The Doom - Hill & City

The room was dimly lit by a few candles and the early morning sunrays began to bleed through the cracks of the boarded up windows and into the house. Thomas sat at the edge of his bed in the upstairs bedroom, his wife and two children still fast asleep. He still had his suit on. His tie was mangled on the ground near the doorway. He looked down at this watch, staring at the time as it slowly changed.

Downstairs, the pile of cans rested on the counter. Tomato paste, beans and peaches were the most common and most readily in stock at least as of a few months ago. Thomas found himself standing in the kitchen, staring at the pile of cans and the pales of water on the floor. He placed his hand on top of one of the several stacks of newspapers on the counter. He peered down onto one of the headlines. "May, 1919 War declared" was written in bold at the top of the paper, above an image of a large cruising ship and the subtitle "Lusitania sunk; families cry out to Wilson administration for action. "

In the disance a loud roaring thunder made itself heard by thousands of people for miles across the eastern coast of Fortress Washington D.C. Black birds of every species circled the city and smoke filled every street. A convoy of armored vehicles hummed and sputtered slowly across Virginia Avenue within the confines of Capitol Hill.

In his home, Thomas looked down at his watch again. Eight o'clock. He chewed on his parched lower lip and reached for a kitchen cabinet, opening it to reveal a radio. He turned the dial and listened to the frequency changes until finally a familiar buzz radiated from the device. After a few minutes a voice finally crackled from the small radio. Thomas sat the table, as his two children and wife joined him. The youngest child, margaret, reached for a can of peaches.

"I'm hungry papa.. " she complained, though too tired to really grab the can. Thomas put a hand on her head and before he could speak, he heard the voice of the nation crackle from the kitchen cupboard.

"To the American people of these United States of America. The time has long been a dark forboding thought, which has passed since the fateful day that our sovereign nation was forced to take arms against the evil which would threaten world peace." The broadcast crackled continuously and outside were the sounds of aeroplanes. The voice continued. " Almighty God has blessed our country and her people for what is now perhaps our most trying and yet promising time. We stood up against our oppressors at Bunker Hill over 130 years ago and endured a civil war through which blood was spilt in the name of Unity, and of Rights. Now I ask that every citizen hold steadfast against the coming tide which threatens the very pillars of peace, freedom and democracy. The enemy, once perhaps seen as a nation, is no longer thus. By what human creed can one peoples justify such evil actions if they thus not abide by any human or heavenly creed? It is not Doom for which we wait for, but for a world that is free and safe for democracy. Though other nations have fallen short of that glorious victory, it is not so far from our grasps. We will see this through as just God-fearing people and in so doing, also save what remains of the countries in Europe who have lost so much. Let us not dwell in dark thoughts of impending Doom. As Christ endured death before his resurrection, so too will the goodness of this earth. Your government is with you and you are with us. God be with us. " The voice crackled to an end and the radio was once again silent. Margaret slumped her back against her father's chest as she sat on his lap.

"Papa? When are the Germans going to come? ..." She asked sleepily. Thomas adjusted her on his lap and then peered down at his watch once again, placing his thumb and index fingers around the clock.

"Not for a while sweetie." He peered up at the boarded windows. A newspaper was crumpled near the sink, which was more recent than the others. "April, 1924 Atlantic Fleet Compromised! Kaiser Paves Way to America"