hell?” She brushed the barrel of the gun away from her face, but he quickly repositioned it.
“I’m not gonna ask ya again.” His voice was low. She’d never seen him like this before. He might have been a little nutty, but Molly never thought he was dangerous.
“I just came to see if you were OK. I haven’t seen you in a few days, and it seemed like what was going on was your bread and butter, so I got worried. Sue me.”
He lowered the gun. “Oh. I thought ya might be here for my food.”
She eyed him. “Seriously, Jimmy? It’s been two days.”
He cleared his throat as he disarmed the weapon. “Well, as ya can see, I’m fine. So you can go back home.”
“If that’s what you want.” She’d never seen him acting so prickly before, except towards people who laughed at his theories. She wasn’t laughing. “Jimmy, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“Can’t you see, Molly? It’s happened!” His eyes had a feral quality about them that Molly didn’t care for. “As soon as everyone realizes that, it’ll be every man for himself. And I’ll tell you one thing, those sorry sons of bitches aren’t getting one thing from me. I warned you, didn’t I?”
She sighed. “Yes. Yes you did.” She paused. “You don’t think the power’ll come back soon?” She had no reason to believe otherwise. But clearly, Jimmy did.
“No, honey. I don’t.”
“State your sources.” It was a phrase she often used with Jimmy when they debated about his theories.
“It’s too much to recover from just like that, Molly. The water’s off, the phones are out, all communications have been severed, transportation has been brought to a screeching halt.” He paused and shook his head. “What they’re saying on the radio doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy either. If it was just one of those things, we might expect a speedy recovery, but it’s too much. We’re gonna be in the dark for a long time.”
“Wait, your radio works?”
“Of course it does. Kept it in my filing cabinet for just such an emergency. “
Molly wasn’t following.
“It’s a makeshift Faraday cage, Molly.” Molly looked at him blankly. “You know, to protect it from EMPs?”
“Right. Remind me what an EMP is.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you ever listen to me? An electro-magnetic pulse. it knocks the power out. Who knows what caused it, but the result it pretty clear.”
She shook her head. “Back to the point, Jimmy. What are they saying on the radio?”
“Not much. Mostly military-type transmissions if I can get anything.” She looked at him. Obviously she wanted more details – details that would give her answers. “Look, they’re not saying much, Molly. And what they are saying ain’t good.”
Molly frowned. “Jimmy, what do you think happened to Gary? When do you think he’ll be home?”
Jimmy put his arm around Molly as he walked her to the edge of his property. “I don’t know, honey.”
She turned to him before she walked away. “Jimmy, did you put anything else in your little cage?”
He smiled devilishly at her. “Of course I did. I’m not stupid.” He turned and walked away without telling her what other saving graces he had in his arsenal.
A sinking feeling settled into Molly’s chest as she walked back to her house. Jimmy’s crazy, right? Everything will be up and running any minute now. Heck, it could be on right now! She couldn’t help admitting everything Jimmy said made sense, though, and she didn’t like that one bit.
On the third day, there was talk of getting a group together and going to the local grocery store to get what canned and dry goods they could before everything was taken. Molly didn’t need anything yet, but she thought it was a good idea. Others might have the same idea, and if they waited too long, there wouldn’t be
“I’m not gonna ask ya again.” His voice was low. She’d never seen him like this before. He might have been a little nutty, but Molly never thought he was dangerous.
“I just came to see if you were OK. I haven’t seen you in a few days, and it seemed like what was going on was your bread and butter, so I got worried. Sue me.”
He lowered the gun. “Oh. I thought ya might be here for my food.”
She eyed him. “Seriously, Jimmy? It’s been two days.”
He cleared his throat as he disarmed the weapon. “Well, as ya can see, I’m fine. So you can go back home.”
“If that’s what you want.” She’d never seen him acting so prickly before, except towards people who laughed at his theories. She wasn’t laughing. “Jimmy, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“Can’t you see, Molly? It’s happened!” His eyes had a feral quality about them that Molly didn’t care for. “As soon as everyone realizes that, it’ll be every man for himself. And I’ll tell you one thing, those sorry sons of bitches aren’t getting one thing from me. I warned you, didn’t I?”
She sighed. “Yes. Yes you did.” She paused. “You don’t think the power’ll come back soon?” She had no reason to believe otherwise. But clearly, Jimmy did.
“No, honey. I don’t.”
“State your sources.” It was a phrase she often used with Jimmy when they debated about his theories.
“It’s too much to recover from just like that, Molly. The water’s off, the phones are out, all communications have been severed, transportation has been brought to a screeching halt.” He paused and shook his head. “What they’re saying on the radio doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy either. If it was just one of those things, we might expect a speedy recovery, but it’s too much. We’re gonna be in the dark for a long time.”
“Wait, your radio works?”
“Of course it does. Kept it in my filing cabinet for just such an emergency. “
Molly wasn’t following.
“It’s a makeshift Faraday cage, Molly.” Molly looked at him blankly. “You know, to protect it from EMPs?”
“Right. Remind me what an EMP is.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you ever listen to me? An electro-magnetic pulse. it knocks the power out. Who knows what caused it, but the result it pretty clear.”
She shook her head. “Back to the point, Jimmy. What are they saying on the radio?”
“Not much. Mostly military-type transmissions if I can get anything.” She looked at him. Obviously she wanted more details – details that would give her answers. “Look, they’re not saying much, Molly. And what they are saying ain’t good.”
Molly frowned. “Jimmy, what do you think happened to Gary? When do you think he’ll be home?”
Jimmy put his arm around Molly as he walked her to the edge of his property. “I don’t know, honey.”
She turned to him before she walked away. “Jimmy, did you put anything else in your little cage?”
He smiled devilishly at her. “Of course I did. I’m not stupid.” He turned and walked away without telling her what other saving graces he had in his arsenal.
A sinking feeling settled into Molly’s chest as she walked back to her house. Jimmy’s crazy, right? Everything will be up and running any minute now. Heck, it could be on right now! She couldn’t help admitting everything Jimmy said made sense, though, and she didn’t like that one bit.
On the third day, there was talk of getting a group together and going to the local grocery store to get what canned and dry goods they could before everything was taken. Molly didn’t need anything yet, but she thought it was a good idea. Others might have the same idea, and if they waited too long, there wouldn’t be
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