𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 2

Watching the World burn

1995

Maxine

"The announcement declared by the President of the United States leaves the world in shock. After former scholar and scientist of global and environmental studies, Carl Willbrand, stated upcoming research results, the people are in dism-"

"Es ist noch unklar, was diese Wetteranomalien verursacht, Wissenschaftler sind auf der Suche de-"

"Après que le président des États-Unis d'Amérique ait déclaré la situation comme une catastrophe internationale, l'ancien scientifique suédois Willbrand a annoncé un problème plus grave à veni-"

"I fenomeni meteorologici sono causati dallo spazio? Secondo lo scienziato Willbrand, potrebbe essere vero-"

The recent council announcement was broadcast worldwide on Television and radio. The shocked expression of the President of the United States of America when the scholar announced the research tests soon became famous, the line "Weather anomalies cause finally stated by Willbrand" the number one printed on magazine covers and newspapers. From now on, the world was living in constant fear and uncertainty.

What caused the phenomena? Is what the scholar said true?

Life continued. Everyone still went to work and school. But something was different, slowly trudging into time and light, steady but surely. It was as if the world was holding its breath.

"The following has been decided by the international council, regarding the recurring weather phenomena. It is advised to seek shelter in your homes. If you are the owner of a hurricane bunker or a basement, take residence there until further notice. Now a short contribution of the World Health Organization."

The camera switches to a lab scene, to a woman in a white lab coat.

"The most recurring anomaly, acidic rain, is more harmful to our health than we originally thought. Sulfur is contained in the samples we tested in fifteen labs worldwide. If possible, stay inside, tend to wear long clothing and find cover if caught in a downpour. If you experience symptoms like nausea, headaches, vomiting and coughing blood, get tested by medical assistance. From now on, only consume and use the filtered water explicitly provided by your state's policies."

The broadcasted news changed from being bad to being worse every day.

"Florida hit repeatedly by tsunami-"

"Hunger bricht im Südosten Deutschlands a-"

"Meerdere tornado's, overstromingen en zure regen worden een dagelijks verschijnsel..." "Sedan Mister Willbrand har tagit upp sitt yrke, kommer vi att bli rädda?"

"Norway overrun by snowstorm, water supply is cut off."

"Import von Lebensmitteln zur Zivilen Lebensmittelreserve-"

"Si consigliano razioni. Ogni famiglia di quattro persone può e deve consumare due pasti al giorno."

After some time, the health reports came in.

"Жаңа зерттеулер қышқыл жаңбырдың органикалық заттар мен ағзаларға әсерін дәлелдеді. Жаңа қауіп – ауаның ластануы айқын болды."

"New threat - air pollution."

"Wenn Sie eines der folgenden Symptome haben, suchen Sie umgehend einen Arzt auf: Schwierigkeiten beim Atmen, trockener Husten, Schmerzen in der Lunge und den Atemwegen, blu-"

"Difficulty breathing, dry cough-"

Then, forced recruitment in the military was declared. People were needed to rescue and help refugees in countries especially affected by the weather phenomena.

"Some regions have better conditions. Find refuge there-"

"Wehrpflicht von Männern aller deutschen Familien ist nun erneut Pflicht. Wir bitten Sie, sich umgehend bei Ihrem nächstgelegenen Amt zu melden, um-"

"The United States have declared official forced military recr-"

"Tagad atkal ir nepieciešama piespiedu vervēšana."

I bite my lip. This isn't good, this news is nothing but a bad omen. My family and I made the decision earlier, I can't stay here in Florida. I already packed my belongings, I am moving to the Bronx, a region supposedly sheltering better conditions, temporarily for now. My mother's words still echo in my ears. "Promise me you'll stay safe, Maxine."

I'm trying my best, Mom.