It begins with a fading odor and darkness. Lights out, dark as night. Outside the college building, there are flames, lumps of metal and flesh, and no one moving. When Asher finds his car, he's surprised it works and he drives aimlessly, trying in vain for a radio station, any sign of life. Recovering his wits, he parks at a truck stop and loads up with things that might be useful. In the dark, someone runs into him and urges him to flee. The thought of maybe having to repopulate the world doesn't appeal to either of them -- Asher is gay, and Sandy isn't sure what she/he/they are. Sandy knows a place they might hole up while the world dies around them. It's a cabin that belongs to a friend who might be there. Sandy's friend Wade turns up the next day when there's light, again. Are Wade and Sandy an item or just friends? Asher feels like odd man out, but survival is their first priority. Can relationships be sorted out, later?

Night Scenery

“It’s a damn close call I am here. I drove up to the city for a routine dental checkup. This is always the first damn thing my mom asks me when she calls, and, well, I always resented it. Anyway, now…” Wade stopped, casting his eyes into the fireplace as if there were answers there, or praise. “Remind me to lay a fire later, it gets chilly at night. Anyway, I was in the waiting room and suddenly I was on the floor, screaming, at least I think it was me. I crawled under the receptionist’s desk—I have no idea where she was. Everything went black, then green, then there were sounds like explosions, and next thing I knew, I was outside. I mean, the building was gone, even the damn desk, which seems stupid now,” here he looked around at his furniture, checking to see if everything was there, I suppose. Hell, I looked around, too.


“My first thought was how angry my mom would be…then I looked for my car; what about the horses? I have three right now…or had. I don’t know.”


Chapter 10