Bracing The Storm: An EMP Survival Story (Survival Series Book 3)

by Kip Nelson

  Darren almost had forgotten the powerful effect a girl could have on a boy.

  As Brent was displaying his technique, Darren spotted a few flaws. He was about to offer Brent some advice when again Betsy beat him to the punch.

  “Why don’t you try it like this?” she asked, taking the rocks from Brent.

  She twisted her wrists around and struck the rocks at an angle. They made a crashing sound as they hit each other, and after a few strikes she generated a spark. Brent gasped in amazement, and Darren realized he had underestimated Betsy’s capabilities.

  “Bill wasn’t a nice man, but he taught me a lot,” she explained.

  She handed the rocks back to Brent and suggested that he try again. Darren looked at the two of them with pride as they learned to tame the land together. He placed his hands on his hips, breathed in deeply, and then looked at the horizon. Standing there with the kids around him filled him with positivity. When they were alone like this he actually could feel hope for the future. But then it struck him. It was too quiet. He looked to where the girls had been standing.

  They were gone.

  Chapter Five

  “Shit!” Darren said as he ran to where they had been standing.

  He’d only taken his eyes off them for a minute as he had been concerned with Brent’s injury, but he chastised himself. He should have known better. One of the first things a parent learned was that kids could get into trouble no matter where they were, and they would wander off no matter what. Even though he’d told them to stay in the same place, they wouldn’t have obeyed them because they didn’t have the capacity to think like that. They’d probably seen a bird or something shiny and wandered off, not understanding they were going out of sight of the rest of them.

  Darren scanned the trees, trying to detect any movement at all, but he couldn’t see a thing.

  Brent and Betsy got to their feet. The three of them formed a triangle and called the girls’ names. Darren’s eyes darted around desperately. He looked at the ground, searching for their tracks, but it was so difficult to tell with all the mushy leaves that carpeted the ground.

  Panic flared. The moment became an eternity, an eternity in which two little girls had been carried off by a stranger, killed by an animal, or simply become lost in the woods. Any possibility could have occurred, all of them bad, and it was his fault. He should have kept an eye on them. And now they were in trouble.

  There seemed to be no respite from suffering in this world. As soon as he felt hope the universe came crashing down around him, threatening something else he loved. Darren put his hands to his mouth and hollered, trying to decide in which direction to search. The woods were big. It was so easy to get turned around, and the girls were so little that it was easy for them to disappear.

  Had anyone been watching them?

  Suddenly the hackles on Darren’s back rose. People could have been out there now, watching for him, studying him. His throat ran dry and he called out their names again.

  “Daddy!” he heard from his left.

  His neck snapped around and he ran to the source of the noise, almost slipping, such was his haste. Betsy and Brent weren’t too far behind him. He pushed through a few trees and rounded a bend, so afraid that Tara and Michelle were being carried off by some stranger.

  “Keep talking, Sweetie! I can hear you! I’m coming!” he yelled back, not caring if he was giving away his position to an enemy. All that mattered was getting his daughter and her friend back. He’d brought them out here to teach them how to survive, not to be carried away.

  Then he saw them. The girls were standing below a tree, staring up at the branches. When they saw Darren approaching, Michelle smiled and pointed upward. Darren didn’t bother following her gaze. He simply wrapped her up in his arms and squeezed her tightly.

  When he let go, he realized that she was nonplussed. Brent and Betsy were panting beside him, having sprinted from their previous location.

  “It’s Mr. Owl!” Michelle said. Darren followed the direction of her small finger and saw an owl perched near the top of the tree. He put his hands on his hips and sighed. All that panic, all that fear had been for nothing.

  “Girls, I told you to stay where you were. You weren’t supposed to wander off,” he said in a terse voice.

  It took all his willpower not to shout at them. Before he became a parent he always had looked with disdain upon people who shouted at their kids. It seemed a cruel thing to do, and he never thought it would be difficult to keep his patience. But kids had a way of testing even the most placid man. Emotions ran high, and once panic stations were engaged it was difficult to calm the emotions again.

  “We just wanted to see the owl,” Michelle said, casting her eyes to the ground. She knew when her father was displeased and because she was a good girl she never liked making him upset.

  “You have to listen to what I say, both of you. When I tell you to stay in one place, I need you to stay in that place,” he said.

  Really, he was angrier with himself than them. They were just kids, and it was his responsibility to ensure they remained safe. However, in the moment it was difficult to understand that. His emotions had taken over once the fear had taken hold, and he still was going through the process of calming down.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” Michelle mumbled. Tara murmured an apology too. Because Darren still was getting used to having Tara around he didn’t direct any anger at her, which unfortunately meant that Michelle bore the brunt of his ire. “We thought we’d be safe. You said this was home.”

  Darren closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was easy to forget that the brains of children worked in entirely different ways from those of adults. To them, the world was a wondrous place and there was no need to worry about anything because as long as Daddy was nearby it would be okay. They had no idea what cruelty awaited them in the world, couldn’t fathom the dangers. So, of course they wouldn’t have thought they had done anything wrong.

  He brought the girls in closely. They looked chastened, their heads bowed.

  “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t mean to get angry. I’m not angry with you, I just was scared for you. I know I said this is home, but that doesn’t mean it’s like the home we’re used to. We have to remember that this place is home to a lot of other animals as well, and other people.

  “We have to be careful where we walk because these woods are big, and if we lose sight of each other, it’s going to be difficult to find each other again. I know there are a lot of distractions around and you just want to see the animals, but please, I need you to remember to ask one of us before you do. Keep close to us. That’s the only thing you have to remember, okay?”

  The girls nodded and Darren brought them in for a hug. He closed his eyes, grateful that this time the panic had been for nothing. It so easily could have been different, though. So, he hoped his lesson got through to them.

  “Dad, I’m getting hungry. How long do we need to be out here?” Brent asked.

  Darren felt the stirrings of hunger too. He had come to realize there were two types of hunger. There was the kind with which he had become familiar, a hollow feeling in his stomach that sat there like a stone. It was a constant ache, the kind that had plagued his lower back as he had grown older. It was the sort of thing that appeared one day out of nowhere, yet seemed as if it had been there forever, so you couldn’t remember life without it. All those niggling aches and pains were a result of wear and tear on the body, but this hunger pain was something different.

  He only had become used to it out of necessity. He imagined it was the same for the kids too, and everyone else he had met in this forsaken world. Perhaps with the exception of the cannibals, although the less time spent thinking about them the better. No, this hunger was rooted deep inside himself. Like a tumor it almost had taken on a life of its own. It wasn’t just a hunger for food, it was a hunger for warmth, for all he had lost. It was a hunger that had been borne from havin
g everything he knew taken away from him. He couldn’t ever imagine getting rid of it, not now that it was such a big part of him.

  The other type of hunger was the gnawing kind, the kind that came out to play after he’d been doing some hard work. It scratched at his stomach relentlessly, clawed at him, growling like a little monster inside. This hunger had learned to be sated with a meager portion of food, but it always returned. In some ways that was worse than having the constant companion, because Darren was afraid that at some point this monster would grow and grow until it was overwhelming, until it drove him to his limits and he began eating things he never would have considered eating before.

  “We can go home now,” Darren said, trying to ignore the feelings inside his stomach.

  “We’ll rest a little bit, and then we’ll get right back to it. I want you to think about what you’ve learned today, and how you can go about improving things for next time. These woods are big, and everything in them is there for our taking. You all did well today. I think we made some good progress. I’m sure that before too long we will be masters of our domain,” he said, and then led his family back to the cave.

  While he walked back to the cave, Darren continually scanned the horizon for the presence of any other people. Although his fears that the girls had been kidnapped turned out to be unfounded, it did remind him that he couldn’t become complacent. Given what he’d seen of the state of the houses it was clear people would be coming to these woods, and that meant there was more chance of his family running into them. Not all of them would be looking to cause trouble, but some of them would, and that minority made it worth him keeping his senses focused on the surrounding world.

  As yet he hadn’t seen anyone, but as they approached the cave his anxiety increased. He was so afraid somebody had come across their home and taken it as their own. At first glance it looked as though the defenses they had built were undisturbed, but he told the rest of them to be careful, just in case.

  They worked their way past the fallen log and through the thick brambles. Darren breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that their things had been left there unharmed.

  Everyone was glad to return home. They relaxed on their sleeping bags and blankets and took joy in the simple comfort of having a roof over their head. Darren heard Brent thank Betsy for the lesson she had given him with the rocks, and Darren was glad Brent was able to accept help when he was wrong, rather than getting frustrated and not learning anything at all.

  The younger girls had forgotten their misdemeanor and the fact that Darren had been upset with them, and quickly had gone back to running around. Even in this world it seemed as though kids had far too much energy. Darren could have slept for days, he was exhausted, but he knew he had to keep himself awake in case the kids needed him.

  They ate some of the nuts they had brought back with them, and also cooked a little more of the food. The more Darren looked at the empty bags of food, the more he was upset. He should have found more during his trek, but there was no helping that now.

  They made a fire as usual and settled down for the evening. Darren tucked Tara and Michelle up in their small beds and told them to get a good night’s rest because they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow. They were going to carry on exploring the forest and learning about the various nuts and plants around. Tara and Michelle seemed to delight in this news, for they enjoyed gathering nuts and berries.

  Darren returned wearily to Betsy and Brent.

  “You two should think about turning in as well,” Darren said. “You did well today. I’m proud of you both.”

  “I’m sorry for taking my eyes off the girls,” Betsy said.

  “It’s okay. It was my fault as much as yours. I’m just glad they didn’t get themselves in trouble,” Darren said.

  “I still think you should let me go out on the bike. I can cover more ground,” Brent said.

  “And get yourself in more trouble. Like I said before, Brent, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but right now I need you here. There’s still plenty of the forest to explore around here anyway. If we exhaust this area, then you can go out and explore, but that bike is a resource just like any other. If anyone sees you with it, they might want it for themselves. I don’t want you out there alone where you can’t defend yourself,” Darren said.

  Brent looked sullen, but he didn’t dispute the issue with his father.

  “It’s okay, Brent. It’s better that we stick together,” Betsy said.

  Darren was glad that she was on his side. At the moment he knew that Brent’s body was being ruled by his hormones and that he would listen to Betsy’s wisdom more than his father’s.

  “You are wise beyond your years, Betsy,” Darren said, smiling at her. She bowed her head in acknowledgment.

  “You should get some sleep too, Darren. You’ve worked just as hard as us,” she said.

  “I’ve been used to working hard. I’ll be turning in soon, don’t you worry about that. I just need time to wind down first,” he said, and then bid them goodnight. He left them alone together, figuring they could use some privacy, as much privacy as he could give them in such a small space anyway.

  He ventured out to the mouth of the cave, where the fire was burning, to stay by its warm glow. Before he sat down, he had gone to the bags to retrieve something though, the gun. He’d left it with Brent when he’d gone on the excursion, although when he had been out there, he’d wished he’d had it. It would have made dealing with the cannibals a lot easier. Thankfully, Brent didn’t have to use it.

  He held it in his hands. It was heavy, and was illuminated by the soft glow of the fire. It was a deadly weapon, but at some point it would become as useless as the cars and computers and televisions of the world, for he only had a finite amount of bullets. Once they were gone there would be none to replace them, unless he happened upon a stash of ammo, which he thought unlikely.

  This gun would be useful in hunting animals, but he didn’t want to use it for that purpose. That only would ensure they fell into bad habits. Part of the reason humanity had fallen into this mess was because it had grown lazy and complacent, letting technology grasp the reins of life. Once that had happened, people lost the ability to think for themselves. It was obvious in the exchange of information. It used to be that people had to remember facts, but Brent’s generation no longer had to remember how to do anything. All they had to do was learn how to type the right phrases into Google to find the solution.

  Darren wondered how many people were out there now, frustrated and scared because they didn’t think they could learn the forgotten information. Darren couldn’t rely on the gun, because it would do them no good once the bullets ran out. He would have to teach Brent how to hunt with homemade weapons, such as spears and arrows, and the knives they had brought with them from home.

  It wasn’t an easy thought, to teach his son to be a killer, but it was a necessary lesson Brent would have to learn, a lesson he already had learned, really. Sometimes it was easy for Darren to forget that Brent already had killed. His mind flashed back to that terrifying time when their home had been invaded by strangers who had threatened Darren.

  Darren had tried fighting them off, but he had failed. It had fallen to Brent to save them all, and he had. He’d taken the gun and killed the man who was about to beat Darren to death. It was a humbling thought for Darren to realize that he owed his son his life. But if he was to make sure his entire family knew how to defend themselves he’d have to teach Tara and Michelle as well. The two sweet, innocent girls would have to learn how to kill.

  There was nothing the darkness of this apocalypse could not touch.

  Chapter Six

  Darren became lost in his own mind. His eyes were sunken, the hollows caused by exhaustion and lack of nourishment. As much as he tried to be excited about a diet of nuts and berries, it was all an act. There was nothing he wouldn’t have given for a hearty dinner with a succulent cut of sirloin steak. He could almost hear the juice sizz
le, could almost taste the rich flavor on his tongue and smell the seared meat. A touch of peppercorn sauce with a side of fries and coleslaw would have been perfect.

  He closed his eyes, allowing the moment to linger. When he used to dream like this it had been of unattainable actresses and models, or of amazing vacations or ideal homes, of grand luxurious cars and boats and first class airline flights, never something as simple as a meal, but the meal he thought of was as unrealistic as any of those other things.

  The fire crackled, warming the air around him. The orange flames danced and when he opened his eyes he was transfixed by the chaotic pattern. The heat stung his eyes, but he did not look away, knowing how fortunate he was to be in the presence of such heat. He thought of the people he had met during his trek away from his home and wondered if all of them knew how to command fire. If they didn’t, the winter would be a long, grueling period.

  His gaze rose from the fire to the world beyond, the bleak wintry forest. It was gray and dark. Shadows fell across the trees like blankets, and thick gray clouds prevented the moon and stars from shining through. Even though he was sitting near the fire some of the chill crept underneath his clothes. He thought of people who were unlucky enough to freeze to death out there, those who had no warmth to comfort them, only the cold embrace of death.

  Cold made people tired, made their limbs ache. They’d probably just want a little rest and would curl themselves into a tight ball and find a nook in which to hide. The frost would nip at their toes, their fingers, and their nose. Every breath would be so cold it would scrape down their throat, and their lips would become cracked and dried. They would shiver, but it wouldn’t do any good, and once they stopped moving they would lose the ability to muster enough energy to move again. They would become part of the forest, just like another stone, assimilated into nature, an open burial.