Day the After Began

At the Gate

For Shelia in the After all but one thing had changed. People still wanted to find and be loved. People still wanted to make more people. Despite all evidence to the contrary, hope still shined bright against the rubble and shards of life left after the insurrection.

She watched a couple trying to swallow each other whole as they meet at the gate. Clear they had been separated for a while and just now found each other again.

The Before

Near half the people in the land had totally lost their minds. Even some of Shelia's kin were involved, close kin not the kissin’ cousin type.

She’d asked in The Before "Why? Why you follow this fool who cares nothing about you?"

Shelia couldn’t figure out just how this all happened. What was so wrong in their lives that they would worship a complete waste of DNA?

That was Shelia’s most hurtful insult. She had a reverence for the miracle of the triple helix. The variety of life it could produce, the mystery of it. DNA was her jam.

So for Shelia to declare you a complete waste of it was somethin’

Not one of her inquires were answered. Her kin just spouted some nonsense about e-mails or the four guys who died in some far off country.

Not one of them could say "This is why… "

They did say "I know he’s awful but…"

But nothin’ thought Shelia. We all got nothing now because of this damn fool.

These crazy folk tore down the capital buildings and burned the cities to the ground over the course of three nights. Harrisburg, Pa was the first to go down, followed by Richmond, Va. An hour later the chaos erupted in Indianapolis, Indiana and Jackson, Mississippi. In another hour, Salt Lake City went up in flames as did Helena, Montana where they used explosives and home made mustard gas.

Shelia watched form her tv on her hilltop in New York and wondered did they not know about time zones? The sane people in the Pacific Time Zone had all their capitols and surrounding suburbs well fortified by the time "It was time" for the insurrectionists to attack. The sane people had figured out how this chaos was rolling out. Militia went door to door rounding up the insurrections. They were easy to spot with their houses draped in cheap flags from China. Large capacity stadiums were quickly converted into detention centers. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, was crammed with 90,888 insurrectionists. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was maxed out at 77,500 traders. The Stadium of San Diego was filling up fast with over 70,000 angry wanna be warriors.

Shelia's capitol, Albany, was able to defend itself and was still standing. The sane people had put up dog kennel fencing six blocks out all around the capitol. They’d stolen most of the fencing from the area Home Depot’s. The owners of this big box store after all had donated over seven million dollars to the waste of DNA.

The hills like Shelia’s were full of the insane insurrectionists but it seemed each stuck to their ridge, rifles in hand, waiting. Shelia had her rifle, it was brand new. She’d had a dream about 8 years ago this was going to happen. She had meant to get the rifle and some training before now but at least she had the weapon if she needed it.

Nothing But Ash and Tears

The Federal buildings in Washington, DC were nothing but ash and tears. Shelia watched it all on the news. It made her heart break as she had grown up playing on the capitol steps and spent her twenties in the bars looking for love. She touched the heart shape locket she wore. It was all gone. So was he. He’d left her in nothing but ashes and tears as well.

She was as happy as she was sad that the child from that night would never know about the reaping and tearing apart of the country by a ridiculous 75 year old toddler. Her never-to-be child would be spared learning that his/her father was 3/4 of a rotten human being. The kind who says the morning after, oh by the way I’m engaged to another woman. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry, I just had to make sure you were not the one I should be with.” Who does that? Still that one quarter had Shelia hooked.

Shelia did’t know why she kept the locket he gave her. Inside was the receipt for her abortion which her best friend’s mom paid for. He didn’t even step up for that-leaving Shelia in a pile of emotional rubble for decades.

As she saw smoke rising on the ridges all round her she knew she’d better pack up the dog, gather things she could sell or barter then head to Albany. At the last minute she remembered to grab the manual can opener. Shelia had a theory that when "it" all feel apart, the one who owned the can opener would be King.

Shelia felt the cold metal in her hand and thought “ I get it. IT would feel good to be King.”

She hid the can opener in the dashboard. Car was loaded; provisions tucked in the doors; gun at the right hand ready; dog belted in the front seat. Checklist complete. Shelia took a long look back at this farm she would never see again. She removed the locket for the first time in 44 years, felt the weight of the skin warmed metal in her hand.

“Nothing but ashes and tears” Shelia whispered.

She then let out a scream that had been waiting for 44 years and 2 months. Shelia tossed the locket into the blazing fire that was her home. Got in the car and headed to Albany with high hopes for a new happily ever After.