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14th May 10
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Copyright 2010 by A.P. Fuchs. All rights reserved.
7: How it Started Again
Figures. Had something important to say and something went wrong.
Was about to tell you about what went down that day when all of the sudden my screen went black and the computer shut off. Tried turning it back on again. Wouldn’t work. Wasn’t till later—now—that I realized the battery came slightly loose and I lost power. Probably from the way I was holding it, balancing it on my lap.
Anyway, yeah, that day.
It was a day I’ll never forget.
It started off like any other. Well, mostly. I rolled out of bed around 10 (had a day off; used to be a donut delivery driver before things went to hell), hit the can then poured a bowl of Sugar Sharks Flakes and sat in front of the boob tube till I was done. I hate mid-morning programming. Nothing on but bad game shows and soaps. “Stories,” as some call them. Yech.
When I was done my cereal, I dumped the bowl in the sink, went to the bedroom, got changed—white T-shirt and jeans—and for some reason wanted to double check my choice of attire so went to the window to see if the sun was shining. I hate light. Nowadays I wish I had more of it, but back then too much light always caused me headaches so I kept my blinds shut most of the time. I opened them, looked outside and was pleased to see a T-shirt and jeans was a good choice. The sky was clear. The sun was shining. A perfect day, something I needed because I was still hung up on Selena and, from what I heard, sunshine is good for your mood. You’re supposed to get a half hour or so of it on your skin per day. Something about Vitamin D being a mood-lifter.
Anyway, I stared out my window, glancing down to the walkway leading up to my front door (I’m on the third floor). Phantoms of Selena and I taking our time walking toward the building filled the sidewalk, and if I let myself, I was able to lose myself so entirely in the moment that it was like being there all over again. Her hand in mine, her head leaning on my shoulder, the sweet scent of her strawberry perfume filling me and making my head spin.
That’s when things started to go dark. Just past the rooftops of the houses across the street, shadows rose on the horizon. At first I thought a simple spring rain was headed our way and figured I had maybe an hour or so before the rain would hit my area. But there were no clouds. Just shadow. Couldn’t see what was causing it.
Then just as suddenly, the shadow was gone and it was bright out again.
The thundering echo of two zipcars slamming into each other a skywalk-length from my place made me jump away from the glass. I peered out, pressing my face against the glass, and caught a glimpse of the drivers hopping out of their vehicles in a mad panic–at first, seeming to check if the other was okay–then each quickly, still buzzing in the air via their anti-grav boots, holding out their hands palms up as if holding invisible barbells.
Another accident, this time an airbus speeding from the sky and slamming into a white Honda hovering above a curb. The airbus’s passengers all ran out a minute later.
Then everything changed.
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