Chapter 1

October 4, 2080

A whimper, not a bang. That's how some writer a long time ago said the world was going to end. With a whimper, not a bang. Well, the world ended, they say, and from where I'm sitting, it wasn't even a whimper. It ended with a whisper, and a shrug and then everybody left just kinda moved on.

The apocalypse totally wasn't even that bad. Worse things have happened to me today and it's not even fifth section yet.

In history classes my whole life I've heard about the single act of terror that lead one nation to attack another, and then a domino effect ripping the entire globe into a chaos of rocket propelled grenades, nuclear bombs, chemical weapons and all sorts of awful death and carnage and stuff.

We put up a big wall around us from the rest of the world. We moved on. For a generation, we've moved on. We have movies, and libraries and the mall. We have boys and marching bands and football and chemistry class. We have puppies and chicken pox and baked potato night. I've been warm and comfortable and I guess happy my whole life. It's easy here.

Some people, like Mr. Culpepper, whisper that the battle rages on around the globe. But I don't care about the globe. I've never even left New Columbus. I've never seen a gun, let alone a megaton automatonic nuclear drone. And I don't even own a crossbow, like all of the heroines in those post-apocalyptic books and movies. So, in short, I don't give a spit about the terror mastermind, or the ambassdors or the soldiers or rebels. 

Why should I care about the apocalypse when my Dad forces me to finish my algebra homework before we even get to play chess or watch a movie.

Why should I care about the end of the world when my Mom died doing something so easy as giving birth to me? Tons of people do that without dying every day. How weak.

Why should I care about armageddon when my Dad's sick and refuses to go to the doctor.

Why should I care when Omar was sent away to boarding school without even getting to say goodbye?

Why should I care about humanity's end when by nightfall, I'll be dead. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that?

My name's Silvia Pinto and today is the day I die.

How's that for a bang?