Emp by Wilson Harp

Author:Wilson Harp [Harp, Wilson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, High Tech, Post-Apocalyptic, Hard Science Fiction
Amazon: B00LYPFMAS
Published: 2014-07-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

The clouds thinned that night and the sun shone brightly the next morning. I was up early, before the first rays of light touched the muddy fields across the street, and went into the kitchen.

Dad had beaten me to the table, as usual, and was reading the book I had left out the night before.

“I never understood why you needed these books,” he said. “But then, I wasn’t much of a reader myself.”

“What do you think?” I asked.

“Pretty interesting, once you get over the fact he isn’t writing about things in our world.”

“Hobbits and elves and stuff?”

“That, but I was referring more to the ideas of honor and chivalry and duty,” Dad said. “This Tolkien guy really missed the world that had left him behind.”

“That’s true, he really did,” I said as I poured a cup of water from the drinking pitcher.

“How is your stomach doing this morning?”

“Not bad,” I said. “I woke up with some heartburn a couple of times.”

“The sugar in the fruit cocktail,” Dad said. “Didn’t think about how much we had been away from that kind of food.”

“I didn’t realize how much I missed it. I would have thought after a while, it wouldn’t have tasted as good as it did.”

Dad turned a page in the book. “Food companies spent millions and billions of dollars on making us like their product so we would keep buying it.”

“True. I do miss Oreos.”

Dad smiled. “Everyone will dream of cookies.”

“Until cookies are just a distant memory.”

“I suppose so.”

“Are you going into town today?”

“Probably. I want to check on the beet field first, but if it is too wet to harvest them, I plan on going into town to see if anyone brought in any old radios.”

“When you do, look for Deputy McDaniels and report our prowler. I think I saw him near the Johnson’s again last night.”

“Okay. I’ll let him know what is going on.”

I prepared for the day and left the house. I walked out to the street and looked across the soybean field toward where the beets were planted. I felt lightheaded and terrified as I saw the wheat field just beyond the beets and onions.

All of the tall, green stalks looked like they were lying on the ground. Several men were walking the edges of the area. Sometimes they spoke with each other, sometimes they bent down as if to examine the fallen plants. I glanced over at the corn field and released a deep breath. The corn was standing straight and tall in their appointed rows.

I hurried over across the soybean field. I was careful not to step on any plants and to make sure I didn’t slip and fall. When I reached the men, I could hear laughter of all things.

“David,” Luke said as I approached. “You look upset. Is everything alright?”

“I don’t know,” I said as I looked at the flattened field of wheat. “Did we just lose our wheat crop?”

Several of the men chuckled and one came over and slapped me on the shoulder.

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