Post by Jeff on Nov 22, 2013 17:13:52 GMT -8
Johnny stood up, his back sore, the shovel in his hands. It was the sound of a generator sputtering and running out of fuel that made him stand up. That and the sudden darkness.
The construction lights flickered and fell dark, leaving only the light of the moon to light the city.
Oh, and of course the various fires.
Lack of electricity always led to fires. People used candles, people brought in their charcoal barbecues, people caught their houses on fire, and people died of carbon monoxide.
Johnny had read, of a time in 2007, when a windstorm had knocked out power to half the city for 4 or 5 days, and to some areas for 3 weeks. And that storm was nothing compared to this.
At least this time all the gas stations had generators, state regulation. So the gas flowed, and people could evacuate to the north and south, and even East, to places of refuge.
Johnny's turned and looked. The generator sputtering out, had cleared something. The rescue K9 unit was scrabbling at the ground, whining. Johnny and volunteers rushed over, arms out, adrenaline pumping, and somehow the fallen pieces of the collapsed building just weren't that heavy when they were all working together. Of course Johnny knew exactly how much these things weighed, and did his best to not let his Potence show, but in disasters... people don't pay that close of attention.
30 minutes later, they were pulling 3 emaciated individuals from the wreckage, wrapping them in blankets, hot packets of soup going down there gullet. 3 more saved. Out of who knew how many missing.
So much death and destruction.
Johnny did finally realize that he could see much better than he expected... especially with the lights off. He looked up, and finally heard the call of the beast within him. Great, dawn. Not a damn cloud in the sky. Which is why it was soo cold of course.
He looked at the cross-streets, mentally calculating, and sighed. No way to get to his haven. His Fortitude may ward off the light currently in the sky, but direct sunlight was another matter entirely. He was already low on blood, he couldn't afford to waste any on hardening his skin, not and still be rational enough to hunt tomorrow.
All his students, the people he fed from regularly, his herd, of course they had family to see to. And the school was closed in the aftermath of the disaster.
He walked down the block, he took a look up the alleyways. Eventually he found what he wanted, a partially collapsed house, just a bit of damage. The doors already marked with red X's. The place had already been searched for survivors. The family wouldn't be back any time soon.
So, he went in, a few hits with a hammer and nails and some boards, and he had sealed the place from the inside.
Then, to search the house, and eventually, find what he was looking for. A lightless space.
He sat down, letting himself relax.
Of course relaxation was what his grief was waiting for.
The death, the disaster, the overwhelming losses. His grief took him as the sun rose, the blackness of sleep greeted by his cold tears.
The construction lights flickered and fell dark, leaving only the light of the moon to light the city.
Oh, and of course the various fires.
Lack of electricity always led to fires. People used candles, people brought in their charcoal barbecues, people caught their houses on fire, and people died of carbon monoxide.
Johnny had read, of a time in 2007, when a windstorm had knocked out power to half the city for 4 or 5 days, and to some areas for 3 weeks. And that storm was nothing compared to this.
At least this time all the gas stations had generators, state regulation. So the gas flowed, and people could evacuate to the north and south, and even East, to places of refuge.
Johnny's turned and looked. The generator sputtering out, had cleared something. The rescue K9 unit was scrabbling at the ground, whining. Johnny and volunteers rushed over, arms out, adrenaline pumping, and somehow the fallen pieces of the collapsed building just weren't that heavy when they were all working together. Of course Johnny knew exactly how much these things weighed, and did his best to not let his Potence show, but in disasters... people don't pay that close of attention.
30 minutes later, they were pulling 3 emaciated individuals from the wreckage, wrapping them in blankets, hot packets of soup going down there gullet. 3 more saved. Out of who knew how many missing.
So much death and destruction.
Johnny did finally realize that he could see much better than he expected... especially with the lights off. He looked up, and finally heard the call of the beast within him. Great, dawn. Not a damn cloud in the sky. Which is why it was soo cold of course.
He looked at the cross-streets, mentally calculating, and sighed. No way to get to his haven. His Fortitude may ward off the light currently in the sky, but direct sunlight was another matter entirely. He was already low on blood, he couldn't afford to waste any on hardening his skin, not and still be rational enough to hunt tomorrow.
All his students, the people he fed from regularly, his herd, of course they had family to see to. And the school was closed in the aftermath of the disaster.
He walked down the block, he took a look up the alleyways. Eventually he found what he wanted, a partially collapsed house, just a bit of damage. The doors already marked with red X's. The place had already been searched for survivors. The family wouldn't be back any time soon.
So, he went in, a few hits with a hammer and nails and some boards, and he had sealed the place from the inside.
Then, to search the house, and eventually, find what he was looking for. A lightless space.
He sat down, letting himself relax.
Of course relaxation was what his grief was waiting for.
The death, the disaster, the overwhelming losses. His grief took him as the sun rose, the blackness of sleep greeted by his cold tears.
