The End (five book series)

 Chapter 1

Waking up, I pulled my blankets around me. I reached under the blanket to my husband, Max, and said, "Max, it is so cold in here."

Lifting his head, he said, "Then don't blast the air conditioner, babe."

"Max," I said. "I got chilly last night and moved it up to seventy-five."

He sat up and said, "Are you sure you didn't turn it down?"

"Yes," I said. Sitting up, He tossed me a hoodie, and I climbed out of bed and put it on. 

He checked the thermostat and called out, "Abbie, you turned it up to eighty."

I went over to the window and opened the curtain. Looking out, I said, "Max, you need to see this."

He walked over to the window and said, "There is no way it's the end of May in Florida. Why in the world is it snowing? Come on, let's go make breakfast and put on the news."

We went downstairs to the kitchen, and Max put on the TV. A special report was playing. The reporter said, "Ladies and gentlemen, an unprecedented global weather event is happening. Temperatures around the world have dropped significantly. We advise to stay in your home and as soon as we have more news we will report it."

Max said, "Babe we need to get the barn ready for the cold."

Nodding, I said, "Lets do that before we eat."

"No," He said. "Let's eat because we will probably have to head to the store after we work in the barn and get stuff to secure it. I am so glad we are off today."

"Me to," I said as I grabbed bacon, eggs, tator tots and bagels. Putting the tator tots in the air fryer i started cooking the bacon and making our sandwiches. When they were done we sat down and Max's phone rang.

He answered it and said, "Hey bro, what's going on?"

He listened as he ate and said, "That is crazy. Abbie and I are going to secure the barn."

He listened for a few more minutes and said, "Let me talk to Abbie and see if that is alright. I understand man I would not want to be in the city either."

I said, "Put him n hold."

He said, "Sam let me put you on hold a sec."

"What is going on?" I asked.

"Sam and Maggie need to get out of the city," He said. "When they got up, the apartment was cold with the heat on. Thankfully, they had a space heater for their room, and that's where Maggie is with the baby. They called the landlord, and they said that they will have to deal with it or move out."

"Tell them to come out. Maggie and he can clean the cabin and move in there. They will need to bring furniture because all that is in there is a bed in the guest room."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yes," I said. "I will not allow our niece to freeze in a shit apartment. Tell him they can pay is $300 a month to cover the utilities. That and he can help  you around the farm."

He nodded and took Sam off of hold. He told him everything and ended with, "See you soon man. Yeah bring stuff for the baby now, and some stuff to get started with. We will get you moved in after you get it cleaned up."

He hung up and said, "He said deal. They can save for their own home if we can continue to work."

Nodding I said, "Thank god we are preppers and have everything we need. I will probably add to it though incase."

He nodded and said, "I know Sam has a lot stashed as well. At least they have that huge pantry in there."

I stood up and went to the door to the greenhouse. Walking over to the wood box, I grabbed some wood and started a small fire in the wood stove. Max walked out, and I said, "I will need to harvest a bunch this week. But I need to keep the temperature steady in here."

My phone rang and I said, "Mitch, what's up?"

"Callie love, can you believe this shit?" He said.

"It is insane Mitch," I said. "We are moving Sams brither to the cabin, the landlord where he lives was like move out if you do not like the crap heat. Anyway what is up?"

"We will need to start research on weather events," He said. "I have updated your workload and time frames when your scheduled. Callie something big is going on so please be careful."

"I will," I said. "Are we on check-in protocol yet?"

"Not yet," He said. "I will call you if that happens."

We said farewell, and I hung up. Max asked, "How bad is it?"

"We were put on research for this," I said. "We may also go into check-in protocol."

"Shit," He said.

"My thoughts exactly," I said. 

Chapter 2

We headed out to the barn, and our animals were all thankfully warm in their stalls. I said, "Babe, I am so glad we moved the chickens and ducks into the barn."

We were working on the barn chores when we heard a honking in the driveway. Max said, "Break time?"

Smiling, I said, "Oh yeah."

Walking out of the barn, we shut the door to keep the heat in. Sam and Maggie got out of their minivan, and we hugged them. Maggie said, "Thank you both so much. When we left the apartment, it was hovering around fifty-five degrees inside."

"No worries," I said. "I have a fire going in the kitchen of the cabin so it will be warm in there for the baby."

Max said, "Abbie, get them into their cabin, and we will get the things they brought with them."

I led Maggie up the path to the cabin we had for them. We walked into the cabin and were met with a wave of warmth. Maggie sighed and said, "Oh, this feels so good."

She placed the baby carrier on the floor and took off her coat. The baby started to babble, and I said, "Cici, are you happy with the new digs?"

The door opened, and the guys came in with the first batch of items from the van. Max said, "Abbie, Sam said it is getting crazy in the stores. After we unload the van, Sam is going to help me finish the barn chores. Do you want to hit the stores and see what you can get today?"

"Are you sure you do not need me?" I asked. "Maggie, if you are good with me leaving, can you text me a list of things to find for Cici?"

Setting up the portable crib, Maggie said, "Yes, I will as soon as I get Cici in here. I also need a small list for myself."

"Send it to me," I said. "Babe, is there anything that you need or want?"

He gave me a sly grin and said, "Candy."

Chuckling I said quietly, "How did I know?"

Turning to Sam, He gave a sly grin and said,"Same as Max."

Maggie laughed and said, "I would go with you Abbie but I am afraid to take Cici with us and the guys will be gone for a while."

Sighing I lifted my jacket and showed Maggie my side arm. "I think with everything going on we need to keep little miss home. Max so far the roads are good but I think we may need the chains soon."

Sam said, "I have mine as well. We can do them later today."

Max said, "Try to keep to the outskirts of town. Places that are not as busy and do not be afraid to defend yourself."

I gave him a look and said, "Babe you remember who I work for?"

Maggie looked at me and said, "I thought you did customer service?"

Max and I looked at each other and he said, "Talk to Mitch."

I said, "Guys I will be able to explain more when I get back. I have to speak with my boss first."

When I got into my SUV I called Mitch. He answered and said, "Abbie babe whats going on?"

"Mitch I need permission to add my inlaws into the confidence circle," I said. "They heard Max and me speak about my training. I do not want to keep them in the dark if it is possible as they will be on the property permanently."

"Okay let me run them real fast," He said. After a few minutes he said, "They are added to your circle Abbie. You can give disclosure. What are you doing now? You sound like you're in your car."

"I am," I replied as I took a turn. "You know we are prepared and we have the animals and the greenhouse. But I am still going to do supply runs every day to keep the stock up. Mitch I need to tell you a while back I heard grumblings when I was in Washington. Do you remember when we were looking into rumors on the end? Could this be something related to that?"

Mitch was quiet for a few minutes and said, "Abbie you may be onto something. If this is related to the fabled the end then millions of people are going to die in this power play."

Turning to go into the plaza near our farm, I said, "Holy Shit. Mitch, you have to see this."

I turned my camera on my SUV and Mitch saw the signs on the recruitment offices in the plaza. They read,  Escape the cold join the armed services. Mitch said, "What the hell. Abbie, keep your camera on while you're in the store. I want to see what is happening in your area."

"Sure thing," I said. "I am going to go into the Dollar Tree, then Hobby Lobby first. I will call you when I get back."

Running into the store I filled a cart at each one and placed the items into the back of the SUV. A husband watching a car parked next to me and said he would keep an eye out for my SUV while he waits for his wife to shop. The stores were not as full as I thought they would be. I made it through the stores faster than I thought I would. When I filled my SUV I thanked the husband who had watched my SUV and headed home. Going home I called Mitch and when he answered I asked, "What did you see?"

"Military personel trying to recruit," He said. "I have someone looking into it now. But let me get some stuff done here and good luck on telling your inlaws."

When I got home I dropped the items that Maggie had requested. I invited them to dinner that night so I could explain what I really did for a living. Bringing everything in I as putting things away when Max came in. I said, "I invited Sam and Maggie to dinner so I can explain what I do for a living."

He nodded and said, "Yeah that is a good idea as Sam tried to get information from me earlier."

Abbie- main

Max- Husband, Sam- Brother, Maggie-SIL Cici-daughter

Mitch- Boss

🎄My Ghosts and Me (Multiplr book series)

At The Hospital

As long as I can remember, I have lived in haunted houses. Every single home I have lived in has had ghosts. Some have been good, some have been ugly, and some have been violent. But they all have impacted my life in some way or another. These are their stories.

The first ghost experience I had was when I was born. My Great Aunt told me this story about my Great Grandfather's visit after I was born. Let me make this clear I was a keeping up with the Jones baby. I was told that I was a unwanted baby. How can that be? Well, my Aunt was pregnant with her first child and my Mom did not like the attention my Aunt was getting. I was conceived a month after she found out. From additional information that has come to me, not by her husband, either. However, she ran with it and my Fathers family believed I was theirs. 

My Great Grandfather wanted to see the family line continue and he passed right before or after I was conceived. Fast forward to the day I was born. I was born a little over a month early. The Doctor told my Mom I was indigestion from the Lasagna my Mom had at my Great Aunts house. When my Mom started having stronger pains, she was taken to the hospital to get checked by our family. A few hours later, I was born. 

The following day, my Mom was in hog heaven as she was being lavished with attention and phone calls. My whole family came and visit to see the new baby. As everyone was visiting the smell of cuban cigars was lingering in the air. My Great Grandma smiled and cuddled me as everyone else spoke. She would look up like she was looking at someone and would shift me as she was showing me off to an unseen person.

A nurse came in and said, "We can smell cigars in the hallway. We understand you like to give them out but no smoking."

My Great Uncle said, "Ma'am, no one is smoking in here. This little one came so early that we were unable to go to Ibor and buy them yet."

My Great Grandma chuckled to herself but kept me in her arms cuddling me. Later that night my Great Grandma told my Aunt that someone had been smoking in the room and that my Great Grandfather had come to join the festivities. Growing up I would see a taller man both old and young out the corner of my eye. When I found out that my Father may not be my Dad he came to me. He told me in his broken english that I was still his Granddaughter. His visits are always few and in between come when I need an unbiased person to sit with me as I struggle in my life. His last visit came when I had been let go of my job. He stood over my shoulder as I filled out applications and told me that it would work out. Although I was unable to meet him in life I value that he visits me after his death.

The basement

When I was older I was told no matter where I lived as a baby I was always watching the ceiling and babbling to things that no one else could see. As I grew up my Great Grandmother would tell me that my Great Grandfather would visit. The first experience I remember was when we lived in an apartment complex in New Jersey. My Mom had just had my sister, and the entity in the basement happened shortley after that. 

This story comes from my Grandpa Richard. When my mother was pregnant with my brother, my parents decided to move back to Florida. My Grandfather told me this story the night before he and my father left to set up our house for our move back to Florida. 

When I was four years old, we lived in an older apartment complex in Keansburg, New Jersey. There was nothing special about this apartment complex. It had a brick exterior and we could hear everything outside or next door. From what I can remember the room with the TV had stairs going up to the bedrooms and then in the kitchen, there was this weird brown door that led downstairs to the basement and my playroom. My playroom contained the laundry machine, my toys, and a big furnace. 

I hated my playroom with every part of my four-year-old body, however, my mother insisted I go play down in the basement to get out of her hair when she was taking care of my baby sister. The feeling that the room gave me was one of fear, especially near the furnace. My toys were on the far side of the room opposite the furnace. As a child, I would stay as far away from the furnace as I could. 

My Grandfather said one day he was off from work and had just come back from visiting a friend. He was going to take me to the park and asked my mother where I was. She had vaguely said that I was downstairs and went back to what she was doing.  So he headed downstairs to my playroom to come to find me.

When he came about halfway down the stairs, he saw I was standing on the bottom step with my arms crossed looking over at the furnace.  Then he said I shocked him because he heard me say, "I said go away. You are just a mean man."

My Grandpa thought I was talking to an imaginary friend. That was until he came down two more stairs and was able to look toward the furnace. He said that in front of the furnace was a black shadow that looked like a man.  He said he bolted down the stairs to get to me faster, Then he said I got angry and yelled out, "I said go away!"

He said the shadow had started moving towards me until I screamed. Then the shadow man pulled back and started to disappear into the furnace. My Grandfather didn't wait to see if it was gone. He scooped me up and ran up the stairs as fast as he could.  That night at dinner he told my parents that we needed to move and proceeded to tell them what had happened. My parents did not believe him and said he was being foolish, or that he had been drinking. He said that he was going to put my toys up in the bedroom I shared with my sister in the morning.  My mom started to argue with him saying my room wasn't big enough for my things and my sisters. He argued that my sister was with them in their room at the time so there should be no problem. Then he made it clear he would move out and not help pay his half of the rent if my stuff was not brought up to my room. She agreed to allow all my toys to be moved upstairs. 

The next morning my mom went downstairs to do a load of laundry. She came running back up the stairs and said that all of my toys were moved and thrown around. Later that day my father and Grandfather moved all my toys upstairs. After all my toys had been moved upstairs to my room, my mom would have issues with the laundry that was hanging up in the basement to dry. There would be times she would hang up the clothes or put them on a drying rack and she would come back down to find them on the ground or back in the washer soaked. My mom thought my Grandfather had been messing with her for a while and then it started happening while he was away working. We moved a few months later to a different home in Keansburg, New Jersey.

My Aunts Apartment

While we lived in Keansburg, we spent a lot of time at my aunt dianes apartment. Now my mom told me once when I asked her about it, but I remember in either my Aunts or cousins' bedroom, there was a door in the closet that had a tunnel attached that led to god knows where. Well as an adult I thought that maybe it led to the laundry room or something. However, I remember staying over at the apartment and slept in the room with the doorway to the tunnel. I remember seeing the door to the closet open and a face peeking out. Now as an adult I would not close my eyes and pretend it was not there. However, then me did close my eyes and cover my head with the blanket. Praying that whatever it was went away. 

I asked my cousin, "Do you know if you have a ghost in your closet?"

My Aunts Boyfriend walked past as I said this and he asked, "What do you mean, Angie?"

I pointed to the closet and I said, "When I was sick the other day and Mom made me lay down. I was laying on the floor, and I heard the closet door open. When I looked up there was a face in the door to the closet."

He sat down next to me and asked, "What did you do?"

"I closed my eyes and covered my head," I said. "I feel asleep while hiding."