The Ash Precipice

Joseph Rastan woke up startled and jolted, sitting up frightened and alert despite his lack of sleep. He instinctively checked his bedside for a firearm but there was none, a habit from years spent as a expendable soldier traded around fighting the battles that power structures did not want to be seen fighting. The room was dark and in his startled state he finally noticed he had fallen asleep beside his 6 year old daughter. His daughter could not sleep by herself since the events of 9 days ago. Just as Joseph gathered himself the room shook once again reminding him of the situation that had now blacked out the world. Looking through his daughter's window only a faint orange light could be seen through a haze of never ending smoke that would've been a sunny day only weeks ago. Joseph checked his watch, it was stuck at 11 am and time seemed to matter less with no sun, and no electricity. As he peered through the window a ruckus could be heard outside an uncommon noise since the city he lived in was now a ghost town. Joseph’s neighbor was arguing with his wife as they packed up a cart, the wife was angry about something and the husband was loading up the shopping cart with items holding a flashlight in his mouth acting like his wife wasn't even there. Minutes later the fight subsided as they left down the street kicking trash and maneuvering around dead vehicles that would never start again. Joseph peered out taking in the scenery from his 2nd story window, smirking, taking in the moment remembering back 2 years prior buying this big house being sold on its mountain and city views. These scenic views that today are now limited to a couple hundred feet obscured by thick smoke and raining ash.

Joseph made his way downstairs to the kitchen taking an inventory of what little food was left. The years being the expendable nationless soldier paid well but left him with an almost ocd level of paranoia. Joseph's were supplies better than most as was his home security. His upscale neighbors always hated the bars on his windows taking him to task with letters of reprimand about his bars being against the Washington Fern Estate community board standards and practices. But in the last 2 days it was these bars that saved his daughter and himself from being overwhelmed by panicked neighbors.

Joseph in his due diligence made a walk through of the house making his way to the basement and immediately made his way to the window where events of days prior took place. Joseph ran his hand down the bars in his basement window taking note of the sharp cuts and damage to the bars, the smell of dried blood that ran down his window sill and basement walls belonging to the former, Fern Estate president and would be intruder lying feet from his window with a shotgun hole in his neck and face. The smell of death and shit would overwhelm most but for Joseph it was nothing more than a memory trigger of his earlier life causing a neuropathic arm pain trigger which he would rub instinctively.

Joseph finished the walk through of his house and sat himself in the living room staring at a dead T.V, it was one of the first quiet moments where Joseph had a chance to really process the situation. The events of days prior were pure training and automated responses to emergency events that he ran through his mind countless times years prior while pretending to be a quiet suburbanite cutting grass or hanging Christmas lights. For Joseph this quiet reflection was torture everything till now had a plan but this situation wasn't going away and the panic that affected everyone else days prior started to edge into Joseph’s brain. As he continued to stare at the TV he was taken back 10 days where emergency alerts on phones were ringing off and every Channel had looping warnings of a solar event they coined a kill shot. The news gave us only a minute's warning saying they didn't see it coming which was bullshit. The news earlier that day was saying the military was performing urban drills and to stay out of their way and not to be worried.

Joseph even after years of leaving his post had friends he still talked to and decided to phone his friend Doug Olbaidy who still had an undisclosed title within the US military. Doug said he couldn't say anything but was polite and said he was looking forward to having a few beers at Frank's wedding when autumn returns. Joseph thanked him, giving him the normal pleasantries and hung up. Frank was Joseph’s platoon leader that died from Cancer 2 years ago and autumn returns was a non combatant evacuation that took place in West Africa. Autumn returns was where Doug and Joseph were deployed behind the scenes to remove threats that government bodies couldn't be seen doing. Joseph understood the message right away and packed a couple of bug-out bags in his 1988 Chevy pick up and proceeded to blow through every red light to get his daughter Isabelle from school. Breathing heavy from sprinting into the school Joseph collected himself and entered the office asking for his daughter calmly giving the excuse about a doctor's appointment. He gathered his daughter up and told her they were going camping but at 6 years old Isabelle was an old soul and could read her Dad as easily as any book. Isabelle was quietly grabbing her locket that once belonged to her mom. While Screeching onto the on ramp of the freeway the emergency alerts started going off the message of a kill shot started going out. Joseph knew that meant a massive EMP; his current plan of driving out of town had to be put on hold. Instead Joseph peeled off the freeway and cut into 3 lanes of traffic going the other way. Being caught in the middle of nowhere with no vehicle was not a plan and at least at home he had things somewhat prepared.

While staring at the TV the reflections of lightning flashes outside brought him back reminding him of the events that he didn't foresee. Minutes after the power went out massive earthquakes started up in places that never were in a fault zone. Locations near fault lines experienced liquefaction earthquakes so massive whole cities were buried 10 feet deep in seconds , while it was never confirmed it was overheard from soldiers the ring of fire lit up, Hawaii was rumored to be the worst the big island blew up taking out everything, the pacific fleet was rumored to be completely lost. The ash thrown into the air covered the world and caused so much static that lightning arcing across the sky and air was striking everything including refineries that no longer had people working starting tank fires that had no end in sight.

Isabelle started to wake up and came to the top of the stairs looking for her Dad, she called out to her Dad still in complete fear of what was happening. Joseph called out to come down stairs and tried to cheer her up by offering pancakes for breakfast. Joseph and Isabelle seemed to finally enjoy a happy moment sitting at the kitchen table eating and joking, however Isabelle suddenly broke the mood by going into a coughing fit; the smoke and ash seemed to affect her more than Joseph. Joseph could do nothing but sit there and watch his daughter slowly choke to death. After she was able to compose herself he hugged her and gave her busy work of cleaning her room.

Joseph needed time to think about what to do. Masks were not really a solution he needed to think of something else, Joseph sat at the table almost ready to break down when he noticed Isabelle's heart shaped locket on the table. Joseph pleaded into the open air to his deceased wife asking what to do, he strained to muffle his voice as he didn't want Isabelle to hear his despair. Joseph finally calmed down and looked around the room, the calendar with a mountain backdrop caught his eye. It dawned on him that if he could get to the top of a mountain he may be able to get above the smoke and ash as it was heavier than normal air. The hike would be long; he and Isabelle were about 130 miles from the Cascadia mountains and getting through whatever the situation was out in the world would be dubious at best. Joseph knew that he had no choice at least in the mountains; he may be able to fish and hunt for food, water would be available and the air quality would hopefully be better as well.

Joseph sat Isabelle down and told her of the plan to go to the mountains. Joseph did not sugar coat the plan to Isabelle at least this way she would understand this was not going to be play time at the park. Shortly after they both packed up Joseph packed an old plastic ATV trailer with as much food and ammo as he could. Joseph spent an extra few days making a hard top for the trailer cannibalizing anything he could around the house. Joseph also made leather coverings for himself and Isabelle he knew any kind of scratch would be as deadly as anything out where they were venturing.

Isabelle gave a last farewell to the only home she ever knew, grabbing her locket and holding tears back as she ran her hand over the big double door implanting a memory she would never lose. Joseph proceeded to put Isabelle on his heavily modified trailer and told her to tell her Dad if she were to spot something important. Joseph and Isabelle moved through the streets and stopped at the Fern Estate Gate that was peeled open and knocked over. Joseph stopped at the community precipice staring at the sky in awe as lightning that seemed only meters over their head split the air with pure voltage and the smell of ozone. The lightning showed glimpses of something Joseph had never seen before. Joseph glimpsed at hundreds, maybe thousands of man sized flying shadows hundreds of feet in the air flying or buzzing around one would think of angels but with giant tails. Joseph turned to Isabelle to see if she saw the same thing but she had her head down covering her ears half expecting another voltaic boom to frighten her again. Joseph second guessed his plan: this new variable was new territory here that only had biblical explanations and had the former mercenary was starting to feel like his stomach was in his throat. Joseph continued to stand at the precipice trying to think of a better option but after a couple of minutes of deep thought ignoring Isabelle who now was asking her Dad if he was okay, gathered himself telling Isabelle not to worry and together they continued into the unknown that awaited.