Struggling to Live.
3:19 AM.
The phone rings.
It was a long day at work and Cameron had worked a 14 hour shift cleaning a construction site. Extensive, he knew, but he needed the extra cash to pay this months rent since he'd blown most of it, which he couldn't even show for.
Cameron was a naturally light sleeper, and woke to the first ring.
He ignored it. He didn't feel like dragging his almost limp body into the living room.
He quickly fell asleep as soon as the phone had stopped ringing.
3:20 AM
The phone rings. Again.
Annoyed that he was awoken again, Cameron shoved his head under his pillow, drowning out the sound and quickly fell asleep again.
3:30 AM.
The phone rings.
The pillow had fallen off Cameron's head while he slept, and is awaken again by the sound of the phone.
"Ughnnn." he groaned, slouching over to the phone in the living room. "What?"
"Honey, turn o--- tv," he heard his mothers panicked voice barely through loud static.
"What? Mom, I can barely hear you," Cameron said.
"Turn on --- fucking TV," she yelled over the phone.
Cameron had never heard his mom cuss before.
"Why, mom, what's going on?" Cameron asked as he flipped the TV on.
"I repeat, this is not a drill. Get to the lowest part of your home, a basement or a storm shelter if you have one---" is all he heard on the television before the emergency broadcasting came on, and the line with his mother went dead.
"Hello?" Cameron whispered after an eerie silence on the phone. Nothing. He hanged up the phone.
Suddenly, the brightest light Cameron had ever felt lit his living room. The light was so blinding, the living room he stood in looked like it was drained of color.
Pain shot through Cameron's head, his eyes slamming shut. He fell back wincing in pain. It was a few seconds before he could force his eyes open. The light had gone, and he crawled to his window and stood up.
It was the most spectacular and beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. The sight made him completely forget the pain in his head. A large mushroom cloud formed in the distance. He couldn't believe his eyes. The rolling and coiling of the cloud glowed red as it inflated, and then the thought came to him.
He immediately ran into his room and grabbed his blanket off his bed and ran into his bathroom, diving into the tub and wrapping himself as tightly as he could in the blanket.
An ear shattering noise ripped through Cameron's head, shaking his whole house. His ears rang loudly as he lay helpless in his bathtub as his house crumbled around him.
Cameron lay in the tub for minutes as the ground continued to rumble. His head pounded. It felt like someone was literally operating a jackhammer on his head, and was incapable doing anything for the next 10 minutes, before finally passing out.
The phone rings.
It was a long day at work and Cameron had worked a 14 hour shift cleaning a construction site. Extensive, he knew, but he needed the extra cash to pay this months rent since he'd blown most of it, which he couldn't even show for.
Cameron was a naturally light sleeper, and woke to the first ring.
He ignored it. He didn't feel like dragging his almost limp body into the living room.
He quickly fell asleep as soon as the phone had stopped ringing.
3:20 AM
The phone rings. Again.
Annoyed that he was awoken again, Cameron shoved his head under his pillow, drowning out the sound and quickly fell asleep again.
3:30 AM.
The phone rings.
The pillow had fallen off Cameron's head while he slept, and is awaken again by the sound of the phone.
"Ughnnn." he groaned, slouching over to the phone in the living room. "What?"
"Honey, turn o--- tv," he heard his mothers panicked voice barely through loud static.
"What? Mom, I can barely hear you," Cameron said.
"Turn on --- fucking TV," she yelled over the phone.
Cameron had never heard his mom cuss before.
"Why, mom, what's going on?" Cameron asked as he flipped the TV on.
"I repeat, this is not a drill. Get to the lowest part of your home, a basement or a storm shelter if you have one---" is all he heard on the television before the emergency broadcasting came on, and the line with his mother went dead.
"Hello?" Cameron whispered after an eerie silence on the phone. Nothing. He hanged up the phone.
Suddenly, the brightest light Cameron had ever felt lit his living room. The light was so blinding, the living room he stood in looked like it was drained of color.
Pain shot through Cameron's head, his eyes slamming shut. He fell back wincing in pain. It was a few seconds before he could force his eyes open. The light had gone, and he crawled to his window and stood up.
It was the most spectacular and beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. The sight made him completely forget the pain in his head. A large mushroom cloud formed in the distance. He couldn't believe his eyes. The rolling and coiling of the cloud glowed red as it inflated, and then the thought came to him.
He immediately ran into his room and grabbed his blanket off his bed and ran into his bathroom, diving into the tub and wrapping himself as tightly as he could in the blanket.
An ear shattering noise ripped through Cameron's head, shaking his whole house. His ears rang loudly as he lay helpless in his bathtub as his house crumbled around him.
Cameron lay in the tub for minutes as the ground continued to rumble. His head pounded. It felt like someone was literally operating a jackhammer on his head, and was incapable doing anything for the next 10 minutes, before finally passing out.