The kids are shooting BB guns at a tin can on a fence again.
The old man is jumping up and down in his parlor, rattling the furniture.
The woman's tears are so heavy in her eyes that they bend her over
until it's her greasy hair that's mopping the floor, and her own
body liquids that fill the bucket. Ben is praying urgently to God,
throwing up his arms until they almost touch the ceiling.
The storm is rising. Bullets firing, old man jumping, woman weeping...
it's all part of it. The end of the world would always be an
accumulation of small, annoying things. And this time it’s local.
Besides which, the toaster isn't working.
Meanwhile, the Antichrist is delivering mail to the neighborhood.
Or he drives by in a milk truck. And look, it's the four horsemen
of the apocalypse… Shell, Walgreens, Home Depot. Burger King.
Who doesn't float up with the angels will burn in the coming hell.
But then the kids run out of shot. The old man's medicine kicks in.
The woman's phone rings, A short conversation ensues. She's
calm now, goes about her business. Ben thanks God for intervening.
It's not the end of the world after all. Just a preview. But the
toaster still won't toast and he can't afford to buy a new one.
But he's sure the apocalypse can't involve just him. This has to
be an electrical problem that needs fixing. He must remember to call a priest.