The end of the world as we know it

Part 4

“Hello?” My voice was thick with sleep when I picked up the phone. I looked over at my alarm clock: 3:18. Who the fuck was calling me at 3:18 AM?

“Naia?”

I sat bolt upright. “Dad? What’s wrong?”

“It’s happening. Soon.”

“What?” I was out of bed and on my feet, looking for my pants. “What’s happening, Dad?”

“Carrington event. Huge one. Fifteen minutes. Maybe less.”

“Wait, what? Dad, what are you talking about? You always told me there’d be warning if there was gonna be a solar flare.” I flipped on the lights and slipped on a sweatshirt. September in Chicago could be cold sometimes, especially at night.

“There was warning,” he growled. “The early warning system detected this and someone was asleep on the job. By the time the government got wind of what was coming, they decided the public would be better off not knowing. It’s too late to protect the grid.”

“How did you find out?”

“We don’t have time to talk about that.” This was the closest I’ve ever heard to panic in my dad’s voice. “Naia, you and Julie have to get out of Chicago. It’s going to be a bloodbath as soon as people realize what’s happened.”

“Okay,” I said, running to the closet and pulling out the backpack I kept on the top shelf. “I’ll be in the car in five minutes.”

“I hope that’s fast enough,” he said. “Your mother and I are getting in the car now, on our way to the bunker. But you guys will never make it out to New York. You’ll have to go to the compound I signed you up for.”

“You really think that thing’s legit?” I checked the batteries in my flashlight and piled bottles of water into the bottom of my pack.

“It had better be,” he said grimly. “You need to go now. Don’t stop for anyone. Stay off the highways. Use the back roads route we planned. Make sure you have your pack. You might have to walk part of the way. Look, Naia, I’ve got to go. I need to call Julie.”

“Dad,” I said, looking around my apartment to see if I’d missed anything, “how will we find you?”

“I’m sorry Naia, I’ve got to –” My father’s voice was replaced by silence.

“Hello? Dad?” I was practically shouting into the phone. “Dad? Are you there?”

Nothing.

I fumbled with the phone, my hands shaking. I punched in Julie’s number.  Please pick up. You have to pick up. But when I put the phone to my ear, all I heard was static. Fuck. I wasn’t going to get ahold of Julie, or anyone. The shit was actually hitting the fan. All those years of doom and gloom, and I never really thought it would happen. But I guess Dad was right.

Take a deep breath, I reminded myself. Dad prepared Julie for this, too. She’s smart. She’ll figure out what to do. But the twisting in my gut wouldn’t stop. I didn’t want her to be alone right now. I’d just promised her I’d take care of her. And she was a wreck about the baby. I’d just have to go to her house and pick her up.

I ran to my closet, dialing Julie’s number again as I pulled out my bug-out bag. Still nothing.

When I hopped into the driver’s seat, my heart dropped into my stomach. A quarter tank? Jesus. I slammed my palm into my forehead as I backed out of my parking spot. Fucking Josh didn’t fill it up after he went to the store. As usual.

My hands shook as I turned the wheel and headed for my pre-planned get-out-of-dodge route. I couldn’t go all the way to Evanston. That would take me way too far out of my way, and I wasn’t even sure she was there. And if things were really bad and we couldn’t gas up again, we’d be screwed. There was no way I could go up there and drive around looking for her. Julie was on her own. And so was I.