Yesterday's Gone: Season One

little of both,” Desmond said. “All the people, definitely. But a lot of the town , too.”
    “How do you know?” John’s bottom lip started to dance.  
    “Because I’ve been driving the city since 3:30 this morning. It’s a ghost town, and I can’t get a signal from anywhere in the world. If I can’t get a signal, no one in this city can.”
    Jimmy lost his tongue for the first time in years.  
    Mary said, “What do you think we should do?”
    “Pack some supplies; we’re gonna head southwest to Fort Leonard Wood. If the world’s gone to shit, you can bet the Army base is the best place to be.”
    Jimmy’s tongue came back. “What if the Army is gone?”
    John stepped in front of Jimmy. “I’m not going. I’m waiting for Jenny here.”
    Desmond said, “Jenny’s gone.”
    “She’ll be back.”  
    A sadness shuddered through the tiny circle. Desmond put his hand on John’s shoulder. “We’ll be safer together. And have a better chance at finding Jenny.”
    Jimmy agreed. “Yeah man, better together.”
    Mary turned to John. “I know how you feel. But right now, we don’t know what’s happened or what that means for tomorrow. All we know is, yesterday’s gone. Whatever happened, we were hit hard. If our numbers were cut, then every number matters. We need to stick together and figure out what’s going on.”
    John was silent. Desmond thanked Mary with his eyes then opened his mouth. “I suggest we’re packed and ready to hit the road hard in 30. Take only what you know you need. No computers or large items. I only have so much room in the cargo van for our supplies. We can also use the Escalade.”
    John said, “I’ll go. We can take my Suburban. Just cleaned it yesterday.”
    Desmond smiled. “Okay then, let’s hustle. Everyone back here in 30.”
    “Why the hurry?” Jimmy wasn’t being flip, just wanted to know. “Looks like we’ve got all the time in the world.”  
    A shadow smudged Desmond’s face. “Time might not mean what it used to. But if the sky is falling, every minute matters.”  
    Mary and Paola went back into the house. Paola ran upstairs to pack clothes; Mary stayed downstairs in the kitchen tossing a medley of foods into two 30 gallon trash bags. She packed all the dries, then made a cooler of perishables and set it by the front door beside the two plastic bags.  
    Paola met her mom at the front door with two suitcases, stuffed with Mary’s favorite jeans, cammies, and sweaters with 15 minutes to spare.  
    “Anything else?”  
    Paola was sweet this morning. And it was early.  
    “Not sure. Other than are we dreaming, is this real, or any other way of saying, this can’t be happening. Most of all I just want to know you’re okay. Are you?”  
    Paola smiled. “Would it be weird if I said yes?”
    “A little,” Mary hugged her daughter and laughed. “But you’ve always been a little weird and a lot tough!”
    “Mom?”
    “Yeah?”
    “What do you think happened?”
    Mary had no idea and couldn’t possibly guess. “I don’t know, but I think we’ll be okay. That feels right. And you know I’d tell you if it didn’t. Whatever happened, we’re okay. That has to be enough for us right now, got it?”
    Paola gave her mom her hand. “Pinky promise.”  
    Mary wrapped her pinky around Paola’s. They spent several minutes rocking back and forth, then opened the door to the sudden future waiting outside.  

    **

    Desmond’s cargo van was nice but nondescript from the outside. New, tall and shiny. Black. The back doors were open. Mary saw custom cabinets and shelving inside, sitting beside a small bank of computers, every screen black. Her face must have looked louder than she thought.
    “I’m not crazy,” Desmond laughed. “I’m just always prepared and can afford to do it well. Come on, let’s get packed.” He took the bags from Mary and Paola and loaded them into the van.
    “Mind if I take a look?” Mary asked.  
    “By all means,” Desmond stood behind the swinging door and bowed his head.      
    Mary climbed in and started opening cabinets. They were packed with an end of the world picnic: juice, dried fruits, condensed milk, canned meats, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, baby food, coffee, tea, hard candy, cereal, salt, pepper, sugar. There was a giant first aid kit, the biggest Mary had ever seen, a portable toilet, light sticks, a stack of 5-gallon buckets, plastic trash bags, bleach, a disaster