October 28
I hate driving to work. Today there was not one, not two, but six traffic jams on I-10. Seems people kept running out of gas or something, so they'd abandon their cars right there. So impolite!
At work my boss' secretary Gina didn't show up. First time in nearly two years. Normally she and I banter a bit before work, mostly about our favorite show, "Lost." We make predictions on how it'll turn out - she's always more right than I am. I hope she's feeling okay.
Listening to the radio on the way home, I heard a 10 year old girl had gone missing. Terrible. Maybe she just ran away, though. I mean, anything could happen.
October 29
TGIF! Called mom on the other side of town to ask about her Halloween party. Answering machine (such an annoying long one, too!) - buzz her later. Another half-day at work - traffic was abysmal. A truck stalled on one of the entrance ramps - the driver ditched, of course - and they were routing everyone down alternate routes. Finally got in to the office. Still no Gina.
All day at work I kept getting IMs from friends asking me, "Had I seen so-and-so?" Most of the time I hadn't. It was strange. Everybody seemed to be looking for someone else. As I left the office at 3, the security guard from the front desk was AWOL. Taking a leak, I surmised, and, resourceful girl that I am, swiped my card myself.
Traffic was a lot lighter on the way home than usual. Still lots of traffic jamming. What's with all these beautiful cars just left on the highway? If this is some weird marketing promotion, it's working, because I was pissed off enough to notice!
Spent nearly an hour debating between the white miniskirt and the classic little black dress. Finally went with the skirt. Am heading out to Whispers tonight. Maybe find a nice guy. (Ha-HA!)
October 30
Ugh, hangover. No fun last night, place was practically deserted. This one guy came and talked to me, said he'd go buy me a drink, and then never came back. Lousy but predictable. Took the subway home, and I thought I saw some creepy guy staring at me from the back. But when I turned and looked again, he was gone. I think I was imagining things. Halloween and all.
Still no answer from mom. I had to call three of her friends before I could get one, and she hadn't seen Mom since Wednesday. Then she asked me a strange question: "Have all of your friends disappeared, too?" I laughed and told her I'd only be too happy to see the lot of them go away forever. She didn't laugh - she's always acting above her place - so I thanked her and hung up. Took some pills for my headache.
On TV was a bunch of static on a lot of stations. And at first, I figured the cable must've been out. Finally, I came to one of the broadcast ones, and the newscaster looked like he'd seen a ghost. Then he told me something I didn't believe.
People are vanishing, he said. Randomly, unexplainedly, disappearing. Thousands of them. He said a lot of people thought it was The Rapture and were sitting at their local churches, praying for salvation. Other people were thinking aliens, they had this one crazy guy who had a space-time continuum vortex theory or what have you. I called my mom again. And again. And again.
No answer. Headache coming back.
October 31
I drove over to see my mom. The streets were almost barren now. I saw a police car, lights flashing, on the side of the road, but no policeman. A propped up sign begging for food sat unwatched on the side of the road. The only radio I could get was light jazz, so I drove in silence as I drove into the dead city.
Finally I got to her house. Lights on, but no answer at the door. I looked around everywhere for her. Called every one of her friends. No one answered, not even that other lady. I was beginning to feel like the last person on earth.
What do you do? Who do you turn to? Now I'm sitting at home, filling this out, in case I go, too. So someone else knows what happened. I feel so alone.
Wait, the phone is ringing.
Oh thank the Lord! It was my mother, she said she's alright, I bitched at her thoroughly for being unavailable, started to cry. She was very considerate, told me not to worry. I told her about the broadcast. She seemed to be taking all of this a lot better than I was. She said that they were going to have her Halloween party after all, that there would be some new friends there, and that of course I was still invited. I said sure, just to make her feel better, I think. And when we said goodbye, I realized I felt a lot better myself. Now I just have to get my costume on and head over to mothe