The Toxic Cloud
Edgar looked over the edge of his black rimmed glasses over the rolling hills and shivered as the breeze blew through each vertebra of his spine. He reflected over the past few months as the eerie chill continued and the sky deepened into a noxious black and green color. His life was normal, well almost normal.
His wife at the time had just brought into the world their first beautiful baby boy. Edgar had always wanted a family and was over the moon but the world around them had a different idea and a different non ideal world was about to crash into their reality.
Melly, Edgar’s wife, not only had a dreadful time adjusting to motherhood but as the atmosphere changed and grew dangerous, so did she.
One day, as Edgar tried to console his angel baby, he was also trying to console his ever increasingly angry wife. He was stretching himself so thin with worries he thought he might snap and wither away. On top of that through the window a dark, virulent cloud started moving toward them and devouring everything in sight. People began to come outside to observe this nuance. Edgar turned on the tv.
“Toxic! Toxic! Toxic!” The news reporter screamed into the tv. The cloud billowed behind him, moving toward him at a slow pace. The reporter talked frantically, his face red with fear. The scene behind him was chaos as people ran out of frame. You could hear cars squealing and radio interferences ensued. The camera was knocked over and the tv now presented the sidewalk from an angled view. Silence replaced the chaos, and everyone was gone.
The cloud crept on closer, and Edgar did not stand to watch any longer. He was a man of action, and he wanted to save his family from whatever this toxic cloud seemed to be.
Melly was not happy. Her body hurt and her mind was irritated. Edgar’s pushiness made her spine tingle, even though she knew deep down he was right. She complained loudly and made every step of the way harder for Edgar. She enjoyed watching him rise to the occasion of each new challenge she put his way. She gave him a twisted smile to show just how much she enjoyed his torture.
Edgar tried to pack his families’ essentials. The baby was fast asleep with no knowledge of the impending doom. He had no clue that he would never know his neighbors. He would not grow up with any of the similarities of the suburban lifestyle his parents grew up in. He would have no memories of his first house, his grandparents, or the light laughter his parents had once enjoyed over a sitcom buzzing in their living room.
Edgar thought over his next moves and plotted meticulously so that he could do his absolute best to protect his family. Peaking through the windows he watched as the dense cloud crept their way. He watched as the poison touched one of his neighbors down the street. He instantly fell to the ground. Edgar saw the poison start eating away at his neighbor that he would give a friendly wave to in the mornings.
He realized just then his plan would never work. They were not given enough notice. Just like the camera being tipped over, Edgar’s thoughts tipped over.
“Were not going to make it,” he whispered to himself looking down at his baby with shame and fear in his eyes. “Hurry Melly, lets try and cover the vents!” He put the baby down in the cradle and started running around trying to plug up any holes into the house, he was desperate. He pulled curtains down, grabbed towels, and made sure everything was locked up and tight. His heart raced. He was overcome with emotion.
Melly was just sitting there watching him, brushing her hair. It seemed she did not have a worry in the world.
Edgar kneeled by his son and cried. Everything important to him lay peacefully right there in front of him and he could do nothing about the fact that in five minutes time they would both be gone.
“You are crazy for loving that baby the way you do,” Melly said coldly.
“How can you say that? This child came from you, what happened to you? What happened to our love? This isn’t how the end of our life was supposed to be.”
“The moment that devil sprung from my body you’ve been obsessed with it. The only good thing now is that this cloud will take care of my job for me. My conscience is clean.” She started to get up with blankness behind her eyes. No thoughts it seemed. She was desolate and resigned.
Edgar had a lot of thoughts start streaming through his head. He could not understand how each moment became more exasperating. His mind about to burst with stress.
Through the window the gas touched the house. Edgar saw that his workings were not good enough.
Melly walking around aimlessly, looked up alert suddenly. She took one last look at Edgar crouched in front of their baby and she made her way to the door.
“NOOOOO,” Edgar yelled, but was then immediately silenced as she swung open the door. She dropped dead and Edgar knew he only had seconds left.
