Asleep

History class is the most boring class ever invented. Every day, I dragged myself to my seat and attempted to pay attention. I was more tired than usual today, mainly because I stayed up late to watch a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon last night. I just had to watch it.

As the teacher droned on aboutEnglish warships, my eyes drooped, and all I could think about was how tired I was. Soon, I was fast asleep.

It don't remember what I dreamed about. It was when I woke up that I remember clear as day.

Peeling my face off the desk hurt more than usual. I guess that I slept for a long time. It was silent in the classroom. Opening my eyes was harder. It was like they were crusted shut. Once I could see, I couldn't believe what it was that I was seeing. I was surrounded by ruins. It was silent, because there was nobody here. Not even firefighters looking for survivors. The whole school was in shambles. The only thing there left standing was my desk, and the flag pole, holding an incredibly faded flag snapping in the wind. My nose itched from all the newly disturbed dust. I sneezed.

Stepping over the crumbling cinder blocks that used to be a wall, I began to explore this tattered world. Everywhere I went, it was either empty or reduced to rubble. There were no people bustling around or salvaging, or even a measly firefighter with a cop and a loved one to find. My town was empty.

I wandered around, curious on how this came to be. Bombs? Famine? A crazed bulldozer guy? Whatever happened, each store that I walked into was as empty as the clear sky above.

"How long was I asleep?" I wondered aloud. Absentmindedly, I pulled out my cell, and checked the date.

It was the same exact day as when I fell asleep. However, something was wrong. The year.

The phone dropped from my hand. Oh my stars, the year. How was this even possible? I picked up my phone again. Indeed, it was October 31, 2024. My eyes did not deceive me. I had been asleep for 20 years, and oh how the world has changed.