The Survivor (standard:science fiction, 996 words)
Author: Gavin J. Carr	Added: Mar 06 2005	Views/Reads: 3740/2415	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A comet is heading towards the earth. One man sits back and waits, for he knows the secret of surival.

Ha! Look at them down there, runnin' round like scolded rats. The news
was yesterday and already they're panicking. The comet's comin' and 
most of them won't make it. Most of them'll die. 

Take a look at this character here. Yeah, that one gettin' out of the
car. Look at her face, eyes rollin' round in her head. I tell you, if 
the comet doesn't kill her a stroke will! What's she got there? Bottled 
water, beans, dried pasta. Huh, two weeks of that crap and she'll wish 
she hadn't survived. 

Hand me that note book, will you? Have to get prepared. Let's see...Mrs
MacArthur, apartment 2C, beans, pasta and bottled water. There's Brown 
from 4B. Better note that down as well...blankets, bandages and 
gasoline. Christ! I could go on all day! 

I suppose I can't blame them, its human nature. The old survival
instinct. Right now there's a voice in their heads, drowning out 
everythin'. ‘Winter's comin'', its saying, ‘Winter's comin', must hoard 
and store. Winter's comin'.' 

Ha! Can you believe I used to be just like these monkeys? And I didn't
have a comet to blame it on. Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but 
follow me into the kitchen and I'll show you somethin'. 

Now, look inside the cupboard and let's see what I've got. Hmm, a tin of
soup, a can of coffee and a jar of mayo. Not much is it? Not much 
considering food's gonna be scarce once this thing hits. Now, tell me, 
do I look worried? You bet I don't and I'll tell you why. ‘Cause I know 
the secret of survival. 

After my wife left I went a little crazy. No, no, don't deny it, it's
true. I lost it. It's funny how your mind works. A lot of guys would 
have turned to drink, or gone chasin' tale like some kinda teenager. 
But not me. I got myself a thing. What them head-shrinks call an 
ob-sesh-on. That's a thing to you and me. After she took-off I had the 
bedroom made into a safe-room. I lined them walls with lead, filled it 
with water, medical equipment, dried-food – everythin' you need for the 
end of the world. And when it was done I holed-up and waited, sure it 
was comin'. 

What's that? No, no, I don't have it no-more, I'm gettin' to that. Now,
this here thing was strong. I didn't want to leave the house, got so I 
could barely step out of the safe-room. Sometimes I'd go to the door, 
but my heart would start poundin' so hard I was scared I was gonna have 
what you call a corn-o-ry. That's a heart-attack to you or me. I'd call 
the store and get them to deliver what I needed. Went through a lot of 
beer and bourbon back then – can't stomach the stuff now, not with 
these here pills they make me take – and ran me up quite a tab. Wasn't 
long before they was at my door looking for the cash. Anyways, I got by 
best I could, thought I was doin' pretty good in fact. 

Then, one night I was sittin' watchin' TV, eatin' cold spaghetti from
the tin, when it hit me. I was goin' crazy. I was sittin' there with 
the safe-room door jammed open in case I hadda make a run for it, and 
outside the world kept turnin'. Christ! I hadda stop! Hadda get a grip 
and jump back in the saddle. But the fear'd got me. I needed that room, 
the ham-radio and the diesel generator. I realized then that I wasn't 
doin' good. Maria was gone and she went and took my confidence with 
her. The only crutch I had was that room. 

So, I sat there in the dark, spaghetti sauce drippin' from my chin, and
cried. 

Hey, no need to look shamed. I don't look shamed do I? No, you bet I
don't. It's true, I cried. Anyways, the TV was still on and there was 
this show. What they call a doc-ment-ry. That's a show to you and me. 
It was about lions down there in Africa. Them lions know how to hunt. 
Know how to survive. 

I climbed right there into that screen with them, I can tell you. Never
seen anythin' like that show. Was then I got the secret of survival. I 
didn't need that room no-more. I could get on with livin', ‘cause I had 
the secret. 

Well, I don't have to tell you the rest. Didn't have no money to pay the


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