Now the exit sign stood right in front of James’ face. He could almost reach out and touch it. His spirits lifted a little with the sight since he felt the unknown had to be better than the Hell he had experienced inside the park. Both his back and legs were refreshed, and his lungs didn’t feel like someone had filled them with burning coals. Many times, this type of euphoria distracted you and made you reckless. One might not call it negligent, but you let your guard down, only a little thinking you’re finally safe from the danger cashing you.
This elation caused James to miss the small frost heave from last winter, which raised part of the sidewalk right in front of his path of travel. If you had been moving at normal walking speeds, the worst reaction might be a stubbed toe and a spoken curse word. But even then, only if you were unlucky or not observant. When running for your life with a screaming and squirming toddler on your back, the damage caused by this minor defect proved more severe. That small lip caught James’ right foot and his forward momentum pushed him over face first onto the solid, unforgiving concrete sidewalk. Like those Saturday cartoons James used to love as a child, his fall felt like it took forever. He felt his foot catch on the lip and the pain shot up his leg as his ankle bent in a direction it shouldn’t. His body transitioned from upright to a horizontal position, which felt a little like flying. Just like Superman, except the flight isn’t as long or the landing as painless as the cartoons used to show. James felt the little girl fly from her perch high on his back. He hoped she would be OK and the ground where she landed would be soft. Alas, we rarely get what we want, and James didn’t get it that day either. The hard, unforgiving concrete sidewalk slapped him upside his head like a right uppercut from Mike Tyson. Those were his final thoughts as the world went black on day one of the apocalypse.
CHAPTER TWOTwo Weeks Earlier
BIG JIM RICHARDS surprised his finance Melody with a trip to the Nation’s Capital, Washington DC. They both worked non-stop on the family’s corn farm in Iowa for months, and they both needed a break. The wedding would take place after the harvest, but working under the smoldering summer sun took a toll on him as he got older.
He booked business class tickets (Big Jim was six foot five inches tall and 250 pounds of solid muscle, so coach would be too tight) and a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia near the Metro Station. It put them close to the city, but away from the crowds. No rental car because DC had excellent public transportation (at least that’s what the Trip Counselor website said). Jim even scored tickets to a Nationals baseball game while they were in town. The tickets ended up being easy to score because the team sucked and the fans were staying away this year. There wouldn’t be any post season baseball in DC this October.
Their flight departed on a beautiful sunny day and they arrived at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on time and without incident. The crowds were lighter than he had expected, which Jim took as a good omen for their trip. Fewer people meant they could see more during their two-week visit.
Murmurs abound about strange happenings in the city, but Big Jim was a realist and not into the conspiracy theories littering internet forums. One wacko in Boston, Nolan Ryen, predicted the rise of the undead. Jim read Nolan’s blog post to Melody, and they both laughed. Where do all these crazy people come from?
After depositing their luggage at the hotel, they took the Metro into the City. Big Jim and Melody spent the day wandering around the National Mall visiting the sights before grabbing a dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. The sun shined down and when combined with the humidity, it felt like the inside of a furnace outside. This heat must have contributed to the lighter crowds who visited the city. Without reservations, they walked into the restaurant without a wait. They felt lucky since they picked the right time to visit.
The next morning, Big Jim and Melody slept in. That night the Red Sox and Nationals would face off in their last game of the week and they had tickets to the game. Neither cheered for either team, but visiting a baseball park wasn’t something farmers from Iowa usually had time for. Crops needed tending to during the summer and harvesting during the fall when baseball season played out. Besides, what’s more American than baseball?
Melody and Big Jim watched the Red Sox destroy the Nationals on the field. With no horse in the race, they enjoyed the game for what it was. There’s nothing like ballpark food, and they feasted during the game. A Chesapeake Crab Cake Sandwich and a 3 Piece Suit help to satisfy Big Jim’s appetite during the game.
After filing out of the stadium, they had a hike to the Metro Station where they’d catch the train that would return them to their hotel. During the long walk through the city, a bee stung Melody. Both of them worked outside and had been stung many times before, so beyond the initial discomfort, the event faded from their memory.
The next day they visited the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, and then took a stroll around Chinatown. Compared to Jim, Melody was petite, standing five feet six inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. She prided herself on her level of fitness and her healthy vegetarian diet. So, Jim wondered why Melody struggled to keep up with him while they walked around the city. Melody normally led the way
