Life Goes On
by Michael C. Keith
Genre: Humour
Swearwords: None.
Description: In the end, we want what we want.
_____________________________________________________________________
Don’t take life too seriously.
You’ll never get out of it alive.
– Elbert Hubbard
Things just started blowing up for no apparent reason and without a logical explanation. Dishes exploded. House windows shattered. Glass cabinets burst. Light bulbs popped. Television and computer screens splintered.
“Everything is going kablooey!” screamed May Carpenter, running from her house to escape the mayhem.
By the time she reached the end of her driveway, matters got worse . . . much worse. Electrical power lines broke loose from their stanchions and danced around in the air like lightning bolts. In a matter of seconds, houses were set on fire.
“This is the end,” muttered May, seeking shelter in some bushes.
But it was not the end. In fact, it was only the start of what would come to be called “The Torrent” by survivors.
As May took cover, large dark clouds descended on the area around her. Just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving a scene of even greater chaos in their wake. Trees were uprooted and vehicles were turned on their side.
“What is happening?” whimpered May. “Such devastation!”
A deafening sound from above caused her to look skyward. Several planes were twirling about like windmills and slamming into each other.
“Lord have mercy!” shrieked May. “What can possibly occur next?”
What did occur next added to her horrors. Hundreds of people were suspended in the air, among them several people she knew.
“Mary! Bill! Katherine! How did you get there? You poor things.”
As she uttered these words, her friends floated out of sight.
Suddenly, the late afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, leaving everything in shadows.
Is there any explanation for this tragedy? May wondered, holding back tears.
For several minutes, she could detect no sounds or movements. Is it over? Has all of this craziness stopped?
May remained in place as the darkness deepened. Finally, she looked at her watch and let out a loud anguished moan.
“Oh, no! Damn, I missed The Lawrence Welk Show!”
Swearwords: None.
Description: In the end, we want what we want.
_____________________________________________________________________
Don’t take life too seriously.
You’ll never get out of it alive.
– Elbert Hubbard
Things just started blowing up for no apparent reason and without a logical explanation. Dishes exploded. House windows shattered. Glass cabinets burst. Light bulbs popped. Television and computer screens splintered.
“Everything is going kablooey!” screamed May Carpenter, running from her house to escape the mayhem.
By the time she reached the end of her driveway, matters got worse . . . much worse. Electrical power lines broke loose from their stanchions and danced around in the air like lightning bolts. In a matter of seconds, houses were set on fire.
“This is the end,” muttered May, seeking shelter in some bushes.
But it was not the end. In fact, it was only the start of what would come to be called “The Torrent” by survivors.
As May took cover, large dark clouds descended on the area around her. Just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving a scene of even greater chaos in their wake. Trees were uprooted and vehicles were turned on their side.
“What is happening?” whimpered May. “Such devastation!”
A deafening sound from above caused her to look skyward. Several planes were twirling about like windmills and slamming into each other.
“Lord have mercy!” shrieked May. “What can possibly occur next?”
What did occur next added to her horrors. Hundreds of people were suspended in the air, among them several people she knew.
“Mary! Bill! Katherine! How did you get there? You poor things.”
As she uttered these words, her friends floated out of sight.
Suddenly, the late afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, leaving everything in shadows.
Is there any explanation for this tragedy? May wondered, holding back tears.
For several minutes, she could detect no sounds or movements. Is it over? Has all of this craziness stopped?
May remained in place as the darkness deepened. Finally, she looked at her watch and let out a loud anguished moan.
“Oh, no! Damn, I missed The Lawrence Welk Show!”
About the Author
Originally from Albany, New York, Michael C. Keith has paternal family roots stretching back to Clan Keith of Caithness and Aberdeenshire. A leading scholar in electronic media in the United States, he is the author of over 20 books on electronic media, as well as a memoir and three books of fiction. Much more about Michael and his publications can be found on his website: http://www.michaelckeith.com