The Levee

Bliss was in a valley off the coast of Lake Imperial, one of those sea sized lakes. Some of the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen you'll find on Lake Imperial. They look like the beaches on the ocean, nothing but sand for miles to either side east or west looking out over a horizon that was endless miles of fresh water. Behind you was an entire beach community, called Arbordale. Nothing but huge houses there, hundreds of em' lining the hill behind the beach. They say all that saves our valley community is the levee that holds back the river running from the lake through town from flooding over and drowning everyone living here in our glorious slum community of Bliss.

It was raining for about nine days off and on, more on than off. The entire town was flooded, cars treading water if they could make it through. This flooding happens about once a year, when the piles of snow melt at the same time that the rainy season starts, not a very good combination. This time it was different though, it hadn't rained that much in a while. Every town on the coast of Imperial, Bliss and Arbordale included were on alert, might need to start evacuating soon. Everyone in Arbordale would make it out fine, nothing but lawyers and doctors living there. But they always forgot about us down in Bliss, no income here, they keep shutting down factories, no one can afford anything, pricks, how the hell are we supposed to get out?

No big deal though, been this bad before, been worse and nothing doin'. All that happens is insurance companies in Arbordale pay the landlords here to fix their property and everyone in Arbordale stays rich while everyone in Bliss loses all their worldly possessions. Good thing I don't have any. No one was going to die this spring, just like no one died the previous year, or the year before. Everyone is just going to get more depressed.

I dreamt about my childhood often. My dreams were always real vivid, lifelike even. I always come tearing out of the backdoor of my childhood house calling out into the woods "Dad, dinner's ready, where are you Dad?"

"I'm on Mars!" he calls back, one of his more common responses. I go dashing into one of the paths he carved out himself that leads to the exact spot I know he'll be standing, a spot that overlooked the valley, a perfect sight at sunset. The sky rages in deep oranges that fade into a soft yet bright pink, spotted with dark purple clouds. I stand there; a child clung to my father's leg watching this painting from God for another moment before we start to head in.

A loud startling knock at the hollow maple door shocked me from my sleep, my paradise. I knew what this was about before I even turned over to get up. I was five weeks late on the rent. I got fired from my security job seven weeks prior for no real reason. They said I fell asleep too much. That isn't entirely true, yes I fall asleep sometimes, no I'm not very motivated, but I never once missed a shift. I hardly searched for a new job; I think I was happier without one. I could just sit around and think things out all day then have a few beers and watch the game at night of whatever sport was currently in season. But not having a job did have its down sides.

I opened the door dressed only in my boxers. A man in a trench coat and top hat stood at the poorly lit doorstep.

"McNeil?" he asked me, face hidden under the brim of his hat, water dripping off onto the green rug in front of my door reading, "Welcome."

"Yeah."

"Shane McNeil?"

"Yeah."

"Get what you can and get out, time for you to go," he said to me without even looking me in the eyes, coward. A couple of men in Canadian tuxedos pushed past me and started to move my furniture on to the outdoor walkway that ran around the apartment complex. I walked back into my bedroom, threw some clothes and shoes on, put my wallet in my coat pocket, I still had fifty bucks to last me 'till…whenever. The man in the hat walked in after me and stood in the doorway.

"You can use my cell phone call a friend to help ya' move if you'd like." I glared at him in disbelief for a second putting gloves into my pocket and putting my old baseball hat on.

"Eh, fuck it," I said and walked past him. Did the man who just threw me out of my house really try to do me a favor? How 'bout three thousand dollars? How self righteous, I gotta' throw you out on your ass, but at least I'll look like a decent guy doing it neh? I walked out of the apartment past all the furniture that was mine for a few years lying out there on the walkway getting drenched in this downpour. They could keep it; most of it was there when I moved in anyhow.

I started over to Leanne's. It wasn't too far a walk, only a couple blocks. Just enough time to avoid the rain.

As I turned a corner people were lined up along the sidewalk all looking up with hands on their brows. Ashes rained from the sky, an apocalyptic shower, turning the puddles on the streets black. A woman screamed for help from her tenth story window, arms waving out the window as smoke carried the life out of the building, high into the starry night.

Fire engines could be heard off in the distance. Bliss' fire department was located on the Arbordale border, just in case anything went wrong there. A few stragglers came running out of the front door and fire escapes, coughing and heaving, finally breathing their first clean breaths after escaping their burning lives. Everything they own, just a memory, relegated to the past. You could feel sorry for them, but what's the point? These people have no possessions to worry about now, no need to worry about how they're going to get that bed fixed. If everything works out well for them, they'll even get brand new stuff.

Fire burst out of the windows of the apartment like a hundred burning eyes peering out from hell. The woman in the window was still there, more time and coughing in-between cries, each cry sounding more and more pathetic. I wonder if I was in the same position, facing my own death with the option of taking my own life, would I close my eyes and take a plunge? Or resign myself to prayer and face the pain?

No sooner than this question popped into my head the woman was plummeting to her death. She didn't scream anymore, she accepted that it was her time. Her body flopped to the ground, lifeless on impact, if not sooner. You could see every bone bend and break, every muscle rip and explode.

Those are the true survivors, the people who look death in the eye and say, "fuck you death, you're not taking my life, I'm bringing it to you."

The sky mocked the woman as rain began to pour over the city, turning the ash on our faces to black tears before washing it to the sewers. The fire trucks and ambulances arrived fashionably late and began blasting the fire with water, giving the survivors oxygen. An EMT ran over to me frantically as I was standing near a couple people coughing their hearts out "Everyone relax!" he yelled out in a way to let everyone know, help was here. "Sir, are you all right?" he said to me, preparing oxygen masks, a true hero.

"Well," I said lighting up a cigarette, "I don't need to breathe," I said as smoke billowed out of my mouth...

to be continued...