I painted the final X on the last door in town. The finality of the ordeal was real. Death was knocking and there was only myself on one other soul to answer.
I tossed the can of high-vis orange to the curb, knowing well that nobody would care for the littering. Would anyone make it back? Only the scientists knew, and if we’d have listened to them earlier on, the approaching #solar flare could have been—
What?
Could it have been prevented?
Probably not, but I think we could have at least prepared further in advance. As it is now, the towns populous had to leave nearly everything behind. It’s like they’re starting over in life just because the nut job evangelist claimed the event was not coming for another two years. I chuckled at the joke … it was on him now.
As I stepped across the street I saw my counterpart throw her own spray can to the ground. Great minds think alike. I could see her smile as she headed in my direction.
“Took you long enough,” I teased.
“Got to be thorough and all that,” she said falling into stride next to me. “I’m not sure what that was all about anyway. As soon as the storm arrives, nobody will even be here to check on the evacuation.”
I nodded silently, having had the very same thoughts not thirty minutes earlier. The reality of the situation is that because Yvette and myself stayed back to make sure the town was clear, there would be no time for the two of us to make it out. I could nearly hear the pit in her stomach fall as I’m certain she’d worked out the same timeline as I had.
“So, what do we do now?” she asked, slipping her hand into mine.
I gently squeezed her fingers in my own, wishing upon wishes that I’d had the balls to hold her hand much sooner than just this week. “I think we should head over to the church and take a seat at the back of the nave.”
“What? You are a kidder!”
“Seriously. I think that is exactly where we should be.”
“Listen, Adam, you know I’m not the praying type, and if you think—”
I stopped her and smiled. “No, we’re not going to pray. We’re going to sit and watch Preacher Noah as the solar flare buns the three of us to a crisp.”
Yvette sighed. I single tear streamed down her cheek as she fell into my arms.
“I suppose if that’s the only solace we have left, let’s not let him wait.”
–
#VSS365