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Authors: Matthew Mather
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shadows behind me in the empty space. Standing in front of Chuck’s place, I hesitated but then knocked softly, and then after a pause, slightly louder.
No response at all. Could they have left?
I had a hard time imagining that they’d just leave like that, but then again…
I knocked again, firmly this time, demanding their attention, but there was still no response. I tentatively tried the door handle, and it easily clicked around, the door silently sliding open in front of me.
Inside, the curtains were drawn back, and in the dim light I could see the jumble of bags still on the floor. I looked in the bedrooms, checked in the bathroom, but no Chuck or Susie or Ellarose.
Maybe they left all this stuff for us?
Pulling the blanket off their bed, I wrapped it around myself and shuffled into the living room, collapsing onto their couch. Fear crept into the pit of my stomach.
What happened? Why is the power off? And why didn’t Chuck wake me if something had gone wrong?
I thought of trying to reach my brothers, to see if they were okay. They had an oil furnace in the old house, with enough oil to last the whole winter, so at least they’d be warm if anything did go wrong over there. My brothers were resourceful. I shouldn’t worry about them.
The wind drove hard against the windows, echoing in the lifeless room. Lifeless. That’s how it felt without the comforting, low-level thrum of the machines, without their little lights blinking, motors whirring, unseen but ever present, surrounding me in an electronic cocoon.
But one light would still work.
My cell phone still had power, at least for a while. Like a phantom limb, I felt its pull. Maybe I should go check it, see if I have any messages and remove the battery, save the charge, just in case?
Maybe the cell networks weren’t as jammed up anymore. Or maybe a landline? Do they have their own power? I thought so, trying to remember if I’d used a landline during a previous power failure, but I couldn’t think of anyone who still had one.
I needed to find out what was going on, but how? A radio. They’d still be broadcasting. I didn’t have a battery-powered radio, but I was sure Chuck must have left something in one of these bags. Thank God he left all this stuff.
I glanced out the windows again. It looked brutal outside. Yesterday morning my biggest problem was figuring out how to deliver some Christmas gifts—how quickly the world had changed.
What if Luke is really sick? What if an epidemic is raging out in that snowstorm?
“Little help here?”
My head swiveled around to find Chuck in the doorway, sagging under a load of bags and backpacks. He was awkwardly trying to wedge himself through. Emotion overcame me.
“Hey, are you okay? Is Luke okay?”
I don’t think I was ever so glad to see anyone in my life. Wiping my eyes with the back of one hand, I replied, “Everything’s fine.”
“If you say so.” Again he tried to force his way through, and again he asked, “A little help here?”
Shaking my head to clear it, I jumped up to grab some bags. Susie, also carrying bags, appeared behind him with Ellarose strapped to her front. Tony, our doorman, was behind her and weighed down even heavier than Chuck. Everyone was sweating profusely, and they haphazardly dropped their loads as they entered.
“Want me to do another trip?” asked Tony, breathing heavily, leaning over.
“Why don’t you take a break with Susie and Ellarose?” Chuck sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of one arm. “Maybe fire up some coffee on the butane burner? Me and Mike’ll get the generator.”
“Sounds heavy,” I said cautiously.
“It is heavy,” laughed Chuck. “Come on, chubby, time to get your workout.”
Leaving the rest of them behind, Chuck and I exited into the hallway and walked to the emergency exit to begin our way down the stairs. Obviously, the elevators weren’t working. It was the first time I’d ever been in the stairwell, and the
No response at all. Could they have left?
I had a hard time imagining that they’d just leave like that, but then again…
I knocked again, firmly this time, demanding their attention, but there was still no response. I tentatively tried the door handle, and it easily clicked around, the door silently sliding open in front of me.
Inside, the curtains were drawn back, and in the dim light I could see the jumble of bags still on the floor. I looked in the bedrooms, checked in the bathroom, but no Chuck or Susie or Ellarose.
Maybe they left all this stuff for us?
Pulling the blanket off their bed, I wrapped it around myself and shuffled into the living room, collapsing onto their couch. Fear crept into the pit of my stomach.
What happened? Why is the power off? And why didn’t Chuck wake me if something had gone wrong?
I thought of trying to reach my brothers, to see if they were okay. They had an oil furnace in the old house, with enough oil to last the whole winter, so at least they’d be warm if anything did go wrong over there. My brothers were resourceful. I shouldn’t worry about them.
The wind drove hard against the windows, echoing in the lifeless room. Lifeless. That’s how it felt without the comforting, low-level thrum of the machines, without their little lights blinking, motors whirring, unseen but ever present, surrounding me in an electronic cocoon.
But one light would still work.
My cell phone still had power, at least for a while. Like a phantom limb, I felt its pull. Maybe I should go check it, see if I have any messages and remove the battery, save the charge, just in case?
Maybe the cell networks weren’t as jammed up anymore. Or maybe a landline? Do they have their own power? I thought so, trying to remember if I’d used a landline during a previous power failure, but I couldn’t think of anyone who still had one.
I needed to find out what was going on, but how? A radio. They’d still be broadcasting. I didn’t have a battery-powered radio, but I was sure Chuck must have left something in one of these bags. Thank God he left all this stuff.
I glanced out the windows again. It looked brutal outside. Yesterday morning my biggest problem was figuring out how to deliver some Christmas gifts—how quickly the world had changed.
What if Luke is really sick? What if an epidemic is raging out in that snowstorm?
“Little help here?”
My head swiveled around to find Chuck in the doorway, sagging under a load of bags and backpacks. He was awkwardly trying to wedge himself through. Emotion overcame me.
“Hey, are you okay? Is Luke okay?”
I don’t think I was ever so glad to see anyone in my life. Wiping my eyes with the back of one hand, I replied, “Everything’s fine.”
“If you say so.” Again he tried to force his way through, and again he asked, “A little help here?”
Shaking my head to clear it, I jumped up to grab some bags. Susie, also carrying bags, appeared behind him with Ellarose strapped to her front. Tony, our doorman, was behind her and weighed down even heavier than Chuck. Everyone was sweating profusely, and they haphazardly dropped their loads as they entered.
“Want me to do another trip?” asked Tony, breathing heavily, leaning over.
“Why don’t you take a break with Susie and Ellarose?” Chuck sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of one arm. “Maybe fire up some coffee on the butane burner? Me and Mike’ll get the generator.”
“Sounds heavy,” I said cautiously.
“It is heavy,” laughed Chuck. “Come on, chubby, time to get your workout.”
Leaving the rest of them behind, Chuck and I exited into the hallway and walked to the emergency exit to begin our way down the stairs. Obviously, the elevators weren’t working. It was the first time I’d ever been in the stairwell, and the
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