The Prairie Light Review

Volume 3 | Number 1 Article 12

Fall 12-9-1983 Tempus Fugit Sally D. Freels College of DuPage

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Recommended Citation Freels, Sally D. (1983) "Tempus Fugit," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 3 : No. 1 , Article 12. Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol3/iss1/12

This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The rP airie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Dec. 9. 1983— PRAIRIE LIGHT REVIEW— Page 3 Freels: Tempus Fugit 3

It was quite bizarre, because there WIND She was climbing a pile of debris, for JUST THE QUIET, AND THE surroundings to recognize. to guess. wasn't much what reason I couldn't hazard It took me awhile to figure it out. There I own But I knew where was. On my There was another person alivel Someone flash of light and there I was was a street. And that looked like — yes! Where to talk to — to help with the worldl I ran last thing I looking for food. The those two elm trees once stood next to you! Here I after her; I yelled, “Hey! Hey remembered was hearing a voice that told That meant my own house she saw me a look of each other! flash of am!" But when away. I still felt the me to look was right down that street. Part of it was horror filled her eyes that stopped me in then I I felt it through my skin, and light; still standing! my tracks. She screamed “No! I'm not I don't floating on the wind. But I was It all struck me as quite funny. So “Wait! I ready!" I ran after her, crying, remember landing. walked home. can help you! We can help each otherl" find food. But I had to Home.. and fell on my But I tripped oh a brick like it going to be It didn't look was And in my own home I realized what nose started to bleed. When my much of face. My easy. But it was amazing how had happened. Not just to me, but to the vision cleared, *she was gone. “Damned I could that town hadn't burned down. If world, hopes and dreams and the love for I walked broad, anyway," I mumbled as the grocery store used to be, charred remains find where freedom. I found it in the back to the cloth. She would probably the rubble and find maybe I could trace of a human body. Mine. moan and cry and use up my food supply. some food. It might have been "Something told me that maybe you \Vhere I found My food supply! I ran to contaminated, but if it was, then so was I, voice from behind me or didn't know," a the cloth. It looked .like a Persian rug, did it make? I started face her. She so what difference said. I turned around to as fast as I something. I lugged it back street. • her, "I'm not walking down the said, "I'm sorry." I said to could to the shelter. If she had taken my The blast wave did a good job in that ready, either. killed her! But I food supply, I would have town. Most of the buildings looked more What wilf happen to her? safe at home. They found my food supply ' though once in a while man smiled. "She'll . like piles of rubble, “Don't worry,” the were acting a little sluggish — maybe still partially I came across one that was be taken care of." they were dying. standing. The wind whistled around them by Tammy Hardesty By then blood was running down into like a ghost, the quiet was unsettling. it my mouth and down my chin. I wiped Once that place was crowded with off with the back of my Kand, and after people, the. complications of everyday life, staring at my bloody hand for a few ruGIT Then a flash TWUS cars honking, people talking. use wasting seconds, I licked it clean. No of light and the world changed. The perfectly good protein. people disappeared. But the past didn't I hid my food and The next morning, I wish I could anymore. Only survival mattered. matter of bricks in cast my blanket behind a pile forget the clock Dusk was coming on, and it would be that crazy broad was to find them, and colder. minute cold, even though I didn't feel any love each went out to explore. If there was me, and of blanket. I went in search a free from worry; there was her, maybe there might be something that looked like I spotted sense into. time. others that I could talk some but there’s no that looked like cloth near some rocks shelter, And I'd probably need a better I’m late for class, Part of the And now cement — it was hard to tell. grass- and a water supply, and these D.Freels cloth was flapping in the wind It was by Sally hoppers weren't going to last much run toward it multicolored. I started to recognized my longer. I suddenly

when I saw her. surroundings.

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