Snow Melt

A Black Out Friday

Sunday, December 2, 2012 "Invalid Item"  prompt: It's Black Friday morning and the power is out throughout the city. Write the scene or story that comes from this.

This year, I didn't want to go to work on Black Friday. I'm not sure why, maybe it was all the turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie I ate on Thanksgiving. All right, I should have known better then to go to a buffet on Thanksgiving or any other time. I always gorge myself when I go to buffets, especially on a holiday. However, since I didn't want to fix turkey at home and eating by myself in a full service restaurant is difficult, my only option was the buffet.

The alarm on my cell phone sounded at 4:00 A.M. I sit up in bed, turned off the alarm, and then turned on the light. I set there staring into the darkness and wondering if the bulb had burned out. I got up and maid my way to the bedroom door, there I switched on the overhead light, which didn't light up. About that time my cell phone ring, so I went back to the bed and picked the phone up off the side table.

"Yes, this is Mari," my boss was on the other end. She was in a panic, the electricity throughout the city was off and she didn't know why.

"How long will the store be closed," her answer was enlightening. She would open the store when the power came back on, which she hoped would be only an hour or two. That was six hours ago, here I am sitting in my living room with the front door and backdoor open letting the cool breeze flow through the house and staring at the message "low battery" on my cell phone.

I finished the chocolate ice cream that was in the freezer an hour ago. I still have strawberry and vanilla waiting in the freezer plus some frozen dinners. Since the power still isn't on, I'm presuming the issue isn't going to be resolved until late this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Note to self, when the power comes back on purchase a solar oven and a new cell phone with a solar powered battery charger.