Blue Midnight

Imogen wakes a few minutes before her alarm again. She lays in bed with the covers over her head enjoying the warmth and coziness of being wrapped in a thick comforter. Unfortunately, she also has the looming feeling that comes when you know it’s time to get out of bed, but you don’t want to yet. Her Echo Dot device plays “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, and she’s pleased to hear music instead of the insistent blaring sound of her usual alarm.

It's still raining outside. It's been like this since yesterday. The plumes of cumulonimbus clouds hang low causing a thunderous roar. The sun hides behind a gray and white canvas stretched across the earth.  

Another day, another rainfall. Would it ever stop? That is the question on everyone’s mind. Imogen listens to the news report as she brushes her teeth and prepares for the day. “Record-setting rainfall! It is the wettest time in Earth's history. Make sure you grab an umbrella if you have to leave the house. If you don’t have to leave, don’t! It’s a jungle out there.” The meteorologist jokes on the podcast.

A flicker of light temporarily brightens the sky and a shock wave rumbles loudly outside of the building. It is monstrous and frightening. She heads to the kitchen for a cup of tea and a slice of avocado toast before she attempts to call Val, her supervisor. 

In the last day, one foot of water accumulated on the ground. She can't step outside without galoshes and a raincoat. She expects the library will close today but calls Val just in case. The library union is funny about things like that. When she attempts to call out, a black screen greets her and realizes she forgot to charge her phone. “Ugh,” she moans in disbelief.

She swiftly plugs in her phone, and her shoulders relax once she sees the phone charging. While she’s waiting for her phone to charge, she dons a comfortable sweater dress with thick tights underneath it. She hopes she doesn’t need to go to work today. She would rather stay home and wait out the storm. 

Looking out the window she can see the trees swaying from the heavy winds. The rain seems unending. Imogen wonders if her kayak can survive the unpredictable waters or if she would have to resort to living in a house on the water. She thinks ahead of a future where life as she knows it would no longer exist. Where everyone would live in houseboats and overwater bungalows. 

She simplifies something that is not simple at all. But she has to believe that a little water won't break civilization. After the impending chaos, order would return and normalcy would be restored. Maybe better than before. Throughout history, humans have always had a resilient spirit and this would be a distant memory in due time. She looks at her phone, presses the power button, and confirms it’s sufficiently charged to call Val. 

After Val confirms that the library is closed until further notice, she sighs and relaxes. She hopes it won't be long. There hasn’t been a storm like this in over two centuries the news anchors on her podcast said. She was about to text Liam when a knock sounded at her door.

Still holding her phone, she walks to the door and looks through the peephole. Opening the door, she all but flings herself into the arms of her best friend Liam. “I was just about to text you” she beams up at him. They both walk into her condo. “I came to check on you. The water is rising. It doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon,” he says.

Imogen has had a crush on her best friend Liam for three years. They always have so much fun together and he is a good problem-solver. She likes that. She closes the door behind them. “Do you want something to drink?” she says as the rain continues a steady downpour outside. 

“Sure, I’ll take a can of water,” he says sitting at the round kitchen table. “It’s good that your condo is on the second floor because the first floor has about one foot of water damage. “Really?” she says, handing him a can of water from her refrigerator.

They talk for hours about the rising waters and how trolleys, buses, and cars are pointless right now. Libraries and bookstores have been waterlogged. Not to mention the food loss at grocery stores, and gas stations too. Their stomachs grumble and they realize it's time to eat. There's food in the refrigerator and the stove still works, so she makes a quick potato and leek soup. Thirty minutes later they are eating the soup with some crusty bread and butter. It was heavenly. 

The wind whispers against the windows as they both sit on her sofa with full stomachs. The falling rain lulls them both to sleep and she awakens to the sound of crashing thunder. It's dark in her condo. She can see Liam’s form in the moonlight shining through her living room window. 

“Liam–Liam wake up,” she lightly nudges him. “Huh?” he says groggily. As he slowly comes to, he also realizes how dark it is. “Did the lights go out?” 

“I think so, it was like this when I woke up a few minutes ago,” Imogen answers. She walks to where she placed her phone after lunch, and before their nap. It's completely charged. 

She tries to flick on the lights but the room stays dark. "Yeah, I think the lights went out. Let me try the news. Alexa, play my podcast,” she says but receives no response. “I think everything is out.” Liam unlocks his phone and looks at story after story on his news feed. “It looks like a nationwide blackout. A guy in New York just said the same and someone else in Alabama too.” He pauses. 

“I have an idea. Do you have an emergency bag?” She shakes her head yes, goes to the coat closet, and grabs a backpack tucked away in the corner. She unzips the bag, “I’ve got first aid, granola bars, trail mix, MREs, emergency blankets, candles, a swiss army knife, military-grade paracord, and a set of extra clothes,” she states. “I’m impressed,” Liam smiles appreciatively. “I used to be a Girl Scout," she laughs.

“The way it looks outside, pack a swimsuit and a wetsuit, if you have it,” he says. “I don’t have a wetsuit but give me a sec.” She runs to her bedroom, and returns to the living room, putting the swimsuit in her backpack. “What do you have in mind?” 

“My dad’s boat,” he holds up the keys and smiles.

“Where are your parents?” 

“They’re still in Scotland. They’re going to try to make it to my aunt and uncle’s home in London. Apparently the rain hasn’t started its torrential downpour across the pond yet.”

“Okay, my parents are on a cruise and I haven’t been able to reach them today. My mom sent me an email yesterday from the cruise ship but I haven’t heard from her since. I hope they’re okay.”

Liam hugs her, and she appreciates the embrace. She needed a hug. It's a lot to digest. “Let’s head to my parents' house. The boat is docked and ready to go.” She nods and grabs her phone and charging cord before donning her backpack and leaving the condo.

After arriving safely at Liam’s family's waterfront property, they grab some food, and more water and put it in the ship’s galley, along with some extra bedding and survival supplies. Liam untied the 1978 Formosa 51 Cutter Rigged Ketch, and they were off.

As they passed by buildings, she couldn’t help but think about the cute little dog that always barked at her every morning as she headed to work. Responsible pet owners would likely take their fur babies with them but some farm and zoo animals are too large to fit anywhere but an ark or a sizable boat. They won't have such a blessed opportunity.

As they made their way to the ocean, she thought about how all of those expensive name brands were no longer relevant when you’re trying to survive. The mansions and castles of yesteryear are no longer a desired extravagance when you’re more concerned with staying alive. It really puts things into perspective.

As hunger kicked in would people fight over food and hoard supplies like toilet paper and soap? It was dark and only the boat lights were helping to lead the way. They finally made it to the ocean and away from the city. The water rose about 12 inches every day. 

"How long do you think it'll take the water to be as high as the Empire State Building?" she thought aloud.

Liam reasoned, "It could take about four months at the current rate of downpour." She thought about the hard work that Mrs. Johnson, the widow that lives next to her parents, put into her award-winning garden. It was meaningless now.  

Imogen was frantic with endless thoughts about dying and leaving the world she knew was destined for destruction. She cried hysterically and grabbed onto Liam’s windbreaker with both of her small hands. “Why?” Tears streamed down her face. He tried to appease her by stroking her head and singing songs that ought to bring cheer. His attempts were futile.

She tried to put irrational thoughts of the inevitable out of her head since she knew the earth wouldn’t end that way. Her mind still panics at her current surroundings. A dark blue, almost black sea of motion as the marine life comes alive below the murky ocean waters. Looking at the clock, it's midnight. 

Her face scrunches up, and she bawls freely as she thinks about her parents and everyone else whom she didn't get to say goodbye to. She thinks about hospitals around the world filled with sickly patients and nurses watching patients go in and out of consciousness not knowing whether to offer euthanasia or to let nature take its course.    

The psychiatric facilities and prisons are probably filled with screaming people at every moment fighting against their restraints, begging for a last chance at freedom before they give in to the slowly increasing height of the water.

She hopes the waters don't ascend high enough for altitude sickness. People are always talking about leaving the earth and finding a new planet. She had to admit, Mars is looking like a viable option now. 

The last thing she remembers is Liam steering the boat on choppy waters, and feeling seasick.

Then she wakes up.

----------------

She is disoriented and sweating in bed. The room is elegant, and she sees Liam sitting in a chair but he stands when she opens her eyes. Was it all a dream? 

“Her fever just broke,” the nurse says.

“Liam” she barely croaks out his name. He quickly heads to her bedside. She struggles to speak again, but it’s barely a whisper. He grabs the glass of cold water and assists her by bringing the glass to her lips and cradling his hand behind her head as she sips the cold drink. 

She clears her throat. He returns the glass to the nightstand and kisses her gently on the lips. Her eyes go wide with surprise. 

“You’re a loving husband,” the nurse says watching their encounter.

“I want to go to Mars, I don’t want to drown,” she chants. The nurse and Liam both look at one another, “What are you talking about, honey?” Liam says, “We are on Mars. Humans have been living on Mars for thousands of years,” he smiles.

“What about Earth?” she insists

“What is Earth,” the nurse and Liam both say at once 

“You know the third planet from the sun,” Imogen says hysterically

“Sweetheart, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Mars is the only planet in the solar system.” Her husband takes her hand, kneeling by her bedside. He looks at the nurse.

Imogen tries to sit up but fails. “What about the other planets?” 

“There are no other planets. There never has been.” Nurse smiles.