The Farmhouse

Protected by nothing more than the vast expanse of nothingness, Chanterelle, or Relle as most people called her, was safe from the explosions. With only her two young siblings, on her parents' small farm, she had watched as the sky became muddy with smoke and debris.

During those long moments, she was certain that death was coming for her. She had held Cedar and Sage so close to her chest she could feel their heartbeats.

Weeks passed since the explosions. Relle did her best to keep the farm going. She continued her daily chores just as she had always done. Despite wanting to deny it, Relle knew that life would never be the same again.

More than anything, she longed to see her parent's red truck drive down the little dirt road to the old farmhouse. The truck never came.

Weeks turned to months. Running a farm with no power, water, or heat became increasingly hard. Days were long and the work was harder than it had ever been before.

By mid-October, a real worry began to tug at Relle's chest, winter was on its way. Winters in Montana were snow-filling and frigid.

It was late in the day when Relle returned to the old farmhouse. She was sore, tired, and rather worried. She walked into the house to find Sage swatting beside the little fireplace.

The little girl's hands extended out towards the flames. Cedar sat at the dining room table cutting up raw meat that sat in front of him. Relle noticed the bowl of flesh and guts from the creature sitting beside him.

"Why'd you have to do that on the table?" Relle sighed at her brother, more annoyed than angry.

"I told you," Sage shot a vicious eye up towards Cedar.

"It's too cold to do it outside," Cedar said defensively. "Besides, it's not like we actually eat at the table. We haven't eaten here since..." He trailed off, but both Relle and Sage knew what he was about to say.

"It's fine," Relle said. "Just try and clean it up before we eat."

Despite being annoyed at Cedar for cutting up the meat on the table, Relle was thankful to have his help. At only ten years old Cedar had become her second pair of hands. Days were long, tending the garden and she often had to rely on his help for meals.

That evening they ate a filling meal of chicken and potatoes. It was silent as they ate in the living room, beside the fire.

"Do we need to use wood all winter for heat?" Cedar asked, breaking the silence.

"If power doesn't return, then wood's the only way to heat the house," Relle said.

"Do we have enough? The shed isn't as full as it usually is," Cedar said.

Relle just pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. "I think it should be enough," she said.

The truth was, she had no idea how long the wood would last. Before the explosions knocked all the power out, they rarely used wood to heat their house at all. In fact, the fireplace was really more for decoration than practical use.

"What will we do if it's not?" Cedar asked.

"We'll find a way," Relle said hoping that she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Once mom and dad get back, it will all be better," Sage said airily.

"But what if they-"

"We'll be alright," Relle interrupted Cedar before he could say anything more.

Sage glanced between her two older siblings. "They're coming...right?" The little girls starred wide-eyed at Cedar and Relle.

"I'm sure they are," Relle said kindly, despite the cold feeling in her chest.

"It's been months," Cedar said, looking down at his empty plate.

Relle wished he hadn't spoken at all. It had been three months to be specific. Three months without their parents had been near impossible. Yet, she knew that the worst was still to come.

"Months," Sage repeated what her brother had said. "Why's it taking them so long?"

"It shouldn't be taking them this long," said Cedar who, being three years older than Sage, had a much better concept of time then she did.

"What if they're stuck? Or hurt? Or they're trucks aren't starting? Or-"

"I'm sure they are alright, they might just be trying to find more supplies since we won't be able to go into town for a while," Relle suggested placing a hand on Sage's shoulder. "I'm sure they're alright."

"But what if they aren't?"

<><><>

After cleaning up from dinner, Relle made sure Cedar and Sage went to bed. She eventually found her own bed and laid down. In the darkness, she saw stars twinkle out her window. 'What if they aren't alright?' The words hung in her head like a sour smell. Honestly, she hadn't wanted to think about it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was the last thing her parents had ever given her.

They had yet to return to the farm. It had been over three months with no sign of them. Relle didn't want to assume the worst, but she worried that they may have been caught up in one of the explosions. She felt pressure build behind her eyes before pouring over. Hot tears streaked her face. For all she knew her parents were dead, however, she continued to have hope.

There was still a chance they were out there. Perhaps Sage was right. They could be stuck somewhere. The old red truck wasn't the most reliable vehicle and fixing a car with no power would be awfully challenging.

She knew that they had gone to Billings, which was roughly a three-hour drive from where they lived. However, Relle had no idea which cities had gotten bombed. All she knew was that the power had yet to return to the farm, which meant the damage done was severe.

She wondered if her parent's truck had broken down someplace and without power or another vehicle, they had not been able to return. They very well could be alive and well, worried about her just as much as she was worried about them.