The Sky Is Falling

“Get it over with!” Mr. Franklin shrieked at the clear blue sky. His voice cracked beneath the spring sun in the otherwise cloudless expanse. “Just…” he fell to his knees, and cried.

Maggie watched from her second story bedroom window facing west toward the mountains. Her five year old mind could see that Mr. Franklin was sad, yet she wasn’t sure she understood why.

Everyone around her was acting so strange.

There was Mr. Franklin, the next door neighbor who she’d seen ride out on his loud motorcycle every weekend, dressed in leather, aviator sunglasses, and would come home with a lady almost every night, each one different from the last. But lately she’d see him outside, staring up at the sky, sometimes for hours. She’d even witness him with his hands clasped together and appeared to be talking to himself, most of the time on his knees.

To Maggie, Mommy and Daddy, who argued nonstop for days—weeks, months—on end, suddenly were happy with one another. They never yelled, or cried, or threw things against the wall. Instead she watched them kiss each other, all the time. Daddy hugged her and sang to her, and she would rub his feet and shoulders; they’d laugh to each other; they’d love each other.

Even her older brother, Brody, came home after he left suddenly one day. Mommy and Daddy weren't expecting him to come home, and both of them cried. She’d never seen her Daddy cry before.

Mommy made their favorite meals every night, while Daddy stopped going to work to stay home instead to play with them.

She wasn’t allowed to play with any of her friends, or leave the house for that matter. Mommy wanted them to stay home and spend time with one another. She never said why, despite how many times Maggie asked. Her Mommy would become real serious, which spooked Maggie, and she would tell her to not worry about anything. Then she’d stand up and leave.

One day, Brody was sitting on the patio that faced north, with a perfect view of the city. To the left were the mountains that stretched past the horizon and disappeared into haze.

Maggie walked out onto the patio and up behind Brody. She covered his eyes. He smiled.

“Little twerp,” he said as he pulled her hands off his face.

She giggled, then saw the smoking rolled up piece of paper between his fingers, which smelled of skunk. She wrinkled her nose and asked, “What is that?”

“Wanna try some?” He asked, holding it out to her.

Maggie exaggerated a gag and stuck out her tongue. “Ew, no! It smells gross.”

“Good for you.” Brody smiled and squashed the joint in one of Daddy’s ashtrays he’d get at gift shops in different cities. “I guess it doesn’t matter now though, does it?”

“What do you mean?” Maggie asked.

Brody waved her question away. “We don’t have time.”

“Why?”

He rolled his eyes, cleared his throat and sat up. “Do you know what’s going on, Mags? Like, have Mom and Dad told you anything?”

“Mommy said the sky is falling,” she replied.

Brody scoffed at her answer. “Why does she always…?” He said softly, to himself, but then stopped and shook the thought away. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Is it not falling?” Maggie asked.

He looked at his younger sister, who looked at him so innocently, like a goddamn puppy.

“What do you see when you look up?” He asked her.

She looked above. “I see the sky.”

“Is it falling?”

“No.”

“What do you think Mom meant when she told you that?”

Maggie looked down at her feet, which she twisted inward in a pigeon-toed stance, lost in the process of being questioned. Brody noticed.

“Sorry, sis,” he said.

She looked at the mountains, and then the city.

“What are some of those black lines coming up from the buildings?” Maggie asked.

“Smoke,” Brody replied.

“Are people having a fire?”

Brody shrugged. “Something like that.”

“I’m bored,” Maggie said. “I wish I could play with Ashley.”

“Yeah, well…” Brody started, then stopped. He sighed. “Shit.”

He stared at the burning city.

“I love you, Mags,” he said. “And Mom and Dad love you too.”

“Why are Mommy and Daddy acting different?”

“How are they acting different?”

“They don’t yell at each other anymore. They kiss each other. It’s gross, but they didn’t do it before.”

Brody thought, about his answer, about speaking in general. Then he finally said, “They love each other. But sometimes things happen to make them upset.”

“Like what?” Maggie asked.

“Let’s just say this,” he said as he turned to her, picked her up and sat her in his lap. They faced the city. “They love you. They want to be there for you. They wouldn’t be together if it weren’t for you.”

“What about you?” She asked.

Brody smirked a chuckle.

“Dinner’s ready,” Katherine said from the patio door. Brody and Maggie looked behind them at their mother, who stood in an outfit they’d never seen her in before.

It was a shimmering ocean blue dress that draped down to her knees, twisting around her body as if water cascaded from her shoulders. Her white heels complemented the attire, and her neck was adorned with a white pearl necklace. Her hair glistened, straightened without one strand out of place.

The two kids stood to their feet and walked into the house.

At the dinner table, a feast sat before Maggie, Brody, and their parents, Katherine and Lance.

Katherine had saved the best food for last, which was a thanksgiving meal. It was the one day of the year where everyone truly showed how grateful they were for one another. None of them knew why. Maybe it was gathering around such great food, or maybe it was the societal aspect behind it. But there was a bond that was never broken on that day, in all the years that they had been around each other.

Turkey, both smoked and baked; stuffing; mashed potatoes; sweet potato yams; cranberry sauce; green bean casserole; rolls that overflowed from a basket; deviled eggs; seven-layer Jell-O; pecan pie; pumpkin pie; apple pie. It was a feast fit for family.

Lance was dressed in a band t-shirt autographed by the very Eagles themselves. He had had it framed, preserved and never to be touched until the day he died. Brody was shocked.

Maggie didn’t even notice. Instead, she looked at the dinner spread. “Why are we having thanksgiving food? It’s not thanksgiving.”

Lance leaned in. “Your mother is doing something very special for us today.”

“So,” Katherine started, feigning a smile, “before we eat, I’d like for us to go around and say what we’re thankful for.”

“Oh, come on, Mom,” Brody complained.

“Brody,” Lance said, stern.

“It won’t matter,” he replied.

“Just do it for me,” Katherine said, hurt.

“Okay, fine,” Brody said. “I’ll start. I’m thankful for weed, to give me the munchies to devour this delicious meal. Thanks, Mom.”

Katherine gawked at his sarcastic response. Lance snorted a chuckle. She looked at her husband, appalled.

“What?” He asked. “He’s not wrong!”

A smile slowly grew over Katherine’s face, and she looked back at her son. “Thank you, Brody. I hope you enjoy it. Okay, I’ll go next. I’m thankful that we all got to be here together on this day.”

“You always say that,” Brody said.

“Brody,” Lance said stern, again. Harsher.

“Today is different,” Katherine continued. “And I couldn’t have asked for anything else. I love you all.”

Brody rolled his eyes.

“What about you, sweetie?” Lance said to Maggie. “What are you thankful for?”

“Um…” she thought. “I don’t know.”

“Anything, anything you can think of.”

“I’m thankful for…the beach!”

Katherine smiled, as did Brody. Lance chuckled, “Alright, you’re thankful for the beach.”

“I want to go to the beach,” Maggie said. “Can we go this summer?”

Katherine frowned as she looked at Lance.

Brody’s smile faded, and he shook his head, disappointed.

Katherine looked back at Maggie, leaned to her. “Honey, I don’t think we’ll make it to the beach this summer, unfortunately.”

“For God’s sake, just tell her,” Brody interjected.

“Brody—” Lance attempted a third time.

“Why are we trying to sugarcoat things here? As if everything’s okay?”

The other three stared at him in response.

“What does it matter what’s said? What’s done? Why are you telling her lies? Why are you trying to create this false reality?”

“Because she is five years old,” Katherine said sharp.

“So, you’re just gonna lie to her? This isn’t fucking Santa Claus.”

“Brody!” Lance raised his voice.

“We are trying to have a nice dinner—” Katherine started.

“For what?!” Brody raised his voice. “What are we doing this for? You’re lying to her, you’re lying to yourselves!”

Maggie covered her ears.

“What do you mean by that?” Katherine asked as tears welled up in her eyes.

“You and Dad hate each other, and always have. What difference will it make if you two change now?”

“This isn’t fair,” Katherine’s voice shook.

“Brody, why are you doing this?” Lance asked.

“What’s not fair is lying to your children. You and Dad, faking your happy marriage and pretending to make it work after I was born. I saw that, growing up, all the time. It’s why I moved out of here as soon as I could. You two never wanted me. You two never loved each other, either.”

“That’s not…” Katherine said shocked, unable to finish her sentence. Or, maybe she didn’t want to.

“That’s what I thought,” Brody finished.

“What has gotten into you?” Lance asked him.

“This isn’t how I wanted to end things,” said Katherine as she began to sob.

“Oh quit playing the victim card!” Brody shouted.

Maggie, her ears still covered, stood from the table and walked away. Nobody else at the table noticed.

“If anyone here is a victim, it’s me,” Brody continued. “You two might’ve hated each other, but growing up for eighteen years and witnessing that, every day…and thinking that having a kid would save anything? Maggie?”

Katherine’s jaw dropped. Lance looked down in shame.

“That’s right, I said it,” Brody said, stern. “I know I was a mistake when you were young, Mom, and that’s why you and Dad got married. But having another kid to mend a bad marriage built from lies?”

Katherine looked away, guilty.

“I’m not the only one who’s noticed. You brought us into this world. This…this stupid world. And this is how you want it to end? In fluff and lies?”

Katherine cried. Lance kept his head bowed, ashamed.

They sat in silence.

The food grew cold.

Brody sighed and set his hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of that.”

“Then why’d you say it?” Katherine responded.

“I’ve kept it bottled up for so long, I…” Brody thought. “I…don’t know why I said it. I didn’t want it to happen this way. I guess…I guess I had to say it sooner or later.”

Katherine calmed her crying. Lance looked up.

“Do you guys actually love us? Maggie and me?”

Katherine started, “Of course—”

“No, Mom,” he interrupted, “I want you to seriously think about the past two decades. I want you both to think about it. I’m going to get Maggie.”

Brody walked into Maggie’s yellow bedroom. She stood at the window and looked outside.

Mr. Franklin stood in the middle of his backyard and stared straight up at the sky.

“Mags?” Brody asked as he walked up to her.

“Mr. Franklin looks like a robot.”

Brody looked out the window and watched Mr. Franklin with her. He ducked a bit, looked out the window and up at the sky.

“I wonder what he’s looking at?” Brody faked ignorance.

They watched Mr. Franklin some more.

“We’re gonna die, Maggie.”

She didn’t say anything.

“There’s a big rock. In space. And it’s going to hit us. And we’re going to die. Do you know what that means?”

Maggie shook her head.

“That’s okay.” He turned her around as he knelt down to her level. “It’s going to be really scary. A lot will be going on. But just know that you will be okay.”

“What’s going to happen?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “But you’re here. With me. And Mom, and Dad. And we all love you, so fucking much. And we’re all going to be okay.”

“So the sky isn’t falling?” She asked.

“Nope,” he responded. “It was just something Mom said so it wouldn’t scare you.”

“What is ‘die’?” She asked.

“It’s when…It’s when we go to sleep. Forever.”

“I don’t want to go to sleep.”

“Yeah,” Brody agreed. “Me neither.”

“Do we dream?”

Brody was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure.”

He hugged her.

“Let’s go eat before the food gets too cold,” he then said. And he took her hand and led her out of her bedroom.

Eight months ago, NASA had discovered an asteroid the size of the Mediterranean Sea that entered our solar system and roamed freely, ending with a trajectory that would cross paths with Earth.

A statement was released claiming that there was a ninety-eight percent chance of impact, and that the collision would cause extinction-level catastrophe. However, the public wasn’t made known about it until two weeks before the estimated date of the end of the world.

Of course, those who were in higher power managed to escape underground, as far deep as humanity could go, with months of warning in advance. Was it enough, however, was the true question.

A week before impact, the first sighting of the imminent end of it all was visible to the naked eye in the daytime sky. The massive rock slowly grew larger at each passing day, torturing everyone who dared to look up.

After they finished their meals, Maggie, Brody, Katherine, and Lance went onto the back patio that faced the city and the mountains. Katherine had a glass of wine, Lance a glass of whiskey; Brody smoked from his pipe, and Maggie had a soda.

The sun started to set behind the mountains, and the family reminisced good memories, bad memories, and everything in between. Apologies were exchanged, broken bonds were amended, and kisses helped make up a fragile family.

“Look!” Maggie shouted as she pointed upward. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

The family all looked at where she pointed, at the massive fireball that soared across the sky. More fire rained down on the city and the mountains as the rock broke apart along its journey.

As it disappeared beyond the mountains, the family gathered together in one large hug.

The rock was pulled closer into the deadly hug of Earth’s gravity as it continued past the coast of California and over the Pacific Ocean.

The ground vibrated beneath Brody’s feet as the asteroid made impact.

Maggie tugged his shirt. “Are we going to sleep?”

“In just a bit,” he replied, and picked her up onto his shoulders.

Lance put his arm over Katherine’s shoulder. They both looked each other in the eyes, for longer than they ever had.

“Any last thoughts?” Brody questioned them.

“Let’s enjoy being together,” Katherine said. “It may not be much, but we have all the time in the world.”