Immaculate (Part One)

Immaculate

Part One: Silence

I awoke to an unusually quiet morning. It didn’t concern me at first when I realized nobody else in my family had woken up yet. I ate my breakfast. I took my shower. It was a little past seven and my sister still hadn’t came downstairs. My dad’s car was still in the driveway. Perhaps in the back of my mind I knew something was wrong, but I was too afraid to confront it. I think it was the lack of noise that triggered my unconscious awareness. There was nothing. Complete silence. Twenty past seven. My sister was always down by seven. What was taking her? I hadn’t heard the shower run or any noise from upstairs.

I drew in my breath and walked upstairs. I knocked on her door. No response. The silence echoed through my ears. I opened the door.

I closed the door. I don’t think I can describe in words what I saw. I ran into my parent’s room. I knew what awaited me. I knew I did not want to open the door. But I did it anyways. I collapsed on the floor and tears began to roll down my cheeks. Here I was--Brett Murphy, 6’2, 190 pounds, receiver for my high school football team--curled up on the floor, crying.

They were dead. My sister, my parents--perhaps everyone. The silence that lingered outside hinted to me that they were all dead. But I did not know this for certain. Others must have survived. I got and wiped away my tears. Perhaps they weren’t all dead? Perhaps someone was still alive? Maybe? I closed the door to my parent’s bedroom.

I went downstairs and looked out the window. There was no movement. I tried to hide a tear but I didn’t see the point. Nobody was around to evaluate my manliness. Why bother? I reached for the phone. There was a dial tone. That must prove that people were still alive, if the power was running. Didn’t people need to operate the power plants for electricity to work? Yes, people had to be alive.

I dialed my girlfriend’s number--Vanessa Stone, the most gorgeous thing on the planet. The phone began to ring. Vanessa had long brown hair that was smooth and smelled like coconut. Another ring. Her skin was tan and smooth. Ring. Perhaps the best thing on her body was her boobs. The best thing on any girls’ body was her boobs. Vanessa may have had the biggest boobs at school. Ring. I loved putting my hands on those giant suckers and squeezing. The pleasure. Another ring. Her ass was decent, but I’d be lying if I said “Vanessa got back.” Vanessa’s voice came through the phone’s speaker. I smiled. I smiled for a second and then I realized it was her voice mail.

“Fuck!” I shouted. The first word I’d said since the morning started. I closed my phone and hesitated. Do I put my phone in my pocket or do I throw it to the ground? Was it of any use anymore? Was

anyone alive? Yes, people had to be alive, they had to.

I grabbed my keys and walked to my car. I had considered taking my dad’s car, but I didn’t out of respect. I began pulling out of my driveway and into my street. I looked at all the houses around me. Nothing. Silence. I closed my eyes and honked the horn. I held the horn down. The noise blared throughout the street. Hell, perhaps it blared throughout the whole world, for all I knew. I opened my eyes and let go of the horn.

Nothing. Silence. Absolutely no response. The world had stopped. Everyone was gone, except for me. I continued down the street. I was heading toward Vanessa’s house. Maybe, I told myself, maybe she was still alive. But deep down inside, I knew. I knew she would be dead too.