World on Fire

Chapter 1 - A normal day

It's been so long since that day. The day the world and everything in it stood still. I myself still have a hard time remembering it. Believing it. My name is Mathew Jenkins, and it was a normal day for me when it all happened.

I was sitting at my desk playing a couple video games with some good mountain dew. The news was on, but I wasn't really paying attention to the TV. I had allot on my mind at the time. What with a recent break up and trouble finding work all I wanted to do at the time was ease my mind and play a couple games. Maybe that would help take the edge off.

I walked over to the fridge to grab another soda when my phone rang. It was the landlord of my apartment. Usually I've no problems with him, but with me finding work at the moment and rent being due he probably wasn't going to be too happy with what I had to say.

I answered the phone trying to stay as calm and collective as I could," Hello?"

"Mathew? Is that you?" He was a polite old man. The quiet understanding type, but when it came to matters such as this...

"Yeah? What's up Al?"

"I know you've had some trouble with work and all." How did he even know that? Probably from the adds I post online in search for a job. "If you need work, then you can come do some yard work with me for a while. I'll let you stay rent free as long as you keep finding work and working with me a bit."

"That would be great! Thanks Al, and I promise you I'll have work soon in no time." He was a good landlord to me. He knows my story so he trys to help me out with stuff like that. "When can I start the yard work?"

"Now you'll have to come by tomorrow. We're gonna be doing some plumbing work for apartment number three."

"Awesome Al. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Talk to you later kid." He always calls me that.

I hung up and walked over to the couch and slumped into the seat and stared at the celling fan for a minute. I guess things are kinda looking up a bit. I still payed no attention to whatever was on the news, so I changed the channel and tried to relax before I fell asleep on the couch. Before I closed my eyes I thought of her again. I shouldn't have, but I did.  I thought about what happened. What I did. What I could have done to prevent it all. I shut my eyes tight, both in misery and sadness, but then eased up a bit and thought to myself. Maybe I can fix it. Fix all of this. Be better, get better, and do better.

I yawned a deep long yawn and remembered something she'd say. I laughed a bit and said to myself,"Really wish my life wasn't shit right now." After that I dreamed. Little did I know of the events of what tomorrow would bring.