by Pete Thorsen
There was quite a lot of blood on the floor of the shop. Jack took a garden hose and washed down the blood from in front of the store. After a couple of phone calls he found someone to come and clean the inside. They were to come first thing in the morning. Jack also hired someone to repair the damage from the shots fired by the two men who got inside. That gentleman was to come first thing in the morning the day after tomorrow so the blood and mess would be gone by then. Then, we then just locked up and went home.
Over the next two days the clean up and the repairs were all completed and the day following we reopened again. This time neither of us were traumatized like we had been before. By the time we reopened we were both about back to normal again. Jack used the shop computer and printer to make a few nice signs that we put in the front windows and one behind the counter. They just said, “We have killed six bad guys here so far. We are getting very good at it but detest the clean up afterward. Please, just leave us in peace.”
That very short twenty gauge shotgun had very likely saved our lives that day. The policeman never said anything about it being illegal even though the barrel was cut off just an inch past the forearm and the stock had also been shortened some. That shotgun was now cleaned and once again loaded with five buckshot shells that we hoped to never have to shoot, but it was resting in its special holder that Jack had made for it under the counter. Ready just in case.
Time continued to pass and I got very busy with the garden as everything really started to produce. Jack helped with the garden of course. Weeding, picking, cleaning, cutting, and canning all the produce. The garden was pretty big this year so it was a bigger job. Although it was a lot of work, neither of us complained. We knew that produce would be mighty nice to have come winter.
With summer coming to an end the garden also slowly came to an end, giving us more free time. According to the news the nation was picking up and getting better. The push for everyone to plant gardens had netted a big payoff. Many, many people had grown their own food, resulting in many having enough to share with their neighbors and friends.
Farmers had stepped up on production and the government assured us all that there would be no food shortage this winter. Cattle production just could not be increased so much in a single year, but poultry could be, and had been. Commercial fishermen had also risen to the challenge and that would increase the available meat this winter as well.
People were working all across the nation. The WPA program was deemed a success even though there were a few problems now and then, but with a program that big there would obviously be bugs that had to be ironed out.
Our nation’s future seemed very secure by the beginning of fall. Our own oil wells had filled pipelines to the refineries and plenty of fuel had been produced. Supplies of fuel oil and propane for heating were ready for this coming winter. Diesel fuel production had been a major push from the very beginning and once production really got going there had been no further shortages.
The diesel was needed for so many essential purposes. Farm production, truck shipping, rail shipping, ocean shipping and fishing, military use, and more needed that diesel fuel.
Things were actually, really, honestly looking up. Everyone had been very skeptical after having been fed lies for so long, but by the beginning of winter everyone had to agree that things were finally getting better.
And there was big news on the home front also.
“Jack I have some news for you.”
“Don’t tell me you want to put in an even bigger garden next year?”
“No, I wasn’t thinking of that, but maybe the year after we might need a bigger garden. And I am going to have to ask you to do more of the garden work come spring and summer.”
“You planning on going on vacation or something?”
“No. I’ll be busy taking care of our new baby.”
“You’ll be wha…?”
Jack stopped talking and just looked at me with his mouth hanging open. I at least kept mine shut. Then, slowly, a smile so big it almost split his whole face appeared as he stepped over and lifted me in a big hug and was soon showering me with kisses.
“A baby. We are going to have a baby!”
To say he was excited was the understatement of the year. I was kinda excited too. I knew for a fact that this baby would grow up in a household that was plumb full of love, compassion, and tenderness.
The End
Thank you for reading this compilation of some of my short stories and I hope you found them enjoyable. If they were 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 over 40 stories published on Kindle with many in print also. My success is totally the result of you, my devoted 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 up 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 up 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 actually 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 own 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 re-set of our society get their wish. Now we have brutal violence and starvation where it is a struggle every day just to survive.
Dark Days
In this story a hacker group gives fair warning that they are about to shut down all computers in the USA. All scoff at the warning as being a totally impossible feat. When the grace period ends the hackers shut down America’s power grid and just using computers they are also able to cause severe physical damage to the entire grid system. This story tells of the aftermath of this very possible event on a small family owned ranch in southwestern Colorado.
When the family learns the electric power will not be coming back on anytime soon they think through the awful effects that will befall all the citizens of this nation. They are very grateful that at least they are together to face the disaster ahead.
A Bright
New Beginning
After surviving several deployments in the military and even more dangerous work after leaving the military a man wants nothing more than to live a life of peace and solitude. Moving to the Black Hills region of South Dakota he finds the life he desires until the nation suffers a bleak economic collapse and he again is thrust into yet more danger and a fight for survival.
Table of Contents
Calamity in America
Stormy Weather Ahead
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
After The Second Great Depression
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
A Girl’s Gotta Survive
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15