Work Text:
Drop, drop…
No water again. Shit.
Realization came suddenly. There was not only no water but no lighting and no heating as well.
Frozen patterns covered the windows from the outside.
Dark and cold. It shouldn’t be a surprise, right? December was especially furious this year.
Goosebumps ran over her skin.
No wonder - it was freezing.
She dragged herself back to her bed. The studio apartment was small but nice. Everything was within close reach. Grandma used to say that moving out is an important part of becoming independent. A smart woman. A new home was her last gift before passing.
She was sitting on the corner of her bed trying to warm up with extra blankets.
Electricity is our future, damn it. If only she’d known what was going to happen before switching to electricity as a main power source. Everything in the flat worked on it now. Water, heating, light, and even the cooking stove were electric. That had been such a stupid decision.
She stood up. Floor’s cold even with two pairs of socks on. Her body and soul needed warmth. Tea would be perfect.
Kitchen was small and stuffy.
Where’s that fucking camping stove? They hadn’t turn off the power the last few days, so she put it away. Naïve... as if this nightmare would stop... They probably bombed one of the electric stations last night. Again. This shitty comedy’s too much to handle sometimes. Oh, here it is. Small camping stove was hiding here under a few pans.
She took it out, lit the stove up, and stared at the flame for a few seconds.
It’s warm and dangerous. Like that fire in videos on social media. A building can explode so easily ¬¬– as if it’s not from stone but paper. It burns beautifully, emanating the heat and warming up everyone outside. Only...those flames just have taken away their home, their memories, and their health. Almost everything, except for their lives. Just now, people understand how fortunate they are to be alive. Those at the explosion's epicenter were not so lucky. Missiles chose them this time.
She flinched. Tea’s not going to make itself. She took a bottle of water and poured some into the kettle, her hands shaking. A few moments of peace before the water is boiled...
When electricity disappeared for the first time, her curiosity took over her mind.
How the hell was she able to get energy in her home in the first place? All those benefits of civilization were so familiar, she’d never really thought about how she got them. It was not important. House was warm, water was running, and lighting was available. It wasn’t hard to watch favorite Netflix show or just take a hot bath. But not now. Now those simple things are unbelievably valuable – for her, for everyone...
She closed her eyes.
Loads of information on the internet... articles, videos, or just random posts on various platforms... she had to read everything, every bit of information her hands could grab.
Mighty, enormous turbines turning under steam pressure. Zap. Electrical power is born. Then onto step-up transformers to increase voltage. The flow of charge goes through transmission lines, like water going through pipes. Mile after mile. Finally, it reaches the electric substation. Voltage is decreased the first time. It’s still too high to directly use at home, but suitable for transfer through transmission lines to the house. Then voltage decreased again on transformers just around corner of the house. She should look for them probably... Maybe even today. At least she knew where the service box and meter were installed. Paying energy bills was such a bothersome but so necessary task. Those were next stops in electricity’s long journey before reaching the endpoint. System of wires delivered power to different rooms and appliances. And voila. She can charge her phone or laptop, take her hot bath thanks to the boiler, and enjoy her meal.
She startled. The kettle had whistled a long while ago. She put a tea bag in the cup and slowly poured water into it.
At least it’s safe at this moment. No air sirens this morning. Rare occasion. Rare peace.
She took a sip. Tea was hot and tasty. The feeling of warmth went from her palms up to her shoulders, then her chest. Finally, it was warm.
She was glad she had woken up today. She was lucky. She was alive.