by S A Ison
Trish was brought out of her musing by raised voices.
“What do you mean I can only have three of these boxes. Since when?” A man argued, anger in his voice.
“Sir, I don’t control what we limit, that comes from upper management.” The woman at the cash register said.
Shit, it’s started, she thought, her heart flip flopping.
TWO
Franktown, CO
Laura woke with a start; something had pulled her out of a deep sleep. It was still dark out. There was no power and she couldn’t see the clock. She heard ticking from the clock down the hall, it was an old fashion windup. She turned her head from side to side, listening, for what, she didn’t know. She was in her old childhood bedroom; she and the girls had gotten to her parent’s home the day before. It had been a hard, long walk to her parent’s farm.
Just after she’d hung up with Hogan, the lights and power had gone out. She’d been annoyed but figured it would come back on before morning. She’d tried to use her cellphone as a flashlight, but it hadn’t worked. That had frightened her. She’d just been on the phone with Hogan, not five minutes before and she knew the charge had been good. She’d gotten it off the charging station just before calling him.
She’d gone to the window and looked out. It was dark as dark could be. Nothing, nothing at all could be seen out the windows. No streetlights, nothing from the other homes in the neighborhood. She’d moved around the dark house and could hear the girls calling her.
“Stay put girls, I’m getting a flashlight.” She’d told the twins. Laura felt her way to the kitchen and found a flashlight in the junk drawer. Turning it on, she made her way to the girls.
“We got no water mommy. We can’t brush our teeth.” Alexa said plaintively. Laura smiled down at her worrywart and caressed her rich chestnut hair, it was like her father’s hair. Her own hair was a mousy brown.
“I guess that means you’re lucky, you get to go to bed without brushing.” She tickled both girls, eliciting giggles from both. She’d let them sleep with her that night, wanting her daughters near. Something niggled in the back of her mind, but she’d not know what or why. The next day, the power still wasn’t on and she’d fed the girls dry cereal with powdered milk and water. The milk in the fridge was warm and she was afraid to give it to them. The meat and frozen food in the freezer were still cold but were thawing.
She had an electric stove and it was useless. All she could think of was wasted food. She opened a can of fruit to give the girls as well. She prowled the house that whole day, waiting for the power to come back on. Then, the next morning, she’d walked to her next-door neighbor’s home, Donny Peeler.
“You know what’s going on Donny? My power has been out since night before last.” She’d asked. Donny and his wife Carol were in their mid-fifties. Their children having flown the nest some years back. Donny worked at a car dealership while Carol was the receptionist at their dentist’s office. She’d known the couple for a few years.
“Well, I’m speculating, but I’m thinking something bad has happened, Laura. You might want to get those girls to your folk’s farm.” He’d told her, his eyes looking around the neighborhood, a worried frown on his face.
“What do you mean?” Fear had snaked its way up her back, and that little niggling in her brain became louder.
“Look, no power. The cars don’t work either.” He’d started to say.
“What? What do you mean the cars don’t work?” She’d asked, her voice raising slightly. She’d been off and so hadn’t needed to use the car for any reason.
“No power, and the cars don’t work. My cell is out, so is Carol’s phone. That means something took out the power, but also killed electronics. I can’t remember what you call it, but it has something to do with a bomb or something. It kills everything and for a very long time. Nothing with electricity is going to work, nothing with microchips. Also, look at the sky, it is really hazy. You can’t even see the sun. That’s not normal. You’d best take your girls and get to your parent’s farm. I have a bad feeling, it’s gonna get ugly and fast.” Donny had said, this time in a low voice when one of his neighbors stepped out on the porch, across the street.
She looked at him and then at the man across the way, who’d raised a hand in greeting. Both she and Donny nodded.
“My god, that’s twelve miles. The girls can’t walk that far.” Laura said, now frightened.
“Look, I’ve got a cart, you know, a garden cart. Load those kids up with food and water. You have a gun? And do you know how to use it?” Donny had asked her. She nodded numbly and it was difficult for her to answer, her mouth suddenly dry.
“Look, if you walk at a good pace, you should be there in about six hours. Get some good comfortable shoes on. Make sure you pack clothes for the girls and yourself. If you have a kid’s wagon, you can attach it to the garden wagon and pull behind. Get to your parents, it isn’t gonna be safe in the next few days. When people start to realize what is going on, you’ll be in trouble. Not sure if you know, but Randy, across the street is a registered predator, you know, sex offender. You need to get those girls and go.” Donny said sternly.
“Jesus Christ. I didn’t know that, about Randy, I mean. Okay, I guess I can leave tomorrow.”
“No, leave today, go home now. I’ll go get the cart and clean it up and get it ready. You go back over, and you get packed and get out now and head to your parents’ place. Anyone comes at you hinky, you know, if you feel a tingle, don’t hesitate to shoot. For your girl’s sake.”
Laura had been so shaken; she’d turned around and ran back to the house, looking up at the obscured sky. She found the girls playing in their room. She by-passed their room, going to her own room. She went to the closet and opened the small gun safe. She pulled out her Glock 26, and the three small magazines. She also grabbed two boxes of shells. She turned; her brain frozen with fear. She reached up on the shelf and pulled down the shoulder holster. She’d be wearing a coat so it would be invisible. Pulling out a suitcase, she went to the chest of drawers and pulled out underwear, socks, a couple bras and then pulled out three pairs of jeans. She then pulled out several heavy cotton shirts, a couple T-shirts and then moved to the girl’s room.
She didn’t want to alarm them, and it had taken a herculean effort not to. She smiled at the girls.
“We a’re going to go stay with granny and grampy, how does that sound girls?”
“Awesome!” Both cried in jubilation, jumping up and down excitedly.
“Okay, get changed into your jeans. Make sure you put your favorite toys in a bag. We’re going to be staying a while.” She’d helped the girls gather only the sturdiest of clothing. Sweaters and heavy shirts were packed away. She dressed the girls in extra shirts, less she had to pack. She packed extra shoes, the ones that were too big for the girls. She sometimes bought clothing and shoes that were too big, when they were on sale. She didn’t know how long all of this would last, but if what Donny said was true, they’d need more later. Her mother had a lot of her and her sister, Marybeth’s old things in the attic. She hoped it would be enough. She’d kept asking herself over and over, where was Hogan? He should have been home by now. Fear made her push it down, with excuses. Bad traffic, a wreck. He couldn’t reach her because the phone was down. Now, she knew why. But was he still on his way?
Going to the garage, she found the girl’s wagon. She and Hogan used to pull them in it when they were smaller. Now, it just held junk. She emptied it out and loaded the suitcase. It practically filled the wagon. Then she crammed as many bottles of water into the wagon as she could. She opened the garage door and pulled the wagon out and along the sidewalk to the front door. Heading back into the house, she went to the pantry. Looking, she needed to get things the girls could eat without cooking. She grabbed the peanut butter and began to make sandwiches. She packed those, along with several boxes of raisins, cups of applesauce, trail mix, cookies and then she pulled out the apples from the
crisper. She’d gotten a bushel of them last month and there were plenty left.
She went and grabbed photographs out of her picture box. It held numerous photographs that were waiting to be put into albums. She grabbed a handful of the precious family photos. She couldn’t bring all the pictures, but she could bring a lot. Where was Hogan? Her mouth trembled and she bit down. She could not fall apart now. Not now. She’d come back one day and get the rest. For now, this would have to do. She stood for a moment, looking around her home. She placed a hand over her mouth, to stop the scream that was trying to escape. Would she ever see her home again? Would she see Hogan? My God, where was Hogan, was he on his way here? She took a deep breath, trying to get control.
“Okay girls, get your rabbits and let’s go to Mr. Donny’s house to get his wagon.” A chorus of okay answered her. The girls came into the kitchen with their stuffed rabbits. They both had heavy coats on, along with their mittens, hats and scarves. It was a blustery day out and without the warmth of sunshine, Laura had wanted them well dressed for the six-hour trip. She also grabbed a quilt off her bed. Her mother had made it and it was heavy and warm. She’d wrap the girls in that for the trip. Thinking, she stopped.
“Okay, both of you go potty. It’s gonna be a long trip.” She did the same and picked up a roll of toilet paper and a package of wipes. She also grabbed two of her menstrual cups. She’d not need tampons.
They went to Donny’s home and she’d pulled the wagon behind her. It was heavy. Donny and Carol came out, both of their faces stamped with concern. Laura had looked across the street but saw no sign of Randy.
“Put the quilt in there first. Carol wiped it out, so it’s pretty clean. Are you packing?” Donny asked, his graying brow raised.
Opening her coat, she let him see the holster. He smiled grimly and nodded.
“Here is some nylon cord. For right now, if you want, have the girls walk alongside you. When they get tired, you can have them get into the cart and tie them together so you can pull. You got a flashlight? It’s early yet, but you might be getting there about dusk. Just want to make sure you’re prepared.” Donny advised.
“Oh, no, let me run back over.” Laura said, and turned.
“No, no, here, take this. It’s a head lamp and it’s bright. You can wear it on your head or hold it in your hand. I’ve a couple of them, so don’t worry.” Donny smiled down at her and Laura had felt like crying. He must have seen it and pulled her in for a fatherly hug.
“You’ll do great. Just go and get there as fast as you can. Don’t take shit from anyone. Don’t tell them what you know or where you are going. Play ignorant. Just say you’re going to your folks. That’s it.”
Laura nodded and hugged Carol, who was now crying softly.
“God be with you, Laura, keep those little ones safe. You as well, dear.”
“I will Carol, you guys be safe as well. You can have the food in the house, I got what I needed packed up. If…if Hogan gets here, please tell him where I went. I left a note in the kitchen for him.” Laura said, her voice cracking. She wiped at the tears and turned to the girls.
It had taken them seven hours and by the time they got to her parents, it had been dark. The headlamp had helped and when Laura had come to the house, the dogs had barked to announce their arrival. Her parents had been surprised but happy and relieved to see them. The girls had been unphased, but Laura had been at the end of her rope.
She jerked when she heard the noise that had woken her up. It was one of the dogs, JoJo, she thought, the black lab. He was dreaming and barking in his sleep. She let out the breath she’d been holding. She eased back into her pillow. The girls were sleeping in the spare room. It had a full-size bed and held both girls. Her room had just the twin bed. Her older sister, Marybeth, who now lived in San Diego, rarely came home for a visit. When she did, she took the spare room, which had been hers. She wondered if she’d see Marybeth again. That made her heart hurt. She felt tears prickle and she bit down on her lip. Would she ever see Hogan?
What had happened? Was it a bomb? Was Hogan okay? Had it affected everyone? The whole country? What did that mean? Laura thought again of their trek to her parents’ farm. She’d been walking over an hour when the girls had gotten tired of walking. She’d loaded them up into the garden cart and had attached the smaller wagon to it. It had been a little awkward to pull, but she’d managed it. She just had to make wide turns when she turned down different streets and roads. They’d been going along fairly well, with no problems. People waved and smiled at them. No one seemed worried yet, because they didn’t know the extent of the outage. She’d paused to feed the girls and they’d found high weeds to relieve themselves. The girls had thought that was fun.
Laura used the wipes and hand sanitizer that she’d packed. She’d sat on the side of the road, eating her sandwich when she saw that Randy had followed them. He was about six hundred feet behind the miniature caravan. Her heart had thumped heavily in her chest with fear. He’s a sexual predator, Donny had warned. She’d gotten up and waited for him to get closer. When he was about twenty feet away, she pulled out her Glock and aimed it at him. Her back was to the girls and they didn’t notice. They were busy eating and chatting between themselves. She started walking toward Randy, the weapon never wavering and from the look on her face, he must have realized she’d not be a victim, they were not easy prey.
He stopped and when she kept coming, he turned around and ran. When he looked over his shoulder, she was still advancing and then he began to haul ass. Laura stopped and watched the man run, a malicious smile creasing her face. Bastard. She felt sorry for anyone that wasn’t armed, who wasn’t ready to kill.
A smile was on her face now, remembering and then it vanished. She heard the soft chime of the clock in the hall, it was 3am. She knew she couldn’t go back to sleep. Her mind was fully engaged. She reached over to the nightstand and felt around for the headlamp that Donny had given her. Clicking it on, she made her way downstairs, the wooden steps creaking beneath her feet. For the millionth time, she thought about Hogan and wondered where he was. She knew he was near Kansas City. If this thing had affected him, then he was there still.
If he were to try to make his way home, it would take months for him to get there. It had been almost a sunny day today, but the wind had blown cold, the chill factor cutting through her. The sky looked like it wanted to clear, but there was that heavy haze. Each day would get colder, it would be too cold to travel by foot. Especially trying to carry enough food to last him as well as water. Going to the stove, Laura struck a match and turned the knob. Fire whooshed on and she set the coffee pot on the grate. Her mother had dug out an old enamel blue coffee pot from the basement. The pot was chipped and dinged up but it worked fine. Their stove was gas and they had a tank buried behind the kitchen. While she waited for the coffee to heat, she went to the back door and looked out into the night. She wondered what Hogan was doing right now. Sleeping, she thought.
She heard the rooster crow, its sound muted by the closed windows. She laid her forehead on the cool glass of the door’s window. “Please, please watch over my Hogan, Lord.” She whispered.
Ӝ
Kansas City, MO
Trish helped Hogan into the truck. He’d been allowed to be discharged, only because Trish said she’d be taking him to her home. She’d made four trips to SAM’s over the last couple days. On her last trip, she’d been told that she could only take one fifty-pound bag of rice instead of the three bags she had on the cart. She’d also had some of her other items taken off the cart. She’d noticed the price hikes and wasn’t surprised. She’d been so grateful that she’d been able to get what she got. She’d add it to what she already had at home.
“Let me know if you get dizzy or nauseous. I want you to take it easy.” She admonished as she shut the door.
“Do you think the police will let me have my weapon back?” Hogan asked, buckling the seatbelt.
“We can call once we get
to my place. Shouldn’t be a problem. When did they speak with you?” Trish asked, pulling out of the hospital’s parking lot.
“About an hour after you left the other day. I told them I swerved to miss a herd of deer. I hated to lie to them, but I didn’t want to tell them what I saw. It would just make things more complicated. I also contacted my boss, told him about the accident. They in turn, called the insurance, so they’ll be dealing with that.”
“I thought your boss would be in Denver?” Trish asked, surprised.
“No, the headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia. They’ll try to contact the hub in Denver, but we both know, that won’t happen. I didn’t say anything. I’ve not heard any more about the bombing locations. I don’t understand why they’re not putting out more information.” He grumbled, frustrated.
“Keep us ignorant, keep us in the dark and you keep control.” Trish shrugged.
“Thank you for letting me come and stay at your place. I mean that. You don’t know me and you’re taking a chance.”
“We still have internet; I did a search. You came up clean.” She laughed, looking over at his surprised face.
“I’m crazy, but not stupid. I checked out your social media pages. You don’t have many. You have beautiful daughters. I also had a hard time finding anything on what’s going on. It’s almost like anything asked about nuclear weapons or detonations comes up blank, like those words get you nothing. Only Wikipedia junk.” She was sorry she mentioned his daughters, a haunted look washed over his face.
“I wasn’t able to watch much TV, but I listened. I keep hearing the same thing.” His voice rough with emotion.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Now, when I go back to work tomorrow, I’ll see if I can get any information. You were in the army, is this normal to shut down information?”
