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

Another deep breath and I focused. I turned myself inside out and became Almostnurseman! Which just meant I remembered what to do in an emergency, and continued checking Wade out. In the end I decided concussion (hopefully that was all), bruises all over (when I stripped him later to look), and a broken leg. And some bites from the buzzard and scratches from its claws. I prayed he’d stocked antibiotic cream in his medicine cabinet before all this crap happened.


Chapter 13