Page 91 of Guess Again

Lake Morikawa, Wisconsin Tuesday, August 5, 2025

THE DULUTH STATION SHOWED A DOPPLER RADAR HIGHLIGHTING A thick band of quickly developing thunderstorms that ran northeast from Nebraska to Ontario, Canada.

The line of storms was a slow-moving network that promised torrential downpours, violent lightning, and severe wind gusts for the next several hours.

The good news, the cheery female meteorologist added, was that behind the storm was delightfully cool weather that would be a welcomed relief from the oppressive heat that had plagued the Midwest all summer.

“Awesome news,”

Maddie said, “for whoever survives this monsoon.”

She changed the channel just as a bolt of lightning flashed through the windows, followed a second later by another crack of thunder that shook the cabin.

A second later the lights went out.

“Come on,”

Maddie said.

“Are you kidding me?”

She grabbed her phone, and the face lit up with the date and time.

It felt like a lifeline to the world beyond the storm.

Swiping the phone open, Maddie noticed that her hand was trembling and her heart was racing.

“Calm down,”

she whispered to herself.

She checked her signal strength and saw that she had a single bar of service.

She rarely ever used her phone at Ethan’s cabin.

Mostly because she and Ethan were always together, unless Ethan was fishing on the lake.

She dialed Ethan’s number, and he picked up on the second ring.

“You okay?”

Ethan asked.

The connection was staticky.

“The power went out.”

“Okay.

You know where the generator is?”

“Yeah,”

Maddie said.

“I remember.

It’s out back.”

“It should be gassed up.

Just give the ripcord a pull and it should power everything back up.

I’m almost to town.

Want me to turn around.”

“No.

Grab what we need.

But hurry back.”

“Ok. Will do.”

Maddie ended the call and stood from the couch.

She placed the Glock in the back of her waistband.

With the flashlight on her phone lighting the way, she headed through the kitchen to the back of the cabin.

On the patio, under the carport, was access to the small crawl space where the gas generator was located.

This was not the first time a storm had knocked out the power, and she was well versed on how to restore it. She had helped Ethan many times.

She twisted the handle on the back door, having to put some extra weight behind it to fight against the wind that pushed its way into the cabin.

The rain roared as it fell against the tin roof of the carport.

Maddie pulled the door closed behind her to stop the sideways rain from soaking the inside of the cabin.

She crouched down and used her phone to find the handle to the crawl space.

She opened the hatch. The generator was located inside, and she pulled it on wheels until it was under the carport.

Another strike of lightning illuminated the night, and Maddie braced for the crack of thunder.

When it came, the ground shook and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Her scream blended with the roar of the rain.

In one fluid motion she turned and pulled the Glock from her waistband.

But her hand, slick with rainwater, could not grasp the handle and the gun clattered to the ground.