Love At Last Sight

The Grossman family is sitting down to eat dinner as Nazi soldiers burst into the house furiously. Audrey Grossman quickly takes her heart shaped locket off and places it up her skirt uncomfortably. (Germany Circa 1942)

Audrey is laying in her bunk; skin and bones as she places a note in her locket.(Germany circa 1943)

“It all happened so quickly with such bias and such hate. You instinctually think your home - where you raise your family is a safe place yet they ripped us from everything we had and just began exterminating us one by one as if we were rats. What began with such bias and hate soon turned to pure evil - the devil himself being our neighbor.” - Audrey Grossman

Nazis push the women into the showers as Audrey falls to the ground sliding into the corner. The doors close as women scream and panic; Audrey just laying there slowly taking her Heart Shaped Locket from her thighs and placing it around her neck.

“I had given her the Heart Shaped Locket on a windy Fall day. I still remember the blue in her eyes and the hint of blonde in her hair. Now it was the only thing I had to remind me of her and some feeling of normalcy.” - Harry(AE 7)

Harry is laying on his stomach in a post-apocalyptic NYC building with the locket in hand as he looks into the scope of his sniper attempting to kill “IT”.

“Since the begginning of time humans have been trying to control each other, use each other and enslave each other for there own personal gains. Why did we think this time was any different? Why do we cling to a side regardless of logic or reasoning? Why?!”- Harry (AE 3)

A Nazi soldier notices a glow coming off Audreys dead naked body and sees the Heart Shaped Locket. He quickly bends down, rips it over her neck, and places it in his pocket.(Nazi Germany circa 1943)

“Looking back they were testing us like lab rats year by year, decade by decade, century by century collecting data until it was time for our extermination?! Who and why; I don’t know but god willing I will find out!” - Harry(AE 3)

I was only 7 years old when Uncle Tommy pulled up to the Astoria funeral home in his Chevy pick-up. He was a true American and my only known relative who stormed the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately he was also a recluse living in Buffalo, NY who by the age of 12 would teach me all he knew which was growing your own food, producing your own fresh water, hunting, drinking beer, and smoking a pack a day. I would come to find out that he had lost his wife, sister, and best friend within the same year which is probably why he picked me up curbside that day. I will say he provided a roof over my head, never busted my balls, and was someone I could speak openly with; or at least speak at when frustrated as a kid which is why I called him “The Wall”. Probably the most patient guy I ever met before it all came crashing down.(New York circa 1996)

They infiltrated everything but who and why?(AE 1)

When I first saw her I didn’t know what happened. There was this Cherry Blossom behind her as she sang in the park that day and it literally changed from grey to pink before my eyes. Looking back now I probably wasn’t the happiest kid and a booze bag already at 12 who for the most part just hunted and watched movies but damn I fell hard!

That same year Two Towers would Fall.(Buffalo, New York 2001)

“I’ve spent three years now walking the city looking for some sign of life but nothing?” - Harry(AE5)

When I saw her I literally didn’t know what to do. I had been trained to self sustain with “The Wall” who really just taught me to be his hunting dog but I came to find out there has to be a balance in life to be happy and one of those things is having a counterpart which he lost and I would have never found if it weren’t for that day. You have to understand he never sent me to school because we weren’t even in a school district. Once every two weeks we traveled into town but I just sat in the car looking out the window the whole time still wondering what the FUCK happened to my parents?!

Jay would always say that they’ll first begin trying to split us up into group’s then sub-groups because that’s how you create Competition among each other. The problem being we are animal by nature so when antagonized enough say by a leader or group or just a subject or event it will cause the groups to fight among each other allowing the people in control to CONTROL.(Jay circa 2023)

“Why do you think MLK, JFK, TUPAC, & BIGGIE we’re killed?” - Anonymous

I didn’t know what to say - she was so beautiful. She reminded me of Jewel which coincidently was one of three CD’s my Uncle had in his car and also the first thing I masturbated to weirdly enough. Anyway the only thing I could think to do was clap and celebrate as loud as I possibly could like in the movies. The problem being that she wasn’t done yet but instead the song just had a PAUSE...(Jay circa 2001)

“Everything just went back on today in the city?! As if it was rebooting! Every light in every building and I can hear the Subways running but no beings, person, people, etc...?!”(AE 6)

She didn’t even break stride just smiled at ME and in one motion belted out something that only Beyoncé at The UN could replicate! I swear this girl had a voice that would make Nashville sweat!(Buffalo, New York circa 2001)

“We competed at everything and I think she loved it more then I did cause she had found an adversary not even a LOVER. Early on all she wanted to do was compete with ME but what she didn’t know is that I just knew the things “The Wall” taught ME but knew nothing about real people. I was a DOG with my tongue out looking around for someone to play with! I wouldn’t be here writing this if it weren’t for JAY and they FUCKING took her from ME but WHY?(AE 1)

Once she finished I just stood my ground without movement though with this feeling I had never had before. I would come to realize it was “Embarrassment”. In reality it was courage and the most important moment in my life as she walked straight towards ME. She was confident and she walked with purpose in her jean skirt and Jonie Mitchell shirt! “I never had a chance.” We did everything together from the moment we met. She was the oldest of 3 brothers whose Mother left when she was 9. Her Dad was working all the time so it was up to her to take care of her brothers after school. By the time I met her she was already like a mother who had dreams of stardom. I was infatuated and had the up most respect watching her work as I learned to help where and when I could.(AE 3)

I finally got Uncle Tommy to a doctor when I was 17 with Jays help but by that time it was only a matter of time. They gave him a oxygen take to give him some comfort but he only used it in between smokes or drinks. In the Fall of 2006 he stopped breathing while watching a Bills game.(Buffalo circa 2006)

“It’s been ten days now and the city is still running as if there are people in it?” - Harry(AE 6)

I came to realize as the lawyer read Uncle Tommy’s WILL that he had left me everything plus what my parents left him which was a sizeable amount plus this heart-shaped locket that was to be cherished and given to a person who I was closest to when the time was right. He said in a letter that it came back with him in the war and it was a reminder of how bad things can get in this world when we treat each other with Hate not Love. It was the most I ever heard him really speak on something besides what he taught me. Uncle Tommy had been grooming ME to take over not training ME like a hunting Dog. He knew is time could be UP at any moment so he didn’t waste any time teaching ME everything I’d need to know to survive. He was a True Patriot and the best Uncle a kid could ask for.(Buffalo Circa 2006)

“I have this strange feeling something or someone’s been watching and following ME?!” - Harry (AE 7)

Jay and I couldn’t have been happier when she graduated high school. All though we were young we knew what we wanted and we were financially independent. Jay ran a daycare out of her house with her brothers help when they were around and I got a job at a hunting store in town to fill my days - even offered to work one day free per week just to get the job. Once are day was done it was either hiking, swimming, gun range, or BBQ’s at our place. Even managed to make some friends with Jays help. The only thing left now was to get on one knee and ask her to marry me.(Buffalo circa 2007)

All vehicles began working today throughout the city as if they were being driven. Still nobody in SIGHT. I don’t know how that’s possible or who could possibly be doing this?! Cabs, Police vehicles, Buses, etc...as if it was just a normal day in the city?!(AE 6)

It was a windy Fall day and thee most nerve racking day of my life. Instead of a ring I was going to give her the Heart Shaped Locket so there was that. Second we had never discussed getting married. We were 18 and her Mom and Dad had married young and that didn’t work out to well so there was that. Also, her Dad told us the only way she could move in with ME was if we were married so there was that but regardless I knew I was meant to spend the rest of my life with JAY and you either get busy living or get busy dying as Andy Dufresne said in Shawshank Redemption.

“I received enemy fire today. I don’t know from who or where but I had to escape into the sewers. I’m going to make my way up to Central Park and take cover from the ground.” (AE 6)

As we looked out from the top of our favorite mountain I simply waited for her to snap a picture and made my move. She was never expecting it as she turned to see ME kneeling with the Heart Shape Locket dangling from my hand.(Buffalo circa 2007)

“Jay you are the light at the end of the tunnel that I never thought I’d see. You are my counterpart and the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Jay will you Marry ME?”

“I’ve been laid up for three days now in Central Park but no movement or fire. Could there possibly be another human in the city tracking ME or maybe even trying to get my attention?” - Harry(AE 6)

She said Yes and within the year we were expecting a baby boy! - Harry (Buffalo circa 2008)

“He tracked ME again but instead of shooting, he made himself known. I looked into the scope as he waved his hands at ME but I must have been hallucinating as if I were stuck in the middle of a desert.” - Harry(AE 6)

We had raised three beautful children by the time it began happening. We thought 9/11, the War, COVID, and the big storm of 2025 were bad but those were nothing in comparison.

“It was like I was looking at my younger twin and then I just ran?!” - Harry(AE 6)

Uncle Tommy had told ME to not trust anybody and I never really had to rely on the outside world unless Jay and the kids wanted to which turned into a vacation a year and trips to see her Father with the kids but everything for the most part was fresh. I fished and hunted when we needed meat and the kids knew how to grow there own food by 5. Our water was cleaned by me everyday so the best way I could put it; our Family was not only healthy but resourceful!

“After everything happened like Will Smith, to my knowledge I was the only human-being in New York after coming out of our Disaster Room that Uncle Tommy had built far before ME. I wasn’t that much of a nut because as I said I found the light at the end of my tunnel and it was glorious!” - Harry

I had built and prepared so many places to hide out, learned and walked the entire City for 3 years and it’s like this thing that I’ve come to call “IT” knows everything?! I don’t even think IT’s an alien?! - Harry (AE 7)

We did everything together and even as things crumbled found ourselves together and enjoying life to its fullest whether it be hiking or fishing or board games; just simply enjoying the simple things. We watched all the great movies I loved - my kids finally appreciating them. My kids expressed things that they could never until now and I took it in with admiration. Our youngest finally had the courage to come out to US thinking we were these old-school parents with old-school values but then in one day it all began to crumble. They all began getting sick at the same time - I still have trouble even writing about it even when I’m about to Die from some FUCKING THING that looks exactly like ME!?

It was the water at her Dads house. Somehow whoever’s orchestrating what’s going on was able to poison all the water even in Fucking Buffalo?!

They all died on a Sunday. About ten days later you heard bombs be lifted into the air across the world and if it weren’t for my lessons in survival I would have stayed outside but sadly I had to know what would Be and spent two years in Uncle Tommy’s disaster Room. After two years of being trapped I was ready to meet my maker but when I came out everything was fine but nobody was around. I drove for miles and miles to the city but no cars or trucks or really anything was destroyed. It looked like everybody had evaporated?!

“I’ve ran out of places to hide and at this point - IT’s just stalking ME for Fun?! The only place maybe I have a fighting chance is in Time Square where I lived for a year thinking someone or something would Come. Well now IT’s Here!” - Harry(AE9)

Harry stands in the middle of Time Square strapped to the Guilds in a barricade like Cabin with guns pointing in every angle, a bathroom, fridges filled with fresh water, food to last him a year, and literally a Televsion with all his favorite VHS tapes when he hears a voice in the back of his mind...

“It’s amazing; your the last to survive! I kind of took my foot of the pedal just to have this moment with you. I mean we made it to the end brother. You even almost killed me that one time 323 days ago and then like always you disappeared into the wind. Now granted they let me out the latest because they wanted to watch and study how you prepared the City. They never shared that information with Me until now and man is this Brave. I’m amazed I get to be you.”

What do you mean BE ME?

“Come on look at ME! I’m the perfect version of you and soon I’ll get to be with our wife and our family again and restart just like in the movies.”

But why?

“I just said I’m the perfect version of you and it’s a lot easier just replacing you then actually having to do the work of you know; actually caring. I mean in my opinion it’s just down right lazy but those are my orders so Anyway...”

Anyway?

“Yeah anyway...like are you ready to duel, wrestle, fight, you know like kill each other”

I’m ready to go to see my real Family if that’s what you mean and get the Fuck out of this Bullshit!!!

Harry was an incredible competitor and will be remembered by ME and my family forever but we all must move on and keep playing the GAME that they have created for US but as a a memento we as a family will pray every night before dinner to the Heart Shaped Locket Harry left behind. - Harry (1) Buffalo circa 1