America's Sunset: A Post Apocalyptic Fight for Survival Read Online Free PDF

thousand, is not really that much in the large scheme of things. Think of it as an investment for the future. For your kids’ future,” Jake said.
    “An education is an investment. A home is an investment. Stocks are an investment. Hell, buying another computer that’s going to be obsolete before we figure out how to turn it on is more of an investment. Haven't you dug enough holes out there? The whole back property must be on the verge of collapse with all the digging that's gone on,” Maggie said.
    “That’s not true. Everything I’ve done is structurally sound. If anything, I’ve over-engineered the hell out of all that stuff back there. Nothing is going to collapse. Don't worry, there won’t be a sinkhole in the backyard anytime soon.”
    “You can’t say over-engineered. You’re not an engineer. You’re a retired librarian. You don’t build buildings, you don’t build bridges. You never went to engineering school. What makes you think you’re qualified to say you’ve over-engineered anything?”
    “Research librarian.” Jake corrected. “I’m an educated man, Maggie. I can read, and I can learn. You’re going to thank me for all of this at some point. There’s going to come a day where all hell breaks loose around here, and everyone is going to be looking for a place to hide. All those neighbors of ours are going to become some scary-ass people very quickly.”
    “Now, you're clairvoyant as well? You don’t know that. You don’t know how people are going to react in a given situation until you’re actually in that situation. People are basically good at heart. They’re not going to start scratching each other’s eyeballs out for a can of green beans. Real people don’t act that way.”
    “You’re right, that’s not normally what people are like, but I’m not planning for a normal situation. None of us have ever had to live in the kind of situation that I’m planning for here.”
    “Maybe,” Maggie smiled, “that’s because the situation never came up, and never will come up.”
    “We live a sheltered life here, Maggie. A very fortunate and blessed life, in the greatest country on the planet. War and hunger and starvation and crime are distant concepts in our lives.”
    “That’s not true, you old fool. Have you read the newspapers? I have. I still watch the news while you’re sitting there all night long reading crazy conspiracy stuff on the Internet. I know what’s going on. My life isn’t that sheltered.”
    “Knowing about something and actually having to survive your way through it are two totally different things. Just because I’ve read about the First World War, doesn’t mean I know what it’s like to live in the trenches and wonder if I’ll ever make it home to my family.”
    “I’m not an idiot, Jake. Of course it doesn’t. I’m just trying to tell you that I know what goes on in the world. I know there are horrible things happening in it, and I know they happen closer to home than we’d like. And yes, it scares me, but I’m not going to let it rule my life. I’m going to enjoy the time I have left in this world, and I want to enjoy it with you. I don’t want to spend money digging holes so I can live in the ground someday. I’ll live in the ground when I’m cold and dead. For right now, I’d rather take that five thousand and go on a cruise with you somewhere. Is that so bad?”
    Jake was silent for a minute. They both were. This wasn’t the first time they’d had discussions like this. As much as they still loved each other and wanted to be together, it was getting harder. Harder, because they were growing to see the world through different eyes. Like much of the country. There were those that believed it was important to do everything they could to prepare for the inevitable. At least their version of the inevitable. Then there were those who just blindly kept on doing what they were doing. Maybe with a blind eye, and maybe with eyes wide open.