rummaged through and collected dollars and coins. She handed the money to the cashier.
“I need your ration cards, too, ma'am,” the cashier said.
She kept her head down, her eyes on the floor. Her voice came out in an embarrassed whisper.
“I don't have any left,” she said.
The cashier extended his hand to give the money back to her, and the woman broke down. Tears rolled down her face as she tried to grab her feeble bag of groceries from the cashier, but he wouldn't relinquish his grip.
“P-please,” she said.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't give you these without the ration cards. I could lose my job.”
The woman was drawing attention from the other lines as people peeked their heads over the checkout line barriers. Amy dug into her purse and then extended two ration cards in the middle of the tug of war everyone was watching.
“Here, take them,” Amy said.
The cashier's eyes grew wide, and his grip on the grocery bag went slack. The young woman pulled the groceries close to her chest.
“Thank you,” she said then hurried outside before Amy could say anything else.
When Amy turned around, all the other customers in the checkout lines were staring at her. She knew why. The act of charity in the current climate was unheard of, which bothered her. Ration cards and generosity were hard to find these days.
***
Daniel pulled into his driveway and let the car idle before coming inside. He'd been gone for almost a week. He took a moment to take in the sight of his house.
The two-story building was the largest on the block. It had a luscious yard of green grass that stood out among the other homes’ patches of brown.
When he opened the front door, Amy came out of the living room and rushed over to him. She threw her arms around him. He returned the favor.
“I thought you weren't getting home until tomorrow,” Amy said.
“I needed to see you,” Daniel replied. “Have you heard anything from Brooke?”
“I got a text from her last night during the president's address, but then nothing after that.”
She bit her lower lip as she tended to do when she was nervous. Daniel kissed her forehead.
“I'm sure she's fine. All of the cell towers are down in the region, so unless she has access to a satellite phone, she won’t be able to reach us anytime soon,” Daniel said. “Where are the kids?”
“They should be coming home from school any minute. They'll be excited to see you.”
The worries of the Capitol and the rest of the country began to take a back seat. Daniel was home now, and all he wanted to do was cherish this time for as long as he could.
Chapter 5
Brooke checked the battery attached to the panels. It was only half charged, but it was better than what she had started with. She unhooked the battery and placed it in the back of the cruiser with the rest of the supplies.
She picked up her water bottle and pulled her shemagh down to expose her mouth. She chugged the remaining contents and tossed the container back in her bag.
It could be a long trip to North Carolina if things turned south. Beyond the obstacle of keeping fresh water in her family's systems, she also had to worry about bandits, looters, deadly animals, and the other harsh travesties of the Mojave Desert.
“Okay, we're good to go. You guys have everything packed up?” Brooke asked.
John zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“I'm good,” he said.
“Where's your sister?” Brooke asked.
“In the back.”
Brooke walked to the rear of the station. When she made it to the back, she saw Emily kneeling down, hunched over in the corner.
“Em? What are you doing?” Brooke asked.
When Emily turned around, she had tears running down her face. Brooke rushed to her daughter as silent sobs escaped Emily's mouth.
“What's wrong, sweetie?” Brooke asked.
“I w-want t-to go-o
“I need your ration cards, too, ma'am,” the cashier said.
She kept her head down, her eyes on the floor. Her voice came out in an embarrassed whisper.
“I don't have any left,” she said.
The cashier extended his hand to give the money back to her, and the woman broke down. Tears rolled down her face as she tried to grab her feeble bag of groceries from the cashier, but he wouldn't relinquish his grip.
“P-please,” she said.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't give you these without the ration cards. I could lose my job.”
The woman was drawing attention from the other lines as people peeked their heads over the checkout line barriers. Amy dug into her purse and then extended two ration cards in the middle of the tug of war everyone was watching.
“Here, take them,” Amy said.
The cashier's eyes grew wide, and his grip on the grocery bag went slack. The young woman pulled the groceries close to her chest.
“Thank you,” she said then hurried outside before Amy could say anything else.
When Amy turned around, all the other customers in the checkout lines were staring at her. She knew why. The act of charity in the current climate was unheard of, which bothered her. Ration cards and generosity were hard to find these days.
***
Daniel pulled into his driveway and let the car idle before coming inside. He'd been gone for almost a week. He took a moment to take in the sight of his house.
The two-story building was the largest on the block. It had a luscious yard of green grass that stood out among the other homes’ patches of brown.
When he opened the front door, Amy came out of the living room and rushed over to him. She threw her arms around him. He returned the favor.
“I thought you weren't getting home until tomorrow,” Amy said.
“I needed to see you,” Daniel replied. “Have you heard anything from Brooke?”
“I got a text from her last night during the president's address, but then nothing after that.”
She bit her lower lip as she tended to do when she was nervous. Daniel kissed her forehead.
“I'm sure she's fine. All of the cell towers are down in the region, so unless she has access to a satellite phone, she won’t be able to reach us anytime soon,” Daniel said. “Where are the kids?”
“They should be coming home from school any minute. They'll be excited to see you.”
The worries of the Capitol and the rest of the country began to take a back seat. Daniel was home now, and all he wanted to do was cherish this time for as long as he could.
Chapter 5
Brooke checked the battery attached to the panels. It was only half charged, but it was better than what she had started with. She unhooked the battery and placed it in the back of the cruiser with the rest of the supplies.
She picked up her water bottle and pulled her shemagh down to expose her mouth. She chugged the remaining contents and tossed the container back in her bag.
It could be a long trip to North Carolina if things turned south. Beyond the obstacle of keeping fresh water in her family's systems, she also had to worry about bandits, looters, deadly animals, and the other harsh travesties of the Mojave Desert.
“Okay, we're good to go. You guys have everything packed up?” Brooke asked.
John zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“I'm good,” he said.
“Where's your sister?” Brooke asked.
“In the back.”
Brooke walked to the rear of the station. When she made it to the back, she saw Emily kneeling down, hunched over in the corner.
“Em? What are you doing?” Brooke asked.
When Emily turned around, she had tears running down her face. Brooke rushed to her daughter as silent sobs escaped Emily's mouth.
“What's wrong, sweetie?” Brooke asked.
“I w-want t-to go-o
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