CHAPTER 6 - "What If He's Right?"
While showing Jake some of the preparations that their father was making to secure the ranch for the coming apocalypse, Izzy poses a question that rocks Jake's world: "What if he's right?"
Mark Bethea
Mark BetheaYA Fiction, YA Literature, bestsellers, apocalypse, sniper, helios, anthropology, Berkeley, solar flareComment
CHAPTER 1 - "Helio-What?"
He would be a Helio-Anthropologist, perhaps the first. And, if his theories were correct, he would probably be the last.
Mark BetheaYA Fiction, YA Literature, apocalypse, Idaho, Northern California, Sheriff, Deputy, DUIComment
CHAPTER 2 - Welcome to Twin Pines
When Stanley did finally leave, he got into his car and drove straight through to Northern California. He didn’t even stop at his apartment to gather his belongings.
CHAPTER 12 - "What About The Children?"
“What’s going to happen to the kids?” Peter asked.
“The kids?” George was no longer smiling.
“Yeah. You’ve painted a really grim picture that totally makes sense. But with all of these people dying and marauders running rampant, what happens to little children? Kids?”
George stood up, scratching his head. “Good question.” He looked right into Peter’s eyes. “What do YOU think will happen to the kids?”
“I don’t know. I guess they’ll all die alongside their parents?”
CHAPTER 13 - Finishing Touches
George and The Chief stood on the promontory and surveyed the ranch. It had taken the better part of 15 years, but it was finally complete. George counted the 20 individual bunkers, and he mentally traced the paths of the underground tunnels. Then he looked at the various structures, all constructed with reinforced concrete slabs covered with false facades that mimicked typical farm housing, sheds, storage and utility buildings. He felt a tremendous sense of pride and the satisfaction that comes from a long, hard-fought journey that has come to a successful end. He looked at Ernie and smiled, extending his hand.
“I think we’re done, Ernie.”
CHAPTER 14 - "Where Would You Go If..."
All he needed to do was plant the idea that the children could be safe there, should the worst happen. While Twin Pines was a relatively small community of about 10,000, it wasn’t a particularly close-knit community. But still, people talked with one another and increasingly, people found themselves, embarrassingly, talking about worst-case scenarios. George was almost always mentioned. And even while dismissing the crazy idea that something terrible was going to happen, in the back of their minds, they all wondered what George had built out at his ranch. It was all George could have hoped for.