What If America ?, Samantha Gwehi [novels to read in english txt] 📗

Awakened from a deep slumber, by a thunderous rumble of what appeared to be a aircraft,hovering very close overhead;a startled woman scurries around in stark darkness trying to make her way down the hall into her children’s rooms.
She runs her hand along the smooth and cool walls, trying to locate the light switch.
It is amazing how soon one can forget how to use or in this case, locate something that is used everyday, when panic sets in.
Finally her trembling fingers brush across the light switch, only to find they do not work. Passing by a slightly ajar curtain, she notices that the entire neighborhood is in darkness as well.
“What in the world is going on”, she mumbles to herself.
What in the world indeed. What this woman does not know is that the main transformer was destroyed by person or persons unknown earlier. When dusk was setting in,and as she was preparing dinner for her family. Hearing the terrifying screams of her children, the woman races down the hall.
She stumbles, but does not fall over toys which were left on the floor earlier by her children. Once in her 7 year old son’s room, she immediately heads toward his bed. He is not there, she calls his name. The sounds from the aircraft are getting louder, closer.
She called his name again. Bending down to the floor, she stretches her hand under his bed feeling for him while calling his name.
“Mommy, Mommy”, she hears her son cry.
As she turned around towards the sound of his voice, a bright light shines through the blinds in the window. Using the light to her advantage, she crawls towards the closet.
Mommy, what’s going on, what is all that noise ? He asked as she pulled him towards her chest.
“I don’t know baby, we have to get your sister “.
Just as they turned towards the door to leave the room, gun shot were fired causing both mother and son to drop to the floor.
“Oh my God, Oh my God “, what is happening ?
“Baby, the mother exclaims frantically, grab mommies hand, and do not let go. Do you hear me ?”
The child’s eyes are glazed over with fear. Glass breaks, Alarms are going off , and screams are heard in the distance.
The sky is aglow with fireworks, not the kind use in celebration, but the ones made for destruction.
She enters her daugher's room. Was the distance from the doorway and her crib always this far apart? "
She thought to herself. The burning sky brought light into the room. The woman hurriedly reached into the crib for her baby.
A screeching sound followed by a loud boom startled her causing her to loose her balance and drop the baby back into the crib.
A window in the room across the hall is broken. Thick, black smoke instantly filled the room. In one swift move, the woman grabs her baby daughter in one hand and her son in the other. She grabs a blanket off the chair to cover their head, and shield them from the smoke. Blinded now not only by darkness of the night, but by smoke which was steadily filling the entire house, the woman makes her way to the door.
Once outside, she looks towards her neighbor’s house with intent on going for help. She stops as she realizes that the house's are now mere shells. She has been living in this beautifully kept community, with it manicured lawns, perfectly shaped hedges with flowers of every color and variety for 8 years.

She continues down the sidewalk with her precious cargo in tow, thinking that she must be dreaming, this can not be real. Why is this happening ?
She pauses as she notices someone running up ahead of her, not knowing if they be friend or foe, she says nothing.
“This is a dream, it is not real”, she keeps telling herself.
But it is real, she is really seeing beautiful estates which stood proudly yesterday, now brought to ruins. She is really seeing household pets laying in doorways and porches in their attempt to escape raging fire still going on inside what once was their home.
She turns her son head towards her, not wanting him to see what she sure is the chard bodies of two poor souls who did have time to make out of their car. Which appeared to have been bombed by persons unknown. She continues toward the entrance of the community and stops where the beautiful waterfall that shot cool sprays of water 10 feet into the air once stood, that too has been destroyed.
She scooped some of the remaining water from the fountain and gives some to her son.
The baby has not stopped crying since they left home. The children are hungry and cold, the woman dazed and confused.
She makes her way to the main street. All around her fire, some smoldering, others were burning as if they would go on burning forever.
The smell is horrible, surely toxic. Thick in the air was a scent that was not only invading her nose, but her mouth as well. It was something that was foreign to her senses, she shudder at the thought of what it might be.
“ I need to call my husband, I hope he is all right, please God let him be all right”.
Under the cover of darkness, the woman treads down the deserted streets. Just yesterday these same streets were a buzz with people going about their daily routines.
Not knowing if the persons(s) who did these horrendous deeds could still be nearby, she takes slow and cautious step.
Cold, alone, and barely able to see, a frightened woman and her precious cargo were awaken from a deep slumber. They now walk slowly and eerily into the night.
This woman is faceless, and nameless, but what if she was not ?
What if these acts were not committed in some 3rd World Country where the acts of war, or the threats thereof were not commonplace ?
What if this faceless, nameless woman and her precious cargo were in.........AMERICA ?

Publication Date: 01-10-2011

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