Instant Darkness

by Mark J Russell

  Abram found him working on one of the metal shutters. It must have been one from the back of the house, as he was pretty sure all the shutters from the front of the house were in place.

  “It’s too big,” Gary said, holding the tool he was using to grind the edge. “I must have gotten the measurements wrong. But not by much, another couple of passes and it will be perfect.”

  “You went right to work,” Abram said. “Not feeling secure?”

  “Our defenses need bolstering,” Gary said. “Before long, people are going to get desperate, and some people know we’re here. The neighbors certainly do. The guy to the north was driving by as I pulled in.”

  “Where should I start?” Abram asked, looking around the workshop. There were rolls of razor wire, and fencing, among other things.

  “I think we need to finish the fence along the far side of the property,” Gary said, “but before we do that, I think razor wire needs to go along the top of the existing fence, starting at the gate. However, that will take two of us, and I want to finish this shutter first. Why don’t you check to see that the cement boundary we laid under the fence line survived the winter? If we need to work on that, we’ll have to get in supplies.”

  “I’ll get changed,” Abram said. “Will you need help remounting that shutter?”

  “No, I’ve got a pulley system rigged for the shutters. Go get started inspecting the fence, and I’ll find you when I’m done.”

  Abram walked back to the house and found the women in the kitchen, inspecting the supplies and brewing tea.

  “I’m going out to work on the fence,” he said. “If you need me, I’ll carry a two-way radio. The other is stored in this cupboard.” He opened a cupboard and took a radio, showing them where the other was sitting in its charging cradle. “Gary is here, but if you see anyone else, call me immediately.”

  Shelly came and kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll be fine. Now go work on that nasty fence you’ve got surrounding us. You can have some tea when you get back.”

  He left them chatting in the kitchen and changed into his work overalls and boots. Then he walked up the hill, past the garage and along to the barn. He walked into the barn, checking on the chickens, who were sunning themselves in their chicken run on the far side of the building. The Guinea fowl were inside, out of the afternoon sun, sitting on their perches. The animal pens were empty but cleaned and ready for their inhabitants. They’d paid in advance for the animals and would need to collect them soon before people became so hungry and scared that they forgot the arrangements they’d made.

  He exited the barn and walked up the drive to the gate. The concrete strip ran under the gate, and the wheels of the gate panels ran along a groove in it so that there was no space under the gate for anything much larger than a spider to squeeze under. It looked as good as it had the day it had been installed, so no problems there.

  He walked the fence to the right, keeping an eye on the curb they’d had poured under the fence line so that no one could easily dig a hole under the fence. A determined soul might still be able to dig under, but it would take a bit of time, and hopefully, their perimeter sensors would catch the movement and alert them. He ambled along and only had problems where brambles had grown back into the area they’d cleared when they’d installed the fence. Blackberries grew quickly and could easily fill in a gap in the space of a season.

  They’d cleared both sides of the fence, six feet on either side so that no one could use the brush as cover, or climb a tree and drop down over the fence from an overhanging branch. He thought they’d been smart about it. It had taken a lot of work, and in the case of the cement boundary that reached a foot into the ground, a lot of money. Some of it to keep the workers from talking.

  He heard the sound of the ATV coming up the hill from the outbuildings and retraced his steps to meet Gary at the gate. He pulled his leather gloves from his rear pocket and pulled them on. Installing the razor wire was going to be tricky, and they’d be lucky if they managed it without ripping their skin to shreds. He hoped Gary had some experience in the best way to work with it, since he did not. He understood the need, but he wished he never regretted the decision to use it.

  9

  Corey was tired. His feet hurt more with every step, and his legs ached. He had Rae’s suitcase tied to his backpack, and it was bumping against his thighs with every step. His shoulders were sore from the straps of his bag, and he really just wanted to stop walking and lie down somewhere.

  It was so quiet here in the woods that it was almost spooky. He couldn’t remember anywhere ever being this silent. He remembered always being able to hear cars or airplanes. There were generators at campsites, and motorboat engines on lakes.

  There was something about the air too. It had a fragrance like dirt and trees. Kind of damp, like after it rained, but not like rain in the city. Rain in the forest. And he could smell water, too, when the wind shifted. There must’ve been a river or a lake nearby, and every so often, a whiff of it came his way.

  “Can I walk again, Daddy?” Rae Ann asked. “My legs hurt from riding on your shoulders.”

  Corey’s dad stopped and set Rae Ann on the road so she could walk, but she was limping. Corey thought it wouldn’t be long before she was asking to be picked up again.

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and checked for a text from Emma, stopping himself when he remembered that there was no service. Emma couldn’t text him any more than he could text her. He wondered how many more times he’d pull his phone from his pocket automatically before he lost the habit. One hundred times? Two hundred? Life was sure screwed up.

  “Pick me up, Daddy,” Rae Ann said.

  Five minutes, Corey guessed. A new record. But he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want to start a fight with Rae Ann out here. Neither of them had a room they could stomp off to, and an argument could go on for days.

  His dad picked up Rae Ann without saying much of anything. Corey had noticed he’d gone quieter and quieter as the day progressed. He was probably worrying about where they would spend the night.

  Corey was wondering about that himself. No soft bed in a hotel for them tonight. Not a hotel to be seen for miles and miles. Besides, Dad’s credit cards wouldn’t work. Electricity was what made everything run. Did his dad have enough cash for a room if they could find a hotel? He supposed they’d have to sleep in the forest under a tree. Or in the grass at the side of the road. All he really wanted was a bed.

  He looked around: trees everywhere. How long would it be before they came to civilization again? He’d never realized there was so much undeveloped land in New Hampshire. He should have, he supposed, but it had just never occurred to him.

  A noise caught Corey’s attention. Was it an engine? He lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder. Was something coming?

  “Come on!” his dad yelled, grabbing Corey’s arm and pulling him up the slope into the woods, Rae Ann bouncing on his shoulders. Branches snagged their clothes and roots made the going treacherous.

  “Hide behind a tree,” his dad commanded.

  “But, Dad,” Corey said, trying to look down the road in the direction they’d come, “they could help us. Maybe give us a ride.”

  “We can’t risk it,” his dad said. “We’d be at their mercy. They could take the food we have left. What if they wanted to hurt Rae?”

  “It will take us weeks to walk to Vermont, Dad,” Corey said. “We have to chance it. Didn’t you tell me that most people in the world are good?”

  “No, Corey. We’ll look for a ride when we’re in a more populated area, where we aren’t so isolated.” He set Rae Ann on the ground. “Sit down here next to the tree, Rae Ann, where you can’t be seen. Don’t move until I tell you to.” He leaned against the trunk next to Corey.

  Corey could see through the branches to the bend in the road that they’d just come around. Cold sweat sprang out on his brow, and his heart was pounding hard. He glanced over to see his dad
had his head resting on the bark, eyes closed. He returned his gaze to the road. The engine noise was getting louder, and it was knocking. Mr. D had taught them in shop class that a knocking engine might need oil, but that wasn’t the only reason engines knocked. If it was old enough to still run, maybe that’s why it was so loud. Old cars weren’t affected by solar storms.

  As it came around the bend, Corey was able to see it was a 1960s Oldsmobile. Bronze, with a white roof and a chrome bumper. He watched it rumble in their direction, looking to see who was driving. Then, Corey spotted the lone man driving the car.

  This is it, he thought. There might not be another car for hours, and by then, the sun will have set. They’d be in the pitch dark, alone.

  Corey shot a quick look at his dad, and saw his eyes were still shut. Then he stared back out at the road. Soon, the car would be speeding past them. In the next second, he’d made up his mind about what he had to do.

  While waiting for the car to pass, Nick closed his eyes and let the exhaustion wash over him. He regretted leaving home with an intensity that hurt. Whatever happened, if they’d been at home, they’d have been safe and warm, with a roof over their heads. Now, they would be exposed to the elements until they found someone to take them in. And he doubted they would make it all the way to Vermont on foot, and certainly not up into the hills, where the Pattersons’ hideaway was.

  He dreaded the conversation, or rather argument, that he’d have with Corey when the boy realized they weren’t going to end up with his girlfriend. There would be recrimination and bad temper, and truthfully, Nick did not want to deal with that right now. This was enough of a nightmare without dealing with a sulky teen.

  The engine was getting louder, and Corey tensed beside him. He reached out his hand to lay on his son’s shoulder, but the boy was gone. Nick’s eyes flew open. Corey was running for the road, set to intercept the Oldsmobile Cutlass that was coming up the street.

  Nick pulled Rae Ann to her feet and ran after Corey.

  He couldn’t move as fast as he wanted to with branches snagging his hair and tripping his feet, plus Rae Ann struggling to keep her own feet as he pulled her along. He was too late: Corey had reached the road, and the driver of the car had seen him waving his hands frantically. Then Nick sucked in his breath as Corey tripped and almost landed in the way of the vehicle, but he caught himself at the last second and Nick breathed again.

  Nick reached Corey, and hoped the car wouldn’t stop, that it would just go on by.

  Instead, the car slowed to a stop and the driver leaned over to roll down the passenger window. “You okay?” he asked from the driver’s seat. “I thought I was going to flatten you.”

  “I’m fine,” Corey said, “except we’ve been walking for hours after we were carjacked.”

  “What a crappy thing to do,” the man said. “How could a person steal a car from a man with two children? That’s just wrong.”

  Nick stood there with Rae Ann by his side, nodding. He couldn’t ask this man for a ride to Vermont, but the thought of putting Rae Ann back on his shoulders made him want to weep.

  “You look worn out,” the driver said to Nick. “Do you want a lift? I’m headed east.”

  “I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Nick said.

  “No inconvenience, if you’re going my way; you’re welcome to come along. There’s plenty of room in the car. And your little one looks as if she could sleep for a week.”

  Nick studied the man. Slightly chubby with pale, freckled skin, he appeared to be in his mid-forties, his blond hair thinning on the crown of his head. He wore a pleasant smile as he waited expectantly for Nick’s reply.

  “I’ll go get our bags,” Corey said, and he leaped back up the bank on the side of the road.

  “I guess I’ve got no business turning down a ride,” Nick said. “It’s not fair to the kids.”

  “Hop in.” The man leaned over and opened the passenger door, pushing it wide.

  Nick wasn’t sure what to do. If he put Rae Ann in the car, the man could take off before he slid into the front seat. But he didn’t want to seem suspicious, like he didn’t think the man was trustworthy. Nick waited until Corey was back with the bags, then slid into the front, dumping his bag on the floorboards. He kept his door open, watching as Corey helped his sister into the back seat, close by the entire time. Corey leaned over and buckled her in while the man waited at the wheel.

  Once everyone was settled in the car, the driver reached his hand out to Nick. “I’m Joshua, by the way.”

  Nick hesitated, but then shook the man’s hand. “I’m Nick.”

  Joshua smiled, and it seemed to Nick that it was a warm, genuine smile.

  But only time would tell if his first impressions were correct.

  10

  “Emma! I need you!”

  Emma groaned as her mother’s voice reached her. She was upstairs, sitting on the window seat in her room, wondering what had happened to Corey. Had he gotten her message? Had he been able to convince his father?

  “Emma!”

  “Coming, Mom!” She hurried down to the stairs and found her mother in the kitchen.

  “I need you to go out and collect the eggs from the chickens,” her mother said, gesturing to the wire basket on the table. “I don’t want those hens going broody on me.”

  Emma wasn’t sure leaving eggs in the henhouse would make a chicken go broody, but she picked up the basket anyway and headed up to the barn. If her mother wanted the eggs in, she’d better get it done. But as she was passing the garage, she heard voices inside. Gary and her father were talking. She told herself it wasn’t eavesdropping if she happened to listen to what was being said as she passed by, and then slowed her steps until she was barely moving.

  “I think we did well,” her father was saying. “We have enough food to get us through. The storerooms in the upper barn, the basement, and the cellar under the lower barn are full to bursting. That’s enough for even a prolonged blackout.”

  “I can’t agree, Abram,” Gary said. “There’s never enough food. We both know the grid is going to be down at least two years, probably five, and it could be even longer than that before the power and communications infrastructure is fully up and running again.”

  “Even if that’s true,” her father said, “we can farm. That’s why we bought all this land—so we could cultivate it. We could start now, this year. It’s early enough in the season to plant. We could have fresh tomatoes this summer, corn in the fall. Heck, runner beans yield in just a few weeks.”

  “Sure, we can plant,” Gary said, “but what if our crops fail? Can you ever really have enough?”

  “If you are feeding everyone in your house, then you have enough,” her dad said, “and we have enough.”

  “Abram, you aren’t thinking far enough into the future. We didn’t do enough to prepare—but don’t worry, I have a plan that will set us up really well.”

  There was a tap on her shoulder, and Emma whirled around, startled. Maggie was standing there.

  “Oh, Maggie, you scared me.”

  “Your mom wanted me to check and make sure you were finding the eggs okay. Shall I come up to the barn with you?”

  “I know how to gather eggs,” Emma said, somewhat taken aback. “I’ve done it every summer since I was six.”

  “Oh, I know that. I just thought you might like company.”

  “If you want,” Emma said, wishing she’d heard what Gary’s plan was. What would he do that would set them up really well?

  They walked into the upper barn, the barn where the animals would live, that housed the chicken boxes and the stalls. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she strode toward the laying boxes.

  “Can you hold up the lids to the laying boxes while I gather the eggs?” Emma asked Maggie.

  “Sure thing, doll,” Maggie said and lifted the nearest lid. A chicken who’d been resting there squawked and hopped into the primary enclosure.

  �
��Aunt Maggie, do you think we’re going to be here for a long time?”

  Maggie looked at her thoughtfully. “I think it depends. If the power infrastructure was badly damaged, then it could be a while. They’ll do the cities first, and then eventually the entire country. But, the thing is, they’ll have to manufacture a lot of the parts, and that’s not going to be easy without power. I’m not saying we’ll be here that long, but it could be a few years before we’re caught up again.”

  Emma was quiet as they searched for the remaining eggs, some of which were in the henhouse proper, and not in the laying boxes. As they left the barn, walking side by side, it occurred to Emma that she might be old before she saw Corey again.

  “I guess that means we’ll both be old maids,” Emma said. “That’s a disturbing thought.”

  “Communities of people will spring up around the old towns,” Maggie said. “We’ll just have to introduce ourselves to our neighbors. There’s bound to be a lonely farmer or two.”

  Emma pulled a face, and Maggie chuckled.

  “You never know, Emma, you might find that you like farming.” Maggie grinned at her. “And then I’ll be the only old maid.”

  Nick began to relax as the miles flew by. They weren’t speeding by any stretch of the imagination, but it was so much faster than walking; it felt as if they were flying.

  “I didn’t see many people I was tempted to give a lift to,” Joshua said to Nick. “Saw a lot of people who seemed like they were looking for trouble, and I avoided them. I don’t need any more trouble than I already have.”

  Nick nodded. “And it seems like it’s only going to get worse out there.”

  “Yeah, what a day…”

  “Pretty close to my worst day ever,” Nick said with a short laugh. “Never been held up at gunpoint before.”

  “Close to my worst day ever, too,” Joshua said.