The smart ones

A terse news flash about a standoff between superpowers sends a small Midwestern household into a sudden, uneasy scramble. Pete and Beth Crolin, a married couple with a modest pantry and a flickering TV, find themselves weighing the comfort of home against the unknown threat hinted at by the brief bulletin. Their conversation with friends—Lucille and Corey, who are already gathering books and supplies for a shelter—exposes the growing anxiety that something catastrophic may be on the horizon.

When a nervous reservist bursts in with a urgent plea to join the community shelter, the Crolins must decide whether to cling to ordinary life or confront the looming crisis head‑on. The story captures the tense, everyday realism of a world on the brink, where ordinary choices become fraught with existential weight, and the simple act of opening a bottle of wine feels both defiant and fragile.