Mire always wondered what she would do if the world was ending, how she would feel, how it would happen. Not ending in the ‘trumpets blaring, people ascending to heaven’ sense particularly. Although, of course that was also a possibility. It was just a little too unlikely and ground in religious belief for her taste. No, she meant more probable causes like war, a terrorist attack, a gas station explosion, a collapsed bridge, etc. It didn’t have to affect the whole world, just her whole world.
No matter how many times she imagined it, she couldn’t picture herself responding in any significant way that deviated from her regular style/activities. She had objectively concluded that she either lacked imagination or she was simply an unshakeable realist who could roll with any and all punches. She had read about the nine-eleven, the twin towers crumbling, taking lives and economies with it in the attack. She had read about how people spent the day frantic, making phone call after phone call, running helter-skelter, unsure of where to go.
She had read it all. She understood that it was purported to be the normal response. Yet, she was certain she would be the type to sit at home. No, she wasn’t even the type to call everyone she was related to muchless leave her apartment to go see them. A text on the group chat would suffice. She decidedly would not be going to her parents’ home on the other side of town for any reason. Her apartment would do just fine. It was not as though seeing her family would change the state of things. If they were fine, they would remain so with or without her presence. If they weren’t, they would have better luck at hospital anyways.
It wasn’t as though she didn’t care or anything. She just didn’t see any practical advantages to that course of action. It changed nothing, serving only to subject her to additional stressors. She would simply go about her day as usual, just from the comfort of her home. In addition, she would reach out to a friend or two to find out if they were safe. Probably. That, and she would watch the news for updates. Or Twitter. It was eons faster although decidedly less reliable. The bottom line was, she was certain, nothing much would change in her usual daily activities. Well, of course, that was all until two nights ago.
Now, and Mire was certain it wasn’t just her, she knew she couldn’t have been more wrong.
