Things just keep getting stranger and stranger.

 Friday/Sept-25th-2009

I raided a nearby trailer park for canned goods, and non perishables. I would feel bad about it, but I still haven’t seen anyone. The unsettling feeling from the empty town to the south is lessened, but even out here it’s like I can hear the ballad of its silence over the singing birds, and the occasional deer.  The lot had maybe a dozen trailers, a tall chain link fence surrounded the property, but the front gate was wide open. A strange feeling lay thick in the air from the moment I entered the trailer park, it crawled down my throat and rested like a knot over my heart the entire time we were inside. Saxon was with me, and he also seemed unhappy to be there, as if the sense of unease affected him more severely. Occasionally as I rummaged through the remains of the trailers, he would whine anxiously or growl, but despite my admittedly casual investigation, I never spotted a source for the bad feeling that seemed to have taken up residence in the trailer court. There wasn’t much to find, some cans of food, a few bottles of water. The real prize was the extra generator, and a can of gasoline. I will have to find a way to transport the generator, but the gasoline I carried with the food and water that I found. I also got nearly fifty feet of rope, and I found a tire iron leaning against an old green car with no tires. Never hurts to be prepared, so I took that too.

It wasn’t until we were heading back home that we discovered something that I am at a loss to explain. The entrance to the trailer park is on the north side; just within the entrance a black pickup truck was sitting near a double wide trailer. I didn’t happen to glance behind me when we entered, if I had, I think we would have just turned around and searched elsewhere for supplies. Lying in the dirt was the body of a dog. It had been killed, but save for a few teeth marks on it, it was mostly whole. Further inspection left me baffled; the marks that scored its short tan coat were definitely from teeth. But the bite radius didn’t look like any animal I could immediately identify. Using my phone, which still has no signal, I took several pictures. I didn’t want to bring the body with me, for several reasons, none of them pleasant.

We left after that, I was nauseous, and uncomfortable, like someone I couldn’t see was staring at me. Once we were out of the gate I closed it, and with a bike chain that I barrowed from one of the absentee trailer residents, I wrapped the chain around the metal grating of the fence and locked it. Saxon and I beat feet to get home, making it in half the time it usually takes. Even though I’m almost positive there is nothing to be afraid of  I’ve locked my doors and windows. I haven’t seen anyone in nearly three weeks, but it made me feel better. I almost wonder if I should take extra precautions and board the windows permanently closed. At the moment my curtains cover them, but the thin fabric is a laughable suggestion as a barrier against anyone that wanted to get in.

I spent my evening researching the bite marks that I found on the dog, the crescent shaped mark dont fit for any breed of dog, wolf, mountain lion, or bear, natural to the area. The closest thing that I could find that matched the bite radius was an ape. Obviously there are no apes native to North Dakota, my guess is that if there are no more people then perhaps one escaped from a zoo and has made its way here. What other explanation is there? Honestly a part of me is afraid to know, I think I will board up my windows tomorrow.

How long was I unconscious? Where is everyone? There have to be people still out there somewhere. I will give it another week, if I still haven’t seen anyone I may just steal a car and drive to the closest city, anything is better then not knowing.

With Hope

-Jeri