Once Upon a Time... at the End

Jess, a home-schooled teen in Wayward, KS, splits his time between online classes and assisting his dad at their prepper store. Fred Berg knows the value of preparation, having family that was held in prison camps in Nazi Germany. He tries to instill a "heads up" type of mentality in his son, but ends up contending with Jess, more than communicating.

Jess views the store's customers as fearful, some even paranoid, as they all watch television broadcasts of threats from North Korea toward the U.S. The President assures the country that North Korea will be dealt with diplomatically, and even militarily, if necessary.

Then the missiles begin to hit.

Seattle, and the nearby Bangor Naval base, according to reports, are hit first. Communications are destroyed by EMP bursts caused by the nuclear detonations. Shortly after, reports begin coming across TV, radio and social media that the Eastern seaboard has also been hit. Accurate reports are impossible to get because of the destruction of communications. Transportation comes to a standstill as the EMPs render any vehicle with electronics unusable. Convinced that they are next, Governors throughout the Midwest enact martial law, using the National Guard to close and secure each state's boarder.

Jess and his dad have to deal with possible nuclear fallout, a run on their store, and figuring out who they can trust, as they try to determine who is a friend and who wants to kill them and take everything they own. The conversations turn from idealistic, to pragmatic as the most important thing becomes surviving.

I believe the turmoil Jess has to face as he navigates learning and surviving in a world bathed in nuclear fallout will appeal to a wide audience.

A little about me: In addition to completing 13 screenplays (with 3 receiving a contract), I have written four novels (one for which I received a contract), and numerous short works (two with a contract).