The Day the Whole World Went Away

By Joshua S. Friedman

Adam Keplinger wakes from a New Year's Eve Party only to find it's three days later and the world has ended. Against crazed survivors and seemingly possessed children Adam seeks to find his kid sister... if she hasn't already been taken by the Sweetie-man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua S. Friedman
• Release date: Apr 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311666338

Joshua S. Friedman

Greetings friends,I love reading and writing. There is no better (at least in my opinion, but what the Hell do I know), escape from the banality of reality than just expressing that is within you.If you feel it, love it. If you love it, embrace it. And if you embrace it, and take everything entirely for what it is, then though art truly a master of thyself.To thine known self be true, and truly unto they self. Then take that knowledge and understanding and give unto others.Is that too esoteric?Be yourself. Enjoy one another (especially in these times).If not, then what the Hell are you doing?I also enjoy reading and reviewing works from other Smashwords authors; especially those offering their books for free hoping someone will read them. Well, someone is. Slowly but surely. I encourage my fellow Smashwords constituents to read and write honest and insightful reviews of ALL works they download.Hey...You read it. Someone wrote it...Provide feedback.Good DayGood NightHave a Restful SleepAnd Good AppetiteJ.S.F.

Book preview

THE DAY THE WHOLE WORLD WENT AWAY

By

Joshua S. Friedman

SMASHWORDS EDITION

****

PUBLISHED BY:

Joshua S. Friedman on Smashwords.com

The Day the Whole World Went Away

Copyright © 2014 by Joshua S. Friedman

Thank you for downloading this book. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed for any commercial or noncommercial use without permission from the author. If you enjoyed this book, then please encourage your friends to download their own copy.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are a production of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

****

For Rachel and Jared

****

After having dispatched a meal, I went ashore,

And found no habitation save a single house,

And that without an occupant;

We had no doubt that the people had fled in terror at our approach,

As the house was completely furnished.

-Christopher Columbus

And in a dream I’m a different me

With a perfect you

We fit perfectly

And for once in my life I feel complete

And I still want to ruin it

Afraid to look

As clear as day

This plan has long been underway

-Trent Reznor

****

The chirping of birds resonated like a behemoth alarm-clock, and Adam awoke with a splitting headache. He raked a desiccate tongue across the desert of his mouth. When was the last time he sampled the sweet nectar of water? His teeth felt slimy with a thick film of plaque, as if he hadn’t brushed his teeth in longer still. Wearily he opened heavy eyelids and a dull grey-light pierced his oculars. Squinting, he glanced around. He was outside, lying on the grass. He wasn’t cold, as this winter had been unseasonably warm. But his clothes felt damp as if the morning’s dew soaked thoroughly into his pants and the bottom of his hooded sweatshirt; either that or he pissed himself.

Stomach churning, head throbbing, he groaned and massaged his temples.

God, he felt like he wanted to die.

He wasn’t alone out here. Beer bottles and plastic cups littered the brownish-blades of withered grass. Lawn furniture lay strewn about. Other people were scattered randomly around him, ‘though apparently Adam was the first to revive from the previous evenings’ festivities.

What happened? Where was he?

He tried to remember something about last night. But all he could recollect were random, distorted flashes of a party.

Well, that made sense. It certainly appeared he passed-out at some sort of convivial gathering. But why?

"Where are you going?"

"To a party."

That’s right. He remembered tucking in his little sister, but that seemed like an eternity ago. He attempted recalling more. But, he couldn’t. His head ached and he was dehydrated, and while he wanted answers, he needed water.

He scanned his surroundings more studiously. Red, wooden fencing boxed him in from three sides. He glanced toward the back of a two-story home with white siding and reddish trim. He knew this particular back-yard. Redwood decking led toward a sliding glass door. More party patrons laid scattered upon the porch. Still out-cold. He spied a keg resting in a blue and pink kiddie-pool.

He knew where he was. Tucker’s annual New Year’s Eve bash.

"Best party ever, bro," Tucker slurred. Grinning, dimples exposed, he patted Adam on the back and then poured himself another cold, frothy cup from the keg. Ice cubes glinted and gleamed as they surrounded the dull, metallic cask.

The reverie sent a searing migraine trouncing across his mindscape.

Water. Need water.

Muscles slack, he strived to crawl across the crisp and crumbled grass toward the deck. He attempted to stand but his head spun and his stomach tightly churned in knots. He propped an elbow upon a porch step and eased himself up. Groaning in agony, he wormed toward the kiddie-pool; swatting away discarded bottles and cups, and working around those passed-out upon the stained hardwood planks.

He grasped the pool’s plastic lip like a drowning man clings to floatation ring, and hoisted himself to a sit. All the ice within had melted.

No matter, that made slaking his thirst all the easier.

He leaned over and nearly toppled head-first into the stagnant drink. When steady, he greedily slurped handfuls of water into his quivering, awaiting mouth. The liquid was cold, stale, and slightly dirty, but he didn’t care. He’d drink brownish river water if he had to.

The back of his hand bounced off the keg. He expected the cask to drift lazily through the water, but the receptacle still had quite a bit of weight to it. That didn’t make sense. His friends didn’t leave a party (or pass-out, for that matter), until the keg drained dry, until every drop consumed. Anything less was considered alcohol abuse.

"Best party ever, bro."

Where was Tucker?

Adam glanced back at a swarthy brunette in her mid-twenties wearing a navy-blue sweater, lying face-down upon the deck.

Regina, he croaked, Regina, wake up. Where’s Tucker? He gently nudged her shoulder. Nothing. She was comatose.

Clutching the porch railing, he rose to a wobbly stance. A palm pressed to his throbbing temple, he gazed around.

An ominous shiver coursed down his spine when he noticed everyone face-down. He staggered forward and nearly tripped over another random party goer donning a red and black-striped jacket. Adam’s foot pulled the man’s arm away, revealing a slight