The paper was spread open on the coffee table, the television was wobbling and sputtering its way through the news, and the coffee maker was keeping the second pot of the day warm when the power finally gave out. It was only seven p.m. but the skies had been dark since four. The snow had been falling since Randy had opened his eyes that morning.
He didn’t panic. There was a generator in the garage that would run the necessities, and he had a battery-operated radio and a few flashlights. If he remembered correctly, the previous owner had left a Coleman stove, an oil lamp, and at least one container of oil. If the storm did get as bad as the TV had been saying it would, if the power did stay out for as long as one might imagine it could with such a storm, Randy would be all right. He was su
