Only So Many Ways to End the World

Chapter Two

  The town had calmed down slightly as we got into the center, the mayor speaking to a group of people on the side of the road. We drove in silence, looking for Abby and Berry, noticing the people waiting out the fire, alone, without their families. I scooted closer to Ronny, her face solemn as she took in our surroundings. Berry and Abby were standing alone near the mayor. Abby's dad was most likely helping take care of people at the community hospital, and Berry had never known his parents, so they both didn't have anyone to take care of, besides for us. The high school had been closed today for a teacher work day, so it had left us with nothing to do but stay at home. I wondered what would have happened if we were all there? Mass havoc, panic, more stress and teenage angst than normal? The world was ending and all I could think about is how much homework I had left. That really shows how f-ed up the school system is. Ronny drove down a back road to her small subdivision. The air was surprisingly clear near it and I could breathe deeply when we hopped out of the car to her two-story contemporary, one of the most expensive houses in town. Her parents were good on that boat, but there were always downsides to a supposedly perfect life. I walked to the door, following Ronny inside and shutting the door quietly behind me.

"Raeanne? Is that you?" Her mother's voice screeched from down the hallway as we quickly made our way up the stairs to Ronny's lofty floor of space all to herself. I sat down on a purple bean bag, letting my body sink into the foam beans. Ronny sat at her desk, opening her laptop and pulling up her browser. The sound of her typing and me sinking filled the room as we sat quietly, my breath warm as I got as much clean air into my lungs as possible. I heard Ronny's mother downstairs, the sound of the television on to a news station reporting what was going on.

"At just about nine thirty this morning a small fire sprung in the depths of the forest that divides us and Justinestown... we have footage now of a number of trees on fire... it is now one thirty and we have had no reports from the United States government as to what or who they are sending to put out the flames... our fire station is now on the job of clearing up the flames and keeping them out of the town... no fatalities have been reported yet, but we have here some of the families who have had a first-hand encounter with the flames..."

Ronny looked up from the screen, my heart beating loudly in my ears as I saw how real this situation has become. The fire could kill us, and it was spreading like wildfire- wait. I waited for Ronny to take action, to help me, save me. But she couldn't. No one could now. The thought brought a certain calm over me, something that could only be sustained by the acceptance of the end. I stood up, carrying myself down the stairs and out the door. Ronny followed reluctantly, her mother not even commenting as we went into the heart of the apocalypse, the eye of the storm.

The drive was short, the car silent, not even the radio giving us a cushion. The fire could be seen from across the neighborhoods and stores that made up Medoeville, a raging beast that could not be calmed. I breathed deeply, the strong smell of smoke reminding me of going camping and roasting marshmallows, giving me a temporary joy before I snapped back to reality. The ride crawled on, my head leaning onto the window as we watched outside. Finally, we arrived at the edge of the town, the trees flaming close to us.

"I might be rethinking this..." Ronny looked at the road leading out of town and I could hear my heart beating in my chest. The windshield couldn't protect us from the heat of the flames, and I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead.