The Morning of the Swallowing of Arizona

         He was lucky enough to get advance warning about the coming of The Black, and it probably saved the lives of him and his children. All three plastic bags filled with groceries tried to drag Paul down as he lumbered up Salisbury Lane, avoiding the oncoming mob. The grocer was in absolute chaos as well, but Paul had been camping out there since the twilight hours. His revolver shook wildly in his right hand; it was hard to keep it steady with a grocery bag hanging from his wrist. The bag was filled with canned beans and vegetables and quite heavy.
 
         "Paul!" Oh no. "Paul! I need help man!" James from down the street came running up to him, little Annie hanging from his arm. "I can't get a hold of any food. It's cleaned out! Let me have a can or two."
 
         "I can't," he kept walking as he spoke. "I'm sorry."
 
         "Paul!" James chased after him. "For Christ's sake, Paul. Listen, we need help. Annie! Annie needs to eat."
 
         Paul started walking faster. The bag on his gun arm was cutting into his wrist.
 
         "Dammit Paul! Stop!" James pulled away from Annie's grasp and ran after Paul. He grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back. Paul turned and pointed his gun in James's face.
 
         "James. I have three kids and myself to worry about. You aren't getting any of this. Back the Hell away. Now."
 
         James looked from the gun to Paul and back to the gun. He was thinking of a way to take it from him. All around them people were abandoning their houses. They were leaving their running cars in the congested street. Horns were honking futilely. Screams could be heard from every neighborhood. And no one stopped to look at one man pointing a gun at his neighbor.
 
         "Daddy? Daddy leave him alone!" Annie was quaking at her father's side. Paul looked at her. He was as silent as James; both of them were frozen in uncertainty. Then, out of nowhere, one of the bags cradled under his left arm was wrenched from his grasp. He caught only a red shape streaking by, pointed his gun, and fired. The red shape fell, hit an abandoned car in the street and became the body of Janice Edleman from Lunar Ave.
 
         The bag lay crushed under her weight, bread was smashed and bottled water emptied their contents onto the street. James's eyes were wide, his hand over his mouth. Then he turned to Paul, who made his way over to save the water. The caps had burst off. Janice was twitching on the road. A stain was spreading between her shoulders, darkening the red sweater. Unable to speak, she was taking deep, choking breaths.
 
         "Murderer! Look at me!" James grabbed Paul and turned him to be face to face. Paul looked into James's eyes. He saw little Annie on the sidewalk. She was completely silent now; her eyes were wide and expressionless. There was nothing behind them.
 
         "I had to save my water. I had to save my kids." Paul turned away and turned over Janice's convulsing body so he could get the bread. Then he turned and pointed the gun back at James. "Back up or I will shoot you down. Take your little girl and find food somewhere else."
 
         James shoulders slumped; he looked down--away from the gun--and turned to get Annie. The sky was darkening above. Tucson was eaten three hours ago. The darkness would be here by tomorrow. Paul made his way back up Salisbury Lane, trying not to spill the water. The bread bag was covered in blood, but the loaf would still be edible.
 
         He made it to his home where Joey and Sydney were hiding under the bed. The door had been knocked down and the house was ransacked. It was worthless now anyway. As the kids crawled out from under the bed, Sydney walked to help her father.
 
         "You got my message, daddy?"
 
         "Yes, love. I saw it in your dream and went right to the store to get what we would need. People must've heard about it while I walked in. One second there was nothing, the next. . ."
 
         "I know. Some people came. They broke stuff."
 
         "Where can we go now, Syd? The streets are packed and the sky is already turning black."
 
         "Don't worry daddy," she said, "I know where we can go." She took her father's gun and her little brother's hand, and led them outside.