New way of life

Everyone was adapting and learning how to move forward.  People were finding new ways to produce power or get things done in new ways.  Some more efficient than the previous ways.  Many people were learning how to survive.  They were learning how to work with their neighbors and how to do things they didn't know before.  People were teaching each other and sharing.  Those that tried to go it alone made it a few weeks but then started to dwindle.  Sadly the sick and elderly had it the worst and many of the that population were unable to survive.  The strong and community minded were making it work.  They were growing gardens, and bartering for other needed items.  Even those like Amanda found a way to trade for what she needed to help her family.  She was able to learn new skills.  She was willing to change and adapt.  Something that many couldn't fathom.  They all kept expecting that things would return to normal.  However those that realized a new normal was going to keep them alive were the ones to move forward and shape a new future.

The Day FEMA arrived

Finally after three weeks without power FEMA trucks started arriving in major cities.  They brought the normal things like water, MRE's, blankets, etc.  People were trampling each other to get to the trucks.  If someone was waiting on a truck to help them they had to get in line and get in line early.  And no one was being nice or friendly about it.  At this point most people in the cities had started looking out only for themselves and had no qualms with pushing their neighbor out of the way to get food or water for themselves.  Families with kids seemed worse since the momma bear mentality came out in many of them.

For people like Brian and Sarah they had a community.  They had resources and ways of providing for their families without having to venture to the big cities for the FEMA truck handouts.  They wouldn't have been able to get there without fuel anyway and the gas stations couldn't run without power.

Sarah had started doing work with her kids each day to continue with their educations.  She wasn't a teacher and she didn't know if she could get them much beyond basics but she was doing what she could.  Her husband no longer went into work and the whole family worked the farm each day.  They had gone to a barter system with the neighbors so that everyone could get what they needed from each other in a fair manner.  They weren't eating as good as they did before the power went out.  There weren't any soda or chips in the house any longer but they were still eating decently and that was what mattered to them.

Brian was also able to barter for what his family needed beyond their canned good supplies.  They had a number of those in their closets but meat was something they were severely lacking.  So they had to barter their canned goods, clothes or other items to get the things they need.  His wife was still of the mentality that everything would go back to normal soon and she didn't need to butcher her livestock to survive.

Amanda was doing the worst of everyone as the food ran low.  She didn't have any means of getting more and not much to trade with neighbors for food.  She was one of many trying to get to the FEMA trucks to feed her kids.  Even if she had to walk the whole way.  She was starting to think of trying to head towards family.  Her parents had more means of getting food such as hunting and fishing and that could help.  She prayed every night that the power would come back on and that she could go back to work.  She worried about how she would provide for her family.

David had started hunting and fishing.  He was near the water and that helped alot.  He was able to trade some of the fish for other things like candles, lanterns, canned goods to help him get by.  It wasn't great but it was something.  His neighborhood really came together to help each other out and keep the crime at bay.  When the FEMA truck arrived there everyone went into town in shifts.  Some stayed behind to watch over the other houses.  They were all about keeping each other safe.

End of the first week

As the days continued on, people started to realize that maybe something more was going on.  Rumors started to circulate about why the country was without power.  They weren't the only ones either.  Many countries, the big "power" countries had been hit by the loss of power.  Markets and economies were crumbling further by the day.  By the end of the first week the rumors had been confirmed.  The country of Estonia, had orchestrated the attack.  They were tired of all the big macho posturing and had decided to show the big guys that they weren't really so tough.  They had coordinated and carried out a strategic strike on the power grids of the United States, Europe, Russia, and a number of countries in South America. Many people were surprised to say the least.  They had never expected such a small country to pull of such a big job.  But they had spent years planning their attack.  They utilized their resources within their borders and outside their borders to ensure success.

Meanwhile Americans were wondering when the government was going to get the power turned back on and how they were going to survive.  Many people were getting sick or had died within the first week.  Not as many as the Hollywood zombie movies had made out but still a good number.  Mostly elderly.  For Sarah, Brian, Amanda and David they were all alive but each was handling the situation much differently than the other.

Sarah was going about her daily chores with her animals and gardens and using their generator sparingly to keep the refrigerator cool and freezer frozen.  She lived in a community that worked together to help each other and if someone needed hay for their animals or help moving something you helped out.  It is just the type of world she lived in.  The kids were happy because there was no school, so they were getting to play all day long.  Sarah didn't worry about making them do "homework" type work because after all this would only be temporary.

Brian while still living in a country community had a slightly different community.  He had a few neighbors that were there all the time and those few were helping each other out.  However no one had a garden that could support all the families and Brian's family didn't have one that could support them.  They had a number of animals that could be eaten if only his wife would let them.  They could protect themselves from the ruffians that were arriving at the nearby hunting cabins.  People were coming out in the hopes of shooting some meat to eat.  And that was causing some tension among the neighbors.

Amanda had gone to the store as soon as she realized this might last longer than expected.  Only downside was she didn't carry much cash.  Thankfully she worked for a bank and was able to withdraw a lot of her savings those first few days before the bank was closed until the power came on.  This gave her more buying power than most because she had cash.  And at least during the first week, cash was still a good thing to use and have.  She was able to buy many of the canned goods and non perishable items that would help her and her family get by for a bit.  She also realized she needed to think of another plan if this lasted more than a week or so.  Amanda was also realizing a gun would be a great thing to own and know how to use.

David was doing the worst of the four, he lived alone so he didn't have anyone to help him get supplies or watch his supplies.  Boston was a major metropolis and was prone to more crime because of that.  He had to close his shop and move what he could to his house. The shop was destroyed by vandals, kids being hooligans.  He did have a fair bit of food and since he only had to worry about himself and his dog, they could eat ramen and dog food for a bit before he had to go out hunting.  Luckily he did have one gun, a hunting rifle that if the power didn't come back on soon he would have to use, somehow.

They all were making due, some better than others, but all were determined to survive.  As the days went by, more and more chaos was occurring around the country.  Some were traveling to family or friends out in the country where they new they could help and be helped to get food and other necessities.  Some were simply waiting in town for the government or FEMA to come and help them.

Day 1, Monday

For everyone Monday started just like any other day.  No one expected anything different.  There was always something on the news about new attacks around the world, and shootings in towns across the United States.  But no one really expected it to get better or worse.  For most of the day things were normal.  People went about doing their shopping, working, and social calendars as intended.  But at about 1800 Monday evening things started getting weird.  Lights began to flicker.  Nothing turned off right away.  It took about an hour before the power went out and didn't come back on.  Of course most people went outside and spoke with neighbors and some called the power companies.  All of whom said they were looking into it.  For the most part people just thought it was an isolated incident in their area, someone hitting a power pole or a transformer being blown for one reason or another.  Nobody figured it would be out long so most people just kept doing what they would normally do.  There was no panic on the streets, there weren't people making mad dashes to the store.  Everyone assumed that the power would be back on within a couple hours.

Sarah wasn't very worried as she had a generator if the power was out for an extended period of time.  Brian also had a generator.  Both of them lived out in the country, away from the city so they had things that most normal people living in the city might not have.  Being 30-45 mins away from town meant being prepared differently.
Amanda and David both lived in the city and neither of them had generators.  But they had also never had to go more than a couple hours without power.  They were like the majority of people.  Sadly when bad weather or other disasters strike, people in the city typically are less prepared than those in the country.  Part of that is just born of everyday necessity.

As the hours ticked by without power being restored, many started to wonder and to call the power company for answers.  All were met with the same response, "we don't know yet what the problem is, or when it will be repaired.".  This was frustrating and upsetting for people.  Some just went out to eat at places that had back up power.  Or at least tried to find something.  Others made sandwiches and played board games with the family by lantern.  Most expected a return to normal soon.

Before Everything Changed

It was a normal day for Sasha.  She got up early, got the kids up to get ready for school and made lunches.  She headed out the door to drop kids at school and had plans to do chores and just relax at home.  Normally things for her were very smooth.  She got up each morning Monday thru Friday to get kids off to school.  Then she would come home and do her daily chores.  She had animals to take care of, a garden to tend, a house to maintain and general everyday items that needed to be tended to just like most people.  There was always a pile of laundry and dishes in the sink needing to be done.  The family had a small but growing hobby farm.  Sasha grew a garden with veggies and fruits for the family and canned or preserved what couldn't be eaten during the season.  She was lucky to not have to work outside the home.  She had fresh food from the garden and fresh eggs from their chickens.  The family planned to get other animals for food.  This Monday was no different than any other Monday for Sasha, or at least that is how it started.

Brian like Sasha had a daily routine he stuck to.  His family too owned some land with animals and a goal of eating off the land rather than the grocery store.  Brian's wife took care of the house, animals and their children while he went to work each day.  He also had many activities that took him away from the family and land on weekends and days off.  He left for work that Monday morning with big plans for the day.

Amanda was a bank teller for Wells Fargo.  She worked 40-50 hours a week trying to provide a good life for her two daughters and give them all the things that she could.  She commuted to work 45 mins each day, which didn't include dropping the girls off at their respective schools for the day.  She was thankful for family that helped to get the girls and watch them when she had to work overtime.  She was your typical mom.  Grocery shopping each week, eating out alot since they had such busy schedules and living in the city on a small lot, in a rental.  She loved her girls very much.  Her husband worked nights to help make ends meet, so they didn't see each other as much as they would like, but they knew they were doing what they had to for their girls.  Just like Brian and Sasha, Amanda woke up that morning with her day planned out.  Work, home, dinner, sleep, repeat cycle.

David was an entrepreneur in Boston.  He had a dream of starting his own design company.  He had used his retirement and his savings to start his little business but every day he woke up glad that he had left his 9-5 job to pursue his dreams.  He had been in business only two years, but he was growing and people were spreading the word that he did great work.  He was hopeful and happy with where he was in life.  He wasn't married, he did have a golden lab named Buster that greeted him happily each night after work, and laid by his side while he worked from home.

Everyone in the US, thought this Monday would be just like all the rest, but as they would find out, it would be the day everything changed.  Forever...