Blog Love Omega Glee: Radio Free Eschatology (5 February 2012)

"You're late," Tony says, letting Jake into the radio station.

Jake wipes the snow off his coat, "Sorry, the roads were really bad. I don't think I've ever seen snow with lightning and thunder before."

"Well, it's supposed to be the end of the world tonight," Tony says, heading back to the studio, "Some weird religious cult predicted it. My mother told me about it. I was wondering why she was so damn cheerful tonight."

There's a tremendous lightning flash and thunder boom. The lights go out and Jake and Tony are dipped into darkness.

"Uh, is that supposed to happen?" Jake says.

"No, that's not supposed to happen," Tony says, "Let's be calm, the backup generator should kick on in just a moment."

It's quiet for a few moments until Jake moves and knocks his shin into something. "Ow!" he says, and stumbles into a table, spilling a number of things off it.

"Was that my lunch?" Tony says, "I was saving it in case I was trapped inside here. One time during a blizzard I was on the air three days straight and had to raid everyone's desks for food. In case you didn't know, living off diet pop, beef jerky, and breath mints gives you the runs."

"Sorry," Jake says, rubbing his shin. He bends over and feels around for the things he spilled.

"Just stay still before you knock something else over."

"When's this backup generator coming on?"

"It's probably broken like everything else here is, but be patient, it might just wait a couple minutes to make sure the regular power doesn't come back."

"Why would it do that? We'd go off the air!"

"I don't know why! Just wait!"

It is very strange in the dark. Jake reviews the chain of events that brought him to this point in his life standing in a dark building with Tony the Perv, possibly waiting for the end of the world. Why were there no jobs in January?

Tony screams.

Jake screams.

Jake can hear Tony run away from him. A door slams open. Jake stumbles forward following. Outside it's plenty dark but a bit of moonlight filtering through the snow allows Jake to spot Tony kneeled down a few feet away. His hands are pressed in prayer and he mutters Our Fathers and Hail Marys.

"Tony, you all right man?"

Tony grasps Jake's shirt, "We're doomed! I should have listened to my mother and become a priest."

The outside light comes on. Tony and Jake hear the transmitter and other machinery in the station click back on.

"Looks like we have power again," Jake says.

"Thank you God!" Tony yells, letting go of Jake's shirt, and standing up, arms spread wide.

They head back inside.

"Oh, fuck a duck," Tony says, "You stepped on my Twinkie."

"Oh, c'mon Tony, it's not the end of the world. I'll bring another one in for you tomorrow night."

"Like hell you will!"

"What?"

"I'm off tomorrow. Bring it in Tuesday."

"What if the world ends on Monday?"

"Ah, don't tell me you believe in that shit. It's all a bunch of bs."

The lights go out again.

The screams of the disc jockeys drown out the thunder. Lightning rides the airwaves. In the dark, the telephone rings. "Should we answer it?" Jake says.

"I'll see if I can feel my way to the phone," Tony says.

Jake hears a clatter and then Tony says, "WCYA 1020 AM Real Music Real People Real Scared."

It's quiet, then Tony says, "No, maam I don't know of any school cancellations yet, but for future reference, during Armageddon school gets canceled."

Tony hangs up the phone, "Stupid old bat. It's the endtimes, who cares about a snowday?"

Jake hears Tony mumbling misremembered Catholic prayers again. "Tony?'" he says.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I think I stepped on another Twinkie."

"That's all right kid. We've got bigger problems. I forgive you."

The lights come back on. Tony looks at Jake rubbing Twinkie off his boot, "Dammit, why couldn't you have stepped on the banana?"

Jake points at another mess on the floor, "I did."

"Next time the world ends, I'm eating my lunch first."

Blog Love Omega Glee is a novel by Wred Fright about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart, which is being serialized on his blog. To start reading from the beginning or read another installment, please visit Blog Love Omega Glee Central on WredFright.Com. If you like what you've read, or you've read all of Blog Love Omega Glee and want more Fright, then please read his first novel, which is available in print and as an ebook.