The Rising Tide      

“Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink” Steve sang to himself as he hiked the path. The wind was chilly and he pulled his coat tighter to his frame. He didn’t look back. He wasn’t ready to see what was behind him. Not yet anyway.

The smell of salt in the air sent a shiver down his spine.

Shelia and the kids probably never felt a thing. Steve thought to himself for the thousandth time since leaving his car on the bridge. Forever jammed with the hundreds of other abandoned vehicles. Downtown was swamped in seconds … so they couldn’t have suffered for more than a minute, right?

That was the question haunting him.

One foot in front of another, his thousand dollar dress shoes not suited for the rough trail up the mountain. For seventy two hours they’d held together but now they were failing.

I’m so fucking tired.

But Steve needed to get to the ridge. He needed that 360 degree view. He needed to see it all for himself. There had been no warning. One second the sky had been clear, a beautiful September day, the next the sea surged and the coast … all of the coasts were inundated.

This isn’t reality. This is a bad Michael Bay movie.

But Steve knew it was real, he’d seen the city center from the span of the bridge. Everything was gone. The radio, at least the stations still broadcasting, were screaming about the collapse of the ice sheets.

This shit doesn’t happen.

But it had, for three days he’d tried to reach higher ground. Everyone was heading for the continental interior. The roads were choked. There was no way to make it without air transport or the protection of hardened troops. There were stories on the road of just that, soldiers sweeping to get high value people out.

Nobody cares about a high priced attorney.

Steve was hungry, Steve was tired, and Steve was scared. But once he got to the top of the ridge he would be able to rest. When he’d achieved his goal he could sleep.

I hope it was like sleeping for Shelia and the kids.

He knew it wasn’t … he knew they’d been scared.

He didn’t know he was crying.

The sun was dropping below the horizon leaving the sky a brilliant pink and orange. The kids loved nights like this. Shelia loved nights like this. Steve loved nights like this.

I can see the top.

The bench and high powered binoculars were maintained by the park service. Steve asked Shelia to marry him here. His adult life began here.

Only right to finish it here.

Steve sat, the sun disappearing below the horizon.

“I will see you soon Baby” Steve said.