called. "Jim, Jim. It's time to go to bed." Reaching over to touch his shoulder, an unfamiliar clammy sense of dread cloaked her. He didn't respond. "Jim, Jim, please wake up." She touch

ad bodies. After picking out groceries, she just walked out of the store. There was nobody to pay. What was happening? How could she move forward in a world like this? She needed Jim and Chris. The pain was too much to bear alone. She needed to be with other people. With Alecia and Jillian, at least. The phone rang. She jumped, and then realized it was time for her 3 p.m. call with Alecia and Jillian. THE PHONE CALL Darkest Day Jillian, Washington DC. 4:00 p.m. Tanya, Nashville, TN. 3:00 p.m. Alecia, San Francisco, CA 1:00 p.m. The three friends caught each other up on what they had found. Sadness overwhelmed them. The line went silent as each of them grieved over what they had lost and what the others had lost. "Does anyone have any idea what has happened?" Tanya asked. "A virus? But why were we spared?" Alecia speculated. "Or a terrorist attack, or a nuclear attack. I wonder how many have survived. I ran into a man who is with me," Jillian said. Why was she hesitant to tell her best friends that he was a convicted murderer? "I found a couple of teenagers who are expecting a baby." Alecia said. "No one here." Tanya said. "Jillian is coming here. Are you bringing the man you found? Alecia, why don't you come too?" "Yes, I'm bringing him." Jillian replied. "I could come there," Alecia replied. "Or you could all come to California." My parents have a cabin, a house in Monterey. It sleeps up to 9 people. That will give us plenty of room. And there are twenty-four more cabins we could expand into if we find others that need a place to stay. We also have the advantage of the year around nice weather. We wouldn't have to deal with snow storms, hurricanes or tornadoes." 'No. Just earthquakes," Jillian said. "I guess no place is perfect," Alecia said. "But these cabins are luxurious. I think they would be a perfect place if we decide to start a community. And if we don't, it would still be a good place for the four of us to start over." "You know that sounds wonderful, after the cold winter we've had. What do you think, Tanya?" "Whatever you think is best." Tanya said, It was unlike Tanya not to have an opinion. Jillian realized it was her grief talking. The three friends talked a little longer. They shared memories of those they had lost, and then planned to talk at the same time the next day. They would support each other on their l journeys to Monterey. There, they would decide what to do next. Alecia Later in the Darkest Day Castro Valley, CA After her phone call, Alecia could no longer delay. Her parents' house was unlocked and Alecia trembling with fear as walked through the empty rooms calling, "Mom, Dad, where are you?" The scent of the vanilla candles her mom loved wafted through the house. Dead silence filled the air. She halted at the door of her parents' bedroom and knocked. There was no answer. Forcing herself to go in, she found her parents laying together in their king-size bed, not moving.She moved to the bed and noticed their eyes staring blankly. She waved her hands over them, but they didn't blink. Gently, she gathered her mother in her arms and gave way to uncontrollable sobs. It was too much. Her brain rebelled at the thought of accepting this unimaginable horror. She remembered, as a child, running in, jumping on the bed and waking them up to tell them some great news-things like Santa had come, getting an "A" on her history exam, making the cheerleading squad, being accepted to UC Berkeley, and being chosen as valedictorian. It played like a vivid movie through her mind. Her mind refused to accept she would never see their looks of love and pride again. Becky hesitantly approached the bed. What could she do? How could she help? She was just a young girl and didn't know how to deal with all this death and grief. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide. But she realized she needed to suck it up and help anyway she could. From the dresser, she picked up a box of Kleenex and handed it to Alecia. She murmured her sympathy and held Alecia close as she wept. After a while, Alecia sat there, stunned, remembering her happy days as a child. She could not wrap her mind around the fact that her parents would never see her walking down the aisle with her yet-to-be-selected husband. They would not hold their grandbabies or even take the cross-country trip in the motor home they bought. She broke into unconsolable sobs again. After a while. Becky slipped out and went downstairs to Hank. "She can't stop crying. And I don't blame her. How can we all have lost everyone we love?" Hank wrapped his arms around her and said, "I don't understand what's happening. How can everyone be dead? Do you think our parents are dead?" Becky said, "I don't know. It seems like a science fiction movie. But it's happ