It works, John! The landlines work!
Sorry Mom. I didn't believe it until I heard your voice. I'm okay. We're alive. I would've called, but my cell's dead. John's turns on, but there's no signal. I forgot to plug mine in before- It probably still wouldn't work, but if I would have known- How could I have known?
Sorry. I'm okay. We're okay. John saved me. He- Listen, I know you never got along, but I love him. He's changed. People change, I know they do. Can you? I want to come home.
What John? I don't- How would I know? Oh.
Are things okay there? He wants to know. It's just the machine, John. I'll have to ask again when I call back, but they must have power. There's no power here, Mom. Not anywhere we've been. There's wrecks at every intersection, too. That's not all, either. I'm scared. The police are all busy, somewhere, I guess. We haven't seen any. People are getting- Well, I guess they're just scared too.
I'm lucky I checked the phone. We broke in here to get some food. I know, I'm sorry Mom. We had to eat. If you could see it out here you'd understand. Just don't leave the house, okay? Not unless you have to. We stopped for gas yesterday but we couldn't get any food. We didn't have much cash, and no one's taking cards. Some won't take cash. Most aren't even open. Everyone has guns. John kept us on the back roads ever since-
Mom, John needs to call his parents, and he wants to get out of here in case the owners come home. I love you Mom. I promise I'll call again. As soon as I can.
Mom, where are you? I was really hoping you would answer. I couldn't tell you before, John's outside hiding the car. I was leaving him when it happened. I was at the train station, coming home. Then everyone was screaming and it was dark. Pitch black in the middle of the day, sirens and gunshots, you couldn't see the sky through the ash.
There was a man with a knife, Mom. He-
I left a note. He knew I was at the station. He found me. He had a hammer from the toolbox he keeps in the car, and he beat the man with the knife. He kept hitting him and- And I wanted him to. He saved me, only, he had the look. The way he used to look at me.
Please tell me people can change, mom.
I'm so scared, Mom. I don't know what to do.
I hope you're okay. I'm not. John's not. John-
We stopped to help a lady with a little baby. I told him not to. I just, after what happened, I couldn't. We were almost out of gas, though, and she needed formula. And John wanted to do the right thing. For me. She said she knew about a gas pump near a store.
I think John knew something was wrong. He dropped me off here. He told me to gather up all the food I could find, and he'd be right back. He said he'd come back to get me.
That was yesterday. I don't know what to do. I can't stay here. I...
I think I hear something. I'll call you right back. I love you.
Photo by Justin Grandfield