***
The cruiser's tires screeched into the driveway. Brooke hurried into the house, pulling Emily with her.
“Okay, Em, I need you to pack as many clothes in your suitcase as you can,” Brooke said.
“Got it.”
Brooke turned around and went into John’s room. He was lying on his bed, shaking his phone in frustration.
“This stupid thing never works!” John said.
“John, stop playing with that and start packing.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to North Carolina to stay with your Aunt Amy for a while.”
“What about school? What about my friends? What about my life?”
“Making sure that life of yours continues is why we're going,” Brooke said, heading upstairs to her bedroom.
Brooke was piling clothes into her own suitcase when her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text from her sister.
“President is on the news.”
Brooke ran downstairs and turned on the television. She changed the channel to the local news just as the president walked on screen.
“My fellow Americans. Our nation has reached a tipping point in our natural resources. As many of you have heard, the story broke that the Colorado Basin, which is responsible for supplying water to over forty million people, has run dry. Now, I know there have been attempts from rioters and looters to break into the resource stations in that area, but I must stress that you should not panic. I am sending in resources to help stabilize the area to ensure we maintain order. To assist with that task, I am officially declaring the following states under martial law: California, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. To the citizens of those states, hear me when I say your country is with you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
Brooke tried to pay attention to what the president was saying, but her eyes caught the rolling ticker at the bottom of the screen. Her heart sank as she mouthed the words “All planes grounded by executive order.”