Civility [HIATUS]

1. When Nature Gives its Final Cry and the Horn of Ivory is Sounded

1. When Nature Gives its Final Cry and the Horn of Ivory is Sounded

            Jane knew it wasn’t a coincidence that nothing was wrong with the car. Every shiny tube and wire looked flawless, just like modern Electricars were supposed to. They were guaranteed to function perfectly until their assigned expiration date, yet this vehicle had decided to stop working. 

            Jane pursed her lips and looked up from the engine, meeting the eyes of the stranger she was trying to help. It was a man, maybe four years older than her. He was short, and his thick brows made his commonplace face attractive.

            Why did this have to happen? The universe must’ve been conspiring against her, trying to make Jane change her mind and head back home. But she couldn’t. No, Jane had made a promise, and she wouldn’t return to the small town of Dodge until she fulfilled it. Not even if she’d forgotten her most important tool of all--the engine trouble-code reader.

            “I don’t know what to say,” Jane muttered to the stranger. “Everything looks like it’s supposed to. The only thing I can think of is the computer. Maybe there’s a glitch, or…”

            Jane trailed off, her brows furrowing.

            They were in a slightly wooded area about twenty miles outside of southeast St. Louis. The back road was empty, peaceful, and the leaves were turning gold as autumn approached. The sky was relatively clear, and where there were once flocking birds, the blue expanse was now empty. An eerie silence settled across the area.

            Jane returned her gaze to the stranger, who was staring at something behind her with wide eyes and an open mouth. She couldn’t discern if this expression was one of horror or stunned admiration.

            She turned around and her frown deepened. When she saw what the man stared at, her heart nearly stopped beating.

            What was once the great city of St. Louis had been consumed by a bright, celestial light. It was quick to fade, but only to be replaced by an enormous cloud of smoke shooting up into the air. Right before her eyes, the black towers were blown away, incinerated into dust, and a great burst of white smoke blew out in all directions. Buildings crumbled, trees bent at their waists, and everything that the smoke touched was scorched to black.

            Jane took a step back, her knees trembling as sheer terror took control of her.  But backing away wouldn’t save her, and she knew this. The smoke was approaching at an unfathomable speed, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. As her expiration date neared, time seemed to slow. 

            Jane watched as the mushroom cloud languidly tumbled higher into the air. Then, out of nowhere, gentle hands took hold of her shoulders and pushed her onto the ground.

            She could feel the skin tear from her palms as they scraped against the blacktop, and she heard her tailbone cry out in pain. The wind picked up speed. She pried open her eyes, and there was the stranger standing before her with his arms held out, as if that would be enough to keep the smoke from blackening their skin.

            We’re going to die, she thought. We’re going to die, we’re going to die, we’re going to die…

            But they didn’t die.

            The white wall of smoke crashed into the stranger, but rather than passing through his arms and attacking Jane, it was forced to the side as if an invisible shield was protecting them. There was the sound of a loud explosion, and even though Jane’s body was sheltered, the wind was still powerful. Her body was jerked backwards and her hands scraped even deeper into the now scorching blacktop as this great force pressed against her body.