should lock them in a secure room all by themselves. My dad called Mom into the room and together they listened in shock. Mom unsuccessfully tried to call grandma, and dad tried to call his friend Rob who was in the police but couldn’t reach him.
By ten o’clock that night most of the big cities were in “martial law” and just about everywhere there was a curfew. I watched the television until the bar at the bottom of the screen became a blur, like a blue train whipping past me. Eventually my eyes burned and the lids were too heavy to keep open, I closed them with my head on Mom’s lap who was holding Lucy, already fast asleep. As I lay there, I tried to burn that moment into my memory. My Mom smelled like roses, her left hand played with my hair, sometimes running her fingers through it, sometimes feeling it between her finger and thumb. I felt the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. At that moment I realized just how much I loved her, so much it felt like an empty spot in my stomach. If I had known the future I would have told her that right then and not waited another second.
Day 1, Continued, the Oval Office
The two secret service agents stared down at the body of the President of the United States. The had just shot him nine times after finding him with the remains of his daughter Candace and Jamison, her secret service escort. The President had been eating his daughter but most of the gore had come from Agent Donaldson, apparently the President had eviscerated her with his bare hands.
“What now?” One asked.
“No freaking idea.” The older man answered.
Day 2, My House
When I awoke the next morning, Lucy was sleeping at the other end of the couch from me and even Elaine had come downstairs sometime during the night and was sleeping in dad’s recliner. I looked around. The TV was off and the lights didn’t work. I heard Mom in the kitchen and she was crying. I went in to her.
“Mom? What’s going on? Why are you crying?” She turned to me and pulled me to her, wrapping me tightly in her arms.
“Oh, Johnny,” she whispered. She kept brushing my hair and then it dawned on me. “Mom, where’s dad?” I tried to look around but Mom just held on.
“Where is Dad? DAD? DAD?”
I called out for him, but mom kept going “Shh, shh…” and repeating.
“It’s okay, it’s okay” she murmured to me.
“Johnny, listen. Dad got sick last night, he decided to drive himself to the hospital.”
She started to choke up.
“He left about three.”
“Why didn’t he wake me?” I asked.
“Johnny...”
Mom started but could not finish. I saw her cell phone on the table so I asked if I could call him, but from the expression on her face I knew she had already been trying. That’s when Lucy led Elaine into the kitchen and we all had to go through the most awful thing that had ever happened to me all over again. Elaine was inconsolable; it was Lucy who kept trying to talk positively.
“Maybe Daddy’s phone won’t work in the hospital,” she said and then “maybe we can go see him.”
But I knew, I knew from the TV that if you got sick, you didn’t get better, and I knew we were alone. From her face I knew Mom knew it too. Later Elaine came in, upset, fiercely texting and hitting send over and over.
“Mom, I can’t reach Marcus. I can’t get Tammy or Krista- I can’t get anyone.” and she started to cry.
Mom went to her and held her, frankly I didn’t care too much, Marcus was a dope and Tammy was stuck up, but then again Krista was pretty nice and she always said hi to me even though Elaine thought I was just a kid. After we ate lunch Lucy was looking like she was really thinking about something. Finally she spoke up:
“Mommy? Ronald wants to know something.” Mom tried to smile and she looked kindly at her.
“Okay Honey, what does Ronald want to know?”
Lucy took a deep breath then holding Ronald out in front of her she moved the little
By ten o’clock that night most of the big cities were in “martial law” and just about everywhere there was a curfew. I watched the television until the bar at the bottom of the screen became a blur, like a blue train whipping past me. Eventually my eyes burned and the lids were too heavy to keep open, I closed them with my head on Mom’s lap who was holding Lucy, already fast asleep. As I lay there, I tried to burn that moment into my memory. My Mom smelled like roses, her left hand played with my hair, sometimes running her fingers through it, sometimes feeling it between her finger and thumb. I felt the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. At that moment I realized just how much I loved her, so much it felt like an empty spot in my stomach. If I had known the future I would have told her that right then and not waited another second.
Day 1, Continued, the Oval Office
The two secret service agents stared down at the body of the President of the United States. The had just shot him nine times after finding him with the remains of his daughter Candace and Jamison, her secret service escort. The President had been eating his daughter but most of the gore had come from Agent Donaldson, apparently the President had eviscerated her with his bare hands.
“What now?” One asked.
“No freaking idea.” The older man answered.
Day 2, My House
When I awoke the next morning, Lucy was sleeping at the other end of the couch from me and even Elaine had come downstairs sometime during the night and was sleeping in dad’s recliner. I looked around. The TV was off and the lights didn’t work. I heard Mom in the kitchen and she was crying. I went in to her.
“Mom? What’s going on? Why are you crying?” She turned to me and pulled me to her, wrapping me tightly in her arms.
“Oh, Johnny,” she whispered. She kept brushing my hair and then it dawned on me. “Mom, where’s dad?” I tried to look around but Mom just held on.
“Where is Dad? DAD? DAD?”
I called out for him, but mom kept going “Shh, shh…” and repeating.
“It’s okay, it’s okay” she murmured to me.
“Johnny, listen. Dad got sick last night, he decided to drive himself to the hospital.”
She started to choke up.
“He left about three.”
“Why didn’t he wake me?” I asked.
“Johnny...”
Mom started but could not finish. I saw her cell phone on the table so I asked if I could call him, but from the expression on her face I knew she had already been trying. That’s when Lucy led Elaine into the kitchen and we all had to go through the most awful thing that had ever happened to me all over again. Elaine was inconsolable; it was Lucy who kept trying to talk positively.
“Maybe Daddy’s phone won’t work in the hospital,” she said and then “maybe we can go see him.”
But I knew, I knew from the TV that if you got sick, you didn’t get better, and I knew we were alone. From her face I knew Mom knew it too. Later Elaine came in, upset, fiercely texting and hitting send over and over.
“Mom, I can’t reach Marcus. I can’t get Tammy or Krista- I can’t get anyone.” and she started to cry.
Mom went to her and held her, frankly I didn’t care too much, Marcus was a dope and Tammy was stuck up, but then again Krista was pretty nice and she always said hi to me even though Elaine thought I was just a kid. After we ate lunch Lucy was looking like she was really thinking about something. Finally she spoke up:
“Mommy? Ronald wants to know something.” Mom tried to smile and she looked kindly at her.
“Okay Honey, what does Ronald want to know?”
Lucy took a deep breath then holding Ronald out in front of her she moved the little
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