Without Power

Short fiction about a storm and an unlikely hero

Photo by Umanoide on Unsplash

“Shit,” Holly muttered under her breath as she bounced little Ophelia on her knee at the kitchen table. “We can’t lose all of this, Q.”

Quentin, her husband, had just returned from the basement with their lone cooler. He set it down in front of the refrigerator and wiped his brow. “I’ll have to run out and get some ice. I don’t know what else we can do.”

A three-month supply of breastmilk was in the freezer. Some of yesterday’s $250 grocery bill was split between the refrigerator and freezer, too.

The family of three was going on hour number two without electricity. Word on the street was that it wouldn’t be restored for at least twenty-four hours, maybe even forty-eight. But who really knew? The storm was much worse than projected. Either way, it came and did what it needed to do.

Power lines were down everywhere. Large tree limbs littered the streets, and one tall oak had even been uprooted. It lay on its side, slain like some giant, mythical monster. Luckily, it fell into the road and avoided all the nearby houses.

Quentin grabbed the car keys, gave his girls kisses, and headed out the door. “See you in a bit.”

“Bye, Daddy,” Holly said as she waved her daughter’s hand.

Quentin hopped in their old Subaru and pulled out into the road. He was careful to avoid all the felled limbs. One cop was stationed near a sparking power line, lights flashing red and blue.

Within minutes, Quentin pulled into the Quick Stop gas station. Most of the main lights were off, but a small neon sign still shone “Open”. He went in.

“Hello, my friend,” the owner, Ahmad, said from behind the cash register.

“Hi there,” Quentin replied. “Mind if I get a few bags of ice from out front?”

“Of course. How many do you need?”

“Three should probably do it.”

Before Ahmad rang him up, he paused and then scratched the back of his head. “Do you have a generator?”

Quentin shook his head. “No, unfortunately. And we’ve got about three months of my daughter’s milk in the freezer.”

“Oh…don’t be silly. Bring it here, my friend. I’ve got plenty of space – more room than I need.”

A wave of relief overcame Quentin. “Really? Are you sure?”

Ahmad smiled and his eyes twinkled with a gentle, almost tangible, kindness. “I couldn’t be more sure. Go get what you need. I’ll clear some space.”

“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver.”

Ahmad chuckled and waved a hand in Quentin’s direction. “Let’s get that stuff in the freezer, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Quentin replied. “See you in a few!” He hurried out the door and headed home.

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Thank you so much for reading “Without Power” — I hope you enjoyed it. If you do enjoy my stories, please feel free to share them with a friend or a fellow reader.

Have a great week. See you all on Friday!

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