(Turq) Wait and See

It was the morning of June 22th, I had been sitting out on the porch with my laptop, enjoying my morning cup of coffee. The sun was just rising in a still starry sky and the sound of the birds chirping promised another pleasant day ahead. School was out, so I knew there was hurry to this day. Even though the sun wasn�t fully up yet, the day promised to be a hot one. Clipping my hair up, I surfed over to AboveTopSecret.com. It had been days since the internet excitement of the Aussie Bloke and his coming asteroids doomsday prophecy fizzled out. I scanned the threads and chuckled to see that there were still a few souls clinging to this obvious hoax and were waiting for the incoming asteroid that was supposed to hit earth between June 18th and 20th. Never mind that it didn�t happen and preceding cosmic dust storm that was predicted had never surfaced.

Lighting a cigarette and walking over to the garden hose, I started to water my plants, turning to the bougainvillea which draped the backyard wall I noticed something from the corner of my eye. The rising sun was bringing a strange red tint to the sky. Forgetting the hose in my hand, I continued to watch as the sun crept higher into the sky, chasing away the remaining stars. Something was up, something strange was happening...or was it. Maybe all this Aussie Bloke and Venus Transit stuff did get to my head. The sun looked more like a sunset than any sunrise I had ever witnessed before. Turning off the hose, I grabbed my mug and headed for a refill, passing my husband eating breakfast in front the tv, I caught the voices of the reporters saying a possible brush fire in the Everglades, helicopters are in route to find the source of the fire. Brush fire, of course, that would explain the red sky. I am such an idiot, imagine I had actually considered that the red sky could have been related to the asteroid hoax. Kissing the husband goodbye, I handed him a dust mask. He had asthma and inhaling the smoke from the burning brush out in the Everglades would make his cough start up. It�s not that bad yet, he said, slipping the mask in his shirt pocket and walking out the door.

Back out on the porch, I buttered a slice of toast and continue to surf the threads of ATS, political crap was all over the site. Bush had done something or the other again with foreign policy to have the board split on opinion. The entire site was becoming a political mudpit. Did I really want to start voicing my opinions on this # again? Not yet. Hmm, a thread about a forest fire causing red skies over Georgia. With all this recent rain, I would have thought the threat for fire would have receded by now... these fires were probably intentionally set or some idiot camper probably let his campfire get out of control. God why are people so stupid. I know I shouldn�t think that. Getting up I started to do my stretches, getting into my favorite relaxing asana, I looked towards the sky only to see little bits of red dust particles flying around. Oh #, I am gonna get this # in my hair now. Grabbing my laptop which was already covered in a light film of this ash stuff, and seeing some of it floating in my coffee. I went inside and plopped down in front the tv.

I could hear that the boys were up now, jumping on the bed or some other nonsense. Flipping channels, I noticed FOX was covering a brush fire that was affecting visibility on parts of I-95 in the Maryland area. Another fire!! What the hell is going on. Turning back to ATS, there was a spike in new threads, all reporting brush fires and red dusty skies in various areas along the East Coast.
Alert! Smog shuts down the B.Q. E in New York. Seriously what the # is going on. Channel after channel seemed to be covering some sort of fire. This can�t be happening. Adding another thread about fires in South Florida to ATS, something was making me nervous. I went to the sliding door and looked again. The entire sky now fully lit by the sun was dusty orange red. A layer of fine dust had covered everything in the backyard. The birds were no longer chirping and the dripping hose had made a pool of blood color water on the concrete. Locking the door, I went to the garage and closed the vents. Someone was going to have to close the vent in the attic or this crap is going to get all over the inside of the house. The front door opened and my husband walked in, mask on, with his eyes full of alarm. �What the # is happening? This # ain�t no brush fire, you should see the roads. I turned around when I got near the I-595, I couldn�t even see the ramp. This # isn�t coming from the out west in the everglades, this smoke or whatever it is coming off the ocean� Telling him to hurry up and close the attic vents, I ran around the house like a chicken with it�s head cut off, the tv was blaring and the boys were now sitting in front of it, watching coverage of what seemed to be a major dust storm blanketing the East coast. Duct tape, Plastic, gas masks, some on ATS were sharing ideas on how to seal the stuff out, someone said they were developing a rash, major pile up on the highway. Panicking I ordered my husband to shower and took a quick shower myself. What could I do now? There was no way I could go out, if I could go out, where would we go? Visibility was getting worse. Outside now looked as if the sun was setting again, but the day had just begun. Calm down, breathe, I told myself as I continued to refresh the recent posts list on ATS and flip channels on the bedroom tv. So this is it, huh? It�s really happening now. So this is the cosmic dust storm that Aussie fellow warned about, but then that means that an asteroid will follow. He was off on his dates, so anytime now something could be hurtling it's way thru space aiming right for us. Grabbing the file marked Emergency Checklist from my desk, I went downstairs to be with the family. What else could we do now, but wait, wait and see what happens.

ah, contemporary and very topical of current events.

I really enjoyed that WW, I could feel the tension building up inside myself as I read on, I didn't want it to end. Looks like this competition is going to be a tough one. Cheers.

thanks for the kind words john
I do hope it's space related enough to fit the criteria of the contest

Really nice story, worldwatcher - I love the breathless energy that runs through it, and the sense of "mundane" reality being rudely interrupted. Great stuff!

why thank you strangelands, your words are very much appreciated

Damn it.

Ok, I think that should be all the entries allowed now to the Turq contest, at least that way I'll definitely get at least the 6th place prize!!

First class work though, a great read!

Benjj

thanks benjj,
your story is pretty good too
there's still a few expected entries from other good writers to come, so this will be another great competition.

In which case I will have to be satisfied with the 7 ATS points I will receive!

Seriously though, that was a cool read, you can really picture the mood....

B

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I need closure! More, more, more!

Great story! Write a second part as your next entry.

[edit on 9-6-2004 by Jonna]

I have to echo Jonna, you could turn this into something bigger. Really well written, I enjoyed it completely.

thanks jonna and intrepid

so you guys want more eh???
hmmmm... you're just gonna have to "wait and see" if i come up with more

great stuff, WW. Keep it coming. Competition's already heating up...

DE

Awesome!

Good read.

Gazz

Nice WorldWatcher. I look forward to the next instalment.