A long, long journey home for Thanksgiving

It wasn't until the day before Thanksgiving that I realized how much our world has changed. It took hours and hours and plenty of documentation to be able to leave the city and drive home for the holiday.

A Visitor roadblock (pictured) on Highway 56 keeps people from leaving the city for long. I had to prove that I was a tax-paying citizen of Kansas City. Then I had to sign a document saying I would return to the city on Sunday evening. Left unsaid - what would happen if I didn't. I assume I'd be arrested. Crazy!

Why is it so important for the Visitors to know the whereabouts of every person in this city? I enjoyed being home for the holidays but it was a gloomy weekend. Everyone in the family is starting to crack under the pressure of curfews, food rations and all of the other changes that have taken place since the Visitors arrived. Mom and Dad are upset because it's become impossible to place long-distance calls to our relatives on the East Coast. Dad said the phone bills went through the roof, and now you can't even reach folks who are out of town by phone.

When we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner we said our usual prayers. We also added a new part to it expressing our hope that the Visitors will leave soon and life will return to normal. Perhaps by Christmas they'll have the chemicals they need ...