Stay Together Chapter 11 by Maira Dawn
Chapter 11
(COPYRIGHT©2024 MAIRA DAWN)
The manager handed them each a few cartons of water bottles and boxes filled with bags of crackers to pass out to the stranded passengers.
“Thank you so much for your help,” the manager said gratefully. “I know it may not seem like much, but every little bit counts right now.”
As they handed out refreshments to the crowd, James couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. The sheer number of people stranded at the airport was staggering. Families huddled together and elderly passengers sat alone with blank expressions on their faces.
The airport staff hastily assembled a makeshift triage area in one corner of the lobby, near the First Aid room. The waiting area was filled to capacity with patients, their slumped bodies and pained expressions revealing their discomfort. Despite the presence of a few nurses, it was evident that they were struggling to keep up with the demands.
Ian shook his head as they walked back to the storage room for more supplies. “This is just insane. I can’t believe this happened.”
“I know,” James replied. “The shock of it all, seeing the planes crash and knowing some were trapped inside.” He ran a hand over his face. “It’s almost too much.”
Ian nodded. “Me too. It keeps replaying in my head no matter how often I try to shove it away. We’re lucky we were in the airport when it happened.”
James agreed as they filled up their carts again and made their way back into the throngs of stranded passengers.
As they went back to distributing supplies, James overheard the conversations between those around them. A couple of people were worried about missing important meetings or events, others were trying to figure out how to contact their loved ones and let them know they were safe. But the most common topic was what had caused the blackout.
“It must have been a terrorist attack,” one man exclaimed loudly.
“Or maybe it was some kind of natural disaster,” another woman suggested.
“I heard it was a massive power outage that caused all of this chaos,” a teenage girl chimed in.
James and Ian exchanged another worried glance. No one seemed to have any solid news about what had happened or how long this would last.
After handing out supplies to everyone in the immense lobby, the men took a break and sat down for a few minutes. They found an empty spot near a group of people who seemed in better spirits than most.
“What do you think caused all of this?” Ian asked as he opened a bottle of water.
“I don’t know. But I hope they’re able to fix it soon. This is a nightmare for everyone.”
As they finished their snack, a commotion erupted near the entrance of the airport. A young man frantically waved his arms, causing a group of people to gather around him. James and Ian exchanged and glance then made their way through the crowd to see what was happening.
The young man was saying, “I have a radio. There’s news . . . You know, reports coming in. They’re saying it’s not just our town, it’s widespread. The whole country is in chaos. Power grids are down everywhere!”
A knot tightened James’ stomach as a murmur swept through the crowd. This was bigger than he’d ever imagined. Worried about? Yes. But he’d hoped such a thing would never happen.
He turned to Ian. “We need to find out more.”
Pushing their way through the restless crowd, the men made their way towards the emergency radio station that the airport staff had hastily set that up. People huddled around it like moths drawn to a flickering flame, hungry for any information.
A weary-looking man with headphones on relayed updates from other airports and cities experiencing similar power out ages.
“. . . No confirmation on the cause of the blackout yet. All we know is that power grids across the nation are failing, plunging us into darkness. . .”
“. . . Shelter in place. Stay indoors and secure your homes. Emergency services are overwhelmed...”
James’ heart thudded. “We need to get back to Elizabeth and the kids.” He broke out into a sweat. Maybe he shouldn’t have left them.
His friend nodded, his face reflecting the same worry as James. Dodging panicked passengers and disoriented airport staff, they turned and hurried through the airport.
A feeling of dread settled over James, clinging to him like a heavy blanket. Was the world as they knew it was crumbling?
His heart beat harder than normal until he saw his family. It reassured him to see them, even if they seemed distressed. Elizabeth comforted Emily while Michael clung to his wife’s side, the boy’s eyes wide with fear.
“James, what’s happening?” Elizabeth asked, her voice trembling. “Why haven’t any other emergency personnel shown up to help everyone? Why isn’t at least the emergency lighting coming on? Some people are saying—”
James crouched down in front of Liz and put his hands on her shoulders. Somehow, he needed to sound reassuring. Like he knew what to do, even though he had no idea where to start.
He gulped and began with telling her the truth. “There’s an emergency radio in the lobby. They announced that the blackouts—well—the blackouts are more than just the airport. Power grids everywhere are failing.”
Liz locked eyes with him, her own gaze wide with fear. She took a couple of deep breaths, then in a firm voice asked, “Everywhere?”
James swallowed. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m so sorry. But they said across the nation. The power grids across the nation are failing.”
Continued . . .
Please remember this is a developing story and in a rawer state than what I publish. As such, it has only been self-edited and you will see some errors.
In addition, some changes may occur between now and publishing, including major storylines. I try to avoid this, but it sometimes happens.
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