For a long time, Eddie thought about digging her toothbrush out of the trash and chasing Val down the street.
She had the car. He'd be running for a while. The last time he ran, his knees buckled and he threw up.
So, instead of chasing her down the street, toothbrush in hand, he poured himself a cup of the only substance that could possibly make him feel any better. The only thing in the wide world that might soften the blow of this horrible, awful, heart-numbing tragedy.
Orange Pekoe tea.
Not coffee. Not a double shot of Jack Daniel's. Yes, those were all well and good if you wanted to shrink your brain cells or get your liver ready for medical experiments at the ripe age of 38, but Orange Pekoe was the only thing that was good both scientifically AND emotionally.
It was, in fact, the perfect beverage. A well-crafted, soon-to-be-enjoyed cup of Her Majesty's tea.
And it was coming with him to the garage.
The Garage: Item #28 on the Reasons They Broke Up list.
The car hadn't seen the inside of the garage since before they bought the house. Boxes that had moved, unopened, at least twice lined the walls. Eddie opened the door and yanked on the string dangling from the ceiling. A warm wash of soft incandescent light glowed across the cluttered space, highlighting the pile of insanity that took up the middle of the room.
It had all started as a twelfth grade science project. He'd worked on it a bit here and there, tinkering, puttering, adjusting for years...until the Breakthrough.
He designed a 'Never Get Caught Lying' app, sold it, and quit his job to devote his life to turning dream into reality.
"Hello, my love." He pulled back the giant blue tarp. "There you are."
He sipped his tea.
"The Final Countdown."
YOU ARE READING
The Final Countdown - Season I
Science FictionFour intrepid explorers...no, not quite...adventurers...no, wrong again... Sorry. The Earth blows up. Only four people knew about it. This is their story. _____________________________________ Huge, big, enormous thanks...
