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

After about half an hour Wade called down, “Hey, lazybones, come up here and help me get this stuff downstairs!”


So I went into the bedroom to help. It took all three of us and a basket tied to a rope to get the radio equipment, a hand-cranked Victrola, some clothes, old books, canning equipment and I don’t what all else, down that ladder, and into the living room to be sorted out later.


When they went back up the ladder, I started sorting through things.


From upstairs, Sandy: “I’m going to look through these trunks of old clothes and albums!”


Wade, “Okay and I’m going out onto the roof with the binocs now. I’ll holler if I see anything.”Offhandedly, already engrossed, I called out: “Be careful, you big klutz!”


Chapter 12