“Hey”
A female voice. I looked over to my left, straightening myself, lifting my forearms off the porch railing. The voice came from somewhere to my left, from the narrow strip of grassy earth that joined my porch to the parking lot behind my apartment. We’d been without power for about six hours now. It was hot and mind numbingly boring. Most people were unprepared and it was late. Most windows had no light in them. People were indoors or away, the occasional headlights of a car fleeing my apartment complex visible from afar.
“Hi”
“Can’t believe it’s taking them this long”
“How long does it usually take?”
“I don’t know. The longest I've been blacked out is like….3 hours maybe. Or not even”
“Hmm, you out for a stroll? You should carry a light or something”
“Nah, just….bored at home. I live not too far. I’m Traci”
“Jon, I've got two chairs here….”
She came and sat down. White, sleeveless top. Lighter hair, pale skin. Slim. A whiff of a woman's scent. Makeup, perfume….cigarettes? I strained to make out details.