Breakdown

That's the best word for the emotion I felt. Every year, my wife, Cassie, and I would drive out to our cabin for a few weeks during the early summer. It was always a time of rest and rejuvenation for me. I got there feeling bogged down by work and life. During the stay, I usually loosened up to the point that I would nearly rather stay than ever return to our home. However, as a wise man once said, "All good things must come to an end." And that is an immutable fact. After several weeks of wonderful relaxation, it was time to return home. Cassie took the car and said that she was going to stop by the school where she teaches on the way home, so I kissed her goodbye and waved as she drove down the trail.

I shut off the power, loaded up the gear, and left for home. After nearly a month away from civilization, I was somewhat anxious to hear the news, and I turned on the radio just in time for the hourly reports. It sounded the same as it always does--fighting the Middle East, food riots in third world countries, and political pandering, but there was a new, ominous segment that shocked me. The announcer continued, "At this time, nearly all of our oil supplies are depleted. Companies are doing their best to get more fuel out to the gas stations, but as of now, the outlook is pretty bleak. We see no end to the problem in the near future. Also, government officials are saying that people should be sure to have food stores in their homes to last until this problem blows over; they also recommend staying indoors as much as possible. More news on the hour and when it breaks, this is WVNN."

I switched the radio off numbly as I sat in traffic. How could this be? What was going to happen? Of all the times for Cassie to ride by herself! I dialed her number and did my best to stay calm. When she answered, I told her to try to hurry home as soon as possible and to be careful. I checked my fuel gauge, and luckily it was nearly full since I'd filled up before leaving, and we hadn't driven much while at the cabin. I decided to make a quick stop at the store to pick up a few groceries.

The parking lot was nearly empty when I arrived, which was a good sign. However, when I entered, I realized why the lot was empty. Most of the shelves were empty, and the cashiers looked like they had been working for the past week without sleep.

I wandered around the store picking up what little I could, made my purchases, and left. As I made my way to the parking lot, I heard a scream. I dropped my bags in the back of my pickup and jogged toward the source of the yell. As I rounded a big van, I saw a man trying to force a woman from her vehicle and into his own. His back was to me, so I acted quickly. I drew back and punched him as hard as possible in the kidney, and as he jerked and turned toward me, I kicked him solidly in the groin.

To my surprise, a gun appeared in his hand, which I grappled for. Both of the blows must have weakened him significantly, because his grip steadily slackened until I had control of it. He spit angrily at me and made a lunge for the gun, but I kicked him again, and he slumped to the ground while screaming in pain. One foot made a solid connection with his ribs, just to be sure he wouldn't be getting up, then I checked the woman that had been attacked. She looked terrified and relieved, and I told her to lock up and go straight home. She nodded her assent and left the lot in a hurry. I went back to my truck and found a few of my zip ties that I carry for emergency mechanical problems, and I used them to tie the man's hands behind his back. I placed a call to 911, but all I got was a "No Service" message on my phone.

I walked over to the man that was still huddled on the ground. He curled up farther, thinking I was going to finish the job. I bent down to his level and said, "You are having a very lucky day, my friend. The police apparently do not want to waste their valuable time by coming to pick up your stinking carcass, so you're going to go free. However, if I ever see you again, even for a second, then you're going to wish I had finished the job I started today." He nodded, but I couldn't be sure that he understood me through the haze of agony. There was little more that I could do, so I made my way to my vehicle and took off.

I thought to myself, "How can things be falling apart so quickly?" I couldn't see a problem like the one I had just faced occurring any other time in our nice little town, but as soon as bad news had hit the airwaves, people had begun to go crazy. I wondered what kinds of stories I had missed during my absence.

I had hoped that Cassie would arrive home first, but she still wasn't there. Another attempted phone call, but the phone service was obviously interrupted, because I got the wonderful "No Service" message again. Before I could get through the door, my elderly neighbor, Ms. Kositzke, stopped me.

She was a sweet woman that always dropped off leftovers for us whenever we worked late. Her English was so good that it was difficult to tell that she was German-born and raised.

"Ben, did you hear the news today?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's disturbing."

"You take care of that girl of yours. I know how things can get rough."

I mentally rolled my eyes, because I had heard the story too many times not to recognize the opening dialogue, but I merely nodded.

"I lived through the great war, and when food gets scarce, people get antsy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Why don't you and Cassie come over for dinner when she gets home? I'll make a nice roast for us."

I responded with a polite affirmative and slipped into the house.

For the first time, I realized I still had the man's gun tucked in my jeans. I pulled it out and saw that it was a Glock 9mm. It seemed like too nice of a weapon for a criminal to be carrying, but like Ms. Kositzke had said, people get antsy. I decided that it might come in handy in the near future, so I put it in a drawer in the kitchen.

For the first time, the reality of the situation started to hit me. Our gas supplies were low, our food supplies were mediocre, and there was supposedly no end in sight. What were we going to do? We had not prepared for this, because it seemed like a crazy proposition to do so. Those nuts and survivalists weren't supposed to be right, but now it seemed like they were the smart ones with their hidey holes and their resources stocked for such an eventuality.

I heard the doorbell ring, and I was immediately suspicious. I wasn't expecting anyone, and with limited fuel supplies, I couldn't imagine who would be dropping by for a social call. It rang again several times in quick succession. I stepped into the kitchen and grabbed the gun, slipping it into my waistband as I went to the door.