BLOODLINE

Okay. This is it. Ronnie didn’t know how she knew but she did. There was no air conditioning. No fans whirring with a slight breeze. No appliances in the kitchen making their low cacophony of noises. No lights were shining from anywhere or from anything. Just ambient light creeping from around the light blocking curtains.

Slowly raising herself from the cocoon of her bed she lowered her feet to the floor feeling for any vibrations of normal life. Accepting the information from her feet matched her previous observations, Ronnie crept through her bedroom to the hallway door. Gently pushing the door handle to open the door with as little noise as possible Ronnie slid into the hallway connecting her with the rest of the house.

Upon reaching the den she inched her way toward the tv remote on the back of the couch. The click to activate the television was overly loud in the pervasive quiet. Just one click, nothing happened. No need for further clicks. This was something several generations of the women in her family had planned for. Using all the stealth she was able to conjure Ronnie wove through the furniture in the room until she reached a small chest set under a bay window overlooking the backyard of her beloved property. Raising the lid on the chest with utmost care, she was relieved all those times she kept the hinges oiled for just this reason were not wasted. Spying her most important tool she reached inside to remove it and slip it into the pocket of her pajama pants.

Ghosting through the familiar room she went to the kitchen to try clicking the lights in that room also.Her efforts were for naught, no light reached out to reassure her that things would be normal. No electricity wouldn’t be such a disaster but now she needed to check the water in the lines to see if that was still operational. To her huge delight she didn’t hear any gurgling or hissing of escaping air. Her lines were still pressurized and producing water for her use. A clean glass from the cupboard allowed her a refreshing drink while she thought of the other things now on her to-do list.

Taking her wind-up radio/flashlight out of her pocket Ronnie turned it on and was relieved it was operating at full power. Clicking the flashlight off and on assured her that it would operate when she needed it later. Next was the radio. Flicking the dial to AM, she started running up and down the scale to see if she could catch a broadcast from someone, anyone to alert her that there were others out there with her. Slowly, meticulously she moved the line on the dial. Static was her constant reminder that she was indeed in this by herself.

Then, there. Go back. The static had relented for just a second as Ronnie heard “Hello, this is Carl from Beaumont and I’ve just taken my radio out of my Faraday cage in my garage and I will be operating on this frequency. Trying to find out what’s happened and if there are any survivors. Don’t know how you can contact me but I’m hoping I’ll hear from someone. Again, this is Carl and I’m in Beaumont, Texas in my garage trying to reach out.”

Ronnie carefully noted the placement on the dial and moved the little line once again. Going up and down the dial area she was unable to detect anyone else out there at this time. Maybe there would be more when they were able to get some equipment to transmit on. Next she tried the FM spectrum not expecting any better luck. Static, never ending static. No information on what had caused this.

Ronnie gracefully moved to the front windows to check out the property in the front of the house. Her car was still there and the dogs were asleep under the big tree. Everything seemed normal and no one seemed to be on her property just yet. Of course they would have to get through three different fences with chains and locks and combination key pads. Still, that wouldn’t keep them out long.

Grabbing the keys to her car, she let herself out of the house and walked briskly to her car, clicking to unlock it as she neared the driver's door. She took a moment to sniff the air for smoke, nope. Looking around for any flames or equipment in the air, again a big nope. Also nope to the noise of sirens in the area either. Opening the door and sliding in, she put her right foot on the brake and turned the key in the lock. Nothing. Not surprising. Just as she suspected. The only thing she wasn’t sure of was how this happened. Her first thought was an EMP burst from some whacko group trying to get their voices heard. Now, no one’s voices would be heard for some time to come. Now to get back in the house and get ready for the rest of her chores.

Roughly 30 minutes later Ronnie was ready to go outside once more. She had dressed in jeans and a ¾ length t-shirt, boots and sun hat. It was summertime in Texas and she needed to stay cool but she also needed to protect her skin from scorching under the strong sun. Exiting through the kitchen door Ronnie strode to the detached garage and barn-like structure about 50’ from the door. The heat hadn’t started to bake the inside yet but Ronnie knew she couldn’t put off her tasks any longer.

First she opened the door to her grandmother’s old Ford pickup truck. It was old enough it didn’t have all the new fangled computerized equipment in it to fry like her newer car. Putting the key in the ignition she turned the key and was relieved when it turned over and started purring like the well-taken care of beast it was. One problem behind her. Checking the gas gauges they were three-quarters full in one tank and 100% full in the second tank. Okay, now she had a range of about 225 miles on the first tank and roughly about 300 miles on the second tank. If she filled up the first tank that increased her range to about 600 miles round trip if she left her property to scout for other people or supplies, whichever she might need first. That hurdle behind her she returned to the farm house for her next to-do item.

Knowing there was no need for stealth now, Ronnie walked with her normal efficiency to her bedroom and to her chest of drawers. Inside the top drawer was her great-great grandma’s jewelry box. Opening the top she looked loving upon the necklace with the heart shaped locket nestled within the worn velvet lining. The jewelry box and locket had been handed down from mother to first born daughter in her family for as long back as she knew. No one rightly remembered where the box and locket had originated, just the story that it was to be kept safe and at the ready whenever there was a need for it. Through the ages whatever that need had been had become murky but an all out cessation of life as we knew it yesterday probably would count.

Reverently Ronnie removed the locket from the velvet lined box and looked upon it lovingly. Visualizing the many generations of her female ancestors that had been entrusted with its care. The hands that had lovingly cleaned it and kept the clasps in good working order at all times. Reaching towards the clasp she inserted her fingernail in the indent and popped the locked open. No loud buzzing, no strobing lights, just a small raised button on the surface of the left side of the locket. Ronnie pressed the button and felt the locket start vibrating. Holy s**t! Now what had she done? She had no further instructions except to open the locket and press the button. No one warned her it would take on a life of its own! What it was transmitting and to whom she had no idea. She lifted the locket and clasped it around her neck so she would have it with her at all times. Now she waited.

Not one to sit idle, Ronnie continued to take care of her farm on a daily basis. The cows didn’t need much attention so the only thing Ronnie needed to do was close off some pasture closer to the main roads to keep the cows hidden as much as possible. The chickens were the same way. They were close to the house anyway so all she had to do was feed and water them.

The women in her family had been taught well from infancy to not leave anything to chance and she kept diligent protecting her property.

Some time passed and then it came. The sound she had anticipated. There was someone calling from the road at her gate to get her attention. “Hello the house. This is Major Sampson with the Emergency Preparedness Alliance. We need to talk to you. Please come down to the gate.”

Grabbing up her binoculars Ronnie slithered through the woods between her house and the road to get a look at the men wanting her to expose herself. Looking over each man carefully she could tell they were armed to the teeth but were standing around in non-lethal poses. Just alert to anything that may come upon them from the road or other outside sources. Then, there it was. On the Major’s lapel was an insignia that matched the etching on her locket. This is what she needed to see.

From behind a large tree concealing her position Ronnie called out “Major, this is Ronnie Sessions. I have you in my sights and I’ve identified your insignia. Have your men stand down and I will come out and open the gates”.

“Thank you ma’am. Men, stand down but stay alert to the area. We are here to protect Ms. Sessions.”

Ronnie stepped forward confidently and unlocked the first of the three gates to her property and gave instructions to the men to secure it again as they came through.

“Major, if you and your men will follow me we can go to the house and talk about this situation we’re in.

After clearing all three gates, Ronnie jumped off the running board and strode to the front door to open it and invite the men inside. Major Sampson indicated two men to come inside with them and left the rest outside to disperse and guard the group. Ronnie took everyone through to the kitchen to get them settled so she could finally get some answers to her questions about what had turned her world upside down.

Before she could ask the Major any questions he started out the discussion by asking her for a small blood sample. “Ms. Sessions, by the locket around your neck I can tell we have come to the right place but now we need to make sure that you are a direct descendent of the original woman that started our Emergency Preparedness Alliance. Because most women normally take their spouse's surnames, the name of the woman we are looking for may have changed, but your bloodline can’t lie.”

Ronnie was certainly taken aback at this information. Major Sampson assured her that they just needed one drop. Taking a kit from one of the men’s backpacks, Major Sampson opened the kit and then slightly pricked her finger after cleaning it with an alcohol swab, he dropped that one precious drop in the receptacle. He kept his gaze intent on the readout which shortly popped up with just one word “positive”. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he turned to smile at her. “Ronnie, are you ready to save the world?”