the simple trap: 6

“So how much did you get done today?” said Cory, “I got three rabbits, don’t know how those bastards survive out there. Guess the fuckin’ animals are all doing a little better without us.” He shook his head.
They were all sitting in the living room, a few steps away from the kitchen. An old TV sat on a lazy-susan in the corner, blank, a mirror. Karl could see himself in there. He looked terrible. Suddenly pictures of Australian rabbits with myxomatosis slid through his mind.
“Not enough. We’re figuring we can probably grow enough food for a year with about 6 to 10 acres underground,” said Darryl. He was staring at his hand, doing some last minute calculation.
“Jesus Christ, man. How you planning on doing that? That’s like the whole underside of our yard,” said Cory.
“We’re going to be careful. I mean we can do this a little at a time. All we need right now is about quadruple what you got in the little cellar,” said Darryl. He caught Lena staring at the dirt caked on the bottom of his boots. “Oh, I’m very sorry, Lena.” He took them off, and put them out side. Then he opened it again, and put them inside. Cory chuckled.
“We were talking about doing it in chambers. And we’re going to need timbers to shore the thing up as we go along. We’ve got the shelf material,” Karl said. A sense of dread had built in him over the last five hours of digging. He didn’t know if they were going to be able to do this after all. The logistics, this tightening in his throat, the thread of raw skin around his wrist that was like a live strong bracelet, it was all wrong.
“What we need to do by tonight is set up some test plants, set up a bunch of different varieties, and let them settle. Of course that won’t be a real big temptation to anybody, but we were thinking we should set up some kind of watch,” said Darryl.
“We?” said Karl, snapping his head up, “I mean, shit I have no idea what’s going on here. Why don’t you let me in on these things before you just tell us all what we’re going to do.” He saw himself standing in front of the dark door. The thought was repellant. He shivered, finally, hard.
“Look, I’m just telling you, we’ve got to set up these plants,” Darryl looked at him funny. “If we do that, someone is going to have to guard them tonight. There are thieves who already know where this godforsaken place is –“
Karl interjected, “It’s not like whoever took the first preserves plan on coming back for seconds, it’s not like preserves grow.”
“So you’re willing to take the risk of losing most of our seeds?” Darryl’s voice was rising, “Did you think about that, Karl? Karl, what’s going on with you? Do you even know where the seeds are? No you don’t, do you, you ungrateful –“
“Whoa there boys!” Cory said way too loudly. It startled Darryl to silence. “We ain’t gonna do that shit. That shit don’t help nobody. I mean, I’ll throw my weight around. This is my house, and I ain’t having none of that. We’re gonna have some semblance of order, or ya’ll gonna get the hell out.”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little bit, hon?” said Lena, she was sitting in a la-z-boy, facing the blank TV.
“No, no, it’s cool,” said Karl, “It’s cool man, we weren’t really arguing.”
“All right, I’m just warning you, we gonna nip that shit in the bud. I don’t know where you came from, or what kind of history you brought with you, but you can leave that history at the door, or at least don’t show me none,” explained Cory. He had his hands on his thighs, gripping them as if he was about to spring up.
“All right, look, Darryl, you gonna take the first watch? Are we gonna do it by night, or shift?” said Karl, pretending to relax. He shifted his shoulders around.
“I think we should do it by shift, Karl,” said Darryl, he was rubbing the back of his neck, looking any way but Karl’s, “And I’m gonna need to be planting the samples. You know I have more experience Karl, and this is just too important. And I don’t think we should ask Cory into the rotation, at least not yet.”
Karl looked up at Darryl, an intense little smile chiseled on his face. He nodded his head a little.
“Well, what about me?” asked Lena.
“You really think you can get across the yard with a bunch of gun toting hungry folk shooting at you?” said Darryl.
“You must not know my wife,” mumbled Cory, smiling.
“Well, I think I can probably do it as well as you or Karl,” said Lena, smiling, “Cory on the other hand? Well, he’s a bad motherfucker.”
Karl laughed loudly. Everyone turned to look at him. He didn’t notice since he was still smiling at Darrl.
“So okay… Okay, you’ll relieve Karl. You’ll get in there, change with him around 11:00 tonight. I think Karl should take the first samples we can get planted with him, as soon as possible. What do you think, Cory?”
“I think we should give him a rifle to go with that nine,” said Cory, “That is, if we think he can handle it.”
“Oh, and one last thing. I saw the potbellied stove in your neighbor’s yard. That would, um, be perfect for getting that climate right for tomatoes,” said Darryl.
“I guess that’s what you were widening the door for earlier. Great,” said Karl, “just great.”