Who Knows

Jane woke up screaming to the comfort of her sister. Their world was shattered 20 years earlier after their dad died when two planes flew into the world trade center. The last time Jane saw her dad was the morning he left for work. She fell asleep on the couch that night and work up just in time to see him walk out the door. Then, just when things were getting better, both lost their jobs to a global pandemic that killed thousands. Jane's sister Sara stayed up with Jane after her dream and assured her it was just that, a dream. Things were slowly getting back to normal, and people were going back to work. It was their mother that kept them home. She didn't handle the virus well. She had scar tissue on her lungs that made small tasks nearly impossible. Jane and Sara took turns finding small jobs around their neighborhood to make money but knew it wasn't enough. One day one of them would have to go back to work. Jane didn't see much reason; she knew things would only worsen, but Sara had hope.

After a year, Sara finally found a job that allowed her to feel safe coming home to her mother. She worked in a factory producing weed killers. The fumes permitted her to wear a mask and be isolated from other employees. Sara usually came home tired, but Jane always wanted to talk about her work. Jane usually asked questions about a guy named Mark that worked with Sara. Jane never met Mark but felt like she knew him. He was the first friend her sister made at her new job, and Sara spoke of him often. Jane kept asking if Mark asked her out yet. Sara assured her that wouldn't happen, but Jane insisted he liked her. Jane was right. Mark and Sara started dating, but they never met each other's families because Sara's mom was still sick. Sara refused to risk losing another parent.

Mark and Sarah started dating a few weeks before her birthday. Mark wanted to get her something special. He knew about her dad and decided to buy her a locket with his initials R.T. on them. When Sara opened the locket, the date 9.11.01 was engraved inside. Sara began to cry, gave him a big hug, and told him she loved it. Sara couldn't wait to tell Jane. She rushed home after work to show her sister how sweet her boyfriend was. When Jane saw the locket, her stomach sank. Jane told Sara she should break up with him. Sara was so upset. She had no idea why her sister was so irrational. Sara brushed it off to Jane feeling stressed; she had been isolated for over a year now, and things seemed to be getting worse.

A few weeks later, corporate showed up at Sara's work. They doubled everyone's shifts and changed their production. They added multiple safety protocols, added chemicals, and increased production. It wasn't long after that people stopped showing up for work. She began to worry something happened, but no one would tell her anything. One day Mark didn't show up; she figured he was just sick, so she sent him a text on her break. The next day he still was not at work and still hadn't responded. Sara never told Jane what was going on but began to get nervous. After a few days, Sara decided to go see Mark's parents and check on him. She knew Jane would disapprove, so she went right after work. Mark's parents answered the door. Sara could tell something was wrong. Mark's mother could barely get the word's out, "they took him." She explained to Sara that the people at the factory were not corporate. They were government officials, military. Sara didn't understand why they would take him or why the government would be at their job. Sara didn't have many people to talk to, so she decided to tell Jane.

Jane didn't know how to respond. However, it seemed to affect her badly. Sara wished she had never told her. Although Jane spent most of her time in a state of panic, she never handled things like this well.

A few weeks went by, and Sara showed up to work to find out the factory had been shut down. No one knew what was going on, but everyone was instructed to go home with little to no explanation. It wasn't long after that more and more places were getting shut down, and the news predicted a collapse of the economy. Men from their community were disappearing, and no one knew why until they saw the news. The United States launched the most significant attack in history and deployed more than 2 million troops to central Europe. The United States attacked Russia, China, south Korea, the Middle East, and parts of Canada using chemical warfare, sending the world into a frenzy. According to national news, China's population was devastated, with little to no survivors. It was unexpected and only a matter of time before the world sent a counterattack.

Small attacks happened here and there, and it seemed the United States and Europe were on their own. China and South Korea no longer existed, but Russia was holding firm. Then, one night Sara and Jane heard a loud explosion not far from their house. Sara ran outside to look, but it was too late. The factory she worked at was attacked, and the blast caused a gas cloud to consume the town. Sara was quickly exposed and ran to give her sister the gas mask she used for work. Sara explained through tears it was too late and that the gas moves fast, and that Jane might have time because she didn't go outside. Through tears, Jane asked, "what about mom" As Sara died almost instantly, she made Jane promise she would use the mask for herself.

Five years passed, and Jane was alone. She had nowhere to go and was the only one left in the city. She assumed someone would come for her but never did. Jane tried every day to get the news, but nothing worked. Over the years, Jane produced a schedule. She would travel outside of town in each direction, increasing the miles she went daily looking for hope. It was the small things she missed the most. Hearing her name, feeling someone's touch, she never dreamt this would become a reality. Jane spent most of her time looking for food and other people. She no longer had to wear her mask but kept it nearby just in case. After five-year Jane wasn't sure if the smell of death was gone or if she was just used to it. No one ever came to clean up the destruction or take care of the bodies. No matter how far she traveled, everything was the same. Jane worried she might be the only one left. It was odd, but the day's Jane felt more connected with life were the days she spent reading the tombstones in the graveyard. She would spend hours outside talking to the dead and wondering who they were. Sometimes Jane would go to her dad's grave, but she didn't speak much. One day she broke down and told him about how she failed to save the people she loved. She mentioned seeing him leave the house the day he died. She said she had a dream about 9/11 that night. But that wasn't the dream she wanted to talk about. Her sister heard her in her sleep and left her room to comfort her. Jane didn't know how to tell her this one was the same as the day her dad died. Jane blamed herself and didn't tell anyone because she thought they would blame her too. But she told her dad she knew about the war, the explosion, even Mark. She knew that no one would make it except her. Jane left the graveyard and began walking home. It was dark and desolate. She began to feel uneasy like she wasn't alone. Jane became frantic as she heard footsteps. After five years, she thought she would be excited, but she was terrified. Then she heard keys rattling. In a shaky voice, she said, "who's there." No one responded, but the sound of keys got louder and louder as if someone was struggling to pull them out of their pocket. Jane began to run away from the sound but couldn't escape it. It was dark, and she tripped. On the ground was her sister's locket. She opened it and saw the date 09.11.01. Instantly Jane woke up just in time to watch her dad, keys in hand, walk out the front door.