Nightmare

I guess we all have nightmares.  This may not be anything special, but it's one I had last night that hurt a lot.  Very vivid, very gut wrenching -- strangely nerdy.  When I woke up, I immediately wrote down everything I could think of before it vanished.  My "show don't tell" approach was abandoned in the name of efficiency.

Scientists have predicted that as the universe expands through space-time, there will be a critical point where reactions will almost instantaneously break down, where the gaps between the particles of space become so large and the energy is not high enough to allow the subatomic particles to move.  At the beginning of time when all was a singularity, energy was infinite, but as all things hurtled from all other things, energy levels fell, becoming the slight cosmic background radiation we can still detect.  My dream began moments before this critical breakdown, where the cosmic background radiation is approaching zero.  When this story is over, the energy will be zero.

My children are staying at my sister Amanda’s the night the final event occurs.  This is the last part of my dream.

I am with Krissy and  my sister and my brother in-law, Vanessa and Bobby.  We are dressing up to go out when all  television and radio stations erupt with an emergency broadcast.  In my case, this was president Obama speaking, “Be with your families.  We have lived dutifully and without shame.  If there is a hereafter, then best wishes to you.”  He seemed calm and accepting, but the people behind him were wiping their eyes.  I looked at Krissy.  “I can’t believe that this is real.”  Krissy looks back at me, holding her head.

“But don’t worry, if it’s true, and it happens, we won’t even know, we’ll simply disappear.”

Krissy walks over to a window and pulls back a curtain.  It isn’t just dark.  It’s grey.  It’s fuzzy.  “I don’t think so.”  She says.

But it isn’t that the outside is grey and fuzzy.  Everything is grey and fuzzy.  I immediately leap to Krissy's side, but it all feels like slow-time.  “I love you.”  I’m crying, and I just repeat it over and over, not knowing how many seconds are left.  I realize though that the feeling of chaos isn’t happening quickly enough.  There's still some time left.  I suppose in a dream, anything is possible.  I capitalize on the situation, and I crawl to the phone.  While lying weak on the floor, I make my last phone call to my sister.  I don’t know the number.  My memory is fading.  I just need to talk to my daughters.

Bobby tells me the number, but his voice scrambled when he speaks, and it takes several attempts.  He is lying back with Vanessa in his arms, he’s obviously frustrated and is basically shouting at me, but still he repeats the number over and over while I try to dial.

Chuck picks up.  “Is Amanda there?”  My voice sounds like a tape player slowing down at parts.

 

“I’m sorry, we are busy praying.”  I could barely recognize him, but I can hear crying in the background.

“Please, Chuck, it’s Michael, I need to speak to my girls.” 

He pauses, and then acquiesces. “Just a minute, Michael.”

“Hi daddy”  I can barely understand her.  She sounds subdued, but not scared.

“Hi baby, I love you so much sweetie.  I’m your daddy and I love you so much.”

“I love you daddy.  Hey, guess what?”

“What is it honey?”

“We’re not going to wake up tomorrow.  I get to go to Heaven and see you and mommy tonight.”

I lose it.  But I try to squeeze the words out.  “I know honey.  I can’t wait.  I love you and your sister.”  Krissy is holding me.  “Are you in bed?”

“Daddy I can’t see anything.”

“I love you honey.  Let me speak to Ashley.”  I can’t see anything, I just squeeze Krissy’s hand as she kisses my arm.

Madison replies, “I love you d—“

And the universe is no more.