
It’s Not the End of the World
The pool water felt cool, the soft lapping probably the last sound I’d ever hear.
It was okay. I’d had a good run. We all had.
The horizon blossomed as a second sun seemed to descend. If the estimates were right, the shock wave would hit in ten minutes. I probably wouldn’t be around for the subsequent mile-high tsunami.
The apocalyptic light faded.
5 minutes.
8
9
10
. . .
11
12
A light wind blew, smelling like ozone. I checked the news. The asteroid was “smaller than anticipated”. Oops, our bad.
I needed to celebrate being alive.
Maybe I’d get barbecue.

Sure feels like the end of the world so I like what you wrote. There’s hope in that small asteroid
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I guess I was in an apocalyptic frame of mind, but optimistic, as usual. There’s always hope.
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That really made me laugh…such a you remark. 🙂
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You know me. 🙂
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The deflection to fast food was oh so swift
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eh, almost dying makes a person hungry, I guess. 🙂
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I like how the narrator is so nonchalant throughout.
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I’d like to think I’d be like this, but you never know until you’re there. And hopefully I never will be. Thanks for reading, Bernadette. Have a great weekend.
– David
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Hahahaha! So typical of the weather alerts. Almost always overblown… Barbecue sounds delicious!
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yeah, how many snowmageddons have there been now? Anything to get views.
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Honestly. It’s become a joke. It’s no longer just a snowfall with accumulation; no, no, let us set the people into panic mode… 🙄
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Haha – great ending – get that barbi on the go😃
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Hey, any excuse, haha.
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😃
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Everything gets over-hyped these days – I’m sure some people thrive on panic.
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true. There’s a lot of money to be made in panic.
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Doesn’t have to be an extinction level asteroid to cause plenty of trouble.
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Well, that’s true. Even smaller than expected can be pretty serious.
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lived another day, i suppose. enjoy the barbecue. 🙂
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Just thought what I would do if I survived a near-miss end of the world. 🙂
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They said it would rain today. It’s not. I know, I think I’ll have a barbecue too!
A great take, David!
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Good (and Happy) title. I like the way he was prepared to go and he was planning on a humble celebration. Very good story, David.
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I feel like if I was in that situation, that’s what I would want to do, nothing big, just relax and chill out before the end.
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Dear David,
BBQ always makes for a happy ending. 😉 Clever story. I like the way you use the countdown to build tension.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. I’m behind on reading comments, but I still value them as much as always. Yeah, BBQ seems like a good way to celebrate not the end of the world.
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Meteorologist and Politicians- the two occupations you are better off not believing.
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true. Take anyone who makes predictions for a living with a grain of salt.
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That’s a surprisingly nice ending. I was thinking nuclear bombs… Great tension building and twist.
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Thanks! Yeah, it’s nice whenever the world doesn’t end at the end of the story. 🙂
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