Free Warfare Season: An Apocalyptic Thriller by Blaze Eastwood

Chapter 1

    The
late-April heat was filling the air. Austin's air conditioner was
droning in the background, blocking out the sounds of the screaming
neighborhood kids outside, although he could still hear his neighbor
Gerald yelling about something in the alley. Gerald was always
screaming about something.
    Since
the news had been particularly negative recently, Austin decided not
to bother reading, watching, or listening to it that night. He didn't
need to hear about another shooting, riot, or political scandal.
    He
sat back and listened to soothing music. But the harder he tried to
be calm, the faster his mind seemed to race. The frustration mounted,
as his anxiety increased. Why Can't I just relax? He
asked himself in desperation.
    But
how could he just take it easy with the way things had been going?
Things seemed to be getting worse by the day. Just because you stuck
your head in the sand, that didn't mean the disaster around you
wasn't real and threatening.
    Although
winter wasn't much better, March through October was always the worst
part of the year. Criminals loved their warm weather, and crime
always escalated drastically once springtime rolled around the
corner.
    In
an effort to create a peaceful vibe, he turned off the lights. The
sun was just beginning to set, casting shadows on the darkened walls.
    It
was no use. The only thing he could meditate on was the feeling of
adrenaline surging through his veins. Just as he was about to give up
and do something else, he was able to coax himself into a mild state
of serenity, and for a minute, he almost felt a sense of tranquility
fall upon him. Perhaps he was becoming desensitized to his own
anxiety, or worse, maybe he was simply giving up on life and not
caring about anything anymore. Either way, he breathed a sigh of
relief, as the soundtrack he was listening to came to an end.
    By
the time he opened his eyes, the sun had retired for the evening. He
looked up in amazement at how the minutes seemed to pass like seconds
when he was actually feeling somewhat peaceful.
    With
the music off, he could hear the muffled sounds of sirens off in the
distance.
    Sleep
wouldn't come easy that night, and he knew it. Instead of retiring
for the evening, he left his headphones on and continued listening to
music.
    Although
he ignored the initial blast of heat, the second blast forced him to
take off the headphones and realize that the air conditioner was not
running. He got up and clicked the light switch but to no avail.
    The
power was off.
    He
used a flashlight and cautiously made his way down to the basement
where the circuit box was. Power outages were nothing new. Three
times out of ten, the power would turn back on after resetting the
switch by clicking it off and back on again. The rest of the time, he
would just have to wait an hour or so before the power was restored.
    He
clicked the main switch off. He waited a few seconds before clicking
it back on again. Nothing.
    He
headed out to his front porch, opening the door with enough force to
startle his neighbor Eddie. “Do you guys have power?”
    “ No,”
Eddie replied. A patch of smoke arose from the lit cigarette that
rested between his fingers.
    “ I
guess it's just another power outage then, huh?” Austin asked.
    “ Yup.
That's exactly what it is.”
    Austin
turned around and went back inside. Just before he closed the front
door, he noticed that the street lights were out. He hurriedly headed
to the back porch and looked out the window. The alley lights were
off as well. Someone was running through the darkened alley. Austin
caught a brief glimpse of the runner before he disappeared into the
darkness.
    The
heat was already taking its toll. Austin powered up the generator,
getting the air conditioner to work again. He grabbed a glass of cold
water and sat back down, staring off into nothingness.
    The
sirens had stopped. Now he could hear the sound of fireworks off in
the distance. Or were they gunshots? He wouldn't