Read The Last Days for Free Online

but when the networks went off the air, so did his WiFi connection.
    His cell phone still seemed to be working, but he didn’t know who to call. Directory assistance didn’t answer anymore so he didn’t have the phone number of any place that might be able to tell him anything.
    He had his brother Mike’s number, but he was on vacation and his call to Mike went straight to voice mail. Mike had taken his family and had gone to some state park in Kentucky that didn’t have any cell phone reception. Maybe when he was on his way home, he would get the message and call him back.
    John had left Mike four messages to call him right away. He told him that he thought the world had gone crazy and he should call him as soon as he got his message.
    He wasn’t expecting to hear from Mike anytime soon. Mike didn’t like phones and seldom turned on his cell phone.
    Hopefully Mike would be curious after a week without cell phone reception and turn his phone on to see if he had received any calls.
    Hopefully he was OK. He hadn’t seen any emergency alerts for Kentucky before the networks stopped broadcasting.
    John had dug out his old electric and cable bills and tried to call the number for customer service that showed on the front page of the statements. All the calls went to a recording, except for the ones that played a message that said they were unable to complete his call, to please try again later.
    He had tried to call Latrobe Chevrolet, where he worked as a mechanic, but was greeted with a recorded message that the dealership would be closed for the next week until the state of emergency had been lifted.
     
    John drove into Ligonier. The place was like a ghost town. Everyone had listened to the emergency broadcast instructions to stay in their homes. The people he did run into, those like himself that had decided to go out to see what they could find out, either didn’t know any more than he did, or were leery of him and wouldn’t talk to him.
    All the stores were closed. He managed to find one little Mom and Pop store where the owner was brave enough to open for business.
    John bought all the bread, cheese and lunch meat the little store had. For good measure he bought the twenty cans of soups that sat on the shelf in the back of the store.
    The little shop only had four boxes of cereal, John bought them for little Cindy. Fruit Loops were her favorite, but John decided Frosted Flakes were better than nothing. They were heavily coated in sugar, so he didn’t think Cindy would complain too much about not having Fruit Loops.
    The store owner was friendly enough, but he also seemed nervous. Nervous and scared like the few others he had managed to find in town.
     
    John hit the button on the remote one more time, just in case. He didn’t want to give up without trying all the stations. Maybe he would get lucky, but that wasn’t the case. He hit the power button and turned off the TV and dropped back against the soft stuffed cushions of the old couch.
     
    “Nothing?” Barb asked.
    “No, just the same old message.” John replied sounding frustrated.
    “Why don’t you try calling your brother again? Maybe he is on his way home now and has cell reception.” Barb said.
    “I’ve left him four messages already. Besides he isn’t coming home until Saturday. I think today is only Thursday. It is Thursday isn’t it? I can’t even remember what day of the week it is.” John sighed.
     
    Barb laughed. “Relax while we can. I’m sure this will be over in a few more days. When this is all over you will probably have to work overtime for the next month to handle the back log of inspections and oil changes at the dealership. Just pretend we are on vacation.”
     
    “Yea Daddy, let’s pretend we are on vacation and you can take me fishing!” Cindy joined the conversation and ran over and jumped excitedly in front of her dad.
    Cindy was six years old and a tom boy. She was probably more of a son to John than if she would