Chapter 7
Sydney Carver was never happier than she was when she was out on her horse.
There was something special about riding.
She was connected to the horse and the world around her in a way that was incomparable to anything else.
If it was possible, she’d live her entire life on horseback.
She wasn’t sure how the horse felt about it, though.
Sydney pulled on the reins and slowed to a trot. She gently stroked the animal’s neck, thanking the mare for such a fun ride, and she whinnied in response.
“I know,” Sydney said. “I didn’t want to leave, either.”
The stables were close, and Sydney knew it was time to get back to work. She was a senior in high school, but she was part of a special program where she could work on a local farm three days a week while only attending school for two days.
The program was part of a series of fast-track programs for kids who already knew what career path they wanted to follow after graduation.
She had chosen to pursue agriculture, and after she had spoken to her parents at length about it, they had agreed the program was the best choice for her and what she wanted to accomplish.
From an early age, Sydney loved the outdoors and animals, so pursuing a degree that allowed her to experience both made sense.
The only uncertainty that Sydney faced was whether she wanted to go into livestock or grow plants. She had toyed with the idea of doing both, but it would be better if she specialized in one thing to produce on a large scale.
But for now, that wasn’t an issue, as she was able to take her time and learn every aspect of farming and agriculture she could absorb. She wished she could stay out on the farm full-time, but she still needed to finish up a few credits at her high school.
Sydney couldn’t wait to finish all the high school drama.
There were so many things that kids her age were concerned with, and it was all superficial.
She had a few close friends but wasn’t popular, but she was fine with that.
It was much easier for her to stay out of the limelight because it allowed her to focus on what she wanted.
She always felt at peace whenever she worked on the farm. It wasn’t a feeling she was able to recreate anywhere else. Here, it was always prevalent.
Except for right now.
The moment Sydney rode Chestnut into the stables, it was obvious something was wrong.
Everybody had stopped working and gathered at the front of the stables.
She saw the owner, Clark Winsome, addressing all the workers.
There was only one other high school student who was part of the program, a boy by the name of Teddy.
They got along well enough, but Sydney suspected he had a crush on her.
She wasn’t sure if the only reason he was hanging out in this program was because of her because he didn’t know much about working a farm even after almost a year of being in the program.
Or maybe he didn’t like sitting in a classroom. Sydney couldn’t blame him for that.
Sydney tied up Chestnut, gave her a feedbag, and then approached the circle of workers. Teddy was on the outskirts of the group, and she elbowed him in the arm.
“What’s going on?” Sydney asked.
“Everything shut down,” Teddy answered, keeping his voice quiet while Clark addressed everyone.
“What do you mean, everything shut down?” Sydney asked.
“Equipment, cars, power, it all shut off,” Teddy answered, and then he fished out his cell phone. “Even my phone isn’t working.”
Sydney frowned and quickly checked her mobile device. Just like Teddy’s, it refused to power on. It was clear to her that nobody knew what was going on, but Sydney’s parents had prepared her for something like this. She just never thought it would ever happen.
“Are you okay?” Teddy asked.
“Yeah,” Sydney answered, and then she pushed her way through the crowd until she was face to face with Mr. Winsome. “You need to send everyone home.”
Clark Winsome was mid-sentence when Sydney interrupted him. “We need to figure out a way to turn the power back on so we don’t lose the rest of the day.”
“The power isn’t coming back on,” Sydney said. “And our cars and our phones aren’t going to turn back on, either.”
The group murmured with worry, but Mr. Winsome wasn’t someone to give into hysteria so easily.
“It’s just a power outage,” Mr. Winsome answered.
“No, it’s called an EMP,” Sydney replied.
Mr. Winsome sighed. “Sydney, now isn’t the time for your parent’s conspiracy theories.”
“It’s not a conspiracy theory,” she said.
“The EMP destroys any computer circuit within its radius. It’s the reason your phones aren’t working and why your cars won’t start.
Why do you think the old tractors are working, but the newer ones have stopped?
It’s because the older models don’t have a fuel injection controlled by a computer chip. ”
Sydney had gained everybody’s attention now, including Mr. Winsome. She turned around and faced the group, all of them older by at least a decade and some of them twice her age.
“Everybody needs to go home and be with their families,” Sydney said. “It’s impossible to know how widespread this problem is, but until we know for certain, it’s best that you gather what resources you can and start rationing food and water.”
“Sydney, there is no need to cause a panic,” Mr. Winsome said.
“I don’t want anyone to panic,” Sydney said. “But I want everybody to ensure they are as prepared as possible. The more you know what’s going on, the less likely you are to panic in an unknown situation.”
After Sydney finished, everybody in the circle turned to Mr. Winsome. Sydney wasn’t sure how he was going to respond. Despite Sydney’s passion and her desire to learn, Mr. Winsome had always given her a hard time. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her age or if it was just his personality.
“Okay,” Mr. Winsome said. “Everybody, head home, and we will see what tomorrow brings. Grab some supplies from the barn. Everybody takes some cases of water home with you.”
Sydney stared at Mr. Winsome with surprise, and as the crowd departed, he glanced at her with a wry smile.
“You didn’t think I’d agree,” Mr. Winsome answered.
“No,” Sydney said.
“Well, you made a good argument,” Mr. Winsome replied. “And it’s not like we can solve all the problems today. Plus, if they are not working, I don’t have to pay them.”
“Ah, there it is,” Sydney said.
Mr. Winsome laughed. “Why don’t you get home? I’m sure your parents are worried.”
“They’re too prepared to be worried about me,” Sydney said. “I’ll finish up with the horses and then head out.”
“Sounds good,” Mr. Winsome said, and just before Sydney walked away, he touched her shoulder. “You’ve been doing good work. Keep it up.”
It was rare for Mr. Winsome to give praise, and she swelled up with pride.
“Thank you, sir,” Sydney said.
Mr. Winsome walked away, leaving Sydney alone with her happy thoughts. She was so distracted by the farmer’s praise that she didn’t notice Teddy was the only one who hadn’t walked away with the rest of the group.
“Hey,” Teddy said. “I thought I could help you with the horses.”
“Oh, sure,” Sydney said, quickly walking past him.
The pair hadn’t talked much since they didn’t work in the same areas of the farm.
Teddy was resigned to maintenance, while Sydney was mostly in the fields handling crop management.
But Sydney had caught Teddy glancing in her direction more than once.
Anytime she caught him staring at her, he quickly looked away.
“So,” Teddy said, unsure of what to do. “Do we just give them a bath, or…”
Sydney laughed as she went to her locker and grabbed the inside brush kit.
All of the farmhands had lockers in the barn.
Taped onto the inside of the locker door was a picture of the cabin her family owned well beyond the city limits.
It was situated right on the Ohio River and was a beautiful piece of land.
Sydney’s father had built it with his own two hands, and she loved spending time out there.
Just below the picture was the first mail delivered to the house.
She had kept it as a souvenir, hoping to one day make it their permanent home.
Our Forever Home, her father would say, and she’d written that over the picture of them standing outside the cabin.
Sydney grabbed one of the brushes, closed her locker, and then tossed the brush to Teddy as she walked past him.
“I’ll show you how it’s done,” Sydney said.
Teddy clumsily caught the brush and then joined Sydney by Chestnut. She showed him how to brush through the hair, and then he mimicked her.
“See?” Sydney asked. “She likes it.”
“Good to know,” Teddy answered, then cleared his throat. “I don’t know if your car is working, but I drove my bike over here. It’s an old two-stroke kickstart. It doesn’t have a computer chip, so it should start. Right?”
Sydney smiled. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Cool, anyway, I could give you a ride home if you want,” Teddy said, failing to sound like he wasn’t bothered if she said no. “You know, if you want.”
Sydney shrugged. “I could just take one of the horses.”
“You can take these home?” Teddy asked.
Sydney laughed. “You’re funny.”
Teddy smiled; it was genuine. She liked that, but the moment was interrupted by gunshots from beyond the barn.
The horses jumped from the noise of the gunshots, and Sydney immediately reached for her pistol, which she always carried with her when she was out of the house unless she was at school, where concealed carry wasn’t allowed.
“What was that?” Teddy asked, concerned.
Sydney didn’t wait for Teddy to follow her, and she hurried to the front of the barn, ducking low to get a better look at the situation.
Teddy eventually joined her, and they both saw a cluster of armed men rounding up the workers, along with Mr. Winsome, before they could reach their cars.
“Oh my God,” Teddy said, nervous, and he tried to stand up.
“Get down,” Sydney said, yanking him back to the crouched position with her. “We need to move.”
Before Teddy could reply, Sydney hurried back toward the horses, untying Chestnut, trying to calm her down.
“What are you doing?” Teddy asked.
Sydney threw a saddle back onto the horse. “We’re leaving. Come on.”
“Leaving to go where?” Teddy asked.
Sydney hopped up on the horse and held out her hand. “Are you coming or not?”
Teddy hesitated, but only for a moment. Then he grabbed Sydney’s hand, and she hoisted him up onto the horse behind her. Sydney immediately spun the mare around, and they rode out of the barn, getting as far away from the gunmen as possible.
But Sydney had no intention of leaving them alone for long. She needed a moment to regroup and figure out what was happening.