Our End Of The Lake: Surviving After The 2012 Solar Storm (Prepper Trilogy) by Ron Foster

length.
    “Fair to middlin’. Come on to the house.” she said as she herded us towards the porch.
    “Phew! Bill what you been doing you smell awful”. She said turning her nose up.
    “Been walking for a couple days”, he said plopping down in a chair.
    “Why would you need to do that for Bill” she declared with concern.
    “Martha this is David” and she and I exchanged pleasantries as I took up residence in another chair next to Dump.
    “Told you she wouldn’t have noticed” said Dump in my direction.
    “Noticed what?” she said crossly eying Dump anew.
    “Martha we are in deep shit, the worlds been hit with a thing called EMP and the lights wont be coming on anytime too soon” he declared and proceeded to explain for the next hour just what that meant.
    “Well I wondered what knocked the power out a few days ago and I was thinking about going over to your Uncle Jakes and see how they were getting on, but you say no cars will work?” Martha questioned while shuffling for her keys to go out and prove it to herself.
    “This is like a bad Sci-Fi movie David” Martha said addressing me skeptically.
    “Bill said you were some kind of FEMA folk, are they going to be coming to help out during this?” she demanded to know.
    “I explained, not for a long time to come.” but left her with a little hope on a possible arrival someday.
    “Well I know you boys is hungry, Bill get your friend something to drink out of that cooler and ill fix up some supper.” she said bustling about.
    “I had me some frozen milk jugs in the freezer that I put in there and they are not quite melted yet so the drinks will still be cold” she added.
    Dump handed me a coke and resumed his seat.
    “I got lots of meat in the freezer that will need cooking; you boys want to have a cook out tomorrow?” She inquired
    “Sounds good to me” I offered while Dump agreed also.
    “ I got a bunch of old blankets wrapping up the freezer so I might get a few more days before I need to get it out there” she considered.
    “Hey Martha, you got any bicycles in your garage?” Dump asked and I turned to see the response.
    “I just got my old one from when I was young, tires probably flat but there’s a pump in there” she said pointing in the direction of a barn like building.
    “Mind if we have a look” said Dump rising.
    “Help yourself, but you won’t be able to ride it I don’t think Bill, maybe David could. David if you get it going, you mind delivering a message for me about a mile from here?” she said looking at me.
    “Be glad too” I said willing to do most anything at this point to get use of a bike.
    Bill and I walked over to the shed and opened the door. Assorted tools and junk was everywhere but leaned up against one side was an ugly old purple girls bike complete with banana seat, ape hanger handle bars with streamers, a bell and a white basket in front. The tires were only half flat and after locating the pump we filled them up and wheeled the bike out of the shed.
    “Your chariot awaits.” Dump said with a flourish towards the frilly machine.
    “Well there’s no doubt folks will see me coming on that thing.” I said mounting it and taking it for an experimental spin around the yard.
    Dump was beside himself laughing at me and Martha poked her head out to see what was so funny and stifled a giggle.
    “I sure was proud of that thing, back in the day. Hard to imagine me as a girly girl, isn’t it, Bill?” she said grinning at Dump.
    He dodged the question and asked, “What’re we having for dinner?” To which Martha run off a list that would put any country restaurant to shame and said it would be about an hour till we ate.
    “Martha, you still got your Daddy’s gun collection around here?” he snuck into the conversation.
    “Most of it is still back there. I guess you will want to borrow something, Bill, times being what they are. There in the closet in the back bedroom go have a look.” she said