Chapter 1: Flowers of Destruction

  Alex and Grace sat looking over fondly at their boy Michael next to the fire. For his 17th birthday they took him to Whistler in Vancouver to go snowboarding one more time before the season was up. Michael was a bright young boy, almost too bright with how perceptive he was they could never get anything past him. At 6’3” built like the cross-country runner he is, he was already taller than both his parents yet just like Grace he had straight blonde hair and green eyes just as he had Alex’s chin and brow. They couldn’t be happier with their son, and they always bragged how he got the best of both of their traits. “Mom I’m going to grab stuff for smores be right back” Michael yelled over his shoulder jogging inside the cabin.

“That boy and his treats, did you know he had a drawer in his desk just filled with candy?” Grace asked Alex pulling the blanket up for the both of them.

Chuckling Alex looked at the door “That doesn’t surprise me last time I was in his car it was the same with the glove box”

“Who could he have got that from? Neither of us like sweets.”

“My bet is from my sister; she had the same problem until it caught up with her. She had to have major dental work done, four teeth pulled I think” Laughing harder he went on. “She can’t even drink soda anymore without grimacing”

“That’s terrible!” Grace said smacking him with a smile. “Don’t tell me that’s why she never smiles with her teeth?” Laughing a little herself.

“Yes! She even got fake teeth placed in but still refuses to smile with teeth because she says its noticeable”

“Is it?”

“No, not in the slightest. Maybe they originally looked whiter but now you would need to be a dentist just to tell.” Giving her a contemplative look.

“What was all the laughing about Dad?” Michael asked coming out with a QFC bag.

“We were talking about my sister’s missing teeth.”

“Aunt Jessica has missing teeth? Is that why she never really smiles?”

Both parents started laughing again as Michael prepped his first two marshmallows. Grace took a more serious tone before saying.

“No, she has all her teeth she got them replaced. She’s just a little self-conscious so no asking about it and don’t stare at her mouth.”

Laughing again with that last part Alex received another smack on the chest.

“Got it, don’t stare at Aunt Jessica’s fake teeth.” Michael said with a smile.

“Do you know how she ended up losing four teeth?” Alex asked.

“I want to say something exciting like she tried an epic double black diamond run, but knowing you probably want to point something out…I’m going to go with candy.”

Alex shared a look with Grace before looking back to his boy. “Says the kid with two candy drawers?”

Looking a little red “…well. I brush twice a day and floss.” He said as he added chocolate on top of his marshmallow before topping it a graham cracker and taking a bite causing all three to start laughing.

The family stayed outside having fun and talking well into the night. Even though they talk at home all the time something about a campfire always brings out deeper conversation. For hours they prodded Michael about what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go after high school always being supportive no matter what outlandish idea he came up with. The top three for Michael currently were, number one professional harrier where he could run anywhere in the world and get paid for it. Two, compete and win American Idol than go on to produce a number one hit album. Three, open a snow lodge that sells boards and gear in the mountains. Asking him this question every month or so they always loved the answers they got knowing he dreamed of so many different possibilities. Alex thought he would end up opening his own business, Grace thought he would turn running into a career. Michael was just happy to have such cool parents, all his friends would always tell him his parents were the best and he had to admit that they weren’t wrong. Leaning back in his chair Michael looked up into the sky admiring the how clear the sky was stars shimmering and the white of the milky way standing out. As he kept his eyes skyward, he started to notice a neon blue tint begin lighting up the sky. “Hey! It’s the aurora borealis!”

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Being much older and quite familiar with the phenomenon both Alex and Grace knew this wasn’t that.

“Michael” Grace said with some steel in her voice “the aurora doesn’t look like that…get your phone check the news she if anything is going on.”

Getting off his chair Alex said “Lets get the fire put out and get back indoors just to be safe. Michael stay on your phone your quicker with that sort of thing we’ll handle the fire.”

“I don’t have any service can I use your phone Mom?”

Knowing that they should have full service here the parents shared a look before passing over their phones. Quickly the got back the work and the fire was almost out when Michael called out again.

“Something’s wrong, none of our phones are working. What do I do!?”

“It’s okay son. Let’s get indoors for now, we’ll try the TV.” Alex said projecting calm for his family.

  Little did the family know that the blue they were seeing in the sky was nowhere near as dense as what hit the planet. It looked more like a cloud than solid blue waves. As they all got indoors the blue drifted closer to Earth, he wasn’t sure what would happen, but Alex had a bad feeling as he looked up one more time before shutting the door. Looking over to his son “Michael, check the TV see if you can get anything.” Going through the cabin he grabbed a pair of flashlights and an emergency pack he brought whenever he was in cold weather. Getting back into the living room he saw the TV was just fuzz as he made his way to the fireplace putting logs and kindling in. There was a nervous quiet in the house, as if saying what they thought might make it worse. With the fire starting some calm came back to the family.

“The TV is out Dad; I checked all the channels even local and didn’t get a thing.”

“It’s okay we’re safe and indoors lets just relax for a little and then try and get some rest. I’m sure by morning our phones will be back on, and we’ll know what happened.” Grace said.

It had only been slightly over the minutes since they came indoors when Grace noticed a blue flower fall through the ceiling. The absurdity of the flower only increased when she tried to focus on it, its shaped changed. It was drifting slow enough she had time to get up and walk over to it. As she got closer both the men noticed what caught her attention. Michael was just as fascinated as his mother, but Alex’s face was lined with dread. Before he could get more that “Don’t” out of his mouth it was to late stop her, Grace reached out a finger and caught the flower on the tip. Grace screamed in pure agony before grabbing both her arms shuddering and violently falling to the floor where she lay in the fetal position.

“Grace!”

“Mom!

Both cried as the ran over to the women that meant the world to the both of them.

“Dad, what’s going on!?” Michael was crying holding onto his mother’s hand.

“I don’t know…Whatever that thing was it hurt her. How the hell did it get inside!” Looking all around the cabin checking where the vents were he didn’t see a thing, until a handful more of blue flowers came straight through the ceiling itself. Knowing he couldn’t avoid it he came up with a plan that might save his family. Quickly he picked up Grace and moved her between the couch and table. Next, he lined up logs two high around his wife then covered her in a blanket. Looking up he saw even more of those damned blue flowers coming through the ceiling.

“Michael, we don’t have much time lay on the logs and cover your mother with your own body. I’m going to lay over the couch and table and cover you both okay?”

“Dad?”

“I love you son. Hurry we don’t have time.”

“Okay…I love you too.” Michael said laying face up over his mother on very uncomfortable logs.

“Good thing your big or this wouldn’t have worked, sorry I’m not as tall as you your feet will be a little uncovered so don’t stretch out.” Alex said laying over his family. Before he could say something else pain erupted in his lower back. He let out a pained grunt trying to hold back his screams for his son.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

Letting out a pained scream Alex took a moment “Stay…AGHHH…there!”

Crying again Michael gave his dad the okay and tried to shut out his mother whimpering below and his father writhing in pain above. Then he felt something, taking deep breaths he tried to calm himself but felt increasingly lightheaded and nauseous. A minute went by and he started losing feeling and getting weaker, head all fuzzy he listened for his parents but all was silent now. Trying to focus on moving his hand to prod his dad all went black.

  Almost eleven billion people inhabit the Earth and at any given time in any given day an estimated one billion people are on a plane, train, boat, or in a car. Even more people live in a cold environment and rely on heat. More still are sick and need care that are in hospitals and clinics around the world. March 16th, 2028, the world lost a quarter of its population in a matter of hours the event would be forever known as the First Wave. Not only did the wave disable all electronics and shut off all power worldwide but the wave itself proved fatal for some people and some animals instantly. Others suffered intense pain and trauma, some began to exhibit physical changes or change entirely. Most of the world’s inhabitants fell unconscious not knowing what was happening just seeing blue flowers before everything went dark.