She awoke, threw back the curtains, and greeted the new October morn. Would there be a glimpse of the sun? Would today allow any warmth to seep on these stark and frozen fields? Janice shuddered as she stared at the thickly bunkered clouds. The forecast was undoubtedly true; winter had already poured across this once-temperate land. A winter that threatened to bury them under relentless snow and bitter arctic winds.

Visions of a normal October flickered across her mind -- bright colored leaves dancing through the crisp air, deep blue skies and a sense of energy as winter preparations began. But not this year. Most of the North American continent had now been without sun for 19 days. And it had snowed as far south as Florida. The dark chill was seeping into every corner of their lives; into homes, businesses, schools...and into their hearts.

The newscasts were filled with dire reports of a sudden, massive change in weather patterns around the world. Scientists were scrambling to understand what was happening. Last year, they were worried about global warming. Now, it seemed as though an ice age was arriving....a few thousand years ahead of schedule, and settling down much faster than anyone had anticipated. The drain on power resources had already been noticed, and if the cold continued, warnings of future blackouts would be issued for every town and city.

As she prepared to face another dismal day, Janice wondered how long she could pretend cheerfulness in front of her Grade 3 class. To keep saying, "Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow" or, "Let's look at the good side -- we can already skate on Bower's Pond" was becoming difficult. Their bewildered little faces haunted her and their probing questions disturbed her.

Fanatics were busily predicting the end of the world and thousands were flocking to listen. Were they right? If not the literal "end of the world", it was quite possibly the end of the world as they had known it. Had human activities been an instrument of this change? The verdict was not yet in, but Janice had a sinking feeling that somewhere, somehow, they had crossed the line. They had upset the balance of nature just enough to put things out of kilter.

She felt a shiver that reached right into her bones. And she was afraid that one day this shiver would never stop....

Laryalee's Website :: Writers' Corner: October Issue :: E-mail