History of the Trap Vol. 2: Chapter 3 - A Week at the Farm Part 5

 5

 

What an operation!  Where did all the animals come from?  I had thought that when they first came out, there were a few cows and goats.  Over time, there were pigs, chickens, rabbits.  There were even a few dogs and cats.

The chickens were there from the beginning, even though I didn’t know it.  I swear nobody mentioned them until recently.  The others were found nearby, wandering in the woods near the farm.  The acreage around the farm seemed to be much bigger than when first discovered.  The boundaries of our Trap must have changed.

Like the plant life (vegetables, fruits, crops), the animal life seemed to breed and mature at an accelerated rate.  Odd, because we humans weren’t breeding at all.  Not that some weren’t trying, just that there were no pregnancies since the Trap fell.  And those who were pregnant at the time of the Fall miscarried the first day.

I had heard about the big red barn, but it was even more imposing seeing it up close.

The message in white lettering was still there: SEE BRONNER’S IN FRANKENMUTH THE WORLD’S LARGEST CHRISTMAS STORE HO! HO! HO!  I could see the picture of Santa, larger than life.  There were some spots where Santa’s paint was chipped away – nothing you would notice from a distance.  This was a sign meant to be seen from a roadway.  But the freeway taking you north to Huron, or South to Bay City, was nowhere in sight.  It had vanished, replaced by woods that the Trap electrical border would not let us explore in-depth.

Inside the barn were stalls for the cows, farm equipment (including a tractor), hay bales, and more. Initially, the chickens had been inside the barn, but chicken coops had been built, mainly for the hens to lay eggs. The chickens were able to wander the grounds of a large fenced-in area.

Probably the most impressive part of the Farm was the unexpectedly large basement.  There were at least four dormitory areas down there, room for a couple of dozen people in each one.  Three accommodated guys, but one was occupied by girls (a growing misnomer – more of us were 18 or older now).  They also had two large wash areas – including showers.  Water was never a problem inside the Trap.  It constantly flowed through the high school and the farm pipes -where it came from; we didn’t know.  Were we still connected somehow to the outside world? I’m not sure I ever understood how that worked.

They had a dining hall about half the size of the school’s – which still made it pretty darn big. I sat at a table with Ginny, Artie, and Robert.  We also had David Deneau and Annie Popper sitting with us.  Annie was my regular nurse when Ginny wasn’t visiting.  Like me, both Ginny and Artie resided at the school.

It was a fantastic feast—a salad featuring fresh carrots and radishes, creamy mashed potatoes, Salisbury steak, and sweet corn.  We drank sweet raspberry tea.  The dessert was a scoop of maple ice cream.  That was a surprise – did we have maple trees, or was this from the underground larder at the school?  I didn’t ask.  I just enjoyed it.

“My God!” I said, amazed, pushing back in my chair and patting my full belly.  “If I lived here, I would be about 300 pounds!”

“Trust me,” said David Deneau.  “If you were out here, you’d have plenty of work to help keep you in shape.”

“Speaking of which, it’s good to see you getting around.  Maybe you’re ready for the next stage of your recovery,” said Robert, a devilish grin creeping across his face.

“Sure!” I replied.  “What do you have in mind?”  They had done a lot for me.  I would not mind doing some chores. It might help me take my mind of Mark Granite and all his nastiness.

“Oh, I’d rather keep it a surprise.  Just be sure to get up bright and early tomorrow.”

Well, that part seemed less interesting.  I had gotten used to sleeping in.

When we got up from the table, Ginny and Artie approached me.  They were getting ready to go back to the school and wanted to say goodbye.  Artie shook my hand.  “Get strong, brother.  We still have a lot of challenges ahead.”

Ginny hugged me.  “Good to see you up and about, Lance. You take care of yourself, ok?”

I nodded that I would.  She kissed me on the cheek, then pulled back, giving me a warm smile. She then took Artie’s hand, and as they were leaving, she turned to look back at me, giving me a wave with her free hand.

I admit it.  My heart sped up.  I looked at them until they disappeared through the dining room doorway.

Maybe I wasn’t as over her as I thought I was.