Tag: looters

Microfiction – Looters

“Lisa! Get our bug-out-bags; we have to leave. I’m going to run the livestock into the woods; meet me there.”

It’s been a year and a half since the eruptions, and the volcanic winter that ensued has turned the world gray leaving survivors to fend for themselves.

At the gate, Lisa found her husband shooing the last of their chickens into the woods, hoping the thieves would not get them all. “Let’s go,” she said, “I don’t want to reach Maidie’s after dark.”

And with that, Jeff and Lisa Wilson left everything behind to seek shelter on the other side of the mountain. Would anything be left upon their return?

“Too many to fight.”
“I know, replied Jeff as he watched looters kick in their front door. Five years earlier, he had carried her across the threshold, and it was all he could do to keep from killing the man in his crosshairs.

This piece of microfiction is a character story from my apocalyptic novella Every Yard Is A Grave. Character stories are small glimpses into a character’s life before, during, and after the book.

You loot, We shoot. We’ve all seen the signs

I read some articles on how to protect your business from looters after a disaster. They said you should: cover your windows with plywood, purchase surveillance cameras, get an alarm system, back up your electronic data, and buy insurance. None of the them advised protecting your property with a gun. Why?

Let’s face it, looters are just as devasting to businesses as a disaster, and no one should have to stand by while their business is destroyed by thieves.

Now I know the argument will be “looters are just trying to get survival items,” but we all know this is bullshit. Watch any looter video, and you will see people running down the street with TVs, arms full of clothes, computers, etc. But for the sake of argument, let’s say they were getting food and water. Does that make it right for them to steal? No, especially if the owner is present and does not want to give it away as charity.

The truth is, looters are not weak, helpless, victims of a disaster. They are not black, white, or brown; male or female. They are just thieves, plain and simple.

I don’t believe looting after a disaster is a big problem overall, but that does not mean it should be overlooked or tolerated.