Chapter 1 Strange New Dawn (Part one)

Michael Johnson is woken at 3 in the mornig with strange lights filling the sky

Awake! I raise my head slightly from the pillow and can just see over the duvet clad mound of Alice to the small illuminated clock on her side of the bed. It reads 3.12 changing to 3.13 as I watch. The room glows with a strange unnatural light. This, along with every damn dog in the neighbourhood barking and birds shrieking in a dawn chorus from hell has woken me.  

I have a vague recollection of hearing a muffled distant boom, but I'm not sure if this was real or part of my interrupted dream with Rosslynne slamming a door as she left. I look at Alice breathing rhythmically in her sleep beside me; 'wake up, it's late we've overslept.' 

She wakes with a start, 'what, what time is it?' 

'Don't know, the clock says 3.13 but that can't be right, the batteries? Look it's daylight, must be at least eight, God I'm gonna be late again now.' 

'Can't be eight,' she mumbles, 'too tired,' already going back to sleep. 

I open the bedside drawer and take out my watch the time says 3.13, puzzling? It can't be pm, I mean I had a few last night and this light does have a late afternoon mid-winter quality, but at this hour of a January morning it should be pitch black. Maybe a newly installed security light has been triggered by a late night drunk or prowling cat, that would explain the birds, perhaps just a stationary car headlight? I get up to look, moving clumsily to the window that as always has the curtains drawn back. 

From this second floor bedroom on the South coast, according to the Letting Agent, you almost have a sea glimpse, though not quite. I don't really know the point he was trying to make when he told me this fact, but for some strange reason I was impressed. Sometimes, especially if it's stormy, you can hear the sea, but definitely no view. One time I even thought there might be a way to build some structure or extension on the roof, we have a small private terrace up there, just to get that mythical sea glimpse. But Alice, ever practical said the landlord wouldn't go with it, we wouldn't get planning permission, plus it would cost a fortune. Of course she was joylessly right as always, but nobody likes a know it all, especially not me, who according to most people, knows sod all. 

As I stagger towards the window, too late I realize I'm naked, not a pretty sight at the best of times, but now unprepared, gut hanging out exposing myself at a window in the early hours of the morning definitely not a good look. I cover my crotch with one hand, easily done, while making a grab for my bath robe hanging on the bedroom door with the other. I stand on one of Alice's shoes, trip and half fall, steadying myself by leaning on the bed by her head.  

She opens her eyes, stares at my dick dangling just three inches from her face and says; 'behave yourself Michael, I'm tired and have a bit of a headache.'  

'Look, I'm not- I trod on your bloody shoe while trying to put my robe on and fell over, why do you always leave them in the middle of the floor?' 

I regain my balance put on my robe and return to the window to see what's going on, peering owl like into the eerie light of a bizarre false dawn. The strange light covers the whole sky, diffused by a thick sea mist which is just hanging in the still air. Looking east I can see a brighter glow on the horizon where the sun would normally rise some four hours later. In the communal garden of the block I can see two foxes mating frenziedly. For some reason I feel it necessary to bang rather feebly on the window, I don't know why. Neither of the in-flagrante foxes take any notice of me, anyway, even if they did, what would I do? Look disapproving, wave my arms, say shoo? Why not just let them do it, lucky b******s. After all it's not my daughter being screwed out there, not that I've got kids anyway thank Christ. The foxes break free, one barks and they're gone. The floor show is over. 

The light seems to be getting steadily brighter and despite the heavy mist, I can tell the sun is still below the horizon. Also, I swear that when I went to bed last night it was freezing with a frost forming. Now, with the gardens illuminated by this strange light, I can see that any ice has melted and the grass and trees are steaming almost as if on fire adding to the general haziness caused by the mist.  

With the light perceptibly increasing I'm feeling some concern now that the glow maybe something sinister. Perhaps a nuclear strike, Iran or North Korea comes to mind, or one of the reactors on the French coast has melted down and exploded. Napoleons revenge, 'take zat perfidious Albion, blow east wind blow. My fears are not eased as I try to turn on the television and get only static hiss and white noise. I try the radio but get more of the same.  

I've read somewhere that an electromagnetic pulse would precede a nuclear explosion and this pulse would disable satellites and electricity. My already feverish speculation is only further enhanced as I switch on the bedside lamp and nothing happens. I try once more get another click but no light. I nudge Alice, who has gone back to sleep lying on her back eyes spastically twitching beneath closed lids, REM sleep, dreaming a woman's dreams of who knows what. 

'Wake up, something's happened, it might be serious.' 

'What, what's happened, turn the damn light off.' 

'It's not on, the light's outside.' 

'Well get someone to turn it off, I've got to get up for work soon.'  

'Look I told you earlier its daylight or something, but at the wrong time, it's only just after three in the morning but it's somehow daylight.' 

'Oh God, have we overslept, what time is it?' 

'I already told you, just after three.' 

'Why did you wake me up I was having a lovely dream, children on a sunny beautiful beach, they were mine. I was happy. 

'Was I in it, your dream?' 

'No I said I was happy. Go back to sleep and turn off that sodding light.' 

'Jesus, look something's wrong. Maybe a nuclear explosion or war or something there might be fallout or a Tsunami.' 

'Lucky we're a long way back from the sea then.' 

'No we're not you can almost see it, if you went up to the roof and had a little platform or something you can hear it- sometimes.' 

'Yeah right, anyway stop panicking, the TV and lights aren't working I told you to fix that dodgy fuse.'  

'It's not the fuse, it's everything. ' 

'Haven't we got one of those electricity emergency cover things that fixes faulty wiring and stuff, give them a call in the morning.' 

'This has got nothing to do with Southern Electric, British Gas or Sky TV, its outside, maybe the sun? I don't know.' 

Alice fully wakes, pulls back the duvet gets out of bed and pads across the room to join me. She looks great standing in the gentle glow by the window in her short silk nightie, hair sleep tousled downright sexy, in fact the complete opposite of me when I've been woken at three in the morning. As if by accident I let my robe fall open and stand behind her pressing my hardening c**k into her backside and gently squeeze her breasts and nibble the back of her neck. She wiggles provocatively. I become hard and hopeful. Temporarily forgetting about Armageddon just beyond the window I go for it and move my right hand from her breast and try to place it between her slightly open thighs. My fingers brush her pubic hair. She brings her legs together sharply and I know with a familiar certainty that it will go no further. Despite this strange false dawn, the uncertainty and my growing fear I somehow manage to have a raging hard on and nowhere useful to put it. I look down at my vaguely ludicrous redundant boner and think, if this really is the end of the world and I turn up at the Pearly Gates. St Peter will take one look at me and say, 'sorry mate but you aren't coming in here with that.'

There seems no point in going back to bed as I know sleep will allude me, besides I will have to get up for work soon anyway. I'm frustrated and restless so I've decided to get dressed and take a look outside. Alice says she won't be joining me but will be going back to bed, adding rather unnecessarily, to sleep as she has a busy day ahead.  

I think I'll head towards the beach. I doubt there will be a Tsunami after all, though with visions of the Indonesian Boxing Day and Japanese catastrophes still fresh in my mind. I think if the tide's out a really long way I'll leg it to higher ground quickly, or as we're on the coastal plain, climb a tree at least. 

 

 

 

Reviews

[janimarei]

it put a smile on my face. love the descriptions especially " too late I realize I'm naked, not a pretty sight at the best of times, but now unprepared, gut hanging out exposing myself at a window in the early hours of the morning definitely not a good look. I cover my crotch with one hand, easily done,"
definitely something i look forward to reading more of.

[Venicia]

Very interesting start. From what you've written here so far I could see this turning into the kind of story that makes me really mad at the end, because I wanted it to go on forever.
At the risk of sounding like a gushing fanbrat, I have to say you've managed something very few books ever do: hook me with the first chapter.