A Dinner to end all Dinners
It felt strange walking through the door. If you didn't know any better, you'd think that we were just a small group of friends gathering for a dinner party. But this wasn't just any dinner party. This was OUR last.
Our hostess was none other than our dear friend Sadie. Under normal conditions Sadie was a flutter of activity, always concerned about pleasing everyone or making all the guests feel comfortable and at ease. The house was gorgeous! White lights lit every inch of the place. A soft glow was highlighted by the sumptuous feast of…everything! Yes Sadie decorated the gold and white china-laden table with every single dish she knew how to make. Various pasta dishes, appetizers and dips, chicken and ribs, nothing was spared. So it wasn't that surprising to see her antsy and agitated. After ensuring that we all had a glass in our hands, she raced back to the kitchen to check on the turkey. Yes! Even turkey!
Upon hearing the disturbing news that our world was coming to an end tomorrow, an actual cessation of existence as we know it, I could not for the life of me understand why anyone would want to volunteer to host the Final dinner.
Dane didn't fight her. He didn't care about anything anyway. So the end of the world was no big deal. He was not concerned about his girlfriend acting as hostess.There was nothing left between them. It didn't take annihilation to see that.
Jesse sat playing his guitar as usual. I guess music helped ease the terror of the reality we were facing. Anna sang along with him. Jeremy finally made a move on Sara. That DID take the end of the world to happen.
Nick sat staring blankly into space. He sipped his beer at a rather quick pace, I suppose trying to consume as much alcohol as he could in 24 hours. I didn't blame him. I wanted to embrace him. But I knew I couldn't reach him right now. So I let him be. We'd be together, forever, later.
I sat quiet in the corner surveying the scene. I wanted to take it all in. I didn't want to miss a second. Every detail was worth observing, celebrating, relishing. I loved these people. They were my family. Because of the air strikes, no airport was usable. Trains had been destroyed too. We were lucky to get a call through to our parents, siblings. So we were it for each other.
So as I sat there, I breathed deeply. I prayed quietly. I marked each sound. I savoured every smell wafting in from the kitchen. And then… I felt it. Dread! The nightmarish anxiety of an oncoming vehicle heading straight for us. And… I began to weep. Then… Sob, and that's when it hit them.
Suddenly like a tornado wallop, my "family" realized what this was. Our collective fear, tangible and burdensome consumed us. And in that moment, we all huddled together and couldn't let go.
peekiequeen fiction c. November 19, 2013
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WOW! Wonderfully written and you can just feel every single emotion. Great job, Peekiequeen! B. On 11/19/13 2:59 PM, “The Expressib