Sweat rolled down Drew’s forehead as he struggled to install a solar panel on the hot RV roof. It was 92 degrees and sunny in the Arizona desert, yet it was only the beginning of March.
I’m almost done, just one last screw and I can go home. I’m not sealing the roof today though, it’s too damn hot!
In the direct sunlight with the reflected heat from the roof, he was being boiled alive. His hands shook as he struggled to align the screw to be drilled.
Slow down... Easy does it…
The final screw drilled into the wood frame of the RV and secured the panel tightly against the roof. With a groan, Drew stood and stretched his back with deep satisfaction.
Finally done.
He collected his tools and descended the small attached ladder. Halfway down, his hand suddenly slipped and he fell hard on the ground below.
“Ooof!” he let out a short grunt as he landed on his side.
Tears filled his eyes at the all too familiar pain. Recently, his accidents seemed to occur far more frequently. His disease, which began with mild symptoms, had progressed to a state which almost left him unable to work. What started with a mild tremor had turned into limbs that shook uncontrollably.
This is probably the last job I’ll be able to complete. What do I do for money now?
He remained on the ground in defeat in the relentless sun, and contemplated the choices that brought him to this moment.
At 51 years old, Andrew was diagnosed with a debilitating disease. It progressed until he was a shell of his former self, and soon he feared he would be forced to rely on others for his every need. When he was first afflicted, his wife and son were supportive. However, they could not really understand. It was different when it was your own life being stripped from you.
Shortly after his illness was revealed, he realized that he had not yet truly lived. Drew spent his entire adult life in Colorado Springs, Colorado and never explored the world as he originally dreamed. In that moment of self reflection, he decided he would accomplish his dream while he still had time. The conversation with his now estranged wife, Sarah, that had followed, was the trigger for the end for their relationship.
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He sat at the dinner table with Sarah and made small talk to avoid his real goal. After the easy subjects were exhausted, he gathered up his courage and broached the subject.
“Honey, I’d like us to travel.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed as she asked, “What do you mean Drew, do you wanna go skiing at Breckenridge again? We just went a few years ago!”
Shaking his head, he continued on with enthusiasm, “No, I don’t mean a short trip where we fall on the slopes again because we’re too old and out of shape, I mean we should see the country like I always wanted to!”
With a smile, he waved his hands expansively.
“Just think about it, we’ve never gone more than a couple of hours away in our entire lives! I want to see the Tetons, Yellowstone, Mount St. Helens, and Yosemite! I want to see the Redwoods and the Sequoias! Not to mention the Grand Canyon and the ocean! Wouldn’t you love to see New England in the fall? Or how about the skyscrapers of New York City? I’d love to look off into the distance from the top of the Empire State Building!”
Drew waited with baited breath for her response.
“I don’t know dear. Aren’t we too old to be adventuring? How would we pay for it? I don’t think they’d let you off work that long anyways,” she replied dismissively.
“Screw work! I’ve spent my entire life working, I want to do something for me now, for us! I’ll just quit and find a way to pay for it. Sure, we may have to downsize a bit, but I’m sure we can make it work. I’ve heard people can make money online while living out of a van. What do they call it…. oh yeah! Digital Nomads!”
“Hah! Living out of a van! Can you even imagine being that cramped and dirty? There’s no shower and we’d be stuck inside a small van all day. That sounds awful!”
“I’m sure it's not that bad honey, or people wouldn’t do it. Besides, you’ll get to see the country! Some small sacrifices are no big deal!”
“Drew, I’m not going to travel the country in a van. That sounds awful.” As she saw the disappointment on his face, she compromised, “How about we plan a week long trip to California. We can see some big trees, a few waterfalls, and stay in a nice hotel.” She paused and then emphasized, “With a shower.”
He shook his head and complained, “That’s just one place! If we go to just one or two places a year, I’ll never see everything! How long until I’m not able to leave the house? How long until I’m stuck in a hospital bed shaking and unable to move? We need to go now!”
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He shook his head at the sore memory, and slowly struggled to his feet. His tools had scattered, and every time he bent over to collect one, he groaned in pain. Eventually, he accomplished the herculean task and set off for home.
As he drove his van, he recalled how the arguments had gotten more heated as time went on. They both refused to budge and had become obstinate. After a while, his wife even recruited their son Adam to her side.
However, nothing they said could sway him from his goal. They could not understand why it was so important to him. Their entire lives were ahead of them, they still had time.
Eventually, he decided that if she would not join him, he would have to do it alone. The screaming match that resulted was painful to remember. Words were said that should never have been uttered. They could never be taken back. He remembered how he had packed his things to her icy silence as she glared from the doorway. At the end, Sarah refused to talk to him even as he walked out the door.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
After he made his decision, he researched how to make his dream happen. Originally, he wanted to either buy a complete camping van called a Class B RV, or build his own from scratch. However, reality sank in when he saw the prices. Funds were short, so he settled on an older tiny camper he now towed with his work van.
After he stocked the trailer he set off with new hope, or at least he tried to. At the beginning of his journey, he tried to be excited and adventurous. Yet, every time he saw something new or interesting, he wanted to share it with Sarah. Every time he was disappointed, she was not there.
For the first six months, the constant phone calls with accusations of abandonment overshadowed any enjoyment he had found in travel. He tried to send pictures to Sarah and Adam to convince them to join him, but that was a mistake. Eventually, Sarah blocked his number, and all he ever received from his son was admonishment.
When the money ran out he devised a scheme that would allow him to continue to travel and feed himself. With his background as an electrician, he easily picked up solar installation and was quickly able to find work setting up RVs for off-grid use.
Every year for the last four years, he had come to the warm desert of Arizona for Winter and installed solar on RVs of all kinds. From November to March, he made enough money for him to scrape by for the rest of the year. He struggled through the long work days during the Big Tent Sale, but worried as the referrals dried up as spring approached.
Drew turned left into the Long Term Visitor Area of the Quartzite, Arizona desert. This late in the winter season, there were only a few people left to brave the blazing sun. The permit to camp here was $180, but that was cheap as it lasted all Winter long.
To save money the rest of the year, he was able to stay on public lands for free. Sure, he had received a few “talking to’s,” from the Bureau of Land Management or Forest Rangers over the years for overstaying his 14 days, but there were always plenty of new places to move.
Of course in Quartzite, BLM very rarely had to kick people out as the heat did their job for them.
When this job’s finished, I’m getting out of here. The camper’s getting too damn hot.
That evening, Drew fell asleep as he always did: alone, depressed, and focused on his past mistakes. He had one last thought before he nodded off.
How long before I can’t even drive?
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BAAAM!!!
Drew was jolted awake. Cobwebs filled his head as he wiped his tired eyes and tried to gain his bearings.
BAAAM!!!
Drew bounded to his feet with adrenaline spiked. His unbalanced legs gave out, and he slammed against the thin wall of the camper.
Damnit! Not again!
He scrambled to his feet and peered out the small window to see who slammed into his fragile door.
BAAAM!!!
The entire camper rocked and he fell backwards into the wall as the door rattled against the frame.
Was that a crack in the door?
He envisioned the flimsy door splintering apart and worried about how long it would continue to hold up.
Who’s doing this? Is it some crackhead looking for a score? They aren’t getting my stuff!
Drew turned back to grab his hidden gun within the drawer near his bed. There was another pause between the steady assault on his camper door.
Is he just ramming into the door, falling down, and getting up to ram it again?
Before the assailant could rush his poor camper again, he shouted, “I’m armed and will defend myself!”
BAAM!!!
He’s gotta be stoned!
While the criminal recovered, Drew rushed the door, unlocked it, and threw it open. He extended his pistol in one motion, and scanned the desert for threats. To his surprise, he saw a huge shaggy beast of some kind on the ground in front of him. It struggled to its feet so it could resume its attack.
That’s no dog!
The crack of pistol fire hammered against his ears as he pulled the trigger over and over at the monster. After the 5th shot, the beast finally fell to the ground and twitched once before it stilled.
His ears rang from the rapid fire as he breathed deep in recovery. Drew felt as if he just ran a mile. As he caught his breath, he scanned the area for any other threats. Off in the distance, he spotted two other beasts which sprinted his way. They were three times the size of a large dog and would be on him soon.
Crap!
He rushed back inside and slammed the door shut for protection. Panic overwhelmed him as he realized his life was in danger.
Calm down Drew. Think! What do I need to do? More ammo!
Drew ejected the magazine from his .40 Ruger pistol and laid it on the bed. He sat down next to it and with shaky hands, bent over for the box of rounds in his drawer. After he fumbled the box open, he retrieved a round and tried to insert it into his half filled magazine.
Ahh!
His hands shook so violently that he missed and the round fell to the ground. He snatched the round off the floor and tried again. Eventually, he was able to replace the five rounds he expended and his nine round magazine was full once more. He slammed the magazine back into the butt of his Ruger. There was no need to rack the slide, as the round was already chambered from before. He was finally ready for the next attack.
That’s weird… Why aren’t they slamming into the door?
Drew assumed the beasts were going to assault the camper like the first. However, the trailer never rocked, and his battered door stood silent. After another few seconds, he decided to check outside. He peered out his windows, but saw nothing.
I guess I have to open the door…
After a short prayer, he threw the door open and prepared to fire. To his shock, the two beasts ignored him as they ripped flesh from their dead cousin. They greedily gulped down skin, hair, and muscle as they peeled away strips from its chest. Blood turned the sand red as a pungent smell filled the morning air.
Drew steadied his wavering Ruger with a two handed grip for a center strike on the beast closest to him. Unlike his last panicked shots, he took time to aim down the site before he pulled the trigger. The first bullet grazed the beast’s haunch. Drew’s second, however, hit it directly in the chest.
His ears rang, yet he still heard the beast yelp in pain. It quickly recovered and prepared to leap at him. Drew did not give it a chance. Two more rounds hit it solidly in the chest before it fell to the ground dead.
That's four shots. There’s five, no six more left.
Drew had almost forgotten about the unfired round in the chamber. The distraction of counting bullets nearly cost him his life. The other beast did not sit still while he killed its brother, it was already in the air as it sailed towards him. Drew panicked and pulled the trigger as fast as possible.
The beast slammed into him and toppled him to the floor of the camper. He continued to fire as it snarled in frustration. It slashed at his face, but failed to find purchase as it was peppered with bullets. Drew heard the pistol’s hammer click after he fired his last round into the beast’s chest. The damage was too much for the creature and its muscles gave out. Its massive weight settled on top of him.
That was close!
After he caught his breath, he heaved the heavy monster off of him and crawled to the door. Drew scanned left and right as he frantically looked for any other threats.
I’m safe. At least for now.
Drew slammed the door closed and reached for his phone on the nightstand. With trembling fingers, he dialed 911 and rested the phone against his deafened ear.
Am I too deaf?
Drew could not hear the phone ring. Just to make sure it was his ears and not the phone, he looked at his screen. An error greeted his face. ‘No signal.’
What the hell? I should have 4 bars!
In all of the years he stayed at Quartzite, he had never lost signal before. He stared in incomprehension at his phone for a full thirty seconds before he decided to check on his neighbors.
What the hell is going on?