No Second Chance

                                                             ~INTRO~

Sweat slicks up my hair and dirt blankets the extreme burns on my face. My lips are chapped and bloody, and my tongue isn’t even damp anymore. The past few months have been a matter of staying alive and nothing will stop me from resisting the heat. I know that I have to stop soon. If I don’t eat something, my starvation will be more dangerous than the reason I’m running in the first place. There are no longer leaves and underbrush under my feet, only ashes and bits of burned leaves. I know I have to find a place that isn’t scorched by the rays of burning sun to sit down and allow myself to rest. I found a branch that has just fallen which means it isn’t burning hot yet. I will have to hurry to finish, but I know that it will be the best I will find in miles, so I sit down and treat myself to a half-eaten can of beans. I close my eyes. I haven’t eaten anything for days, and this food qualifies as gourmet for me. I grab a handful of beans and stuff them in my mouth. The log begins to burn underneath me. Alarmed, I stand up. I know this is crazy, but I knew it would happen. Let’s rewind back a few months ago when everything was “completely” normal.

                                                    ~ CHAPTER 1~

It all started in June. I was living in my apartment. I used to work as a meteorologist in Nebraska, It was raining that day, and the most bizarre thing was that this happened all over the world. Flash floods were reported within seconds, and I had a weird,  nagging feeling that the floods weren’t a coincidence, but a warning. I chose to ignore this feeling. But little did I know that I was right and that if I chose to acknowledge it like I eventually did, it would save my life. Anyways, despite the floods I continued to drive to the station where we would broadcast the weather all over the world. I eventually made it there, and parked in an empty space in the parking lot. Even in high heels, I made a running break to get into the dry studio. Unfortunately, it was true that it is nearly impossible to walk much less run in high heels. By the time I made it in, my hair stuck to my face, my make-up dripped down to my cheeks, and my dress stuck to the sides of my legs. I was a mess. The manager handed me some clean dry towels, and I used them the best I could to wipe my dress dry and wipe the make-up off my face. The manager then led me into the studio to redo my mascara and hair. Finally, my phone switched to seven o-clock and I had to go out there no matter how I looked. 

Fortunately, I looked half decent. I made my best flashy smile while reporting the strange weather. The cameraman signaled that I was done, and I handed the talk over to another weather person. I quickly stepped out of view, and went backstage. The fellow weatherman and women patted me on the back as I passed. I smiled to cover my real uneasy feeling. I then made my way to the table with food on it. There was a good variety today, coffee, fruit, donuts, bagels,  you name it! I had to come to work so early that I hadn’t had time to eat breakfast and I was starving. I snatched a clementine, and a bagel with cream cheese spread. 

Atticus, The cameraman who has been recording me for the past few years, came over to the table. “ Hey Esme, strange weather we're having, aye?” he asked. Startled to see that someone was talking to me, I answered, “Yeah it is! What do you think it means?” I couldn’t help myself but to say it, and it felt so good to ask. He smiled, “Probably nothing, coincidences do happen.” He shrugged and took a bite into an apple. But still dissatisfied, I replied “I know… but.” “But what?” he replied. “Don’t you find it strange that the whole world is raining and flooding?” I asked. He looked up at the ceiling, something he does when he's thinking. “ I think it's a coincidence, but nobody knows what mother nature's doing,” He concluded. He took a final bite of the apple and tossed it in the trash. He smiled and waved while walking back to post where he would record the next meteorologist. 

I forced a grin on my face to smile back and made a tiny wave. But, something deep down still bothered me to a point where I couldn’t think of anything else. I made one more report on the weather on TV before I was finished. Around noon I drove home. The rain was just slowing down but looked like it was not stopping for awhile. Luckily, this time I didn’t have to worry about being broadcast all around the world,I turned on the TV to see how I and my fellow meteorologists were doing. My dog, Apollo, crawled up next to me. He contentedly crawled up on my lap and sighed. I laughed. Leave it to Apollo to make me feel just a little bit better. I turned on the TV and rubbed Apollos fur while watching. All of a sudden the rain came to a stop. It didn’t slowly slow down into a stop. It just stopped. Almost immediately, I got up and looked out the window. Birds and insects all flew or hopped away. If I had learned one thing, I knew that animals could be the best weatherman and women of all. Not helping my nagging feeling, I tried to force myself to believe it was nothing. But I couldn’t contain myself.  I turned on my phone and quickly texted all my friends and family, “Did you see that?! What do you think it means?” But everyone replied with the somewhat same text of either the casual shrug emoji. Or saying, “Probably nothing.” At this point I knew it was not nothing, and I would do anything to figure out what it was.  

                                           ~CHAPTER 2~

At this point, it was only a few days before disaster, and I was just beginning to come to my senses. That dinner was exactly like any other except it was completely different. I hardly had an appetite and only picked at my food. Meanwhile, Apollo was acting a lot stranger. He kept on panting even when he was not scared, excited, or hot. And, barking at the door when nothing was there. 

The sun soon began to lower and was replaced by the moon. At this time, it was around eleven and I was reading a book before dozing off to sleep. Apollo usually went to bed early on the foot of my bed, but tonight was different. Instead, he had sat on my bed right next to the window scratching at it repeatedly and aggressively. “Apollo! Knock it off,” I said sternly to him. But he didn’t stop. I tried to pull him away from the window…. but he bit me. My eyes widened. Apollo would never bite me for nothing! He would only bite if he was trying to tell me something when something was very, very off. His eyes genuinely apologized but also almost pleaded with me to listen. I sat up, stroking his neck the way he liked for a while. 

Finally, around one a.m. my head hit the pillow. But despite how exhausted I was, I still couldn’t sleep. The sound of Apollo scratching on the window the whole night haunted me, and I couldn't think of anything else. 

The next day was hot  a lot hotter than yesterday. Apollo was sitting on my chest, waiting for me to wake up. His desperate eyes seemed impatient as I quickly got up. I looked at the clock on my phone, 6. I quickly rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and hair and apply my make-up. I then quickly rushed to my room to put on a short sleeve dress/jumpsuit, short socks, and additional jewelry. I grabbed my purse with 3 minutes to spare. I eyed the toaster but decided it would take too long to prepare  toast. With the 3 minutes though, I fed Apollo fresh food and water, and even added extra meat from last night for an extra treat before rushing out the door. 

Satisfied with my time, I hummed a song as I drove. The warm air in the car suffocated me, and I rolled down the window. The weather outside was equivalently hot. Because of this, I rolled the window back up and settled on blasting the A.C. in the car. Even with the cold air on full blast, I still could feel the heat take over the coolness of the car. 

Finally, after a half hour drive, I got out of the car and went into the studio. Luckily, it wasn’t raining like yesterday, so I didn’t need extra time to fix anything. Instead, I rushed into the building, dropped my purse back on stage, and with only seconds to spare, rushed to the stage right before Atticus motioned to us that we were alive. I made a silent sigh of relief, and Atticus counted down from 3 to signal when we would start. I smiled, and introduced myself, and quickly moved on to announcing yet another bizarre weather event, which again seemed to be happening all over the world. I focused so hard to not reveal my real feelings while reporting. Finally, Atticus cued that we were done. I quickly got up. Despite skipping breakfast and having a small dinner, I was not hungry. I was only hungry to uncover the truth. I knew what I would do next was bad. But sometimes to be safe, you have to bend the rules. Whereas in this case, this bending of rules actually saved my life! While everyone was talking or distracted, I very carefully tiptoed to the restricted control room where all the machines that helped us predict the weather were located. Luckily, one of the employees had left the door unlocked and I was relieved to see an empty room. Desperate to get out of the room with answers as soon as I had come in, I pulled out the most powerful machine of all, and the one that gave us the most answers. When I went to college I had learned what all the colors and symbols meant, and I liked to think it was all for this very moment. But all of a sudden I saw something, some information that would be vital for my and everyone else's survival.

                      ~Chapter 3~

The flashing lights startled me. The symbols and colors all made sense. On Thursday,  two days away, the whole world would get hot not just record-breaking heat, but heat that no animal or person without protection could live through. I was stunned. I knew I had to get home to protection before it got really, really hot. I ran to the parking lot. The yells that were yelled to me were only muffles of something that wasn’t important. I raced home speeding and swerving. I was lucky the police didn't stop me. Nobody would listen. They’d think I was  a crazy lady. I parked my car in front of my house knowing that soon it wouldn’t be my house nor car anymore. I decided the only safe place would be underground under the cool soil. In wildfires, only things underground survived. I, dazed and scared, grabbed Apollo. I grabbed all the non-perishable food I could, and even things that were. I grabbed my painter’s mask to protect me from smoke, and all the jugs of water that I kept in my basement, all of Apollo’s food, and his bowls and treats. I got the whole container of first aid supplies and took all the blankets and pillows down stairs. I even brought the mattress down. I silently wept as I faced what I knew would be the future. I took all my phone chargers and my phone downstairs where luckily there was an outlet. Then I got my strongest pair of shoes and a knapsack just in case. Apollo looked at me with depressed eyes. He knew all along. I quickly forced myself to stop crying. I stuffed the absolute essentials in the backpack. I quickly called all my friends and family warning them about disaster. Voice trembling I managed to tell them about my discoveries. However all the answers were the same, “Are you all right, Esme? Tomorrow its supposed to rain again,” they replied. I begged them all to listen but they ignored me and suggested I seek professional help. I was stuck, it was one woman and dog against the whole world. I didn’t try to keep from crying anymore.  I knew that  it was hopeless and I’d just have to wait for what happened next.

I awoke the next morning with Apollo pawing at my shirt sniffing in the air. Goosebumps went up my back as I breathed in the air and predicted it was about 110 degrees rising. I turned on my phone to see Astrid, my fellow meteorologist take my shift. I watched in horror as peoples skin went from their normal skin color to red. I felt faint as I watched one of the people in the background go unconscious. I braced myself and hugged Apollo tight as the screams began. Half of me wanted to jump out there and save everyone but I knew the minute I’d open the door it would be too hot for me and anyone who followed me. I knew I would stay in everlasting guilt as shrieks of pain followed the next half hour. I had an idea. I quickly posted for everyone to go in their tornado safe room or underground. But I quickly realized nobody was checking social media at a time like this or posting back. Anyways it was already too late. 

All of a sudden I saw a flame in the corner of the room. If I didn’t get out soon it would spread. Until we were trapped. Quickly I grabbed my knapsack. Put on my thickest coat which my deceased dad had passed down to me and thick jeans. With the clock ticking I put on my thickest heavy duty socks. And Thick boots. I put a hat and hood on my head and slipped the mask on my mouth and nose. The flame was slowly but surely spreading. And I quickly put Apollo with a mask on in my backpack. And opened the door…….

Flames and ashes were everywhere and only few areas were yet to be turned into ashes.. All over the world.Luckily I remembered to bring up the jug of water and best I could use it to clear a path. Smoke was everywhere but my mask was protected by my mouth. And then I ran… I ran like nobody had ran before. For hours and hours until the fire was far enough away. But all of a sudden a sharp pain in my leg made me wince. I stopped and quickly took Apollo out of the bag with him in my arms. I leaned back on a tree using it to support me. I knew I couldn’t stop long but I might as well give Apollo some food. He had a bag of food so he was all set for a while. With my hand I cupped some food and Apollo ate it quickly. He whimpered softly and brushed his head on my leg. I smiled but it was a sad smile. But then it struck me was I the last person on earth? I looked up at the sky and weakly called out. No reply. Only eerie silence filled Nebraska. I continued to limp forward. Using a thin branch as a cane. I walked and walked. 

A few days later, me and Apollo were still walking food and water were scarce. I had no idea where we were and where we were going I refused to sob but power on. Apollo by my side we eventually made it out of the forest. Soon it was a long plain for miles and miles there were nothing but burnt grass. I was scared now. I had hardly any food left much less water and I couldn’t go miles on the grassy plains much less back in the forest which I already knew were only ashes and the occasional branch. SO i decided to camp there for the night using the sleeping bed to protect me from the hot grass. I woke up the next morning hungry and so thirsty. Hallucinations were something I began to see. And my mouth felt like coarse sandpaper sandpaper. My leg was killing me and I knew that if I didn't drink something soon I would surely die. Panicked, I grabbed Apollo in search of water. The world was getting dizzy in my eyes and my legs felt like they weighed tons. Apollo felt like a ton too. I felt like I couldn’t control my body anymore as I fell to my knees. Only echoes of Apollo's barks were the last thing I heard as everything went black….

 But all of a sudden I felt something wet hit my dry tongue. My sight was slowly restoring as I heard someone yell, “wake up! Wake up!” lots of times. I slowly inched open my eyes, “Who are you?” I asked. I’m the last person on earth and so are you,” he said solemnly. I gasped.