The Last Voter

By Chris Dietzel

Even before mankind's gradual extinction, Kurt didn't believe his vote actually mattered. Now, even though there are no longer any elections, he still goes to the same gymnasium every four years to cast his ballot. A story about how the things that are important to us don't have to make sense to the rest of the world.

A Great De-evolution novelette.
-----------------------------------------

Critical acclaim for the Great De-evolution stories:

"One of the best books I have ever read... Plays on one of our deepest fears, something we all know will happen one day." -- Terry Reid - The Four Corners of Santerria

"[Dietzel] has accomplished something remarkable: he really has written a book that is one of a kind." -- Nancy Roberts

"All I can say is trust me and give this book a read." -- The Lazy Book Reviewer

"A true wakeup call to everyone... One powerful novel." -- Fran Lewis - Just Reviews

"One of the best dystopian series to come out in a long time." - Three Cats and a Girl

"Dystopian in focus yet incredibly human in its exploration and atmosphere... This is a book, a work, worthy of each and every one of those 5 star reviews." -- Mack Meijers - Authors on the Air

"A highly addictive book... A must read for everyone." - The Reading Room

"Highest possible rating." -- OnlineBookClub.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Dietzel
• Release date: Sep 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005273958

Chris Dietzel

Chris graduated from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). He currently lives in Florida. His dream is to write the same kind of stories that have inspired him over the years.His short stories have been published in Temenos, Foliate Oak, and Down in the Dirt. His novels have been featured on the Science Fiction Spotlight, been required reading at the university level, and have been turned into award-winning audiobooks produced by Podium Publishing.Outside of writing, Dietzel is a huge fan of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA). He trained in BJJ for ten years, earning the rank of brown belt, and went 2-0 in amateur MMA fights before an injury ended his participation in contact sports.

Book preview

The Last Voter

A Great De-evolution Novelette

Chris Dietzel

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidence.

THE LAST VOTER, Copyright 2020 by Chris Dietzel. All rights reserved.

Published in the U.S. by Watch The World End Publications.

Edited by Jodie McFadden and Matt Butterweck

Cover Design – Chris Dietzel

Want to receive updates on my future books? Sign up for my newsletter at: http://www.ChrisDietzel.com/mailing_list/

Interested in my other Great De-evolution stories? Find out more about them at: http://chrisdietzel.com/the-novels/

Also by Chris Dietzel

The Great De-evolution (A Quiet Apocalypse)

The Man Who Watched The World End

A Different Alchemy

The Hauntings of Playing God

The Last Teacher (Short Story)

The Last Astronaut (Short Story)

The Theta Timeline (Time Travel Dystopian)

The Theta Timeline

The Theta Prophecy

The Theta Patient (Short Story)

The Theta Decision (Short Story)

Space Lore (Epic Space Fantasy)

The Green Knight (Space Lore I)

The Excalibur (Space Lore II)

The Round Table (Space Lore III)

Lancelot (Space Lore IV)

The Sword In The Stone (Space Lore V)

Avalon (Space Lore VI)

The Gordian Asteroid (Short Story)

Satire

The Faulty Process of Electing a Senior Class President

The Last Voter

By Chris Dietzel

1

The first snow is on the ground. It arrived earlier than usual. No one has put salt down on the sidewalks. Nor have any trucks come through to plow the streets. Each step is treacherous, would have been even when Kurt was young. Now, impossible to regard him as anything but frail and weak, his legs shaking and his left hip grinding with each movement, the otherwise simple journey across the street is, sadly, something he considers as truly perilous.

Progress is slow. With each step, his boots sink into the snow with a crunch. Over and over, he pauses and wiggles the rubber soles ever so slightly to test what lies underneath the layer of white. Most times it’s just pavement. Occasionally, though, there is a thin layer of ice underneath. Shifting his weight just a little helps him identify the unsafe patches without risk of falling.

If he were to walk over the hidden ice without testing it, he would slip, and if that happened on the frozen sidewalk he could very well die. That’s not an over-exaggeration. No one is around. No one passes him on the sidewalk and can offer help if he needs it.

The gymnasium he is walking toward is directly ahead of him and yet there are no lines of people waiting to get in. There was a time when it was exactly the opposite. Groups would congregate outside, awaiting their turn to enter, while others would steadily trickle out the side door when they were finished. Except for an abandoned car, all four tires of which are flat and all of the windows missing, the parking lot is empty.

A long time ago, this walk would have elicited advice from random strangers as Kurt made his way inside the building. He knows they were volunteering their time, but these people always annoyed him. From afar, he would stare at them, trying to understand what made them think their unsolicited advice was appreciated. He never looked at them as he got close, though, because that gave them the excuse they needed to try to convince him of something he didn’t care to hear.