“Can you believe it has been a month since we moved up here?” Lilli mused as she clutched her mug of steaming tea. Andor paused for a second as he reached for another log to toss on their campfire. “Damn! It has been a month already. Time sure does fly…” A shower of sparks flew into the dark night filling their lakeshore home with a sparkling light before the sparks were caught up by the wind and carried away into the night. The last glimmer of the sun was just visible on the horizon painting the sky with reds, oranges, pink, blues, and black. The full moon was high in the sky and its soft glow was bathing the peaks behind them with a poetic light.   “We’ve built ourselves a nice home…” Lilli said as she raised her mug for a toast. “Here here! We make a pretty good team.” Andor said as he raised his mug before taking a hearty swig. “You know I don’t even really miss everything we lost… I mean all our possessions. The furniture, our car, social media, our phones… I don’t even miss it anymore… it just feels so hollow looking back.” “You know I feel the same way.” Andor said as he set his mug on the sand and reached for the bottle to pour himself another round. “Would you like some?” he offered to Lilli as he splashed a little more Laphroaig into his mug. “I’m okay… Thank you.” Andor set the bottle down and took a long sniff. The smell of the whiskey sent a chill down his back which made him smile. “How much time did we waste on our phones? Now I cannot even remember what was so important that compelled me to be plugged in all the time…” “I’ve been thinking a lot about all those people that died. I mean how scary their last moments must have been...” “Yea…it is pretty horrible.” Andor said as he took another sip from his mug. “I’m sorry… I don’t mean to resurrect old memories.” Lilli said swiftly as she reached for Andor’s hand and squeezed it. “No, it’s okay. I’ve thought about it too. Syria first… and now here in America. Life is so fragile. Maybe we should be focusing on what matters… Not getting lost in some meaningless bullshit. It all just distracts us from making our lives matter…” “What makes a life matter though?” Lilli asked the tone of her voice made it clear she was genuinely curious and not being dismissive. “I guess focusing on being in every moment of this life… Our life… Together.” “Yeah, true… The best way to honor those whose lives have been cut short or inextricably altered by everything happening in our world now is to recognize the frailty of life and strive to not waste anymore time wallowing in a meaningless existence.” Lilli’s voice trailed off as she gazed into the fire, the dancing flames filling her soft brown eyes with a vigorous life. The two lovers stared into the flames with a renewed intent to be present for every one of life’s moments. The good… and the not so good. “Listen to the night…” Lilli whispered as she squeezed Andor’s hand again. Andor took a deep breath and listened. At first he didn’t hear anything but then the sounds, which had always been but had been drowned out by his thoughts crept into his consciousness.  _Frogs croaking by the lake._ _Crickets chirping in the trees._ _The melancholy crackle of the fire._ _The wind whistling through the treetops._ _The waves in the lake lapping the shoreline._ _Then a long mournful cry from a wolf a long ways off cut through nature’s orchestra like a knife._ “That was beautiful…” Andor said as the last echo of the howl emptied itself into the ether.  “It sure was…” “We should go to the valley tomorrow…” “For what?” “Well more clothing for starters. We didn’t bring much with us and what we did bring was for colder weather…” “Yea, I’d love to bring up a few sundresses and a gardener’s hat would be great too… For working in the garden… We do need more soap and cooking oil too.” “Yup and we need wire, a new axe, another knife or two, a better pot - a cast iron one would be nice…” “I wonder if we could find any solar panels so we can recharge our phones and listen to music…” “And a vibrator.” “And a vibrator?!” Andor said with a chuckle. “Definitely!” “Hey, am I not good enough for you?” “Sure, but even your battery runs low and at the worst times too.” Andor tossed another log on the fire and gave Lilli a mischievous wink. “We should also start stocking up on winter items like skis, poles, gloves, crampons, and shovels” “Really? It’s barely June and you want to get winter stuff already?” “Well yea… I guess. I mean we shouldn’t put it off too long or else we could end up stranded.” Andor handed Lilli the bottle of whiskey. “Looks like we are out.” Lilli said, taking a small swig from the bottle. “Okay, it’s settled! We are headed into the valley tomorrow.” ![[facingWest-Aiōn-iii-25.jpg]] The next morning Andor woke up with a groan. “Ugh. I had too much whiskey last night.” “You didn’t have much… The bottle was almost gone when we found it.” “Yea, it must be the altitude…I’m gonna head down to the lake and go for a swim. Maybe it will help clear my head…” “Okay.” Lilli said groggily as she stoked the fire. Andor plodded down the trail towards the brook, which flowed into their lake from high up in the mountains. It was an energetic little brook with plenty of small waterfalls and exquisite plunge pools scattered up the hillside which were dotted with wildflowers and moss. Several of the falls had cubbies behind them, which made for perfect natural refrigerators. The flowing water also helped mask the scent of the perishable food they concealed, which kept the scavengers away. Andor walked up to one particularly large fall, took a deep breath, and plunged his hand deep into the water. “Brrrr! It’s cold.” he said as he rummaged around behind the frigid frothing water. A moment later he pulled his hand back holding a small bowl filled with plump juicy strawberries and three large puffball mushrooms. “Ahhh yea! Breakfast of champions.” he said aloud to himself. --- “How was your swim?” “Cold!” “Well come warm yourself by the fire.” Lilli offered as she tossed another log into the stove. “I brought up some breakfast too.” “Thank you.” Lilli said with a smile as she took the bowl from Andor. “What are you making?” “Acorn flour biscuits.” Lilli said as she licked her lips. “I thought you hated acorn flour?” Andor asked inquisitively. “They just sounded really good to me for some reason… plus I am famished. I feel like I haven’t eaten in a year.” “Okay… Well I love them so I’m stoked.” Andor said as he pulled on his wool sweater. “Is there anything you want to get while we’re down there?” “Uhhhh… maybe just some… you know girl stuff..." Lilli said as she dipped a steaming biscuit into the butter. --- The crisp clear morning had fully transitioned into a cloudy and muggy afternoon by the time Andor and Lilli stopped at the rocky outcropping which marked the halfway point of the trek into the valley. It was the perfect spot to rest — cool breezes and an epic view of the valley below. “God that wind feels amazing!” Lilli said as she dropped her empty pack to the ground and flopped into the soft grass. “You’re telling me!” Andor said as he knelt next to the gurgling seep spring and began to  refill their canteens. “What’s that!?” Lilli asked, pointing west. Andor turned and looked. “It looks like a wildfire out in the prairie. Maybe it was started by lightning?” he offered. “That doesn’t look good,” Lilli exclaimed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t blow up this way… Into the mountains…” Andor said as he stooped down to pluck some wild strawberries growing amongst the rocks.  “We better get a move on. It’s getting late and we still have a long way to go…” As they made their way down the mountainside the ominous clouds unleashed a light rain. “The sound of the rain in the trees is lovely.” Lilli said as she stopped for a moment and gazed up into the canopy above them. “Hopefully it will help dissipate the humidity too.” Andor said as he stopped and peered into a bramble of bushes. “Hey look. It’s a gopher snake.” “Whoa, it’s a big one too.” Lilli said with a shiver. Snakes weren’t her favorite thing in the world. “Can I bring it home as a pet?” Andor said with a chuckle knowing full well how much she didn’t like them. “Sure if you want to sleep outside.” Lilli said as she tossed a small pine cone at Andor who dodged it. “Hmm alright… I guess I’ll leave the snake alone.”  As they descended lower into the valley, the smoke from the prairie began drifting up the canyon and the lighting became a menagerie of eerie muted oranges and browns. “Whoa! Look how much the river has gone down.” Lilli said as they walked out of the forest and into the creek-bed at the valley floor. “Looks like we won’t need to use the mining cart to get across today.” Andor replied. “This crossing is going to be a lot less eventful than the first one for sure…” Lilli responded as she gracefully jumped from stone to stone easily bounding across the creek.  “Shall we split up and meet up back here in an hour?” Andor said as he pulled an empty duffel bag out of his pack and handed it to Lilli. “Perfect. See you in an hour.” --- Lilli made her way to the closest cabin, it was one of the few left standing after the floods. The door was locked. _Okay, just like we left it. That means no one has been here while we’ve been away…_ she thought to herself as she flipped over the doormat and pried up a loose stone to retrieve the hidden key. Once inside Lilli headed for the downstairs bathroom and began digging through the under-sink cabinet. There in the back corner, she saw a box of pregnancy tests. She tore open the box and scanned the instructions. “Sounds simple enough… pee on the stick and wait for five minutes” Lilli said as she sat down on the toilet. _This is going to be a long five minutes!_ Lilli thought to herself as she held the pregnancy test under her stream. _Why does this process have to be so gross?_ _God, what if I am pregnant?! I can’t think of a worse time for this to happen._ Lilli set the test on the counter top, stood up and pulled her pants back on. _Might as well see if there’s anything worth acquiring while I wait._ _How are we going to raise a baby in the mountains?_ _I know people have done it for thousands of years but how is it even possible?_ To pass the time Lilli wandered through the small cabin looking for items which could be helpful. She found a first aid kit, and a huge bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and a box of condoms… _Where the fuck were you the other week?_ Lilli thought to herself as she tossed the items into her duffel bag. Then she opened the pantry and retrieved a dozen cans of fruit - pears, peaches, and mandarin oranges. “Oooh they’re organic too. Nice!” she said as she tossed them into the duffle. _This bag is getting heavy. How are we going to carry this back?_ “I think it's been five minutes,” Lilli said out loud looking at her watch.  _Fuck!_  _What if I’m pregnant? Living in a cave on the side of a mountain while the world is ransacked by nuclear winter._ _Here goes nothing!_  Lilli thought to herself as she walked over to the test sitting on the countertop. --- Andor had scored the jackpot; behind one of the only remaining cabins there was a garage. Inside, he had found a large chest with “Emergency Kit” emblazoned on the front. When he opened the lid, there was a cornucopia of canned and freeze-dried foods, flares, matches, flashlights, spare batteries, and even a dozen or so MREs. _This person must have known what they were doing; all these MREs are my favorite menus!_ Andor realized with excitement. Just then, he heard a noise behind the shed. Like something was scratching at the wall. It was too big to be a mouse… “Maybe it’s a raccoon?” Andor said in a whisper as he cautiously put down the MREs and walked outside. As he walked around the corner he nearly collided with a big hairy animal. “What!? A llama! What are you doing here?” Andor said gently, extending his hand towards it. The llama stared incredulously at Andor for a moment, then it sniffed his outstretched hand, and after a moment it sidled up to him and began nuzzling him with her snout. “Hey there, fella,” Andor said as he patted the llama’s neck. “How did you get here, I wonder?” The llama seemed very happy to see Andor. “I bet you would love the meadow grass up by our lake.” Andor said as he began envisioning all the trips he and Lilli could save by not having to carry loads up the mountain on their backs. The llama turned and began to walk away from Andor. “Hey, where are you going?” Andor exclaimed as he followed the llama. It soon became clear, though. Just out of sight from the garage, tucked back in the woods, was a small barn with a corral around it. “Your owners must have let you out when they had to leave. You cannot fit on a helicopter after all - so, they just left you free to roam and fend for yourself.” Andor followed the llama to the barn but the door was locked shut. The llama began bleating and pawing at the ground. “Alright. Hold your horses… Let me see if I can find a way to open the door.” Andor said as he began rummaging through a pile of knick knacks piled on an old rusting shelf perched up against the barn. “I can’t find a key. I’ll just try to hit the lock with this brick.” Andor said with a grunt as he bent over to pick up a brick laying on the ground. With a few good whacks the lock snapped. “Alright! We’re in. I never knew this barn was here. I bet you there’s a lot of good stuff in here.” Andor said as he swung the barn door open. With a snort, the llama brushed past Andor and trotted inside. There in the back corner was a stack of hay bales of which the llama began chomping away with such ferocity Andor began to wonder if she hadn’t eaten at all since the canyon was evacuated.. “Poor thing, I bet you could smell it for weeks but had no way to get to it. Well, eat as much as you want. I am going to take a look around.” Andor began poking around the barn. Inside one of the tack rooms, he found a pack for the llama to wear with panniers. “Looks like I found your pack saddle!” Andor exclaimed as he carried it out of the tack room. Immediately, the llama stopped eating and ran over to Andor. “Oh, this makes you excited, huh? Do you miss going for adventures in the mountains?” The llama was nuzzling the pack and panniers and lightly stomping her front feet on the ground. “Well, if I can figure out how to get this thing on you, I think we could put you to work carrying supplies up to our lakeside retreat.” After a bit of futzing with the pack while the llama happily ate more hay, Andor was able to get the harness on securely. “Let’s go load this thing up with food and show Lilli. I bet you are going to like her; she is crazy about animals… As long as they’re not snakes.” Andor said as he attached the lead to the halter and led the llama out of the barn. --- Lilli was waiting at the rendezvous point, sitting on a rock looking out over the river and the mountains beyond. She turned when she heard Andor approaching. When she saw Andor leading a llama through the forest towards her, she let out a squeal of delight and ran towards the llama. “Easy baby, you’re going to scare her.” “Nonsense! Look, she loves me.” Lilli squeaked as she started to scratch her between her ears.  It was love at first sight. “Didn’t I say you’d like her?” Andor said as he smirked and patted the llama on the shoulders. Lilli stopped scratching the llama, but the llama was not having it. She lowered her head and pushed up against Lilli. “Oh, you are a spicy thing, aren’t you, Baba Ghanoush?” Lilli exclaimed as she resumed her vigorous scratching. “Baba Ghanoush?!” Andor laughed. “Only you would name a llama after a dip.” “I think it is a great name for a furry little llama.” Lilli retorted with a smirk. “Where did you find her?” “I was foraging through a garage and heard a noise, and when I came out she was just standing there. I guess Baba Ghanoush got left during the evacuation. Poor thing…” “Well, she sure will come in handy. I see you got a bunch of food and the skis…. But there’s a few more things we need to get…” Lilli’s voice trailed off as she stared at the ground and kicked a loose rock. “What do you mean?” Andor exclaimed as he handed the lead to Lilli. “I thought we were just coming to get some more food, clothing, and the skis?” “Well, we are going to need some stuff for the baby…” ### Next Chapter: [[26 - N-85 🏜️]] ### Previous Chapter: [[24 - Conception 🫣]]