[No data] by Smith Bryan

Author:Smith, Bryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bitter Ale Press
Published: 2018-04-28T16:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

Another spin through the channels Caleb had checked earlier revealed the same range of preprogrammed banality juxtaposed against news footage of chaos and destruction in the streets of cities across the globe. Places that had always been troubled hot spots had, perhaps predictably, fared the worst. Unstable regimes unleashed their weapons of war for no reason other than that the consequences for doing so had been rendered irrelevant. Millions of people died in minutes as mushroom clouds rose across much of the middle east. Fortunately, the global superpowers were showing no signs of following suit.

However slim the possibility might be, the thought of nuclear warheads launched from Russia or China falling from the skies and striking cities across America made Caleb anxious. The rational side of him knew it was pointless to worry about such things. It was out of his control, for one thing. Also, a far more devastating moment of destruction was awaiting the entire world. It could be argued that sudden obliteration by nuclear blast would be a merciful thing if it happened with no advance warning. One moment you’re just sitting there, consumed with worry over what was happening, and in the next instant, you’re just gone. Poof. Reduced to ash in a second. Reduced to nothing. All your worries gone with you, as meaningless as they always had been.

There was an allure in the concept of oblivion. He thought some about the side of things the news channels weren’t showing. The people who were hiding away in their homes instead of going wild in the streets. Among them would be people who’d struggled with depression all their lives, including people who had long harbored suicidal thoughts. It seemed likely that a larger than usual number of them were choosing to finally exercise that option today rather than face the looming catastrophe. The thought saddened Caleb, but not overly so. Today was like no other day the people of earth had ever faced. Today willfully opting for an early exit constituted an act of bravery. It was empowering, one last chance to say, “I am human, and I choose this not because I’m afraid, but because I no longer fear anything.”

Caleb couldn’t blame anyone for going that route, but he didn’t think it was for him, at least not yet. Despite all the terrible revelations and events of the day, he wanted to go on living for as long as he could. Part of this was basic human survival instinct. Another part of it, arguably the larger part, was his age. He was too young to accept letting this happen without a fight. It wasn’t fair. He should have several decades still ahead of him. He was being robbed of the life he should have had and it made him angry. It made him want to fight.

He was alone in the living room as he scanned through the channels. The girl they had freed from the secret room was upstairs with Ella in her bedroom. Ella was helping her find some clothes that would fit her.

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