Chapter 16 #3
Isis gasped. “It’s crystals.”
“Crystals that use electricity?” I shot back. “Didn’t think so.”
I pointed to the wall like they could see the generators through it.
“Generator One is the big boy… the main one. That one’s hooked to the propane tank outside. That tank is half full, because somebody who rented this cabin thought that was smart.”
I paused and looked around.
“Which means, if we run everything nonstop, we get three, maybe four days of full power.”
“Bryce… question.” Isis’s voice was too sweet, which meant nonsense was incoming.
I exhaled like my soul needed a break. “What now, Isis?”
“So… when you say three days… is that regular days or like mountain days? Because mountain time feels slower. I’ve only been here for two days, and I feel like my soul has aged eight years.”
Chesteria rolled her eyes, like she was genuinely trying to understand the level of stupidity before her.
I just stared. “The fuck? A day is a day, Isis.”
“Well, excuse me!” Isis hissed. “I’m just trying to understand the conditions before I wake up looking like Elsa from Frozen, okay?
! Four days doesn’t sound like enough time for a storm!
Who would even build a cabin with only four days of life in it?
! That’s architectural malpractice! Yeah, we got a generator, but where’s the luxury insulation at?
! Is there an emergency hot tub?! A backup chef?
! Heated robe delivery?! This feels like survival mode, not a getaway!
I signed up for pretty snow and cozy expectations, not Mother Nature with an attitude! ”
Adrian chimed in immediately, like he’d been rehearsing ignorance in the mirror and had been waiting for that exact moment to confidently be wrong.
“I agree with her. I ain’t saying we gotta be at a resort, but damn, y’all really expect people to live off coffee and candles like this is normal?!”
Me and Chesteria exchanged a silent, disgusted, we’re-surrounded-by-fools type of look.
“The cabin can last… y’all can’t. Y’all need Cabin Crisis 101, and I’m ‘bout to give it to you.”
I walked to the hall closet. When I came back, I was holding two red gas cans like I was presenting bad news on The Price Is Right.
I lifted one finger. “The second generator is the backup… the little gas one. That thing is cute. It hums, it does its best, but it only runs eight to ten hours on a full tank.” I shook the cans. “And this… this is what we got left.”
Chesteria raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“This. Is. It. Which gives us, at most, one day of backup power… one.”
Adrian lifted his hand halfway, like a confused, scared student who didn’t do the reading. “So… what happens after that?”
Chesteria cocked her head. “We sit in the dark and bond, Adrian. What you think? We magically plug into the stars? Maybe ask the moon for an extension cord.”
“How am I going to survive without no Wi-Fi?!” Isis pouted.
I took a long, slow sip of coffee and looked her dead in the face. “Welcome to hell. But what did I just tell you about that Wi-Fi word?”
Isis tucked her lips in realization that she was already fucking up.
Adrian scratched the back of his neck. “Damn, man.”
Bryce nodded. “Yeah… damn. Because the minute that tank empties, we’re fucked. We can’t call nobody, the roads are closed, and the snow is over our heads. Now, unless one of y’all wanna shovel a path down a mountain with a spatula, then yeah, we're stuck.”
Isis folded her arms with a huff. “This is why I don’t go outside.”
I ignored the comment and clapped my hands once.
“Now listen to me closely… because I’m not explaining this shit twice.
If the main generator goes down, the backup only powers one heater, the fridge, the well pump…
and maybe two lights if we’re lucky. We can stretch this to a week easy, maybe more, as long as nobody starts acting stupid with the lights and hot water. ”
My eyes slid right over to Isis.
Isis nodded slowly. “So basically… no extra stuff.”
“Exactly.” I pointed at her like she had just solved a riddle.
“Which means, no extra snacks that need microwaving every ten minutes, no blow dryers, no scented candle warmers, no charging ten devices at once, and absolutely no electric space heaters unless y’all wanna freeze when the backup dies.
We use power smart, pace ourselves, and stretch this out so the main generator lasts the whole storm.
If we don’t? Y’all better hope that bear from yesterday morning is feeling protective, ’cause that might be our only heat source. ”
I let that sit for a beat.
“I’m not saying this to scare y’all. I’m saying this ’cause I actually want everybody to make it out this cabin… with all y’all limbs still attached.”
Chesteria just nodded once, calm as ever. “Got it,” she said simply.
I gave her that subtle, approving look I always did when she didn’t fight me.
“Okay… I’m not complaining… I promise,” Isis spoke up.
“But I’m still a little confused as to what exactly we can’t do.
Like, I don’t wanna open the fridge too many times, heat up some soup, use the blender, use my steamer, plug in a curling wand or my foot spa, or start my self-care playlist, and next thing I know, you’re treating me like I unplugged the sun. ”
I stared at her, blinking slowly. “Isis… I actually appreciate you for being considerate. Because if you did do something that knocks the power out and leaves us all cold, hungry, and annoyed? I wouldn’t just be mad…
” I took a small step toward her and lowered my voice.
“I’d be calculating how long it would take Chesteria and Adrian to forgive me for throwing yo’ ass outside. ”
Isis’s eyes grew in horror.
“I’ll be back,” I added flatly, turning to go grab what I called The Idiot’s Guide to Not Dying in the Woods (feat. Common Sense).