The Best-Laid Plans of Rats and Men

Clouds of dust plumed up as sheets of residue fell off the windowsills. Long abandoned, the house shuddered under the force of the bombs as they made impact nearby. It was a pity they weren't closer. They could have drowned out the wails of the sirens and the screams of the dead.

They could have drowned out my unrelenting stream of thought that never seemed to stop. But alas, the bombs never seemed to fall close enough to my house. All day long, all I heard were explosions, sirens, and screams while my thoughts raced around in my head.

I only one bomb — one small munition — would strike in the right place I could collect enough insurance money. No matter what I did my house stayed safe. I would have to find another way to pay for my new face. Perhaps I could do the transplant myself. All I needed was a

I tried to occupy my mind with a book to no avail. Following one of the bomb blasts the power had gone out and sun was fading fast. I gathered candles and glared at the pantry for no-cook dinner options. That’s when I heard a high pitched whistling noise growing louder.

My perception of time changed in that moment. The seconds that followed were viscous as I struggled into the relative safety of the pantry. And then, just as I closed the door, I felt the earth shift beneath me and heard the impact.

The lighting failed as the room shook and I lost my balance, hitting the stone floor awkwardly. The shaking reduced to a low but persistent rumble as I lay there submerged in an oppressive blackness. Multiple alarms were sounding nearby, and an ominous repetitious thud

caused the floor to vibrate under me. Was it a giant creature or some enormous machine? I rose unsteadily to my feet, and with my hands I followed the nearest wall toward the place I remembered seeing the entrance to this cavern.

It was hard to judge the passage of time underground, but it must be long after dark or I would be able to see some daylight filtering in, surely. The walls and even the air were joining in the low deep thrum from the floor. My teeth began to ache. I had to get out of here before

the vibration ground my joints into dust and the moisture and mold seeped into my lungs. My best bet to escape the cave was upwards. I’d take it slow and careful, and conserve my flashlight batteries. Upwards!

I climbed the rocky wall of the cave, I saw a light, I finally know that I escaped from there after so long.