Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Sunday, December 16, 2012, 10:27 AM

We are all shaken up. A little… except Uncle Roo. I don’t even know what to say or do… this is all getting weirder and weirder. It sounded like thunder and the bunker rattled and shook. Uncle Roo ran to a periscope to try and get a look. Priest and I ran to other exits to do the same.

Across the land, all we could see were soldiers… but… they weren’t human. They marched in solid rows and there were thousands of them. They were clad in some sort of armor and they carried some type of weapon. I couldn’t see any exposed skin, but I could tell they weren’t human. Their posture was different, along with their size, and a few other features. It was a little hard to see details.

We also heard the roar of unfamiliar machines, but what bothered me the most, what the guttural utterances of these… things. Their language was something that wasn’t from earth.

The bunker was jarred from their marching and the walls rattled. They lined up further than I could see. Granted, I had somewhat of a skewed view of the land. I was able to catch a glimpse of their weapon. It was harnessed to their back, and I assumed that this was the energy cell or the ammo pack because what appeared to be guns could be folded down. Each arm could wield and aim the weapon.

Apparently, they were mobilized for travel because I didn’t see a soldier with the weapon unfolded or in the attack position.

I have to go. Uncle Roo is shutting down all power except for the emergency lights. We don’t want to draw any attention.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Sunday, December 16, 2012, 6:50 AM

It’s been a few days since I’ve written because it’s been boring over the past three days. Days in the bunker are long and grueling, and it’s becoming increasingly harder to figure out when it’s night or day. I’ve been going to the range as much as possible, and I think I’ve already got all of the firearms mastered. I know, go figure… who knew I was a gun savant?

Jude and Uncle Roo are getting along, or they are pretending to for sanity’s sake. Jude has begun to show me how to construct homemade bombs, mines, and grenades. It’s fascinating which chemicals combine to blow things up. Uncle Roo has been teaching Priest and me survival techniques and how to survive in situations a normal person couldn’t.

Wait… there is some kind of rumbling…

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Thursday, December 13, 2012, 12:33 PM

We stayed up till around 2 last night playing Halo. Even with a broken arm, Jude (he told me to stop calling him Captain) and I beat Uncle Roo and Priest most of the time. Apparently the military has a little free time to polish up on their video gaming abilities.

The competition and being cooped up here finally reached somewhat of a boiling point. Uncle Roo and Jude got into it last night. Uncle Roo isn’t someone that sugar coats things, and I don’t think he likes Jude. He looks at him strange, and I’ve seen him talking to Priest about him. Last night, Uncle Roo got irked when Jude mentioned something about aliens. Uncle Roo said the thought of aliens is absurd and the reason we have the calamity we have now is because of crooked governments and irresponsible bio-engineering. He says there are no aliens; no mystery. He said our havoc is wrought simply by the greed of humans. Jude sneered at Uncle Roo and told him he was ignorant of the situation. Priest grabbed Uncle Roo and pulled him away in another room so he could cool off.

Jude told me Uncle Roo is completely oblivious to what we’re facing. I don’t know… for some reason I believe that Uncle Roo knows something that we don’t. I know he’s hiding something, but I can’t figure it out. I didn’t tell Jude any of this, and I was just quiet. I felt it better to not add anything else to this fire.

I’m going to the greenhouse with Caesar. It’s peaceful there, and I need a few moments to think. Hopefully, soon, we can return to the surface for at least a breath of fresh air.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 6:24 PM

In no time at all I’ve become awesome with any and all rifles Uncle Roo let me try. We even moved on to moving targets and I got the hang of that pretty quick too. Shotguns take little skill. Point and blow a hole in your target. Uncle Roo seems very apprehensive about my proficiency with firearms, and honestly, I don’t know what it is. I just get it.

When I got back from the range Uncle Roo was bragging to Captain Haas about my ability. Captain Haas smiled and said when he got better he would teach me hand-to-hand styles along with explosives. Uncle Roo was, to my surprise, all for it. He said he wanted me to learn anything and everything I could. I sat down with Captain Haas, and he showed me the basics of radio communications. That was pretty easy to understand. Within the hour we were able to effectively boost the signal enough to get something besides static. We heard faint voices, but we were too barricaded in the bunker to hear any distinguishable words. I’m hoping we can return to the surface soon. I need to know what’s going on out there.

On a side note we just found out Captain Haas plays Halo 4. He and I are about to LAN and play Priest and Uncle Roo. I hope he’s as good as Uncle Roo because I really don’t like losing to him.

Honestly, this isn’t how I pictured the “End of the World”. Maybe it’s not over. Maybe there’s still some hope.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 8:18 AM

Well, nothing exciting happened yesterday. We watched movies and played video games and went to the range. It turns out, though, that Captain Haas also knows a little about radios and is trying to get an AM or FM signal. He worked on it all yesterday, but he is still trying to get well so Priest makes him rest.

The surface seems to be significantly quieter since Monday. Uncle Roo wants to wait a few more days before attempting to return. A heavy rain came this morning and now the surface is smoldering ash. I’m still a little concerned about what I saw through the periscope. I told Uncle Roo about it and he dismissed it as a soldier. I want to talk to Captain Haas about it, but it’s hard to approach him. Besides, I need to let him rest and work on that radio. I’m going to shoot at the range; Uncle Roo is letting me shoot rifles.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Monday, December 10, 2012, 11:02 PM

I think everyone is asleep. I’ve just been too stir crazy to go to bed. Caesar and I went exploring again. I’ve still been trying to get a glimpse through the periscopes, and it looks pretty bleak out there. The house, trees, horses, everything… gone. It’s all burning to ash. I hear a rumble every now and then, but I can’t make it out. I have seen sparse military action, and I’ve heard them fighting something. I couldn’t see clearly what it was they were shooting. A few minutes ago I did see something peculiar, but it was dark and I could barely make out any details. The dancing light of the fire didn’t help, and for all I know it could’ve been a soldier in a weird shadow.

I saw two feet in front of the periscope, but they didn’t look human… I don’t know, it was weird. And, the boots were metallic. I know that’s not uncanny, but it just seemed odd to me. Even stranger, it was only standing there a few seconds and then walked to the right. When I turned the periscope it was gone. Maybe being down here is making me see things… but I can’t help but to think about what Captain Haas told me. I wonder…

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Monday, December 10, 2012, 5:55 PM

I’ve just been listening to Captain Haas, whose first name is Jude, tell us about what the world is facing. The information is a welcomed relief and I would’ve listened to him all night, but priest told him that he needed to recover.

According to Captain Haas, there are things that are going on that can’t be explained. I told him that was fairly obvious with the monster and the other creatures, but he said that wasn’t what he was talking about. What he was worried about were the explosions and the unexplained objects in our atmosphere.

This piqued my interests, and he continued. He talked about whispers through the military that there were indeed alien contacts. He said the government is being very quiet on the unusual series of events, and that is wasn’t his job to ask questions but to do what he was told. He told us yesterday his helicopter shot down a flying object on its way to New York, but he was immediately rerouted to another mission. From what he could tell it looked nothing like human engineering, but he couldn’t say for sure.

According to Captain Haas, most of the US forces are, indeed, trying to fight the giant creature, but at least a fourth of the military is trying to fight this unidentified threat. Captain Haas thinks it’s all linked: the monster, the cat-like creatures, the explosions, and the objects. The governments around the world have not commented or given an answer.

I asked him what happened to Australia and if it had been nuked. He told me that no one has an explanation for it, but he thinks it’s the aliens. Uncle Roo got mad and left the room, and Priest told Captain Haas that he didn’t need to be talking about it and he needed to rest. Reluctantly, he agreed, and he took some medication and went to sleep.

Now I just have more questions with no answers. This is like a real life version of Lost.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Monday, December 10, 2012, 2:51 PM

Earlier this morning Uncle Roo and Priest went to the range to shoot. I stayed with Captain Haas and finished watching The Two Towers. About 30 minutes into The Return of the King Captain Haas started to move around and mumble. Priest told me what to do if he started to wake, so I did as I was told. First, I told both of them he was waking via the PA, and then I began talking to the captain. I told him he was in a crash and he is being taken care of. Uncle Roo and Priest arrived fairly quick and assisted me.

As Captain Haas woke he was, of course, confused and agitated. We talked him down and reassured him that he was ok. As soon as he was fully cognizant, we began to explain our situation… which, as you can guess, was difficult. Fortunately, he remembered what had been happening. Priest removed his IV, catheter, and other various needles, and helped him off the bed and into a wheelchair (yes, Uncle Roo had a wheelchair too). Priest checked his arm and leg to make sure the splint was still set and redressed his cuts and burns.

Uncle Roo brought him some food, and as he ate we explained the events over the past weeks.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Monday, December 10, 2012, 7:25 AM

I made it about half way through The Two Towers before I called it a night. I guess I’ll finish the rest later when I’m taking care of Captain Haas. Not knowing what’s happening in the world is near torture. I’m hoping Uncle Roo can tinker with his ham radio enough to pick up some type of signal.

Priest cleaned and redressed my back this morning. He also checked my stitches to make sure that they were stable. He told me they looked good and that the lacerations were starting to heal like they should be, but I was going to have pretty bad scars.

Priest is about to show me what to do to take care of Captain Haas. I guess now is a good of a time as any to learn basic medicine. I mean why not…

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Sunday, December 9, 2012, 5:34 PM

It was a long trek over to the range. We hooked a wagon to my bike, and I used it to haul Uncle Roo, guns, and ammo to other side. When we got there Uncle Roo showed me the basics: how to hold guns, tear them down, put them back together, and how to clean them. We started with handguns. My 9mm, of course; then he showed me a .40, .45, and a .50. He also let me shoot a .357 and a 38 special in order to showcase the advantages of each gun and bullet. He told me later we would move on to rifles, shotguns, and automatics, along with moving targets.

I’m still partial to my 9mm, but I took a liking to the .45, so I think these are the two small arms I’m going to focus on. We have burned through hundreds of rounds, and I have to say, I’ve become a dead-eye. Even Uncle Roo is impressed with how quickly I picked up on it.

After target practice we cleaned the guns and realized we had missed lunch. We made it back to the bunker’s main hall around 3:30 and sat down for a meal. Priest had been attending to Captain Haas: changing his IV and catheter, changing the dressing on his wounds and burns, and monitoring his vitals.

We talked with Priest for a bit, and he said that he wanted to learn more about guns also. Uncle Roo said he would love to teach him tomorrow, and he asked me if I could watch Captain Haas. I didn’t mind as long as Priest showed me how to take care of him. I wanted to explore the bunker some more, so I took Caesar with me because he needed some exercise.

I explored a few acres of the bunker and played Frisbee with Caesar. We wandered upon the greenhouse. Only Uncle Roo… He had fruit trees, rows and rows of vegetables, and flowers growing everywhere. He had created an entire functioning ecosystem under ground. There were UV lights to supply “sun”, sprinklers were on timers that used water from the lake, he had them all properly fertilized, and the most impressive was the bee hive (which I stayed away from) he used to pollinate the flora. That’s where he got those jars of honey I saw in the cupboard. He even had a room labeled “soil” which is a store of fresh soil and a healthy supply of earth worms. This man literally thought of everything.

We left the greenhouse and I noticed one of the many exits about 50 yards away. I just wanted to see what was happening on the surface, if anything. I walked up the stairs and looked through the periscope. I mostly saw smoke; nothing discernable. I decided to actually go outside, but of course, it was pressure locked. I forgot Uncle Roo told me his security was universally controlled. I heard Uncle Roo come over the loud speaker saying, “Kid, don’t be stupid. We’ll return when it’s safe.”

Forgot about that too. Uncle Roo has the place completely covered with surveillance cameras and technology. When anyone approaches an entrance or exit the computer system alerts him, and he’s able to view it. I was doing the math in my head, and this place had to be a multi-billion dollar facility… which begged the question. How? I can only assume eventually he’ll tell me. But, right now, I guess it’s really not important because we’re safe.

Caesar and I walked back to Uncle Roo and Priest. I threw the Frisbee the entire way. He loves that thing. When I got back they were about to sit down and watch a movie from Uncle Roo’s massive DVD and Blu-ray collection. I mean massive… huge… how… never mind. It’s not worth racking my brain.

We’ve decided to watch the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. This should effectively kill 12 hours.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Sunday, December 9, 2012, 9:19 AM

My back bled and bled, and we finally got it to stop thanks to Priest. He sewed the lacerations this. Uncle Roo gave me several more pain pills which help.

Over breakfast Uncle Roo told me that he had only showed me a small portion of the bunker and that it spans over ten acres. I was worried about what the addition of Priest and the pilot would do to our resources. Uncle Roo told me that he had prepared for this and stockpiled enough goods for 4 people. He thought that if calamity did happen then this would be a place for my parents, him, and me. I hope they’re all right.

I just learned Priest used to be a doctor, and, in fact, he was a medical missionary to Morocco for 15 years before he moved back home to Austin. That’s fortunate for us and for this pilot. The man is still unconscious, but Priest has taken good care of him. I took a look at his jacket, and his name is “Haas” and judging from his insignia he is a captain. Uncle Roo, of course, has an enormous stash of medical supplies for Priest to use… I’m not asking how he acquired all of these drugs and medical equipment. Speaking of that, I’m not asking how in the world all of this is funded and why he is so well prepared. Some things are best left unsaid.

Things are pretty quiet right now. I haven’t heard any more explosions or gunfire, yet Uncle Roo won’t let us return to the surface. He wants me to come with him to the “range” that is on the other side of the bunker. He says it’s time to begin my firearm lessons.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Sunday, December 9, 2012, 8:02 AM

Priest is reading the Bible right now and praying to his God. It is Sunday. It’s surreal to think that last Sunday I was planning to go to Lake Maurepas to water ski and relax today. It’s hard to believe how much my world has changed in a week. It has been a treadmill of firsts over the past 6 days, but when I woke up this morning I felt doomed for the first time. What can we do? I mean, what choices do we have right now? I really don’t know how long I’ll last under ground. I’m already getting cabin fever.

I think my stitches broke. Blood is all over my back and down my arm. It’s killing me.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Saturday, December 8, 2012, 10:08 PM

It’s here. I don’t even know where to begin to tell you about what has happened in the past 5 hours. I can’t take much more of this. The ground is still rumbling… we can still hear it in the distance.

Around 5:15 we heard commotion coming from the south, and we saw the continued over passing of F-22s and even Stealths. Explosions and gunfire sounded as if it was coming closer and closer. Priest pointed out black smoke in the air, and to our horror, there was an Apache writhing out of control. The helicopter crashed directly behind the house and to the west of the corral.

All three of us rushed to see if anyone was alive. The rotors were still churning, but the large one had broken off in pieces when it hit the ground. To our surprise, the cockpit door opened, and a severely injured man fell out. We were all a little apprehensive because the Apache was precarious; however, we ran to the pilot and pull him away from the wreckage and into the house.

The Apache exploded and sent shrapnel and debris across the house, destroying most of the second floor and nearly leveling the north side of the house. Fortunately, none of us were injured. Priest and Uncle Roo grabbed the pilot and I grabbed the computer, and we, along with Caesar the boxer, ran outside toward the corral.

An F-22 plummeted down and exploded not that far from where we were. We saw several explosions from the south and heard the creature growl. Over the tree line we saw the monster as well as what we thought looked like the whole of the US armed forces. They were trying their best to reroute the monster, but it was futile. Cthulhu was vigilant and crushed everything in his path.

I’ve never seen anything so massive before. I heard Uncle Roo yelling, and we all ran to the corral. Priest carried the pilot, Caesar and I followed, and Uncle Roo closed the hatch and locked it. It was hard walking down the stairs because the ground was literally shaking. I was afraid that the weight of the monster could cause the bunker to cave in, but Uncle Roo reassured me that it wouldn’t.

In the bunker, we were, of course, afraid. We would all jump every time we would hear a muffled explosion or growl. We would probably be staying down here for awhile until events settled on the surface.

Uncle Roo and Priest started to attend to the injured pilot, and apparently, he’s hurt pretty bad. Uncle Roo said he would live, but they had to clean him up and set his arm and leg. I walked around and explored more of the bunker, and I tried to get a view of what was going on through the periscopes. I couldn’t see much, though. I just sat and waited… trying to catch a glimpse.

I finally gave up, and it’s getting fairly late… it’s been a trying day, so I’m going to bed.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Saturday, December 8, 2012, 4:38 PM

This thing is odd to say the least. We tried to drag it outside, but it was just too heavy and it had some type of slick film covering its body. We couldn’t get a solid grip on it, and it’s got to be over a ton, but what kind of animal can weigh that much, be that size, and be that agile and quiet?

It’s got internal organs and muscles like any other animal. Whoa… Uncle Roo just jumped back. Wow, this is crazy. It’s got internal wires… and some other mechanical switches ingrained within the organs and muscles. The bones look to be some type of metal in and out of a solid bone. I wonder if the nervous system is wires? The mouth and head are pretty much solid metal… claws too. No wonder why they made such an even laceration.

This thing’s tail is weird and awesome at the same time. It’s thick and muscular and about three fourths of the way down it splits and become bifurcated. Uncle Roo says that judging from the shape and size of the tail that it’s probably prehensile.

This is actually getting more and more bizarre. The areas where Uncle Roo has cut the creature open have begun to scarcely smoke and sizzle. He is just staring at it. I don’t know what he’s doing…

He just stormed off and was mumbling something under his breath. Priest is just as confused as I am.

This is unbelievable! We have just witnessed something that no one on earth has ever seen. Uncle Roo came back with a glass of water and told us to step back. He poured the water into the creature, and then it rumbled and the inside part of the creature blew up. Uncle Roo said it was as he thought. This creature was not made of carbon, but in fact, it was silicone based. The thick oil protects it from water in the air and any other exposed part is made of that metal. He told me silicone reacts violently with water… as we just witnessed. These creatures were not God’s creation; they were engineered.

But who engineered these things? Priest thinks it was the Chinese or the Russians, but this technology is something so far beyond human understanding.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Saturday, December 8, 2012, 11:53 AM

I’m a little groggy from that medicine, and my back is killing me. Uncle Roo just gave me some more Vicodin for the pain. He wants me to get some more rest, but I can’t.

Last night… ok, last night… first, the man that we helped. His name is Priest, well, that’s not his real name. His real name is Ezekiel Kincaid, but he told us to call him Priest because that’s what everyone else calls him. Priest worked as a minister in Austin before the attack… before he fled.

I used to not believe in God… but Priest told me he sent him to us. It’s a little out there, I know, but believing in a God I’ve never seen is infinitely easier now that I’ve seen this hell.

I believe Priest’s God sent him, and without Priest, I wouldn’t be writing right now.

We decided to sleep in the house because it was cool and clear last night, and we didn’t want to fort ourselves unless it was absolutely necessary. I went to bed early in the back bedroom while Priest and Uncle Roo were talking.

I woke up to a gunshot. I couldn’t see in the dark and my eyes were still adjusting. There was another flash of light and another deafening “bang”. I heard the creature scream and hiss… it was the same sounds I heard in the woods.

I looked to my left and I could make out the creature in the night. It was staring at me with its mouth open. I could see its shape because it was blacker than the dark. It was huge; walked on all fours and it was taller than a lion at the shoulders. Actually, its size reminded me more of a grizzly, but its shape was like a cat. Its head was slightly flat and rounded with its eyes sitting on top. The mouth could open wide and it had rows and rows of razor teeth.

Behind the creature was Priest with his .50 magnum. Six or seven more shots lit up the dark. The creature yelled again and fell to the floor dead. I noticed it was freezing in my room when I sat up in bed. Uncle Roo came upstairs with a shotgun and flashlight. He and Priest were looking at it while I opened my computer to type; however, I was so shaken up that I could barely hit the keys.

I took a few moments and then tried to type again. That’s when it happened. As I was typing another one of those things came through the window and grabbed my back, slicing it. Uncle Roo and Priest lit it up like the 4th of July and splattered it all over the room. I’m not really sure what happened after that because I passed out. I remember waking up again while Uncle Roo was sewing me up.

We’re going to take a look at the creature. Uncle Roo is dissecting it.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Saturday, December 8, 2012, 4:08 AM

We got the bleeding to stop. Uncle Roo sewed me up and gave me some Vicodin for the pain. I’ve got four deep lacerations on my back, but Priest and Uncle Roo said it should be fine as long as we keep it clean.

This stuff is making me tired.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Friday, December 7, 2012, 12:12 PM

Sorry. I heard gunfire and ran to see what was going on. Uncle Roo was firing at some guy… I think just to frighten him off. But I don’t know, Uncle Roo seems awful edgy. He scared this guy bad, though.

The man threw his hands in the air and fell to the ground. Uncle Roo and I ran over to him and asked him what he was doing. He said he was a refugee from Austin and he ran out of gas. He said he’s been walking for a few days now… obviously dehydrated and frightened… Uncle Roo didn’t help him much by shooting at him. We helped the poor guy to his feet and brought him to the house. We gave him some food and water and let him take a bath. He’s taking a nap right now, and I think I’m going to check with Uncle Roo to see if there is anything that needs to be done. I wonder what it’s going to be like tonight… the first night without electricity.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Friday, December 7, 2012, 11:36 AM

There has been a lot of military action lately. F-22’s and Apaches have been flying back and forth over us. I suppose they’re trying to ward off Cthulhu, but I don’t hear any gunfire or explosions. Maybe it turned back west… I hope so.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Friday, December 7, 2012, 6:29 AM

More dreams. This time I was able to sleep some. The electricity went out some time early this morning. It was a bit surreal watching the sun rise this morning knowing what was happening around me.

Uncle Roo is still working on that antenna for the radio. I think it’s just a matter of time before we take shelter in the bunker. He said we’re going to try and survive above ground as long as possible.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Thursday, December 6, 2012, 1:41 PM

I just broke down crying. I couldn’t help it… it just happened.


So, last night Uncle Roo showed me how to work the security system on the ranch. This place is armed to the teeth. There are underground tunnels that lead all over his property along with surveillance. We’ve begun ushering all the remaining supplies from the house to the bunker. The local TV and cable have gone out, and we anticipate the electricity to follow soon. It’s moving north toward Dallas, and that means it’s going to pass straight through us.


The only access to the outside world we have is radio. Thank God it’s XM. We’ve been listening on and off most of the morning, and the shock of what we’re hearing is making me sick. These events are inexplicable.


Australia has been demolished. Reports from Asia say that there was a flash of light then a massive explosion that rattled the whole of India and southern China. Reports haven’t come back on whether or not Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand were affected. I assume their fate is similar though. What is going on?


Several explosions have sent Dubai into a state of panic, and the Middle East is, right now, as I write, being clustered by explosion after explosion. Airports all over the world have become hotels because every single airplane in the world has been grounded.


They’re calling them attacks now. Israel, Britain, Germany, China, and Japan have all been reporting multiple attacks all around their countries. Satellites have been falling out of orbit and bombarding the atmosphere while their debris peppers cities. I really don’t think our XM is going to be around much longer. Uncle Roo is trying to find a way he can boost the reception for AM and FM.


We have just about moved everything down to the bunker. I even moved my bike, books, and various heirlooms down there too.


Uncle Roo is a crazy, incredible genius because the detail and the level of thought that he designed for the bunker is astonishing. He has multiple hidden exits and entrances that are equipped with periscopes for surveying. Like I said before, he has enough stored ammo, guns, fuel, water, and food to take care of us for years to come. He has solar panels erected all around the ranch that feed to generators and batteries. There is pump and water purifier in case we need water from the lake. The bunker is ventilated and temperature controlled with comfortable living quarters. There is a trash disposal and sewage system that I don’t fully understand; however, one of the most impressive parts of the bunker is the feces to fuel converter. We can use our, the dog’s, or the horses’ dung to create fuel for the bunker. And, Uncle Roo, being himself, actually has a storage unit filled with horse poop.


They are talking about the animal attacks on the radio now… oh no. XM is gone.


Uncle Roo is trying to get a signal on the local radio, but everything is static. Things are only getting worse.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Thursday, December 6, 2012, 12:55 PM

I stepped away from the computer. Something is wrong. I can’t explain it, and even if I could I don’t think I want to. I’m so scared right now. I miss my mom and dad. I miss work. Uncle Roo is great and all, but he’s not someone I can talk to about my emotions. I feel like I have to be strong around him when I just want to break down and cry. I don’t know how long I can hold up… this is my only escape… odd if you think about it. My escape from reality is writing about reality. I hope mom and dad are all right.

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Thursday, December 6, 2012, 6:02 AM

I barely slept last night. I kept having dreams although they were completely lucid. My dreams were strange. It was just a bumch off grents sdj inn may lasnithg. Wmak? Wmaks wtroog djhdf poi?

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 7:17 PM

I woke up this morning slightly dazed at the events as of recent. It’s actually hard to explain the emotion that’s coupled with complete and utter holocaustic annihilation of your home. But hey… these are interesting times.


I went into the kitchen with Uncle Roo and he made me some breakfast. We stayed away from any Internet, radio, or TV for the first part of the morning. After we had a morning workout, we both agreed to turn on the news. Southern Louisiana was burning to ash and the rampage continued to Houston. Sickened, we watched the news feed from downtown Houston as it split the city in half.


This was the first time I saw all of it, and this was Uncle Roo’s first glimpse. The reporter said it is over 700 feet tall. To be honest, it is something of total awe, and we both watched silent as it massacred the city. Houston is a little south of where we are, and I hope it doesn’t decide to make a northern turn. Our gaze was interrupted by a reporter on the TV.


She said that there was breaking news, and I wondered what could be more breaking than a giant sea creature roaming the continental US. Stunned, I listened as she described gruesome animal attacks that were appearing all around the country. In the past couple of days there have already been over 50 of these reports, and the victims were partially eaten or ripped into pieces.


It wasn’t until later that I recalled the strange incident the night before, and before I could even comment on what was going on, Uncle Roo turned off the TV. He told me that we needed a plan. We talked about our options, and both of us felt more comfortable staying on the ranch and trying to survive instead of evacuating.


I always knew my uncle was a little unstable. Momma used to talk about him in passing conversation like he was detached from this world. It’s actually quite ironic that the person most “detached” from this world is the best prepared when the world becomes “detached”. Well, maybe that’s not ironic… maybe that’s being justified.


Uncle Roo took me outside to the stables. He showed me his horses and his boxer, Caesar. More interestingly though, is what he showed me afterwards. I thought about not documenting what I saw, but the likelihood of this ever being seen by anyone who cares is low. I don’t know why I feel the need to write this down, but, for me, it’s important. It just helps.


He showed me what looked like a cellar entrance in the corral. The stairwell led straight down for at least 50 feet. When we reached the bottom it opened up to another world. The lights reflected on the stainless steel. Uncle Roo explained that he built this in case of nuclear attacks. He has a vast supply of food and fuel along with an impressive arsenal. My Uncle Roo is crazy – yes – but his craziness has saved me. He told me that he would teach me the fundamentals of survival along with gun training.


That was fine with me. I’ve always been a quick learner, and it wasn’t like I had anything better to do.


We returned to the surface around 6ish, and we decided to catch up on where and what it had been doing for the day. Things had only gotten worse. Unexplained explosions have been happening all over the country which included the destruction of the White House and the Pentagon. Austin, Houston, and San Antonio are rubble as that thing is tearing Texas apart.


The news dubbed it “Cthulhu”. You know, now that I think about it… it does remind me of Cthulhu. Uncle Roo wants to show me something, so I’m out. I hope I’m here tomorrow.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Diary of Caleb Ryan Shaw- Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 11:42 PM

I’m one of the millions of people that felt the need to personally document what happened yesterday. I mean, it’s all that’s on the news. The world is talking about it. FOX, CNN, and MSNBC have unanimously claimed it the end of the world. Actually, I’m glad, yeah I know, I’m sick… but whatever gets them to talk about something else instead of the normal garbage that is reported. I’m straying; I guess now is not the time to outline my disgust for the American media.

President Obama has declared Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas a disaster zone and has also declared martial law. Louisiana is in a state of panic; as well it should be… New Orleans has just vanished. Obliterated is more like it. It’s working its way northwest to Texas it seems. The news says that the military is trying to reroute it because their attempts to thwart is as effective as killing an elephant with a Dixie cup.

Unprecedented and unprepared… I keep hearing these words… and really… how can you prepare for the unprecedented? I know the world doesn’t know. Staring down the gullet of fate does funny things to the mind. I hope I live through this.

Yesterday, I went to work at the newspaper. It’s not a bad job for someone right out of high school, and it’s pretty easy work. I took a quick fifteen minute break at 10:30, and I walked outside to the roof. It’s the only place that you can think and clear your head. It also has a nice view of the Mississippi. I’ve watched that river for months now, and I’ve seen barges up and down it. I even witnessed the crash last month between the two freighters, but this… this was something else.

Not to be dramatic or whatnot, but the view is simply stunning. People often trivialize words such as “amazing”, “awesome”, “unbelievable”, and for once, I can say, those words hold no weight to the vast selection of words that I might choose to describe what I saw.

Like I said, I’ve seen freighters crash, and I’ve seen their demeanor as the river consumes them. This oil freighter capsized and then was pulled under. Transfixed, I pondered if what I just saw actually happened. There was a rumble and shake just like an earthquake. My gaze was sharply interrupted by the river spitting the ship several hundred feet into the air. The massive shredded debris twirled in all directions and crushed the 200 foot tall New Bridge into the river. Several explosions ignited the thousands of gallons of oil in and around the river and the collapsed bridge. Fireballs floated through the air and landed on the city.

I heard a sound that pierced my ears, and it was so potent that I felt it in my throat and chest. The blast wave reached me before the sound did and lying down face first in the roof gravel I heard the explosion. I gagged and coughed as the dirt and smoke passed over my body. When I turned around, I saw the horror of what happened. The refinery and chemical plant had exploded- completely. Not just a part of it, but everything was on fire.

At this point, I considered sitting down and trying to compose myself, but then I saw it. Another massive earthquake almost shook me from the roof and then I saw it rise from under the river. Through the haze of smoke I saw its arm, and what I could tell, its head. Given the present, I didn’t wait. I know what I saw, and in my mind, it was time to go. I slid down the antiquated fire escape and ran as fast as I could to my GS500

There are sounds that you may have never heard before, but when you hear them your mind tells you what they are. The roar shook the city and even the sounds of discord seemed have stopped in fear.

In the distance, I heard sirens and screams of horrified people, and I imagined the panic that was about to break out. I wondered why I was so relatively calm and not like all of the others I heard and saw. Crazed reporters flocked out of the newspaper’s building and clamored around like ants after you kick open their nest. I wasn’t interested in them or what just happened, so I put on my helmet and sped off.

The disorder was almost impossible to navigate. It was fortunate that I had a bike, or I would’ve never made it home. I cut through fields, neighborhoods, backyards, and underpasses. When I got home, my parents had already evacuated. I was relieved that they were getting out of town. I went into my house and packed a small bag which included my 9mm and 500 rounds. I also filled my bike’s tank with fuel from the gasoline can we had for the lawnmower.

I happened to notice that the military was forcing people into trucks. It was part of the evacuation I assumed; however, that was not my plan. I already had one, and it didn’t involve a camo truck shared with a few dozen people.

If I played my cards right, I could leave town unnoticed amidst the ensuing panic. I needed to make it Uncle Roo’s ranch in Texas. It’s about an 8 hour drive, but with all that was going on; I knew I might be in for a long haul. I packed up some more food, and fastened an additional fuel tank to the Suzuki.

After carefully navigating back roads and even trails, I emerged alongside an empty Interstate 10. I drove for 4 hours and was wary of any authorities. By 7:00, I had only gone 150 miles, and I had used far more fuel than I expected. I stopped along every rest stop I could to find gas, but they were all empty.

Another fifty miles down the road I found a hastily abandoned station, and luckily, there was fuel to spare. I filled my tanks and took some food and drinks. I felt bad because I had never outright stolen anything before, but I suppose there were greater crimes out there.

For the first time since I fled, I turned around and looked at what was behind me. Some 200 miles outside of Baton Rouge I could see the smoke. Maybe it was spreading? It was now around 11 and I knew I had to get some rest. I grabbed a poncho from the store and headed a few miles down. I ventured deep into the neighboring woods, maybe a mile or two, and set up a camp. I placed the poncho on the ground and covered with a blanket I had packed. I noticed my pen and notebook I kept for news gathering for the paper, and I wanted to write this down, but I was far too tired.

Even though it is December, a Texas-Louisiana winter night isn’t necessarily cold. It was around 65 degrees, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the comfortable temperatures had something to do with the hell I just left. Making lemons into lemonade I suppose? Regardless, I was tired, and I soon found myself asleep.

What I am about to tell you, I have no answer for. With the events that I have witnessed over the past 40 hours, this is the most petrifying and inexplicable moment of my life. I awoke, maybe around 5… I wasn’t sure of the time. I opened my eyes to the darkness of the thick woods. I noticed the temperature had dropped below freezing. I knew this because a light sheet of ice crumbled from my blanket when I sat up.

I heard a rustle in the brush, and I spoke to the night.

“Hello?”

How stupid. Why is it that this is our default phrase when were hear something and can’t see what it is? In retrospect, I should’ve said, “I’ve got a gun and you’re about to die.”

Not that it would’ve mattered anyway. I don’t think it could answer me. The rustle grew a little closer, I strained my eyes to try and decipher some type of noticeable silhouette.

This isn’t the movies, so I didn’t get up to investigate the mystery with suspenseful high tension music playing in the background. I’m from Louisiana. I picked up my gun and fired 5 shots into the direction of the rustling. The flash lit the darkness, and I wasn’t sure what I saw. It was an animal… I think. It was shaped like a large cat… maybe a lion but much, much bigger. I know at least one of my bullets hit it because it screamed and stumbled around a bit. Now that I knew where in the darkness it was, I fired the rest of my 17 round clip into it. To my surprise, it was still alive. I knew this because it hissed and growled as it retreated to the blackness of the wood.

I hastily gathered my blanket and poncho and stuffed it into my bag and put on my helmet, and without regard for briars and limbs, rode my Suzuki out of the woods and continued to Uncle Roo’s.

About 20 miles down the road I began to realize where everyone had gone. The interstate had become a sea of cars. None of them were moving. I knew that I had to find another way. I’m not going to go into the aggravation of actually getting to Uncle Roo’s from there. I had to take back roads… all mostly packed with cars while avoiding the cops and the military.

I finally reached the ranch at around 10:15 tonight. Uncle Roo heard me drive up, and he greeted me at the door. He asked about my parents and how I got here. We talked a little, I ate, and we watched the newscasts over and over again. My only hope was that my parents were able to get out of the city.

We watched the devastation on the TV. Nothing was left. Everyone has seen it; you all know what I’m talking about. Every living person that witnessed it knows the feeling. Thousands were dead or missing and there was absolutely no one to blame. We were all powerless to stop it. Helplessness is a terrifying thing.

I told Uncle Roo I didn’t want to watch anymore, and he agreed. He told me that in the morning we would come up with a plan, but until then, we both needed some sleep. He was glad that I was here, and I was glad I had Uncle Roo.

Before I could sleep, the writer in me compelled myself to turn on Uncle Roo’s laptop and type… this… something that would live in my mind forever.