Security

My sister and I had enjoyed our three day weekend with a trip to Morrow Bay. She had rented a convertible and drove us along the coast, the music blasting as we sang at the top of our voices. We spent the days on the beach, walked the long stretch of sand, ate great food, drank too many long island ice teas, and laughed like we used to when we were young girls.

She dropped me back at my apartment building at 10:00am and gave me a hug before driving off. I waved until she turned the corner, then I swiped my keycard to open the front door of the building. I yanked on the door, ready to pull my roller bag through, but the door was still locked. I swiped the card again, and noticed that the light didn't go green.

"What the hell?" I hissed as I dug my phone from my bag and looked up the manager's number and dialed. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Ron, this is Angela, apartment 310. My keycard isn't working. Can you buzz me in, please?"

There was a beat before he responded. "I'll be right there."

He came and opened the door for me, then turned and walked back into his apartment and closed his door. "Thank you." I called after him. Rude, but maybe he was in the middle of something.

I got to my apartment and kicked off my shoes, leaving my bag by the front door. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge, and the light didn't go on, and it wasn't cold. "For fuck's sake!" I said as I walked around the apartment flipping switches. No electricity. I called Ron again, trying to keep calm.

"Ron? It's Angela again. There's no electricity in my apartment."

"Yeah, sorry Angela, the whole block is down. They're working on it."

"The city is working on it?" I asked.

"Um, I think so."

"Okay, I guess we wait, huh? Ah...now I know why you didn't buzz me in, and why my card didn't work. Thanks Ron."

I picked up my phone and tried to look up the power situation, but the wifi wasn't working. I switched to mobile data and the page loaded. "Power outages throughout San Luis Obispo, other cities reporting outages along the coast. State and local agencies advise you to stay calm while the situation is investigated."

I dialed my sister, but it went to voicemail. "Hey, it's me. Just a heads up. We've got no power, and no wifi in the building. I was wondering if you had power. Give me a call."

I went to fill a cup with water, and nothing came from the tap. No water. What a fiasco. I had my water bottle from the weekend, and drank some as I went to the window and pushed it open, then leaned out and looked up and down the street.

A family from the building across the street was piling their belongings into their SUV. The parents seemed to be in a panic, but when their kids came to the car, they put on false smiles and got the kids strapped in. When they'd closed the car doors, they looked up and down the street.

"Hey there." I called, waving at them. They looked up with fear on their faces, which took me aback. "Do you know anything about the power, and water?" They looked at each other, then the man walked across the street and stood beneath me.

"Get your stuff and get out of here, if you can. Grab your family and get out of here." Then he walked to his wife and they got into their car and drove away.

I sat down by the window. What the hell was that all about? They looked afraid. They were fleeing, at least that's what it looked like to me. Fleeing what? Power outage and no water?

Maybe they're the people that bought all the toilet paper during Covid. Doom hoarders. I sat back. If it was the 1950's I'd say they had a bomb shelter by their cabin in the woods, stocked with toilet paper and baked beans and batteries. I picked up my phone again and found a text from my sister.

"Don't go out. Stay in your building. Send out for groceries and water. Stay in your apartment."

I typed back, "What's going on? Why should I stay in my apartment?" I waited but no response came.

Okay, fine. I went to the grocery app and ordered bottled water and baby wipes and canned soup and tuna, bread and apples and whatever else I could think of that would last. I placed the order for delivery, and then sat and waited near the window until I saw the delivery guy on his scooter. "I'll be right there." I called out the window, then ran down to retrieve the groceries.

"How's it going?" I asked as he handed me bags. I'd propped the door open with the bottles of water.

He shook his head, his lips pressed together. "Crazy. It's crazy."

I put the groceries away then ate an apple as I watched the sun shine onto the wood floor. I had a travel battery pack, so I knew I could charge my phone, but I put it away, not wanting to drain the battery.

I found a novel I'd been waiting to read, and sat by the window in the sun, a small flashlight beside me for when the sun had gone.

I'd had a tuna sandwich and was sitting with the book and flashlight. I heard them before I saw them. The deep rumble of vehicles coming. I heard a woman scream somewhere out of sight and instinct made me turn off the flashlight. I sat on the floor by the window, peering out over the ledge. The block was dark. I looked up and saw the stars easily. There was no light pollution, just darkness and stars and a sliver of a moon.

When the line of vehicles came down the street, they did so in darkness.