24 HOURS AND COUNTING
“I DON’T KNOW.” Julia gave her husband a doubtful look. “I don’t think we need a tent.”
“Why wouldn’t we need a tent? It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Her husband wore that pinched look he got every time he was stressed. “We might be roughing it for a few days.”
“In a shelter. Roughing it in a shelter. We’re not camping, Stan.” Julia pulled the tent out of the cart and put it back on the shelf. “We have food, water, batteries, and flashlights. Why would we need a tent?”
“Okay. I get it… but what about this?” Stan stuck a hat on his head and made a face. “Do you think we need this?”
“Oh, Stan.” Julia covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “We should go. I think we have everything.”
“I don’t know. I feel like we’re forgetting something… ” He tossed off the hat and picked up a can of spray paint. “What about this? We can spray paint a message, like No, No, Flo, or Florence Be Nice!”
“Stan… no. We have hurricane shutters. We don’t have to board up the house.” Julia took the spray paint out of his hand and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Let’s go home. I’ll make you some chocolate chip cookies before the power goes out.”
“You will?” His face lit up. “With walnuts?”
Julia nodded solemnly. “With walnuts.”
“Well… okay. I guess you’re right.” He turned the cart in time to see two people struggling to push a portable generator towards the front of the store. “Julia! That’s what we need!” Stan took off after them. “Hey… where’d you get that generator?”
Julia rubbed her forehead. Shopping sucked on a regular day, but shopping on the day before a Cat Five hurricane was about to hit? Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She pushed the cart towards the cash registers in time to see one man punch another. “That’s my plywood, you asshole!”
This wasn’t a retail shop. It was a war zone.
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3TC: September 15, 2018 - tent, retail shop, hat
Liz Charnes 