(February 14, 2025)

It was a Friday night. Just a Friday like any other. Novocane4dasoul was getting ready for a fun night out with friends at a club downtown, and they couldn’t wait to get moving.

They checked out their reflection in the mirror, tucked away a stray piece of hair, then started for the door to wait for their ride.

But when they opened the door, they didn’t see their street. Instead, all they saw was an empty wasteland. Confused, they closed the door and looked back into their house. Everything there was as it was supposed to be.

Again, they opened the door. Nothing except sand and dust and the withered fragments of the maple tree that had stood in their yard.

(March 20, 2025)

Novocane slammed the door shut and sucked in a deep breath. Then another. Then another. When they were sure their heart wasn’t about to beat out of their chest, they eased the door open again. Just a crack. Just enough to see the first stretch of land at the end of their porch.

Nothing. No signs of life anywhere.

Carefully and so, so slowly, they opened the door wider.

All the other houses on the street were gone. The cars were gone. The road remained, but it was half-buried under the dust the gusted in the wind.

A wind the reeked of ozone. A coming storm. Chaos.