The End Boxset: Postapocalyptic Visions of an Unstoppable Collapse by BJ Knights Read Free Book Online

to look at his car. Alice paced and paced when suddenly a thought occurred. “I hope I'm wrong, but I've heard of this before,” she stated.
    “Huh?” Randall said while turning to Alice slightly,
    “All the power going out. There are these bombs called EMPs. They can wipe out complete power grids within a 100 mile radius,”
    “Cars too?” Randall laughed. “So you're saying that someone attacked us?”
    “It could be. Maybe this is what the terror alert was for.”
    “Who would have attacked us?”
    “I don't know,” Alice replied, slightly annoyed. 
    “The idea that one bomb could knock out all of our power all at once. I mean, how is that even possible?”
    “Wake up, Randall. Anything's possible. We need to get the kids.”
     
    Alice walked over to the counter, dug through her purse to retrieve her cell phone. Her screen was blank, the phone was dead. She held it out with careful examination. Randall must have sensed the fear on Alice's face.
    “What's wrong?” he asked.
    Alice lowered the phone to her side. “My phone won’t turn on. It’s dead, just like your car.”
    “Let me see,” Randall said as he grabbed the phone from Alice. He fiddled around with it, but nothing happened. Alice stared blankly ahead.
    “No power. Our car won't start. Cell phones don’t work.” she said.
    Randall continued messing with the phone. Alice spoke ominously. “We have no way out.” She turned to Randall. “We're under attack and there's no way out.”
    “Maybe you just need a new battery,” Randall said while handing it back.
    Alice took the phone. “It's pretty useless now. We've gone dark.”
    Randall grabbed Alice. “Why are you talking like this? It's those chat rooms, all those nuts, isn't it?”
    “Let go of me!” she screamed.
    Randall loosened his grip, and tried to speak calmly. “Listen. I don't doubt you. I never have. You're usually right about everything.  I think for our sake, for the sake of this family, let's not blow things out of proportion or jump to conclusions.”
    Alice looked to Randall thoughtfully. “You're right.”
    “Everything is going to be okay. I'll check my cell phone and see if I have any reception,” Randall said.
    “The children's bikes.”
    “Huh?”
    “We have the children's bikes. We can ride them to get the kids back here.”
     
    Another look of annoyance flashed across Randall’s face. “Listen to yourself. That sounds ridiculousness. They’re safe at school. Plus if we leave, they'll be no one here for when they come home,” Randall.
    “So I'll go. I'll take Brian's bike.”
    It was not the response Randall was hoping for, but he had to admit it wasn't all too surprising.
    “Alice...,”
    “No, listen. That's a good idea, one of us goes, one of us stays.”
    “Do you even know how many miles you're going to have clear? On a child's bike?”
    “They're not safe at the school. They're not safe anywhere else but here with us right now,” Alice shot back.
    “Let me look at the car before you do anything rash, okay?” Randall pleaded with a peck on Alice's forehead.
     
    Randall switched the ignition getting the similar inoperable results as Alice. “This is ridiculous!” he shouted from the driver's seat. He got out of the car, opened the hood and inspected the engine. From the garage, Alice surveyed the neighborhood. Patches of people walking in small groups littered the neighborhood. She waved to her neighbor who was still messing with his lawn mower. He was too distracted to wave back. She also noticed there were more cars stalled on the side of the road. Some with the engine hood open and the owner desperately trying in vain to find a solution. And in the distance...black smoke rising. This caught Alice's eye like nothing else she'd seen that day.
     
    She walked over to the Cherokee to alert Randall, who was busy inspecting the car battery.
    “Hey, there's black smoke out there,” she said.
    “Oh yeah?” Randall replied while hunched