Apocalypse at the Daycare

Originally posted here on October 27, 2020:

writing-prompt-s:

You’re a daycare worker, watching over toddlers, when the imminent end of the world is announced. It becomes increasingly clear none of the kids’ parents are going to show up as the end inches nearer.

[Audio starts]

“Mom has been texting me for the last twenty minutes. She wants me to come home. It’s a four hour drive, when the roads are clear, and from what I hear everybody is trying to get somewhere right now. There’s no telling if I’d even-”

“Everybody else has left. All the other kids were picked up, the other staff left. They gave me all the keys. I promised to stay and wait for as long as- well. Even if some of the parents show up, I guess some of them won’t, so I’m just waiting. Until.”

[Clears throat.]

“A couple of people came after everybody left. Peter, one of Aidan’s fathers, gave me three hundred dollars for staying. What am I going to do with money? It’s- anyway. I kind of get it. He wanted to give me something.”

[Audio ends]

[Audio starts]

“They’re all between 2 and 4.” Sniff. “They’re so little. Too little to really- maybe if they were older, I’d have to tell them something. But um. I’m just- trying to stay calm and keep them happy and occupied. I think that’s the best thing, right now.”

[Heaving breaths.]

“I normally use this recorder to help me remember stuff. It’s just, uh, habit to talk to it. I don’t know. They’re napping, right now. I’ve got the baby monitor, they know that if they talk into it, I’ll come, so-”

[Sobbing.]

[Audio ends]

[Audio starts]

“Mom keeps texting, so I blocked her. I sent her a text telling her goodbye, first, but. I do. But these kids need me.”

[Sniff.]

“I tried calling their parents again, but I can’t get anybody. It’s just busy signals. I called the firefighter station, 911. I can’t get through to anybody.”

[Shaky breath.]

“I went out into the yard. Um, I think they can play. It’s nice out, and you can’t really see it yet. Little bit of a glimmer, if they ask I’ll just tell them it’s a plane, but it’s nice out and we’ve got hours before-”

[Murmuring child’s voice, indistinguishable.]

[Audio ends]

[Audio begins]

“It took a few minutes to get everybody into their coats. It’s a little chilly out, but nice. Some guy driving by saw us, came and asked me what was going on. I told him, you know. I was waiting for their parents.”

[Deep inhale.]

“He, um, just left. Then he came back with like 10 pizzas and just- like four bags of candy. I guess the pizza place run by that couple up the road is open and just- giving pizza to whoever comes in. I think maybe he just stole the candy but… well, I tried to thank him and told him he should take a pizza but he just left. Didn’t even get back in his car, just walked away.”

“This is so much pizza, but I can’t- well. It’s enough for everybody to have as much pizza and candy as they can eat. I don’t want them to have too much, they- I don’t want to be sick when they-”

[Crying.]

[Audio ends]

[Audio begins]

[Loud shrieking.]

“So, I gave everybody pizza and candy and set them loose on the art room. Fuck it.”

[Audio ends.]

[Audio begins.]

“Um, it’s… uh, late afternoon, now. It’s gotten real dark out. I can’t- I can’t make myself go look, I don’t want to see, I don’t want to know when it’s going to happen. They’re all taking naps, now. With any luck, when it hits, they’ll still be asleep.”

[Sniff.]

“I can’t believe nobody else came. These are good kids. They- they deserved better than what I could give them.”

[Sniff.]

“I- if someone finds this. I guess… there’s art on the walls. Glitter absolutely everywhere. I guess… I mean. Now I don’t have to clean up, I guess.”

[Bitter laugh.]

“They had a good day. We had a skinned knee when we were outside earlier, but other than that they had a good day. There’s art everywhere, art they made. Lot of people in capes, I guess they had superheroes on the brain. I see Titanium Man and- uh, the Lipstick Sisters, and the brain guy, but there’s more.”

[Sniff.]

“Um, I can’t get the tv or radio to work, and I’m not putting the battery in my cell phone, so I’m just- I’m just gonna lay down in there and stay with them. Until the end. But um. If you find this, I did my best, and they had a good day, and with any luck they never knew what happened.”

[Sobbing.]

 

[Audio ends.]

[Audio begins.]

[Radio static, then news anchor speaks.]

“…we’re having trouble getting a good angle, but it looks like masked superheroes destroyed the meteor just before it could enter Earth’s atmosphere. Some of the debris has caused minor damage, and there are some major antennas down, but it seems that Earth has been saved.”

[Radio clicks off.]

[Sniff.]

“You’ll never guess who just showed up to pick up their kids.”

[Audio ends.]

[Audio begins.]

“I’m glad I had all that extra pizza, after all, because I guess they haven’t really eaten today. Most of the kids are still asleep, which is good, because I keep crying.“

[Sniff.]

“Bee Tee Dubs, the Lipstick Sisters? They are not sisters and apparently I’ve been watching their triplets for the last year.”

[Audio ends.]

[Audio begins.]

“This is Titanium Man. It is November 29th, and it’s been six weeks since the events documented on this recording. Addie is hesitant to delete the recording, because she feels it’s a historical record, but she also doesn’t want to hang onto it. She’s afraid she’s said too much, that our identities might be revealed just by figuring out who she is and where she worked. So I’m going to be giving this to my friend who can send it to a museum in the future, where our identities don’t matter anymore, and they can preserve this record.”

[Long, easy breath.]

“I wanted to add something of a post script. Addie’s been watching our kids at a more secure facility, with better tech for communications. She won’t have to deal with a blackout like that ever again. She’s doing a great job with the kids. She’s been helping us find a few more people to help out, so she can take a break when she needs to.”

[Clears throat.]

“I can’t tell you how horrifying it was. To be working so hard and not knowing if our kids were safe. Were they scared? Were they alone? We were dealing with trying to save everybody and not knowing what was happening to our kids. To come home and find them gently asleep, having had a really fun day, was beyond our wildest hopes.”

[Shaky breath.]

“They probably won’t even remember this, most of them are too young. Maybe you’re listening to it right now, and having a few faint memories, but.. She made sure you had a great day, and that you were happy and had fun, and she did it while being scared out of her mind, mourning herself and you and everybody, and I don’t think I know anybody braver. That’s what I wanted to say.”

[Audio ends.]