Outburst — 11: Darkness Abounds

In scattered places across the globe, electrical grids began to fail.

GUYMON, OKLAHOMA

Marvin had driven from Guymon on U.S. 54 West for the last four hours and was now coming to the harder part of the drive. He would be getting onto I-40 in a few minutes near Tucumcari in New Mexico. He hadn’t noticed much difference when he crossed state lines for the second time somewhere past Amarillo.

He figured he could get away with his usual 55 mph on the interstate, as long as he kept to the right lane. If someone didn’t like it, well, just tough titty said the kitty. They could go around just as easy as not. In Albuquerque, he’d be getting out for a break. That would be about another three and a half hours. Someone had once told him about an area there called Olde Town, and the image had stuck with him.

He could handle it. So could his old Nissan pickup, it appeared. He was proud of the way it just kept chugging along without complaint. Rusty fenders rattling on the rough patches of road that still hadn’t been smoothed out after a particularly bad winter, it carried him toward his goal. Save Craig, save The…