Korean Chaos

by Pete Thorsen

  For the other two I had made two holes in the back of the garage one for each pipe gun. I aligned the guns to where I thought the aisle would be on each side of the pickup. Anyone standing alongside the pickup or just getting out of it would be hit. I just had the woman pull the trip wire as soon as she heard the other guns go off. It worked better than I had hoped.

  It was now over and that threat was dead. While the woman was eating and we were sitting at the kitchen table I had asked her what the scoop was how she was captured and what was happening in town.

  She said she lived on the outskirts of town. The city had taken control of all the gas stations there and was using the fuel in the big tanks to run the big well pumps with scavenged generators. They would provide water once per day. From four until six every afternoon they would open the valves from the water tower. Everyone would have running water until they shut off the valves again.

  They would be running the pumps at that time also and let the pumps run after they shut the valves off, so the water tower was always full. So everyone had access to clean drinking water. But food was another matter. Many people had died from lack of medications, and many had committed suicide.

  Some had left town either walking or in one of the few running vehicles. The situation in town was getting bleak because of the lack of food. Also, those in charge admitted that the fuel supply was running low. When the fuel ran out, there would be no water.

  When the bad guys’ pickup had driven into their driveway, her husband had gone outside. They just shot him down right away. Then she had run outside to help her husband, and they had grabbed her. The guys had gone through their house and taken what little food they had left. The bad guys had done about the same with the other woman they had brought back.

  The rest I knew.

  Chapter 19

  I went home. Karen and Cassy were waiting. Karen ran to me with Cassy right behind her. I told Karen it was over and we were safe.

  I mostly quit going out and spent most of my time home and just enjoying the time with Cassy and Karen. It was about a month or so later that Karen said she thought she was pregnant. We were both happy. When Karen was sure, we told Cassy. If possible, I think Cassy was even happier than the two of us about having a brother or a sister to play with.

  I did still go out at least once every week and reconnoiter the whole area. I never saw any evidence of any more people. I did go back after a couple of days to where I had shot those men. The woman I left there had committed suicide. I buried everyone.

  When I was out just checking on everything, I did finally go through all the neighbors’ houses, garages, and sheds. I was looking for anything we might be able to use. I stole anything I found that was useful to us without any remorse. The most useful were two more canners and a bunch of jars and lids. I also brought home the pickup that the bad guys had been using along with all their guns and ammunition and all other guns and ammunition that I found in any house.

  I also found some seeds that I brought home to add to our supply. I kept track of the nearby places that had fruit trees, and I would go back in late summer and fall to harvest from those trees and add to what we got from our own.

  While there was no real food, I did find many spices and some staples like sugar and salt. Not much sugar but a big supply of salt. I also found some baby stuff and clothes for infants and bigger kids. I brought it all home to our place. Anything I thought we might need or want I brought home. The small things I just carried home and the larger stuff I set aside and then made one trip with my new old pickup and brought the stuff back with that.

  I used the pickup and a trailer I found to bring home firewood that was at other houses. I took Karen and Cassy with me once, and Karen and I were able to bring home an old antique wood fired kitchen range. We set it up on our back patio area. I made a metal covered awning over the old range, and we started using it to save on the propane.

  That made me think about the propane tanks at other houses. I was able to bring home several of the smaller common tanks, and I did bring two of the large tanks that had enough propane left inside to make it worthwhile to move. I was able to salvage enough pipe and fittings to hook the big tanks up to our place in series with our own tank so we could easily switch tanks when one went empty.

  In the metal trash can in our basement that I used as a makeshift Faraday cage that I had saved our laptops in, there were also a couple of crank-up multi band radios. We used them off and on to see if there would be anyone ever on there. Of course, there never was, and we found ourselves checking the radios less and less often.

  Cassy had a birthday and was growing. This year she was a help in the garden which was a good thing. Karen was still doing everything, but she was big with child. But the three of us managed. Cassy liked to fiddle with the radios, and she was the one who came running to tell Mommy that people were on the radio.

  We all tuned in to listen. It was a repeating announcement from our government. They were supposedly rebuilding the power grid. It was mostly propaganda, but it was something to hang your hopes on anyway.

  In the fall the radio had more and more different announcements from our government. Over summer I had gone around to all the houses and shut off all the main breakers at each house. We had some summer storms like always, and I did not know if trees had fallen on the electric wires or not. We still had solar power and were doing well so it really did not matter.

  When Karen thought the time was close, I drove near town and walked in to see if there might be a doctor there.

  I was surprised to find, that while far from thriving, there were people still there. And the hospital said they could help with a child birth. I brought Karen in when she said it was time. While waiting after the nurse took Karen away, the police came to talk to me.

  Someone had recognized the pickup I was using.

  The fact that my daughter was with me and my wife was in labor made them stop and think I might not be one of the bad guys. When I asked one of the nurses to keep an eye on Cassy, I was pretty honest and told the cops that I had killed the four bad guys. I told them where they were buried and that I did take the pickup because it was silly to leave one of the only running vehicles to go to waste.

  They asked me many questions and even asked Cassy a couple of questions. She must have helped my case because they just dropped it and bid me a good day.

  Our son Tyler was born healthy and yelling. He is now our second child but might not be the last. Our house is full of love, and there is always room for more.

  The End

  Thank you for reading this short story of mine, and I hope you found it enjoyable. If it was something you liked, please watch for more of my stories to follow. Below are some of my already published stories that you might also enjoy. So far I have well over 50 stories published on Kindle with most also in print. My success is totally the result of you, my readers, and you have my most deep felt Thank You!

  Pete Thorsen

  America on Fire

  Four complete stories of apocalyptic disasters that befall the citizens of the United States by one of America’s popular apocalyptic fiction writers. Read how some Americans rise to meet the challenges and fight to survive when disaster strikes the whole country.

  In Finding Hope, a deadly pandemic sweeps the globe resulting in the deaths of a large amount of the world population. One man finds a purpose to his life when he finds and befriends a little girl.

  In Three Strikes And You’re Out America, three nuclear EMP missiles explode high above the United States it causes extreme devastation by taking out the whole electric grid and all electronics.

  In An Economic Firestorm, the economic collapse of the US Dollar and the economy of the USA are lived through by a family in rural Arizona.

  In Thar She Blows, see what happens to a few groups of people when the Yellowstone Caldera erupts and devastates a huge portion of the United States.

  Disaster in America

 
Four complete stories of apocalyptic disasters that befall the citizens of the United States by one of America’s most popular apocalyptic fiction writers. Read how some Americans rise to meet the challenges and fight to survive when disaster strikes.

  In What? The sun did all this, a massively strong CME that strikes the earth destroying the electric grid and most electric devices. One man attempts to reunite with his scattered family.

  In Surviving in Trying Times, one middle-aged couple try to cope with what becomes something like the second great depression.

  In Relax It’s Just the Flu, a massive pandemic of a deadly strain of the flu wreaks havoc to the USA. This story follows a few of the survivors.

  In Global Warming (It’s real this time), a young man struggles to survive twenty years after a man-made accident does cause massive global warming.

  Survival in America

  Four complete early stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  No Electric Survival, is a story of the aftermath of a severe EMP that shuts down the nation’s electric power grid and makes most vehicles unusable.

  Rural Dollar Collapse, when there is a complete collapse of the US economy this story shows how members of one family cope with what happens in their areas of the once great United States.

  Pandemic to a New Beginning, is a story that follows the lives of two young people before and after a deadly flu pandemic sweeps around the globe causing a severe drop in the world population.

  No Economic Collapse in the Woods, centers on three people that are strangers to each other but find strength when circumstances throw them together, and they try to live their lives in the bleak new world after the US Dollar collapses.

  Trouble in America

  Five complete early stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  How I Survived WW3, is a story that follows a regular working man that happens to survive World War Three after making just a few preparations.

  The Carrington Event Revisited, is the story of a catastrophic solar coronal mass ejection event similar to the one that hit the Earth in 1859.

  A Collapse to a Fresh Start, is a story of two young people who make their way out of Chicago and run to a very rural area of Colorado when they feel the United States is about to suffer an economic collapse and possibly change forever.

  A Midwest Homestead, follows the lives of a young couple in Minnesota who through determination and hard work build their little homestead that is their salvation in a time chaos.

  An Oklahoma Retreat, is the story of a widely scattered family that all return to the original family ranch in Oklahoma when the United States falls on very bad times.

  The End of America

  Five complete early stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  An Arizona Haven, is a story of how a will to overcome obstacles and some common sense can mean all the difference in your very survival in this case after an EMP has shut down the whole power grid.

  Dystopia USA, is the tale of a possible very dark future in the great United States of America.

  The Zombie Plague, is a story of a plague that is affecting the whole world and changing people drastically into something that is not quite human.

  Living Through the Collapse, is about the economic collapse of the economy of the USA as lived through by a family in rural Minnesota.

  Polar Shift, is about two good friends and their lives before and after a major catastrophic event that changes the whole world and causes chaos.

  Catastrophe

  In America

  Four complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  Hard Times. After multiple terrorist attacks and a collapsing economy, the incoming hurricane is the last straw, and a man flees his town for someplace safe to ride out the coming chaos.

  From Civilized to Barbaric! When the electric power goes out and does not appear to be coming back on a man tries to flee New York City to try and find a safe haven.

  Cruel End to a Great Country. Follow the life of a simple janitor after the nation’s economy gradually winds down to a complete stop.

  Just Another Day. While family from another state are visiting an EMP changes everything. See how this now extended family copes with what has happened.

  America in Ruins

  Four complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  The Cruel New World. When a magnetic storm destroys most all electrical equipment in the world, it proves to be a severe catastrophic event. This story follows a gun as it changes owners in the violent new world.

  Relax, It’s Just the Flu! When a deadly a strain of the flu devastates the population, a small band of survivors struggles to survive.

  Nice Day for Armageddon. When a foreign country hits the United States with multiple EMP’s the population of this once great nation fights to survive.

  A Brutal Reset. When our nation’s economy crashes those people wishing for a reset of our society get their wish. Now we have brutal violence and starvation where it is a struggle every day just to survive.

  Devastated America

  Four complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  The End Times. Two people from vastly different walks of life do what they can to survive after America tears itself apart from within.

  The Good Sam. A young couple living in a small rural community thinks that they might be immune from the rash of brutal violence that as swept across the whole nation after terrorists take down the power grid but discover the hard way that is just not the case.

  Bound for Home. A man finds himself almost two thousand miles from home when a terrorist attack cripples the nation’s whole system infrastructure and he makes a perilous journey back to his home.

  One Man’s Path. When the sun cripples all mankind a man loses his family and searches for a new path and reason to go on.

  Calamity in America

  Three complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  Stormy Weather. The story of a young man living in Nebraska on his now small family farm who fights for survival after America falls apart.

  After the 2nd Great Depression. Eight years after the fall of our nation America is quite a different place. It’s a place where every person must be hard and strong just to try and continue living.

  A Girl’s Gotta Survive. A young girl learns to fight to live in the circumstances she finds life has dealt her. Will her life ever get any better?

  Doomsday for America

  Three complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  Dark Days. When hackers take out the nation’s power grid, a young man and his family in Colorado try to cope with the loss of power.

  A Bright New Beginning. An ex-military man now seeks nothing but peace. Then the US economy crashes and his peace is put on hold.

  A Sunny Disaster. A man retires on a remote property and finds he likes living now as a hermit. Will his lonesome life change when a solar CME shuts off the nation’s power grid?

  Re-set for America

  Three complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  Viral Survival When a viral outbreak decimates the population of all the countries of the world a young couple in a northern state in the America tries to weather the resulting hardships.

  A Rocky Demise A bitter man and a lonely woman barely start their lives together when twin asteroids strike the Earth causing an incredible disaster.

  A Hard Fall This is one family's story of living through a drastic catastrophe that affects the whole United States forcing the population to live without electric power.

  Upheaval in America

  Three complete stories from one of America’s most popular apocalyptic writers.

  When The Bottom Fell Out A husband and wife take their young son and move
from the big city life to a very rural house in Idaho. This forces big changes in their lifestyle. When the economy goes south, the couple is happy they did make those changes.

  A Nation In Trouble A drifter who could care less about the economy is like most people in America, but they all find out just how bad things can get when the economy collapses.

  Lonely Road South A man is forced to learn a lot, even about himself, when a solar flare takes out the power grid in America.

  Canadian

  Adventure

  Shortly after arriving in Canada for their Dad's new job these two teenagers are kidnapped and through a series of events wind up crash landed alone in the Canadian wilderness. But the kids take it in stride and make the most of what they have to work with to survive in the dire situation where they now find themselves. They make it through every day with only the hope of rescue to keep them going.

  Lonely Road South

  When a solar flare plays havoc with all of mankind’s electronics, everyone suffers. One man, who knows the word “prepper” but has really done nothing about being prepared, now wishes that he would have done more when he still had the chance. Now, being in a northern state, he decides to head south where at least the winters are warmer. This is his story of that trip south.