INTRODUCTION
My dad often spoke of a man who saved my life, and how we became refugees living in Scotland.
On the morning of 14th May 2014 most of Europe and North Africa was consumed by a massive fireball that killed countless millions and changed humanity forever. What didn’t burn was cursed by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that destroyed all electrical and electronic devices. In an instant mankind was rendered helpless. For those who survived the conflagration, food became scarce and starvation beckoned. At first many thought that the UK had been devastated by a massive, pre-emptive nuclear attack, but weeks later and survivors started to report seeing large “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) over Southern Scotland and Northern England.
I was too young to remember any of this, but my life was saved by the kindness of John Smith, a stranger who found me crying over the body of my dead mother, somewhere in Cumbria or Northumberland. He looked after me until we were picked up by an army patrol. Thereafter, I was reunited with my dad, before moving to Scotland. But what happened to the man who saved my life?
Eighteen months ago my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before it was too late, he wanted to trace this man, not only to thank him again for saving my life, but also to help pinpoint the location where his wife (my mum) was buried.
Nonetheless, beyond the pseudonym (?) not much is known of John Smith. True, his first name was John and he was a survivor, having come from Cumbria, but we may never know his true origins or family background. His life post-apocalypse was one of survival, sacrifice, imprisonment and finally salvation. He saved many lives and yet he became a prisoner held under the convenience of quarantine.
His story and his lost diaries have done more than most to explain the events of 14th May 2014. Yet beyond his rediscovered writing he largely remains an enigma. Some say that was by design and of his own choosing, with friends respecting his wishes to remain just another refugee, trying to survive in Scotland.
But none of this was known to us as we began our research and journey of discovery. What little we knew was told by John Smith to my dad the night before we set off for Scotland in the summer of 2014. We survived, but did John Smith?
Me thinks "The Lost Diaries of John Smith" would make an excellent TV series! I'm just saying...
As with all my Steemit content, this post and my book "The Lost Diaries of John Smith" are the copyright of Phillip Rhodes (c) 2011-2017.
