The Living Dark

The Living Dark, Chapter 2: Fact Check

He heard voices somewhere close by. While floating in that confusing realm between sleep and consciousness. It was then that the previous day's angst. Plowed its way back into his mind, like a bulldozer destroying his childhood playground. Benjamin's eyes pop open, darting back and forth. The house remained black and devoid of power. From above, his bald sweat streaked head. A ray of sunlight parted the curtains illuminating his sleeping children. Before the light disappeared down the shadow-filled hallway. Shifting slightly so as not to rouse his wife. As she slept soundly on his thick chest. Instinctively he counts his children. Taking comfort and reassurance from the weight of the revolver under his right leg. Undulating slowly from his under wife, Ben frees himself pausing to lightly kiss her forehead. The gingerly steps through the minefield of sleeping children watching for stray fingers and tiny toes.

Ben felt as if there was fur was growing on his body. Still sporting the clothes infused with the previous day's sweat. Once at the door revolver in hand, he pulls a wine-colored skirt from the small window. He spies three figures in the middle of their dead-end street. Ben kneads the gun clutched in his right hand. Unaware of his hesitation, realizing he's holding his breath. In an attempt to go unnoticed as he surveys the trio. The men converse among themselves. As he shakes the cobwebs of sleep from his head. They were his neighbors, and suddenly Ben was subtly aware of a deep-seated rampant paranoia taking hold of his psyche. Everything had kept him on edge. As if mentally, he was waiting for the other cosmic shoe to drop. Since the power had gone out. His behavior towards his family had been dismissive. Silently Ben opens the door. Once on the front porch, he trots down the steps and into the driveway. Now in full view of the group.

Discreetly tucking his weapon in the small of his ample back. Before flipping his baggy shirt over the silver pistol to cover it. A tall, lean blonde athletically built man starts walking his way. He's wearing workout attire. Ben knows his neighbor and friend Carl Fullerton. Had spent the morning undoubtedly involved in some type of exercise regime power or not. The guy was a fitness fanatic, and it showed as he looks no part of forty-five. "Good to see you, buddy! How are Anne and the kids?" He asks, extending his hand to Ben as the two men met. They greet one another with a fierce handshake. Ben notices the shorter man over Carl's shoulder. Although Napoleon Archer was Ben's longest-serving neighbor. The two men and their families shared a sterile suburban relationship. Ben had long told Anne that while he felt, "Nate was a good guy. Who had no qualms with my being black. His feelings on interracial marriage may not be as progressive."

"Family is fine, Carl and yours?" Smiling back at his buddy, "Bianca and the girls are fine... fine.... fine." Carl shouts gleefully. The men turn back to the others. "Good Morning Nate." Ben nods to Napoleon, who returns the gesture sheepishly. Ben breaks into a wide genuine smile, "Mohammed, good morning Sir." He spoke to their neighbor from the other side of the street who was a polite white-haired diminutive Iranian immigrant. "Good Morning, my friend Benjamin, Salam," Mohammed said with a respectful nod to his neighbor. As he offered Ben the traditional Islamic greeting of "peace." How are you this beautiful day?" The small man gives Benjamin James a brisk warm handshake. "Mohammed, how is this a fine day?" He chuckles, "We have been without power for over a day now." The small man moves closer to his neighbor, clapping his hands together. Leaning forward, he places a tiny hand palm down on Ben's broad chest. "My friend, I was twenty-two years old before I slept in a house with electricity. Man has survived centuries without the benefit of electric power, and yet we can't go a day?!" The man rears back with laughter soon, he is joined by the other men gathered in the street. "Speaking of which has anyone heard anything about when we can expect power to be restored?"

Ben surveys the men's faces in the haphazard circle. Carl looks about mockingly confused. "Uh, Ben ole buddy old pal!" Slapping his friend's back, "Bro, this is so much bigger than EdCon. We got blasted by a stellar tidal wave of solar particles from massive solar flares. My friend, they overloaded everything everywhere." Ben, however, is flummoxed. "what!" He exclaims, shaking his head while pressing his rough hands to his temples. "Yeah," it was Nate's turn to weigh in. "I had been keeping up with the news via the web. The internet, however, kept going in and out then my laptop's battery died. Globally those solar flares damn near knocked us back to the Stone Age. There's limited information flowing out through the mainstream media. Now the web is ablaze with reports of rioting around the world. Even though the U.S. government is mustering plans to alleviate some of the inconvenience. It's going to take time to get things back to normal." Ben was trying to hold his anxiety in check. His nerves felt like a million burning fuses. "Shit!" Was as good as he could muster when presented with the facts. "Yes, my friend, it is true." Mohammed interjected." My son Jamal he calls me last night from school to tell me he was ok. He says there is fighting total chaos around UCLA." He stops suddenly. The others can see the emotions washing over the kindly father. Ben places a reassuring hand on Mohammed's back as the man stammers. "It is just ..... that.... he is my only child... our world." "Mohammed... Jamal is a smart, resourceful young man." Carl breaks in, "you guys raised him well he'll be ok." Carl prods, bobbing his head, urging his neighbors to join in. A chorus of awkward "of courses" rises up on the quite sunny dead-end street.

All the while, Ben consoles Mohammed. While eyeing his own home. Knowing full well, he would rather tear his heart out. As opposed to switching places with Mohammed Al. "Soooooo." Napoleon blurts, "what's the plan? Who wants to run to the store with me?" Carl raises his hand, "me! We need some more nonperishables." "Not I..." Mohammed speaks after regaining his composure, "thank you, my friends." Ben James is lost in thought, unaware that the group was staring at him. "Ummm no... no... not me guys!" He fumbles, "I think we can make it through a few weeks or so. We'll be fine on that front." Ben turns his back on the men sizing up his house, mentally taking notes. "Ben, are you alright, my friend?" Mohammed calls aloud to a distracted Benjamin. "Yeah... I'm cool. Look, guys, please be careful when you go out. Maybe we should consider battening down the hatchets and watching out for each other's houses." The men look about confused "why?" Nate stammers hunching his shoulder as birds chirp in the distance. "Because ..." Ben begins, "we are stronger together than we are alone. We can pool our resources."

Ben points towards the entrance to the cul de sac in the distance. "Also, we can barricade the street with cars. It's the only way in as we're surrounded by gates behind and around us one way in one way out. Then we..." "Wooooow, hold on, Carl interjects. Not intentionally trying to thwart Ben's plan. "We talking like its the end of the world or something? Slow down, Ben, let's take baby steps here!" An exasperated Benjamin James rubs his smooth chin while frustration clouds his mind. "Guys, no one knows for certain exactly what the hell is going on? I'm just saying we can fortify our houses or maybe just one of them and have everyone hold up there. Remember the three little pigs?" He scoffs as Nate gives off a disbelieving snort. "I do not understand my friends." Mohammed offers up. Carl strolls up to Mohammed placing an arm around his shoulders. "It's a fairy tale Mo'!" He affectionately tells the Americanized immigrant. "Ben is having a laugh at our expense. He's not serious, my friend."

Ben is going through a mental checklist in his head. Recapping the supplies he had brought home from the job site. They had extra water, snacks, and building supplies. It was time he plotted. If he was going to secure the house, he was burning daylight. "Guys be safe if you go out, alright? Let me know if you guys want to come over. I have to go I got work to do." The tired construction worker peers back at his house. His wife was now standing in the doorway, a look of concern gracing her beautiful face. He turns about to his neighbors, "Mohammed..." He spoke to the man. Still wrapped in Carl's used car salesman's embrace. "You know a tiny bit about the Bible, right?" The burly black man states, stepping back from the two men. "Yes... yes, that is correct, my friend Benjamin", Mohammed responds. "Remember this, they laughed at Noah too when he told them he was building the Ark." His words are still filtering into the men's subconsciousness. Even as he jogs back towards his home, stripping the shirt from his barreled chest. All of his life, he had a zeal for construction. Benjamin James was on the clock and in his element now.