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| World of: Fire | |
| by Harry Leonard
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Lael dropped her top and ran to the nearby phone booth. She didn't know any life-saving techniques, so she called for an ambulance. The emergency technicians arrived in less than two minutes and when an offical asked her what happened, this is the statement she gave: "I was explaining to him about the sun sinking, the world ending, and the fact we're all going to die, and then he had a heart attack."
The official said, "Uh huh, yeah, well. Thanks. Your call probably saved his life. Thanks again."
"Sure, no problem," she said. "The world is going to end, though."
The official nodded, said, "Okay," and walked away.
Lael watched the technicians drive away shortly after. "I swear," she said, "everybody must be blind."
She left the street and returned to her perch in the park to ponder her pursuit to persuade people of the truth. When she reached her bench, she found a man sitting on it.
"Hello," Lael said to him.
"Day good."
"The sun is sinking," she said.
He nodded. "I know."
"The world is ending."
He nodded. "I know."
Lael stepped forward and put a foot on the bench. "We're all going to die."
The man shook his head. "Not everyone."
Lael narrowed her eyes. "Who isn't?"
He poked a thumb at his chest. "Me for one."
The man still wasn't blinking. He was smiling, though, and she wasn't.
"Why won't you die?" she asked.
"Because I'm not here."
Lael thought about that a moment. "Why aren't you here?"
The man blinked twice in rapid succession. "To give you advice some," he said.
"But I hardly know you from a heart-attack victim. Who are you?"
"Oh, yes." He slid his hand into the opening in his shirt and pulled forth a small slip of something. "Card my."
The slip read: baron cleft. That's all.
"Is this it? You have a card with your name on it and nothing else?"
"Yes," he said.
Lael shook her head and handed the slip back to baron. "It's not even centered."
"It's not supposed to be."
"Oh." She turned and sat down on the marble. She didn't speak again right away. Neither did he.
Lael wondered: who this baron cleft person was, how he knew the sun was sinking and the world was going bye-bye, but not everybody would die, and what his advice was.
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| ©1997, 2000 Harry Leonard | |
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