Post apocalyptic short story
When I was in grade 10 back in 1990-1991 in Ontario Canada, there was a short story that we read that as I took place in the aftermath of some catastrophe (nuclear war I think). (I know it is not the Chrysalids, even though we read that during that school year too.)
I think it was a short story, although given the school system it could have been just an excerpt of a few chapters from a larger story. As I recall, it began with a woman driving to some kind of remote get-away cabin in the mountains. On her way (or shortly afterwards) the distant sky lights up, and the radio stops working. She is either pregnant or has a small son at the time. She stays and lives at the cabin until she has to make a trip to the store many many miles away. It is deserted so she strips it bare of all the canned food. Eventually, even that runs out and she must learn to survive and catch her own food. 73
This is the world her son grows up in.
That is about all that I can remember. Any help in identifying this story would be appreciated.
Edit: There have been a few more details that I have been able to recall, since first posting. I am adding them as per the request in the comments.
1. There is a scene in the story where the lady both catches and kills a bird (on a wood pile?) with her hand by quickly reaching out and grasping it. I think she marvelled a little both in shock and awe at accomplishing that and the changes that had occurred in both her and her life.
2. As her son grows up in that world, she remarks that he is stronger and faster than she will ever be. Eventually her son I think either punishes her or lets her know of his disappointment for her. There is a vague recollection of him grabbing her wrist and hurting her and she winds up being afraid of him.
3. I'm not 100% sure, but I think she winds up pregnant at the end of the story (by her son--shudder).
If anything else surfaces, I'll try to add it. 1012