The roar of my van's engine was almost drowned out by the storm outside. Through the rain-smeared windshield I could make out tall grass and stunted trees moving past. Occasionally my headlights would catch a small rabbit or possum scrambling for shelter.
I know I should be worried about the dust storm, but I'm not. After the first month - surviving with nothing but my greenhouse and the community center - I realized that all of our problems could be solved with just a bit of ingenuity.
My van rolled to a stop in front of the store. It was my first stop of the day, and I quickly unloaded my produce. As the dewy produce scented the air, I sighed in relief. Finally, I thought, I will be able to sell some of this stuff. With my produce in hand, I walked up to the store. The front door was locked - I hadn't expected anything different. I reached for my pocketknife, but stopped when I remembered that the power was out. To my right I could see the lights from the stuffed politicians above the store, dancing wildly in the gale force winds.
Unable to enter, I resumed my walk around the store, passing by the open store window. As I walked around the sloped roof, I looked inside the store.The darkness could not hide the smells of ripped and rotting recycled paper, along with other rotting garbage. The flickering of candles filled the air with constant flickering shadows. Something large and alive scurried past behind the candle's light.
I turned and ran back to my van, slamming the hood once I got inside. I was still alone in this world, and I felt it like an ocean swell crashing over me, each time harder than the last. I don't know how long I sat in my van, trying to clear my mind and whispering prayers to some unknown God.
As the storm let up, I backed out of my parking space. The storm had been so fierce that I had to park several blocks away from the community center. I pulled around the corner to the community center, and walked into my apartments.
The community center was a small plaza. The community center consisted of a well-lit well, and seventeen apartment units.
I had chosen to live in an apartment. It was just one block away from the center, and I often walked there during the night, weeks after the stores were looted. Without power, several of the elevators had broken down, and many of the car elevators were out. Even the air conditioning system had stopped working, and I really didn't care.
I was exhausted, but still couldn't sleep. I walked around my small apartment, looking for something to occupy my time. I tried to read, but it was too noisy outside. I pulled my window up, letting in the cool evening air.
I picked up a chair, carried it over to the window, and sat down in it. I relaxed my arms on the window sill, and leaned my head on the wall, watching the stars as they moved farther and farther apart.
"So, you let your guard down. Sniff, sniff. What is it you are afraid of? Death? All who are born will die, at least that's what they say. I, however, don't buy it. I, who have seen the world's end, don't believe it."
The voice was small. It was a child's voice, but very deep and very old.
"No! Watch me! See my eyes! The spirit of the night, the phantom of the past. I haunt the ruins that I built, building the memories of you."
I stood up, and looked out the window. The neighborhood was quiet - except for the screams from the wind. No one heard the child's laughter, and no one saw the child's ghost.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
"I told you, I am the spirit of the night. I am the phantom of the past. I am the ghost of your future."
"Who are you?" I asked again. I was terrified.
"We...are everywhere! We...are everyone! We...are you, waiting...one day, we will return! Aren't you proud to be a part of us?"
"What are you?"
"We are... We are vengeance.We are justice. We...we are the future! We are the dust storm that will erase you. We...are you!"
I sat on my chair, staring out the window. I could not see the ghost, and I could not hear the voice again.