Free The End by G. Michael Hopf

joy of helping his father was making Hunter’s day. Together they pumped up the tires on the bike and trailer.
    Looking at Hunter, Gordon felt proud. His son wanted nothing more but to contribute. He tousled Hunter’s brown hair. Hunter had Gordon’s look, light-colored eyes and dark hair. He was tall for his age, but had a strong, lean build for being only seven years old.
    â€œThank you, Hunter; here, finish up by putting the pump back.”
    â€œOkay, Daddy,” Hunter responded, cradling the pump and walking it over to the cabinet.
    â€œHunter, when you’re done with that I need you to help Daddy with something else.”
    Hunter quickly put away the pump and came running over. “What, Daddy?”
    â€œI am leaving in a few minutes to go get some things at the store. Please promise me you’ll help Mommy with anything she asks and take care of your little sister. Okay?” Gordon knelt down to meet Hunter’s eyes.
    â€œOkay, Daddy, when are you coming back?”
    â€œSoon, son, I promise. Now can you promise me what I asked?”
    â€œI promise.” Hunter felt important since his father had given him some responsibility.
    â€œThank you,” Gordon replied. He gave Hunter a big hug and kissed him on the cheek. “Run on in now and see what you can do to help your mother.”
    Hunter opened the door and stepped in, but before the door could close behind him, he poked his head out again. “Daddy, can you get some ice cream?”
    â€œI’ll see what I can do,” Gordon said with a smile. This made Gordon feel more protective; he wanted to ensure his kids’ innocence remained as long as it could.
    Gordon stuffed some cash into a fanny pack that already held his Sig Sauer P239 pistol. He also packed a small first aid kit, water, and a headlamp. He put on his pack and walked the bike with trailer out of the garage. After manually closing the garage door behind him, he looked down his street. Many of his neighbors were out in front of their homes. Some were holding their phones, still attempting with no luck to get them to work; others were working on their cars. It was now late morning and people still had no clue what was going on. He knew he had a small window of time to get more supplies before the real panic set in. He climbed on his bike and started his trek toward the store.
    As he rode, he kept going over a mental list of what he needed to get. He wanted to make sure he picked up what was important and what would last. He wasn’t sure how long it would be before all hell broke loose and everything would be gone. His quick thinking about the water could help them last longer. He knew he should tell his neighbors, but not until he returned from the store with what he needed first. As he rode on, he passed disabled car after car. Most had now been abandoned.
    When Gordon pulled into the Albertson’s parking lot, the scene was basically the same as on the streets. He saw many cars with their hoods up. People just standing around and talking, they all just seemed to be waiting for the power to come back, something Gordon knew that would not happen anytime soon. He quickly thought to himself about how as a society we all had become dependent and interdependent on our system and the comforts of having easily available electricity. Once people found out what had happened, he knew widespread panic would descend upon the city. This was Gordon’s only opportunity to secure vital resources.
    The front doors were shut with a handwritten sign taped on that read, “Closed Due to Power Outage.”
    He parked the bike next to a large column, jumped off, and walked quickly back to the trailer; he opened a pouch on the side and pulled out a small chain and lock. He chained and locked the bike and trailer to the column. With most cars not working, his bike might be tempting to steal.
    He walked up to the doors and looked inside; it was hard to