It’s hard for some people to imagine the apocalypse, it wasn’t for him. Enter Nicolas, a man in his early 30s, with dark features and even darker thoughts. Humanity disgusted him, and he lived life with as little human interaction as possible. He worked his cubicle, rode the train, and slept in his studio apartment. On the train he read, At home he made elaborate sculptures out of paperclips and glue. He did have family, without which, he probably would’ve committed suicide long ago. He liked to challenged himself to think of new ways in which to kill himself. The latest of which involved jumping in front of the Metra naked holding a black mamba. That thought was quickly pushed aside, as he made his way off the platform into union station and out onto Jackson Avenue. The sun stung his eyes and he was on his way to dinner with his parents and sister at their apartment at Harbor Point, a skyscraper near the lake.
On the walk from union Nicolas’ mind wandered, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Despite his nihilism he was fascinated with time and history. He thought of the great Chicago fire, about How the city was purified in the flames. Something alive must die, to be resurrected.
Before he had realized it he had arrived at the lobby. He glanced at his watch, June 23rd 3:53pm. Slightly early he decided to sit down for a moment, not entirely eager to force conversation with his parents. He sat, and his thoughts struck on the 1968 democratic convention. It doesn’t matter how many people disagree with any particular governmental or political policy, it doesn’t really become important unless those that disagree are willing to die for that cause. And those in Power don’t even flinch at the flickering of just a few souls. Nicolas couldn’t even estimate how many would have to die to actually change the world. Perplexed, he gathered himself and his thoughts. And prepared to enter the building.
Upon stepping out of the revolving door, Nicolas reached for his wallet, took out his Driver’s lisence and his REALID card, and Walked up to the doorman. Nicolas avoided eye contact, and handed his papers. The doorman took his hand off his 9mm to inspect the cards. Nicolas stared at the man’s bullet proof vest and badge, when the doorman said, “Hold still”
The doorman turned around and pulled out a machine. Essentially a laptop, connected to several other components: three lenses that operated at different spectra, a satrelay dish and a cornucopia like apparatus. The doorman then turned it on: Nicolas’s muscles spasmed for a second while the scanner initiated. It penetrated Nicolas on a level so deep, on an electromagnetic stage it probed the inner connectivity of all my vital organs. The doorman half smiled when he read the only threat level Nicolas indicated “suicide watch”handed Nicolas his ID back and he stepped into the elevator and pressed 53.
As Nicolas fascinated as he was with death and repulsed by humanity, he never relished in the death of others. It was a pure curiosity, a bloodied innocence. He was forever questioning how and why wars were started. The assination of Ferdinand, The Lusitania, The Reichstag, The gulf of Tonkin, and the one with the numbers, oh yeah 911. These all seemed to rigged, fixed events. Nicolas wasn’t a paranoid, but he couldn’t help to believe there was a guiding hand in history.
Nicolas arrived at his parents, hugs and all, he smiled and nodded. All those pleasantries that with any other human would make him sick inside. His mother handed him a sweatshirt, “you left this here at Easter.” Nicolas noticed it was heavier than it should be, checked the pockets and inside found a book. “Foucault’s pendulum.” Nicolas sat at the dining room table flipping through and almost reading random passages, while his dad turned on the TV.
Nicolas was jolted to his feet when he heard his mother scream:
OHMYGOD
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Every channel was the same. A stream from NBC news, Along the ticker it read; Asteroid hits earth off the coast of Japan. Tsunamis heading for N.America.
Nobody moved, Nobody said anything. standing in disbelief. Nicolas finally walked over the balcony looking out at the horizon he saw nothing unusual.
The anchorwoman, was visibly nervous, but tried to put on a brave face as she went on to say that japan is decimated along with the first 200 miles of inland china. That scientists have been tracking the asteroid and it wasn’t until yesterday that its trajectory had changed to a collision course. it cuts to an interview with a researcher who says “we don’t know what happen, but some force acted upon the asteroid to deflect it towards earth. We have no idea what that could’ve cause the deflection.”
The anchorwoman is handed a new piece of copy, and trembles as she reads, “It now appears that the impact has triggered several tectonic events throughout the ring of fire in SE Asia.
Nicolas didn’t notice it at first, but now began to feel a deep pit in his stomach.
They had no idea what to do so they all sat and stared at the television. It was the same information over and over for about ten minutes when. Cutting to a different feed. A man was saying that the first waves were hitting the west coast. The waves cresting at border of Denver and Idaho. After that the screen went static. Nicolas looked at his dad, who didn’t even bother pouring the wine into a glass anymore, his mother violently trembling on the couch. He stood up and walked to the balcony again. This time the horizon was glowing red.
Nicolas looked to the north, and saw something rising in the horizon. He stared at it in amazement; with no sense of time couldn’t tell how long it was before he was looking right the crest of the wave. Nicolas ran inside, and hid in the closet. After all the thoughts about death for some reason Nicolas felt the need to survive.
It wasn’t long before he felt the whole building lean and rock back, and the water broke all the windows. All Nicolas could see was darkness, while he heard the entire city crumble. It went by in seconds before a very quiet minute passed. Nicolas went to the balcony again. Only to be looking up and the crest on the next wave. He barely got back to the closet before the apartment was submerged. When Nicolas opened his eyes, his ears rang. He was washed out of the closet and was slumped against the wall, he saw his parents motionless on the floor in the next room.
Nicolas didn’t know what to do, but knew he didn’t want to be in that building anymore. It wasn’t until he hit the stairs that he realized he was still holding on the book. And when he did, the pit in his stomach grew.
When he reached the floor he ran outside, to see over turned cars, hear sirens, bodies. It was all too much information to process. The only idea in his head now was run. And he did, towards grant park. When he reach millennium park he looked up at the skyline and noticed that the sears tower had fallen and taken out the CBOT.
It seemed to get quieter as he made his way toward bucking ham fountain. He then noticed a guy dressed like a SWAT waving at him from the lakeshore. With nowhere else in his mind. Nicolas ran across the deserted Lakeshore Drive to the guy.
“I’ve been waiting for you” he yelled as soon as Nicolas was in range. The man introduced himself as Charlie. And ushered Nicolas into a yellow rubber raft
“what’s going on?” asked Nicolas
“you probably know more than i do” Charlie responded.
Charlie then pushed the raft into the lake grabbed the paddle and began making his way north. Nicolas sat in silence, he had so many questions but, just couldn’t put them into voiceable words. A few minutes passed, when Charlie took out a compass and said, “I guess its still happening”
“what’s still happening?”
“The poles are shifting.” Charlie then showed the compass to Nicolas and he saw that the needle was spinning wildly.
“Is that what cause the asteroid to hit?” he asked
“I have no idea.”
“How did you know the poles were shifting?”
“When it ends, that’s when He should show up.”
“Who’s he?”
Charlie looked back at the compass and saw it stabilize. Now showing south as north. Just then, the noise of rushing water, and a submarine surfaces about 100 yards away from the raft.
“Him?”
“Yeah.”
Charlie paddles to the sub, while Nicolas watches as a tall dark skinned man pops out of the hatch.
“Hello Nicolas. I’m Hagbard Celine. and you have a date with destiny.”
They climbed into the sub. Hagbard tried to explain to Nicolas what was going to happen.
“We are going to see Gaea. The soul of earth; several miles beneath the north pole…There is something special about you Nicolas”
“What is that?”
“Its how you see the world. We’ve been watching you and have found that you are the only one that can do this. “
“Do what?”
“Save the world”
“How?”
“Sacrifice. One soul to save them all.”
“We’re here” Charlie chimed in.
Clambering out of the sub, in some underground rivershore. Nicolas hagbard and Charlie walked into a cave as hagbard lit a torch.
On the walls were ancient carvings that seem to defy modern ideas of ancient culture. Chinese images were juxtaposed with Egyptian and European ancient styles.
As they walked there seemed to be a glow. Soon it overwhelmed the torchlight. They stood in front of a massive ball of light. Blinding if it weren’t so soft.Nicolas could touch the light.
“Ok here we are”, Hagbard said
“This is where you die”
Nicolas took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Jeff Disler is a Chicago writer and musician. He read this as part of our monthly “Liquid Burning of Apocalyptic Bard Letters” series on May 13th.
