ƉR WL CM SOFT RENZ
In ɖ livñrūm ɖ vôscloc sañ, Tíc-toc, sevn o’cloc, tîm t gt p, tîm t gt p, sevn o’cloc! az f it wr afreid nbdi wd. Ɖ mornñhǎs le emti. Ɖ cloc tict on, rpitñ n rpitñ its sǎndz intu ɖ emtinis. Sevn-nîn, brecfsțîm, sevn-nîn!
In ɖ cićn ɖ brecfststov gev a hisñ sai n ijctd fṛm its worm intirịr et pìsz v prf̣cli brǎnd tost, et egz súnisîd-up, sixtīn slîsz v bêcn, tū cofiz, n tū cūl glasz v milc. “Tde z Ōġst 4, 2026,” sd a secnd vôs fṛm ɖ cićnsīlñ, “in ɖ siti v Aḷndel, Caḷforńa.” It rpitd ɖ det ʈri tîmz fr meṃri’z sec. “Tde z Mr. Feɖ̇ston’z brʈde. Tde z ɖ aṇvrsri v Tilita’z marij. Inśuṛns z peybl, az r ɖ wōtr, gas, n lît bílz.”
Smẃr in ɖ wōlz, rīlez clict, meṃriteps glîdd undr ilectric îz.
Et-wn, tíc-toc, et-wn o’cloc, of t scūl, of t wrc, run, run, et-wn! Bt no dorz slamd, no carpits tc ɖ soft tréd v rubr hìlz. It wz renñ ǎtsd. Ɖ weɖrbox on ɖ fruntdor sañ qaytli: “Ren, ren, g awe; rubrz, rencots fr tde…” N ɖ ren tapt on ɖ emti hǎs, ecowñ.
Ǎtsd, ɖ garij ćîmd n liftd its dor t rvil ɖ wêtñ car. Aftr a loñ wêt ɖ dor swuñ dǎn agn.
At et-ʈrti ɖ egz wr śrivld n ɖ tost wz lîc ston. An aḷmińm wéj scrept ɖm dǎn a metl ʈrot ẃć djstd n fluśt ɖm awe t ɖ distnt sì. Ɖ drti diśz wr dropt intu a hot wośr n imrjd twnc̣lñ drî.
Nîn-fiftīn, sañ ɖ cloc, tîm t clīn. Ǎt v woṛnz in ɖ wōl, tîni robótmîs dartd. Ɖ rūmz wr acrōl wɖ ɖ smōl clīnñ animlz, ol rubr n metl. Ɖe ʈudd agnst ćerz, ẃrlñ ɖer mstaśt runrz, nȉdñ ɖ rugnap, sucñ jntli at hidn dust. Ɖen, lîc mstirịs invedrz, ɖe popt intu ɖer buroz. Ɖer pnc ilectric îz fedd. Ɖ hǎs wz clīn.
Ten o’cloc. Ɖ sún cem ǎt fṛm bhnd ɖ ren. Ɖ hǎs std alon in a siti v rubl n aśz. Ɖs wz ɖ wn hǎs left standñ. At nît ɖ ruind siti gev of a redioactiv glo ẃć cd b sìn fr mîlz.
Ten-fiftīn. Ɖ gardnsprinclrz ẃrld p in goldn fǎnts, filñ ɖ soft mornñ er wɖ scaṭrñz v brîtnis. Ɖ wōtr pltd windopeinz, runñ dǎn ɖ ćard wst sîd ẃr ɖ hǎs hd bn brnd īvnli fri v its ẃît pent. Ɖ intîr wst fes v ɖ hǎs wz blac, sev fr fîv plesz. Hir ɖ siluét in pent v a man mowñ a lōn. Hir, az in a foṭgraf, a wmn bnt t pic flǎrz. Stl farɖr ovr, ɖer iṃjz brnd on wŭd in wn tîtanic instnt, a smōl bô, handz fluñ intu ɖ er; hayr p, ɖ imij v a ʈroun bōl, n oṗzit him a grl, handz rezd t cać a bōl ẃć nvr cem dǎn. Ɖ fîv spots v pent – ɖ man, ɖ wmn, ɖ ćildṛn, ɖ bōl – rmend. Ɖ rest wz a ʈin ćarcold leyr. Ɖ jntl sprinclŗen fild ɖ gardn wɖ fōlñ lît.
Untl ɖs de, hǎ wel ɖ hǎs hd cept its pīs. Hǎ cerf̣li it hd inqîrd, ‘Hu gz ɖr? Ẃt’s ɖ paswrd?” n, gtñ no ansr fṛm lonli foxz n ẃînñ cats, it hd śut p its windoz n drwn śêdz in an old-meidnli priokpeśn wɖ slf-pṛtx́n ẃć bordrd on a mcanicl paṛnoia.
It qivrd at ć sǎnd, ɖ hǎs dd. F a sparo bruśt a windo, ɖ śêd snapt p. Ɖ brd, startld, flù of! No, nt īvn a brd mst tuć ɖ hǎs!
Ɖ hǎs wz an ōltr wɖ ten ʈǎznd atndnts, big, smōl, srvisñ, atndñ, in qîrz. Bt ɖ godz hd gn awe, n ɖ rićl v ɖ rlijn cntinyd snslisli, yslisli.
Twelv nūn.
A dog ẃînd, śiṿrñ, on ɖ fruntporć.
Ɖ fruntdor rec̣gnîzd ɖ dog vôs n opnd. Ɖ dog, wns larj n fleśi, bt nǎ gn t bon n cuvrd wɖ sorz, muvd in n ʈru ɖ hǎs, tracñ mud. Bhnd it ẃrd angri mîs, angri at hvñ t pic p mud, angri at incnvińns.
Fr nt a līf fragmnt blù undr ɖ dor bt ẃt ɖ wōlpanlz flipt opn n ɖ copr-scrap rats flaśt swiftli ǎt. Ɖ ofndñ dust, her, or pepr, sizd in minićr stīl jwz, wz rêst bac t ɖ buroz. Ɖr, dǎn tybz ẃć féd intu ɖ sélr, it wz dropt intu ɖ sayñ vnt v an insiṇretr, ẃć sat lîc īvl Bāl in a darc cornr.
Ɖ dog ran upsterz, histericli yelpñ t ć dor, at last riylîzñ, az ɖ hǎs riylîzd, ɖt onli sîḷns wz hir. It snift ɖ er n scraćt ɖ cićndor. Bhnd ɖ dor, ɖ stov wz mcñ pancecs ẃć fild ɖ hǎs wɖ a rić ǒdr n ɖ sént v mepl siṛp. Ɖ dog froʈt at ɖ mǎʈ, layñ at ɖ dor, snifñ, its îz trnd t fîr. It ran wîldli in srclz, bîtñ at its teil, spun in a frenzi, n daid. It le in ɖ parlr fr an aur.
Tū ’cloc, sañ a vôs.
Delic̣tli snsñ dce at last, ɖ rejimnts v mîs humd ǎt az softli az bloun gre līvz in an ilectricl wind.
Tū-fiftīn.
Ɖ dog wz gn.
In ɖ sélr, ɖ insiṇretr gloud sudnli n a ẃrl v sparcs lept p ɖ ćimni.
Tū ʈrti-fîv.
Brijteblz sprǎt fṛm patiowōlz. Pleyñcardz flutrd ontu padz in a śǎr v pips. Martīniz maṇfstd on an ocn bnć wɖ eg saḷd sanẉjz. Ḿzic pleid.
Bt ɖ teblz wr sîḷnt n ɖ cardz untućt.
At for o’cloc ɖ teblz foldd lîc gret buṭflîz bac ʈru ɖ panld wōlz.
For-ʈrti.
Ɖ nrṣriwōlz gloud.
Animlz tc śep: yelo jrafs, blu laynz, pnc anṭlops, lîlac panʈrz cvortñ in cristl substns. Ɖ wōlz wr glas. Ɖe lct ǎt upn culr n fanṭsi. Hidn filmz cloct ʈru ɖ wel-ôld sprocits, n ɖ wōlz livd. Ɖ nrṣriflor wz wovn t rzmbl a crisp síṛl medo. Ovr ɖs ran aḷmińm roćz n ayn cricits, n in ɖ hot stil er buṭflîz v delic̣t red tiśu wevrd amñ ɖ śarp aroma v animlsporz! Ɖr wz ɖ sǎnd lîc a gret matd yelo hîv v bìz wɖn a darc beloz, ɖ lezi bumbl v a pŕñ layn. N ɖr wz ɖ patr v ocāpi fīt n ɖ mrmr v a freś junglren, lîc uɖr hūfs fōlñ upn ɖ sumr-starćt gras. Nǎ ɖ wōlz dzolvd intu distnsz v parćt wīd, mîl on mîl, n worm endlis scî. Ɖ animlz drù awe intu ʈornbreics n wōtrhoulz. It wz ɖ ćildṛn’z aur.
Fîv o’cloc. Ɖ baʈ fild wɖ clir hot wōtr.
Six, sevn, et o’cloc. Ɖ dinrdiśz mnipyletd lîc majic trics, n in ɖ studi a clic. In ɖ metl stand oṗzit ɖ harʈ ẃr a fîr nǎ blezd p wormli, a sgar popt ǎt, haf an inć v soft gre aś on it, smocñ, wêtñ.
Nîn o’cloc. Ɖ bedz wormd ɖer hidn srcits, fr nîts wr cūl hir.
Nîn-fîv. A vôs spouc fṛm ɖ studisīlñ: “Msz. MCleḷn, ẃć powm wd y lîc ɖs īvnñ?”
Ɖ hǎs wz sîḷnt.
Ɖ vôs sd at last, “Sins y xpres no prefṛns, I śl s’lect a powm at randm.” Qayt ḿzic rouz t bac ɖ vôs. “Sẹra Tīzdel. Az I rcōl, yr fevrit…
N frogz in ɖ pūlz sññ at nît
N wîld plumtrīz in treḿḷs ẃît.
Robinz wl wer ɖer feɖ̇ri fîr,
Ẃiṣlñ ɖer ẃimz on a lo fns-wîr,
N nt wn wl nǒ v ɖ wor, nt wn
Wl cer at last ẃn it z dn.
Nt wn wd mînd, nɖr brd nr tri,
F mancînd periśt utrli
N Sprñ hrslf, ẃn ś wouc at dōn,
Wd scersli nǒ ɖt w wr gn.”
Ɖ fîr brnd on ɖ ston harʈ n ɖ sgar fél awe intu a mǎnd v qayt aś on its tre. Ɖ emti ćerz fest ć uɖr btwn ɖ sîḷnt wōlz, n ɖ ḿzic pleid.
At ten o’cloc ɖ hǎs bgan t dî. Ɖ wind blù. A fōlñ trībau craśt ʈru ɖ cićnwindo. Clīnñsolvnt, botld, śatrd ovr ɖ stov. Ɖ rūm wz ablez in an instnt! “Fîr!” scrīmd a vôs. Ɖ hǎs lîts flaśt, wōtrpumps śot wōtr fṛm ɖ sīlñz. Bt ɖ solvnt spred on ɖ l’nołm, licñ, ītñ, undr ɖ cićndor, ẃl ɖ vôsz tc it p in cōṛs: “Fîr, fîr, fîr!”
Ɖ hǎs traid t sev itslf. Dorz sprañ tîtli śut, bt ɖ windoz wr brocn bî ɖ hīt, n ɖ wind blù n suct upn ɖ fîr.
Ɖ hǎs gev grǎnd az ɖ fîr in ten biłn angri sparcs muvd wɖ flemñ īz fṛm rūm t rūm n ɖen p ɖ sterz. Ẃl scuriyñ wōtŗats sqīct fṛm ɖ wōlz, pistld ɖer wōtr, n ran fr mor. N ɖ wōlsprez let dǎn śǎrz v mcanicl ren.
Bt tù lêt. Smẃr, sayñ, a pump śrugd t a stop. Ɖ qnćñ ren sīst. Ɖ rzrv wōtrs’plî ẃć fild ɖ baɖz n wośt ɖ diśz fr mni qayt dez wz gn.
Ɖ fîr cracld p ɖ sterz. It féd upn Pcasoz n Matīsz in ɖ upr hōlz, lîc delic̣siz, becñ of ɖ ôli fleś, tndrli crispñ ɖ canvsz intu blac śevñz.
Nǎ ɖ fîr le in bedz, std in windoz, ćenjd ɖ culrz v dreps!
N ɖen, riinforsmnts.
Fṛm atic trapdorz, blînd robótfesz pīrd dǎn wɖ fōsit mǎɖz guśñ grīn cemicl.
Ɖ fîr bact of, az īvn an elifnt mst at ɖ sît v a ded snec. Nǎ ɖr wr twenti snecs ẃipñ ovr ɖ flor, cilñ ɖ fîr wɖ a clir cold venm v grīn froʈ.
Bt ɖ fîr wz clevr. It hd snt flemz ǎtsd ɖ hǎs, p ʈru ɖ atic t ɖ pumps ɖr. An xploźn! Ɖ aticbren ẃć d’rectd ɖ pumps wz śatrd intu bronz śrapnl on ɖ bīmz.
Ɖ fîr ruśt bac intu evri clozit n flt v ɖ cloɖz ɖt huñ ɖr.
Ɖ hǎs śudrd, oc bon on bon, its bérd scelitn crinjñ fṛm ɖ hīt, its wîr, its nrvz rvild az f a srjn hd torn ɖ scin of t let ɖ red veinz n cpiḷriz qivr in ɖ scōldd er. Hlp, hlp! Fîr! Run, run! Hīt snapt mirrz lîc ɖ frst britl wintr îs. N ɖ vôsz weild Fîr, fîr, run, run, lîc a trajic nrṣrirîm, a duzn vôsz, hî, lo, lîc ćildṛn dayñ in a forist, alon, alon. N ɖ vôsz fedñ az ɖ wîrz popt ɖer śīɖñz lîc hot ćesnuts. Wn, tū, ʈri, for, fîv vôsz daid.
In ɖ nrṣri ɖ jungl brnd. Blu laynz rord, prpl jrafs bǎndd of. Ɖ panʈrz ran in srclz, ćenjñ culr, n ten miłn animlz, runñ bfr ɖ fîr, vaniśt of twd a distnt stīmñ rivr…
Ten mor vôsz daid. In ɖ last instnt undr ɖ fîr aṿlanć, uɖr coṛsz, oblivịs, cd b hŕd anǎnsñ ɖ tîm, pleyñ ḿzic, cutñ ɖ lōn bî rmot-cntrol mowr, or setñ an umbrela franticli ǎt, n in ɖ slamñ n oṗnñ fruntdor a ʈǎznd ʈñz haṗnñ, lîc a clocśop ẃn ć cloc strîcs ɖ aur insenli bfr or aftr ɖ uɖr, a sīn v meniac cnfyźn, yt yṇti; sññ, scrīmñ, a fy last clīnñ mîs dartñ brevli ǎt t cari ɖ horid aśz awe! N wn vôs, wɖ sblîm disrigard fr ɖ sićueśn, rīdñ powtri alǎd ol in ɖ fîri studi, untl ol ɖ filmspūlz brnd, untl ol ɖ wîrz wiɖrd n ɖ srcits cract.
Ɖ fîr brst ɖ hǎs n let it slam flat dǎn, pufñ ǎt scrts v sparc n smoc.
In ɖ cićn, an instnt bfr ɖ ren v fîr n timbr, ɖ stov cd b sìn mcñ brecfsts at a sîc̣paʈic ret, ten duzn egz, six lovz v tost, twenti duzn bêcn strips, ẃć, ītn bî fîr, startd ɖ stov wrcñ agn, histericli hisñ!
Ɖ craś. Ɖ atic smaśñ intu ɖ cićn n parlr. Ɖ parlr intu sélr, sélr intu subsélr. Dīpfrīz, armćer, filmteps, srcits, bedz, n ol lîc scelitnz ʈroun in a clutrd mǎnd dīp undr.
Smoc n sîḷns. A gret qontti v smoc.
Dōn śoud fentli in ɖ īst. Amñ ɖ ruinz, wn wōl std alon. Wɖn ɖ wōl, a last vôs sd, ovr n ovr agn n agn, īvn az ɖ sún rouz t śîn upn ɖ hīp v rubl n stīm:
“Tde z Ōġst 5, 2026, tde z Ōġst 5, 2026, tde z…”
♥ ♣ ♦ ♠
