Ghost Town…
Summer came fast…
There was barely time to install the old air conditioning as the weather flipped from a winter chill to a smouldering summer heat, all in one Sunday. The night didn’t seem to cool off as it normally would this time of year, and so you sat in your bedroom, alone, just you and the summer heat both sinking into a daze.
There is nothing quite like the first day of summer, and this one was special. Elevated to a whole other level, you prepared for your final sleep before the big exam.
Fresh notepads, pencils, a calculator and some gym clothes. Shorts should cut it, in this heat.
Your eyes were set for the future, and attending the finest school in the country, if you could obtain a grade of 95% or higher. It was currently at a 91%, far from cutting it. You would likely need to obtain at least a 95% or higher on the mid term tomorrow or else the odds of reaching your goal were near impossible. These things never really used to weigh on you, and although you sat peacefully in the euphoria of the summer heat, an overwhelming sense of apathy encumbered your very essence. It was as if the only thing that cared about reaching your goal was this little voice in your head, it had been there for so long, you could barely recall. But it wasn’t you.
Your head hit the pillow, and your thoughts became lighter as the task ahead seemed to fade into a distant glow. A sense of warmth fell over you as the apathy slipped away into a newfound peaceful darkness.
Out like a light.
“beep beep beep “
The sound of your alarm clock. 7:00am. You shot out of bed; feeling… incredibly lighter.
It was as if a weight had been lifted from your shoulders and you could breathe for the first time in years. You remembered being able to pop out of bed like this when you were maybe 12 years old? Maybe earlier.
Instead of stress, you felt excitement. Grabbing your bags and straight out the door you made your way. It was a short 12 minute walk, and the air had chilled slightly, not much but the breeze felt incredible. 3 minutes or so later, you realized the streets shared the same peaceful space as your mind, and were oddly calm and, quiet…
You paused a moment, dead in your tracks and scanned the area. First with the shift of your eyes. Then you closed them and listened.
It was, silent…
Aside from the sound of wind, there wasn’t so much as a bird chirping in the distance. Not a car, voice or dog’s bark. You opened your eyes to turn around.
“Strange” you whispered aloud.
A seemingly strange coincidence at first, you instinctively knew at this moment, something was off. There was nobody around. Perhaps you were just early, given your hasty awakening.
The following 8 minutes confirmed your theory as you finally arrived at school. No busses, cars, people or teachers. You opened the door to cautiously walk inside. This felt like a zombie film, or a nuclear apocalypse of sorts. Wandering the halls, you walked to your classroom.
The door was open. Nobody was inside.
You checked the office. The door was open. Nobody was inside.
Not the halls, gyms, teachers rooms, cafeteria. All the doors were open. Not a soul to be found.
Normally, a sort of stress would have kept you here, but since last night, that feeling had long fleeted. Adventure led you forward. Into the streets, you wandered to the nearby plaza. The coffee shop door was open. You walked inside, behind the counter, and grabbed a croissant.
“This would normally feel like stealing” you thought to yourself.
Today it didn’t feel like that at all. It didn’t feel like anything. You felt free.
Your mind shifted to your family, friends and loved ones. Where had they gone? Again, this newfound gut feeling of peace told you they would be alright, but you wondered. Where were they?
First you walked to your mother’s workplace, the nursing home. Then your fathers office and sat in his chair. After fetching some lunch at the grocery store, and eating an amalgamation of pizza, sandwiches, ice cream and half a dozen other snacks, you left the store and the half empty boxes to head to the nearest record shop. After picking up some records you headed aimlessly in the direction of home, as the clouds started to settle overhead. They began to swirl as you saw colour of dark grey in the distance.
“Better get home before these records get soaked” you thought to yourself.
The collection contained 2 or 3 unsealed vintage records along with the new ones, and they would be damaged in the rain.
Night came quick, as it does this time of year, and the cloud coverage accelerated the process at an incredible pace. By the time you were 10 minutes out, little light remained. The cloud opened up and it began to drizzle. with 2 or 3 minutes to go the rain started to pour. You broke into a light run that freed your body, soul and mind.
When you arrived home, you saw something unusual. The first sign of life in almost 24 hours.
“I’ve been waiting” she said.