed, inside Atkins Meat Market. I am not sure how long that will last, so I will have to be very careful about this. I need a bigger generator. This Honda 2000 watt generator will run the refrigerator and my hot plate, but not much else. I’ve got to go get that ATV.
10:52AM
Dear Diary
I now have an ATV for transporting stuff from the Axis General Store. It took a while to push start, but it is running just great. I have lots of canned goods, sliced bread (not sure how long that will last), candy, and extra extension cords for my generator. I did not see any generators in the General Store. I will most likely have to make another trek into Mobile for that. That is something I’m not prepared to do right now. It was just devastating to me. Today is the first day I have realized I did not stop by to see if my brother and sister are still around. I know they would not have left without me. I’m thinking I will go by their homes before I leave for Atlanta. I am thinking I will leave in the morning instead of waiting another day. I have to find answers to what is going on. Still no sight of other people. No power, low water pressure. That low water pressure means my toilets are not working either. So, the nearby tree line is my new bathroom. Still no Ralph…but sometimes…just sometimes, I think I hear him barking. I am not sure if that is real or if I am hallucinating. Am I losing my mind? I don’t know. That worries me also.
4:15PM
Dear Diary
I have just completed a trip of nearby Axis. Abandoned cars and no sight of people, animals or even insects. Still can’t remember what Einstein said about honey bees. It is hard push starting this Honda Gold Wing bike, but there is nothing electrical working. All batteries I took from the general store were just as dead as all the other batteries I have tried in days past. What could have caused that? Obviously, it had something to do with the worldwide humming noise that drove some people to suicide. I wish I could meet up with a scientist, a doctor, or someone a whole lot smarter than me.
7:16PM
Dear Diary
After