YOU’LL KNOW WHEN YOU MEET THEM
A Short Story by James D. Pratt
Copyright 2010 James D. Pratt
Smashwords Edition
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“Jenkins thinks it’s the Apocalypse,” Franklin said.
Tyler snorted. “Jenkins is an idiot.”
“You got a better explanation?” Berger snorted back.
Tyler shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Atmospheric disturbances, maybe? How about sunspots? Come on, there have to be a million possible explanations. Rational ones, I mean. And if it’s really the Apocalypse, why isn’t Jenkins up in heaven with Jesus?”
Everybody chewed on that for a moment. “Maybe God couldn’t find him way out here in the ass-end of the world,” Berger finally offered. Tyler laughed at that and even Franklin smiled a little bit, then silence.
“I’ve seen things out in the snow,” Franklin said a few moments later.
Tyler glanced at him sideways. “What?”
“I’ve seen things…shapes, out in the snow.”
“What shapes?” Berger asked.
Franklin shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know. Just shapes, grey blurs against endless white. But they weren’t moving like something just getting blown around by the wind. They were moving like something alive.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? There’s nothing out there. Not a goddam thing.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” Franklin asked, an unaccustomed edge in his voice. Tyler had age on his side, but Franklin had a good fifty pounds on his, most of it still muscle.
Tyler held up his hands. “Relax, for God’s sake. Christ, Franklin.”
Tyler took off his glasses and began to clean them with the hem of his shirt. “I’ve seen them too,” he said quietly.
Franklin stared at him wide-eyed. “Why didn’t you say something before?”
“Why didn’t you?” Berger shot back.
Tyler put his face in his hands. “Oh, this is just great. This is just freaking awesome.”
Berger slammed his fist on the table. “Why don’t we stop beating around the bush and just say it. Something happened out there and for all we know is happening still. For all we know the whole world’s gone. We have to deal with that.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “You’re crazy, man.”
“You saw the same things we did before everything went down” Berger said, voice was growing higher with each word. “It was on YouTube, for God’s sake!”
“Yeah, like that’s a real valid source of information. It’s was probably just some art student’s film project. You’re losing it, Berger.”
Berger glared at Tyler. “Why are you such an asshole?”
Tyler grinned. “Don’t change the subject.”
Franklin’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Jenkins?”
Tyler chuckled. “Maybe Jesus finally caught up with him.”
“Maybe you’re an idiot,” Berger replied.
Against Berger, Tyler had both size and youth on his side. “Maybe you should do something about it,” he said, standing up.
Franklin’s face grew dark, magically transforming him from a grandfatherly bear of a man to something big and dangerous.”Maybe you should sit down.”
Tyler glared at him for a moment and smiled. “Relax, Frankie-boy. We’re all friends here.”
Berger put his glasses back on. “Somebody should go check on Jenkins.”
“What is he, your boy-,“ Tyler started to say before he caught another glimpse of Franklin’s face.
“Maybe the same thing that got him that got Anderson,” Franklin said.
Tyler let out a long, loud sigh. “Nothing got him. He just walked right out into the snow.” He shrugged. “The only thing that got him was the weather. Happens down here all the time.”
“I’ve seen things moving around out there, in the snow,” Franklin said.
“You already said that,” Tyler replied.
“Before he left, Anderson said he was hearing things.” Berger nodded toward the nearest door. “Out here.”
Tyler grunted. “Hence the matter of him walking out into a hundred degrees below zero weather sans parka.”
Franklin leaned forward. “What did he hear?”
Berger shrugged. “I don’t know. He said sometimes they sounded like voices calling but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. He did say he thought he heard his name once or twice though.”
Tyler closed his eyes and shook his head. “So Anderson was hearing ghosts.”
“I don’t know what they were!” Berger screamed then leaned back and took a deep breath.
“The Rapture,” Franklin said. “That’s when the dead are judged, right?”
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “So this is the Rapture? The End of Days and all that nonsense? And those things you say you see out there are the spirits of the dead?”
“You got a better explanation?” Berger growled.
“Yeah, you’re both losing it. I haven’t seen or heard a damn thing. What does that tell you? It tells me I’m the only one around here who isn’t crazy.”
“Or you’re the only one here with your head shoved up your ass.”
“Okay.” Tyler nodded. “Okay, smart guy. Explain this. If this is the Rapture and you guys have been seeing ghosts, where are they down here? Why aren’t they up in heaven getting judged? Or down in hell or whatever?”
Franklin sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Berger shrugged. “Who said the guys that wrote the Bible got it exactly right? I mean, the thing was translated and re-translated and edited dozens of times. Who knows what it originally said?”
“Or…” Tyler stroked his chin, “or, maybe it’s all just a bunch of superstitious crap. How do you know it’s not, I don’t know, a scientific experiment that got out of control? Or an alien invasion? Or maybe a miniature black hole opened up in the middle of the ocean and sucked up half the world. I mean, as long as we’re speculating here, why not pull out all the stops?”
“Does that mean you agree something did happen?” Franklin asked.
“Well, obviously something is going on. I just don’t think an invisible man in the sky is necessarily the best explanation.”
“I-“ Berger started to say before pausing to follow Tyler’s wide-eyed stare. Standing in the doorway at the far side of the room was Jenkins. He was dressed in a sweat-stained flannel underwear shirt that, save for his slight potbelly, hung loosely on his sparse frame, a crisp new pair of jeans, and heavy boots which he hadn’t bothered to lace. Every square inch of exposed skin, from the top of his heavily receded hairline to the tips of his fingers, was a nasty shade of red. Jenkins seemed heedless of the heavy, rapidly melting dusting of snow that covered him from head to toe as he stood dripping in the doorway.
“Jesus, Jenkins,” Tyler breathed.
“It’s time to go,” Jenkins said.
Berger stood up. “Where have you been, man?”
“It’s time to go,” Jenkins repeated.
“What happened?” Franklin asked.
Jenkins raised his right hand, which held a pistol. “It’s time to go.”
Tyler slowly stood up and lifted his hands palms outward. “Whoa, hold on a second. What are you talking about? Go where?”
Jenkins motioned in the direction he’d come from. “Out there. They’re waiting for us.”
Franklin stood up but didn’t raise his hands. “Who?”
Jenkins smiled. “You’ll see.”
“For God’s sake, what’s out there?” Berger whined.
“You’ll know when you meet them,” Jenkins said and cocked the pistol’s hammer.
One by one they filed through the door, Franklin in the lead and Jenkins bringing up the rear. “Can we put our coats on at least?” Tyler asked.
Jenkins shook his head.”You won’t need them.”
As it turned out, Jenkins was right on both counts.
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