Other than the obvious lack of wildlife, Todd was amazed at the general normalcy. The trees still waved gently in the soft summer breeze. The clouds still moved beneath the baby-blue sky, blithely unaware of the calamity about to befall them.
Todd was envious. What he wouldn’t give to be unaware. Once, just before he left the city, he’d spent the evening in an old tavern dumpster. That night he had achieved unawareness. He had even been able to stop thinking about Maria that night. The next morning he decided to become an alcoholic, but others before him had made the same commitment and pretty much depleted that resource as well.
More than once, he had pulled the handgun from his pocket and pressed it to his head. One of these times, he told himself, he’d get up the nerve and it would finally be over with.
Damn, he cursed, tripping over a sharp stick - another attractive bleeding wound in my leg. He leaned against a tree, slid to the ground, wiped the blood away with his hands and moved to the water. Within a few moments, the wound had been cleaned to his satisfaction and could bleed till the cows came home for all he cared.
He stumbled back to the tree he had leaned against. "Wait a minute," he said out loud. He turned to the right. There it was…the old paved boat launch leading into the water. He stood to get his bearing. This was their spot. This is where he and Maria had spent that beautiful day so long ago. He stumbled around till he finally found the old tree he and Maria had lain under that day. He looked up. That’s where we parked the car!
He sat down beneath the tree and smiled. Memories of Maria poured over him like the summer breeze. "This is where I live," he said softly. "I have no reason to ever leave this place." He quietly slid to the grass-covered forest floor. Within moments, exhaustion overcame him and he drifted off to sleep.
~~~
Even after Eric had pulled the bodies well out of sight, it took over an hour before the family was able to eat the two crayfish.
After the children had eaten their tiny morsels Eric moved away into the woods. He motioned for his wife to follow. “I’m going to leave the camp for a little while. I’ll be coming back with meat. Tell the girls I shot a deer or something, will you?”
Stacey slowly nodded.
Eric turned, hoisted one of the men’s bodies onto his shoulder and disappeared into the woods.
~~~
“They’ve had their meeting, sir.”
“Already? It’s been less than a week.”
“Yes, sir. It doesn’t look like they plan on wasting any time. What are your instructions?”
Prime Minister Yael Ben Judah looked across his wide desk at the chief of the Israeli Mossad. “Keep watching.”
“Should I recommend putting our military on alert, Mr. Prime Minister?”
Ben Judah smiled. “You want my advice on how best to counsel me?”
The Mossad chief grinned back. “I guess I wanted to…observe your reaction first.”
The Prime Minister laughed and slowly moved to the window. “Do we have anything to worry about today?”
“No,” the Mossad chief said quietly. “They wouldn’t have time to attack us today.”
“Then today, we won’t put our forces on alert. No sense responding until it begins. If they make a move, will I know about it?”
“We’re watching them with eagle eyes, Mr. Prime Minister. We know where they are, what they’re doing and why.”
“That’s good. Maybe you should go home and spend time with your family today.”
“That’s a good idea, sir. Should I recommend the same for you?”
“My counsel for you, old friend, is not to tell your Prime Minister to go home. If you suggest it, he may be swayed to do so, and he is much too busy today.”
“Yes, sir,” the Mossad chief said. “I’ll be sure not to suggest anything like that today.”
~~~
Something falling in Todd’s face caused him to jump. He moved away and looked back over his shoulder. “No,” he breathed. Just over his head, a large grey squirrel was clinging to the old shade tree. He slowly sat up, careful not to make any movement that might scare it away. “You…might not want to be quite so friendly little feller,” he said. “Things have changed out here.” He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out an old frog leg he had been saving for a snack. He gingerly moved forward, offering the frog leg to the squirrel.
“I don’t think squirrels eat meat,” Maria said softly.
Todd smiled and closed his eyes. This was his favorite dream. Sometimes after this dream, it would take him a few minutes to realize Maria wasn’t really there. He lived for those moments when he thought Maria was there. Sometimes, He’d lay in the darkness, desperately trying to conjure up that dream.
He opened his eyes again. The squirrel was gone. “Damn,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” Maria said quietly. “I think I scared it away.”
Todd turned in the direction of the voice. This dream seemed so real it took his breath away. There, on the grass, his beautiful Maria was kneeling just a few feet away. She was smiling up at him, tears flowing down her cheeks. She gently reached out to him.
He jumped back. “Wha—”
“Todd, what happened to you, don’t you know me?”
Todd stared at her and slowly moved his hand to her face. He gently touched her cheek and quickly pulled his hand back. “M…Maria?”
Maria moved forward. She reached out and cupped his face in her hands, pulled herself up to him and lovingly kissed his lips.
Tears filled Todd’s eyes as he tried to speak. He rolled his hands over her beautiful face. “Maria…tell me it’s really you….”
“Todd…sweetie,” she said quietly. “It’s me. I’m really here.” She pushed her face to his.
“Oh my dear God,” Todd gasped. He pulled her close, pressing his body into hers then pushed away and gazed into her limpid green eyes. He pulled her back into him and they clung together in the shade of their old tree. Finally she pulled away again and looked up at him.
“How…what?” he stammered.
“I have something to tell you,” she said. “I need for you to listen to me, Todd, because you know me. You know what I’m saying.”
Todd stared at her, blinking back the tears.
“Todd,” she continued, gently rolling the fingers of one hand over his lips. “I love you. I love you. When I thought I lost you....”
Hot tears rolled down Todd’s bewildered face.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone or anything,” she said. “I didn’t know I could.” She looked deep into his eyes. “We’ll be together forever. No one or no...thing will ever separate us again.”
Todd desperately tried not to break down but it was no use. He fell against her and gently rolled her to the soft grass. They lay holding each other, crying, until darkness finally overtook the forest.
~~~
The historic wood-walled chamber, with its lofty sky-lit ceiling and distinctive rows of upholstered green benches echoed with tension. Troubled members of parliament leaned from their places on the benches in tight groups discussing unsettling events. The usual morning bustle had been altered. No one chuckled. No backs were patted. No friendly idle chatter. This morning the members spoke in hushed tones, eyebrows pulled together, one collective eye on a forlorn looking figure sitting alone in his place on the Government minister’s bench. His glasses hung on the tip of his nose. He sat thumbing through a handful of paperwork pulled from an attaché case held in his ridged lap.
The Labour MP for Liverpool - Waveney finally looked up from his notes: the signal they had all been waiting for. A hush fell over the chamber. Men and women quickly pulled from their huddles and returned to sit stately in their seats. The little man rose, stepped to one of two lecterns on a table in front of the Speaker and spoke into a microphone especially placed by the BBC for this occasion.
"Mr. Speaker,” his voice echoed, his eyes sweeping the room, “may I draw the attention of the
House?
The speaker nodded stoically.
The small man reached, sipped a drink from his water glass and returned it to its place on the table. He then proceeded to address the United Kingdom’s House of Commons.
“Most of you are aware I have been designated chairman of the Dante657 response task force…the DTF. I have been asked to brief the governing parties on the imminent asteroid impact and discuss what the United Kingdom can expect as a result.”
Again, he paused for a sip of water. He rolled several papers around in his hands, making certain they were in order and continued. “The point of impact will occur in the American heartland rather than at sea which means we are in no immediate danger of a global tsunami, as was originally feared. Of course, that doesn’t take into account possible earthquake-generated tsunamis and landslides resulting from the impact.”
“London is over two thousand, five hundred kilometers from the projected impact site, so the initial blast wave and ground shock may not affect us…However, at the time of impact, the electromagnetic pulse will result in loss of the electrical power grid. We can expect the grid to be restored within a few hours but it will remain unstable with intermittent blackouts and brownouts lasting for days. Most of our emergency back-up generators will remain functional.”
“Ionizing radiation will jam all communications for an unspecified amount of time.”
The small man stopped, readjusted his reading glasses and continued.
“Within one hour after impact, we can expect the aerosols and debris ejected into the atmosphere to reach us. The debris will blot out the sun. The land will be plunged into perpetual night for an unspecified amount of time. People will panic. Low earth orbit satellites will be destroyed along with the ozone layer. Debris fallout and released aerosols will make breathing…difficult.”
The small man paused again, looking out into the ashen faces of the shocked crowd, then continued.
“Acid and black rainfall will result in massive global fish depletion. Most plants and trees will die, the remainder…weakened. Virtually all the surface water will be contaminated.
Beginning at approximately five days after impact and lasting several months, huge storms will menace the British Isles. We can expect tornadoes, large hailstorms, and violent lightning storms. This year’s world food crop will be completely destroyed. Global food crops will be environmentally stressed for an unspecified amount of time. Temperatures worldwide will drop five to ten degrees. We can expect…”
The small man paused for a moment and continued, “widespread starvation.”
A collective gasp rose from the chamber.
“Grain transportation and processing will be seriously undermined. Starvation will weaken the survivors. Plagues, sickness and disease will ravage the world’s population as a result of contaminated water and food supplies…stress and fear…The world will then undergo perpetual winter conditions for an unspecified amount of time.”
The chamber rumbled with the murmurs of the crowd.
“Are we to understand, sir,” a voice range out, “that your committee is predicting the extinction of the human race?”
The small man leaned forward and spoke directly into the microphone.
“Yes.”
~~~
Maria awoke to the soft sounds of the early morning forest. Her head was lying in Todd’s lap. He was gently stroking her hair. The cool breeze felt good on her face. She looked down and noticed Todd had covered her with his jacket.
“Strange thing,” Todd said, still gently stroking her ebony hair. “I dreamt you last night, but…you’re still here.”
Maria looked up into his face silhouetted against their old shade tree and smiled softly. “It’s not a dream.”
“I’ve been giving it some thought,” he said, ignoring her. “It must be the frogs. I’ve heard eating frogs can cause hallucinations. Of course I didn’t realize the local ones could—”
“Todd,” Maria said. “This isn’t a dream.”
Todd looked down at her longingly. “It has to be. How could you have found me? How did you get here? Too many things just don’t make sense.”
Maria sat up and put her face against his chest. “So much to tell you...so much has happened.”
“How is it that you happen to be here just as I show up?”
Maria pulled back and looked into his eyes. “That was no accident, buddy. I’ve been here looking for you every day for the last four days. I went back to the hospital, to the house—”
“You went to the house…when?”
“I’m not sure,” Maria said, “as soon as we got back from Australia, I think. I was so excited when I found your prison clothes there. That’s when I knew you were still alive.”
Todd shook his head. “Australia? How did you get to Australia?”
“Brother Michael took me.”
“Who?”
“Brother Michael….Well, I mean Dr. Oliver, at first…then he was Brother Michael.”
“Huh?”
“Oh Todd…I was in the hospital and three men…oh I don’t even want to talk about them. Brother Michael saved me…oh it was horrible…I don’t even want to talk about that. Did you say frogs?”
Todd looked down at her, blinking.
“Did you say you’ve been eating frogs?” she repeated.
Todd looked away and shrugged. “Well yeah…sort of….”
She scowled. “And I let you kiss me?”
“I brushed my teeth.”
“I must really love you,” she said. “I’ve never kissed a frog eater before.”
Todd scratched his head. “I was sort of hungry. The mini mart was closed…and see, that’s another thing…Maria would never say that.”
“No, it’s true,” she said wide-eyed. “I’ve never kissed a frog eater before.”
“No, not that, Maria would never say she loved me.”
She pushed her face back against his chest. “Maria just did.”
Todd was silent for a time before speaking. “When do you suppose it will all go away?”
She pulled back and smiled sweetly. “Never. I will always love you, forever and ever.”
Todd pulled her to him and held her. “Do you have any idea how often I’ve dreamed of you saying that to me?”
She smiled contently against his chest. They sat beneath the old shade tree awhile, listening to the sounds of the slow-moving river.
“That’s what’s different,” she said finally. “I don’t hear any birds.”
“Yeah…they either got away or got eaten.”
“Has it been that bad?” Have people really been eating the little birds?”
Todd sighed. “Everybody ran like jackrabbits after the president’s announcement. They took all the food and closed all the stores. People were eating anything that moved. Most of them took off a while ago. I guess they’re trying to get to the coast. You pretty much have to eat anything you can find.”
Maria pulled back and looked him over. “Have you been alright? Have you been starving?”
“Who me? No, I’ve been doing alright.”
Maria furled her brows. “You wouldn’t complain if you were on fire.”
Todd laughed. No I’ve…been okay.
Maria shrugged and began rolling her finger over Todd’s shirt. “I’m hungry,” she said finally. “I haven’t eaten in a long time. I’m really starving. Do you have anything at all to eat?”
Todd raised his eyebrows. “Hmmm,” he said. “What would you like?”
She sat silently contemplating, her lips working as if trying to decide on Poppet or Saks Fifth Avenue. “What do you have?” she said finally.
Todd piously pondered the question. “We have…tadpole, ala king…um…uh…French-fried grasshoppers, and our special today is root of unknown plant.”
Maria pulled her eyebrows together and sat for a time. “I think I’ll have…the chicken cordon bleu.”
“I’m sorry but we’re fresh out o
f chicken. Perhaps you’d like to try our rat?”
“No, I had that last night. Let’s see… maybe I’ll have the duck.”
“Sorry,” Todd said apologetically. “The duck flew away….The cook’s specialty is pond membrane soup with pollywogs. You really should give that a try.”
“Maybe I’ll just go with…whatever it is you can find for me, my big brave hunter man.”
Todd smiled, stood and pointed towards the river. “Me go hunt buffalo, bring back meat and skin, maybe get big head to hang on tree.
“Don’t bring back any heads!”
Todd laughed and began moving away. “Don’t you disappear now,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“If I eat that stuff do you think it will hurt the baby?” Maria hollered as he moved away into the forest.
“It might work out,” Todd said. “Maybe he’ll develop a hankering for frogs and mice.”
“Oh yuck!”
“Think of the money we’ll save.”
“Shuddup!”
“No really, we can grind them up for baby food…oh yeah…we don’t have a grinder…you could squash them with rocks….”
“Shuddup!”
“Get it really soupy….”
“Shuddup, shuddup, shuddup!”
Maria watched Todd disappear, moving away towards the river. She looked up at the knoll just above the tree and waved. That was their signal.
Todd had finally left.
~~~
“We have reports of massive troop buildup here, here and here.”
The Israeli General was slapping a long stick against spots on a large map supported by an easel.
“This is the biggest buildup since ’67, people. As we speak, Hamas is moving to block the Straits of Tiran in the Gulf of Eilat. OPs reporting from the Sinai and the Gaza Strip confirm an Arab presence of some 800,000 troops, over 3,440 tanks and 910 aircraft. Egyptian forces have been deployed in fortifications at Damascus and Amman. The OPs report 7 divisions with a total of about 700,000 troops, approximately 2,000 tanks and hundreds of artillery pieces. Syrian forces at the Golan Heights are preparing to deploy heavy artillery pieces here, here and here. Behind enemy lines here, here, here and here, the Russian Federation Air Force has been landing scores of Antonovs, dropping off tons of specialized cargo.”