Deep Shadows (11 page)

1. Only 10 customers in the store at a time.

2. You may purchase no more than 12 items.

3. Cash only.

4. Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone who doesn't meet the above guidelines.

Carter and Kaitlyn were complaining by the end of the first handwritten copy.

“I have writer's cramp already,” he said.

“Too bad we can't text it to everyone.” Kaitlyn smiled at Carter, and then she ducked her head.

What passed between them caused an ache to stir deep in Max's heart. He had thought Carter was handling the changes that were coming at them pretty well. So life was changing at the speed of a freight train. That happened, throughout the course of history.

But seeing the embarrassed, somewhat flirty look that passed from Kaitlyn to Carter reminded Max of all that Carter would be denied. Carefree dating. His freshman year at college. The American dream, which had become something they all presumed they would attain. Now life would become a matter of endurance—and only the toughest, the fittest, and the smartest would survive.

F
OURTEEN

S
helby was not the first in line to purchase medicine. She had opted to walk to the pharmacy, though her Volkswagen Beetle did start. She wanted to conserve what little gas they had. Her neighbor, Mr. Evans, had stopped her before she'd even made it out of her yard.

“How are you doing, Shelby?” He walked a mile every day, come rain or shine or—apparently—solar flare.

“I'm okay, Mr. Evans. How about you? Are you doing all right without any air-conditioning?”

Mr. Evans tapped his cane against the sidewalk and offered his customary smile. “It's a small inconvenience considering children are starving in Africa. Never doubt, my dear. God is still in control.”

Those words followed her as she made her way to the pharmacy. What if Carter had to go to the hospital? It was a small facility with only twenty-five beds, but it was better than nothing. Was the hospital even still open?

Those questions and many more tumbled through her mind as she walked. They rolled like socks in a dryer. Up, over and around, again and again. She tried to pray, to have confidence that God would care for them, but her fears rose up and threatened to overpower her.

The aurora continued to pulse, but it was less noticeable in the light of day.

The pharmacy was only a few blocks away, so Shelby didn't have too long to stew. Once she was there, her attention was completely captivated by the scene in front of her. The front door was locked, with a sign that said service would only be provided through the drive-up window. That seemed
odd, but perhaps they hadn't had enough employees show up to staff both counters. Shelby walked around to the side of the small brick building.

Half a dozen people were in line ahead of her, and she recognized most of them. In a small town, you tended to trip over the same people again and again. But she didn't know their names or their circumstances.

The woman at the front of the line was growing more agitated. She finally hollered something through the window and stomped off to her car—a big Suburban she had left running while she was in the line.

The man in front of Shelby had to be in his eighties. “She tried to drive it through, but they wouldn't let her,” he said. His eyes twinkled as he added, “Change is hard for some.”

“Do you know if they're filling prescriptions?”

“I haven't been here that long myself. I did see someone in front of the Suburban lady—a middle-aged man. He walked away with a package stapled shut.”

“That's a good sign.”

“Indeed. I called mine in yesterday. I'm hoping the insurance went through. That way I'll only have to pay the deductible—in cash. ATMs aren't working. My wife always said machines were going to be the end of us.”

“There certainly have been plenty of warnings about our overuse of technology.”

“Credit card machines, computers, cell phones, even robots.” The man cackled as if relieved that life would now resemble some ancient memory he had long held dear. “There was bound to be a massive crash at some point. Now it looks like we outlived the age of technology, if what the mayor says is true.”

The old gent nodded toward a handwritten flyer that had been taped to the side of the building, where announcements about sales or upcoming health checks were usually posted.

Shelby stepped closer and tried to calm her racing heart as she read the words.

At approximately 8:20 yesterday evening we were exposed to a solar flare. From what we've been able to ascertain, this has affected all of the surrounding areas.

We are working to provide backup power and emergency services. Rest assured that fire and EMS personnel are patrolling the area. If you need immediate help, hang a white sheet on your door or send a neighbor to one of the following three emergency sites: high school office, mayor's office, library.

There will be a community-wide meeting this evening at 7:00 at the town square. Until that time, I personally encourage you to stay calm and help one another in any way possible.

It was signed by the mayor. There was no new information in it, at least nothing that should have surprised Shelby. But seeing it written and posted gave her a sinking feeling that their reality had changed, and it was never going to be the same.

It took half an hour to work her way to the window. By that time, Shelby had ascertained that indeed they were only taking cash. At least they were open. She tried to console herself with that thought and put on her best smile as the old man in front of her waved goodbye and tottered away with his prescription.

A woman with a beehive hairdo addressed Shelby from the window. “Can I help you?”

Shelby pulled her gaze from the growing crowd and scooted closer to the window.

“Yes, I'd like to pick up insulin and testing strips for my son—Carter Sparks.”

“Ms. Sparks, I'd like to help you, but if you didn't call the prescription in yesterday, then I can't run it through the insurance system.” Shelby had been visiting this pharmacy since Carter was first diagnosed thirteen years ago. Why had she never learned the woman's name?

“I see. Could I possibly pay cash then?”

The woman frowned and glanced past her at the growing line. “How much do you need?”

“How much can I get?”

“Not more than thirty days' worth. There's no telling when we'll get another supply of medicine, and I need to make sure what we have lasts for the many people who need it. I'm not going to allow anyone to stockpile the stuff.”

“Thirty days will be fine.”

Shelby had filled the prescription two weeks earlier, so another thirty days would give them six weeks' worth. After that she'd have to think of something else. Or maybe the government would find a way to distribute medicine.

The woman ducked away from the window and returned with a box of long-acting insulin doses as well as a small box of rapid-acting doses. On top of that she placed a box of testing strips. She added up the amount on a receipt pad and didn't even blink when she stated the total.

Shelby pulled a wad of bills from her purse. For more than a year, she'd been doing a savings program where she put a dollar in a jar the first week, two dollars the second week, and so forth. She had hoped that her stash would pay for a nice vacation before Carter went to college, but the price the woman uttered was a major portion of what she'd managed to save.

Shelby didn't even hesitate. She pushed the money through the window and accepted the receipt and supplies.

For the first time, the woman's reserve cracked. “We'll put this through the system, hon. Your insurance will reimburse you as soon as the power is back up and things are working again.”

Shelby only nodded, tears stinging her eyes. She walked away quickly, not daring to look back.

The truth was, the power wasn't coming back, and it would be a long time before things were working again. She had six weeks to figure out where and how to buy more insulin. If she couldn't, there was a strong possibility her son would die.

F
IFTEEN

B
y the time Shelby reached her house, Patrick and Bianca were waiting on the front porch. All three hugged and moved into the living room. The day was already growing warm, and without air-conditioning or even fans, they proceeded to open all of the windows to allow the slight breeze inside. But Shelby doubted she would be able to leave the windows that way. Since the day Carter had been born, she had taken security seriously. Seventeen years of checking the dead bolts on the door, of confirming every window was shut and locked before bedtime. Those habits wouldn't change overnight.

Shelby sat next to Bianca on the couch. “Tell me how your mom is.”

“Scared.” Bianca's long black hair was pulled away from her face and fastened in the back. She usually dressed carefully, paying meticulous attention to her makeup and hair, and she always wore fashionable earrings. Today she wore no jewelry and hadn't bothered to put on makeup. Her eyes were red, and somehow Shelby doubted she'd had much sleep at all.

“
Mamá
wants to move him home, and I don't blame her.”

“At the nursing home he has the medications he needs, and he's surrounded by professionals who know what to do in an emergency.” Patrick jiggled his leg, and then he asked, “Is the generator at Green Acres working?”

“It is, but even this morning they were shorthanded on staff. Can you imagine how bad it's going to be if this aurora situation isn't resolved soon? The computers are down, and no one can reach the corporate office. Why should the nurses and aides show up for work if they're not going to be
paid? And how are workers supposed to get there without gasoline for their automobiles?”

“We're a small town,” Shelby reminded her. “Some people will walk.”

Bianca sat forward, her hands between her knees. “What you're both saying is true, but
Mamá
has some valid worries. She is a stubborn woman, and I don't think I can change her mind about this. I'm not even sure I should.”

“If that's how you feel, Bianca, then we'll help you.” Shelby reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. “When does she want to move him?”

“This afternoon.”

“All right,” Patrick said. “We'll go and get him after lunch.”

“There's one more thing.” Bianca sat up straighter, as if she needed to improve her posture to handle the burdens she was carrying. “For the time being, I think it's best if I moved back in with them. With no Internet, I have no work. Who is going to buy pictures during a global crisis? Without work I can't pay my rent.”

“I can help,” Patrick said.

“No. It's best that I make this decision now.
Mamá
needs me, and it makes sense for me to be there. I won't need to take much with me… some clothes and personal items.”

“Are you packed?” Shelby asked.

“Yes. I took care of it last night. Everything I need is in two suitcases inside my front door.”

“You'll want to take what groceries you have as well.” Shelby shared with them Max's concerns about the food supply. “Best not to leave it in your apartment.”

“Sounds like we have a busy day ahead of us.” Patrick clapped his hands, as if he were coming out of a football huddle. “Oh, I almost forgot. Pastor Tony wants to have a meeting tonight after the mayor's statement.”

Shelby exchanged a worried look with Bianca. “Any idea what it's about?”

“Nope. He asked me to spread the word, which I have now done. Undoubtedly you ladies have a grapevine that you can crank up.”

“My grapevine was on my cell phone,” Bianca said.

“Same here, but surely between the three of us—four with Max—we can get the word out to a few people.”

“Let's start with Max.” Patrick had been watching out the front screen door. Now he stood, walked toward the door, and opened it. “About time you got here, bro.”

Shelby glanced out the door and saw Max coming up the walk. He raised his hand in greeting.

And the morning's silence was shattered by the sound of gunshots.

For a moment everyone froze. Then Max hollered at Shelby and Bianca to stay inside. He and Patrick sprinted across the street and north toward the intersection of Kaufman and Fourth.

Shelby hurried to the door.

“What happened?” Bianca asked, crowding in beside her.

“I'm not sure.”

“We can't see from here.”

“I think we should go and find out.”

Bianca hesitated, and then she nodded in agreement. “The guys might need help.”

Shelby locked the front door and slipped her keys in her pocket. They hurried down the street to where a small crowd was gathering.