Anna sat in a rocking chair downstairs, cradling little Alex in her arms and watching fire through the glass doors of the heater. It wasn’t that cold yet, but it also heated the water and Rachel has been nagging them about taking a hot bath. But there was enough of wood and there was always plenty more in the nearby forest. And of course, fire was something nice to look at, as long as it wasn’t your house that was burning.

She smiled a bit. [i]I’m really becoming a cynical old hag.[/i] She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the weird rumbling sound coming from the outside right away. She only raised her head when Bob ran into the room.

[color=a187be]“Are the boys back yet?”[/color] she asked. George went for a supply run to Walmart and took Ethan with him. Anna was glad, she always had a feeling that those two aren’t getting along too much.

Bob shook his head. [color=fff200]“No. Something is happening, you need to see it.”[/color]

Anna got up, alarmed. She called on Rachel to come pick up Alex and then headed outside. Now she could clearly hear the strange noise. It sounded like there was a rave nearby. The bases were thundering and they could even hear some music beneath all that. [color=a187be]“What is that?”[/color]

[color=fff200]“There is a school bus parked before the driveway, apparently equipped with giant speakers.”[/color]

[color=a187be]“A what?”[/color]

Bob just shrugged and pointed to a small watchtower they had recently build at one side of the main gate. Anna climbed up and carefully looked over the wall. And there, right behind the outer gate, was a yellow school bus, blasting heavy metal from several speakers attached to its roof. The outer gate was not really a gate, just a piece of fence put over the driveway at the end of the cow pasture, with signs marking private property. If the driver wanted, he could have run the bus through it without any problems. The fact that he didn’t do it was slightly comforting.

Two men were walking the road from the bus towards the main gate. They didn’t look extremely threatening, aside from the the fact that they had guns hidden in holsters under their long coats. 

Anna grabbed the M16A4 rifle that Bob had left on the watchtower and stood up, holding it in front of her body, not really aiming at the men, but ready to do so if they do anything. She caught a glimpse of Bob taking a spot on the other side of the gate, also with a gun in his hand, for now remaining hidden.

[color=a187be]“That is far enough,”[/color] she yelled at the men and they stopped and looked up to her. [color=a187be]“You are on a private property, gentlemen.”[/color]

One of the men raised a hand to his hat in a greeting. [b]“Aye ma’am. We saw your ranch from the main road and were hoping that you could sell us one or two of your cows.”[/b]

Anna frowned. The ranch wasn’t visible from the main road, and they surely couldn’t see the cows from there. [color=a187be]“We don’t have anything for sale.”[/color] She moved the tip of the rifle a bit more towards them. 

The other man raised his hands and smiled. [b]“All right, all right, we are all friends here. I am reverend Holmes and we are just a group of pilgrims seeking redemption in these troubled times. Perhaps you would like to join us on our journey?”[/b]

Anna’s eyebrows went up. [color=a187be]“No, I most definitely would not like to join you on your journey.”[/color] She wondered how many more are hidden inside the bus and how well armed are they. This had to happen when George was away, such bad luck. She forced herself to smile. [color=a187be]“But I wish you all the best and may you find what you are looking for.”[/color] [i]Somewhere else.[/i]

Holmes shook his head and a fake sad smile appeared on his face. [b]“I am not sure I can leave a lonely soul alone here in the middle of the wilderness. Do you not want to be redeemed?”[/b]

[color=a187be]“Oh no, I am looking forward to going to hell. Lots of friends there. And I am not a lonely soul.”[/color] She gestured to Bob to stand up and she also noticed that Edward was on the northwestern tall watchtower with George’s sniper rifle. Holmes glanced that way and apparently noticed him as well, because he wiggled uncomfortably.[color=a187be] “I suggest you leave, now,”[/color] she said in a hard voice. She hoped that George and Ethan will not choose this moment to come back, running right into these people. That could be bad.

Reverend shrugged. While he had more men he couldn’t just send them storming the walls, so the defenders could take them down one by one, safely hidden at all times. He knew the ranches around here were often bought as summer houses by the rich and old and he hoped to surprise some of them and steal everything he could. But he wasn’t prepared for such fight just yet. [b]“As you wish. We will pray for your souls when the end comes.”[/b]

Anna watched the men turn around and slowly walk back to the bus. Even long after it was gone, they could still hear the music and the bases.

[color=fff200]“That was weird,”[/color] Bob turned to her, rifle still in his hands.

Anna had to take a deep breath to keep her voice from shaking. [color=a187be]“Indeed. We need to keep watch all the time now, in case these guys decide to come back.”[/color] She hoped her boys were okay out there.