When the world stops

It started as any normal day, the alarm ringing and busy morning traffic rushing already.

It was going to be a scorcher, already the air was hot and the fan over my bed didn’t seem to be doing anything.

Summer in the concrete wilds of a big city is YuK!

As I staggered to the bathroom, I heard the radio announcement we are experiencing power outages and the tube system isn’t running properly expect delays of a few hours.

Great now I will be late I have to bus it.

I hurriedly grabbed a sandwich no time to cook toast a=or grab a tea. A cold-brewed iced tea will rehydrate me better.

I rushed out the door lucky for me I put my foot out as I realised, I had left my keys on the kitchen counter. It was going to be one of those days.

Where are my manners, I’m Kimmy and this is my story of the day the earth stopped and the universe turned?

You will hear and read many stories of this day and they will all be true. we all experienced things differently and in our strange time bubbles.

7.42 am

The traffic is whooshing by as I sit on the bus headed for work I settle down to catch up on my course lesson. Bussing to work is always slow.

As Kimmy began reading she became so absorbed in her course notes she paid no attention to anything around her as reached the end of that lesson's notes she looked up.

Where are we? I don’t recognise this place. She grabbed out her watch to put it on and the time was 9.23 am.

No that’s not possible!

Driver where are we?

Miss, I don’t know!

What do you mean you don’t know?

I turned the corner to the next stop and everything changed but it didn’t

What !!!!!

I can't explain it Miss but it was like the world stopped and the bus didn’t and I don’t even know what that means. Listen, look out the window and see for yourself.

As I looked out the window I could see the sky the trees, the dogs and even a few birds but everything seemed still even though the animals weren’t frozen it was the sense of no sound no movement nothing the clouds had stopped drifting and the trees did not move. That was it there was no wind no breeze, wait there was not the incredible heat we had earlier.

Open the door let's go outside and see.

Miss, I don’t think that’s a good idea no not at all.

Driver open the door we need to see what it’s like outside.

As he opened the door we heard a whooshing sucking sound like a large vacuum, he closed it quickly.

As he did the air in the bus seemed too different still able to breathe yet it felt thinner. Kimmy gasped in a breath her Asthma kicking in.

Miss?

Call me Kimmy, I’m okay it’s my darn Asthma.

Best we stay on the bus miss Kimmy.

Yes, I agreed best we do.

What is your name?

Harold Miss Kimmy, I’m Harold and I’ve been driving this here bus for 23 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.

Harold, can we get anything on the radio?

No miss I don’t think there is any electricity or radio signal, not even my damned phone oops sorry for the language miss Kimmy.

That’s okay Harold these are special times.

As I looked out the window, I wondered what was happening in the world in my town even at my work had others gotten there on time.

Harold, do you remember anything about our drive this morning.?

Can you describe it to me, I don’t usually miss events but this morning I was studying for my end of term exam and had work to finish up?

Miss Kimmy! Kimmy couldn’t help but smile as Harold spoke her name, she enjoyed the feeling of being called Miss Kimmy.

I was driving to the stop on east elm street round the corner from your street there’s always folks there but this morning there wasn’t anyone, so I didn’t stop as I turned the corner onto bridge road I knew it was only a few stops before you had to get off, but just then a flash of blinding light shot out of the sky and I couldn’t see when my eyes cleared I was sitting at this place and well you know the rest.

Harold what was the light like. Miss Kimmy, it was so bright I had to look away it was brighter than the sun but it was a gold pink colour.

Boom! Crack!

What? what is that?

I don’t know Harold but I think we need to go and have a look through the back window it sounded like it was behind us, Just as we were about to stand up a wave of sound came rushing through and we dropped back into our seats covering our ears. I could hear a message though it wasn’t clear, as the sound moved over us we got up and almost ran to the back of the bus.

Look, look at that miss Kimmy that’s one strange sight.

There before our eyes were 2 moons and 1 sun then they moved very quickly ad a planet with rings around it appeared, then another a dark orange planet.

OH MY GOODNESS Haarrolld!

It seems the planets are moving or we are moving very fast.

Just then some stars whizzed past and the radio turned on.

The alert sound came out loudly.

Folks if you are hearing this don’t panic! The national aerospace centre is looking into the events of the past few hours or minutes or however long it has been. Where ever you are stay put stay inside it appears our air isn’t as clean as it was.

We will have security guards, army defence and police all out to help anyone get back to their homes. If you have a phone please press #0503 for assistance and we will be able to track your signal.

Harold immediately did that. Now Miss Kimmy we wait for help.

As we sat not knowing how long or what was happening Harold began to sing softly.

Harold what are you singing awe it’s a little tune, my old gran, you to sing in church but I don’t remember all the words it helps me to stay calm.

Harold, you have a beautiful voice and it is helping me to stay calm too, thank you.

After what felt like hours we heard a helicopter it landed in the paddock just over from where we were stopped.

One of the men got out and ran over waving wildly, hey in the bus are you ready to leave how many are with you. Just us 2 said, Harold but Miss.

Miss Kimmy has Asthma and when I open the dang door she will have trouble breathing

Miss Kimmy said the officer ii have a breathing mask you can use. We have to hurry we don’t know how long we will have light for.

As I looked questioningly at him he nodded I will explain on the way back.

I nodded. Harold opened the door and the man jumped in as Harold closed it again I began to cough,

Miss Kimmy here breath into this, I thanked him.

Harold is it?

Yes, sir, Harold saluted lets go ar you okay to walk quickly over to the helicopter.

Yes, Sir but is that thing safe, I've been in planes but not a bird.

Yes, Sir, it’s as safe as a military plane.

Let’s go!

Harold opened the door and as we all stepped out it was like time didn’t exist but that the world had completely stopped but we hadn’t.

It felt strange the air and the light didn’t feel quite right.

As we boarded the helicopter strapped in the pilot took off as we gained altitude, ii thought o my dad he was a pilot, what would he make of all this, and where is he? What is he doing right now is he on missions like this to save people?

The pilot spoke pulling me out of my thoughts. we are going to take you to a safe place a government place that you won’t have seen before and there you will get some answers and be able to find out about the family. we have a satellite working but we don’t know for how long.

In what seemed like, minutes and we landed in a private helipad inside a large fenced area in the desert.

We got and were taken through a series of doors and tunnels till we reached the internal hall, where we were met with hustle and bustle of people everywhere.

Welcome said a grey-haired woman with glasses names, please

Harold Dunkley

Kimmy Vendagast

She raised her eyebrow and then recovered her composure, excellent welcome makes yourself at home and she quickly scurried off.

Harold watched her leave. He grinned you should have said miss Kimmy.

I giggled yes I wonder what she would have made of that.

We headed over to the coffee machine and I poured Harold a cup he took it gratefully. Harold, what do you think is happening? I dunno miss but I’m gonna go talk to some people if that s alright with you. I nodded as I sipped my first coffee for the day it was hitting the spot.

I watched Harold work the room with his natural ease and wondered where my parents were.

Miss come with us!

What I said as they grabbed my arm.

Before I could even get Harold’s attention they had dragged me out through a doorway and into a lift.

Where are we going?

Silence! if you don’t say something I will scream.

Go ahead no one will hear you this is a soundproof elevator.

The rest of the ride was in silence.

I jolted as the lift came to a sudden stop

The door opened and in front of me was the control room with screens and monitors all of the earth and space.

Wh, what is this?

Miss Vendagast or is it Vandon geist .

I eyeballed him, what if it is? is it a crime to change a name?

No! and I am sorry for the secrecy but we know of your family's reputation and well your connection to your grandmother.

She was an extraordinary woman.

Let me explain to you what is happening and then perhaps you will understand more with the gift of your grandmother we hope you can help us out.

What about my friend Harold?

He is being told you are safe and he is getting in touch with his family.

Now Miss, Kimmy as you see the planets are moving swiftly, the earth my dear has stopped moving

What how?

We don’t know but we know your grandmother worked on a theory many years ago about such an event.

And she wasn’t believed.

No, she wasn’t.

What do you want of me I don’t know anything of this stuff I am a junior journalist nothing more

We want you to get your grandmother on the phone she will not take our calls, we know she is aging but she will know about this.

No!

Why not

No, she doesn’t need this stress, just then Kimmy’s phone began to ring.

Gran, Kimmy are you safe? do you know what's happening this is what I predicted 20 years ago and none would listen?

Now it's happening and there is nothing that can be done. It will take 2 years for the reset to happen until then the universe will turn and the world will standstill.

I have a private jet headed to get you. You will return to me. Here you will be safe and my world moves normally.

Kimmy turned and headed for the exit texting Gran about Harold she couldn’t leave him not now.