Beth

After we returned to Bob's apartment he put on the news. "Beth, see if you can find out what's going on while I make us something to eat. Tea and cucumber sandwiches okay?"

I wrung my hands nervously. "I'm not really hungry Bob." Then I whispered to myself, "And I'm not the Queen of England." Immediately I felt ungrateful. "Sure Bob, thank you for the sustenance." 

Bob shouted from the galley kitchen. "The cucumber is mushy.  How about tea and toast? I made homemade apple butter."

I could hear Bob filling the tea kettle in the kitchen. "Sure thing. Apple butter sounds nice." I tried pretending everything was normal. "Where is your lavatory?"

Bob popped his head out of the kitchen. It's the door on your right. I'm afraid we're out of toilet paper though. I went to five stores but there wasn't any TP anywhere."

"That's okay..." I lied.  "I've got some tissues in my purse."  I brought my bag into the bathroom and began sketching a large pack of toilet paper. I drew it in the linen closet adjacent to the girl's room. Once it appeared I yelled to Bob. "I found some here in the closet. I hope you don't mind me looking."

Bob ran out of the kitchen. "You found toilet paper?  Hold up, there's 12 rolls? How could I have missed 12 rolls of toilet paper?"

I blushed. "I dunno, but here they are... I grabbed one. "I'm gonna go now..." I left Bob standing there scratching his adorable slightly balding head. Wait--did I just think Bob adorable?

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Meg

I tried to make heads or tails of this aging map. How did anyone get anywhere before the GPS was invented? "I can't tell where we are Rory, let alone lead us to my father."

Rory looked at me patiently. "You said your dad's place is inside the Delaware National Forest... look for that first. There should be a symbol for parks on the bottom.

I turned the map every which way but Sunday. "Where's the bottom?"

Rory pulled the car to the side of the road and gently took the map from my hands. "See here, north, south east and west... North is always at the top."

I watched as he led his finger across the unfamiliar markings. "Ah ha! Here it is Delaware National Forest. Which road is your dad on?"

"He is not on a real road at all. He's on some makeshift gravel road off Mary Smith Road."  I sighed, "Oh dad, why'd you have to be such a pioneer?"

Rory pointed to a spot on the map. " Your dad's desire to live off the grid may be our salvation. Look! Here it is!" He pointed to the highway we needed to take and how many mile markers there would be.

"It's like a GPS on paper!  Rory, you're so smart."

Rory blushed. "I did get my survivalist badge."

As the afternoon sun began to set we were making good time. Then we noticed flashing lights a half mile up the road.

"Rory what's going on?"

"Looks like another checkpoint or detour. Check the map. See if there's another small road around this."

As I perused the map it became very blurry then faded into black. Blackness turned into a gameboard of sorts. The gameboard grew until it looked more life sized. There were towns with houses, schools and stores and cities with skyscrapers, landmarks and parks. It looked like a Monopoly board, only more intricate. Red dotted lines began appearing around the cities and towns. Schools, theaters, malls and restaurants began disintegrating.  

"Lord, what does this vision mean?"

In my heart I heard an answer, "Look at the map."

I looked again and a little side road amid the chaos lit up. I heard the still small voice once more. "Go now."

The vision faded and when I looked at the map my finger pointed to a small nameless road. "Make the very next right Rory."

We turned before the military blockade ever saw us. The terrain wasn't ideal but with an Eagle Scout by my side and the Lord's words in my heart I knew we'd make it.

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