A Hard Road to Travel -- Part 5

This multi-part short story fascinates me.   I got the idea from wondering what life would be like after some major national, yet natural, disaster.   Somehow, I just couldn't picture mass destruction.   Too heart-breaking.   One of my favorite writing styles are letters, like de Loclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses.   I think this type of writing style allows for more imagination.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

A Hard Road to Travel -- Part 5

 

March 7

Indianapolis, Indiana

 

Dear Marianne,

 

Hope all is well and the winter hasn't been too bad.  The winter here has been a little rough.  They say we're having a harder winter because we're getting "lake effect snows" from the new lakes.   We had 3 feet of snow and the temperatures were below freezing for several days.  The kids stayed home from school for 4 days.   I got out all of Grandma's knitting needles and Janet and I are knitting.   We got lots of yarn a couple of weeks ago when we went shopping.  

Do you remember me writing about Karen and Jack, the dentist?  They left several weeks ago and arrived in Reno.   I got a letter from Karen.   She said the trip was long.   The railroad out of Chicago has reconnected with several cities -- Sioux Falls and Des Moines -- she mentioned they have lots of lake front property in those areas now.  She ran into an old friend of hers from Little Rock -- also now has lots of lake front property.   The friend said that Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are mainly gone.  St. Louis for the most part is under water.   She said the arch literally sank into the ground along with most of the city.  She found an article in the Chicago Trib while they were there where scientists thought that the quake caused more sinking than actually shaking.

 

Well, anyway.  I have to go.  I write soon.

Love Sal

 

****

 

March 15

 

Keene, New Hampshire

 

Dear Sal

 

 All is well here except for the 6 feet of snow, but the temps have been about 30.  Mama got a letter from a friend whose visiting in Florida.  She says not much has changed down there except the water levels at the beaches.  Says the beaches out into the gulf about half mile further out.   Her friend told her when the whole area sank it sucked all the water out of the gulf and at first they were about a mile out, but the water level has come back up. 

I was going to ask you about the utility bills there and how much they run.  I've been waiting for a response about our applications.  I haven't heard anything yet.   We have someone interested in buying the house, so we just have to wait.

 

Love Marianne