Sunday, February 19, 2012

1 - It All Ends Today

"Everybody's Hurting" - Jakob Dylan


3:27 am


They say the end is coming. I say it’s already here. My television was still on and I heard the annoying emergency alert system. At first, I thought it was a bomb falling from the sky, but I realized it was just a dream.

The bomb hasn’t fallen yet. Not in this city.

      Three days ago, our major cities had been hit with atomic bombs. New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix. We knew it was possible, but we didn’t expect it. We thought that maybe, just maybe, there was an ounce of humanity left in these villains that felt it necessary to destroy so many lives, but we were wrong. Many communication towers were destroyed. My family in Tucson has no way of getting back to me, if they’re around at all, and I haven’t been able to get a hold of anyone else. I’m stuck here in D.C., where many fear the inevitable.
      Evacuations began after the first bomb exploded. We know to expect anything in this city, but only those who are capable of leaving did. I have a bike. That’s all. How am I supposed to leave? My friends ran to their families and left. My roommate didn’t even say goodbye. She simply grabbed her keys, looked me in the eyes, and with a look of fear on her face, she ran out the door.
      My TV has been on all this time, waiting to see if there’s any change in our current condition, but this is war. And it has created chaos outside my apartment. Looting, killings, attacks; all these have taken over the streets to the point that the police can’t do anything anymore. One would think that we would be prepared for this kind of chaos, but when it comes down to it, we never were. I’m shocked my apartment hasn’t been broken into. I do have a handgun, but I don’t want to use it unless there’s a reason to.
      Anyone would say that I’m insane for sitting here and writing these words instead of trying to get as far away from the city as possible, but with communication with my family being cut, I’ve resigned to knowing that death is right around the corner. Maybe my words will be found in the future and someone will know what I was going through these final moments.
      Another emergency broadcast alert reminding us that we should evacuate. It feels like a slap in the face every time I hear that. My mother told me I shouldn’t have come to D.C. for school, but I had a scholarship, so how could I say no? And I was so close to the country’s political arena, I could get an internship somewhere and eventually make my way to Capitol Hill. The funny part was that I had received a call four days ago for an interview the next day. I was ready to go when news broke about the first bomb. I called to see if the interview was cancelled but the lines were blocked. I decided to simply forget about it. I’ve been in my apartment the entire time since, watching from my fifth floor window how slowly, the chaos began to break out in the streets.
      When the second and third bombs exploded, the people simply went insane, unable to register that our country was being attacked. Not just attacked, but destroyed. Why would the United States be attacked? Why would we be hit like this? We’re the most powerful country in the world! Not anymore we’re not.
      I’ll keep writing as long as I can. I’m thinking of going out to the university and seeing if anyone is still there. I know a few professors who don’t have family in town and who might go back to the offices they call home. I may try to see if there’s any food out there. I may just try to bike my way out of here.
      I just don’t know.

      There’s another alert. The enemy country has declared that another bomb will explode today. Something tells me that it’s our turn. I wish I had been better prepared for this.

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