The Blackout (22 page)

I should’ve thought this through
.  A tear ran down her cheek, washing away what had been and clearing the way for what was.  She steeled herself and carefully pinned the image to the board, taking care not to poke a hole in that frozen moment in time. 

Molly took a step back to look at her one lifeline to her husband.  She sighed heavily.  “OK, Gary,” she said aloud to the dim room.  “I hope this helps.” 

After one hundred and five days, Molly found herself needing to feel connected to Gary even more than usual.  She wasn’t sure if it was the constant expectation that he would walk through the door, or simply loneliness, but she needed to talk to him.  So she dug out an old notebook and started to write to him.  It helped tremendously, and she had no idea why she hadn’t done it sooner.  That night, she sat down at her desk with her brightest candle by her side and started to write to him.

Hi Gary!

Well, it’s been 105 days since the Blackout.  That’s a long time to be without you, and wonder where you are and if you’re OK.  If you took a direct route, you should be home by now.  If you went along the coast it’ll be a few more days I think.  I can’t wait to hear about what has happened to you, why it’s taken you so long to get home, and what you had to go through to get here.  It’s been a mild winter here, and I hope you’re far enough south by now that you can stay warm.  Winter in the north without heat or a warm coat would be miserable. 

I posted your picture on the board for all the Watchers to see, so hopefully you won’t have any trouble from them getting home.  You should’ve seen what they did to Charlotte.  I’ll tell you more about her when you get here.

Today was a school day.  We’re still reading
Native Son
with the older kids, and
The Giver
with the younger ones.  They seem to be enjoying it.  They’re both interesting because they discuss issues of prejudice during a time when they had more than we do now.  The kids can’t really imagine judging someone as useless or less than someone else based on their age or skin color.  One of them even said Mrs. Carroll (I don’t know if you remember her or not) is great at making food and clothes, and even though she’s old, a lot of people would be hungry and naked without her.  I thought that was excellent. 

You know, I didn’t think I’d like teaching the younger kids.  They’re such a handful, not nearly as independent as my college kids.  But it’s so satisfying to see them really get something.  To see their minds open to a whole new world of possibilities is very exciting for me. 

Dug and I went for a nice long walk this afternoon.  I think this weekend I’ll take him to a new spot we discovered, with a lake and a tree and tons of grass to run around in, that’s if the weather is nice. 

I suppose that’s about all I have to say for tonight.  I hope you are doing well with your journey home, and know that I am waiting anxiously for you to get here!  I love you so much and miss you more than words could say.

Love,

Molly

She sighed as she closed the notebook and carried the candle to the nightstand.  She changed clothes and got into bed, thinking about Gary. 

Should I tell him about Seth?
She felt a little guilty leaving news of Seth out.  She didn’t want to taint their reunion with news that another man had come on to her, and she had been tempted to act on it.  But then again, she didn’t want to wait too long, and have it turn into a giant secret. 

Great,
she thought. 
Something else to obsess about and keep me awake tonight.

The next day, after they sent the kids home, she asked Beth for her opinion.  “Ya know, that’s a sticky issue.  It’s not something I would purposely hide from him, but I’m not sure I’d come right out and tell him either.  It might upset him.  Assuming he comes home in the next few days, he’s probably worked fairly hard to get here.  If I were him, I’d be peeved if I’d nearly died trying to get back to you and you were off being tempted by another man.  Even though you did the right thing, he may not be able to see that right away.”

“I agree.   I just don’t want to be distracted by guilt if I finally get to see him again.  I don’t want that initial meeting to be cluttered by anything other than my joy at seeing my husband again.”

“So don’t let it.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  You stayed faithful to your marriage, not even knowing if there was a marriage to be faithful to.  I’d say that’s pretty darn honorable if you ask me.” 

“Yes.  You’re right.” 

Molly paused, debating whether to ask the next question.  She decided to dive in.  “So, how’s Seth?”

She smiled and shook her head.  “He’s a typical man.”  Molly looked questioningly at Beth.  “Well, he’s not wallowing in misery like I would be if someone had said the things you said to
me
.”

Molly frowned and nodded her head.  Oddly, she was stung by how little she had meant to Seth.  But she didn’t really want him pining over her, either. 

“Isn’t that what you wanted to know, Molly?  That he wasn’t devastated?” 

“Well, yeah.  A short period of mourning would have been nice, but whatever.” 

She laughed.  “You are too much.” 

Molly shook her head rapidly, trying to get these ridiculous thoughts out. 
Yes I am.

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and planning the following day’s activities. 

That evening, Seth came around for the first time since their talk, to walk Beth home.  Molly smiled and gave him a short nod.  He nodded back at her and turned to Beth. 

“You ready to go?  Mom sent me down here to get ya because it was getting dark.” 

“Sure.  Sorry.”  Beth gathered up her papers hastily, thinking they were uncomfortable.  But they weren’t.  Molly was focusing on Gary, and Seth had moved on to his next potential conquest.  She was back to being his sister’s dorky friend, and she was fine with that.

That night, she didn’t have a whole lot to say to Gary.  She told him about the day’s lessons and asked how his travels had been. 

When she went to bed she kept thinking,
One hundred and five days.  In a week, could I be lying here next to Gary?  What on earth would I do with myself?
 

She fell asleep with a smile on her face that night, thinking about lying next to Gary once again.  She didn’t even notice the slight hum her home was emitting as she drifted off.

34.

Thunderbolt doubled Gary’s progress, but it would still take over a month to cross the distance between Virginia and Florida.  Judd cautioned against pushing Thunderbolt too hard and killing him before they got home.  So he tried to stay satisfied with doubling the pace, and, if Thunderbolt was in good spirits, going an extra few miles at the end of the day. 

They stayed off the main roads to avoid other travelers.  Judd’s family had stocked them well with food and supplies, and Gary didn’t want to lose any of that, including a well-fed horse. 

At night, they found a spot deep in the woods and settled down.  Thunderbolt understood the importance of quiet, and didn’t make a sound. 

Five days into their journey, they were just south of Plymouth, North Carolina when they heard rustling.  Thunderbolt’s ears pricked and Gary pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop.  They sat silently as the voices approached from the south.  They were coming right at them. 

He hopped off Thunderbolt and urged the beast deeper into the woods, in a direction Gary hoped wouldn’t take them too far off course, but would keep them out of the path of the Wanderers. 

He and Thunderbolt concealed themselves as best they could, and the Wanderers passed right by.  It was a group of four, two women and two men. 

“Earl, I’m exhausted.  When can we stop and rest?”

Oh please, not here.
Gary thought.  Who knew how long they could stay there undiscovered if Wanderers made camp right smack in front of them.

“We cain’t stop here.  Quit your whinin’.  We’re close to Plymouth.  Maybe we’ll find somethin’ there.”  Earl said.

The other woman piped up.  “You said that about Greenville, New Bern and Willmington.  What makes Plymouth so special?” 

The man whirled around and slapped her.  “You got any bright ideas, besides mouthin’ off?”  She brought her hand to her face and stayed silent.  “You’s welcome to go out on your own if you think you can do so much better.  Ain’t nothin’ stoppin’ you. Lord knows I won’t.  One less mouth to feed if you ask me.” 

She was more hurt by his comment than his slap.  “No, of course you know best.  I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just tired is all.” 

His whole demeanor changed then and he caressed her face where he’d smacked her and she flinched.  “I know, baby.  We’ll be safe soon.  Earl’s takin’ care a you.”  He paused, and a little menace found its way back into his voice.  “Don’t forget it.” 

They tromped on through the woods, never knowing they were being watched, or that they were less than a hundred feet from their temporary salvation. 

Gary couldn’t wait to be back home.  It was exhausting being on guard constantly.  He knew their home would be safe from threats like that, although he had no concrete information to base that assumption on.  For all he knew, their little town could closely resemble Williamsburg.  The thought made him want to vomit. 

Gary sighed, pushing the image from his mind.  Molly would be there waiting for him.  He knew it.  She had to be. 
If she isn’t, I’m totally lost.

That night, they stopped near a small town.  They were far enough from it that no one would notice them, but close enough to keep an eye on comings and goings.  It got dark early that time of year, but they just adjusted their schedule so they got up and moving earlier. 

He snuggled down next to the tree Thunderbolt was tied to and dozed off. 

Gary woke up with a start.  He had no idea how much time had passed; it was still dark out, save for a glowing in the distance.

He squinted at it.  It was coming from the town. 
What is that?
he thought.  He didn’t hear anything. 
Could it be a fire?
  He didn’t see any smoke rising.  It was so dark, though, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to see smoke at that hour. 

Gary gathered his things and untied Thunderbolt, leading him on foot quietly closer to the light.  He was mesmerized by it. 
What could it be?

As they got closer he could hear a low hum.  A sound unfamiliar, but not totally foreign. 

Suddenly, it hit him.  “The power.” 

The Light

35.

“So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.” – T.S. Eliot

The light shone so brightly it blinded many.  Chaos struggled to again take over.  But for those who had learned the hard lessons of the past months, the light shined like a blessing and a curse.  A reminder of the life they’d once had, and a choice to go back to it, or not.

36.

Molly woke up to Dug barking.  He was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, just barking away.  She started to holler at him, but then she heard knocking at the front door. 

“Molly!  You in there?  Wake up!” 

It was the neighbor next door. 
What could he possibly need right now?
she wondered.

She stumbled to her feet and called out, “Yeah, just a sec.” Dug barked a few more times and she shushed him. 

“Enough, Dug. I’m up.  It’s fine.” 

Molly got to the door feeling disheveled but awake.  “Hey, Chris.  What’s up?” 

“What’s up?!”  He nearly yelled.  It was too early, or maybe too late, for this. 

“Yes, what is wrong?  How can I help you?” 
How can I get you off my front porch?

“The power’s on.”  He just threw it out there, like ‘hey, did you see it’s raining’ or ‘I had soup for lunch.’ 

He smiled and walked away, going to the neighbor on the other side.  Was this some sort of ridiculous telephone game?  ‘Here’s a big lie in the middle of the night, pass it down,’ kind of thing?

Molly closed the door and locked it firmly behind her.  Clearly Chris had been drinking. 

That’s when she noticed it - a red light brazenly shining at her from the ceiling.  It was attached to the smoke alarm.  She ran to it and stared. 
Could it be? 

She darted to a nearby light switch.  Dug followed her jerky movements exactly, wagging his tail like a windmill.  She hesitated.  This could be the moment.  She reached up and flipped the switch.  Nothing happened.  She looked all around the room, becoming frantic.  Why had nothing happened?  The little red light glowed defiantly. 

She smiled and exhaled the breath she didn’t know she had been holding.  That was an outlet switch.  She moved to the one next to it and pressed it daringly.  The whole room was bathed in light in the middle of the night.  She collapsed to the floor and cried.  Their prayers were answered.  Power was restored.  The Blackout was over.

So, where is Gary?
she wondered, while she sat in the beautifully unnatural light.

37.

Gary sat with Thunderbolt in the woods, trying to decide what to do.  It defied all logic to assume things would be normal, and he could waltz in there and expect to get some form of speedy transportation home. 

More likely I’d be robbed, my horse stolen or slaughtered, or both, and left with nothing but the skin on my back, if I was lucky,
he thought.

However, he found the temptation was hard to ignore.  Before the Blackout, it would have been so easy to get home.  Not a one-hundred-plus-day struggle, which still left him hundreds of miles from his goal. 

What if I could just take a car and drive the rest of the way?  I’d be home tonight. 
The thought was almost enough to make him step out onto the road.  But he thought of Thunderbolt.  What would Gary do with him if he was lucky enough to find a working car with enough gas to get them there?  It wasn’t like the horse would fit in the back seat.