CHAPTER ONE: 

Chapter One 

 

It’s crazy the things we remember. A moment. A feeling. A face. These are the core memories that make up our entire lives. It’s even crazier the things we forget. Like taking everyday things for granted. Things you wouldn’t even think you’d miss. Until they’re gone. 

 

It was a normal, everyday morning. The kind of morning that doesn’t stand out in any particular way and by the end of it, as you’re lying in bed, you’ve realized you can’t remember any of it. It’s like driving down a long stretch of highway and having no recollection of the past several miles. You just go. You just do. I, however, remember every single painful detail of that day. The day everything changed. I wish I could forget because each detail is a reminder of everything we’ve lost.

 

  It was the same, mundane routine as I had every morning. I jumped out of bed after hitting the snooze button no less than five times. I shuffled from my bed, eyes half-open, in the awkward stage of wake and sleep. I walked through the narrow door to my bathroom and switched on the light, causing sharp pains in the backs of my eyes as they hadn’t yet adjusted to the waking world. I threw back the shower curtain, adorned with brightly colored pineapples - my newest obsession - and turned the knobs. 

 

My eyes finally adjusted to the light and  I watched as the steam rose from the shower in intricate patterns that hovered at the ceiling. The metal rings scraped the curtain rod as I climbed in. The feel of the scalding water sent shivers down my spine and goosebumps rose on my flesh. I watched the water droplets roll down my body and splash on the tile at my feet meeting their fate as they swirled down the drain. My purple loofah scraped against my skin, cleansing it of the dirt it had acquired the day before. 

 

Looking back now, it is so easy to see how much we - as a society - took for granted. Simple things like showering, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a cold can of Coke, starting the car, cruising Instagram and TikTok…God, I miss the internet. 

 

I missed a lot of things, actually. Things I never really thought I would miss at all. School. I missed school. Most teenagers hate school, begrudgingly going day after day, looking forward to graduation so they can do adult things, like grab Starbucks on the way to their 9-5. Admittedly, I was one of those teenagers, full of angst, regret, attitude and a general disdain of all things that imposed the slightest inconvenience on my day. Most mornings, I had to pry myself out of bed and into the shower. That morning was no different. I barely made it through the big, double doors of the school before the first bell rang. 

 

I wasn’t a bad student, quite the opposite actually. It was just my slender frame, flat chest, lack of popularity, and the fact I only had one parent that made me the perfect target for the school's elite. The ones who were blessed with everything I wasn’t. The ones who always said the right things and weren’t awkward like I was. A fact they felt the need to remind me of each and every single day. And it didn’t help that I was at the top of my class and always had my nose stuck in a book. I kept my head down and did what I was supposed to but somehow, it was never the right thing. I was always the weird girl. The girl the teachers spent a little too much time talking to. The girl who didn’t have to try to get good grades. The girl whose dad died - and they thought I killed him because, ya know, I’m quiet. I’m weird. 

 

Even knowing all of that - knowing the Hell it would be and the Hell they’d put me through - I’d still choose to go back. The fact is, it would be a lot better than the actual Hell we were going through now. 

 

I was barely two months into my junior year when the echo of the emergency alert system sounded in Mr. Perry’s biology lab. Each person’s cell phone began to sound and vibrate, sending gasps and shrieks from all corners of the room. Even though we weren’t supposed to, we all pulled out our phones. A bright notification on the home screen. 

 

EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

THIS IS NOT A TEST

PLEASE TUNE INTO YOUR LOCAL NEWS 

FOR AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE 

THE UNITED STATES.

 

I could feel my stomach sink onto the floor, and although I couldn’t see my face, I knew it was three shades whiter than it normally was. I had no idea what was happening. I could hear the entire classroom erupt with shouts of surprise and speculation. Mr. Perry had his head down staring at his phone. The whites of his eyes shone brightly as he looked up and asked the classroom for silence, which never came. I watched as he slid out of his chair from his massive desk, walked over to the television, and switched it on. Everyone began to whisper their ideas of what was happening. 

 

“Probably another war,” one voice whispered from behind me. 

 

“There’s always another war,” another voice whispered back to the first. I didn’t dare look. They hated it when I looked at them. 

 

“No way it’s a war. They wouldn’t send out an emergency alert for a war,” a voice whispered. I recognized the voice. It was Braylie Daniels - my number one tormentor. She was everything I wasn’t and she wasn’t shy in letting me know it either. 

 

It felt like an eternity, waiting there in that classroom, watching a blank screen before the official presidential seal flashed with a countdown timer starting at 30. I know it was only 30 seconds, but it felt like hours. 30, 29, 28… As the numbers ticked closer to one, the voices in the classroom began to quiet until there was silence as a widescreen shot of the Oval Office came into view. President Harrison Carr was seated at the Resolute Desk as many other presidents had before him. His hands were clasped in front of him and he was blinking wildly. Although I was sure he was wearing some sort of makeup for the camera, you could see the beads of perspiration beginning to bead on his lip and forehead. 

 

He took a deep breath in. “My fellow Americans, it is with great sadness that I must deliver this message to you.” He paused, pursed his lips, and lowered his head. There was a shakiness in his voice that sent alarm bells ringing in my head. Something was wrong. Something more than just a war, as the others had speculated. 

 

He raised his head and continued, “As of 10:23 pm yesterday, NASA discovered a major solar storm forming on the surface of the sun. While solar storms do happen quite frequently and most of the time cause no disturbances, this particular solar storm has the capability of causing a worldwide and catastrophic electromagnetic pulse. The nations top scientists have been monitoring the situation since it was discovered last night and I am being told that the charged particles emitted from the solar storm will make a direct impact with the Earth’s atmosphere in three days time. When this happens, the world’s power grid will go down. Life as we know it will cease to exist. Water will not flow, cars won’t start and planes will not fly. There will be no electricity and if I am understanding the information correctly, it will take years to rebuild the power grid. As a result of the news, I have ordered the FFA to ground all flights to and from the United States as well as all forms of public transportation out of precaution. I implore all of you listening, stop what you’re doing. Go home, be with your families and make the necessary arrangements for your protection. God bless you, your family and our great nation.” 

 

The television screen cut to black and voices erupted in the classroom. I sat there, mulling over what President Carr had just announced. I looked down at my hands, from a lack of anything better to do. My long, skinny fingers were shaking. I made a fist and sat them in my lap, afraid someone would notice. The telephone rang, causing everyone in the classroom to jump. Once again, silence fell across the classroom as we all struggled to hear the conversation between Mr. Perry and whoever was on the other end of the line. 

 

“Yes. I understand. I’ll pass on the news. Thank you. Be safe as well. Goodbye.” Mr. Perry sat the receiver down and addressed the class.

 

“Children.” His voice cracked like he was hitting puberty. He cleared his throat to try again. “Children, that was Principal Henry. Classes for today and the rest of the week have been canceled. Go home. Be with your families. Take any possessions you have here at the school.” His tone was firm but filled with concern. 

 

Everyone stood from their seats and began to pile out in the hallway. I decided it was better to sit and wait for everyone to go first to avoid any unwanted confrontations. I gathered my books and pressed them to my chest and began the walk to the door. Mr. Perry was standing there, saying goodbye to each student as they passed.

 

“Mr. Perry?” I asked.

 

“Yes, Miss Mason?”

 

“What does all this mean?” 

 

A look of sadness flooded his face. He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Miss Mason, the world as we know it is about to be gone.”

 

“How’s that?” I needed to know the details. It was one of my biggest flaws - in my opinion. I always questioned everything, even if the details were laid out in front of me. 

 

“May I accompany you to your locker? I’ll explain on the way.”

 

“Sure.” 

 

We walked out of the classroom and began the long walk down the stairs and to my locker which was located on the floor below us. 

 

“Miss Mason, electromagnetic pulses happen all the time. Most of the time without us even knowing or them making an impact on our lives. But this one, the one the president just mentioned, is nothing like those.”

 

I nodded, pretending to understand. He sighed and continued, “You see that phone in your hand? That’s going to be a paperweight. Useless. When you turn on your faucet at home, what happens?”

 

“The water turns on.”

 

“How do you think that happens, Miss Mason? Electricity. An EMP destroys any electronic component it comes in contact with. Does it make sense now?”

 

“Yeah.” This time I got it. 

 

“If this happens, our entire way of life, everything we know, everything we do on a daily basis is about to change. We can’t just go out and buy new things; there will be nowhere to get them. Cash registers, electronic sales systems, and all forms of transportation will be down. And that’s just to name a few.” 

 

“Mr. Perry, I’m scared.”

 

“I’m not trying to frighten you, Miss Mason. I promise I’m not. You wanted to know and I’ve never lied to you. Never lied to any of you. Truthfully, I’m scared, too.” This time, when he placed his hand on my shoulder, I could feel it shaking. I think that’s when I knew we were in trouble. 

 

I stopped at my locker. “This is me,” I said, with an awkward smile.

 

He nodded. “Miss Mason, this is where I take my leave. It has been a pleasure teaching you these past short years. Go be with your mom and stay safe.” He walked away, fading into the sea of students who had now gathered in the hallway. 

 

I could feel the steady pounding in my chest begin to quicken. I had to get home. I had to talk to mom. I opened my locker and grabbed what few things I had in there. A pack of gum, a couple of spare pencils, and most importantly, a photo of me and my dad. I couldn’t have been more than two years old in the photo. I was all smiles as he tossed me in the air, still wearing his security guard uniform. My mom and dad married young and had me not long after. He worked nights as a security guard at a local hotel and went to school during the day but no matter how tired he was, he always made time for me. He was always there. Until he wasn’t. 

 

I shuddered at the sudden memory but closed my locker before I could allow myself any more time to reflect on the loss of my dad and how much I missed him. I took off in a sprint for the bathroom. I just needed a moment to think or throw up, possibly both, and the bathroom seemed like the best place to do it. I threw the door open, smacking it into the wall with a thud so loud it rattled the stalls around me. I walked over to the sink and let my backpack fall to the floor, placed both hands on the sink, and looked in the mirror. Jeez, did I really leave the house with my hair looking like this? 

 

I’ve always considered myself to be extraordinarily unnoteworthy. Brown stringy hair with matching brown eyes. I wasn’t unhappy with how I looked or who I was but sometimes I wished I was a little - I don’t know - more. More outgoing. More pretty. More athletic. More liked. All the mores. The door to the bathroom opened, creating another thunderous thud, snapping me out of my self-deprecating pep talk. Startled, I snapped my head around to see Miss Everything I’m Not, Braylie Daniels, on her phone like always. 

 

Seeing me, she rolled her eyes and scoffed audibly. I turned back to the sink and began to wash my hands in an effort to disappear. Braylie was the last person I wanted to see right now. I’m not sure what I ever did to make her hate me so much but it was clear she was annoyed by my mere presence in the bathroom. She brushed past me, the smell of her obviously expensive perfume lingering in the air so strong I could almost taste it. I continued to ignore her and walked over to the paper towel dispenser and began to dry my hands. 

 

“Ugh, this whole thing is stupid. I mean, can you believe the way Mr. Perry was acting? Umm Steph, can you hang on a minute?” Braylie dropped her phone to the side and looked at me. “Ummm do you mind?”

 

“What? I’m literally just drying my hands.”

 

“Yeah, and I’m trying to have a conversation? Like, don’t you have another parent to kill or something?”

 

Those comments used to hurt but in the years since Dad died, I’ve gotten used to them. 

 

“Don’t you have another puppy to drown or something?” I snarked back at her.

 

She rolled her eyes and put her phone back to her ear. “Yeah, sorry Steph. Yep the weird one that killed her dad. Anyways so yeah like I was saying…”

 

“Oh, Braylie,” I called as I walked backward toward the bathroom door. 

 

“What?” 

 

I flipped her the finger. “Eat a dick.” Braylie’s mouth dropped open and before she had a chance to say anything, I turned around and strolled out the door, content with the fact that I may never see her again, and if I did, it would be too soon. I couldn’t stop smiling as I made my way down the hallway and out of the front doors of the school. Everyone around me was sad, whispering, or even crying and there I was, casually strolling, teeth bared with probably the biggest smile I’ve had on my face for a while. If this thing, this EMP doesn’t happen, I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do when we finally go back to school judging by the expressions on everyone’s faces as I walk past. 

 

I was nearly to the parking lot when my phone began vibrating in my back pocket. Mom. I was wondering when she would call. 

 

I slid the screen to answer and could immediately tell she was in a panic. 

 

“Carter?” Mom asked. 

 

“Yeah, Mom. I’m here. Just about ready to get in the car.” My hands were shaking as I fumbled with my keys trying to unlock the door. Sure, Dad’s 1965 Mustang was beautiful and the envy of everyone that saw her, but keyless entry would be nice about right now. 

 

“Carter, I need you to listen to me very closely.” The concern she had in her voice made me shake even more. 

 

“Mom, what is it?”

 

“Stick to the back roads. Delores just called me and the main roads are backed up. Everyone is trying to get to the store.”

 

I threw my backpack in and slid into the warm, leather seats. “Is everything going to be okay?”

 

“Honestly Carter, I don’t know. I need you to get here as soon as you can but drive safe.” Her voice was shaking.

 

“I will, Mom. I promise,” I said as I put the key in the ignition and turned causing the Mustang to roar to life. The sound of American Muscle cars - there was nothing like it. Another one of the things that my dad taught me to appreciate. The chug of the exhaust, the vibration of the seats and the way it purred as it idled; it never got old. I could listen to it all day, but not now. 

 

“Oh and Carter, don’t turn on the radio,” Mom finished and hung up the phone.

 

What I’ve learned about my mom is that she is generally right. I should have known by now to listen to what she said but my curiosity got the better of me as I turned the knob before I even left the parking lot. 

 

“…that’s exactly what I mean, Don. People are in a state of confusion right now. There is fear and panic on the streets,” a radio personality explained.

 

“Exactly, Chaz,” another voice sounded, I assumed it was Don’s. I recognized the voices. My dad used to listen to The Get Up and Go, Portsmouth with Chaz and Don every morning on his commute to work. Occasionally, he would tell me stories of the pranks they would do on community members and local businesses. Dad always got a kick out of a good joke and I found myself on the receiving end of them more than once. 

 

Don spoke again, “To our valued listeners, please stay away from the downtown areas. Do not attempt to go to any store at this time. It’s become more and more dangerous as people become desperate for food and supplies.” 

 

I felt my face begin to flush as a giant weight settled in the pit of my stomach. It had been less than an hour since President Carr made the official announcement. How did things get this bad so fast? 

 

“Don, you gotta wonder one thing?”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“How long do you think the government has known about this?”

 

“No idea, Chaz.”

 

“I’m just saying, with all the scientific advancements that those kind folks over at NASA has, why didn’t they see this coming sooner?”

 

“Or did they?” Don retorted.

 

“Okay, Okay…maybe we can give them the benefit of the doubt here and say that maybe they thought this whole thing would blow over, but I don’t know, Chaz. I just don’t know. Something feels off about this whole thing to me.”

 

“You may be on to something, Chaz. Folks, if you are just now tuning in, we want to apologize for all the on-air banter, but you know how we are.”

 

“We don’t banter,” Chaz said, sounding offended.

 

“Never. But I digress, we are trying to keep everyone informed of the current situation. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t already heard, at noon today, President Carr announced that NASA has detected a major solar storm brewing on the surface of the sun. NASA speculates that this solar storm will cause a massive electromagnetic pulse that will be both worldwide and catastrophic,” Don said, his voice breaking. 

 

“If you are trying to get prepared for what is about to come, here are some recommendations from some of the top searched doomsday prepper websites…I cannot believe I am pulling information from these crazy…” 

 

“Nuh-uh-uh,” Don interrupted. “Not so crazy now, are they, Chaz?”

 

“No, Don. I guess you’re right,” Don agreed. “Not crazy at all, now. Anyway, here is a list of items the websites suggest are essential to survival. Nonperishable food, first-aid kit, manual can opener, water…at least one gallon per person per day, wrench or pliers, any medications, local maps, matches and lighters, and a good knife. For a more detailed list, please head over to our website. The links have been updated.”

 

Okay, I'll admit it. Mom was right. Listening to the radio was probably the worst idea ever. Violence and looting? Prepping? As I drove the back roads as Mom - and now Chaz and Don - suggested, I noticed a few things. The first was that people were packing stuff out of their homes and into their cars. Where exactly were they going to go? As the president had said, this is worldwide, so leaving their homes and going somewhere else wasn't going to do any good. I don't know much about solar storms and EMPs, but I thought that something of this magnitude couldn't be outrun. Second, even on the backroads, traffic was beginning to back up and the only gas station for miles had a line that stretched far out into the road. 

​

  A green minivan came screeching up behind me, laying on its horn. I looked down at my speedometer and was already going five miles over the speed limit. I rolled down my window and motioned for them to go around. I wasn’t taking any chances. Not today and I really didn’t appreciate the middle finger the balding man with the strange mustache gave me as he passed me on the double yellow line. I just nodded and waved which seemed to anger him more, judging by the looks he gave me in his rear view mirror which quickly faded out of sight as he sped down the road.

​

  Shaking off the unpleasant encounter, I tried to take in everything around me. I wanted to remember this moment as it was before things got too crazy. It was early fall. The leaves shifted from a dark red to a beautiful and muted yellow. The crisp, fall air felt like Heaven on my face with my window down. The early afternoon sky was bright and surprisingly clear for this time of year. Not too many clouds in the sky, I noticed. It was hard to believe that something so life-changing was brewing on the surface of the sun some 90 million miles away.

​

As I pulled into the driveway, I could see Mom sitting on the front porch step, staring off into space as her cigarette burned to ashes between her fingers. I took a second to take in our family home. I've lived here for as long as I could remember. Mom and Dad bought the place when I was two. It was a modest two-story home with beautiful green siding and black shutters. Two large offset windows faced the front. That was my bedroom, and it was the biggest one in the house. When Mom and Dad had finally decided they were done trying for another baby, they knocked down the wall so I would have more room to play. I always felt a little bad that I had the most space especially when I was old enough to realize that it was too much room. I had offered to switch my parents, but they would hear nothing of it.

​

        "Hush now, Carter. You'll need all that room for when your friends come over, " Dad had said.

         

        "Dad, I really don't have that many friends! No one really likes me," I replied.

​

         "They just don't know you yet, kid! Give them a chance and they'll give you one too! Before you know it, you'll have your room full of friends," he had said. He was always hopeful and believed in me as no one else did. He was right to an extent. I did open up and found a few good friends in junior high. We would spend the weekends in my room watching scary movies and laughing over what happened in school and who was dating who. Then something happened and our friendships just fell apart. We went different ways and became different people. The only real friend I have is Kara Davis and even we don't see that much of each other since she moved a town over. Speaking of Kara, I really need to text her and see if she is okay. I wonder if she even knows? How could she not, though? The news was everywhere. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.

​

  Are you okay? 

 

          I shoved my phone into my jeans' back pocket and walked up the front porch steps. Mom looked over at me. I could tell she was worried. The bags under her eyes seemed a little darker and her mascara was running just a bit. Her long brown hair was pulled up into the most perfect of messy buns. She was beautiful.  Even with her mascara streaked face and wearing Dad’s old sweatshirt, she was still more put together than I was on my best days.  

​

        She startled as she saw me. "Oh, Carter. I am so glad you made it home," she said as she got up and hugged me tightly. Mom's hugs had a way of making me feel so much better even if the world was falling apart. And today, it felt like it actually was.

​

        "How was the drive? It wasn't too bad, was it? Is traffic bad?" she asked. She seems so worried. You could hear it in her voice.

​

         I didn’t know which question to answer first. "It wasn't too bad," I answered, realizing she asked me the same questions three times in three different ways. "But Mom, people are packing their cars. Where are they going to go? If the president and the radio are right, there's no way to outrun this." I winced, realizing I had just told on myself.

​

          "Carter Jane Davis, I told you not to turn on the radio," she scolded.

​

          "I know, Mom. I couldn't help it, but we didn't get all that much information at school, and I really just wanted to know more of what's going on."

​

          "I don't know much more than you do, Carter. All I know is that it's bad," Mom said. "Come inside. We have some decisions to make. Ya know, you really are too inquisitive for your own good sometimes. One day, it’s gonna get you into serious trouble.”