by Brian Quest
While Stewart and Keith made their rounds, Andrew went to make sure the shed was secure and then decided to give the horses a little extra hay and some more treats. The wind and the rain didn’t bother the large animals, but the lightning and thunder had a tendency to make them very uneasy. He just wanted to go out there and reassure them a little bit. As he went, he dodged branches, wishing he had had the time to cut some of the more flimsy ones from the trees before the storm rolled in.
After checking on the horses, Andrew decided to check the gate one last time before going inside to see how his girls were doing. When he got there, he found the rocks were still in their “H” formation and chuckled to himself. He wasn’t sure what he thought he would find, but for some reason, expected that someone would have moved them. Satisfied that things looked okay, he went back to the house to check in on the girls and see what was for dinner.
The girls were in full swing when Andrew stepped inside the back door. Connie and Debbie knew how upset Amy was about the storm, so they asked her and Beth to help out in the kitchen. Since it was such a dark and dreary day, they decided to make a few pizzas in the wood burning oven. Along with the pizza, the younger girls made some garlic bread and chopped the ingredients to make a soup that was simmering in a pot in the living room fireplace. It was so nice having all they needed to make that type of meal, and they knew they had their father to thank for that. He insisted regularly that they needed to make sure they constantly had food stores, so gardening in the summer was followed by canning in the fall. With the chickens and the cows and the fish from the stream, there always was something yummy to eat.
The smell as he walked through the kitchen and into the living room made his mouth water and he found Thomas sitting patiently on the couch. “Smells good, huh?”
“Yes, it does! I am so ready for dinner!”
“The rocks are still in an ‘H’, so that’s a plus. Hopefully the guys will be back soon so we all can eat together.”
“How is it outside? It sounds horrible,” Thomas said, changing the subject, trying not to think about food.
“It’s really bad. The wind is so strong; it’s like a blizzard but with rain! I have a feeling there definitely will be some cleanup when it’s all over.” Andrew realized he hadn’t asked Thomas how he was feeling, “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask you. How are you?”
“I feel worn down and my head is really stuffy, but I’m okay. I think it’s just a little cold. I’m fighting it.”
“Good. Tonight you stay here. In fact, I think after final rounds, everyone should stay in the house.”
“It probably would be a good idea,” Thomas agreed. “Better to have everyone together when it’s this bad outside.”
Andrew knew the girls would like having everyone in one place on a night like this, and he could see their happiness when Keith and Stewart came through the door just as they were pulling out the final pizza and garlic bread. Once they got their coats and boots off, everyone gathered around the table and enjoyed their dinner. They talked a little about the storm, but then quickly turned to talk about fun things that would keep Amy’s mind off the weather. For the hour they sat there, she didn’t even notice the storm was getting worse.
After dinner, with the girls cleaning up the kitchen, Stewart pulled Andrew aside and let him know how their rounds went. “Everything looked good out there safety-wise. Did you move the rocks back in a line?”
“No. I went out there to check the gate just before I came inside the house, and they were still in the shape of an ‘H’. Why?”
“They were all back in their spot in line along the fence.”
Andrew couldn’t understand who would be out there in that weather, especially when they only were moving rocks around. He also couldn’t believe that in the short amount of time between him and the guys checking the gate the person was able to go move the rocks and get away without being seen. It was frustrating to him and a little disconcerting.
“Okay. Well, I guess someone is enjoying themselves. Let’s not say anything about it around the girls. I don’t want them to have to worry about that tonight.”
“No problem, Boss.” Stewart turned to walk away and then said, “I’m going to help them in the kitchen.”
“They’d appreciate that. Let your brother know I want you guys to stay here at the house tonight. I think it would be best.”
“Sure thing.”
When the dinner mess was taken care of, everyone gathered in the living room and it was obvious to Andrew that Amy once again was frightened of the storm. She was sitting at his side with her head buried deep in his ribs. “Debbie, why don’t you and Connie take your sisters down to the cellar for a while? Maybe you guys could call it camping and stay there for the night?”
Amy instantly perked up and said, “Yes! I love camping in the cellar!”
“You’re weird!” Beth said, twisting her face into a funhouse mirror version of herself.
Everyone laughed and then the girls made their way down to the cellar, leaving the guys to talk about more important things. From the bottom of the steps, Amy yelled up, “Dad? Can we have a soda and a candy bar? Pleeeeeeeease? There’s tons left!”
“Okay, just one of each.”
“Thank you!”
Chapter Three
The storm howled outside with a wicked vengeance. The second the girls went into the cellar, the branches began to pound the side of the house and Andrew was happy Amy wasn’t up there to hear it. Worried about what the storm might do to the roof, and knowing there was nothing he could do about it, Andrew sat back on the couch and thought about the cellar.
He had put a lot of work into making the cellar all that it could be. Sometimes he wondered why everyone called it a cellar when it was more like a basement. It was huge, and half of it was dedicated to all of the food and supplies needed to survive without modern conveniences. The other half was more of a living space that also could be used for storage if needed. The girls had brought down a large supply of blankets and pillows. They also had a huge storage container filled with books, magazines, toys and stuffed animals, art supplies, and board games.
Because it was so closed off, they could use only one oil lamp down there to keep it safe for breathing, but the soft light made it feel homey, and the girls loved it down there. They liked to pretend they were camping down there, and had done so for years…even before the electricity stopped running.
Downstairs, the girls began settling in. Connie and Beth went to the sleeping area of the cellar and began to blow up the air mattresses with the foot pumps. It was the only part of sleeping down there they didn’t like. The floor was cement, so it was pretty cold on their feet. Once the mattresses were full, they grabbed all the blankets to make the beds as cushy and warm as possible.
At the same time, Debbie and Amy grabbed four bottles of soda and four candy bars and went over to the folding table and set it up. With the table up, they grabbed a few board games and set up Amy’s favorite. She hung the lantern on the hook right next to the table and then went to check out the progress her sisters were making on the sleeping area.
“Are you guys done yet?” she asked.
“Just finished,” Beth said.
“No you didn’t. Where’s Chubby?” Chubby was Amy’s favorite stuffed animal for when they slept in the cellar. It was an overstuffed puppy her mother had given to her. She kept it down there to help her feel safe and she was never without it down there.
Beth pulled her hand from behind her back and said, “Here’s Chubby!”
“Yay! He’s gonna play games with us!” She looked at her fluffy friend and said, “I love you, Chubby! Come on! Let’s have some soda! You can’t have the chocolate, but if you’re good, I’ll let you have a sip of my drink!”
Connie, Debbie and Beth laughed at their little sister’s silliness and she didn’t even care. Amy was just so happy to have her friend with her. She ran to the shelves and picked her favorite soda and ca
ndy bar and then hurried over to the table and sat down. Even down in the cellar they still could hear the storm outside, which meant it was getting really bad, and that worried Debbie. She knew that storms out at the ranch could get bad, and she worried about the damage that could happen.
Between the EMP causing such chaos in everyone’s lives, and losing their mother, the girls had areas of their lives that they just didn’t talk about. Down in the cellar was their fantasy world where nothing bad happened. So they spent their time down there laughing and playing games and pretending they didn’t have a care in the world.
Upstairs, the guys were discussing the ranch and wondering if it would be a good idea to do a perimeter check. “I’m thinking if we just stick to making sure the barn is secure, check the gate and then do a check of the area just around the house and shed that should be good. The storm is just too intense to go out as far as the perimeter.” Andrew was always as practical as a situation would allow for.
Thomas seemed to be in agreement and said, “I can do around the house and shed if you’d like.”
“Actually, you are staying here with the girls. You are sick.”
“Yes, Dad,” Thomas said, causing a round of laughter. Each day, and each troubling event, seemed to bring the group closer together, creating even more of a family feel. He looked at Thomas as an older brother and Keith and Stewart were also more like brothers than ranch hands. Having that close family feel made working with them so much easier.
“Keith, you and Stewart mind going out to the barn?”
“Not at all. We’ll get right on it.”
“Great, I’m going to check the outside of the house and shed and then I’ll check the gate.” Andrew was anxious to get out there, do what needed to be done, and get back to the warmth and safety of the house. “Let’s get going. Be careful out there.”
After getting into their warm coats and throwing raincoats on top, the men went out into the storm and split off to their prospective areas. Andrew decided to start at the gate, curious to see if someone was actually crazy enough to come back to the property once the storm got even worse. The rock moving had been a source of stress but also entertainment and it seemed to pique everyone’s curiosity.
The wind whipped the rain into his face, and he could see by the light that the lightning provided that they would have quite a bit of cleanup after the storm was over. There were tree branches everywhere, but at that point no trees had fallen. He moved as quickly as he could and made it to the gate. There the rocks sat, still in a line, and still untouched since the last time he was there to check on them.
He went back to check on the house and the shed, taking time to go inside the shed and make sure it wasn’t leaking; there was too much fish stored there to be ruined by the rain. The shed was holding up well, so Andrew locked the doors together and then walked around the house. The wind let up just slightly at that point, and from the side of the house, he could see the lantern light at the barn.
About an hour after they left the house, all three men were back inside getting warm by the fire. Debbie came up to make sure all of the guys were okay and to see if they needed anything. “Amy, Beth and Connie are finishing up a game and then they will be laying down. Everything okay up here?”
Smiling, Andrew said, “Everything is just fine up here. Thank you for keeping Amy calm.”
“No problem, Dad. She’s fine down there. Do you guys want me to make coffee or anything?”
“Actually,” Thomas started, “I really could go for a cup of tea with a little honey if that’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. I’ll get that for you right now.”
Debbie walked away with a smile on her face. She loved taking care of the men in her life. She knew how hard they all worked to keep her and her sisters safe and warm and happy, and it was her pleasure to give back to them all. She took care to make the tea exactly the way Thomas liked it and also made another pot of coffee for her father and Keith and Stewart.
While she was in the kitchen, the men sat back and enjoyed the heat of the fireplace. While the storm still raged, it was obvious it was simmering down just slightly. Through the window, the lightning lit up with a bright intensity that allowed Andrew to see the entire sky. In the distance he could see the back side of the storm and was relieved that it would end sooner rather than days later.
“It looks like the rain should stop in time to give us a beautiful sunrise. I just hope the roof has held up. At least there isn’t any water pouring down on us from upstairs!”
“While you guys were out I went up and checked the shutters and took a look at all of the ceilings. Everything looked good from floor level.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Debbie brought in the tea and the fresh pot of coffee to refill their cups. Then she put two more logs on the fire and pulled the blankets out of the cedar chest that sat under the front windows. She handed each man a blanket, kissed their cheeks and then said, “I’m going back down with the girls. Goodnight everyone.” She walked away and climbed down into the cellar, leaving the men in the silence.
“Wow, she is something else!” Stewart said with a smile.
“She really has become an amazing young lady, Andrew. You should really be proud.” Thomas patted his friend on the shoulder.
“I am proud. She has stepped into the role of taking care of everyone so easily. I was so worried about her after her mother passed away, but now I see that I really worried for nothing.”
The men all sat for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. They all remembered the life and happiness that Sandra had brought to the ranch, and after she died, it took a little bit to get that life back. Even with no electricity, and violence surrounding them, Sandra had managed to make the ranch feel as if they were lost in a time of simplicity, focusing on family. They all were so happy to see Debbie bringing that happiness and life back into their lives.
With Thomas in the recliner, sleeping through his cold, Stewart and Keith spread out on the couch, using the coffee table to hold up their sleepy feet. Andrew sat in the overstuffed “big boy” chair and set his feet on the ottoman. The fire flickered in the fireplace, giving them a feeling of comfort and warmth. They were able to watch the lightning violently lighting up the sky through the window. It was almost the best of both worlds, and for a while they were able to lay back, enjoy the sounds of the storm and rest their weary bodies.
Down under the house, Debbie made sure Amy and Beth were settled in and then she and Connie sat at the table, both looking at old magazines. They spoke quietly about their favorite actors and movies and music, pointing out pictures in the magazines as they went. They giggled and laughed and, for a short time, forgot about the EMP and the storm outside.
Amy and Beth fell asleep quickly, likely due to the running around and extra fresh air they got outside preparing for the storm. They slept close to one another, and didn’t even flinch when their older sisters burst out in laughter. After about another hour, Debbie and Connie also went to bed. The silence almost was deafening to Debbie because she loved the sounds of the house and the outside. She loved “camping” in the cellar, but she longed for the day when she once again could go camping outside and enjoy the night sky. She prayed for God to bring those days back to her.
Chapter Four
Somewhere between candy bars and sunrise, the storm was exchanged for quiet. It was so eerily quiet that the silence is what woke up Andrew. He hadn’t heard silence like that since the day the Earth went powerless. He went to the porch to take in the morning air and to assess the damage the storm had left behind. As he stood there, hands resting on the railing, he realized that not one bird sang their usual morning song. In times of trouble and chaos, the one thing he turned to for solace was the sound of the birds singing in the morning air. Now, all he was greeted with was mess.
The storm had left an obstacle course of downed branches. A few of the smaller trees didn’t make it, and he knew
Beth would be sad to see that because she had been nurturing those trees for the past two years. Looking at them laying on the ground made him go back to the day she decided those were her trees. He was going to take them down; they were just little twigs at that point and he wanted to make room for a small outbuilding. She begged him to leave them there, telling him she wanted to make her own little forest. There were about ten trees in total, and now she was left with about seven.
At first he was happy to see the minimal damage left for them by the storm, and then he walked around to the side of the house. Thankful that his own house had fared well, he was heartbroken to find that Stewart and Keith’s bunkhouse, along with the bunkhouse James used to stay in, were lying under a large tree. He felt horrible knowing that he would have to go inside and tell the guys that essentially, their house was gone, and the spare house was also gone.
He went inside and quietly opened the door to the cellar and headed down to wake Connie and Debbie. He hoped he could do so without waking Beth and Amy, because he wanted to let the girls know about Keith and Stewart’s cabin. He woke the older girls and pulled them aside.
“I know it’s really early and we all had a late night, but there is something I need to tell you.”
Eyes wide, Connie asked, “What is it, Dad?”
“Last night the big tree near the bunkhouses fell and James’ old cabin and Stewart and Keith’s cabin were crushed.”