On Solid Ground by Quinn Anderson

Author:Quinn Anderson [Anderson, Quinn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Published: 2017-12-12T05:00:00+00:00

7:44 p.m., Monday, August 13th

They watched the sunset through empty window panes.

Occasionally, a drop of light would catch on a shard of glass still wedged into the metal, and it would glitter like gold. The vivid pink and pastel tangerine clinging to the clouds seemed too soft, too passive for the violence of the day. A blood-red sky would have been more fitting.

Heat still lingered in the air, but every now and then, a breath of cool wind promised them a more tolerable night. After hours of sweating and clingy clothing, Kit couldn’t wait for twilight.

Chance was quiet next to him, head resting against the sofa, eyes unfocused as he cast his gaze out the window like a fishing line. They’d both cleaned up as best they could. A tiny bit of their drinking water had gone to wetting paper towels and washing the dirt from their faces and necks. They’d needed to make sure neither of them had any unnoticed cuts that could get infected.

They’d done their best to get comfortable as well, untucking their shirts and unbuckling their belts. There was no sense in standing on ceremony anymore, though they kept their shoes on for fear of slicing off a toe.

The sound of sirens waxed and waned. It was both comforting and disconcerting. It reminded them that there were still people out there—an entire world outside of these crumbling walls. But it was too far away for them to reach.

They’d wasted fifteen minutes shouting. Going into it, they’d both known no one could hear them from this high up, but they’d tried anyway. They’d shouted themselves hoarse and gotten nothing but echoes in return.

Now, they were sitting. Thinking. Dwelling, in Kit’s case, and judging by the grim expression Chance wore, he was doing the same. It was a shame too. The sunset was one of the most beautiful Kit had ever seen. He’d never watched one with a guy before. If it weren’t for the dark cloud hanging over them, this would be romantic.

But instead of courting Chance, Kit got to wonder if it was his fault Chance was trapped here with him. Instead of contemplating going in for a good-night kiss, Kit was weighing the likelihood that they’d live to see the dawn.

They’d turned on the news earlier, and it was less than encouraging. The hospitals were overrun, rescue teams were spread thin, and politicians were sending their thoughts and prayers. It seemed like the end of the world.

If this is going to be your last night on earth, you should make it a memorable one.

“We should play a game.”

Kit’s words startled the silence from the room. Chance glanced at him and blinked as if he’d forgotten Kit was there. “Huh?”

“A game. Something to pass the time and take our minds off the impending doom.” His eyes wandered over to the bottle of Scotch on the desk. “We could even make it a drinking game.”

Chance sat up. “What would we play?”

“Dunno. I knew tons of games in college.

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