I've started writing again. I'm working on a fiction piece and my overall goal is to publish it no matter how bad it is. So here's chapter one, tell me what you think...
On a day not unlike any other when all was as it usually is, the end of all things normal came to be. It came at a time when it was least expected…as it is expected to. How the unexpected came to be is unusual, however. This is the story of how the unexpected brought about a choice that one man would make. That choice would determine not only his eternal fate, but those of his family, friends, and neighbors as well as anyone else who was there on that final day.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Chapter 1
Little Rock, Arkansas
Central Area, North American Union
The alarm went off without a shred of regret. Slowly, fighting against the desire to stay in bed, Dave hit the snooze button. Fumbling over the nightstand, his hand did not locate what he was looking for.
“Honey,” Dave whispered to his wife, “where are my glasses?”
“Where you always leave them,” came the reply.
“They’re not here.”
“Because you put them somewhere else.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“No.”
Reluctantly, Dave crawled out of bed. At 33 years old, he felt pretty good. He could be in better shape, could use more hair up top, but all in all, he felt pretty good. A flip of a light-switch illuminated the bathroom. The mornings were so routine for Dave, it was as if he was on autopilot getting out of bed. To anyone else, Dave’s routines may be annoying, but, to Dave, the alternative would be annoying: chaos. Dave enjoyed his routines. They were almost a necessity for his existence. He did not like change.
Dave slipped out of his pajamas and turned the shower on. It had to be hot water. The water cascaded down his back between the shoulder blades. He could feel his muscles begin to unwind, the tension in his joints loosening. As he slowly turned to let the water drench his body, Dave’s mind drifted to recent events on the world stage.
A few years ago, Congress had passed a bill that was sent to the fifty then-United States for ratification. The bill was an amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America that allowed the nation to join a new organization. The idea was to combine the United States with Canada and Mexico to create a trade union to better compete with the European Union and China. The amendment was ratified unanimously.
Within a year, however, more and more powers were taken from the countries’ governments and ceded to the new union in order to be more efficient and streamline existing systems. Crossing into and out of Mexico from the United States was now a matter of stopping at a station resembling a toll booth and allowing a border officer to scan your DNA. Instantly, a person’s entire profile, their credit history, their recent purchases, any criminal activity, was cross-referenced with a database of known terrorists and suspected accomplices. This system made crossing into and out the three countries as smooth as quicksilver.
There had been some protesting at the beginning of the outlay of the new DNA identification system, almost entirely from religious circles. But eventually, reason won out… especially when the North American tribunal made anyone not allowing DNA samples to be taken and catalogued a felon.
The Presidents of the United States and Mexico along with the Prime Minister of Canada were demoted to regional governors in job if not in title two years after. All law-making authority along with chief command of all armed forces from the three nations were ceded as well to the North American Union, also known as the NAU. At that point, in essence, the United States of America, along with the sovereign nations of Canada and Mexico, ceased to exist.
On the world scene, in the Middle East, final preparations on a treaty that would unify Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, and the new nation-state of Palestine into a single trade union (prematurely called the United Arab Union by the Arab countries) was reportedly close to being finished. The Knesset in Israel was holding out for the name to be the Middle Eastern Union. Negotiations were deadlocked currently with Israel balking over land rights. It was only after the chief negotiator from the United Nations, former Italian lawmaker Peter Romani, became involved that stalled talks resumed. The document creating a trade union in the Middle East was signed by all members and the Middle Eastern Union was born.
“Are you almost done?” The voice was muffled through the door, but his wife’s tone was apparent: he had been too long and was now cutting into her shower time not to mention her hot water.
Dave shook his head quickly. How long had he been in the shower?
“Almost,” he yelled back. He quickly turned the water off, got out of the shower and toweled off. He met his wife’s angry eyes with a slight grin as he opened the shower door.
“Good morning, hon.” He tried a peck on her cheek, but Meg was in the bathroom and slamming the door while Dave was in motion.
“Good morning to you, too,” Dave muttered under his breath as he trudged back to the bedroom to get his clothes. Just another beautiful Monday.
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Meg turned the shower on all the way to hot hoping her husband didn’t use all the hot water. As the water poured from the shower head, heat forced much of the water into steam.
“There are miracles today,” she thought as she turned the temperature back to warm feeling secure there was enough hot water to take a good shower. As she undressed and stepped in, Meg’s mind started walking through her day. Breakfast, get their son, Sam, off to school; finish the laundry started the night before, the list seemed to go on and on. It made her tired to just think about it all. She didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, once the water became icy cold.
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“Mitchell!”, the voice wave barreled down the hallway and straight into and up Dave’s spine. Late again.
Dave quickly walked up to his boss’s office door. A light knock on the door succeeded the icy invitation to enter.
“About time you got here, Mitchell, “the man growled, “Most of us have to work for a living, you know.” The man, John Watson, was a man in his upper 50s, well-groomed, educated, and not very happy at the moment. “Sit down.”
Dave quickly sat in the chair in front of the desk. He found himself face to face with the man who was not only his supervisor but also his friend.
“Sorry I was late this morning, sir, “Dave said.
“Cut the crap, Dave, “John replied, “let’s just get to it.” Just like John, Dave thought, to cut right to the heart of the matter. “You’re a good reporter, Dave..”
“Which is why you love me…”
“But I have to let you go.”
Dave’s world just went into a tailspin. No way he just heard that he was fired. “What?”
“I have to let you go.”
“Why?”
“With this global NewsNet online now, the paper can’t afford to pay your salary.”
The global NewsNet, the combined resources of the recently merged CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, was the dreaded giant of the news industry. Printed news was soon to be all-but-dead in the wake of this internet monster, and now it was here. In Dave’s face. Taking his job.
“I’m sorry” was all John could manage. “I wish there was another way.”
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“All he said was the paper couldn’t afford my salary, “Dave said.
Dave had dialed his wife just as he left the building. He knew she’d have questions, but the next one threw him off a little: “What did you do wrong? Were you late again?”
Dave loathed questions. He was always afraid of saying something incriminating even though he is innocent and no one has accused him of anything. Still, he just knew one day he’d be before a judge, asked the wrong questions by a slick lawyer and be sentenced to life for any crime a prosecutor could imagine. Hey, Dave thought, many movies and stories had been written based on the innocent person going to jail or worse, being put to death. He felt his head was on the chopping block now.
“Yes, I was a little late again this morning, “Dave managed, “but I don’t think that had anything to do with it.”
“What are we going to do?” Meg was sounding frantic and Dave wished he hadn’t called her. “I don’t have a job and Sam’s tuition is due this week.”
The tuition. Dave had heard all he wanted to hear about this. His son, Sam, attended a private Christian school. The tuition was hefty, but Meg swore it was worth it. Neither she nor Dave were qualified to handle Sam’s education (in other words, home-school him), so a private school was the way to go. Public education seemed to be going down a one-way road, a slippery road headed downhill, since the NAU took control of all matters. The NAU favored a “level playing field” approach to education: the same for everyone. It seemed to be a takeoff of “The No Child Left Behind” approach of the beginning of the century. Dave felt it all boiled down to the socialist philosophies the world’s leaders were adopting.
“I’ll work it out.”
“How? We don’t have any money!” Yes, Meg was frantic now.
“End call.” The line went silent. Dave stuck the earpiece back in his pocket.“What am I going to do now?” Dave muttered under his breath.
The drive home seemed the last thing Dave wanted to take, so he opted for a drive through the city instead. For one reason, to scan for “help wanted” signs and, also, to clear his mind and try to analyze what had happened this morning. It just occurred to Dave that the word “analyze” began with the word “anal,” and he couldn’t help but smile. Out of work and still making jokes. What was wrong with him? This was a very serious problem facing him. In fact, it was the problem that all men feared facing: not being able to provide for their families.
Still, he felt like everything would be fine. It had to be, didn’t it? After all, if it wouldn’t be fine, then he and his family were all in very big trouble. A sharp pain of panic gripped him. How would they eat? Pay rent? All of a sudden, life was anything but good and Dave had nowhere to turn.
Heading out of town, Dave pulled off the road onto a shoulder. As his car came to a stop, Dave gripped the steering wheel so hard his fingers hurt.
“God,” he prayed aloud, “we’ve reached a dead end and I don’t know what to do. You’ve provided for us before and I know You will do it now. Help me through my fear, in Jesus’ Name, amen.” In his heart, Dave knew God heard him.
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Monday mornings on Capital Hill are anything but routine. And this morning is no exception. Senator Glenn Thomas felt like he had seen it all when the NAU was created some years back. Then the tribunal took control of more and more until it seemed Congress was little more than a puppet on the stage with no idea who was pulling the strings. Most of the congressmen and congresswomen felt the strings were being pulled by the tribunal, yet there were some who thought there might be something or someone behind the scenes, the real puppet master. But it was all conspiracy talk and Glenn had no time for such speculations.
Glenn became a congressman at the age of 40 when he was appointed by the governor of Arkansas to replace Melanie Olson, who abdicated her chair after charges of corruption were brought forward. As a rookie politician on the national stage, Glenn learned early to keep his head down and not ask questions. After Glenn was re-elected time and time again, however, he gained a boldness that caused him to speak out in hearings and question the motives of others. His straight talk and “no bull” campaigns earned him chairs in various committees and there had once been talk about a run for the White House, but that was 27 years ago. Today, Senator Glenn Thomas is 67 years old and seriously contemplating his retirement from politics.
“Mornin’, Mike,” Glenn offered as he entered his office using his Arkansas drawl. He was amazed that he felt pride in keeping his accent despite living with the Yankees in Washington.
“Good morning, Mr. Senator,” responded Michael.
Michael Turpin, Glenn Thomas’ assistant, rose from his desk to greet his boss. “Have you read the news this morning, sir?”
“I haven’t seen my paper yet.”
“I meant on the NewsNet, sir.” The Senator hated technology. Especially computers.
“Again, no. Why? What’s up?”
“New directives from the tribunal will be announced soon, sir. Rumor is that it’s major.”
Glenn reminisced to himself of a time when the people made the laws and Congress was their voice. Now, the tribunal made policy and Congress was little more than a daycare for old hat politicians waiting to retire.
“How soon?”
“Within the hour.”
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Meg just could not believe it. Her husband. Their provider. Unemployed. She wanted to be angry with Dave, but deep down she knew he was doing his best. Except for being late nearly every Monday. Couldn’t he have just left earlier on Monday mornings? She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She had her own agenda today and this crisis would not be going anywhere soon. She may as well do her duty today. What else would she do? Sit around all day and worry? What good would that do? Didn’t Jesus say that she should just worry for today? That tomorrow would have enough worries of its own?
“Sam,” she called out, “let’s go, honey, time for school.”
“I don’t want to go, “came the response.
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