After the Apocalypse

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season two, Episode Fourteen, “No Good Choice” Mags knelt on the gravely tar roof of the building and surveyed down the road. This was where the dog was leading her, but she didn’t like being so exposed.  She had climbed the rusty fire escape of this place to take a look.  ... Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apo...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season two, Episode thirteen, “Dead Man in a Chair” KJ felt her hand hit hard against something under the water. Not so much felt as sensed the impact. The cold water had numbed and sucked the sensation from her extremities. She swam on muscle memory now. She trusted her technique, long tuned by hours in the pool, to keep her afloat on the swolle...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season two, Episode twelve, “Trust” Brad looked at the steaming pile of eggs on his plate and didn’t know what to think.  ‘Eggs for dinner?’ He loved eggs.  His mom used to make them for him. And did the concept of ‘dinner time’ even mean anything anymore? John Tasker noticed his hesitation and said with a smile, “Go ahead, boy, dig in!”.&nb...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode Eleven “John Tasker” The old man grabbed Brad’s arm and hissed, “Let me do the talking.” Brad felt the strong grip on his arm and watched, mystified, as the old man transformed.  He hunched over and assumed the guise and deportment of a completely different man than he was, an aged and feeble man.  With the old man shuffl...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode Ten “Logistics” Mags looked at the old man with a tiredness that belied the weight of the world on her shoulders.  She hadn’t been getting enough sleep.  There was so much to do.  There was always too much to do. She had to stay on top of the details. They couldn’t afford to lose any more people to this chaotic world...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode nine “Reunion” Bella watched as the big dog pushed his head into the old man’s lap. The dog was wiggling its butt like a puppy and the old man was pretending to be mad.  “No”, the old man said, looking away from the supplicant dog, who was vigorously nuzzling at him. “You didn’t listen to me. You could have gott...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode Eight “The King” <Editor notes: Slow cadence in this section, let it build and burn. > The King’s given name was Andre Bobette.  No one called him that.  No one had ever called him that.     When he was a kid his hard-drinking, white-trash father had called him ‘Bubba’.  At least he had...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode Seven “Industrial” It was slippery and tough going in the industrial rubble by the river’s edge.  The old man pulled himself up over a concrete slab that blocked the trail. The slab had rebar sticking out of it like the broken bones of an old corpse that had been torn open by wolves.   ... Hello survivors. ...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode six “Scorpion” … Bill the dog was attuned to gunfire. It did not bother him as much as it heightened his senses to what was going on around him. Bill was trained to save lives. He was trained to sense danger and do what he could to protect the lives of his squad.  He was a soldier first. He didn’t think. He acte...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode five “Forage” Janet braced herself against the doorway of an old brick mill building. She had worked her way through the back streets and vacant lots to the river’s edge. From this vantage point, downriver, she could see the bridge and the river foaming around it. She held her breath as the shuttle bus punched into the wa...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode four “Empty” Mags watched the old man slump into an overstuffed, coffee-stained chair in the teachers’ lounge. It smelled like cigarettes and moth balls. Decades of stale smoke wrapped in tweed jackets with elbow patches. Undoubtedly, it had been the treasured refuge of some crusty old academic with only a few years left...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode three “The Hungry River” Janet glared through the sleet, up the hill, searching for the Humvees that she expected to appear over the crest at any moment.   “Persistent deadbeats…” She swore under her breath as the chain saw chattered in her hands.  She knew if she could slow them down, even for a minute, it might giv...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode two “Pursuit” KJ clutched the knife in one cold hand, lowering the heel of her other hand to the ground for support. She was in a full crouch now. Just a few yards away she could see the hooded man on the bench, under the portico, and he looked to be dozing. “If he’s a guard, he isn’t a very good one,” She thought.  Somet...

After the Apocalypse A Pandemic Survival Story Season two, Episode one “The Gathering Storm” “Geez-Us”, the old man swore, looking out the window. “Is this ever going stop?” Janet just looked at him.  She didn’t feel like beginning another conversation about the weather.  It had been raining for at least five days straight. Some sort of late season not-so-tropical storm remnant...

Book One - The Old Man Available at WWW.Booklocker.com ... Hello Survivors – This is Chris from the future! Yes indeedy – I am speaking to you from Groundhog Day 2025 – with an update! If you are listening to The After the Apocalypse Podcast series and have gotten to this point that means you are at the end of season one.  And I have teleported in from the future to let you know I have now pu...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season One, Episode Twenty - “The Road Ahead” “Ear Wax.” The old man said.  “Here we go again...” Janet rolled her eyes and lay back against the rock outcrop using her pack as a rough pillow.  She arched her back like a cat, stretched her arms out over her head and relaxed to look at him.  “No, seriously…” The old man continued, “H...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season One, Episode Nineteen - “The Gauntlet” “I don’t like it.” KJ said. “Of course you don’t.” the old man said in return. “Besides the obvious answer that the world has gone to hell, why not?” “There’s too much smoke. Why would there be so much smoke this many weeks in? Who’s burning stuff and why are they doing it?” “Maybe it’s a ba...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season One, Episode Eighteen - “The Shot”   (Narrator) What runs through the mind of a dog?  Not just a dog, but a soldier and a veteran. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BILL THE DOG (think of him as a soldier grunt. He speaks simply and mostly in the present tense, but with urgency: Now. It is quiet. I am alert.  My pack is safe.&nbs...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season One, Episode Seventeen - “Prey” It was a bumpy and uncomfortable ride. And the old man chittered on happily behind her like old people…or crazy people do. Like when your Mom or Granma keeps an entire conversation going regardless if you are even listening.  Those interminable phone calls Janet used to avoid and dread, droning on and o...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Sixteen, “Infected” The old man pushed himself to a sitting position, his back against the far wall of the pit.  He reflexively clutched at his shoulder and massaged the side that had taken the brunt of the impact. He could hear the steady drip of water falling from the cliff face and the wind pushing dead leaves aro...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Fifteen, “Not-So-Innocent”  A sharp wind evaporated the sweat from Janet’s arms. She felt a chill, like a passing ghost. Her heart settled from a hard drumbeat in her chest to a low rhythmic thump as she walked, recovering from her run.  She felt cleaner now.  Refreshed.  The familiar ache of bone and muscl...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Fourteen, “Run” Janet ran... ...and the obscenities pouring from the man she had just left bleeding in the dirt faded away… like the man himself.  He was nothing. He was a threat that had been dealt with.  Like she always dealt with threats.  She had the hard skills, built up over years of practice. She cou...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Thirteen, “The Dig” The old man kept a slow but steady pace down the gravel road. It was getting on in the day and he needed to start thinking about shelter for the night.  Bill, the dog trotted about 10 yards ahead as the vanguard.  A small dust cloud rose behind them marking their progress.  The old man though...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Twelve, “Partners” The old man spent the rest of the day with Bill. They were feeling each other out.  Learning each other. The old man was sore and tired from the day’s digging. He figured another day of rest couldn’t do any harm. Another night of good sleep inside wouldn’t hurt either.   A couple mor...

After the Apocalypse A pandemic survival story Season one, Episode Eleven, “Service” Bill the dog watched as the man he had brought to the house bent over and touched his fingers to the throat of the Corporal.   Bill let the man touch the Corporal.  He knew the man was trying to help. But Bill also knew that the Corporal was gone. He could smell that the body was without life. ...