SURVIVOR: The Coming Power Grid Collapse

by Francis Bate

  “That’s good. So he might probably be awake sooner from now, the perfect time to institute the plan,” he answered. Jarvis was looking at him raising each brow in confusion.

  “What’s the plan you haven’t consulted with me, Stan?” He snapped placing his hands on his waist.

  “We have to leave you in that state for a moment. In case someone comes in, there would be no suspicion of escaping. We will come back once we have completed the mission. We promise you that. So stay strong while we are out.” Stan stared at them and smiled weakly. He put the duct tape back to their mouths and stood up straight. Tapping on his friend’s shoulder, he signaled that it was time to leave.

  They sneaked out silently but Jarvis was tripped by a hard object. He fell to the ground and glared at the chuckling Stan. His chuckles resonated throughout the room but stopped as soon as he realized that it was supposed to be a quiet run. Jarvis bolted right up, staying in place while staring closely at something. He was bending as if assessing something important. He tagged his friend’s shirt pulling him back to his spot. He followed his gaze and saw the stolen ten gallons of diesel.

  “I knew it! I told you it was just kept here, right?” Jarvis grinned at him taking his pride to a higher degree. Stan saw more extra gallons of gas and picked up one. Glancing back at Jarvis, he ordered him to lift the other one. Balancing the weight in his grip, he stomped his foot back to the entrance. Loud and rapid steps were heard afterward.

  When they were back to the entrance, he closed the door and left as if nothing has happened in there. Jarvis was still curious. His curiosity made him drop the heavy gallon from his hand to the ground and ordered for Stan to stop. He did not but instead went to a hidden small shed. He saw that Jarvis was following him.

  “Tell me about it, don’t just leave me hanging. I have the right to know and I am promising you that I’d cooperate,” Jarvis faced him and looked at him straight in the eyes.

  “I was planning to, it was part of the plan after all,” he shrugged and plastered a smirk on his face. Jarvis ogled his eyes and stared back at him. “We are going to burn Ted’s house so it would cause a commotion. I have observed that he has five armed men under him; there are two watchers in the gate and the three always stays with him.”

  “Have you met that Ted? I am not sure how you found out that stuff but it would be really helpful if you could spare a little information in order to clear things out between us,” Jarvis furrowed his brows and crossed his arms.

  “After the confrontation with the armed man near the house, I told you I went to Justin’s house. I saw two unfamiliar faces inside. He was talking to them after I left the house. So, in total, there are five men we need to think of aside from Ted, himself. And yes, Justin and Ted are the same persons,” Jarvis gasped upon hearing the revelation. Everything came rushing back to his sanity once he heard it from him.

  “You mean Ted is Justin and Justin is Ted?” He asked with his eyes wide, Stan nodded in reply. “So, how are we going to eliminate his men?”

  “When the house is on fire, it will cause a big distraction. Everyone will be astonished, forgetting the actual situation. They will be unarmed and we will be killing them,” Stan explained but another question was fired at him.

  “But how will we know which is which among the persons?”

  “We will set the back and both sides of the house on fire which will leave them to the only option – to run out through the main entrance. That would be easier for us to distinguish. There are four men in that house, and of course, the two watchers are in the gate and they are armed. We’ll take care of that first,” he ordered. They left the gallons in the shed and ran towards the gate.

  Two men were sleeping soundly and their guns were placed on their waistbands that could be quite difficult to pull off. Stan gave his friend a rope as they sneaked towards the unconscious bodies. They wrapped the rope around each neck and pulled it tight. The men gasped in air as they felt the tightening of the rope around them until they breathed their last breath.

  Stan and Jarvis collected the guns from them and kept it. They ran back to the shed and carried the gallons towards the house executing their plan. The fire started to get stronger and the red flame became fiercer. People started to get off their houses when Stan and Jarvis positioned to take aim.

  They stood a few distance away from the house, gripping their arms on their hands. They watched as the door creaked open revealing a woman. It ran towards them, shouting. Gunshots filled the air as it took four men’s lives that night. Yells and cries were heard but they stood against it, still sticking with the plan. People watched as the house burned into ashes but at the same time, sighs of relief became a usual music of that moment. It lost the lives of a few but saved the lives of many.

  They both left the area and sauntered back to the warehouse. Unlocking it, they went straight to where they left the women and unbound them. Stan gave the blankets he grabbed from a clothesline and covered their lean bodies. The two wept as they hugged each other. They were escorted back to the burning house and presented them to the situation. They cried harder this time, not for fear of their lives but for joy and relief.

  Osborne and his family stepped out in the open and strode towards Stan. His face was straight and his eyes were dark. Stan paid him a glance but immediately gazed back at the burning house.

  “Why do you have to put yourself in this situation? I know that you all knew what kind of man Ted was. But you chose to be in silence. You chose to let him control you,” he exclaimed enough to let everyone hear him.

  “What are you talking about?” Patricia asked in confusion. “What is this all about?”

  “You are correct, Stan. We chose to be under his magic spell. It wasn’t easy to fight against him either. You don’t know what he is capable of doing,” Osborne spoke for the crowd. They stood there in silence as they listen to the cracklings of the burning wood. “But what do you know?”

  “He knows everything. We know everything now,” Jarvis responded, backing his friend. He glanced at Patricia as she tried to catch droplets of flowing water with his bare hands.

  “He took our weapons away reasoning that it would be necessary to keep the place safe. But issues started to spring out since then. We were afraid for our family. He was powerful, and we couldn’t do anything to defend ourselves,” he explained.

  “We found out, Mrs. Dubner, that your husband has been unfaithful to you all this time. He did not only become unfaithful but also a terrifying man. We saw these two women back at the warehouse. They were tied and only Ted knows that there are people in there,” he said.

  “And he made them his conquest,” Jarvis cut him off. May just stared into nothingness. It couldn’t define what she was thinking as tears fell freely from its well. Stan nudged Jarvis on his stomach making him zip his mouth.

  “Thank you,” Osborne said in the middle of fear and relief. Stan put his gun back in his holster without removing his gaze from the scene. “Thank you for saving us.”

  Stan painted an arch of a smile on his face. It radiated throughout the place. But as soon as it quickly faded, he faced the man and looked at him.

  “All supplies are in the warehouse. We can guide you there because we will be gathering all our stolen supplies before our journey. It’s up to you whether you plan to stay or leave. Your weapons are also kept in the storage room,” he instructed. Osborne nodded and followed them back to the warehouse.

  The sun started to appear. A variety of different hues lined in the horizon painting the beautiful scenery of a new day. The fire started to tame down and ashes flew with the wind. Stan placed a fair amount of gallons back to his trunk after they have decided to take Ted’s truck for Jarvis. They fully equipped their trucks with supplies and weapons enough for more miles of travel. Jarvis brought out the two-way radio Chris has given him and handed it to Stan. He fixed the frequency channel same as theirs.

  “Make sure to contact us using this channel, J
arvis. Tell us what you are up to and you can call Chris from there. Consider this a track for any incident along our way,” he instructed giving the radio back to him.

  Before they left, Patricia stood before them expressing her utmost gratitude for the two men she has grown to live with. But realizing that they have families waiting for them, it’s about time to let them go. Her family didn’t miss the chance to thank them for everything that they have done. When it was about time to leave, Jarvis and Stan offered their final man-hug and slid in their own cars. Jarvis drove first and Stan followed suit until they have to take diverse roads. They honked in respect for each other.

  Smiling inwardly, Stan clasped at the steering wheel and thought about his family.

  Chapter Seven: Never Forget

  “CQ, this is Echo Delta, this is Echo Delta. Phoenix is under coup d’etat. The government is sending armies to control the area. Out.”

  Stan parked his truck in a hidden lot inside the forest. After a long drive, he decided to rest and tried to program channels for his radio. He sat on the ground and leaned on a tree tinkering at the device on his hand. Listening to the sound it emitted, he stood up and went back to his truck.

  “CQ two, this is Tiger Eye. Calling from Dallas, people started burning buildings. No place is longer safe to stay. Out.” Stan took come food and took a spoon from his bag.

  As he opened the can, he heard another report from San Francisco and some other states. He clicked back to their private frequency and pressed the button listening to the static sound it was creating. He called out for Scott asking what the situation back home was. It seemed calmer than those cities in the report. After they’ve talked, he requested for his wife and daughters to be in the line.

  “Stan, I gave them your spare radio we have found from your faraday cage. I think it’s in use but let me check if they turned it on,” Scott mentioned before he went back to the neighbor’s house.

  Stan sat up straight and leaned his head on the bark of a tree. He was munching the food vigorously when he heard the rhythm up again.

  “Stan, are you there?” A voice came out of the speaker and he beamed.

  “Honey, tell me you and the kids are in safe hands,” he delivered thinking about the situations from their area.

  “We are safe, Stan. But I think the kids are beginning to feel traumatized especially that you are far from us.”

  “Please be strong, I’m on my way home alone. Tell the kids you have to secure yourselves and stay indoors,” he ordered. When he asked to talk with the kids, they refused to talk to him.

  “They seemed not in the mood to talk now. But they’ll definitely talk to you soon,” she replied, Stan frowned and stayed quiet for a moment. “Honey, are you still there?” He nodded but only if she could see him.

  “It’s okay. I made a promise I wasn’t able to fulfill so I understand where they are picking the attitude from. They must have really waited for me,” he let out a mirthless laugh, rubbing his hand on his pants.

  “They’ll understand soon. For now, you can still effectuate that promise to them. Come back home safe and alive. That will be the best remedy,” she muttered under her sighs.

  “I will. If you could only know how aghast I am to be with you, that’s the only thing I always put in mind. A purpose that I could not ignore,” he winced clenching his fist.

  “I know, Stan. I know. I believe in you. Just please take care of yourself. I remembered you also promised me that,” she assured him, trying to soothe his burden.

  They talked for a few more minutes and told her he’ll be updating every once in a while. He sat in place, with his mind floating back to the first day. The sweet voices of his daughter flashed back as they talk about everything. Their innocence made him even more anxious about the present situation. It was unlikely of him to leave his family in times of fatal and the end-of-the-world situation. He groaned and flinched in grief. Thinking of the best excuse to cover up to his daughters, he slapped his face softly as if waking his self from its contemplation.

  Stan leaned on the tree and looked up to the sky. The white shades shifted every hour but the blueness remained. Life became inequitable for him. At the end of the tunnel, it has even become worse. He paused for a while never blinking his eyes. He watched as the trees swayed beneath the clouds.

  ‘Nothing will get worse after all that happened,’ he thought.

  The vastness of the infinite expanse made it clearer to view from outer space.

  He pressed the button again and summoned for Chris. After three more tries, Christopher got the message and answered back.

  “Stan, you have to hit back to the road,” he said.

  Stan stared at the device and pressed the button to talk.

  “How’s everything there? I’ve heard the other states are also not in good shape,” he said, cringing to himself.

  “Yes, the country is in total anarchy and utter mess,” he heard his friend reply.

  “We left Gainesville and you need to keep in touch with Jarvis too,” Stan exclaimed.

  “Jarvis is heading west; he must stay away from danger,” he replied in a tough voice.

  The crashing of the wind on the radio filled the silence with air, thinking for a moment. Wondering what the world could offer more, he snapped out. That was it. Stan stood erect from where he was sitting and went straight inside the truck. He started the engine and pulled away from the forest to the meandering and lonely road.

  “I programmed this frequency on his device but I haven’t heard from him so far,” Stan responded, recalling what he has told Jarvis before they left Patricia’s place.

  “I’ll try to reach him and give some updates,” Chris answered.

  “Do it, Chris. He also needs that,” Stan said focusing on the road right ahead of him.

  “I will. Go another ten miles until you reach a town where you can rest. Call me back after twenty-one hours. Out,” Chris urged before losing him.

  Overhanging trees of different variety lined along the road. He rested his elbow on the firm surface of the car door. A swamp appeared into his view as he stopped in an intersection. Heading south of the swamp, he shook his head and pinched his arm to purge him off sleep.

  Stan drove until houses started to rise into view, grunting in aversion at the buildings. They looked old and molds started to cover every wall. Large front lawns greeted the view but it seemed not taken care of for a long time. The empty town hoisted the air of desolation. But something caught his eyes. There were whites on the road, painting or writing he could not identify. As he drove a little closer, it presented a clearer view of what the stains were all about. Some driveways and even the zones nearby the sidewalks were masked with chalk layouts of different statements, words, and even drawings. They clamored for assistance but chances balked them from it.

  As the truck progressed further down the highway, he saw a large group of people crowded on the side of the road. They were encircling a bonfire while someone was feeding the fire with branches and twigs. In the sound of his engine, everyone gazed at him as he approached the area. A man stood in the middle blocking his way. Stan stepped on the brake pedal and stopped the car just in time. The man strolled to his side and greeted him. Stan smiled but he was debating whether he will start a conversation or just move on his way.

  “Stay with us, we are having a prayer rally and you are welcome to join,” the man pronounced. Some people were chanting a prayer while others were still locking gazes at them.

  He looked around the people carrying distinct placards and signage with different statements on it. They were voicing their frustrations out of those pieces of boards, hoping for the unseen to mediate with their cries and pleas.

  Men of different ages and genders alike, holding on to the promise that their outcry will be granted, stood with a gleam of hope flickering in their eyes.

  Stan offered a lazy smile and shook his head. “Oh, that’d be a good thing but I need to leave immediately. I still
have to travel long miles from here to my family,” he responded with sincerity.

  “This will take just a few hours. You can leave after this,” the man offered.

  “I really need to leave before the sun sleeps,” Stan insisted, silently cringing in dread.

  “You can spend the day here with us. The world is dying, we need to unite. If we allow this to run out, we could suffer until we die,” the man started. “No one knows our fate but we can control it. Stay with us and help us pray for the world.”

  The man tried to negotiate and offered more things to him but it seemed like Stan has finalized his decision. He casually said his goodbyes before he took off. In the rear-view mirror, he watched as the people became tinier in every distance. Suddenly the car curved to the right, stopping in the grassland. It looked deserted, the dark green barley shone in the sunlight. The once short grasses have sprouted out over some huge rocks beneath the dirt.

  In the forest, a hunter came into his view and abruptly aimed a target. The deer fell in a thud as he watched the man ran towards it. The man sliced the meat putting it in a container and marched away from the wild animal. When he saw that the man was finally away, Stan came out of the car to the dead meat lying on the ground. The heart was still attached to the afflicted body. Bending towards it, he reached for the body part and seized in his hands. He walked back to the truck, putting the heart in a ductile holder.

  Taking a dirty cloth from his sack, he pulled it and wiped his bloody hands off. He went back to the driver’s seat and sped off. As he was driving, he passed by a park. The buildings started to fade and from a distance, he was nearing the end of the town. A lone old building stood still on a vacant lot. After deciding to spend the rest of the day in that zone, he parked his car at the back where he spotted an outhouse. He built a fire and roasted the heart he took with him earlier. After his meal, he took out the radio from his bag along with a solar charger, attaching the cord onto it and left it charging when he decided to doze off in dreamland.